888

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

October 23, 1914.

or for bringing liquids and gases into intimate contact for
other analogous purposes, and refers to the class of centri-
fugal spraying apparatus having side gas passages. It has
for its object to provide an improved apparatus in which a
very effective spray is obtained, giving an increased depth
of spray, so that the space through which the gas has to
pass, exposed to the spray, is considerably increased. In
accordance with the invention the chamber or chambers in
which spraying takes place have gas passages at or near the
sides beyond the liquid spraying member, and the latter
comprises a number of upright or inclined vanes mounted

by means projecting from the rotary shaft so as to be clearly
separated from each other, the vanes having liquid raising
portions below the arms formed integral with or secured to
the vanes. It is preferred to arrange a gallery of concentric
vertical rings spaced apart between the gas passage and the
spraying vanes, such rings forming baffles for the spray, but
offering no obstruction to the passage of gas. The accom-
panying figure shows in section two superposed washing
chambers. (Six claims.)

11908 (1914). Improvements in and connected with
Shackles or the like. E. Lewis, of 50, Manselton-joad,
Swansea, Glamorgan.—Relates to improvements in tram
and like shackles of the kind in which a U-shaped link
having bosses of different diameters is adapted to co-operate
with the flared or enlarged lower end of the cross pin to
prevent its complete withdrawal, and in which also the pin
is provided with a slotted collar adapted to co-operate with
an overhanging or undercut projection on the upper portion
of the link so that the said collar can be dropped into posi-

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tion past the said projection, and be rotated to prevent the
withdrawal of the pin. The invention relates more par-
ticularly to the provision of improved means for preventing
the accidental rotation of the pin when in place. According
to the invention a pivotally mounted arm or finger is pro-
vided on the shackle, and a transverse slot in the head or
thumb piece of the cross pin. The accompanying drawing is
a side elevation of a part of a coupling such as is used for
colliery trams, and constructed according to the invention.
(Two claims.)

19841 (1913). Improvements in or Relating to Drilling
Engines. J. M. Holman and J. L. Holman, both of Cam-
borne, Cornwall. — Relates to improvements in drilling
engines, and has particular reference to an improved con-
struction of fluid operated reciprocating or hammer drills.
According to the invention, a fluid operated drilling engine,
having a fluid operated feeding device and a controlling
means for the compressed fluid comprising a manually oper-
able valve controlling the admission of the fluid to the feed-
ing device, and to the drill cylinder, and an independent
valve for relieving the pressure in the feeding device, with
or without an automatically operated valve controlling the
admission of compressed air to the ends of the cylinder for
the purpose hereinafter more fully described, is characterised
by the feeding device, and the drill cylinder being in align-
ment with one another, and also by the said controlling
means being disposed at the junction of the feeding device
and the drill cylinder. Preferably the said automatically
operated valve is of the automatic throw-over type, and con-
sists of an annular body which is a sliding fit within an
elongated recess, and of which the cylinder axis is trans-
verse to the direction of its movement. Fig. 1 is a longi-
tudinal section of the drill feeding device; fig. 2 is a longi-
tudinal section of the drill mechanism and the controlling
mechanism for the compressed fluid; fig. 3 is a section on
the line 3—3 of fig. 2; fig. 4 is a section on the line 4—I of
fig. 3; and fig. 5 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the
line 5—5 of fig. 3, of the drill cylinder controlling valve.
The drawings illustrate the invention as applied to a hammer
drill, but such application does not limit the type of drill to
which the invention may be applied. As the hammer piston
moves in one direction the pawl and ratchet gear G2 yields,
and therefore does not impart a rotary motion to the piston
G, while on the reverse stroke the pawl and ratchet gear G2
is fixed and the piston G is rotated, thereby rotating the
drill tool G6 by the part G3, nut G4, and tool chuck G5.
Compressed fluid is supplied to the clearance space F6, and
past the movable valve portion F2 into one or other of the
conduits F9 or F10, while the air enclosed in that end of
the cylinder towards which the drill piston is moving, is
exhausted through ports F11 or F12, as the case may be.

Assuming the piston is on its outward stroke, the conduit
F9 supplies compressed air to the inner end of the cylinder,
and as soon as the piston has covered the port F12, further
movement will compress the air in the conduit F10 until
pressure therein, acting upon the valve member F2, forces
the latter to the other end of the casing, when the operations
will be reversed. When the compressed air or other fluid
is first admitted to the tumbler valve D through the conduit
E3, it is supplied through the conduits D1 and D2 to the
cylinder A and the valve recess F6. The conduits D1 and D2
are of such dimensions as to effect a throttling action on
the supply of compressed air, so that the pressure of the
latter does not immediately assume its maximum in the
parts to which it is being conducted. The cylinder A, how-
ever, rapidly becomes charged with air substantially at the
supply pressure. Should the pressure in the air feed
cylinder become too great and thus cause a jamming of the
tool which, as will be readily understood, is automatically

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held up to its work by the pressure of the feed piston, the
second tumbler E is operated to open the conduits E2 and
E4 to place these latter conduits in communication with one
another. Thus the jamming effect will be released by allow-
ing part of the compressed fluid in the cylinder A to exhaust
into the atmosphere, thereby permitting the operation of
the drill to continue. Normally in operation, the ports E1
and E2 may be opened by the tumbler to permit compressed
operating fluid to be fed by that tumbler directly to the air
feed cylinder and the drill motor. It is found in practice
that the automatic twist and the pneumatic feed will only
work when the pressure in the feed cylinder can be varied
to give the correct pressure for the rotating or twisting gear.
This is accomplished by operating the second tumbler valve
E as just described above. In a modified construction a
relief valve may also be provided opening into the cylinder
A, and arranged to exhaust to the atmosphere so that it may
be operated to release a portion of the air in that cylinder
when desired. (Three claims.)

