824

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

April 27, 1917.

THE FREIGHT MARKET.

The outward freight market has shown considerable

activity during the week, especially at Bristol Channel
ports. On the north-east coast there have been fairly
large arrivals of tonnage, but, unfortunately from the point
of view of the private shipper, most of the vessels have
been previously requisitioned, and have merely come to
the district to load supplies of coals and coke on official
account, or are on time-charter. Such steamers, whilst, of
course, stimulating the work of the collieries, do not help
the open freight market to any extent. However, even on
the north-east coast, supplies of “ free ” tonnage have been
rather larger, and more fixtures have been arranged. Most
of the vessels taken up have been for French Atlantic ports
with coke, but a few ships have been arranged for for the
carriage of cargoes to greater distances. Barcelona, for
example, has been chartered for at the very high rate of
165s., a rate which shippers would be prepared to repeat
several times if the vessels were offered. West Italy has
been done at the old limitation rate of 64s. 6d. for a
British boat. Coasting figures are rather higher on the
week, London being listed at from 20s. 6d. to 21s. from
the Tyne. For Scandinavian directions., from 150 kr. to
160 kr. to Copenhagen is representative. At South Wales,
business is really “booming” by comparison with recent
lean weeks. So far as volume of fixtures is concerned, the
French ports have pride of place, many small vessels having
been engaged for near French destinations. Barcelona has
been done from Cardiff at from 160s. to 162s. 6d., as against
162s. 6d. a week ago. Gibraltar, on the contrary, has been
done at 5s. advance on the week, as has also Dakar. Bilbao
is steady. Several vessels have been fixed for Valencia at.
160s. It is evident from the greater volume of outward
chartering now being done that the recent increments to
the rates offered for neutral tonnage plying between this
country and French and Italian ports are having their effect
in attracting cargo space, although even yet the amount
of tonnage on offer leaves very much to be desired.

Homewards, there is no change in the River Plate rates,
these remaining at 135s. from up-river and 130s. from
down-river ports to the United Kingdom, at which figures
business is very slow. At the United States, there has
been another advance in Virginian coal freights for the

Plate, these having gone up to 107s. 6d. to the lower ports. spending members
On net form of charter, neutrals can still obtain 200s. from e, e at each end of

Northern Range to France. On account of the Wheat
Committee, the Northern Range to French Atlantic is 5s.
dearer, being listed at 42s. 6d., with the Gulf indicating
2s. 6d. more, an increase of from 2s. 6d. to 5s., to the
same destination. At the Far East, Saigon-Haiphong to
Marseilles with rice has fallen 30s., being now mentioned
at 320s. For jute from Calcutta to Genoa, the rate is
unaltered, at 280s. From Madras Coast to Marseilles with
kernels, there is a fair demand for tonnage, and 500s. is
offered, an increase of 60s. on the week. Kurrachee to
to United Kingdom is steady, at 240s.; but Bombay to the
same destination is 20s. down, at 280s.

Tyne to Algiers, 4,500, 53s: 6d.; Barcelona, 3,300, 165s.
Boulogne, 300, 46s., coke; Calais, 300, 46s., coke; Dunkirk,
330 and 500, 46s., coke; Dieppe, 300, 45s., coke; Fecamp,
1,000, 60s., pitch; Gibraltar, 1,350, 82s; 6d.; London, 1,250,
21s., reported; 1,500, 20s. 6d.; North French Range, 1,200
and 1,500, 45s., coke; Rouen, 700 and 450, 46s., coke;
Treport, 330, 46s., coke; West Italy, 8,000, 64s. 6d.

