July 3, 1914. The colliery guardian. 41 COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES. REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS. Bristol Wagon and Carriage Works Company Limited.— The report for the year ended April 9, 1914, states that after adding £1,000 to the depreciation account a sum remains, including the amount brought forward, of £12,379. The directors recommend a dividend (free of income-tax) of 3 per cent, (making with the interim dividend 5 per cent, for the year) on the called up preference and ordinary share capital for the half-year ended April 9 last, and that £6,879 be carried forward. Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company Limited.— The directors have declared interim dividends of 2J per cent, on both the ordinary and preference shares, the ordinary being payable free of tax. Diesel Engine Company Limited. — An extraordinary general meeting was held on Friday last, when a resolution for voluntary liquidation was carried unanimously. Dundee Coal Company Limited. — The directors have declared an interim dividend of Is. per share. East Kent Colliery Company Limited.—The directors have issued a circular to the shareholders, stating that, having regard to the continuous pressure on the part of trade credi- tors, the directors have felt unable to resist an application for the appointment of a receiver and manager on behalf of the debenture holders. Shareholders, continues the circular, must decide promptly whether or not the financial problem now before them, which involves a very moderate effort on the part of the 6,000 shareholders, shall be adequately sup- ported, or whether the drastic alternative of a reconstruction shall be made inevitable. Prompt action will restrict the sum required to the moderate proportions stated in the directors’ circular by limiting the amount of cash required for payment of creditors to about £70,000, whereas the action of hostile creditors or any wrecking combination may involve a withdrawal or partial withdrawal of the arrangements recited in the recent circular, and so compel a liquidation under much less favourable conditions. It is necessary that the whole of the unissued £77,000 first mortgage debentures should be placed. The remaining liabilities, amounting to about £80,000, can by prompt settlement be discharged by income bonds, provided that adequate working capital, including completion of equipment and sinking to a second workable seam (not less than £80,000 net) is subscribed. The directors state that it is essential that Nos. 1 and 3 pits shall be vigorously continued to a hard seam of coal as at Snowdown, where as an immediate result of uncovering the “ Snowdown Hard ” the future of that colliery is guaran- teed. The geological position of the Tilmanstone colliery in the coalfield is more central, and in many respects the most favourable. Elands Laagte Collieries Limited.—The directors have declared a 2| per cent, dividend. Fenton Collieries Limited.—The accounts for 1913 show a profit of £13,891, and, after providing for debenture interest, etc., and writing off £3,078 for depreciation, the credit balance of £3,831 brought forward was increased to £9,029, which it is proposed to carry forward. Fletcher, Russell and Company Limited.—The directors have decided to pay an interim dividend on the preference shares for the half-year of 6s. per share, less tax. Greenwood and Batley Limited.—For year to March 31, after providing interest on debentures, etc., profit was £24,166, and £4,396 was brought in. Directors appropriate £8,000 for depreciation, and recommend dividends for the year at rate of 7 per cent, per annum on cumulative prefer- ence shares, and 5 per cent, per annum on ordinary, together £15,738; £4,824 to be carried forward. No dividend has been paid on the ordinary shares during the five preceding years. Knowles (Andrew) and Sons Limited.—The directors have declared an interim dividend of 5 per cent, per annum 4|d. per share), less income-tax. New Sharlston Collieries Company Limited. — Interim dividend of 5s. per share, free of tax. United National Collieries Limited.—The directors have declared an interim dividend on the ordinary shares of 2| per cent. (6d. per share), free of income-tax). Wagon Finance Corporation Limited.—The interim divi- dend is 10 per cent, per annum for the half-year ending June. NEW COMPANIES. Bazzard and Company Limited.—Private company. Regis- tered June 18. Coal exporters, pitwood importers, colliery proprietors, quarrymen, brick and tile makers, smelters, engineers, iron founders, ship brokers and owners, wagon builders, general contractors, etc. Nominal capital, £2,000 in £1 shares. Directors and subscribers (250 shares each) :— Rhys Davies, of Abercrave, Brecon; and Chas. John Bazzard, of Briton Ferry, Glamorgan. Qualification of directors, £100. Challoners Limited.