ricators are fitted on
the cylinders, and an efficient system of lubrication is provided for
the rest of the working parts. The carriage frame, hose box, etc., are
of the same design as usually employed for engines of this class, with
the exception of the fore carriage, which is fitted with a cross
spring in the rear, as well as the two longitudinal springs. This
arrangement makes the engine run more lightly, and removes much of the
strain on the side frames when traveling rapidly on a rough road. The
wheels are fairly light for the weight they have to carry, and have
gun metal stock hoops with diamond pent rims to prevent the men
slipping when mounting in a hurry. The engine and boiler work is
brightly polished where-ever possible, and the whole machine has a
handsome appearance.--Engineering.
* * * * *
APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING THE CUBATURE OF TREES.
In the exploitation of forests it is an important matter to be able to
measure the cubature of trees, and the process most generally employed
consists in determining their height and mean circumference, the
apparatus used for this latter measurement being compasses having the
form of the calipers used by mechanics. The figure indicated is read
upon the graduated rule and is called off in a loud voice to another
person, who at once writes it down. There are several causes of error:
it is possible that the reading may be incorrectly made or improperly
called off, or be misunderstood or incorrectly noted. Finally, it is a
somewhat fatiguing operation that is often dispensed with and the
measurement made by estimate. In order to do away with all such causes
of error, M. Jobez, a mining engineer, has had M. Peccaud construct
an apparatus that automatically registers all the measurements upon a
paper tape analogous to that used in the Morse telegraphic apparatus.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.--APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING THE CUBATURE OF
TREES.]
The registering mechanism (Fig. 1) is fixed to the movable branch that
forms the slide of the instrument. It is so arranged that when this
branch is slid along the rule carrying the graduations, a gearing
causes the revolution of a wheel, D, which carries figures
corresponding to such graduation. At the same time, two feed rollers,
E, cause a small portion of the paper tape (which is wound upon a
spool, A) to move forward and wind around a receiving spool, B. After
the apparatus has been made accurate
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