December 3, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1151 ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 1119 (1915). Improvements in or relating to Electrical Alarm Apparatus for Mines and like places. J. P. O’Donnell, M.Inst.C.E., M.Inst.Meeh.E., Fel.Chart.- Inst.P.A., of Palace-chambers, Westminster, London, S.W. (A communication from abroad from G. D. Hodges and D. Smith, of Duthie’s-cottages, Market-street, Jeppestown, Johannesburg, Transvaal.)—Relates to improvements in elec- trical alarm apparatus for mines and like places. The inven- tion has for its object an improved construction of apparatus, such as that described in the prior specification of Letters Patent No. 11916/14, granted to G. D. Hodges and D. Smith. According to the invention, the outer member of the telescopic bar passes through, and is secured to the casing enclosing the source of electricity, and the operating means of the audible alarm signal apparatus, all the circuit wires, terminals, and contacts of the apparatus are enclosed within the casing, which is constructed of insulating material, with the excep- 22~ 21- 10- 25 36 -15 -10 20 ae 30 \y / 32 ,15 JO 27— 26' » 20' 12 2 13 I <0 Fig. 3. tion of the two contacts to be closed to give an alarm, which con tacts are both mounted on the said enclosing casing exteriorly thereof, the means for closing said contacts to give an alarm consisting of a member formed of insulating material adjustably secured in position on the inner member of the telescopic bar. The construction is further such that the batteries, constituting the source of electricity, can be removed from the casing, and new batteries inserted, without it being necessary to disconnect any wire or wires from any terminal of the apparatus, and re-connect said wire or wires, the batteries being provided with contacts which engage other contacts fixedly mounted within the said enclosing casing. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus according to the invention; fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the appa- ratus shown in fig. 1, as seen from the right of that figure; fig. 3 is a plan of the apparatus shown in fig. 1, with certain parts removed; and fig. 4 illustrates diagrammatically the electric circuits of the apparatus. (Four claims.) 5148 (1915). Improved Mechanical Signalling Apparatus for use in Mines and on Inclines. H. Armstrong, of Collingwood Buildings, Collingwood-street, Newcastle-upon- Tyne, and J. W. Thompson, of Pelton Colliery, Pelton Fell, Durham.—Mechanical signalling apparatus in mines in accordance with this invention comprises an operating mechanism and an indicating mechanism giving both audible and visible signals, said mechanisms being coupled together by a rope or the like, and is characterised in that the operating mechanism is first manipulated to cause the indicating mechanism to sound the signal and then further manipulated to cause the indicating mechanism to visibly indicate the meaning of the signal sounded. In a modified arrangement, the indicating mechanism is adapted to auto- matically sound the signal when the operating mechanism is manipulated to cause said indicating mechanism to visibly indicate the meaning of the signal, and without first manipulating the operating mechanism to sound the signal. Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and fig. 2 a front elevation of one form of operating mechanism in accordance therewith; fig. 3 is a front elevation; and fig. 4 a side elevation of one form O if ? \ V\ SI » cw cn /7£ X Oh V- , ' , A :: o <11 i of indicating mechanism in accordance therewith. In use, the handle e of the operating mechanism is first pulled to and fro to rotate the pulley a an angular distance less than the angle z (fig. 1). This to and fro movement causes the rope f to rotate the pulley o of the indicating mechanism to cause its projection s to engage the one-way stop t of the bell- crank lever and raise the arm w of said lever, and then allow same to fall again, and so sound the bell. In this way the onsetter or banksman sounds the number of raps correspond- ing to the signal he desires to give. He then pulls over the handle e of the indicating mechanism to rotate the pulley a to engage the pawl j in the notch corresponding to the signal he has just sounded, this second movement exposing the number and meaning of the signal through the aperture n, and also causing the rope f to rotate the pulley o of the indicating mechanism to expose the same signal through the aperture y. As a separate notch is allotted to each of the three meanings of the signal of a single rap, it will be seen that, having sounded a single rap, the onsetter or banksman can visibly indicate which of said meanings he is signalling, and so there will be no possibility of the engineman incorrectly interpreting a single rap signal. The pawl j of the operating mechanism prevents the rotation of the pulley a, and hence the rotation of the pulley o after a signal has been given both audibly and visibly, and the signal thus remains visibly indicated until it is complied with, when it is cancelled by releasing the pawl j from the notch in the pulley a by means of its handle m, when the weight or spring on the indicating end of the rope f causes the pulleys o and a to resume their normal positions. The return rotation of the pulley o does not sound the bell, as the one-way stop t allows the projection s to pass without lifting the arm w. The releasing handle m may be operated by a suitably guided rope, one end of which is attached to the handle, and the other end to a lever or other device either operated by hand or automatically by the cage during descent or ascent, or by the winding engine, in a well-known manner. (Six claims.) 9375 (1915). A Method of Obtaining the Volatile Products Distilled from Carbonaceous Material, and Apparatus therefor. J. R. H. Prioleau, and W. L. St. J. Prioleau, both of 1, Trafalgar-square, Chelsea, London.