520 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. September 15, 1916. 500; 1,500, 28s., 500; 1,400, 26s.; Las Palmas, 2,000, 27s. 6d. ; Nantes, 1,350, 29s.; Oporto, 1,200, 27s. 6d.; Rouen, 1.600, 1,350, 2,000, 24s. 6d.; 350, 500, 25s. 6d.; Seville, 1,200, 33s. 6d.; St. Nazaire, 4,500, 28s.; St. Malo, 950, 22s.; Savona, 2,800, 63s. fid.; 4,700, 63s.; 3,400, 64s. coal, 64s. 6d. fuel; 3,100, 62s. 6d.; 7,400, 60s.; 3,500, 62s. fid.; Spezzia, 2,800, 63s. 6d.; 4,700, 63s.; 3,400, 64s. coal, 64s. 9d. fuel; 3,100, 62s. 6d. ; 7,400, 60s.; Tonnay Charente, 1,400, 29s.; Teneriffe, 2,000, 27s. 6d.; Treport, 420, 24s. 6d.; Valencia, 1,600, 35s. Newport to Brest, 660, 22s.; Treport, 660, 23s. 6d.; G-enoa, Savona, Spezzia, or Leghorn, 2,800, 63s. 6d.;' Bouen, 1,650, 24s. 6d.; Gibraltar, 1,500, 27s. 6d., 500; Bilbao, 1,500, 30s.; Granville, 330, 24s.; Seville, 1,200, 33s. 6d.; St. Nazaire, 1,800, 29s. Swansea to Bouen, 1,250, 24s. fid.; 450, 25s. 6d.; 650, 25s. 6d.; Treport, 300, 26s. 6d.; Genoa, Savona, Spezzia, or Leghorn, 4,000, 64s.; 3,400, 64s.; Bordeaux, 950 , 35s.; 2.600, 34s. 9d., fuel; Chantenay, 1,200, 29s.; Cherbourg, 670, 23s. 6d., option Caen, 23s.; Cadiz, 1,200, 29s.; Gran- ville or Trouville, 365, 24s.; Honfleur, 300, 24s.; 800, 24s.; St. Nazaire, 1,500, 29s. 9d., fuel; St. Brieux, 3,100, 25s. 9d., fuel; St. Nazaire, 1,800, 29s. 9d., fuel; Nantes, 2,600, 29s. Glasgow to Barcelona, 50s.; Havre, 27s. fid.; Genoa or Savona, 65s.; 65s. fid.; Gibraltar, 2,300, 30s. Goole to Treport, 600, 28s. Port Talbot to Bayonne, 1,150, 36s.; Nantes, 1,700, 29s. Leith to Bouen, 28s. 6d. Clyde to Hennebont, 750, 33s.; West Italy, 1,800, 65s. 6d. Tees to Boulogne, 280, 29a. 6d., pig iron. Grimsby to Malaga, 2,300, 65s., 300, Sept. Hull to Gefle, 1,900, 29 kr. COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES. REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS. Cammell Laird and Company Limited.—The directors have declared an interim dividend on the ordinary shares'of 2s. 6d. per share, less tax. Cortonwcod Collieries Limited.-—A further interim dividend of 2| per cent. (6d. per share, free of tax) has been paid. Dalmellington Iron Company Limited.—The report for the year ended June 30 states that, owing to shortage of labour and war conditions generally, no new, work has been under- taken. The results, after providing for excess profits duty and income-tax, show a profit of £52,102, and adding £5,865 brought forward, there is a total of £57,967. After deduct- ing for depreciation and redemption £16,056, it is now pro- posed to pay a final dividend of 5 per cent, and a bonus of 5s. per share, free of tax, on the ordinary shares, and to carry forward £6,161. The distribution equals 15 per cent, for the year, and compares with 7J per cent, for the previous year. Edinburgh Collieries Limited.—Interim dividend of 5 per cent., free of tax, on ordinary shares. ' Ibbotson Brothers and Company Limited.—The report shows a profit of £20,971 for the year. A final dividend of 6s. per share, free of tax, is proposed, making 10 per cent, for the year, carrying forward £34,045. Kynoch Limited.—The report for year states that the turn- over has been many times greater than in any previous year, and there is a very substantially larger profit, but as the directors are quite unable to form any reliable estimate of the amount of taxation incurred under the Munitions of War Act, and under the provisions for excess profits and income-tax under the Finance Act, and in particular as to the amount of depreciation on capital expenditure that will be allowed under these Acts, they are quite unable to present any accounts for the year wrhich would be other than misleading. The share- holders may look forward to seeing these accounts in the course of th£ next 12 months. Steel Company of Scotland Limited.—The directors, after making provision for depreciation, excess profits duty, and reserve, recommend a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum, less tax. Vulcan Motor and Engineering (1906) Company Limited. —A bonus of 2s., free of tax, on the ordinary shares is announced. West Lancashire Wagon Company Limited.—Dividend at the rate of 4J per cent, per annum for the past half-year. NEW COMPANIES. Cann and Glass Limited.—Private company. Registered September 6. To acquire business of coal merchants, coal exporters, and colliery agents carried on at 2, Gloucester- place, Swansea. Nominal capital, £15,000 in 15,000 £1 shares. Directors : J. J. McEachran, C. McEachran, W. Cann, and H. D. Cann. No qualification required. Davies (William) and Company Limited.—Private com- pany. Registered September 5. To carry on business of coal merchants and exporters, pitwood importers, etc. Nominal capital, £10,000 in 1,000 £10 shares. Subscribers (one share each) : Wm. Davies and F. H. Brooks. . Insulated Cap and Rivet Company Limited.