Memoir of a mechanic Being a sketch of the life of Timothy Claxton . [Experiments with the small Air-pump.] The construction of this small air-pump wasvery simple, yet it was quite effective; andalthough its action could easily be reversed,there were no spare parts, they being all usedin each operation. It consisted of a single barrelof small bore, and therefore easily worked bythe hand, applied to a handle on the end of thepiston rod. There was a screw for attachingit to several parts of the apparatus, and also aground plate on the end of the barrel; andthis plate, which was cast on the pump,
Memoir of a mechanic Being a sketch of the life of Timothy Claxton . [Experiments with the small Air-pump.] The construction of this small air-pump wasvery simple, yet it was quite effective; andalthough its action could easily be reversed,there were no spare parts, they being all usedin each operation. It consisted of a single barrelof small bore, and therefore easily worked bythe hand, applied to a handle on the end of thepiston rod. There was a screw for attachingit to several parts of the apparatus, and also aground plate on the end of the barrel; andthis plate, which was cast on the pump, con- INVENTIONS. 75 stituted its chief novelty. This contrivancewas discovered in the following manner: As I was giving a lecture with a small sin-gle barreled pump, with a ground plate on amahogany stand, and the barrel attached tothe stand at the back of the plate, I attemptedto perform the experiment of making a balloonrise in water; but on covering the jar contain-ing the balloon with a receiver, I found thelatter was cracked, and very leaky. After ashort tri
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Keywords: ., bookauthorclaxton, bookcentury1800, bookidmemoirofmechanic00clax
