March 26, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 671 CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE. For Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late for inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last White pages. Abstracts of Contracts Open. Blaina (Mon.), April 7.—4,000 tons of gas coal for .the Brynmawr and Blaina Gas Company. Tenders to L. Murray, manager, Gas Works, Blaina. Bridgend, March 30.—Small steam coal for the Urban District Council. Forms from Engineer and Manager, Electricity Works, Bridgend. Denbigh, March 30. — 1,700 tons of gas coal for the Denbigh Gas and Coke Company. Particulars from W. Ewart Brock, manager, Denbigh. Edinburgh, March 29. — Coal (washed singles, washed pearls, and washed or dry small dross or gum) for the Elec- tricity Supply Department. Forms at the Engineer’s Office, Dewar-place, Edinburgh. Manchester, March 29.—Best foundry coke and gas coke for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bailway. Forms from Mr. Waring, Stores Department, Osborne-street, Manchester. Nenagh, April 1.—50 tons best double-screened Scotch coal for the Guardians. Particulars from the Clerk to the Board. Stockport, March 29. — Slack and house coal for the Health Committee. Forms from Town Clerk, Town Hall, Stockport. Swadlincote, March 29.—Coal and slack for the Swadlin- cote and Ashby Joint Water Committee. Forms from A. J. Mason, water engineer. Tavistock, April 1.—30 tons of good house coal, and 30 tons of steam coal, for the Guardians. Forms from the Clerk, Workhouse, Tavistock. Whalley (Lancs), April 5. — Slack for the County Asylum. Forms from Clerk and Steward, County Asylum, Whalley. Wrexham, April 7. — 14,000 tons of best approved gas coals for the directors of the Wrexham Gas Company. Forms from O. Evans, engineer and manager. York, April 5.—Coal and coke for the Army camps at Clipstone, near Mansfield; Brocton, Penkridge Bank, near Bugeley, and Richmond (Yorkshire). Forms from District Barrack Officer, Northern Command, York. The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be received. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON AND STEEL WORK, &c. Aldershot, April 6.—Plant.—One 400 kw. direct current turbine set, complete with surface condenser and circulating pumps, etc. ; one water tube boiler, with chain grate stoker; steam and other pipe work, water softening plant, for the Urban District Council. Specifications from F. Garside, Electricity Works, Laburnum-road, Aidershot, on deposit of one guinea. Axbridge, April 2.—Waterworks.—Excavating trenches and laying in same about 26 miles of cast iron socket pipes, 6in. to 3 in. diameter; constructing pumping station, wells, etc., for the Axbridge Union Rural District Council. Speci- fication from A. Powell, 10, Orchard-street, College Green, Bristol. Bridgend (Glamorgan), April 8. — Alternator. — One 400 kw. steam alternator for the Urban District Council. Specification from W. Welbury, engineer and manager, Electricity Works, Bridgend, on deposit of one guinea. Dundee, March 30.—Pumps.—Centrifugal pumps for the Corporation. Specification from Electricity Department, Dudhope Crescent-road, Dundee, on deposit of one guinea. Edinburgh, April 12.—Boilers.—Water tube boilers for the Corporation. Specification from the Engineer, Dewar- place, Edinburgh, on deposit of two guineas. Tetbury (Glos.), April 23.—Borehole.—Sinking a bore- hole for the water supply of Tetbury Urban District Council. Specification from A. P. Kitcat, clerk to the Council, on deposit of two guineas. Watford, April 19.—Boiler Plant, etc.—Complete boiler plant, including two 8 ft. 6 in. by 30 ft. Lancashire boilers, and erection of chimney shaft at the new pumping station; supply of about 2,000 tons of 18 in. cast iron pipes and specials; and laying of about two miles of double 18 in. and about one mile of single 18 in. cast iron water mains, for the Urban District Council. Specification from the Engineer, on deposit of £5 for each contract. Grimsby Coal Exports. — Returns for the week ending March 19, show that the coal exported from Grimsby con- sisted of the following :—Foreign : To Aarhus, 2,603 tons; Christiansund, 1,813; Dieppe, 246; Esbjerg, 326; Gothen- burg, 1,412; Limhamn, 2,028; Oxelosund, 1,092; and Rotterdam, 2,154 tons—total, 10,674 tons, against 