1088 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. Novembeb 20, 1914. provided with three kinds of doors, namely, “ separation valve doors,” “time valve stopping,” and “ordinary valve stopping.” The separation valve doors are used to provide as at present a regular communication between the intake and return airways, but open towards the return airways as described being opened by the force of an explosion. The ordinary valve stoppings which are situated in the cross passages are very powerful, and are made, say, of iron or steel, coming against a surrounding portion of brick or cement, so that in case of an explosion on a haulage intake airway, they open by the force of the explosion automatically into or towards the return airway, and afterwards close by their own weight restoring the ventilation to its original course. The time valve stoppings are similar in construction and use to the ordinary valve stoppings, but are so arranged as to remain open for any pre-determined period. The invention aims at providing means for normally closing the communications between the intake and out-take or return, but so that any explosion taking place in the intake will force open the ordinary valve and time valve stoppings in the cross passages, thus, returning the pressure and allowing a large portion of the noxious gases due to an explosion to pass into the return airways, and so on out of the mine by way of the upcast shaft. Fig. 1 is a plan of the interior of a portion of a mine fitted with the invention; fig. 2 is a front elevation of an ordinary valve stopping; fig. 3 is a section of fig. 2; fig. 4 is a front elevation of a time valve £ O==Z7~ <5= Ji -A A ? X <■>. I a h* IrHI stopping; fig. 5 is a section of fig. 4; fig. 6 is a front elevation of a separation valve door; and fig. 7 is a section of fig. 6. In fig. 1, a is the downcast shaft and b the intake, c c c are the cross passages, and d the out-take and e the upcast. The time valve stoppings, instead of being provided with a weight h2, are provided with a hydraulic cylinder i, with cataract arrangements which exert a constant pressure, on the bottom of the door, and which is pivotally attached to the door and roof beam or frame. This hydraulic cylinder i is secured to a beam i2 on the roof or otherwise of the passage, which may also be attached to the door frame. The separation valve doors f f are used between the intake air- ways and the return airways, and are of different construc- tion. These doors proper ; swing on a vertical axis j1, which is securely built into the walls of the passage. The door j is of considerable weight, and the axis j1 on which it swings has on its upper end a pulley j2, to which is attached a cable /3, passing over a further pulley /4 at the other side of the door /, and descending on that pulley j4 toward the ground. On the lower end of this cable are attached heavy weights k, which keep the door closed on its framework. The door j is secured to the vertical axis j1 by means of long arms j5 j5, which are secured to the door at J’6 j&, which are pivots situ- ated about midway between the sides of the door j so as to close it with a uniform pressure on all sides. If desired the weights k may be added to or replaced by a hydraulic cylinder as used on the time valve stoppings shown in figs. 4 and 5. (Five claims.) 15324 (1914). Improvements in Apparatus for Electrically Igniting Miners' Safety Lamps. V. E. Joyce and Spagno- letti Limited, both of Goldhawk Works, Goldhawk-road, London, W. — Relates to improvements in apparatus for electrically igniting miners’ safety lamps above ground or in non-gaseous mines. The invention primarily consists in the combination of a metal enclosing casing open at its upper end or top, a top cover plate to the underside of which a magneto apparatus is secured, and to the upper exterior side of which are secured contacts insulated from one another '/8 ~~!7 ~~7 and adapted to make contact with the stud contact of the lamp and the lamp bottom respectively, one of said contacts being the positive and the other the negative or earth con- tact of the magneto, a handle for driving the magneto from the exterior of the casing, and means for securing said top cover plate in position in the casing. The casing of the apparatus is preferably a vertical cast metal cylinder with an integrally closed bottom, and the top covering plate is preferably a disc of insulating material. The accompanying drawing is a partly sectional elevation of the apparatus. To ignite a lamp with the apparatus, the lamp is placed in position with its base in the ring 12, its contact stud being in contact with the spring stud 14. The handle 16 is then rotated in a clockwise direction, and the required current being produced by the magneto, the necessary spark will occur at the lamp burner, which will then light up, as