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A balanced piston for steam cylinders has been patented by Mr. Thomas Joyce, of Scranton, Pa. It has grooves in the lower sides of its ends, with perforations leading into the grooves, whereby the weight of the piston will be carried by the steam, and undue wear of the lower side of the piston will be prevented. A car coupling has been patented by Mr. Michael Spelman, of Shreveport, La. This invention covers improvements on an automatic coupling heretofore patented by the Bame inventor, other parts being now employed instead of shouldered springs on the sides of the drawhead, to allow it to tilt downward when required. A car coupling has been patented by Mr. William B. Little, of New York city. Combined with a drawhead having a cavity is a weight block sliding in the recess, and having a coupling pin and swinging tongue, with other novel features, to make a coupling that is cheap, durable, and automatic, and that will act whether the cars be on a straight or curved track. A car coupling has been patented by Mr. John A. Craig, of Lauderdale, Mo. Its construction is such that when the link is raised the contact of a meeting drawhead will jar it down into coupled position, and to uncouple it is necessary to raise a lever, from either tlie side or top of the car, so that the moving parts of the coupling may be operated without going between the cars. A railway ties has been patented by Messrs. Adam N. Warner and Thomas J. Deakin, of Williamsport, Pa. Cross ties are formed of metallic bed plates having a central groove open at the top, within which fit the shanks of T-shaped blocks, their upper flanged portions resting upon the upper marginal portions of the grooves, and these blocks form the bearers or sleepers for the rails.