16,249 tons foreign and 663 tons coastwise during the correspond- ing period of last year. Coastwise nil. Institution of Mining and Metallurgy. — The annual general meeting of the above institution was held at Burling- ton House on March 18. In their report, the council referred to the grant of a Royal Charter, and pointed out that it carried with it am obligation to raise the standard of the profession. It was stated, that over 300 members had joined his Majesty’s Forces. The total membership is now 2,492, as compared with 2,372 at December 31, 1913. Four cases of alleged unprofessional conduct have been brought to the notice of the council, two of which are still occupying their attention. In the other cases the council decided to take no action. . The institution’s gold medal has been awarded to Dr. Willet G. Miller, Provincial Geologist of Ontario; the Arthur Claudet Memorial Students’ prize to Mr. Morris Green; a special William Frecheville Students’ prize to Mr. F. W. Penny; and post-graduate scholarships to Mr. A. C. Leisegang and Mr. W. R. Cloutman. The statement of accounts showed an income of £5,090 and ordinary expendi- ture of £4,935. The total amount of contributions to the 21st anniversary fund received to date is £4,618, and the total number of subscriptions is 833. After the report and accounts had been submitted, Sir Thomas Kirke Rose, the new president, delivered his address, which dealt chiefly with gold refining. ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 3579 (1914). Improvements in or Relating to Percussive Rock Drills. W. R. Tindall, of 11, Devon-road, Fishponds, Bristol, Gloucestershire.—Relates to percussive rock drills of the type wherein the piston hammer is provided with flattened surfaces disposed parallelly and helically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the piston, and on for- wardly and rearwardly extending spindles respectively in one with the piston, to engage the tool holder and a rotary member respectively. According to the invention, the afore- said rearwardly extending spindle projects through, and is adapted to engage a rotatable member or wheel controlled by roller clutch devices during the forward stroke of the piston. On the return or backward stroke of the piston, said spindle engages and opens a valve for supplying lubricant from a chamber in the base of the tool handle. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved hammer drill; fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 2—2 of fig. 1. (Three claims.) 4686 (1914). Improvements in or Relating to Drainage Hoppers, Bunkers, or the like. C. Burnett, of Belmont House, Durham. — According to the invention, a hopper, bunker, or the like is furnished with a series or plurality of sloping, inclined or overhanging shelves or louvres, upon which the wet coal or other material rests or bears when within the bunker, in combination with a receptacle or equivalent provision for receiving the drainage liquid pass- ing from the hopper beneath or between the louvres. The bunker may be constructed of .any desired metal or material, as also may the louvres or shelves, the said louvres being preferably furnished within the lower part of the bunker only. The .accompanying figure illustrates in part sectional elevation one embodiment of the invention. In operation, wet washed coal from the washer or washers is delivered into b'\ the hopper or bunker a, .and when within same said coal rests upon the inclined louvres. The water mixed with said coal flows through same, and rises up in the upwardly inclined openings beneath the louvres from whence it flows to the .rear of same, and down by way of the rear passages or ducts, and out through the outlets in the vicinity of the bottom of the bunker into the exterior channel or receptacle, from whence it is removed by way of the water spout or like means to the usual pump well, so as to be used over again in the washing, or to waste, or to any other suitable position. At the extreme base of the bunker the usual outlet for the coal or material is furnished, which outlet is opened and closed by means of a suitable pivotally mounted door radially working or plate member e, or in any other desired manner. As shown, the outlet of the hopper may be elevated inter- nally to a level above the lowermost louvre to thereby ensure delivery of drained coal. (Seven claims.) 