—Relates to an improved method and apparatus for effecting the destruc- tive distillation of carbonaceous materials, of the type in which different volatile products are withdrawn from different parts of the distillation retort, and its object is to provide means for accurately varying the temperature over a series of different zones in the retort according to the distillates required from the particular zones. According to the inven- tion, there is employed a single chamber surface heated retort, whether vertical, or horizontal, and in connection there- with a flue space or jacket surrounding the retort is divided up by means of transverse partitions, which definitely separate the length of the retort externally into a series of zones; in each zone a separate furnace or burner with inde- pendent control for the supply of a heating medium thereto is provided, so that the successive zones may proceed either with a gentle and successive temperature increase, or by temperature differences of considerable amount, or again by an increase and then a decrease as may be desired; connected with each zone is a condenser, or condensers, whereby volatile products due to the temperature at which the particular zone is kept are quickly, directly, and simultaneously withdrawn from the receptacle. Though separated as regards their dis- tillates, the condensers may be connected for the purpose of using a common condensing medium. Preferably such a retort may be heated by the gas produced in itself, either with or without an additional supply from an independent source. A particular method to which the invention is especially! appli- cable is that set forth in concurrent application for a patent No. 23165/14, in which the condensers are operated by a cool non-con den sable gas, and the accompanying drawing illustrates its ladaptation thereto. (Three claims. ) 13443 (1914). An Igniting Device for Miners' Safety Lamps. L. Marschall, Bahnhofstrasse 18, Neunkirchen, Saar, Germany.—Relates to igniting devices of the type in which a toothed friction wheel is provided, carried by a shaft subject to the action of a spring, the shaft being rotated so as to put the spring under tension and then released, its release causing the before- mentioned toothed wheel to be sharply rotated and to rub against a spark producing point or stone suitably mounted in contact therewith in order to produce the desired sparks. The device comprises a body portion through which the spring controlled shaft passes, such shaft being formed into or provided with a long handle. The friction wheel ’and pyrophoric or spark producing point are carried in the usual manner at the other end of the body portion, and the spring consists of a flat convolute spring located beneath the top plate of the body portion, the outer end being attached to such body portion, and the inner end to the shaft. n One or more springs are provided at the side of the body portion for retaining the device in position within the lamp. An iapplication of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing. (One claim.) 17000 (1914). Improvements in and connected with Signalling in Mines. G. J. F. Black, of 182, Newton-road, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.—Has reference to means for electrically communicating signals from the bottom or top of a pit shaft or any intermediate level or other part of a mine to the engine driver, and is of that type in which the hand signal lever and its electrical connections to the bell and indicator in the engine house are so arranged that the trans- mission of signals and the wiping out of the signals are effected by different movements of one and the same hand lever, so arranged that the last signal given is by the move- ment of the hand lever to give the next signal wiped out before such next signal can be given. According to the invention, the hand signal lever is at its fulcrum end jointed to a shank part adapted to turn in a bearing in a base, so that said lever is capable of two different kinds of movement, one of which is a rocking movement about its fulcrum pin in one plane, and the other is a turning movement with its fulcrum through an arc of a circle in a plane at right angles to the first plane, this movement being limited by stops against one of which the lever is normally pressed by a spring. Near the other stop, so as to be operated by the hand signal lever at the end of its arc of movement, there is an electric push switch connected to the bell and indicator in the engine room so that when the hand signal lever is pressed inwardly one, two, or more times, the one, two, or more corresponding rings will be given on the bell in the engine room, and the corresponding signal shown by the indicator dial or finger. Carried by the said shank part there is a contact arm, and adjacent to the end of this there are fixed on the base of the instrument two spring contact bars electrically connected to the indicator in the engine house, and between which the contact arm can move so as to join contacts in the first move- ment of the hand lever to transmit a signal, and thereby wipe out the previous signal before, by the rocking movements of the hand lever at the termination of its arc of movement, the electric push will be pressed in one or more times to transmit the signal to the engine house. Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly in section of the invention; fig. 2 is a sec- tional plan of the same taken on line W—W of fig. 1; fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of part of the same taken on line X—X of fig. 1; fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of part of the same taken on line Y—Y of fig. 1; and fig. 5 is a sectional front elevation of the same taken on line Z—Z of fig. 2. (Two claims.) 19388 (1914). Improvements in Signalling Devices for use in Mines. W. Lochhead, of Ross Colliery, Ferniegair, Lanarkshire.—Has for its object to provide improved means for decoding visually the audible signals given to the engine- man. The improved device is of the type comprising a dial in relation -to which