January 1, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

45

stituting the invention consists of a truck somewhat
resembling an ordinary colliery truck, the said truck having
a V-shaped bottom, the inclined sides of which terminate at
a slotted or perforated pipe extending from one end of the
truck to near the other end, where it is curved and extends
upward to near the top of the truck, being again bent and
terminating as an inlet to a centrifugal fan, the periphery
of which may be open. The truck is filled with the non-
inflammable powder to be distributed as dust, and the same
falls through the perforations or slots in the pipe, or is
otherwise conveyed along the middle of the V-shaped bottom
of the truck, and on the motion of the truck the fan is
rotated and creates a suction which carries the dust into the
fan, which delivers it in a cloud across the roof and down
the sides of the road along which the truck travels. The
pipe or the like along the middle of the bottom of the truck
may have a correspondingly slotted liner or sleeve, which
may be adjusted to regulate the admission of the dust to the
pipe or the like, and if thought necessary or desirable the
liner or sleeve can be kept in continuous motion during the
action of the machine. Fig. 1 represents in side elevation,
and fig. 2 in plan (partly in section) a dust distributing
truck constructed according to the invention. (Two claims.)

10284 (1914). Improvements in Coke Ovens. 'Ll. L.
Summers,. First National Bank Building, Chicago, U.S.A.
—The object is to provide an improved coke oven of the
general type shown in prior letters patent No. 6504 of 1910
and No. 7049 of 1910, in which carbonaceous material is fed
to a horizontal retort at one end and conveved through the
retort by means of a reciprocating floor, the treated material
being discharged at the other end of the retort. Among the
features of construction and operation is the provision of
means for causing the compression produced within the
retort by the operation of the conveyor floor to be more
uniformly transmitted through the materials to the walls of

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the retort, and also the provision of means for distributing
the heat throughout the material in the retort so as to
produce a more uniform plastic or semi-plastic condition in
the material, so that when compression is applied the plastic
or semi-plastic portion of the material may be more readily
subjected to this compression in a more uniform manner.
In order to accomplish this result, the retort is constructed
with side walls, and the retort subdivided by means of
intermediate walls, the side and intermediate walls being
provided with heating ducts, as is also the arch or roof of
the retort. Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal cross section on the
line 1—y of fig. 2; fig. 2 is a transverse cross section on the
line 2—2 of fig. 1. (Six claims.)

12121 (1914). Improvements in Pumping Engines. H.
Davey, of Conaways, Ewell, Surrey.—Delates to internal
combustion pumping engines, in which the piston of the
engine is directly connected to the plunger of.the pump. The
invention consists in cooling the engine piston by water
circulating through it from the pump plunger, which itself

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is kept cool by the water being pumped. The invention
further consists in an improved pumping engine, in which
the engine piston is directly connected by a hollow piston
rod with a hollow pump plunger, means being arranged m
the pump plunger to force the water to circulate between the
hollow plunger and the hollow engine piston. The invention
further consists in causing the circulation by means of a

freely moving block or piston in the plunger. Fig. 1 is a
side elevation; and fig. 2 is a plan of a pumping engine con-
structed according to the invention; fig. 3 is a sectional
elevation through one cylinder of the engine and one pump
valve chamber. (Four claims.)

12224 (1914). Improvements in and Relating to Pumps.
H. Davey, of Conaways, Ewell, Surrey.—Relates to pumps
actuated by cranks, and particularly to a system in which
water is first pumped by one set of pumps from a well, and
then by another set of pumps to a further elevation. The*
invention consists in a pumping installation, comprising a
set of gearing between the engine and a single two-throw



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crank shaft, from which four pumps are operated, one pair
of these pumps being placed at right angles to the other
pair, and the pairs of pumps being arranged respectively to
pump from the well and above the well to a further eleva-
tion. Fig. 1 is a side elevation; and fig. 2 a part plan of a
pumping installation according to the invention, comprising
two sets of engines and pumps. (Three claims.)

14784 (1914). Grinding or Crushing Machine. J. S.
Fasting, 26, Allegade Frederiksberg, near Copenhagen, Den-
mark.—This invention has for its object to render it pos-
sible for machines of the kind in question continuously to
grind down to any desired degree of fineness. For this
purpose each particle of the material to be ground is com-
pelled, from the moment it enters the drum and to the
moment it leaves it, to move along through the same in such
a manner that it must repeatedly pass between the drum and
the grinding member, thereby being pushed in a stepwise
manner towards the discharge openings of the drum. This
result is attained mainly by introducing the material to be
ground at the end of the drum towards which the grinding

member would be forced by the rotation of the drum, if not
prevented, and discharging the material at the other end
of the drum. By this arrangement it is rendered feasible/
to use the machine for the production of a more or less perfect
product in a single continuous course, the product being the
more finely divided the smaller the supply of material to the
drum, and vice versa, that is to say, the thicker the layer of
material under treatment, the coarser will be the product
leaving the drum, and vice versa. The accompanying
drawing represents diagrammatically in outline and in
horizontal axial section one construction of machine accord-
ing to the present invention. (Six claims.)