Cardiff to Algiers, 3,000, 48s. 6d.; Bordeaux, 4,000, 69s.,
neutral; Barcelona, 3,300, 160s.; 2,700, 162s. 6d.; Bilbao,
2,700, 80s., 800; 2,200 and 3,000, 80s.; Bizerta, 1,700,
101s. 6d., 800; Cherbourg, 1,600, 1,350, 1,250, 1,100, and
1,200, 23s. 6d.; Cadiz, 300, 100s., sail ; Caen, 1,000, 23s.;
980, 46s. 6d., neutral; Dieppe, 900 and 950, 24s. 6d.; Dakar,
1,500, 80s.; Granville, 600 and 650, 24s.; Gibraltar, 4,600,
80s.; 3,100, 82s. 6d.; 4,400, 87s. 6d., 500; 3,300, 82s. 6d.,
500; La Rochelle, 1,600, 61s. 6d., neutral; La Pallice, 1,600,

61s. 6d., neutral; Nantes, 1,250, 29s.; Oporto, 240, 100s.,
sail; Oran, 5,100 and 5,000, 48s. 6d.; Rouen, 1,300 and
1,400, 24s. 6d.; 600, 50s. 3d., neutral; St. Malo, 400 and
350, 22s.; St. Servan, 400, 22s.; Santander, 3,500, 78s.;
3,000, 80s.; Tonnay Charente, 2,000, 29s.; Valencia, T,200,
2,700, 3,300, and 3,000, 160s.

Swansea to Rouen, 1,800, 25s. 3d., fuel; 1,600, 48s. 9d.,
neutral; 500 and 600, 50s. 3d., neutral; Dundalk, 450, 15s.;
Dublin, 350, 15s.; Caen, 900, 24s.; Havre, 700, 47s. 3d.,
neutral; Trouville, 600, 48s., neutral.

Hull to Genoa, 3,800, 4,000, and 4,200, 64s. 6d.; Rouen,
1,000, 28s. 6d.

Glasgow to Gibraltar, 82s. 6d., April; Rouen, 29s. 6d. ;
Bordeaux, 2,900, 37s.

Thames to Bordeaux, 600, 80s., pitch.

Newport to Oran, 4,800 and 5,200, 48s. 6d.

Wales to Bizerta, 1,750, 101s? 6d., 800.

Liverpool to Gibraltar, 1,800, 82s. 6d., 500; 1,500, 85s.,
500.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

“ The Indian Journal of Medical Research ” (Vol. 4, No. 3),
January 1917, edited by the Director-General, Indian
Medical Service, price Rs. 2; “ Records of the Geological
Survey of India ” (Vol. 47, Part 4), 1916, price Rs. 1;

11 A Brief Concerning the Work of the College of Engi-
neering and the Engineering Experiment Station of the
University of Illinois,” compiled by the Dean and Heads
of Departments; “The M. and C. Apprentices’ Maga-
zine” (Vol. 1, No. 1), March 1917, price 3d.; “Proceed-
ings of the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania ”
(Vol. 33, No. 1), February; “ The Stone Trades Journal ”
(Vol. 35, No. 10), April, price 6d.; “The Mineral
Resources of the Philippine Islands for the Year 1915,”
issued by the Division of Mines Bureau of Science; i ‘ The
Journal of the Chemical, Metallurgical, and Mining
Society of South Africa” (Vol. 17, No. 8), February;
“ Annales des Mines” (Onzieme Serie, Tome V.), 1916;
“ Transactions of the North-East Coast Institution of
Engineers and Shipbuilders ” (Vol. 33, Part 3), April,
edited by E. W. Fraser Smith, price 5s.; “Transactions
of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scot-
land ” (Vol. 60, Part 6), April; “Bulletin of the, Ameri-
can Institute of Mining Engineers ” (No. 124), April.

