370

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

August 25, 1916.

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

11018 (1915). Means for Industrially Utilising Exhaust
Steam for Heating Purposes. L. J. R. Bouhon, of Oakfield
House, The Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.—Relates to
a method whereby exhaust steam from, say, the low pressure
cylinder of a steam engine may be reheated and utilised for
various industrial purposes, for instance, for the heating of
apparatus where high temperatures are required and for
which live steam is now used. Fig. 1 is a diagram, and
figs. 2 and 3 are details illustrating the invention applied to
the reheating of exhaust steam and the utilisation thereof
in a heating and drying apparatus, a is a high pressure
steam cylinder, and b is a low pressure cylinder, c is a con-
denser. Between the cylinder b and the condenser c is a
chamber d, and between the chamber d and the condenser
is a valve e. Besides the outlet leading to the condenser
through the valve e the chamber d has an outlet pipe leading
to coils f situated in the flue or chimney g through which
pass the waste gases from the furnace (not shown). The
coils f are connected to the heating compartments h, which
are situated in the apartment to be heated. These heating
compartments are also connected to the condenser c on the
opposite side of the valve e. It will thus be seen that there
are two alternative courses for the exhaust steam, namely
either direct to the condenser c through the valve e, or
through the waste heat recovering coils f and the heating

compartments h through the valve I to the condenser c. In
the latter case the exhaust steam takes up heat from the
waste gases in the flues which is utilised for drying and
heating or any other useful purpose. To start and main-
tain the circulation of the exhaust steam it may be necessary
to take live steam before the latter enters the low pressure
cylinder. To this end an injector compressor i is provided
in the second additional chamber m leading to the waste
heat recovering coils f. Valves are provided for cutting out
any element of the heating compartments h. There is also
a valve k outside the chamber d by means of which the
whole of the apparatus may be cut out, in which case the
exhaust steam will go direct to the condenser through the
valve e, which is an automatic one. For cleaning the waste
beat recovering coils steam or air pipes j passing within and
outside of the coils are employed. These pipes / have per-
forations through which the air or steam is blown against
the coils to remove the soot and dirt. The coils f are pre-
ferably built up in sections to enable them to be mounted
and dismounted the more easily in the flues. (Six claims.)

11481 (1915). Method, of and Apparatus for Obtaining
Oils, Spirits, and Gases from Peat or other Materials or
Substances. A. N. Macnicol, 31, Queen-street, Melbourne,
Australia.—Relates to the cheap production of oils, spirits,
and gases from peat or other substances containing gums,
resins, or oils and to apparatus therefor, and consists in
first grinding the material and continuously or inter-
mittently feeding the substance by pressure or otherwise
into a retort and applying a heat gradually and regularly
externally of the retort, subjecting the material in the
retmt to the action of steam which may be superheated, the
substance being passed over the heated surface by a moving
rabble and the retort being partitioned to provide heat
sections and the volatilised substances emanating from the
material treated being led off by pipe connections to a
condenser or condensers, the oils and spirits being collected
in a reservoir or reservoirs by condensation. The non-con-
densible gases are returned to the furnace to be used as fuel,

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and the hot gases flowing from one part of the apparatus to
another part" are utilised for drying the substances before
they are fed into the retort. The retort sections are used
for the convenience of drawing off varying grades of vola-
tilised oils and spirits according to the temperature in the
retort. Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of one embodi-
ment of the invention, while figs. 2 and 3 are transverse
sectional views on the lines C and D respectively; and fig. 4
is a detail view somewhat similar to fig. 3. In figs. 1-3
the retort 2 is of firebrick or other refractory material, and
is fitted with a hopper 86 receiving the organic material,
and the material is continuously fed on to the floor 88 of the
retort 2 by means of a screw conveyor 90, the spindle 92 of
which projects through the wall 94 of the retort and is
operated by belt and pulley or other convenient means. The
substances drop by gravity from the screw conveyor 90 on
to the floor 88 of the retort, and are rabbled or agitated and
carried along the floor while exposed to heat (externally