26397	(1913). Improvements Relating to Tipping

Vehicles. H. Constable, 77, Hewson-road, Lincoln.—Relate
to a special gear to be used for moving and tilting the body
of a vehicle. The accompanying drawing shows a side
elevation of the tipping gear. To operate the gear the
screw B is caused to rotate; this may be done by placing a
handle direct on the end of the screw B, or by means of
countershaft and gear; and the nut D by its connection

with the links E and F will move along the sleeve nut G and
the arm J to the end of the gear case, when the nut G stops,
but the nut D continues its travel, moving the joint end of
links E and F upwards, and in this way the tilting of the
body of a vehicle will be performed as shown in fig. 1. To
control the body of a vehicle when tilting, a hook or bar
is fixed to the body and placed between, or at the sides of
the links, and under the joint pin of the links in a similar
manner to that shown. (One claim.)

28798 (1913). Improvements in Pit Prop Drawing or
Hauling Apparatus. J. Davis, of 58, Tenter Street, Shef-
field, Yorkshire.—Relates to that type of apparatus for draw-
ing props or hauling in mines, having a rack, which is fixed

in position, and a ratchet box to which the hauling chain
is attached, and which is moved along the rack by means of
a reciprocating lever. When the ratchet box has arrived at
the end of the rack, the ratchet box is detached from the

chain and is moved back along the rack, and is then attached
to the chain. When hauling props, the elasticity of the props
has a tendency to pull the chain backwards when it is
released from the ratchet box, and various devices have been
suggested to hold the chain in tension while the ratchet box
is being moved backwards to secure a fresh grip of the chain.
According to the present invention, to that end of the rack
from which the hauling takes place, a suitable three-sided
frame is fixed, having apertures to allow the chain to pass
therethrough. Within the frame is provided a spring pawl
which allows the chain to pass forwards, but prevents it
moving backwards. Suitable means are provided for releas-
ing the pawl when it is desired to move the chain backwards
for another drawing or hauling operation. Fig. 1 is a side
elevation of the apparatus attached to the end of the rack;
fig. 2 is a plan; and fig. 3 is a front elevation of same.
(Three claims.)

28909 , (1913). Improvements in and Relating to Centri-
fugal Compressors. British Thomson-Houston Company
Limited, of 83, Cannon-street, London, E.C. (Communica-
tion from the General Electric Company of Schenectady,
New York, U.S.A.)—Relates to centrifugal compressors and
the like, particularly compressors of this type which are
intended to increase the pressure of a large volume of air
or other elastic fluid to a moderate extent, and to the com-
bination of a plurality of entrifugal compressor units in a
multi-stage machine. The invention consists of a com-
pressor comprising a rotary impeller and a circular casing
therefor, whose circumferential wall is concentric with the
impeller. The casing has at one side of the impeller a cir-
cumferential outflow passage which communicates laterally
and circumferentially therewith. 1 This passage also com-
municates with an outlet from the casing and gradually
increases in cross section towards the outlet. At the side
of the impeller there is an inflow passage, whose outer wTall
forms the inner wall of the outflow passage. The gradual
increase in the cross section of the outflow passage can con-
veniently be obtained by arranging the wall between the
inflow and outflow passages in a spiral direction with
respect to the shaft of the impeller. The outflow passage

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consists of a chamber extending round the periphery of the
impeller and the fluid delivered by the impeller is preferably
divided into two streams by a -circumferential ridge extend-
ing inwardly from the outer wall of the chamber, or by
arranging the outer wall of the chamber so that it projects
inwardly around the centre of the impeller. There is thus
formed two annular outflow passages at opposite sides of
the impeller wheel, to which the fluid is delivered through
diverging throats, where the velocity of the fluid is
diminished and its pressure increased. A number of com-
pressor units of this kind may be combined to provide a
multistage compressor. The rotors are then mounted on a
common shaft, and passages are provided leading from the
outlet of one unit to the inlet of the next. A common base
may be provided, the walls of which extend upwards around
the units to form a cooling tank. Fig. 1 is a view in vertical
axial section through a single compressor unit in a plane
taken on line 1—1 in fig. 2 as seen from the right of said
line, said section extending through the fluid inlet; fig. 2
shows the machine in section through the impeller, and the
fluild discharge in a plane taken on line 3—3 in fig. 1, as
seen from the left of this line, said section extending
through the outlet. (Six claims.)

30010 (1913). Improvements in Corve Pedestals. J. M.
Cobb, of Grand View, East Ardsley, near Wakefield, York-
shire.—Relates to an improved form of pedestal bearing for
colliery corves or tubs and like vehicles. Fig. 1 is a side
elevation showing the parts of the pedestal detached; fig. 2
is a plan of underside of pedestal body; fig. 3 is a plan of
underside of removable side piece detached ; fig. 4 is a plan
of underside of locking pin detached; fig. 5 is a side eleva-
tion of the corve pedestal complete. The pedestal, having
the usual pair of curved claws A A at one end (or both ends)

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of the bearing, is formed with a removable side piece B,
carrying one of the claws. This removable side piece B is
curved and tapered at its base C, and fits into a correspond-
ingly shaped recess D in the side of the pedestal body E,
being further secured therein by means of a central cut
away part in the removable side piece B fitting over a corre-