872 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. November 3, 1916. 16269 (1915). Method of Operating Coal Gas Plants. A. E. White, of Jessel-chambers, 88, 89, and 90, Chancery-lane, London, W.C. (A communication from Riter-Conley Manu- facturing Company, of Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)— Relates to a method of operating apparatus for the manufac- ture of coal gas, in which the coal is placed within retorts arranged in a chamber or the like, heated by the combustion of gas preferably generated in a gas producer. The gas pro- ducer 1 is supplied with a bed of ignited fuel in the usual manner, and by means of the blower 9 primary air is forced through flue 8 in recuperator structure 3, and reacts with the incandescent fuel in producer 1, forming the producer gas, which passes to the combustion chamber 4 of retort chamber 2 through flue 5, this producer gas being mixed with secon- dary air entering through openings 5a, and passing up around retorts 6 to distil the coal contained in said retorts. The pro- ducts of combustion pass downwardly through flues 17 (shown in dotted lines) and 18, and are drawn off by exhauster 19 through pipes 21, 20. The coal gas from retorts 16 is drawn off through openings 12 in the retort mouthpieces 11 into the standpipe 10, from whence it passes through chamber 13, pipes 14 and 15, to exhauster 16, which sucks the coal gas from the retorts, and passes it along through the system. A valve 7 is provided for regulating the pressure in the gas producer, and particularly for maintaining the pressure at the top thereof, approximately equivalent to atmospheric if desired. The exhauster 19 is operated to continuously main- tain a pressure in the combustion chamber lower than retort pressure, and preferably below atmospheric pressure. The exhauster 16 is operated to withdraw the coal gas from the retorts in such manner as to maintain the pressure within the retorts below atmospheric pressure, but at the same time to maintain the pressure within a given retort somewhat- greater than the pressure at the exterior thereof. The higher pressure within the retorts has the effect of forcing carbon into and sealing the cracks that may exist in the retort walls, preventing the escape of coal gas into the combustion chamber. The pressure in the combustion chamber being lower than that of the retort, there is no tendency for the producer gas to enter the retort. (Five claims.) 101493. Improvements in Fire Bridges for Bailer Fur- naces and the like. J. P. Tye, of 176, East India-road, Poplar, London, E.—Has reference to fire bridges for boiler * furnaces and the like, and is designed to provide a cheap, strong, and reliable construction of fire bridge which can be easily built up and fixed .in position, and can be repaired without difficulty. Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a front and a rear view; fig. 3 is a transverse section (to a larger scale) on the line 3—3 of fig. 1, looking towards the right; and fig. 4 is a transverse section, illustrating a modification. In figs. 1 to 3, a is the L-shaped carrier or trough-like sup- port which forms the framework of the bridge; b b are the firebrick blocks or sections of which the body or refractory portion of the bridge is composed; c c represent fireclay filling or pugging inserted between the sections b to bind the whole firmly together; d d are the transverse webs or partition walls which separate the carrier into sectional compartments; e is a low vertical front wall forming a lip or flange on the bottom. The webs or divisions d are some- what lower and narrower than the rest of the cast iron part a, to allow space for the filling c, and also to prevent any danger of their being damaged or burnt off by the heat. Their angles or corners are rounded off at d1. At the back of the frame a are suitable apertures h to give access to the interior of the compartments from behind, thus facilitating repairs. In figs. 1 to 3 the bridge is built up of single blocks of a size suitable to fit the spaces between the webs d and to extend above the back of the carrier sufficiently to protect its top edge from the action of the flame. The refractory material may also consist entirely of fireclay filling or partly of firebricks and partly of fireclay as a facing and covering, as shown in fig. 4, in which b1 represents a firebrick portion built up in the usual way, and provided with a fireclay covering or surfacing c1. The low front wall, lip, or flange e of the frame or carrier a may serve as a support for the rear ends of the firebars, and be provided with ledges to permit of this more readily. (Three claims.) NEW PATENTS CONNECTED WITH THE COAL AND IRON TRADES. Applications for Patents. [Note.