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS

RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

11106 (1914). Improvements in and Relating to Safety
Catch Gear or Safety Retaining Mechanism for Mine
Cages, Lifts for Buildings, and the like. C. R. W.
Baldwin, 29, Cymmer-road, Caerau, Bridgend. — This
invention relates to safety catch gear or safety retaining
mechanism for mine cages, lifts, and like structures. In
safety gear of the type described, hook-like members are
employed, each provided with a’hook at one end, and
having a spring attached to the other end, said members
being pivoted to the mine cage or the like at a point
intermediate of the ends, a flexible connection being pro-
vided between the lower part of the winding cable and the
hooked ends of said hook-like members. Novelty is not
claimed, for any of these features per se. The invention is
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which repre-
sent its application to coal mining. Fig. 1 is a side sec-
tional elevation of one cage of the single-deck type and
part of the shaft, with the improved gear or mechanism
fitted, and in the inoperative position; fig. 2 is a corre-
sponding sectional plan, with the two cages about to pass
one another. The same letters of reference are used
throughout to designate the same parts, and of those parts
already mentioned, referring generally to the drawings, a
denotes the cage, b the shaft, c the winding rope, d, d the
guides of the flexible or rope class, e, e the movably-
mounted hook-like members , f, f the stationary comple-
mentary members, g, g the means for retaining the hook-
like members e, e inoperative, and h, h the means for ren-
dering them operative, while i,,i denote the shoes co-acting
with the guides d, d, and j, j the taut chains, and k the
slack chain connecting the cage a, through the medium of a
triangular connecting piece, to the winding rope c. With
the exception of the members e, e, the members /, f, the
means g, g, and the means h, h, which constitute this
invention, all the parts mentioned are of ordinary con-
struction and arrangement, though the guide shoes i, i
are situated on the cage a as shown so as not to foul the
hook-like members e, e. The hook-like members e, e are
four in number, a pair being situated at each side of the
cage a, and each one of a pair being centred upon the
bottom of thev cage a towards the end thereof, so that the
hooked extremity I is in proximity to the stationary mem-
bers /, /, with one of which it is designed to engage in
use. The corre-

the cage a are
mounted on an axle
m arranged at the
underside of the bot-
tom of the cage, and
supported at ' the
ends by straps n, n,
fixed to the sides of
the cage a. The axle
m is preferably of
square. cross section,
except at its extreme
ends, which are of
circular section, and
on such portions the
hook - like members
e, e are turnably
mounted. In order
to secure the mem-
bers e, e upon the
axle m, and preserve
their proper relative
position with refer-
ence to the guides
d, d, suitable means
are provided, such as
collars o and p fast-
ened to the axle m at
each side of the

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member e. It will be noted the axle m is fixed, and to
protect .it a housing q is applied, and secured to the bottom
of the cage a. Each hook-like member e is maintained in
an uplifted position, or out of engagement with the mem-
bers f, f, by the means g, consisting of a wire rope attached
at one end to the top link of the hooked extremity I, and
at the other eiid to the slack cage chains k. This is accom-
plished against the influence of the means h for effecting
the lowering or engaging position, which consists of a
helical spring secured to and between the tail r of the
member e and the contiguous portion of the cage a. To
determine the fall of the member e, a stop 5 is fixed to the
bottom of the cage a. The stationary members /, / are
assembled in two opposing sets transversely of the shaft b,
one at each end of cages a, a. They are constituted by
bars located at convenient intervals down the shaft, the
distance between them being preferably such that the cage
a cannot acquire too great an impetus in the event of the
winding rope c breaking before being arrested. An appro-
priate spacing appears to be 6 ft. or thereabouts. The
transverse section of the members f, f, of course, agrees
with the contour of the hooked portions I, I of the mem-

bers e, e, and their ends are firmly embedded in the wall
of the shaft b. The operation of the several parts is
briefly summarised as follows :—The drawings show the
gear or mechanism in the inoperative position, the ropes

g,	g holding up the members e, e by reason of their con-
nection with the chain k, and the springs h, h tending to
depress the members e, e. However, on the winding rope
c fracturing, the ropes g, g are immediately slackened,
whereupon the hook-like members e, e are freed and low-
ered under the influence of the springs h, h into the path
of the fixed members f, f, and into the position determined
by the stops s, s, and in due time, as the cage a falls, the
portions I, I of the members e, e engage a pair of the
opposing stationary members /, f, and thus the cage a is
stopped and sustained. In arresting the cage a, the springs

h,	h serve to damp or buffer the engagement of the hook-
like members e, e and the stationary members f, f, and by
spacing the latter not too greatly, the acceleration of the
cage a is minimised, whereby the detrimental effects of
jerking consequent on sudden stopping are materially
obviated. The hook-like members e,. e, and their adjuncts,
are restored to the original positions on the necessary
repairs being performed. (Two claims.)

104560. A Watering Tank and Spray Producer Parti-
cularly far Use in Coal Mines. L. Phillips, 37, Hopkins-
terrace, Abercregan, Cymmer, Port Talbot, South Wales.

