618

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

March 19, 1915.

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

437 (1914). Process for the Production of Motor Spirit
from Heavy Hydrocarbons. W. A. Hall, of The Chemist’s
Club Building, 50, East 41st-street, New York, U.S.A.—In
the specification of copending application for Letters Patent
No. 24491 of 1913 is described a process for the production
from heavy hydrocarbons of a liquid fuel in the form of
motor spirit suitable for use in the usual carburetters of
internal combustion engines. Said liquid fuel is the product
obtained by cracking a heavy hydrocarbon oil at a tempera-
ture upward of 600 degs. Cent, to produce gases and vapours
which are then condensed under pressure to form a liquid.
The present invention has for its object a more complete
utilisation of such gas for the production of a composite
liquid fuel having the valuable properties of benzole and
toluol, but of lower boiling point and lower specific gravity,
and containing increased fractions of low temperature
volatility. Broadly, the invention consists in combining
with the operations constituting the process described in the
said prior specification the absorption by benzole or toluol
of the gas which does not combine with the vapour, and the
assimilation of the solution of such gas in benzole or toluol,
and the product of the process described in the said prior
specification. (One claim.)

3466 (1914). Improvements in or Relating to Steam Tur-
bines. Societe Anonyme pour 1’Exploitation des Procedes
Westinghouse Leblanc, of 7, Bue de Berlin, Paris, France.
—In the steam turbine employing instantaneous,vaporisation
which forms the object of this invention, the boiler and the
turbine, as shown in the accompanying drawing, is com-
bined in such a manner -as to form a single machine. The
steam passes between the boiler and the entrance of the
nozzles through pipes of which the total length will be but
a few decimetres. The pipes being of small section can
easily be given the necessary strength, and will be short

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enough to prevent the steam from having time to cool while
passing through them. No valve is introduced in the path
of the steam between the boiler and the turbine. A com-
bustible gas may be employed, such as town gas, poor gas
(blastfurnace gas), water gas, or any hydrocarbon of the
general formula CLHM. burned with air supplied under a
pressure of a few millimetres of water by a blower. Under
these conditions the intensity of the combustion can be varied
very suddenly, so as to maintain the pressure in the boiler
constant. The amount of fuel and air are simultaneously
regulated by means of any suitable apparatus responsive to
pressure. (Two claims.)

3814 (1914). Improvements in or Relating to Apparatus
for Feeding Finely-Divided Fuel to Furnaces. J. Fisher,
of 2,316, Camp-street, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.—
Relates to' improvements in or relating to apparatus for
feeding finely-divided fuel to furnaces, but it is especially
intended to provide means for feeding the solid chips that
pass from the sugar cane mills, which are generally known
as either bagasse or megasse. According to the invention,
the trough into which the finely-divided fuel is fed in any
convenient way, is provided with a series of openings,
formed with diagonally disposed edges and of progressively
increased .area in the line of travel of the fuel, so that the

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fuel may be distributed uniformly to each furnace. These
openings may be simply slots in the bottom of the trough
with diagonal sides, or they may be transverse openings in
the bottom of the trough controlled by sliding doors having
inclined diagonally disposed forward edges. The fuel fed
through said openings is dumped upon one or more weighted
doors which yield, when the weight of the fuel is sufficient,
and dump the same downward into the furnace, but return
to the initial position when the weight of the fuel has been
removed, thus forming one or more air seals for the passage
through which the fuel passes. Furthermore, a positive
feeding and scattering device is provided, which throws the
finely divided fuel in a scattered condition into the furnace.

Means are also provided for controlling the feed opening into
the furnace, and for closing it altogether. Fig. 1 is a plan
view of the apparatus as -arranged for feeding two pairs of
furnaces, the feed openings in the bottom of the trough
being controlled by sliding doors, and parts being broken
away for the sake of clearness in the drawings ; fig. 3 shows
in side elevation the feeding apparatus at the mouth of one
of the furnaces ; fig. 4 shows a central vertical section through
one of the feed chutes and furnace ends shown in fig. 1.
(Six claims.)

4516 (1914). Improvements in and Connected with Arrest-
ing Means for Hutches or Corves. A. McKay, of 33, Rossa-
belle-street, Sinclairtown, Kirkcaldy, Scotland.—According
to the invention, two chains, wires, or ropes are provided,
which run .along the side of the hutches forming the train
—-one on each side. One end of each of the chains is con-
nected to a bell crank lever carried on each side of a crossbar,
to which catchers are also connected or form part thereof,
and which are fitted on the end of the bogie which constitutes
the end of the train of hutches, the other end of the chains,



wires, or ropes being connected to the haulage rope in front
of the first of the hutches. In the event of the haulage rope
breaking, the chains, rope or wires become slackened or
loose, and in so doing admit of the catchers falling, when
they get caught against the sleeper, and so brake the train.
Fig. 1 is part side elevation and part longitudinal section of
a bogie made in accordance with and embodying the inven-
tion; fig. 2 is a plan of the same. (Three claims).