—Private company. Registered office, 72, Albion-street, Leeds. Registered June 23. Engineers, founders, smiths, machinists, manufacturers, and patentees, etc. Nominal capital, £6,000 in £1 shares. Subscribers (200 shares each) :—R. A. Chadwick, 14, Butts-court, Leeds, solicitor; Thomas B. Kitson, 72, Albion-street, Leeds, soli- citor. Electro Motor Hiring Limited.—Private company. Regis- tered June 25. To carry on business of supplying electricity in all its branches, light, heat, and power; also of electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, iron founders, etc. Nominal capital, £10,000 in £1 shares. First directors to be appointed by subscribers. Qualification of directors, £100. Subscribers (one share each) :—Cyril Crossley, The Grange, Hindhead, Surrey; E. N. Whitley, Halifax. Haley (Enoch) Limited.—Private company. Registered June 24. To acquire business now carried on by H. R. Haley and E. Haley, junr., at Thornton-road, Bradford, as Enoch Haley, and carry on business as brass founders and finishers, iron founders, machinery makers, ironmongers, etc. Nominal capital, £1,000 in £1 shares. First directors shall be appointed by subscribers. Qualification of directors, £1. Subscribers (one share each) :—H. R. Haley, 9, Bur- nett-place, Bradford, brass founder; E. Haley, junr., 13, Burnett-place, Bradford, brass founder. Joyce (Geo. A.) Company Limited. — Private company. Registered office, 40-44, Holborn-viaduct. Registered June 24. Diamond merchants, diamond tool makers, diamond die makers, iron masters, steel makers, colliery proprietors, miners, engineers, etc. Nominal capital, £5,500 in £1 shares. Directors :—Geo. A. Joyce, John Fouldes, and Thos. Fouldes. Qualification of directors, £500. Oakland Colliery Company Limited. — Private company. Registered office, Bryncaredig, Tonna, near Neath, Glamor- gan. Registered June 25. To acquire from Brynafan Col- liery Company Limited, Tonmawr, Pontrhydyfen :—(1) the mines, collieries, etc., situate at Tonmawr, Pontrhydyfen, known as the Brynafan Colliery; (2) the goodwill of said company; (3) all plant, machinery, etc; (4) all stock of said company; and to enter into agreement. Nominal capital, £3,000 in £1 shares. Directors :—Thomas Brown, 17, St. Anne’s-terrace, Tonna, Neath, schoolmaster; Geo. Ball, 87, Windsor-road, Neath, contractor; John Evans, 18, London- road, Neath, medical practitioner; David Pettit, the Docks, Milford Haven, steam trawler owner. Qualification of directors, £250. Sandoik British Agency Limited. — Private company. Registered office, 30, Easy-row, Birmingham. Registered June 20. Factors, dealers in, and agents for the purchase or sale of iron, steel, and other metals, ores, alloys, and manu- factured goods of all kinds, including scrap iron, scrap metals, etc., general hardware, old and new plant, machinery, coal, coke, and fuel, timber, wood and pulp, etc. Nominal capital, £10,000 in £1 shares. Directors and subscribers :—Olof Hjorth, Sandoiken, Sweden, steel maker; Justus Frederik Sjogren, 30, Easy-row, Birmingham, metal merchant. Wilts County Gas Light and Coke Company Limited.— Registered June 23. To manufacture, sell, and supply gas in Pewsey, Wilts, and the adjacent districts, and carry on business of a gas company in all its branches. To manu- facture and deal with coke, coal, tar, pitch, etc. To con- struct and maintain works, machinery, apparatus, etc. Nominal capital, £30,000 in 3,000 £5 7 per cent, preference shares, and 3,000 £5 ordinary shares. Minimum subscrip- tion, seven shares. Directors :—Sir Geo. Wm. Kekewich, K.C.B., D.C.L., of Feltham, Middlesex; F. C. Murray, M.I.C.E., Cornelia, Woodside, Wimbledon; F. Colman, 14, Victoria-street, S.W., company director; A. A. Scanlan, 5, Pump-court, Temple, E.C., barrister-at-law. Qualification of directors, £500. Wolf (R.) Limited.—Private company. Registered office, 7, Laurence Pountney-hill, E.C. Registered June 19. Engineers, boiler makers, electrical, agricultural, and general machinery manufacturers, iron masters, steel makers, ship owners, etc. Nominal capital, £5,000 in £1 shares. Direc- tors :—Oscar Schweitzer, 7, Laurence Pountney-hill, man- ager; Jas. B. MacFarlang, 7, Laurence Pountney-hill, engi- neer; Max Wolf, Arthur Reiche, Frederick Litzmann, Henrich Storch, all of Magdeburg, Germany, directors. This .list of new companies is taken from the Daily Register specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan and Sons Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C. ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 3920 (1914). Improvements in or relating to Concrete Mining Props. F. Ruckrich, of 36, Kronprinzenstrasse, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.