I 942 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. Octobbk 30, 1914 stant for all volumes of air flowing through the intake, but varies with the volume delivered. The invention aims to overcome these very objectionable surgings or pulsations and insure a quiet, smooth operation of the compressor at all loads. This is accomplished by adjusting a multistage compressor to draw in a volume in excess of the breakdown load, and then providing means for blowing off such portion of the air as is not needed at that point in the casing of the machine where the least possible waste of air and energy can occur. This is best effected by placing the blow-off valve at a point which permits the pressure to reach a certain value to establish equilibrium with a minimum waste of air. The preferable position of the valve in relation to the stages is about one-third the length of the casing away from the intake. In a three or four stage machine, the valve would be in the first stage; in a nine stage machine, at the third or fourth stage. The blow-off valve can be operated either by hand or automatically; in the latter case it is controlled by a device which is responsive preferably to the air pressure in the intake pipe of the compressor. The accompanying drawing is a front elevation of a multistage centrifugal com- pressor with the valve in position. (Six claims.) NEW PATENTS CONNECTED WITH THE COAL AND IRON TRADES. Applications for Patents. 21159. Reciprocating pumps. F. L. Mayer. 21176. Signalling in mines. G. J. F. Black. 21191. Discharging vertical retorts for continuous carbon- isation of coal or the like. A. M. Duckham. 21200. Dumping facilities for gravity bucket conveyors and the like. J. F. Phillips. 21205. Cooling towers. F. C. Schmidt. 21229. Fasteners for corrugated iron sheets and the like. L. Nagel. 21237. Cap for pit prop. J. W. Platts. 21254. Weighing machine. H. H. Weatherly. 21262. Axle boxes for railway vehicles and the like. C. H. Woodhead, A. G. Elliott, and M. W. Middleton. 21265. Coating metal plates with tin, terne, and other metals or alloys. P. B. Taylor. 21276 and 21277. Rock drilling engines. J. M. Holman and J. L. Holman. 21279. Reheating furnaces. J. S. Atkinson. 21297. Ambulances and the like. C. L. Hill. 21298. Incline rope attachments commonly called “ clivies.” W. Brealey. 21312. Apparatus for detecting the presence of foreign gases in mines, ships’ bunkers, and other like places. H. G. Sharman. 21315. Means for facilitating the coupling and uncoupling of chains. G. Baumann, and Hans Renold Limited. 21322. Steam and gas turbine. Akt.-Ges. der Maschinen- fabriken Escher, Wyss et Cie. 21344. Portable air compressors. E. H. Hill and H. Hill. 21349. Brakes for railway wagons and the like. 0. Mclnally. 21369. Signalling apparatus for use in mines. S. Chalmers, G. Black, and J. Black. 21370. Couplings. C. Forbes. 21382. Mechanical feeders and gas producers, furnaces, and the like. E. W. Harvey and E. N. Wright. 21387. Rotary engines and pumps. T. E. Lewis. 21391. Saturators for making sulphate of ammonia and so forth. G. Wilton. 21405. Chucks for rock drills. J. C. H. Vaught. 21424. Apparatus for sinking mine shafts and the like. R. Jackson. 21425. Linings or tubbings of pits, shafts, and the like. R. Jackson. 21453. Miners’ flame safety lamps. J. G. Patterson. 21470. Coal conveyor. W. H. Chambers and J. A. Yeadon. Complete Specifications Accepted. (To be published on November 12.) 1913. 18694. Safety or like lamps. Hailwood. 23054. Hoppers for gas producers, blast furnaces, and the like. Babcock and Wilcox Limited. (Babcock and Wilcox Company.) 23350. Method of and means for mixing the constituents of a combustible gaseous mixture. lonides. 23574. Internal combustion engines adapted to run on heavy hydrocarbons. Sweetser. 23652. Steam superheaters for marine and like tubular boilers. Robinson. 24019. Steam boilers and the like. Circulators Limited, and Ross. 26712. Impregnation of iron, steel, and cast iron with nickel. Hyde. 28336. Refuse destructor and like furnaces. Scorer and Meldrums Limited. 28554. Water pressure, air leakage, and air pressure indi- cators. Thompson. 29486. Air or gas compressor. Berkeley. 