—Private com- pany. Registered office, Caxton House, Westminster, S.W. Registered September 8. To carry on business of engineers, founders, smiths, patentees for caps, rivets, electric lamps, etc. Nominal capital, £5,000 in 5,000 £1 shares. Qualifi- cation, £100. Subscribers (one share each) : W. J. T. Arkwright and W. F. Mohr. Novera Metal Company Limited. — Private company. Registered office, 74, Lancaster-gate, W. Registered September 5. To acquire an invention in connection with stainless, rustless steel which lias been invented by H. Brearly. Nominal capital, £2,000 in 2,000 £1 shares. Directors and subscribers (one share each) : H. Brearly and J. Moddocks, J.P. Qualification of directors, 100 shares. This list of new companies is taken from the Daily Register specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan and Sons Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C. The Trades Union Congress elected Mr. B. Smillie and Mr. A. Onions members of the Parliamentary Committee. The Chief Inspector of Factories has appointed Dr. J. F. P. Devlin to be certifying surgeon under the Factory and Work- shop Act for the Gorlin district (Tyrone); Dr. W. M. Browne certifying surgeon for the Uffculme district; and Dr. P. M. Carlyle certifying surgeon for Gretna. Two similar positions are vacant—one at Sidmouth and the other at Godaiming. ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 12336 (1915). Improvements in Coal Cutters of the “ Hurd ” Reciprocating-bar Type. F. W. Hurd, of Raith View, Bothwell, Lanark, North Britain.—Relates to coal cutters of the “ Hurd ” reciprocating-bar type, and has for its object to provide a machine the overall height of which is as little as may be, and which is therefore of particular advantage in working shallow seams. The motor is so placed that its vertical dimension coincides, or approximately coincides, with the vertical dimension of the gear-head, so that the limits of motor and gear-head lie between the same horizontal planes. In order to transmit the drive from motor to gear-head, there is provided a lay shaft operated through spur or chain gearing from the motor shaft and driving the shaft, from which is driven the cutter-bar, through the usual bevil gearing. In the drawings, which represent sectional elevations, there is an air motor of reciprocating type. The top part A and the bottom part B of the casing of this motor (which has horizontal cylinders) are arranged in line with the top part C and the bottom part D of the gear-head casing, Thus the two casings take up jointly the least possible vertical space. This arrangement, however, throws the crank shaft E of the motor out of line with the usual driving pinion G of the gear-head. There is, therefore, provided a lay shaft H carrying this pinion. This shaft H is arranged parallel with and above the shaft E. It is.driven from the -shaft E by a pair of pinions J K, and drives, through the pinion G, an intermediate double- faced bevil pinion L, mounted on a stud M, which in turn drives a bevil pinion N on the cutter-bar P. (Two claims.) 13358 (1915). Improvements in Valves. R. A. Blake- borough, of Woodhouse Works, Brighouse, Yorks, and J. B. Broadhead, of the same place.—Relates to gate, sluice, or exhaust or high pressure steam or like valves having two discs which are forced into engagement writh their respective seatings by wedging -action on closing the valve or when the valve is completely closed, and has for its object an improved construction of parts for securing effec- tive wedging action under various conditions and, in high pressure -steam or exhaust valves, admitting of free expan- sion or contraction of the valve discs with the valve body or casing. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a sluice valve, fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line A B (fig. 1), fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of fig. 1, fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a portion of an exhaust steam valve, fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line C D (fig. 4), and fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of same. In figs. 1, 2, and 3, 1, 1 represent the discs comprising the valve, 2 the valve spindle, and 3 the nut working thereon. The nut 3 terminates in the form of a wedge 4 at its lower end. Suitably supported in guides 5 formed on the valve discs 1,1, and between said discs, are wzedge blocks 6, 6, whose upper ends are recessed to provide wedge surfaces for the wedge 4 formed on the lower end of the nut 3, all the above parts being as ordinary. Instead of the wedge blocks abutting against a projection or projections in the bottom of or on each side of the interior walls of the valve casing to put the wedging device into I operation, as heretofore, the wedge blocks 6, 6 have extend- ing therefrom a pair of members 7,7, whose lower ends are inclined outwardly or diverge from each other at suitable angles at each side of the centre of the valve, as shown in fig. 2, and are adapted to engage at their extremities with projections 8, 8 on the sides of the valve casing when the valve is closed, said projections occupying positions inter- mediate the vertical and horizontal centres of the valve and having suitable angular engaging surfaces. The nut 3 has flanges or projections 9 formed thereon adapted to fit within the slotted portions or openings 10 provided within the guide portions 5 formed on the valve discs. Gun metal or like seatings 11, ll1 are or may be provided on the valve