16243 (1914). Improvements in Brakes for Colliery Trams
and other Vehicles. W. Sullivan, of 23, Bailey-street,
Miskin, Mountain Ash, Glamorgan.—A represents a ratchet
wheel to be cast on the inner side of the ordinary wheel of
the tram or other vehicle, or cast separately, and keyed to
the box of ordinary wheel, or at any other position on the
wheel, as may be determined by the user. B, ratchet or
pawl shaped to fit into the angle of the cog on the ratchet

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wheel. C, sliding bar to work the ratchet B, lowering or
raising the ratchet into or out of position by a forward or
backward movement of the said bar. D, pin and nut by
which B is attached to tram or car, and on which it moves
freely. E, ring, suspended by chain, and hook, as means of
securing sliding bar when brakes are not required; any
other mode of attachment may be adopted to suit the user.
F, brackets made to any pattern desired by the user to keep

bar C in position. G, G, connecting rods used to connect
B and C. H, collar on wheel axle to keep ratchet A away
from axle box where no other provision is made for that
purpose. A similar apparatus is fixed on opposite side of
tram or vehicle, but in a reverse position, acting reversely
to suit up and down grade, as shown in fig. 2. Sliding bar
in fig. 1 moves in opposite direction to fig. 2. (One claim.)

28551 (1913). Improved Apparatus for Raising Coal and
Other Material, Unloading Ships, Excavating, and Similar
Purposes. D. Donaldson, of 1, Lloyds-avenue, London
E.C.—According to this invention, a scoop, bucket, or the
like is movable up and down an arm or guide, itself movable
about a horizontal axis; an upwardly extending arm or
frame is also provided, which carries a guide forming a
continuation of the guide on the radial arm. The invention
is illustrated by the accompanying drawing, which is a side
elevation of an apparatus for discharging coal mounted in a
barge. The action is as follows :—The scoop being in the
position indicated in fig. 3, or to the left of fig. 1, the motor
10 is driven to bring the scoop into the position indicated to
the right of fig. 1, and thus filling it, the motor arrange-
ment 22 is then driven to wind in the rope 18, thus lifting
the scoop up the superstructure 6 in the guides 7, the scoop
being led over the curved track 23, and coming to a stop auto-



matically when inverted over the hopper 17, into which its
contents are emptied. The empty scoop is now allowed to
descend to its original position, the arm and guide 2 being
swung by the motor 10 into their back position before the
scoop has reached the bottom of its travel in readiness for
another load, the carriage 4 being, if necessary, moved for-
ward by hand or automatically. The shaft and gear actuating
the radial arm and guides may be moved horizontally by
mechanism, and may also be given a sideways movement.
(Eight claims.)

28004 (1913). Improvements in Signalling Devices for
Use in Coal Mines. F. Smith, of Langton, Pinxton,
Alfreton, Derbyshire.—Relates to improvements in signal-
ling devices for use in coal mines of that type in which a
signal bell and visible indicator are used in conjunction. The
accompanying diagrammatic drawing shows the parts
located both above and below ground, the level of the latter
being indicated by the line 1—2. This invention consists
in arranging in a position where it can be readily seen by
the winding engineman a clearly visible voltmeter a, having
a reading of from 0 to, say, 12, or the highest number of
rings of the usual code of signals in use at the mine. The
reading in the diagram shows 0 to 9. Alongside the volt-
meter is an electric bell b, adapted to give out the required
number of signals sent up from the bottom of the mine. At
the bottom of the pit, or from the position where the signals
are to be sent is provided a number of Leclanche cells c, or
other suitable batteries, which correspond in number with
the spaces d, on the indicating voltmeter a, in the engine
house. These cells are all arranged in series, but each

individual cell is tapped off to a switch and push button
device A, arranged in the position from which the signals
are to be sent. This device consists of a board or the like e,
provided with a number of studs or contacts f, in accordance
with the number of signals in use in the mine, and likewise
corresponding with the number of cells c, previously referred
to. The board e is further provided with a radial arm g,
adapted to be moved about a pivotal centre h on to any one
of the contacts. The pivotal centre consists of a spring-
controlled press button device at h, the spindle of which is
free to slide through the radial arm, whilst it is also capable
of turning the arm on to the contact points previously
referred to. Or the arm is moved by a handle i at its outer
end. When this press button is pushed the required number
of times to give the necessary signal in accordance with the
position of the radial arm on the particular contact at the
time, it closes the circuit of a separate set of cells c1, and
passes a current around the electric bell b in the engine
house. The number of rings on the bell thus corresponds
with those indicated on the voltmeter a. It should be said
that the push button spindle is insulated from the radial
arm, and that the whole of the parts are wired as required