29819. Bearing for use in weighing apparatus and the like. W. and T. Avery Limited, and Gibbs. 1914. 510. Hoisting and lowering gear. Tabulo. 1143. Supports for electrical conductors or other purposes. Callender’s Cable and Construction Company, and Kay. 1456. Distributing valves for direct-acting pumps and the like. Shrimpton. 2939. Bodies of tip carts, wagons, and the like. Smith. 9851. Means for minimising the effects of colliery explo- sions. Allison and Waller. 15324. Apparatus for electrically igniting miners’ safety lamps. Joyce, and Spagnoletti Limited. 15554. Railway turntables. Konowaloff. 19104. Shackles for colliery trams and the like. Evans. 20625. Composition fuel. Vint and Grimshaw. Complete Specifications Open to Public Inspection Before Acceptance. 1914. 20361. Treatment of subdivided ores for agglomerating or reducing them and apparatus therefor. Grondal and another. 20860. Reducing apparatus. National Equipment Company. 20861. Grinding and reducing apparatus. National Equip- ment Company. 20890. Dust collectors for grinders. Giberson. Applications to Avoid or Suspend Patents or Licences. (The following cases have been decided.) No. and year of patent. Grantee. Applicant. Decision. 20922 12 23150 12 “ Vulkan ” M.Tsehinen- fabriks Akt.-Ges. Marks (“Vulkan ” Mas- chinenfabriks Akt.- Ges.) [Glenfield and Ken- j nedy Limited. J Applica- tion refused. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS. *#* Any of the following publications may be obtained on application to this office at the price named post free. Changes in the Rates and Wages and Hours of Labour : Report for 1913, Is. 2d. Friendly Societies : Annual Return, Form 4, 2|d. Trade Union : Annual Return, Form 26, 2|d. Workmen’s Compensation : Annual Return, Form 23, 2|d. South Africa Trade for 1913, 5d. Statutory Rules and Orders : (No. 1472), Customs Order, lid. Explosives Report for 1913, 7|d. Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom, 1899 to 1913, 2s. 4d. Rhondda and Swansea Railway Act, 2s. Id. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. Engineering Problems. By W. M. Wallace. London : The Technical Publishing Company Limited. Price 3s. net. “The Resources of Tennessee’’ (Vol. 4, No. 4), October; “ British Industry and the War,’’ by J. Taylor Peddie (Institute of Industry and Commerce), price Is.; “ United States Geological Survey,’’ “ The Production of Bauxite and Aluminium in 1913,’’ by W. C. Phalen; “ The Pro- duction of Mica in 1913,’’ by D. B. Sterrett; “The Production of Chromic Iron Ore in 1913,’’ by J. S. Diller; “ Gold, Silver, Copper, and Lead in South Dakota and Wyoming in 1913,’’ by C. W. Henderson; “ The Production of Manganese and Manganese Ores in 1913,” by D. F. Hewett; “ The Recovery of Secon- dary Metals in 1913,” by J. P. Dunlop; “ Fuel Briquet- ting in 1913,” by E. W. Parker; “ The Production of Sand-Lime Brick in 1913,” by Jefferson Middleton; “ Sulphur, Pyrite, and Sulphuric Acid in 1913,” by W. C. Phalen; “ The Production of Mineral Paints in 1913,” by J. M. Hill; “ The Production of Slate in 1913,” by A. T. Coons; “Potash, Salts, Summary for 1913,” by W. C. Phalen; “The Production of Fullers’ Earth in 1913,” by J. Middleton; “ The Cement Industry in the United States in 1913,” by E. F. Burchard; “ The Pro- duction of Felspar in 1913,” by F. J. Katy; “The Production of Talc and Soapstone in 1913,” by J. S. Diller; “The Production of Barytes in 1913, with Note on Strontium Ore and Salts,” by J. M. Hill; “ The Pro- duction of Silica (Quartz),” by F. J. Katy; “The Pro- duction of Abrasive Materials in 1913,” by F. J. Katy; “ The Production of Phosphate Rock in 1913,” by W. C. Phalen; “ The Production of Sand and Gravel in 1913,” by R. W. Stone; (Bull. 548), “ Electric Activity in Ore Deposits,” by R. C. Wells; (Bull. 550), “The Ore Deposits of North-Eastern Washington,” by H. Ban- croft, including section on “ The Republic Mining Dis- trict,” by W. Lindgreen and H. Bancroft; (Bull. 574), “ Mining Deposits of the Dillon Quadrangle, Montana, and Adjacent Areas,” by A. N. Winchell; (Bull. 579), “ Reconnaissance of Oil and Gas Fields in Wayne and McCreary Counties, Kentucky,” by M. J. Munn; (Bull. 581—B), “ Oil and Gas in the Western Part of the Olympic Peninsular, Washington,” by C. T. Lupton; (Water