—Relates to a framing in several sections made of reinforced concrete in such a manner that even without the use of compressible pads of wood or the like, it yields to the action of strong rock pressures, merely owing to the method of putting together the rigid concrete parts, so that its destruction is avoided. The legs of the framing are provided at the upper end, for this purpose, with roll-like rounded off parts engaging with hollow recesses in the caps. In case of lateral rock pressure, the concrete framing is shifted. This results at the most in a lateral distortion of the passage cross-section, but no narrowing thereof takes place, and the supporting capacity is main- B- K tained. To facilitate the movement and to protect the concrete parts, the parts exposed to friction are preferably provided with an iron covering, and the props are placed on concrete blocks which are let into the floor and also covered with iron plates. At the two roll joints, between the iron covering and the concrete, plates of elastic material such as cork or the like are preferably placed, both at the ends of the props and the cap. These intermediate layers equalise the pressure, protect the framing and increase its yielding capacity. The accompanying drawing shows a framing built in. (Four claims.) 5042 (1914). Improvements in and relating to the Opera- tion of Turbo Compressors or Pumps. A.G. Brown, Boveri et Cie, of Baden, Switzerland.—The object is to provide a method whereby a high pressure may be obtained tem- porarily without involving an increased output so that it is unnecessary to design the driving engine with abnormal dimensions. The invention consists in increasing the pres- sure in double-ended turbo compressors by wholly or in part shutting off one half of the compressor so that it gives practically no delivery when a temporary increase of pressure is to be obtained. The accompanying diagrammatic drawing illustrates one manner of carrying the invention into effect by which a compressor is provided with a suction branch a at each end and a common delivery b in the middle. A damper c is arranged in the suction conduit a of one half of the compressor. In operation when a high pressure is to be attained the damper c is closed. In that case only the other side will remain in operation. By opening a branch conduit d so that a communication is established between the closed suction branch and the atmosphere, it is possible to set up a current or circulation in the closed end or half of the blower in the opposite direction, thus removing the heat generated by running idle. The same advantage can be obtained also without a branch conduit, in cases where two independent suction conduits are used, provided the damper c is not entirely closed, so that the cooling air may flow through the corresponding suction conduit itself and escape into the atmosphere. (Four claims.) 5098 (1914). Improvements in and relating to Haulage Clips for Colliery Hutches, Wagons or like Vehicles. D. M. Ritchie, of Erlston, Caerlavrock-road, Prestwick, Ayrshire. —Has reference to improvements in haulage clips in which two plates fitted with grooved gripping bars are compressed on to the haulage rope to grip it and consists of improve- ments in the construction of such clips whereby a firm grip of the haulage rope and a quick release, when desired, is secured, by pivoting the plates to act in the manner of pincers and employing a lever to compress the plates and also to release them. Fig. 1 is a side elevation, fig. 2 is a plan, and fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 3—3 in fig. 1, showing a haulage clip constructed in accordance with the invention. When the haulage rope is to be gripped by the clip, the lever k, which is shown in the downward and gripping position, is raised to the vertical h /7C / I Ll[© © a! e ] position and the gripping bars d are opened and are placed on the rope. The lever k is then forced downward, and as it descends it draws the bolt j along with it, which by means of its nut m and head n passing up the inclined planes h forces the plate a a1 together, and at the same time the gripping bars d are forced towards one another. The flat parts i prevent any tendency of the lever k to move back- wards so that the clip is locked. To instantly release the rope the lever k is oscillated to the vertical position, and the enlarged part k, forces the plates a a apart. (Three claims.) 6036 (1914). Improvements in Regenerative Coke Ovens. The firm of Carl Still, of 2, Bismarckplatz, Recklinghausen, Westphalia, Germany, and C. Wilke, in the employ of the , said firm.—Relates to regenerative coke ovens of that type constructed upon a substructure formed by arched passages of sufficient size to be passed by workmen; the object is to provide means inside these passages by which the heat radiated from the upper part of the said passages can be imparted to the air for combustion and the lower part of those passages, which are used by the attendants, can be retained at a convenient temperature. Accord- ing to the invention, the arched passages are subdivided into upper and lower chambers by horizontal plates —acting as partitions —which form a system of upper channels for conducting the air withdrawn, and repre- sent the ceiling of the lower part of the arched passages