340 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. August 13, 1915. - ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 93 (1915).—Improvements in Signalling Apparatus for Mines, Lifts, and other like purposes. F. Lane, Bellmont, Bell-street, Brierley Hill, Staffordshire; and S. E. Williams, Althaea, Brettell-lane, Stourbridge, Worcestershire.—Has for its object to give both an audible and a visual signal to the engine driver or motor man. Means ate provided for giving a second or subsequent signal subject to a retarding or impeding mechanism controlling the change-over or inter- connecting devices, which signal is independent or non- cumulative, so that errors in interpreting the signal are eliminated. According to one form, the invention consists of two concentric drums, having upon their peripheries the- written or indicated signals. The outer drum has an aperture at one part so as to expose the inner drum and show the signals thereon as they are brought round in turn. The drums .are freely and independently mounted on a common axle, and operated through slidable bars fitted with pivoted pawls which are tipped out of action in turn by trips carried by a lateral rocking bar, so that only one drum is rotated at one time. In another form, to give a second signal, the two drums are coupled together by a spring pressed pin on the periphery or sides of the outer drum engaging recesses or depressions on the periphery or sides of the inner drum. Or the two drums may be coupled together by connecting to the outer drum a spring arm having an inturned end engaging a recess in the inner drum. A slot may be provided in the inner drum of such length that the latter can move for a certain distance before pulling the outer drum. In lieu of drums, a pair of discs may be employed, having the written or indicated signals on the sides, and coupled together when required by a spring arm secured to the front disc and adapted to couple the discs together by the free end engaging recesses in the back disc. The drums or discs are enclosed in a case so that only the signal given can be seen. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a signalling apparatus constructed according to one form, with part of the front frame removed for clearness, the outer case being in section; fig. 2 is a front elevation; fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form; fig. 4 is a front view of another modification in which discs are employed. (Ten claims.) 1453 (1915). Mercury Globule Electrical Contact Maker, for Releasing Mine Winding Signal Indicators, Actuating Indicators of the Stopping, Starting, and Reductions of Speed of Machinery, and the like. G. Saint, Vauxhall House, Ruabon, Denbighshire.—Consists mainly of a sealed or closed tube of non-conducting material, containing within it two terminals, or contact poles, and a globule of mercury, constructed substantially as shown in the accompanying drawing. The bore of the tube is parallel in the central part, and tapered and enlarged or coned at the ends, and the globule of mercury is at one end of the tube when at rest. The terminals C, C1, are connected to external wires or conductors, and in circuit with an electric battery and an electro magnet. When one end of the tube is raised or tilted sufficiently to cause the mercury to move or flow from the tapered end, it flows along the parallel part, to the oppo- site end of the tube, and in its course touches the inner points of both terminals and makes an electrical contact. The tapering of the bore at the ends of the tube delays the movement of the globule until the gradient is sufficient to ensure the globule flowing to the end of the tube after touching the terminals, and thus making only a momentary or make-and-break electrical contact. One or more of the said tubes are connected to a revolving holder fixed on -a horizontal spindle in such a manner that imaginary lines drawn through the centres of the terminals, C, C1, of each tube are parallel to the spindle of the holder, and the holder may be connected direct or geared by belting- or otherwise rotating machinery. When the said holder is slowly revolved, an inclination is given to each tube in turn, which causes the mercury globules to traverse the tubes by gravity and make contacts. If the holder is revolved rapidly the globules are held near the periphery of the holder by centri- fugal force, and no contacts are made until the holder slows down again, and is nearly at rest, when the action of the mercury is repeated and contacts are made. Fig. 1 shows a section of the five tubes and the holder and spindle. When the holder is slowly revolved clockwise, the globule M1 will make the first contact by moving from the inner to the outer end of the tube and touching both the terminals in its course; the globule M3 will next move from the outer to the inner end of its tube, touching both terminals, and making a contact; and the other tubes will act similarly in turn in the order M5, M2, M4, M1, M3, M5, M2, M4, each globule having flowed inwards and outwards, and made an aggregate’ of 10 contacts in the course of one revolution. Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of the revolving holder con- taining the tubes with part of the cover and pedestal removed. The front terminals, C, are connected together and joined to the insulated wire W, which is carried through the centre of -the spindle, and terminates at the metal button Y, where it touches the spring contact U, which is con- nected to the insulated screw terminal V. The screw ter- minal V1, is secured to the metal bearing support, and is in electrical contact with the back terminals C1 of all the tubes. Twenty-one tubes similarly combined and operated will .make a contact in one forty-second part of a revolution of the holder, and with suitable belt pulleys or gearing a contact may be made and a mine winding signal indicator released or tripped by a movement of a winding engine corresponding to less than 2 in. rope movement after start- ing, or immediately before the engine comes to rest. Signal- ling or indicating the starting, stopping, or reductions of speed of machinery is performed by placing the contact maker in circuit with an electric bell, or other indicator, and gearing it with the machinery, so that when the latter revolves at the normal speed the contact maker revolves at such a rate that the mercury globules are driven to the periphery by centrifugal force, and no contacts are made, and so that when the speed is reduced the globules will traverse the tubes, make contacts, and actuate a bell or indicator, fixed at any convenient place until the machinery is stopped. From the time the machinery starts from rest until it attains the normal speed, contacts will be made and the bell will ring. (Two claims.) 3985 (1914).—Improvements in and relating to Presses for Briquetting Coal, Coke or the like. E. C. R. Marks, of 57-58, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, W.C. (Communica- tion from abroad by the firm Maschinenbau-Anstalt Hum- boldt, of Cologne-Kalk, Germany.)—Relates more particularly to apparatus for manufacturing briquettes in the form of small pieces, from coal, coke, or the like material, by means of plunger presses. Ac- cording to the inven- tion, the material to be briquetted is, first of all, compressed into the form of a thin un- divided plate, the thick- ness of w’hich is approximately the same as the thickness of the briquettes which it is desired to produce. Immediately following upon this opera- tion, the said plate is then cut up into a plurality of small pieces of any desired size and shape between two die plates, which are provided with a plurality of intersecting and wedge- shaped knives or cutters. As this cutting up is effected under high pressure, and as the edges of the briquettes are pre- vented from yielding in any* way, the separate parts are given great firmness and strength, so that therefore only a small quantity of a binding agent is required. One form of carry- ing the invention into effect is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which the left hand view is a vertical longitudinal section through the improved briquetting apparatus or press, the two smaller views repre- senting plan views of two different forms of die plates for the dividing or cutting up plunger and for one of the driving drums. (Three claims.) 9371 (1914).—Improvements in and relating to Bucket Elevators and the Feeding of same. T. R. McIntosh, of Mablis Luck, G. M. Shagari, Southern Rhodesia.—Relates to bucket elevators of the type in which one end of one bucket overlaps one end of an adjacent bucket. The buckets overlap one another in such a way that it is impossible for any of the material to ever come in contact with the belt, and designed with a slight taper from back to front of iff J the bucket, thus producing- tri ° j\jk / a clean discharge of the / r material into the discharge \l \ / hopper. The lip of one \ bucket lies immediately \ over the back of the one in \ —V[\ advance of it, so that the \ ( y/ surface of the belt is com- \ ° Vf pletely protected by the buckets, which in reality form a continuous moving receptacle, with no intervening gaps between the buckets. There are continuous trains of buckets in the market, but their construction is quite different. The ore shoot is made slightly funnel-shaped, and is provided with a flexible flap, which rides on dhe surfaces of the buckets, and in this way in conjunction with the improved bucket, a perfect feeding arrangement is achieved. The drawing shows a diagram- matic elevation of one form of elevator. (Three claims.) 20754 (1914).—Apparatus for Locking the Wheels of Colliery Trams and other Vehicles. E. Eynon, 5, Globe- terrace, Upper Town, Loughor; and D. James, Greenfield- place, Upper Town, Loughor.