will be readily understood. All the operative parts of the appa- ratus, with the exception of the handle, can be assembled into a unit on the disc 9, and then placed in the casing and secured by the screws 11, the handle being then secured to the spindle 18. If desired, however, the handle may be a loose part adapted to be coupled to spindle 18 when required, in which case the spindle may be squared and a square hole provided in the shank of the handle. The hollowed out portion 15 provides a space in which moisture and other matter may accumulate, thus reducing the liability of a “ dirty contact ” at 14. If desired, a cover, which might be hinged to the top of the casing 1, may be provided for covering the contacts 12, 14, when the apparatus is not in use. (Three claims.) 18694 (1913). Improvements in or Relating to Safety or like Lamps. E. A. Hailwood, manager to Ackroyd and Best Limited, Texas-street, Morley, Yorkshire.—The objects are to introduce in double glass miners’ lamps and other miners’ lamps such improvements and modifications as will in a convenient manner enable a lamp to give considerably increased illumination, and yet where necessary will not interfere unduly with the existing devices, such as means for electric re-lighting. The complete internal fittings such as shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3 are termed a “ combustion tube.” Fig. 1 represents a view of a lamp fitted with the improvement, the upper portion being in section, showing one method of carrying out the invention; figs. 2 and 3 represent plans of details of parts shown in fig. 1; and the remaining figures show details of modifica- tions. In carrying out the invention in one form, as in fig. 1, the lamp is provided with a chimney C of suitable material, such as metal or glass, this chimney being somewhat similar to the Mueseler chimney or tube, and having attached thereto a curved coned or stepped up gauze disc, such as D, and may have a stiffening or supporting ring or plate D3, the flange of which rests on or above the ordinary cylindrical f/G. 2. Hcdt FiC.15 F/G.J6 lamp glass G. Spaces D1 are formed in the gauze carrying flange or stiffening ring D3, as shown in fig. 2. Underneath the chimney C is suspended or supported an inner glass A, preferably of cylindrical form, terminating in or resting upon a base A3 some little distance above the lamp wicl^ tube W, and such base is provided with a combustion aper- ture A1, through which the flame F may pass (the said com- bustion aperture A1 is contracted, viz., of less area than the inside cross sectional area of the inner glass, and may be circular or rectangular as desired); incoming air impinging upon the flame hereabouts. The inner glass A may be secured in position in many ways, some examples of which are given. . The inner glass may take various forms, and may be a flanged cylinder having a loose insertable glass or metal disc base, with a reduced aperture A1 therein, or the said reduced aperture A1 may be formed in the glass itself. The glass may be flanged to form suspension means with the spring or other fittings, and the base of the glass and aper- ture A1 will be suspended in such a position above the wick tube or flame as to give the maximum candle power, the increase over that of ordinary lamps being enormous. (Twenty-three claims.) 19104 (1914). Improvements m Shackles for Colliery Trams and the like. A. C. Evans, of Mayfield, Ogmore Vale, Glamorgan.—Relates to shackles for coupling colliery trams and the like, of the kind in which the shackle pin of the shackle is prevented from jerking out of the lower eye of the shackle by a catch mounted in the head of the shackle pin, and engaging the lower end of the eye in the upper limb of the shackle, and which is withdrawn obliquely within the head by pulling the ring of the shackle pin, which is threaded through the upper end thereof. The shackle itself is of ordinary construction, consisting of a U-shaped shackle, with its limbs superposed and inter- connected by a vertical shackle pin passing through the eyes rfg.Z. . a d at the ends of the limbs. According to the invention, an oblique hole is provided, extending through the shackle pin from the head of the latter and terminating beneath the border of the eye of the upper limb of the shackle, and a pin is loosely so fitted in the oblique hole through the shackle pin that its lower end normally protrudes therefrom, and, by engaging beneath the upper limb of the shackle, prevents the shackle pin jerking upwards. The upper end of the loose pin is provided with means for its withdrawal, in order to release the shackle pin. Conveniently, the upper end of the loose pin is bent so as to extend upwards, and is formed into an eye through which passes the usual ring, fitted in an elongated hole in the head of the shackle pin, so that on pulling the ring upwards to withdraw the shackle pin, the loose pin is also partially withdrawn from the oblique hole, whereby its lower end becomes housed in the hole, and offers no obstruction to the withdrawal of the shackle pin. Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation, and fig. 2 a transverse section of the shackle. To prevent the eye c knocking up the loose pin /, a boss is provided on the under- side of the upper limb of the shackle a. With existing shackles a thick metal ring e may be shrunk around the upper limb to form a distance piece for the same purpose. (Three claims.) 20625 (1914). Improvements Relating to Composition Fuel. W. T. Vint, of Richmond House, Bradford, York- shire, and S. G. Grimshaw, of Norfolk House, Laurence Pountney-hill, London, E.C.—Relates to improvements in the manufacture of composition fuel in the form of briquettes —whether rectangular, ovoid, or of any other shape, in any desired size. It has been found from numerous experiments that a bond made from the tuberous root of the canna plant has very strong binding qualities, is commercially cheap, and is specially adapted as an ingredient when it is desired to make a fuel containing a large proportion of pure and smokeless anthracite coal. The bond above mentioned may be prepared in either of two ways, namely, by drying and pulverising it, or by mashing it into a liquid pulp. When using the canna root in a dried and pulverised condition, it is proposed to form the briquette mixture of about 94 per cent, of carbonaceous matter, consisting of anthracite, dry steam and bituminous coal, in about equal proportions, together with about 4 per cent, of ground pitch, and about 2 per cent, of the bond above mentioned in a dry state. These ingredients must be thoroughly ground or pulverised and mixed together conveniently in a mill or disintegrator, and the mixture should be conveyed therefrom to a pug mill or such like apparatus, where, whilst being stirred, it becomes subjected to the action of steam introduced there- into through suitably disposed pipes, and with sufficient force and during a suitable length of time to permeate the mass throughout, thus cooking it and causing it to attain complete homogeneity and the desired consistency for the moulding of the material into briquettes. It is probable that economy may be effected by bringing the canna root into liquid condition before introducing it into the mixture, and doing so in conjunction with high pressure steam, when the canna root bond, though in smaller quantity than before, may permeate the mass more efficiently than when added to it in a dry powdered condition. (Five claims.) 22364 (1913). Safety Catches for Colliery Pit Cage in Case of Rope Breaking. G. R. Nevitt, 103, Napier-street, St. Helens, Lancashire.—Fig. 1 is an elevation of one-half, of the device fitted on one side of the cage; fig. 2, an eleva- tion of a modified construction of wedge A—A; fig. 3 shows side views of the parts B—C in fig. 1. The device com- prises a wedge to fit between wooden conductors and shoe on cage or in a modification a wedge to fit between wire conductors and shoe on cage. The arrangements are such that the wedge A with its shank has a sliding movement in the guides, and also a limited turning movement about the pivot of the lever D, the effect being that on a movement of the shank of the wedge to the right the wedge is withdrawn from between the shoe and conductor, such movement being limited by the guides. (One claim.) NEW PATENTS CONNECTED WITH THE COAL AND IRON TRADES. Applications for Patents. 22205. Colliery tubs. W. Kirkham. 22208. Fans. F. J. Mathie and R. Farrow. 22216. Water tube boilers. F. P. Palen and W. Burling- ham. 22223. Apparatus for ascertaining the temperature of and for taking samples from granular and the like material stowed in bulk. T. L. James and W. H. Beeson. 22224. Centrifugal separating machines. J. H. Hoseason and T. R. Wollaston. 22226. Apparatus for the automatic control of temperature. G. Wilkinson. 22227. Reflectors for miners’ safety hand lamps. A. H. Railing and A. E. Angold. 22228. Time lag devices for automatic electric switches and cut outs. A. H. Railing and A. E. Angold. 22235. Fluid pressure regulating valves. H. M. Andrew and J. Hopkinson and Company Limited. 22248. Transformers. O. Imray. (Siemens-Schuckertwerke G. m.b. H., Germany.) 22274. Corrugated sheets. F. C. Woodford. 22280. Miners’ safety hand lamps. A. H. Railing and A. E. Angold. 22287. Portable ingot grips with self-acting .device. T. Abbott. 22304. Railway trucks. C. H. Mower and G. R. Thursfield. 22306. Turbines. C. F. Crommett and O. J. Crommett. 22332. Automatic cut off or cushioning gear for duplex pumps or the like. A. H. Twells. 22333. Rope haulage clips for colliery corves and the like. J. H. Potter, F. C. Moor wood, and J. A. Potter. (Continued on page 109'h)