7857 (1914). Improvements in Boring Machines for Use Particularly in Coal Mines. J. M. Stevenson, of West End, East Calder, Scotland. — Relates to coal and like boring Ay 3 C % I machines of the type in which the drill is secured to .a screw- threaded rod, adapted to be operated by suitable ratchet or other gear in such manner .as to rotate the drill and to feed the same forward, and of the type in which the machine is provided with a frame having a fixed nut adapted to engage the screw thread of the rod, which latter has a bevel wheel feather keyed thereon, and .adapted to be driven by suitable gear from the ratchet or other operating means. Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine, with the right hand portion shown in section ; fig. 2 is .an enlarged end view of the frame; fig. 3 is .an enlarged plan view partly in section. The machine is made with a casting or frame a, -and secured to and extend- ing from the ends of the frame a are enclosing tubes or the like b, b, for enclosing the screw c, such tubes being pro- vided with prongs or other suitable or well known means for engagement with the usual wooden props or trees in the mine. The machine frame a consists of a pair of nuts or blocks d, adapted to engage the screw thread of the rod c, and connected together by means of side webs or straps e, f, and upper and lower webs or straps g, h, which enclose a bevel wheel i, feather-keyed on the rod c. The side strap e is provided with a bearing j for the spindle A; of a bevel wheel I, adapted to gear with and drive the said bevel wheel i, whilst the outer end of the spindle k is squared for engage- ment with the ratchet or other driving means. The upper web or strap g is adapted to serve .as a handle when the ’machine is in operation. The tubes b are secured on the projecting nuts or blocks d at..the ends of the frame a by means of screws m, which'.are passed through the ends of the tubes, and through strengthening collars n on the ends thereof. (Two claims.) 9130 (1914). Improved Device for Preventing Accidents in Coal and Other Mines Due to Overwinding. W. Wilson, of Bathville Cottage, Armadale, West Lothian, Scotland.— Relates to improved devices for preventing accidents in coal and other mines due to overwinding, and is a further improvement in or modification of the invention No. 1655 of 1913, and dated November 21, 1912, as improved upon or modified by the invention of Application No. 5906/14. According to the improvements, a variable speed gear is used, comprising a spur pinion and a spur wheel loosely G' A ©2 mounted on an intermediate or third shaft. The variable speed pinion and spur wheel are designed to engage with corresponding spur wheel and pinion mounted on the governor shaft, which said gear wdieels remain in continuous engagement and capable of being changed automatically by a clutch running fast upon the said intermediate shaft, .and which communicates the motion of said shaft to either set of gear wheels by being moved backwards or forwards by the action of the signal wires communicating the signal from the men at the bottom or top of shaft to the man at the engine. (Two claims.) 9201 (1914). Improvements in and Relating to Signalling Appliances for Collieries and the like. R. Robertson, Aitken- head Cottage, Bellshill-road; and J. Bowman, Rosefield, Gardenside, Uddingston, Lanarkshire.—Consists in the con- struction or arrangement and combination of the parts, according to which a pawl on the bell hammer lever is fitted to raise a notched plate indicator at each stroke of the bell, and means are provided actuated by a roller contacting with the winding drum, for instantaneously resetting the indi- xpyZ L 2 2 ± 5 2 7 Fig i Fig, io. r|7~~!"7 H:-X O m) o._ 'zt cator when the engine starts. Fig. 1 is an elevation of the signalling .appliances, while figs, la, lb, and 1c illustrate details. The action is as follows :—When the signalling cord is pulled the striking lever 6 is raised, at same time raising by its pawl 9 the notched plate 2 by the space of one notch. As the tooth passes the sliding bolt 11 the plate is held up. by it, while the lever 6 and hammer are allowed to fall on the gong 5. As each signal is repeated the notched plate is raised one tooth, and is held up by the sliding bolt.