applied) to the discharge end 96 of the retort where the
residue is delivered in any suitable manner as by a screw or
other conveyor 98 arranged in a suitable trough 99. A suffi-
cient quantity of material is maintained at the inlet as well
as the discharge outlet of the retort to form a gas seal to
prevent any escape of the volatilised oils. A rabble or
rabbles 100 preferably comprising chains carrying spiked
bars 102 and flanged rollers 107 travel around spaced drums
or rollers 104 arranged at either end and within the retort 2,
the upper and lower portions of the rabble being adapted to
run on longitudinal rails 106 mounted upon a supporting
roof 116 of the retort and upon the floor 88 of the retort 2,
immediately within the side walls 110 of the said retort 2.
In the modification illustrated in fig. 4, the retort 2 is wider
than the furnace, in order to allow of the rollers 107 being
located in a cooler zone, the floor of the retort being pro-
vided with a partition 89 on the inside of which the rabble
operates. The spindle 112 of the rabble driving drum or
roller 104 is driven by a belt or the like from any convenient
source of power. The rabble extends approximately the
whole length and width of the retort, being entirely enclosed
therein, and within the rabble the retort is divided into heat
sections. A roof 116, immediately below the path of the
top of the rabble, is formed with a series of spaced trans-
verse walls 118, the spaces 120 between each pair of walls
118 forming the retort sections for the volatilised oils, each
retort section or zone increasing in temperature regularly
from the inlet to the discharge end. This roof provides a
compartment or space above the zones to allow of the cooling
of the rabbles 100 as they pass over the roof 116. The walls
118 allow a sufficient clearance for the rabble 100 traversing
upon the material over the floor 88 of the retort. The
heating may be accomplished by any heating device or
furnace, but preferably by gas burners. The heating
element 46 is arranged at one end below and outside the
retort 2, the floor of the furnace being cut away at 122 to
receive the heating element, while below the retort 2 is
formed a series of independent heating flues 124 each
receiving independent heat from the burner. This arrange-
ment enables an even heat to be maintained across the full
width of the retort. The flues 124 are of refractory material,
and the heat circulates along the length of the flue below
the floor 88 of the retort to an outlet 126 near the feeding
end of the said retort. Each of the zones or retort sections
120 is furnished with pipe connections 128 through which
the gases are drawn off either by their own pressure or by
means of a fan or blower 33, and thence by pipe connec-
tions to condensers for the extraction of oils, spirits, or
gases. (Eight claims.)

13269 (1915). Improvements in Aerial Railways, and
Suspended Ways and like Haulage and Conveyor Installa-
tions. W. L. Hamilton, of 81, Mitchell-street, Glasgow.—
Relates to aerial railways and suspended ways and like
haulage and conveyor installations, and provides convenient
means for imparting at predetermined points in its travel
tipping and righting movements to the wagon or the like by
which the load is carried. The drawing is an elevation
showing the carriage, grooved pulleys, pinion, etc. A
carriage 1 running upon elevated rails is provided with a
tipping frame 2 in which the wagon 3 is secured. Fixed to
tiie frame 2 are grooved pulleys 4 around and to each of

which are secured flexible connections 5, the connections 5
to each pulley 4 crossing one another and leading to drums 6
which are preferably formed with external screw threads
and are mounted on a transversely disposed spindle 7 rotably
supported by the carriage 1. Fixed on the spindle 7 is a
pinion 8 adapted, in the travel of the carriage 1, to engage a
rack (not shown), located at a suitable point in the track,
whereby the pinion 8 and therewith the spindle 7 are rotated
and by the action of the flexible connections 5 winding on
and unwinding from the drums 6 the grooved pulleys 4 are
turned to rock the tipping frame 2. (Three claims.)

13789 (1915). Improvements in Visual Signal-indicators
for Mine Signalling. S. Braddock, of 13, Whit wood-terrace,
both of Whitwood, Normanton, Yorks.—Relates to that type
of visual signal-indicator wherein a ratchet mechanism
fitted with a dash-pot control is employed for rotating a
pointer step by step over a dial whose face is sub-divided
into segments furnished with numerals and -words indica-
tive of the various signals to be employed, and in which the
number of pulls on the ratchet mechanism has the effect of
moving the pointer through a corresponding number of
divisions over the face of the dial, while a subsequent
single pull has the effect of operating a releasing pawl by
which the previous signal is cancelled ; and the object of
the present invention is to provide an improved visual
signal-indicator, so constructed as to enable the various
signals to be transmitted in a more expeditious and
efficient manner than heretofore. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are
respectively a front elevation with the front plate romoved,
an end elevation with the end plate removed, and a sec-
tional plan. A casing or box 1 is provided on its front face
with a dial 2 having sub-divisions furnished with numerals
indicating the various signals to be employed, while at the
centre of the dial 2 and passing through the box .1 is a
transverse shaft 3 carried in front and rear bearings 4 and
being provided at its outer front end with a pointer 5,
which, on the shaft 3 being rotated, is caused to move over
the face of the dial 2. On the pointer shaft 3, and within
the box 1 is fixed a spur pinion 6, which is meshed with a
vertical rack 7 attached to bearings 8 joined by a cross-bar
9 and being adapted to slide on vertical rods 10 fixed within
Hie box 1, while within the latter and directly beneath the