Supply Paper 327), “ Surface Water Supply of the United States, 1912, Part 7, Lower Mississippi River Basin,” by R. Follansbee; (Water Supply Paper 345—E), “ A Method of Determining the Daily Discharge of Rivers of Variable Slope,” by M. R. Hall, W. E. Hall, and C. H. Pierce; (Water Supply Paper 345—F), “ The Dis- charge of Yukon River at Eagle, Alaska,” by E. A. Porter and R. W. Davonport; (Professional Paper 83), “ The Middle Triassic Marine Invertebrate Faunas of North America,” by J. P. Smith. According to the reports of H.M. inspectors of explosives there was a considerable increase last year in the imports of foreign blasting explosives containing nitro-glycerine, 1,576,081 lb. being imported as against 605,281 lb. in 1912. For some years there had been a gradual decline, and in 1906 3,558,662 lb. were imported. It must be remembered that all explosives brought into British ports for tranship- ment are regarded as imported; thus, out of the 1,576,0811b. of nitro-glycerine explosives imported in 1913, 1,107,927 lb. are known to have been transhipped to other countries. The total imports included 686,995 lb. of gelignite, 240,393 lb. of blasting gelatine, 218,741 lb. of dynamite, 113,000 lb. of permonite, 102,1001b. of syndite, 97,3501b. of superite, 42,5001b. of dominite, 31,0501b. of carbonite, and 26,0601b. of tutol. In 1913 only 51 lb. of non-nitro-glycerine com- pounds were imported. There were 149,201 lb. of detonators imported, of which 20,9101b. are known to have been immediately transhipped abroad CATALOGUES AND PRICE LISTS RECEIVED. Messrs. Trier Brothers Limited (Caxton House, West- minster) send us a leaflet of their well-known “ Stauffer’s ” lubricant and lubricators, with just a reminder that they are “ made in England.” Messrs. Herbert Morris Limited (Empress Works, Loughborough) bring to our notice an invention for speeding up the lifting of loads on cranes and other lifting gears. This is a two-speed bottom chain block, which provides a fast speed for the quicker handling' of loads up to half the ' capacity of the gear, whilst the heavier loads are lifted in the usual manner. The block is made with an attachment for linking on to the “ live ” side of the chain, which then takes the load up at double the normal speed. It can be adapted to practically any make of crane or travelling gear lifting on the double chain. Messrs. W. H. Willcox and Company Limited (Southwark- street, S.E.) send us particulars of a new type of elliptic fullway cock which they are just putting on the market. In this cock the bore gradually changes from circular at the flanges to an ellipse in the centre or plug, and, in doing so, maintains full equal area of the circle right through. The effect of this is to remove a notable source of friction. Cocks for steam, water, gas, or air, made of the best quality close- grained iron, and tested to 200 lb. pressure per square inch, water, are supplied in various forms up to 6 in. bore; where required for use with chemical liquors the plugs and casings are specially treated. One of the chief objections to the use of machine-stoking at collieries has always been the fact that no machine can burn the large slats and bats and the great 'pieces of slaty and stony coal offered to it. Messrs. Ed. Bennis and Com- pany Limited (Little Hulton, Bolton) have issued a handy booklet describing an arrangement of their self-cleaning compressed air furnace for hand-firing. This machine is designed for burning breeze, fine coal, and waste fuels, both large and small, in gas works and collieries. The pamphlet gives the result of an interesting test on Lanca- shire boilers at a colliery near Manchester, showing very marked advantages for the Bennis system over ordinary hand firing. We have to thank Messrs. Head, Wrightsop and Company Limited (Stockton-on-Tees) for a complete set of their sec- tional catalogues of mining machinery and plant, etc. These are uniform in size, and are enclosed in a handsome leather case, enabling them to be kept on the bookshelf or desk at hand for ready reference; the idea is one that might be copied with advantage by other manufacturers. The cata- logues are 11 in number, and refer for the most part to well- known and tried