1342 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN December 24, 1914. so that the gradient in one direction can be read on the fixed index ring by vernier graded pointers on the frame, and the gradient in a direction transversely to the other, by the relative disposition of the circular index ring to the Fig-.Z. e £ J d, & fixed index ring. Fig. 1 is a front elevation, with the front part of the casing removed; and fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation. (Three claims.) 3328 (1914). A Securing Arrangement for Electric Cables. St. Helens Cable and Rubber Company Limited, of Arpley, Warrington, Lancashire, and J. C. White, A.M.I.E.E., of 1, Great Western-street, Whalley Range, Manchester.—The object is to provide means whereby the sheathing or protec- tive covering of a flexible cable, that is, a cable whose sheathing is of rubber, whipcord, or like material, can be secured or anchored, and so minimise the strain or pressure on the insulated conductor. In particular it may be applied to the electric cables used for portable lamps, tools, and similar apparatus, in which the cables are liable to all kinds of strains, so that part of the strain may be taken up by the sheathing, thus reducing the strain on the conductor, and avoiding the fracture of such conductors which is often occurring in practice. According to the invention, a tapered plug is provided, which is driven axially inside the sheathing so as to force the sheathing outwards against the securing casing, by this means minimising the strain on the con- ductors. This plug is then held in position due to the reaction of the flexible sheathing alone, and need not be held there by any external force. The accompanying drawing illustrates one form of the invention. (Four claims.) 18900 (1914). Improvements in or Connected with Weigh- ing Machine Weight Adding and Registering Apparatus. Henry Pooley and Son Limited, and J. Dobson, both of John Bright-street, Birmingham, Warwickshire. — Has reference to weighing machines, and more particularly those of the automatic type in which goods in bulk are weighed by the material being delivered into a receptacle or hopper; and when the quantity to form the unit of load is reached, the supply is stopped, and the hopper automatically dis- charges itself, and the apparatus resumes its normal posi- tion and condition. The machine according to this inven- tion is adapted,.after the weighing action is complete, on the Hgj. return to the starting or normal position, to weigh and add up or totalise separately the overplus quantities which pass into the weighing vessel or hopper in weighing machines of this kind, namely, in connection with the weighing machine, there is a resistance, as a spring or weight, which is brought or comes into action after the beam has lifted the balancing load, say, a ton; and this resistance is connected with an indicating finger or the like, which is moved by it, and will indicate the amount of overplus; and on the return of the indicating finger, it will actuate the adder of the overplus above the normal quantity or load to be weighed, or totalise or record it. Fig. 1 is an outside view of a machine fitted with a totaliser; and figs. 2 and 3 are details. (Three claims.) 21968 (1914). Improvements in Miners' Safety Lamps. J. G. Patterson, of 49, Reddish-lane, Gorton, near Man- chester, Lancashire.—Relates to improvements in miners’ electric safety lamps, particularly of the kind comprising a container adapted to receive an accumulator provided with spring plunger contacts adapted to co-operate with fixed lamp contacts on the upper portion lamp. The invention has for its object to provide such lamps with improved spring plunger contacts which will not be affected by the acid or the acid fumes as at present. ' According to the invention the projecting lead terminals of the accumulator of a miner’s lamp are screwed, and on to these are screwed acid proof caps, which act as guides, and regulate the travel of hollow metal spring controlled plungers. The invention may be understood by reference to the drawings accompany- ing specification No. 25210 (see below), in which a1 denotes the lead terminals, and bl the acid proof cap, d being the metal plunger, and c1 a helical spring. (Two claims.) 25210 (1913). Improvements in Miners' Electric Safety Lamps. J. G. Patterson, 49, Reddish-lane, Gorton, near Manchester, Lancashire. — Relates to improvements in miners’ electric safety lamps of the kind comprising a con- tainer adapted to receive and position the accumulator, a lamp cage fitting on the top of the said container by means of interrengaging segments or flanges forming a bayonet fastening which allows of a certain relative rotary movement for the purpose of bringing the spring controlled contacts on the accumulator into and out of engagement with fixed con- tacts on the underside of the lamp cage. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the lamp; fig. 2 a plan of the accumu- lator cell container; fig. 3 an inverted plan of the upper part of the lamp showing the projecting pieces which engage with the fixed pieces inside the cell container; and fig. 4 a detail sectional elevation of a magnetic locking bolt. The lamp comprises a‘metal cylinder or cell container a which may be either solid drawn or built up. Segment pieces b are secured in the inside of the container near the top. These segment pieces b are provided with segmental flanges c, which engage with segment pieces d on the upper part of the lamp to form a bayonet joint. Extension pieces e are provided on the segment pieces b to act as guides for the accumulator when it is of a square or rectangular form. The upper part of the lamp comprises a lower metal ring /, which may be a stamping, and into this ring is secured an inner ring g, by means of the screwed lower ends of the standards h, which latter are also secured in a top cover or plate f, thus forming a cage. The ring g is internally screw- threaded to receive another ring k, which supports the base m carrying the bulb and the glass. By this construction of the bayonet joint the cage can be quickly attached to or taken apart from the container a; that the spaced arrange- ment of the segment pieces c on the inside of container a and the ring g, with its segment pieces d allows