6351 (1914). Improvements in and relating to the Control
of .Electric Winding. Gear. The British Thomson-Houston
Company Limited, of 83, Cannon-street, London, E.C., and
E. I. David, of 83, Hillmorten-road, Rugby, Warwickshire.
—Relates to systems of control for electric winding gear, in
which mechanism is provided in connection with the indi-
cator for limiting the range of movement of the motor con-
troller on starting, .and for -automatically bringing it to the
“ off ” position at the end of the wind. According to the
invention, the indicator is provided with a rotary control
member or drum adapted to move at the same rate or a
rate proportional to the indicator. This member is provided



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with guides for a roller or the like connected with the control
lever of the driving motor. The control member is pre-
ferably arranged to make almost one revolution for each
complete wind, and the guides, which in the case of a
drum-shaped control member are preferably arranged on the
periphery, influence the motor controlled in the desired
manner. The control device may ialso be provided with
means for -automatically applying brake mechanism to the
winding gear on the occurrence of -an overwind. Fig. 1 is a
side elevation of the control gear; iand figs.2 and 3 are
end elevation and plan view respectively of the same. The
apparatus operates in the following manner :—On starting,
the roller 23 occupies a position between the two cams 7
and 8 corresponding to the “ off ” position of the motor

controller, both of the cams being in engagement with the
roller. The control lever 10 can, however, be moved for a
short distance in spite of the roller 23 on account of the
spring connection 30. The motor starts to drive the wind-
ing gear, and -as the control drum is rotated the lever 10 can
be moved over further and further so as to cause the roller
to follow either the cam surface 7 and 8 on the drum until
full speed has been attained. The handle 10 has then
reached the limit of its movement, and it is not necessary to
continue the cams all round the control drum 6. When the
winding gear -approaches the end of its travel, the roller
comes into engagement with the portion of the cam 7 or 8
corresponding to retardation,' and is biassed in a direction
to force the control lever into the “ off ” position, so that
the roller finally comes into position between the two cams.
Should -an overwind occur, the stop 24 engages the bell crank
lever 25, so as to trip the weighted lever 28, and apply the
brake mechanism. (Four claims.)

9034 (1914). Improvements in the Means and Method of
Producing Coal Gas and the Like. W. B. Davidson, D.Sc.,
Ph.D., F.I.C., of “Fortrose,” Gravelly Hill, Birmingham.
—Relates particularly to the production of coal gas by the
destructive distillation of coal. The objects of the invention
are to prevent the accumulation of -solid pitch in mains,
particularly the hydraulic mains of gas plants, and to
recover pitch direct from such mains as the hot crude gas
mains in such plants as comprise vertical retorts or coke
ovens, or similar plant where the hydraulic mains or equiva-
lents are sufficiently hot. An agitator device is employed
in the hydraulic main, which is operated so that pitch which
is delivered through the “ dip ” or take off pipes, or which
is deposited by condensation and friction from the gas, is
kept continually in solution with the tar in the main, so
that it may be run off. By this means the formation of
solid pitch in the bottom of the main is prevented. A
further feature of the invention deals with a process for

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producing or fractionating pitch, and according thereto, the
tar, or mixture of tar and pitch, in the main is subjected to
the action of the hot gases from the retorts on surfaces
which are constantly changed by the -agitator, for such a
period of time that by fractional distillation by the heat of
the gases it is converted into pitch of any degree of hardness
required which is fluid when at the temperature of the main,
but which solidifies upon being run off. It is found in
practice the tar is converted into pitch after it has- been
subjected to the action of the hot gases for tabout six hours,
although this period may be varied considerably to suit
different circumstances and conditions such as the hardness
of the pitch required. Further, tar taken from condensers
or other portions -of this gas plant is introduced into the
main after running off the pitch as above explained every
six hours or other convenient period of time. Fig. 1 is -a
part sectional longitudinal view of a portion of a hydraulic
main with one type of agitator applied; fig. 2 is a similar
view to fig. 1, but shows a modified form of agitator. (Seven
claims.)

12401 (1914). Improvements in Pedestal Bearings for
Colliery Corves. J. H. Potter, 229, Abbeyfield-road, Pits-
moor, Sheffield; F. C. Moorwood, 46, Whirlowdale-road,
Millhouses, Sheffield; and J. A. Potter, 7, Chatham-street,
Rotherham.—A pedestal bearing of such construction that
when permanently assembled has no detachable parts, but
from which the axle may be taken out by removing one. or
slacking back the bolts that -attach pedestal to corve. The
pedestal body on side facing wheel hass two bosses -at equa]
distance from and parallel to centre of bearing. - The
bosses act as pivots for bell crank arms, which form retain-
ing strap for 'axle. The bell crank arms are permanently
secured to body of pedestal, but are free to rotate about their
centres. When pedestal is -attached to corve by usual bolts,

the arms are held in position, and cannot open to liberate
axle. Fig. 1 is an elevation showing arms B, B1 in position
on pivoting bosses A, A1, and closed to form retaining strap.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of fig. 1, this type being suitable
for iron corves. Fig. 3 is an elevation of form of pedestal and
arms B, B1 for corves constructed of wood. Fig. 4 is an end
elevation of fig. 3. Fig. 5 is -a plan of body of pedestal for
corves constructed of wood, with arms removed, showing,
pivoting bosses A, A1, also the recesses in body of pedestal
for receiving the -arms B, B1. Fig. 6 is a plan of -arms
B, B1 removed from body of pedestal, showing how.they
overlap under axle, so that any retaining stress or shock is
distributed through both arms, and taken by in bolts by
projections X, X1. (One claim.)