—Applications arranged alphabetically under the names of the applicants (communicators in parentheses). A new number will be given on acceptance, which will replace the application number.] Alley, S. E. (15327). Valve gear for steam engines. Atkinson, A. C. (15051). Metal moulding and casting appliances. Bailes, T. F., and Morris Limited, H. (15166). Operating gear for switches for runways. Barley, F. H., and Wheeler, T. E. U. (15184). 'Air com- pressing plant. Barley, F. H., and Wheeler, T. E. C. (15185). Portable air pumps or compressors. Baumann, K. (15376). Semi-double flow steam turbines. Baumann, K. (15377). Radial flow steam turbines. Baumann, K. (15378). Steam turbines. Bell, G. G. (15291). Apparatus for transporting coal, etc. Bell, G. G. (15292). Transport of coal, etc. Brinkman, L. H. (15209). Metal drawing apparatus. British Electric Transformer Company (15187). Electric transformers. Brown, W. B. (15107). Miner’s safety or detector lamp. Climax Rock Drill and Engineering Works (15341). Valve gear for rock drills, etc. Coatalen, L. (15037). Internal combustion engines. Conway, J. L. (15028, 15029). Miners’ hand lamps. Deakin, F. B. (Venturino, M. E.) (15408). Transforming dense crude petroleum, etc., into product of less density. Fenlon, J. (15370). Furnaces for roasting ores, etc. Flood, G-. A. (15155). Superheaters for steam generators. Frost, C. R. B. (15219). Internal combustion engines. Geairns, A. D., and Longstaff, T. (15173). Continuous and intermittent gas or coal fired kilns or ovens for burning ganister, silica, plastic, fire, etc., bricks. Hall, R. W., and Pearse, D. (15213). Signalling device for mines. Hamilton, W. B., and Holland, J. (15236). Electrodes for electrical furnaces. Hanley, A. (15241). Appliances for gripping and releasing rones. Holgate, J. (15263). Reciprocating engines. Inshaw, G. R., and Inshaw Rotary Engine Syndicate (15355). Packing for rotary engines, etc. James, T. L. (15313). Measuring rules for coal miners, timbermen, etc. Jennings, A. L. (15324). Machinery for washing coke, breeze, etc. Kirton, G. D. (15101). Adjustable grab for loading and unloading machine turnings, coal, sand, etc. Knight, J. (15089). Means of reciprocating hammers, pistons, plungers, etc., of percussive tools by means for driving them electrically, for rock drilling, etc. Levin, I. H. (15357). Electrolytic gas generators. Manifold, N. W. (15119). Pneumatic drilling machines. Matthewman, W. (15234). Internal explosion engines. Motala Verkstads Nya Aktiebolag, and Porat, F. H. W. von (15150). Furnaces fed with pulverulent fuel. Porter, F. R. (15124). Sleeve valve engines. Produce Mortgage Trust, and Vautin, C. (15277). Treat- ment of scale produced in hammering and rolling high- speed tool steel, etc. Reekie, R. (15176). Signal indicator for mines. Renfree, T. R. (15187). Electric transformers. Riedel, A. (15385). Method for production of by-products, especially nitrogen compounds, during working of blast furnaces. Rose, D. (15354). Valves and valve operating mechanism for direct-acting pumps. St. Stephens, R. de H. (15341). Valve gear for rock drills, etc. Scottish Central Iron Company (15298). Coal saver for domestic grates and ranges. Soc. Electro-Metallurgique Francaise (15147). Manufacture of hollow ingots. Soc. Lorraine des Anciens Etablissements de Dietrich et Cie. de Luneville (1520). Engines with cast cylinders. Sphinx Manufacturing Company (15036). Electrical distri- buting and/or intensifying system. Spurge, J. B. (15109). Ballistic apparatus for testing explo- sives. Stobie, V. (15242). Electric heating and melting furnaces. Taylor, R. N. (15244). Water power plant. Thorne, G. (15219). Internal combustion engines. Usborne, C. V. (15080). Wire ropes, etc. Weir, G. and J. and W. (15084). Heating boiler feed water and its treatment for preventing corrosion in boilers. Williams, L. D. (15338). Method of detecting poisonous, etc., gases. * Complete Specifications Accepted. (To be published on November 16.) 