discs and casing. In figs. 4, 5, and 6 the wedge 121, instead of being integral with the nut 3 as in fig. 1, is formed in usual manner on a sleeve or members 12, 12, whose upper end or ends is or are recessed at 13, to receive a nut 3 on the spindle 2. The other portions are similar to those already described with reference to figs. 1, 2, and 3. In each of the constructions described the rotation of the spindle 2 causes the nut 3 to move endwise, and in closing the valve, the discs 1, 1 are moved freely to a position in alignment with the seatings at which time the members 7, 7, of the wedge blocks 6, 6 abut against their respective projections 8, 8, in the casing. Further movement of the nut 3 in the same direction now causes the wedge 4 to act upon the wedge blocks 6, 6, which, being held from further downward movement, are forced outwardly whereby the discs 1, 1, are forced tightly against their seatings. (Two claims.) 13934 (1915). Improvements in Operating Rotary Con- verters and other Alternating Current Machinery. A. H. Railing and C. C. Garrard, both of 67, Queen Victoria-street, London.—Relates to a modification of Patent No. . 10841 a.d. 1913, it having been found that the operation is facilitated, and that considerably improved results are obtained, if the connecting of the rotary to the alternating current supply is not delayed until full speed or approxi- mately synchronous speed is attained; that is to say, that the said connection should be effected earlier than this, with the result that synchronism is much more easily obtained. 0 Tiie bed results are obtained when the rotary is connected to the alternating current supply through the resistance or choke oils directly it has been observed that the excitation has commenced. In the drawing, the starting motor is indi- cated by A, the rotary converter by B, and its sliprings by C, the choking coils -or resistance being represented by E, and the short-circuiting switch for the same by F. The motor A is started, and when the excitation of the rotary converter B has commenced, the switch S is closed, thus connecting the sliprings C of the rotary to the alternating current supply through the resistance or choke coils E without waiting until full or approximately synchronous speed is obtained, the rush of current is limited by the choking coils E, or their equiva- lent, and synchronism is easily obtained. When the rotary has fallen into synchronism, the switch F is closed to short- circuit the choke coils E or their equivalent, after which the circuit of the starting motor A may be opened. The shunt field coils are shown at O, and the fact that the excitation of the rotary has commenced may be observed by reading the voltmeter V. (One claim.) 17081 1915). Improvements in a Dry Process and an Apparatus for Purifying Blast Furnace Gases. The firm Dortmunder Briickenbau C. H. Jucho, and Fritz Haring, both of 73, Weissenburgerstrasse, Dortmund, Germany.— Relates to a dry process and apparatus for the purification of blast furnace gases, which does away with the disadvan- Fifi.6. tages of the purification processes hitherto employed, by providing that the metal filters inserted in the waste gas pipe of the blast furnace have, as filling material, fine long metal shavings (steel shavings) which melt with difficulty and are compressed in a hot state; and also to a special process for the manufacture of metallic filters, in order to ensure uniform density of the filters. Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically a blast furnace installation provided with filters; fig. 2 is a cross-section through a partly filled filter; fig. 3 is a plan of the filter, partly in section; fig. 4 shows a portion of the filter filling on an enlarged scale; fig. 5 shows, partly in section, a portion of the waste gas pipe provided with the filter; fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-section through fig. 5. The filter used for purifying hot blast furnace gases comprises a frame 1, at the front and back of which are secured screening surfaces 2, 3, with wide meshes, to support the refractory filtering material, preferably fine long steel shavings 0’4 mm. thick obtained by turning a forged steel block: of great strength and elasticity, for instance, of 45—50 kg. per sq. cm., and an elongation of 25 per cent. These shavings are packed into the frame 1 until the filter has the necessary strength and density. For cleaning the hot blast furnace gases this filter is inserted into the waste gas pipe, arranged in a casing 9 connected by a pipe 10 to the usual dust collector 11. The dust separated collects in the lower portion of the casing 9 form- ing the dust vessel, whilst the purified gases are conveyed above the filter through the pipe 12. If the metal filter is filled by mechanically pressing the metal shavings into the filter frame 1, it will be difficult, owing to the elasticity of the shavings (steel shavings) to fill the filter sufficiently tightly to enable it to keep back the very fine throat-dust, and. therefore, the metal shavings are compressed in a heated condition and under pressure. In order to ensure uniform density of the filter, the shavings, after stretching