the top part or edge of the container a to fit in the annular recess I, which is formed, as best shown in fig. 4, between the inside of the flanged ring /, and the outermost edge of the hori- zontal flange of the internal ring g; thus forming a strong flametight joint all round. The base plate m carries con- tacts n o, and it is made of celluloid, ebonite, or other suit- able insulating material. The contact n is, although not so shown, connected to the reflector carrying the bulb, and the contact o is extended beyond the centre of the insulating d__ d- V 6- 7Tb- Aq j- base m, and provided with a contact q for engaging the centre contact of the lamp bulb. The screw threaded pro- jecting lead terminal a1 of the accumulator is provided with a screwed cap b1, which is made of material such as porce- lain, ebonite, or antimonial lead not likely to be affected by acid or acid fumes. A spring c1 rests on the accumulator terminal a1, and may be soldered to it. A hollow metal plunger d1 encloses part of the spring, and is free to move up and down, making good electrical contact through the said spring with the cell terminal. The cage is locked on the container a in the known manner by means of the spring operated bolt e1 shown in fig. 4, which can only be unlocked with a magnet. The pin of this bolt e1 passing through the hole f1 in the ring g and the corresponding hole in the ring /, is thus strongly supported, and allows the top part of the lamp to be rotated through an arc determined by the ends of the segment pieces c in the inside of the cell or container a, and by this means the contact between the accumulator and the lamp bulb is made or broken. (Three claims.) 27755 (1913). Improvements in or Relating to Mechanical Stokers. Babcock and Wilcox Limited, of Oriel House, 30, Farringdon-street, London, E.C., and C. S. Davy, engineer with said company.—Relates to mechanical stokers present- ing an inclined grate surface, and adapted to be fitted to the furnaces of steam generators and the like. According to the invention, the elements or bars forming the grate sur- face, which are curved and narrow, and of comparatively short length, and are placed side by side, are each formed at one end with a jaw so designed as to permit of the grate bar dropping over the transverse bearer therefor, and to pivot thereon, each alternate transverse bearer being fixed in a frame at the sides of the furnace, the intermediate transverse bearers being supported on a rocking frame actuated by an eccentric or cams fixed on a revolving trans- verse shaft or by other suitable means, by the rocking or reciprocating motion of which frame, and consequent move- ment of the grate bars, the fuel is pushed forward and down the bars at the same moment as the inclination of the bars is changed, a continuous variation of the thickness of the bed of fuel being thereby produced. The invention is illus- trated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, which represents a longitudinal section through a furnace equipped with a mechanical stoker embodying the features above referred to. (Seven claims.) 28218 (1913). Improvements in Centrifugal Pumps. H. B. Watson and T. C. Billetop, both of High Bridge Works, Walker Gate, Newcastle-on-Tyne.—Has reference to centri- fugal pumps of the multiple-stage type, in which the water is passed in succession through a number of impellers mounted on a common shaft. An example of a pump of this type is set forth in the specification to prior letters patent No. 1639, dated January 20, 1912. The object of the present invention is to improve pumps of this type so as to enable them to work efficiently with hot feed water, by so arranging the volutes and passages and impellers that trapping or sealing of vapour is avoided. The accompanying drawings show a pump with three stages having five impellers, fig. 1 being an elevation in section on the plane I. I, of fig. 2, which is an end elevation in section on the plane II, II, of fig. 1. (Five claims.) GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS. *#* Any of the following publications may be obtained on application to this office at the price named post free. Metalliferous Mines Form No. 24, 6Jd. per dozen. Mines and Quarries Form No. 25, 6jd. per dozen. Labour Gazette for December, 2|d. Statistical Tables Relating to British Self-Governing Dominions, Colonies, Possessions, and Protectorates, Part 37, 1912, 7s. 6d. Census of Hereford and Salop, 1911, Is. 0|d. Local Government Board Report, Housing and Town Planning, 1913-14, ll|d. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. The Analysis of Coal, with Phenol as a Solvent. (University of Illinois, Bulletin No. 76). By S. W. Parr and H. F. Hadley. London : Chapman and Hall. Price, 25c. Natal Mines Rescue Stations. (Report of the Committee of Enquiry). Price, 6d. Carboniferous Limestone Formation of the North of England, with Special Reference to Its Coal Resources. (Report of the Special Committee of the North England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers). By Stanley Smith. Newcastle-upon-Tyne : Andrew Reid and Company Limited. Electricity in Coal Mining. By David R. Shearer. London : Hill Publishing Company Limited. Price, 6s. 3d. net. “ Mining Highest and Lowest Prices, Dividends, etc., for the Past Six Years ” (London : F. C. Mathieson and Sons), price Is.; “ Mathieson’s Handbook for 1915,” price 2s. 6d.; “ The Circulation Manager and Publishing World,” December; “ The Enemy’s Trade and British Patents,” by Sir G. Croydon Marks, M.P. (London : The Technical Publishing Company Limited); “The Mining Magazine,” December, price Is.; “ The Institution of Mining Engineers, List of Members, 1913-14,” price 6s.; “ The Copper Smelting Industries of Canada,” by A. W. G. Wilson (Canada Department of Mines); “Lode Mining in Yukon : An Investigation of Quartz Deposits in the Klondyke Division,” by T. A. MacLean (Depart- ment of Mines, Canada); “ Transactions of the Institution of Mining Engineers ” (Vol. 47, Part 7), price 6s.; “ The Journal of the Franklin Institute,” December, price 50c.; ‘ ‘ Report of the Mine Inspector for the Territory of Alaska for Year ended June 30.” The Cremer Lamp and Engineering Company Limited inform us that they are moving in the new year to the Moorfield Works, Whingate, Wortley, Leeds.