September 11, 1914.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

583

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

7116 (1914). Improved Construction of Retort for the
Distillation, Carbonisation, and the like of Coal and other
Carbonaceous Materials. C. W. Tozer, A.M.I.Mech.E., of
66, Victoria-street, Westminster.—Relates to that class of
retort for the distillation, carbonisation, and the like of
coal and other carbonaceous materials constructed with a
ring of chambers around a central axis, each chamber being
of approximately the same size, as previously patented in
Great Britain and Ireland under No. 20158 of 1909, and con-
sists of an improved construction of such retort whereby a
larger quantity of carbonaceous material can be operated
upon than is now the case, each layer of carbonaceous’
material being efficiently acted upon at one time to produce
the desired result. The retort is made with two or more
rings of spaces, such spaces being concentrically or eccentric-
ally arranged with regard to each other and about a common





F/g 3

J

B

Fie2

Fv.L

Fg5

■

axis, the spaces being formed from a number of ribs and
walls, such spaces being all of approximately the same cross-
sectional area. One retort with 12 sections having combined
a cross-sectional area available for carbonisation equivalent
to a plain tube 25 in. in diameter, and capable of holding
about half a ton of coal, will carbonise that quantity in one-
twentieth the time necessary when using the ordinary plain
tube retort of the equivalent diameter. Fig. 1 is a longi-
tudinal elevation; fig. 2, a section on the line a a of fig. 1
of a retort constructed with 12 spaces A, and a central
passage B; fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation; fig. 4,
a section on line b b of fig. 3 of a retort constructed with
20 spaces A and a central passage B for heating gases, such
central passage being connected at near its top and bottom
by passages C, D, leading from outside the retort; fig. 5
is a section of a retort showing the divisions eccentrically
arranged around the passage B. (Two claims.)

12254 (1914). Improvements in or Relating to Retorts for
the Distillation of Shale. J. W. Fell, of 119, George-street,
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.—The improved cast
iron retort is made taper, but is in sections, each section
being progressively larger than the one above. The top of
each section is enlarged so as to make an annular recess
round the top of each section, and into this enlarged part
the tail of the section next above is adapted to'fit. The

products of distillation will then be able, progressively, to
escape through suitable flues or passages, the heavier pro-
ducts through the passages below, and the lighter products
through the passages above, all into a vertical main at the
side. The accompanying drawing is a vertical section of
the improved retort. (Two claims.)

16144 (1913). Improvements in Feeding Means of Percus-
sive Rock Drills, Goal Cutters, and the like. F. Simon and
J. W. Scott, both of the Tweefontein Collieries Limited,
Minnaar, Transvaal.—Relates to feeding means of percus-
sive rock drills, coal cutters, and the like in which the

machine proper is provided with a renewable slipper adapted
to work in a suitable cradle, and arranged as the nut for
the feed screw of the machine. It has been found in prac-
tice that the life of such renewable slipper is limited by
the life of its screw threads, which are frequently worn out,
whilst the slipper itself is still of service. The object of
the invention is to provide the slipper with a separable nut,
which may readily be renewed when worn. Fig. 1 is a
perspective view of the machine cylinder and cradle of a
percussive coal cutter with part broken away; fig. 2 is a
section on the line A—A, fig. 1; and fig. 3 is a perspective
view of the slipper detached from the machine. The slipper
6 is formed with a recess 12, which intersects the bore 10

14

for feed screw 9. Preferably, and as shown, such recess is
carried right through the slipper, and is rectangular in
shape. The renewable nut 13 is fitted into recess 12, and
is retained therein by the feed screw 9. If desired also,
the nut may be fitted on one side with a flange 14 and
recess 12, correspondingly formed to receive the same. More-
over, when the renewable slipper 6 is in place, the nut is
retained therein, independently of feed screw 9, by the
machine cylinder on the one side and the guiding surface
of the cradle on the other. This manner of retaining the
nut renders it readily renewable whenever it becomes worn
without the necessity of supplying and fitting a new slipper.
(Three claims.)

16257 (1913). An Improved Electric Miner's Lamp with
Firedamp Indicator. J. C. Rigaux, of Mont-sur-
Marchienne, Belgium.—Relates to a miner’s lamp with fire-
damp indicator carrying platinum sponge on an elastic
plate, and its object is to provide an elastic plate with a
concertina device covered with platinum sponge for the
purpose of expeditiously heating an expansible fluid within
a container hermetically closed by said elastic plate, and
further characterised in that the container encloses an elec-
tric contact and a shunt resistance for visibly reducing the
light in the lamp, which with the container is arranged in
a cylindrical lamp glass. It is advantageous to provide the
container for the fluid with a reflector and similarly also the
lower bell which surrounds the lower lamp holder so as to
provide good reflection. An embodiment of the invention
is shown in the accompanying drawing by way of an
example in a central section through the lamp. By means
of the contact screw 35 the circuit from the battery 2 is
closed, and -the current passes through the contact 6,
clamp 8, socket 9, holder 10, lamp 15, holder 10% contact
plate 18, stud 19, device 21, elastic plate 20, rib 28, and
contact 35 back to the accumulator. When now, for



