curial lute cups and upper appendages are enclosed in a castiron casing, air and water-tight, over which the causeway is bedded, as shown by figs. 3 and 4, leaving an aperture on the top, of small size, terminating on the street surface, and covered by a strong iron plate. Immediately under the surface-plate is a second lid or cover, resting on a flange inside of aperture, having a slip of vulcanized India-rubber interposed, and being tightly fastened down by the screws and crosshead RR, the apparatus is rendered conveniently accessible and perfectly water-tight.

Fig. 4.

The action of the regulator may be thus stated. As the pressure of resistance on the back or outside of the valve is diminished in proportion to the rate of consumption from the mains, the yielding valve gradually moves from and enlarges the orifice of the gas passage, and, vice versa, in a manner not unlike the action of the well-known Arnot ventilator.

The Water Regulator.

This instrument resembles the foregoing in its purpose, and is submitted as a design or suggestion of a principle, on which the delivery of water through street mains might be subjected to control, keeping in view the difference in the nature of the fluids, the one elastic and pliable, the other non-elastic and possessing physical characteristics when under head pressure which render it difficult to curb.

When engaged a year or two ago in executing a scheme of water supply for the corporation and town of Montrose, the problem under consideration suggested itself, but was lost sight of till shortly before leaving that locality, when it again revived. I regret having had no opportunity of putting it in practical operation.

In suggesting a method for regulating the flow of water under pressure in street mains, and counteracting the great determination of flow towards lower levels, to the inconvenience of consumers at higher elevations, I propose to employ the water itself as a fit agency for the regulation of its own flow and pressure.

The general form of the regulator is shown in figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 5.

The instrument is affixed to the main-pipe at a point where it may be desirable to reduce the volume of water flowing towards a lower locality. An ordinary throttle-valve C (fig. 7) is inserted between the flange joints of the water-main, the current being in the direction of the arrow. The valve and lining of the valve-block are made of brass. It being desired

to check the flow of water passing the valve, the latter should have its degree of opening at all times proportioned to the

quantity of liquid required to flow through, and diminish or enlarge in area correspondingly. For this purpose a lever L

Fig. 7.

is fitted to the projecting end of the valve-spindle, carrying a hollow copper vessel V at one end, and a solid iron weight W at the other extremity,

The valve-spindle and lever L are hollow tubes, forming a communication between the copper ball and the water within the pipe. The compression of the air by the water pressure will allow a certain portion of water to enter the copper vessel, the weight of which will shut the throttle-valve. The counterpoise weight W is then adjusted to give the requisite degree of opening to the throttle-valve for the passage of the water, and the machine is in working order.

The pressure on the volume of air confined inside the airvessel will diminish its bulk in the ratio of one-half, one-third, one-fourth, &c., as the atmospheres of pressure increase in the order two, three, four, &c. The mechanical agency thus derivable from the fluctuations of pressure within the pipeincreasing or diminishing the gravitating force of the hollow ball-is therefore proposed by me to be employed in this or a similar manner for more effectually equalising the distribution of the supply of water to large towns.

129

Proposed Addition to the Regulator of a Watch, whereby the True Beat, disturbed by touching the Regulator, may be restored. By ROBERT AYTOUN, W.S., F.R.S.S.A.*

Every one must have noticed the regularity with which his watch goes when it first comes from the hands of the watchmaker. It has been put on the true beat at the expense of much skill and patience, and, in consequence, it goes with all the regularity the works are capable of. Unfortunately, we are not satisfied with our watches keeping regular time; they must also keep pace with true time. To accomplish this we touch the regulator, and succeed in increasing or reducing the speed as required; but at the same time we undo all that the skill and care of the watchmaker had done in putting it on the true beat, and the watch, therefore, loses the regularity which it owed to that circumstance alone. This position I shall now endeavour to establish.

Besides the length of the hair-spring on which the rate of the watch depends, there are two other adjustments of that delicate part of a watch of great importance. The one is, that the hair-spring shall be held at the fixed end in such a manner that the balance-arbor attached to the free end shall rest in its pivot-holes freely, and without compulsion. It is evident, that if the pivot-holes coerce the pivots of the balance-arbor, there will be an amount of friction quite incompatible with the delicate duty they have to perform. The other adjustment of the hair-spring is, that it shall hold the balance-wheel when at rest in a neutral position, so that the latter shall have to revolve as far to the one side as to the other, in order to let a tooth escape. In this position the watch is on the true beat; the beats succeed each other after the expiration of exactly the same interval of time, and the watch goes with the greatest regularity that the works are capable of. Indeed, it is not too much to say, that the regularity of the watch depends as much on this circumstance as its rate of going does upon the length of the hair-spring.

Now, in moving the regulator for the purpose of altering

* Read before the Society, and model and drawing exhibited, 22d April 1861. VOL. VI. Ꭱ

the rate of going, the regulating pins projecting from it are sure to press the hair-spring either to the one side or the other, and consequently force the pivots of the balance against the pivot-holes. This destroys the first adjustment noticed above, and must be remedied at all hazards. For this purpose the hair-spring is twisted backwards and forwards by means of pliers, until it no longer presses the pivots of the balance against the pivot-holes. But in doing this, the second adjustment, that intended to give the true beat, is completely destroyed, as is clearly shown by the model on the table, of which the figure is a drawing; the slightest twisting of the hair-spring causes its inner end B, purposely drawn into a straight line upwards, to make a new angle with the bar AA, showing thereby the new face which the balance will be constrained to present to the escape-wheel, producing unequal beats, and all the irregularities which may be expected from a halting motion. This explains a circum

stance which every one must have noticed-the reluctance of watchmakers to turn the regulator sufficiently; they content themselves with gentler touches than the impatience of their customers demands, for they know by experience the danger of setting the watch off beat, if they were to move the regulator to the degree warranted by its rate of going. The addition which I propose to the regulator is a slide

OB

E, carrying the regulating pins, which moves in a groove DD of the regulator BC. By its means the regulator may be moved with perfect safety to the degree rendered necessary by the variation from true time, even to the limits of its range; for the compression of the hair-spring thereby occasioned can be at once removed, by shifting the slide in its groove until the pins cease to compress it. Thus the necessity is taken away of tampering in the slightest degree with the hair-spring, which, when once adjusted, need

A