January 3, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 35 FlG. 10.-—FIVE-STAGE TURBINE PlIMP OPENED OUT. Pulsometer Engineering G?Lt-° London &• Reading J] w 1 J ■ ' Fig. 11.—Two-stage Turbine Pump Arranged for Electric Drive. : > f’ A’.vJfV ‘‘ T PULSOMETER ENG C° LD LONDON & READING Fig. 13.—Six-stage Turbine Pump on Wrought Iron Bedplate, Arranged for Electric Drive. It being of the utmost importance, in turbine pumps, to maintain the impellers in their correct position relative to the diffusion rings, means for doing this are pro- vided, outside the pump, an indicator being fitted for showing the correct position. Any correction that may be required is effected by means of an adjustable bearing, which serves also for taking any thrust caused by the driving gear. The bearings are kept well clear of the glands so as to prevent the ingress of water. Fig. 11 shows a 2-cell turbine pump with 9 in. delivery and 10 in. suction branch, driven direct by a 100-horse power electric motor. Test sheet (fig. 12) gives the performance of this pump running at 865 revolutions pei- minute. It will be seen that, when delivering 1,150 gallons per minute against a head of 145 ft., the efficiency is 80 per cent.; and it will also be seen that the efficiency will keep above 70 per cent, from 800 gallons per minute up to nearly 1,400 gallons per minute. Fig. 13 shows a six-stage pump on a wrought iron bedplate. Two special applications of the centrifugal pump which we saw at the works were a fire-engine pump of great power, equipped with an ingenious automatic priming device, and a sewage pump fitted with blades for cutting up and disintegrating solid matter; extra- ordinary, indeed, is the adaptability of the ordinary centrifugal in this respect. Passing mention only can be made of some of the other branches of manufacture to which the Pulsometer Engineering Company give the weight of skilful design and accurate workmanship. Amongst these we noticed various applications of air pumps. There was just ready for delivery a set of rotary kinetic air pumps for a condensing plant on the contraflo system, to the order of Messrs. Richardsons, Westgarth and Co. Limited, in 41 8) Fig. 12. 80 1080 10 I 6 jscul PULSOM GRAPHI TUI BINE RECORD TEST OF NCY & READI1G 1200 HORgEPOWEfi lAQfl. 9b~2 STAGE 1£QQ 21 5) IC 2) LONDON ej PUMf - set T ■te-EPAL____ «so -8ao_____mno GALLONS PIP MINUTE connection with the exhaust steam plant at Littleburn Colliery, co. Durham, and a number of refrigerating plants for magazine cooling, &c. It is possible to anticipate, looking ahead, that plants of this latter description may eventually have an important applica- tion in mines, an arrangement of very similar type having been proposed for cooling the intake air in deep mines. ABD OTHER MOTES. Though the railway companies have agreed to meet on January 7 the representatives of various Chambers of Commerce to discuss the question of the proposed additional demurrage charges, which have aroused con- siderable dissatisfaction among traders, they have not acceded to the suggestion made by Mr. Rhodes K. Calvert, as secretary of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce, that the revised charges should not be put in force until after the result of the conference is known. An interesting presentation took place on Saturday night at Bowburn Colliery, Coxhoe, when Mr. William Harle, for above four years manager at Bowburn, and now manager at South Brancepeth and Page Bank Colliery, both owned by the same firm, Messrs. Bell Brothers Limited, was presented with an alabaster timepiece, mercury balanced, with inlaid and japanned gilt face, and two ornaments to match, also with a case of pipes, the gifts of the workmen and officials of Bowburn Colliery, as a mark of esteem and appreciation. The Tarbrax Oil Company have secured a new shalefield on the farm of North Cobbinshaw, in the parish of West Calder, and the company’s mining operations are being extended to the new field. It is not expected to sink new mines at present as the company’s mines march with the new field,“and the mines will be extended. The mining operations will probably pass under Cobbinshaw Loch, but as the minerals are at a considerable depth the loch will not be affected. Maryport shipyard, which has been closed for over a year, is being reopened, having been taken over by Messrs. Jopson, the West Hartlepool engineering firm. Mr. John Robley, chief draughtsman of Messrs. Dobson and Son, Walker-on-Tyne, has been appointed manager. Coasting steamers will be built. The London Gazette contains notice that an Order was made on December 21 revoking the letters patent granted to the Mining Engineering Company Limited and Charles Christiansen for an invention entitled “Improvements in chucks for rock drills,” numbered 26810 of 1909, and bearing date November 18, 1909. It is officially announced that Messrs. Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson Limited, of Wallsend and Newcastle, shipbuilders and engineers, have arranged for a combina- tion with Barclay, Curie and Co. Limited, of Whiteinch, Glasgow, by an exchange of shares to ensure community of interest. The management and names of the companies will, however remain unchanged. At the Wallsend ship- yard was built the great floating coal depot for the British Navy stationed at Portsmouth. It has a storage capacity of 12,000 tons and by means of transporters ships can be coaled on both sides at one time, giving an equi- valent of 1,000 ft. quay frontage. The works in Whitefield- road, Govan, are claimed to be the finest ship-repairing establishment on the Clyde. The Cannock Chase Coalowners’Association has appointed Mr. Joshua Payton, of Cannock, as resident instructor at the new mines rescue station, which is to be opened at an early date. Mr. Payton rendered valuable assistance as drill instructor to the local Volunteer R.A.M.C., under Drs. Butter (Cannock) and Scott Wilson (Walsall), as well as the Cannock and Leacroft ambulance teams. Last year, under Mr. Payton’s captaincy, a Leacroft team carried off the Cannock Chase Coalowners’ Shield. For some months past Mr. Payton has been attending the mining school at Birmingham University as a member of one of the Cannock Chase rescue brigades. Mr. Payton is also a prominent member of the Cannock Fire Brigade. On the occasion of Mr. Andrew Ireland, under-manager, No. 7 pit of the Cowdenbeath collieries, being transferred to No. 11 pit, Lumphinnans, a large and representative gathering of all grades of No. 7 pit workmen took place, at which presided Mr. John Alexander, Mr. Ireland’s successor. Mr. Ireland was presented with a handsome gold albert which bore a suitable inscription, and a gold brooch and a pendant for Mrs. Ireland, subscribed for by the workers both above and below ground. Allanshaw Colliery, Hamilton, is to be dismantled, but the remaining seams have been let to John Watson Limited, and these will be worked from the neighbouring pits belonging to that firm. The chief seams in Allanshaw Colliery, it is understood, are exhausted, with the exception of coal necessary to maintain the shaft and small areas for the support of buildings on the surface. s The last monthly meeting of the East of Scotland Branch of the Association of Mining Electrical Engineers was held in Kirkcaldy, and took the form of an “ open night,” to which all interested in the handling of colliery electrical plant were invited. Mr. C. A. Carlow, Fife Coal Company, presided over a crowded attendance. Mr. A. B. Muirhead, Glasgow, read a paper on “ The Maintenance of a Colliery Electrical Plant ” in which he addressed himself particularly to the “ competent persons ” and “ authorised persons ” under the new Electricity Rules. A largely attended meeting of the Scottish branch of the National Association of Colliery Managers was held on Saturday, 21st ult. in the Royal Hotel, Dunfermline, Mr. Charles C. Reid, president, in the chair. Discussion was resumed on a paper previously read by Mr. Robert Parker, Cowdenbeath, on “ The Siphon,” while Mr. James