52

29

29

12

AT

^6

26
'25



example, the gases, forerunners of firedamp explosions,
enter through the ojienings 32 of the cover 31 into the casing,
the platinum sponge on the plate 20 and on the device 21
will become hot so as to glow, and this will cause the
expansion of the fluid in the bell 17, with the result that
the stud 19 will be lifted off the contact plate 18, and the
current, interrupted at the stud 19, will pass through the
wire 24 and resistance 25 to the plate 20, thence along the
rib 23, screw contact 35 back to the accumulator 2 in closed
circuit through the lamp. With the introduction of the
resistance 25 the light will be visibly lowered, and the user’s
attention drawn to the danger. The lowering of the light
may, however, sometimes be*due to the running down of the
accumulator. (Four claims.) •

16903 (1913). Process for Producing Ammonia. P. A.
Newton, of 6, Bream’s-buildings, Chancery-lane, London,
E.C. (Communicated by the Farbenfabriken, vormals F.
Bayer and Company, in Leverkusen, near Cologne, on the
Rhine, and 217, Koenigstrasse, Elberfeld, Germany.)—The
improved process consists in submitting a mixture of
hydrogen and nitrogen to interaction in the presence of a
catalyst at a high pressure, and in then allowing the. mix-

ture of gases to expand in the present of the catalyst. The
process can be carried out continuously by using several (f.i.,
two) contact chambers for the reaction, which are to be
used in such manner, that whilst the mixture of gases is
allowed to expand in one chamber, the second chamber is
filled under pressure with the mixture of gases. Then in
the second chamber the mixture of gases is allowed to
expand, whereas the first chamber is filled again under
pressure with the mixture of the gases. As an example, a
mixture of N and H is led under a pressure of about 200
atmospheres into a contact chamber heated to about 500 degs.
Cent., and containing ceriron (an alloy of iron with ceriron’,
containing, e.g., 72 per cent, cer., 10 per cent, mg., 18 per
cent, fe.) as catalyst. When the gases have been from 10
to 20 minutes in contact with the catalyst, they are allowed
to expand, whereby a discharge of pressure, f.i., from 200
to 50 atmospheres, takes place, which effects a considerably
larger yield of ammonia. The expansion of the gases pro-
ceeds at the same temperature. By this manner a good



A

yield is obtained even with catalysts of weak activity.
Instead of the above pressure of about 200 atmospheres,
also pressures between 100 and 250 atmospheres can be
used, yielding good results. The procedure indicated above
will be rendered clearer by an inspection of the attached
diagram, in which 1 and 2 are contact chambers. The
gases are led in at A from the compressor, and leave at B
for the absorption. The cock a is first opened, cocks b b1 and
a1 are closed, so that the mixture of gases is conducted into
chamber 1. The cock a is then closed, the cock a1 is opened,
and the gases can expand in chamber 1. Cock b is then
opened, cocks a, a1, and bl being closed so that the mixture
of gases fills chamber 2. Cock b is then closed, and cock b1
opened, and the gases expand in chamber 2. Cock a may
then be opened and the cycle renewed. Other catalysts
can be used, such as an alloy of cerium with gold, a mixture
of iron with barium carbonate, etc. (Two claims.)

17887 (1913). Improvements in or Relating to Vertical
Coking Retorts. J. Lutz, of 28, Kruppstrasse, Bredeney,
near Essen-Ruhr, Germany.—Relates to a process and device
for continuous working of vertical coking retorts. According
to the invention, the coals‘are continuously supplied, and the
whole contents of the retort are constantly lowered slowly
from time to time, the lowest portion of the coke cake from
which the gas has been exhausted being removed. This is
done automatically, as the consecutive operations can be
fulfilled by the moved parts. The vertical retort chamber
terminates, at the bottom, in an airtight casing, in which
the said bottom is mounted, so that it can be raised and
lowered and also turned. At the bottom end of the annular
retort, grate bars are also arranged in the known manner,
and can be slid into the retort in order to support the
material contained therein. During operation the bottom,
with the whole contents of the retort resting on the same,
is slowly lowered until the finished portion of the coke is
below the sliding grate. By introducing the grate bars,
that portion of the contents of the retort which is situated

\\ h

above the same, is supported, whilst the portion under the
grate bars is caused to slide out quickly, and the bottom is
again raised, so that after the withdrawal of the grate bars,
it again supports the material to be coked, and the slow
lowering can be continued. As during the lowering of the
bottom, the speed is adapted to the time required for
exhausting the gas from the coke, the bottom works the
driving devices for the sliding grate and the discharge
devices, and consequently the working of further gear for
again raising the bottom and withdrawing the grate can be
brought about by the moved parts. When the movement is
produced hydraulically the moved parts, for instance, merely
open and close valves in a given sequence. The slow sinking
of the bottom is effected by constantly discharging water
through adjustable nozzles from the cylinders containing
the plungers supporting the bottom. Fig. 1 is a sectional
elevation through the whole device, showing the retorts
empty; and fig. 2 shows the operating mechanism and the
bottom of the device in side elevation. (Eight claims.)

18406 (1913). Improvements in the Method of and
Apparatus for Obtaining Oils and other Products from Car-
bonaceous Matter or other Materials Containing Hydro-
carbons. W. G. Wilson, of The Manor House, Farning-
ham, Kent.—According to this invention, a low temperature
of combustion and distillation is produced by admitting a
relatively large quantity of the gases below the combustion
zone, a relatively small quantity of air being also admitted.
The quantity of air is only sufficient for maintaining the
desired combustion, and need not be admitted continuously,
but only from time to time. The quantity of gas is com-
paratively large, because, first of all, it *is required to act
as a diluent for the air; secondly, it is required to act as a
carrier of heat from the hot layers below the combustion