1390 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. June 19, 1914. THE PATENT SAFETY MINING GEAR CO. This Smethwick firm show their patent cage-retaining gear. Steel girders or guide-rails are fixed to the head- stock, and to these are fitted a series of projecting steel arms or catches called “ safety keps.” These keps are mounted on strong steel studs, and in their normal position they project through slots cut in the front web of guide-rails; their. lower parts resting on the bottom of the slots. On each side of the cage a series of pro- jecting pieces are mounted on a steel frame. When the cage is travelling upwards towards the top of the head- stock owing to an overwind, these projecting pieces Overwinding and Cage Retaining Gear. Enlarged View of Safety Kepfl and Guide Rail. A" n A r iMiiiiiii Rope Releasing Gear. (The Mining Patent Safety Gear Company.) push the “ safety keps ” back into the slots, but imme- diately any one of the opposing projecting pieces has passed, the “ safety kep,” by its own gravity, at once falls forward again through the slots, and when the cage has attained its maximum height the cage imme- diately rests upon the nearest “ safety kep,” there being no downward drop of the cage beyond what is sufficient to allow it to settle down on the nearest “ safety kep.” A patent rope releasing gear also shown possesses several distinguishing features. There is no “ jerk or “ snatch ” when the rope is released, and the move- ment for the release of the rope does not commence until after the cage is actually resting in perfect security upon the dogs provided to sustain it. The central spindle of the releaser is divided into two parts, the upper part being connected to the winding rope, the lower part to the bull chains. The ends of the spindles which are in juxta-position are enlarged in dia- meter, and are surrounded by a segmental piston in four parts, the interior surfaces of which coincide with the configuration of the upper and lower spindle ends. This segmental piston is kept in position by means of a steel cylinder. When an overwind occurs a steel stop plate fixed in the upper part of the headstock , of pit arrests the upward motion of the cylinder, which is thus prevented from rising any higher. As, however, the rope continues to travel, the upper spindle to which it is attached also travels with it, and immediately the copper tension bolts are sheared off. The segmental piston being thus released, it travels upward with the top spindle, but immediately it arrives at the top of the cylinder it falls to pieces, since the support of cylinder is withdrawn. Thus the top spindle is instantly separated from the other parts of the appa- ratus, and the rope is released. HENRY PEES & CO. Messrs. Henry Pels and Company again show a variety of their steel plate punching and shearing machines. Their latest type of combined machine is shown in the annexed illustration. The chief feature of this new design is the cropper in the centre, which 1 A 1 uafe I BliAj jF SA (Henry Pels and Company.) enables the operator to cut long angle and tee bars on the bevel, without having to raise same at the ends. The angles and tees are introduced horizontally, and are simply shifted to the right or left hand to obtain the desired bevel. Suitable stops are provided for, so that the bars need not be marked previous to cutting. A further number of openings is arranged for, so that by means of the same pair of blades also rounds and squares can be cropped. Perfectly accurate cuts are obtained, no further machining being required. Inter- changeable blades may be obtained for shearing joists, channels, and other sections. The shears are of the “ splitting ” type, i.e., the blades are arranged in parallel with the frame; there is no gap, but grooves are planed into the side of the frame, so that the plates can pass right through the body of the tool during the cutting operation. Plates of any length or width can therefore be dealt with. The punching end is of the universal pattern fitted with removable supporting block, (Thomas and Bishop.) so that when in place the machine is suitable for punch- ing plates and webs of girders, when removed the flanges of girders can be punched. A notching attachment can be fitted in a few minutes^ to the punching end. This apparatus serves to notch or cope beams, angles, plates, etc., it is also provided with a side cutter for dealing with the webs of beams. The principal particulars are as follow :—To shear plates up to f in. thick; to punch holes up to 1A in- diameter through plates up to | in. thick, to crop rounds up to 1| in.; to crop squares up to If in.; to crop angles up to 4J in. by 4| in. by f in.; to crop angles on the bevel up to 45 degs. up to 3| in. by 3| in. by f in.; to crop tees up to 4-J in. by 4j in. by -J. in.; to crop tees on the bevel up to 45 degs. up to 3| in. by jin.; approximate net weight, 3| tons; approximate power required to drive, 7|-horse power. In addition to this tool the makers are also showing one of their well-known patent bevel croppers for angles, tees, rounds, squares, and other sections, a machine which is a household word amongst structural engineers, rolling stock and ship builders. There is also a nice collection of hand machines of the steel plate type. THOMAS & BISHOP. This firm show their “ Cling Surface ” preparation, which, it is claimed, is the only belt filler and preser- vative which is guaranteed to permanently stop the slipping of belts without making the belt and pulleys sticky, to enable belts to run easy while carrying their full load, thus increasing their transmitting capacity; and to make and keep belts pliable, waterproof and in perfect condition. The exhibit is so arranged as to honestly show ordinary conditions of belt transmission side by side with the possibilities following the use of the “ Cling Surface,” so that comparisons and tests can be made, various tensions being shown by spring balances attached. The belt treated with “ Cling Surface ” runs so slack that the top side barely clears the lower or driving side. It will be noticed that the belt runs under practically no initial tension whatever. “ Permac,” a new departure in jointing material, is also shown in practical service, which does away with all expensive sheet jointings and the waste connected with same. “ Permac ” is a powder jointing that is