92

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

January 10, 1913.

ABSTRACTS OF PATBRT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

6831 (1912). Improvements in Apparatus for Loading and
Unloading Coal and other Materials. Sir Thomas Wrightson,
Bart., and J. M. Ringquist, both of Teesdale Ironworks,
Thornaby-on-Tees.—This invention relates to improvements
in the apparatus described in the Specification No. 26939 of
1898, in which the material is lowered down a trunk on
trays pivoted to endless belts or chains, and the main object
of the invention is to render such apparatus telescopic, so
that the material can be lowered or raised to or from
different depths. According to the invention the trunk is
made in two or more parts sliding telescopically on each
other, and the trays are carried by four endless bolts or
chains (two inner chains and two outer chains), the trays
being pivoted either to the inner or to the outer chains, and

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being so connected to the others that they can not only turn
about the connection, but can also move in the direction of
their own length upon it. The chains of each set of inner
and outer chains are parallel to each other for the greater
portion of their paths, and they are so led that the trays are
at right angles to them in the trunk, but are in a line with
them in most other places. The arrangement is preferably
that shown diagrammatically at fig. 1. In some cases
material can be lowered by its own weight, but it is usually
necessary to drive some of the pulleys, preferably e and /, at
the top of the trunk. In order to raise material it is only
necessary to drive the chains in the opposite direction, the
material being loaded on to the trays at the bottom of the
trunk. Fig. 2 is a section to a larger scale on the line 2—2,
fig. 1; and fig. 3 is a section of one of the trays c on the
line 3—3, fig. 2. (Three claims.)

21628 (1912). Improvements in Apparatus for use by Persons
Working in Irrespirable Atmospheres or Under Water. A. T.
Winborn, of Rescue Training Station, Crumlin, Monmouth*
—This invention relates particularly to that class of self-
contained rescuing and diving apparatus in which granu-
lated caustic soda or caustic potash is used for regenerating
air by absorbing the carbonic acid gas contained in the
exhaled breath of the wearer of the apparatus and in which
the caustic soda or potash is carried upon trays arranged in
such a manner that the exhaled breath is caused to pass
over or through the granulated caustic soda or potash in a
radial, lateral or other direction. The object is to simplify the
construction of such apparatus, and to this end an apparatus

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is provided comprising a casing or chamber of any suitable
shape, the said chamber being provided with a series of
superposed wire-gauze trays having ridges which form
passages for the exhaled breath, the recesses or cavities
between the ridges serving to hold the caustic soda or
potash through and over which the exhaled breath is caused
to pass. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of
apparatus constructed according to the invention. Fig. 2
is a plan of one of the wire-gauze trays shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a similar view indicating the position of a tray
immediately above that shown in fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of
modified form of a tray. Fig. 5 is a plan showing the
position of adjacent trays such as those shown in fig. 4.
(Two claims.)

23696 (1911). Improvements in and relating to the Purifi-
cation of Illuminating and Coke Oven Gras. W. B. Davidson,
D.Sc., Ph.D., F.I.C., of Fortrose, Gravelly Hill, Birmingham.
—The invention consists in processes in which ammoniacal
liquor is led to a still into which steam is blown at the
bottom of a column of liquid sealed trays to heat the liquor
and thus distil off from the liquor the acid gases carbon
dioxide and sulphuretted hydrogen and the ammonia in
gaseous form, the acid gases being separated from the
gaseous ammonia by leading them off from the still at a
higher level than that at which the ammonia is removed
from the still, in graduating both the pressure and
temperature within the still, the pressure being regulated
in such a manner that a comparatively high pressure is
obtained in the portion of the still from which the ammonia
is collected, so that the gaseous ammonia may be recovered
with a high degree of purity. The working pressures are
so arranged that the gaseous ammonia, when leaving the
still, may be passed through absorbers to remove any traces
of the acid gases carbon dioxide and sulphuretted hydrogen

FIG 1.

FIG 3

FIG 2

FIG 4

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remaining therein, and still have sufficient pressure to
exercise a jet action within the condensers or scrubbers of
the gas plant so that the gaseous ammonia or a portion
thereof may be thoroughly mixed with the illtiminating or
coke oven gas to be purified. From these washers, scrubbers
or condensers the ammoniacal liquor, with the acid gases
present, is .collected and returned to the still, where the
practically pure ammonia, distilled off in gaseous form and
under suitable pressure, is again collected and returned to
the scrubbers. By this means a continuously working
purifying process is obtained, as the still has not to be
stopped for the removal of the solution. The still for
purifying the ammoniacal liquor—that is, separating the
ammonia from the sulphuretted hydrogen and carbon
dioxide—may be of ordinary columnar pattern, or it may
be composed of simple chambers connected to each other
by suitable piping. Fig. 1 shows in elevation such a still;
fig. 2 is a sectional detail of some of the layers of the
column; fig. 3 is a plan of one of the trays; and fig. 4 is an
enlarged view of one of the hoods of the steam leads. (Five
claims.)