—The object is to manufacture a bolt for locking the wheels of colliery trains and other vehicles, the apparatus being specially designed so as to put one or more bolts into operation at a time, the apparatus to be controlled by a lever attached to the end or other suitable position of the vehicle. Opposite each wheel there is a bracket containing a sliding bolt, the bracket also being made with a space sufficient to allow a sliding bar to which are fastened tapered sections of metal to move freely in a forward and backward direction. Two sections of metal are fastened to the sliding bars for each bolt required, the end of the sections being tapered in a diagonal form, and when fastened to the sliding bars the tapered ends of the sections will be in opposite directions one to the other, the one tapered end being the means of forcing a sliding bolt from the bracket in an outward direction, while the opposite tapered end is the means of forcing a bolt into the bracket in an inward direction. The sliding bolts which are in the brackets are made with a raised end, the sides of the raised ends being tapered in a diagonal form so as to correspond with the tapered ends of the sections of metal, the back part being made square so as to keep the raised tapered ends in an upright position in the brackets, and the front part being made round for entering the wheels opposite. There is attached at one end or other suitable place of the vehicle, a movable lever, attached to the sliding bars which are in the brackets at. each side of the vehicle by wire or lever connections, the other ends of the sliding bars being connected one to the other by wire or lever connections. To put one or more bolts in operation, the lever is raised upon the fulcrum pin, the lever being then drawn in a forward direction to the next slot in the quadrant will cause a forward movement of the sliding bars and sections of metal which are in the brackets, thereby bringing one or more of the tapered sections which are fast to the sliding bars to come -in contact with one or more of the tapered raised ends of the sliding bolts, the points of the tapered section entering at the back of the tapered raised ends of the sliding bolts, and by a continued movement of the lever and sliding bars the bolt or bolts will be forced in -an outward direction from the brackets, the front part of the bolt or bolts having entered between the spokes of the wheel or wheels opposite, while the back part of the bolt or bolts is held in the brackets by means of the front surface of the raised ends of the bolts coming in contact with the top part of the brackets, therefore stopping the bolt or bolts to travel out of the brackets more than the required distance, the lever being then placed in its respective slot in the quadrant, therefore holding the wheel or wheels in a locked position. The accompanying drawings show an end view of the vehicle, with a sectional view of two brackets with the sliding bars and sections of metal, and a plan of the apparatus. (Two claims.) 20816 (1914).—Improvements in Apparatus for Lubricat- ing the Axles of Colliery Tubs and Similar Vehicles. Vacuum Oil Company Limited, T. C. Thomsen, and W. A. E. Woodman, all of Caxton House, Westminster, London, S.W.—Relates more particularly to apparatus com- prising a resiliently mounted contact bar, arranged in the path of the axles of the tubs, and adapted to be depressed by the axles as they pass, the bar carrying a hollow plunger working in a stationary pump barrel depending into an oil reservoir, whereby on each depression of the bar, oil is ejected from the hollow plunger on to the upper surface of the contact bar, and picked up by the axle. According to the present invention the pump barrel is adjustable vertically in the cover plate of the reservoir, and the contact arm, its return spring and its guide pins, are so arranged that when the pump barrel is adjusted, they move vertically together without causing any alteration in the tension of the spring. The guide pins have long bearings in the cover plate of the reservoir, which plate also has guards for the contact arm. Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation of one form of apparatus; and fig. 2 is a plan; fig. 3 is -a sectional elevation on the line I—I fig- 1, drawn to a larger scale. The contact bar p can be readily adjusted as regards its normal height, by simply screwing the pump barrel d up or down relatively to the cover plate b, the bar p, guide pins t t, plunger e and yoke v moving bodily with the pump, so that the tension of the spring xl remains unchanged. Moreover, the adjustment of the height of the contact can thus be effected without raising or altering the height of the reservoir as is adopted in some forms of tub oiler. The guards will thus deflect the hauling cable or any other moving part which might otherwise engage with and damage the contact bar, whereas the axles of the tubs are free to pass on to the bar so as to depress it and the’ pump plunger, and thereby to effect the ejection of the oil. the valve i acting as the suction or inlet valve, and the valve m as the delivery valve. (Three claims.) 24485 (1913). Improvements in Pipes with Removable Liners, particularly for Conveying Granular Materials. P.