1913. 28446. Gas producers. Cousin. 1914. 16405. Detonators, and the method of preparing the same. Burkard. 1915. 10622. Preparation of vegetable charcoal. Bonnard, Rule, and Nicol. 13586. Electric transformers. Thordarson. 14806. Process for the separation of suspended impurities from gases or gaseous substances. Moulsdale. 14809. Apparatus for atomising liquids, especially applicable for supplying water under pressure in a spray form for use with rock drills. Kimber. 14914. Throttle valves for internal combustion engines and the like. Rutherford, formerly known as Otta. 15070. Internal combustion engines. Packard Motor Car Company. 15074. Fluid-pressure engine. Werts. 15084. Process and apparatus for converting heavy petroleum oils into light oils. Trumble. 15141. Rolling mills and bars produced thereby. Samuel Fox and Company, Thickett, and Ha wks worth. 15186. Alternating current electric motors. British Thom- son-Houston Co. (General Electric Co.). 15230. Fuel blocks. Kelsey and Webb. 15322. Melting furnaces. lonides. 15401. Mechanical lubricating apparatus for automatically lubricating engines and machines. Thomas. 16050. Mine shaft sign ailing, and analogous purposes. Hird. 1916. [Note.—The numbers following the application are those which the application will finally bear.] 554. Furnace bridges of steam boilers. Neil, J. 101808 1215. Composition fuel. Smirk, E. H. 101813 1318. Means and apparatus for the manufacture or produc- tion of gas. Tully, C. B. 101815 4282. Apparatus for loading coal or the like into vessels, etc. Instone, S. 101832 8975. Valve controlling gear for fluid pressure engines. Blaylock, J. 101851 12400. Signalling apparatus for mines and the like. Holmes, W., Holmes, E. T. D., and Holmes, H. S. 101858 Complete Specifications Open to Public Inspection Before Acceptance. 1916. [Note.—The numbers following the application are those which the application will finally bear.] 15008, 15009, 15010. Apparatus for regulating the voltage of dynamos. Jullin, A. J. 101887, 101888, 101889 PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. “ Summary of Progress of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and the Museum of Practical Geology for 1915 ” (Memoirs of the Geological Survey) (London : E. Stanford Limited), price Is.; “ Annual Report of the Government Mining Engineer of the Department of Mines and Indus- tries, Union of South Africa, for 1915,” price 10s. 6d.; “ The Journal of the South African Institution of Engi- neers” (Vol. 15, No. 3), October, price, 2s.; ‘‘Transac- tions of the Mining and Geological Institute of India ” (Vol. 10, Part 2); “ Strength and Other Properties of Con- crete as Affected by Materials and Methods of Prepara- tion ” (No. 58, Technologic Papers of the United States Bureau of Standards, Department of Commerce); ‘‘Queensland Government Mining Journal,” August; “ Journal of the Franklin Institute ” (Vol. 182, No. 4), October; “ Journal of the Western Society of Engineers ” (Vol. 21, No. 6), June; ‘‘The Engineering Magazine” (Vol. 52, No. 1), October, price 25c.; “ Statistical Report of the Department of Mines and Industries, Union of South Africa, for August 1916 ” ; “ Trade of the Union of South Africa, Southern and Northern Rhodesia, and British South Africa, for August 1916 ” ; ‘ ‘ Specific Gravity Studies of Illinois Coal,” by M. L. Nebel (University of Illinois Bulletin); “The American Coal Trade Bulletin” (Vol. 35, No. 10). Department of the Interior, United States Bureau of Mines : “ Monthly Statement of Coal Mine Fatalities in the United States During April 1916,” compiled by A. H. Fay; (Technical Paper 145), “ Sensitiveness to Detonation of Trinitrotoluene and Tetranitromethylanilin,” by G. B. Taylor and W. C. Cope; (Technical Paper 151), “Coke Oven Accidents in the United States During 1915,” com- piled by A. H. Fay. Engineering Requisites A COPY OF OUR 736pp. CATALOGUE WILL BE GLADLY SENT UPON RECEIPT OF APPLICATION. W. H. WILLCOX & Co. Ld 32-38, Southwark Street, LONDON, S.E, in Beltings, Packings, Steam Fittings, Boiler Mountings, Pumps, Hose, Drainers, Tools,—in fact, all kinds of Requisites for the Colliery Engineer. Write, ’phone, wire, or call personally.