crossbar 9 of the rack 7 is provided a dash-pot 11 (herein-
after termed “ main dash-pot ”) fixed to the base of the
box 1, and having -its piston rod 12 formed at opposite sides
thereof with rack teeth 13, with which pawls 14 pivoted on
a crosshead 15 are adapted to engage. This crosshead 15 is
made vertically slidable on pillars 16 fixed within the box 1,
and attached to the said crosshead 15 are a pair of rods 17,
one at each end thereof, which pass in an upward direction
and out through the top of the box 1, where their free ends
are connected by studs 18 to independent arms 19 fixed on a
rock shaft 20 carried in end bearings 21 situated on the
upper part of the box 1. The rock shaft 20 is provided with
an operating lever 22 adapted to be pulled through the
medium of a solenoid 23 ; so that on the lever 22 being pulled
the number of times in accordance with the signal to be given,
the shaft 20 is rocked an equal number of times, and each
rocking movement of the shaft 20, through the medium of
its arms 19 and rods 17, raises the cross-head 15 the same
number of times, with the result that the pawls 14 on the
said crosshead 15 by their engagement with the teeth 13 on
the piston rod 12 of the main dash-pot 11, lift the piston 12 x
of the latter vertically upward, step by step, and during each

upward movement the said piston rod 12 engages the under-
side of the cross-bar 9 of the vertical sliding rack 7, and so
moves the latter upward with it, which rack 7, through the
meshed pinion 6 on the pointer shaft 3, rotates the said
pointer shaft and so moves the pointer 5 over the dial 2
through a corresponding number of divisions to that of the
pulls given by the operating lever 22. On the pointer shaft
3 is fixed a ratchet wheel 24 with which is engaged a pawl
25 pivoted on a stud 26 fixed to the rear wall of the box 1,
which pawl 25 slips over the teeth of the wheel 24 during
the time the shaft 3 is being rotated to move the pointer 5
through the divisions on the dial 2, while on the movement
of the pointer 5 being completed, the pawl 25 engages its
ratchet wheel 24 and so retains the pointer shaft 3 to hold
the pointer 5 in the moved position. In conjunction with
the main dash-pot 11 is an auxiliary dash-pot 27 fixed by a
bracket 28 to the rear wall of the box 1, and the piston rod
29 of the auxiliary dash-pot 27 is slidably passed through a
hole 30 x of a projecting member 30 formed on the crosshead
15 and provided at its uppper end with nuts 31, by which it
is engaged by the said member 30, and a port 32 is formed
in the cylinder of the main dash-pot 11 near its lowTer part
which is connected by means of a pipe 33 to a port 34
formed in the cylinder of the auxiliary dash-pot 27 near its
upper part; so that on the vertical movement being imparted
to the crosshead 15, the pistons of both dash-pots 11, 27, are
raised simultaneously, while the slidable connection of the
piston rod 29 of the auxiliary dash-pot 27 with the projecting
member 30 of the crosshead 15 allows its piston 29x to fall in
between the strokes of the crosshead 15, so that on the com-
pletion of the movement of the operating lever 22, the
piston 29x of the auxiliary dash-pot 27 first descends and
exposes the port 34 of its cylinder and so allows the cylinder
of the main dash-pot 11 to be quickly exhausted by way of
the connecting pipe 33, when the piston 12x of the main
dash-pot 11 immediately falls into its lowermost position.
In this way, the pulls imparted to the operating lever 22
have the effect of raising the piston 12x of the main dash-
pot 11 upwardly step by step with its piston rod 12 against
the underside of the crossbar 9 of the vertical rack 7, which
is thus raised a similar amount, and this movement of the
rack 7 is transferred through the pinion 6 to the pointer 5 ;
while on the completion of the upward movement of the

piston 12x of the main dash-pot 11, the piston 29x of the
auxiliary dash-pot 27 in descending opens its port 34 to the
main dash-pot 11, whose piston 12x falls instantly and is
thus brought quickly into position ready for a subsequent
lifting operation. The pawl 25 of the pointer shaft ratchet
wheel 24 is connected through the medium of a bar 35 to
the crosshead 15, so that a subsequent single pull on the
operating lever 22 has the effect of raising the said pawl 25,
which allows the pointer 5 to return to “ one ” on the dial 2,
thus cancelling the advisory signal. In this way, each
signal remains visible until it is cancelled by the next
succeeding one, while in order to return the pointer 5 to
“ zero ” the pawl 25 of the ratchet wheel 24 is adapted to
be raised by a bell-crank lever 36x through a rod 36 coupled
to the “ mine ” winding engine which returns the indicator
pointer 5 to its starting position on the completion of each

wind.” The dial 2 is formed with an aperture 37, behind
which is mounted a plate 38 marked “ men,” so that on the
operating lever 22 being pulled three times to move the