-^-This invention relates to a watering tank and spray pro-
ducer which can be attached to the ropes and worked with
the journey, and can be worked with a horse where the
ropes are not working. There is a round brush and a
trough at each end of the tank. The brush spins round
by means of a belting on the wheel of the tank. The
troughs are supplied by means of a pipe running under the
tank, and has a double connection valve. It can be worked
both ends or single, and the water is sprayed to any height
required underground. It will water the full trams as
they are travelling, and the front part of the tank is
capable of watering the roads 4 or 5 yds. in front of the
journey, and it will- make a very small spray of water.
Fig. f is a part section and elevation of the improved
watering tank, which shows the end view of the spindle
with the brushes and protection to same; fig. 2 is a plan
of the watering tank with a view of the chain, belt, or
rope attached to the driving wheel. The corresponding
letters are employed
throughout these illus-
trations to indicate the
corresponding parts. A
square or circular tank a
is adjustably mounted on
a bogie or ordinary tram
carriage frame suited to
the gauge of the tram-
way or railway adapted
at the colliery. The
tank is reduced in width
at the bottom for the
purpose of enabling the
level of the water to
come to the lowest point
possible. An open pipe b
is inserted into the bot-
tom of the tank a with a
regulating or control
valve c; along the out-
side of the bottom of
the tank is a pipe h h,

through which the water is conveyed into the troughs d d
at each end of the tank. A spindle or shaft g g revolves
in the trough with bearings at each end ; along the shaft
or spindle are fixed cane brushes i i. The power to revolve
the spindle or shaft is conveyed by a chain, belt, or rope
e attached to the flange on the inside of the tram wheel,
and around the small wheel or pulley fixed to the shaft or
spindle g. A hinged grid for protection of the revolving
spindle is shown at / f. The valve c is a slotted piston
which works within a cylinder, and is attached to the
bottom of the tank. The slotted portion k of the piston,
when opposite the open pipe b from the tank a, allows the
water to flow into both pipes h h. When the slotted part
is turned opposite one of the pipes h h, then that pipe
would be in operation, and the watering done from that
end of the tank. If it is necessary to close the valve, then
the slotted portion would be downwards, and is the reverse
to when open. The valve may be adjusted at j either to
do the watering or spraying at both ends simultaneously,
singly, or alternatively. (Two claims.)

102151. Improvements in Driving Gear or Operating
Arrangements for Compressors or Air Pumps. J. Gralla,
11, Wattstrasse, Siemensstadt, near Berlin.—This inven-
tion has reference to driving gear or operating arrange-
ments for compressors or air pumps. The operation of
pumps for air and gases requires a certain amount of energy,
which increases with the degree of compression or rarefac-
tion. When the compression or rarefaction of ’the medium
in the reservoir or air vessel has reached a certain point,
the amount of energy which is necessary to bring the pres-
sure* or vacuum in the reservoir to the required degree is
extremely high. In the case of pumps driven by mechani-
cal force, the difficulty will easily be overcome, but in
compressors of known types driven by hand it requires
hard work to bring the compression to the required degree.
The present invention may, however, also be of great
advantage as an auxiliary device on pumps or compressors
normally driven by mechanical force, and may be especially
useful in those cases in which it is required to use the

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pump at places removed from the driving motor. In such
cases the additional hand-driving gear or operating arrange-
ment, according to the invention, may be used to actuate
the compressor. The said invention has for its main
object to provide compressors or pumps of all kinds, especi-
ally those of a two-stage character driven by hand, with
an improved hand crank driving gear whereby, with an
increasing degree of compression or rarefaction in the
reservoir, the power applied to the compressor or pump by
the operator will increase in the same ratio. For this pur-
pose the improved crank lever or handle is constructed in
such a way that the arm or leverage will be increased and
diminished as the degree of compression or rarefaction
requires, and hence the turning moment will be varied
automatically as required. The apparatus has the further
advantage that it is simple in action, and of comparatively
small weight, so that the pump may be used on a large
scale, for instance, for inflating automobile tyres, charg-