appliances, such as the “ Nissen ” stamp mills, Drage patent filter, Marcus conveyors and screens—a separate catalogue deals with the use of Marcus conveyors in cement works—patent “ Notanos ” coal washers, etc. One of the lists gives illustrations of some striking examples of steel headgear, sheaves, keps, cages, etc., whilst another shows some of the many numerous and diverse coal shipping plants that have been erected by the firm, both in this country and abroad. Two further catalogues deal with iron castings and pulley blocks and hoists. In a fresh edition of their pamphlet relating to non- cumulative winding engine signals, Messrs. John Davis and Son (Derby) Limited include particulars of the Davis- Macdonald ball-race contact maker. The contact maker con- sists mainly of an upright shaft carrying on each side two arms. These are composed of metal tubes, starting and ending with non-conducting material, and forming a grooved trough, upon which metal balls rest and run. The upright shaft is driven through gearing from any convenient pulley fixed on the winding engine. A slight movement of the engine causes a considerable movement of the arms above described. The metal balls travel outwards by centrifugal force in the ball race, and in so doing complete an electric circuit, actuating a solenoid provided in the indicator case. This solenoid releases a pawl. Thus on starting the wind- ing engine the indicator dial is cleared of its signals, the hands returning to zero. As the “ Davis-Macdonald ” con- tact maker will work with the starting or stopping of the winding engine, it is of service in signalling during shaft repairs. When the engine stops, the balls gravitate in the race and clear the signals, so that it is impossible to accumu- late and register incorrect signals. One contact maker will suffice for any number of levels in connection with the same winding engine. Demolition Orders.—A case which is of no little interest to colliery owners was decided by the King's Bench on the 14th inst. The case raised an important question as to the limitation of the powers of a local authority and the Local Government Board in respect to closing orders and demoli- tion orders. The case was stated by the Local Government Board under section 39 (1) (a) of the Town Planning Act, 1909. In June 1912 a closing order was made in respect to certain premises used as dwelling houses at Burnley, and became operative in October 1912. The premises were bought by the appellant Lancaster in the following December, and he submitted plans showing that he was con- verting them into a warehouse. The plans were not approved, and the Corporation made demolition orders, against which the appellant appealed to the Local Govern- ment Board. The Local Government Board held an enquiry, at which the appellant contended (1) that the power to make a demolition order under section 18 (2) of the Act of 1909 only applied to a house capable of being used as a dwelling house at the time the order was made; (2) that if the Cor- poration after making a closing order was satisfied that the house in respect of which it was made was no longer capable of user as a dwelling house a demolition order should not be made; (3) that even if the Corporation were compelled by the Act to make a demolition order because the premises had not been made fit for habitation, still the Local Govern- ment Board under section 39 of the Act could make such order as they thought equitable. The Corporation contended that as the premises had not in fact been rendered fit for dwelling houses, they were bound to make a demolition order, and that the jurisdiction of the Local Government Board was limited to deciding whether the Corporation had exercised their powers properly, and that the Board could not make any order which the Corporation could not have made. The Local Government Board gave no decision, and stated this case for an opinion by the Court. In giving the judgment of the Court, Mr. Justice Coleridge said the Act expressly gave the Board a wide discretion to rescind the demolition order on any reasonable ground that might be put before them, and in such a case as this there was clearly power to quash or vary the order which had been made.