24748 (1911). Improvements in and relating to the Removal
of Water from Wet-carbonised Peat. T. Rigby, of Station
Hotel, Dumfries, Scotland, and N. Testrup, 6, Broad-street-
place, London, E.C.—This invention relates to the removal
of water from peat wet-carboniged by a process such as that
described in Ekenberg’s Patent No. 10834 of 1903. It has
been observed that the water contained in peat so treated



can only be reduced to, say, 70 per cent, in filter presses or
the like, unless the time consumed and pressure required
are extremely great, and to overcome this difficulty the
water removal is completed to the desired extent either by
treatment in a band or like press (see Specification No. 4684
of 1911), or by drying the press cake material in a current
of hot flue gases from an element in the installation (see
Specification No. 16958 of 1911). According to the present
invention an alternative method is provided by carrying
out the treatment last referred to in a particular way. To
this end the known drying method is utilised, consisting in
suspending the material to be dried in a current of hot gas

and hot flue gases are employed from an element of the
installation as has been proposed for drying pressed or
drained raw peat. This invention consists, therefore, in
dispersing the peat to be dried in a finely-divided state in
hot flue gases from the furnace of the carbonieer or the
like, and causing the peat to remain dispersed in this
atmosphere until it has become dried to the desired extent.
Fig. 1 indicates the same in part sectional elevation, and
fig. 2 in plan the separating devices. (Three claims.)

27085 (1911). A Miner's Safety Lamp. G. Greanoff,
London-road, Brentwood, Essex.—This invention relates to
miners’ electric lamps of the type in which the lamp circuit
includes a switch controlled by air-pressure in an airtight
lamp chamber, acting upon a diaphragm in such a manner
that if the air-pressure is released by opening or breaking
the chamber, the current to the lamp is automatically
switched off. To use the lamp proceed as follows:—Unlock
door t, remove plug r, insert key through plug-hole, and
engage it with rod p. Give rodp a quarter turn, so that the lid
of accumulator box a can be opened. Place accumulator in
box a, connect terminal wires, close and lock lid. Replace
plug r. The lever o should then be placed in the “ on ”
position. A cycle tire inflator, or any other suitable device,

is then connected to the valve g, and air, or non-inflammable
gas, pumped into the airtight chamber. This causes the
diaphragm h to bulge upwards, as shown by the dotted
lines, carrying with it the metal contact piece i, until it
presses against the other contact piece i1, thus closing the
circuit and causing the lamps I to be alight. If it is not
desired to use the light at once, the lever o may be turned
to the “ off” position which action depresses the diaphragm h,
against the pressure of air, or gas, in the airtight chamber
and breaks the circuit at i> il. In the event of the lamp
being damaged by accident or interfered with by any
unauthorised person, the air, or gas, immediately escapes
from the airtight chamber, and the light is automatically
extinguished. Once the pressure is released from the
airtight chamber, the lamp can not be relit until pressure
is reintroduced to the airtight chamber. (Two claims.)

27378 (1911). Improvements in the Manufacture of Coke.
J. Guebels, rue Ernotte, 18 Namur, Belgium.—This inven-
tion relates to the manufacture of coke, and consists in an
improved method the object of which is to render the ash
as it forms when the coke is being subsequently burnt, for
instance in foundry operations, instantaneously fusible and
thereby ensure the complete combustion of all the volatile
matter in the coke and therefore a maximum yield of heat
calories. The invention is carried out by adding to the
coal used for the production of the coke, substances such
as pounded limestone, crushed dolomite, quicklime, fluor-
spar, &c., and generally any flux employed in metallurgy.
The proportions of the added substances will vary according
to the nature of the coal used. Preferably, the residues
from the calcination of dolomite are used, which are obtain-
able at small cost, and have the following composition:—
Lime, 34*05 per cent.; magnesia, 10; alumina, 0 90; oxide
of iron, 0 60; silica, 0*35; water and organic matter,
54*10 per cent. By adding 15 kilgos. of dolomite residues to
130 kilogs. of coal necessary to produce 100 kilogs. of coke,
also 3 kilogs. of soda which are added when the manu-
factured coke is to be used for foundry work, for refining
the small masses of metal as they traverse the slag, the
following mixture is attained:—Crushed coal, 130 kilogs.;
dolomite residues, 15 ; soda 3—148 kilogs. This mixture is
prepared with care so as to obtain an intimate mixture, the
substances being previously finely divided, and when the
whole is blended it is passed into a crusher which assures
perfect homogeneity before the mixture is introduced into
the coke oven. Taking no account of the quantities of
moisture and sulphur which exist in all cokes, the coke thus
manufactured contains:—Combustible carbon, 90 kilogs.;
dolomite residues, 15; ash, 10; soda, 3—118 kilogs. In the
cupola, the carbon of ordinary coke is embedded in infusible
siliceous ash, and it is necessary to await the fusion of the
flux to render the covering fusible ; during this pause there
is a loss of heat, the carbon cannot combine with the air,
and its combustion is incomplete, while carbonic oxide is
produced, causing by its formation a loss of 14,000 calories