Fruiloni wheels are made with a nave, nine inches long, and three inches in diameter. Near the bottom of this nave, fix eight spokes with a hole in the end of each, sufficiently large to receive a two or four-ounce case. Each of these spokes may be fourteen inches long from the block. Near the top of this block, fix three more of the same spokes, exactly over the others, but not so long by two inches. As this wheel is to run horizontally, all the cases in the spokes, must play obliquely upwards, and all those in the spokes at bottom, obliquely downwards. This being accomplished, have a small horizontal wheel, made with eight spokes, each five inches long from the block. On the top of this wheel, place a case of brilliant fire. All the cases on this wheel must play in an oblique direction downwards, and burn two at a time; and those on the large wheel, four at a time; i. e. two of those on the top set of spokes, and two of those in the bottom set of spokes.
The four first cases on the large wheel, and the two first on the small, must be fired at the same time, and the brilliant fire at the top, at the beginning of the last cases. The cases of the wheels may be filled with a gray charge. When these wheels are completed, we must have a strong iron spindle, four feet six inches long; and fixed perpendicularly on the top of a stand. On this, we put the large wheel, whose nave must have a hole quite through from the bottom to the top. This hole must be large enough to turn easy round the bottom of the spindle, at which place there must be a shoulder, to keep the wheel from touching the stand. At the top of the spindle, put the small wheel, and join it to a large one with a leader, in order that they may be fired both together.
Pin wheels, as they are called, are formed by rolling some paper into pipes of about fourteen inches in length. The paper should be thin, and rolled of three thicknesses. When they are thoroughly dried, procure a tin tube, twelve inches long, to fit easy into the pipes. At one end of this tube, fix a small conical cup, which cone is called a funnel; then bend one end of one of the pipes, and put the funnel in at the other, as far as it will reach, and fill the cup with composition. Draw out the funnel gently, shaking it up and down, and it will fill the pipe, as it comes out. Having filled some pipes, procure some small blocks, about one inch in diameter and half an inch thick. Round one of these blocks, wind and paste a pipe, and to the end of this pipe, join another, which must be done by twisting the end of one pipe to a point, and putting it into the end of the other with a little paste. In this manner, join four or five pipes, winding them one upon another, so as to form a spiral line. Having wound on the pipes, paste two strips of paper across them to hold them together. The pipes must also be pasted together.
The other method of making these wheels is described thus: wind on the pipes without paste, and stick them together with sealing wax at every half turn; so that, when they are fired, the end will fall loose, every time the fire passes the wax, by which means the circle of fire will be considerably increased.
The formers for these pipes are made from 11/2 to 4/16ths of an inch in diameter. They may be fired on a large pin, and held in the hand with safety.
Composition for Pin-Wheels.
| Meal-powder, | 8 | oz. |
| Saltpetre, | 2 | — |
| Sulphur, | 1 | — |
| Steel-filings, or the powder of cast-iron, | ¼ | — |
The ingredients are to be well mixed, and dry. The mixture need not be very fine, or it will adhere to the funnel.