436 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. August 21, 1914. Maltby Main Colliery Institute Limited.—Registered office, Maltby, in the West Riding of Yorks. Registered August 14. To acquire the purchase, lease, or otherwise premises in Maltby or adjoining parishes for purpose of establishing a workmen’s institute. Nominal capital, £1,000 in £1 shares. Directors and subscribers (one share each) :—M. Deacon, Chase Cliffe, Whatstandwell, colliery owner; A. Thompson, Throapham House, Rotherham, col- liery agent; T. Houldsworth, Maltby, colliery cashier; T. Lomas, High Ferris, Maltby, colliery manager; W. D. Wallace, Maltby, colliery engineer; G. Nicholls, 1, Deacon- crescent, Maltby, colliery overman; J. Farnsworth, 32, Firth-crescent Maltby, miner. Qualification of directors, £5. New Ffosfach Colliery Company Limited.—Private com- pany. Registered August 10. Colliery proprietors, brick, tile, and pipe manufacturers, coke manufacturers, coal merchants, quarry owners, and iron masters, engineers, etc.; and enter into agreement. Nominal capital, £10,000 in 1,000 £10 shares. Directors and subscribers (one share each) :—Wm. Margrave, 40, Sketty-road, Swansea, coal exporter; John Richard Down, 57/58, Wind-street, Swan- sea, metal merchant; Ronald S. Heard. Qualification of directors, £200. 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. Abstracts of patent specifications RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 14498 (1913). An Improved Method of and Means for Detecting Dangerous Atmosphere in Mines and for Oper- ating an Alarm therein. G. Schauli, of No. 10, Moray- place, Cheshunt, Hertford.—Relates to means for detecting dangerous atmosphere in mines, of the kind in which a separate pipe is led from the pit head to each main working of the mine, and at the pit head all the pipes are connected singly or in common to a suction and force pump, which abstracts air from the pipes and delivers a convenient pro- portion of same to a series of testing and alarm appliances. The present apparatus for withdrawing air from a mine for testing purposes is likewise provided with two testing appliances for firedamp and chokedamp in combination, one being the known testing appliance indicating the presence of inflammable gases by the ignition thereof at a flame affecting a thermo-electric indicator, whilst the other is the known testing appliance which indicates the presence of dangerous heavy gases such as carbon dioxide, in the air, by the air traversing a hollow chamber on a delicately poised balance, which becomes displaced with variations in the density of the atmosphere passing through the chamber, the novel feature of the invention, apart from the com- bination of the testing appliances referred to, being the provision on the balance of electric contacts in an alarm •circuit, closed on displacement of the balance. This testing appliance is to be distinguished from that kind in which a balance, provided with electric contacts, carries a sealed hollow globe, which floats in a chamber traversed by gas. The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically I I i in connection with a mine on the accompanying drawing. Prior to passing through the testing appliances, the air is filtered and is dried by passing over calcined calcium •chloride contained in a vessel i. Taken in order, the testing appliances consist of a hollow globe /, mounted on a balance k, through which the air passes. The balance is so delicately poised that the presence of a heavy gas, such as carbon dioxide, in the air passing through the globe j, displaces the balance k, and thereby indicates the presence of the gas. Contacts of the circuits of an electric bell I are closed and give an alarm on the globe becoming sufficiently displaced. Although primarily intended to indicate the presence of heavy gases, the balance will also indicate the presence of a light gas, such as methane, alternative parallel contacts being thereby closed in the bell circuit. After passing the globe j, the air issues in a fine jet from a nozzle m, above an oil lamp n. Should an inflammable gas be present with the air, the jet at the nozzle m will become ignited and impinging on a refrac- tory body m1, will cause same to glow and thereby render very noticeable the ignition of the jet. In addition' to the air being caused to issue from the nozzle m, the air or a portion thereof after passing through the globe /, issues as a fine jet from a nozzle in a miners’ safety lamp o. This lamp o contains in the known manner above its flame the hot junctions of a thermopile, whereby, on the jet in the lamp igniting, an indication is given on a galvanometer p or the like in the circuit of the thermopile. By a relay an alarm device could be actuated by the increased thermopile current. This thermopile safety lamp has in practice been found to give very delicate indications of the presence of inflammable gas. To indicate the presence of coal dust or the like, a portion of the air delivered by the pump is periodically diverted for a given period through a chamber containing cotton or glass wool or the like. (Two claims.) 16199 (1913). Improvements in Water Tube Boilers. Clarke Chapman and Company Limited and W. A. Woode- son, both of Victoria Works, Gateshead-on-Tyne.—According to the invention water from one bank or set of tubes is constrained by suitable means to flow through the tubes of another bank or set in substantially the direction in which hot gases crossing from front to rear of this bank or set would tend to cause the water in its tubes to circulate naturally, that is to say, upwards in those tubes of the bank that are exposed to a higher, and downwards in those tubes of the bank that are exposed to a lower temperature, the flow in the remainder of the boiler being unconstrained. The invention described in, con- nection with boilers of the “ Woodeson ” type forming the subject of Letters Patent No. 28383 of Decem- ber 24, 1903, but it is applicable to other types of boilers having upper and lower drums connected by water tubes. In the arrangement shown in fig. 1, water circulates down some of the tubes e, from drum b2 into drum b1 through the ordinary circulating pipes n, up the front tubes of the bank or set d into the drum a1, whence it partly flows down the tubes e and partly down some of the rear tubes of the bank or set d, the latter portion having to pass through the parts g and coupled pipes f into the front water drum b, up the tubes c into the drum a, through the pipes h and their extensions i into some of the rear tubes of the bank or set d. (Three claims.) 16496 (1913). An Improved Shackle for Haulage and other purposes. E. Wilding, 122, Warton-lane, Little Hulton, near Bolton, and W. Wilding, 2, Little Hannah- street, off Westpark-street, Salford.—The shackle is con- structed of iron, or steel, the size of same to be determined by the weight it is required to lift or haul. Referring to the drawing, A is an open ended slotted bar with holes drilled through at the points marked D, E, and F. B is a catch constructed in the shape indicated in fig. 1 and of a width equal to the slot in A with a hole drilled through at D and rounded at the point G. C is a hook constructed in the shape indicated in fig. 1 and of the same width as B with a hole drilled through at E. The catch B and the hook C are fitted in the slot A by a stud or rivet at the points D and E, forming knuckle joints or hinges, leaving B and C free to act in the manner hereinafter described. The shackle or coupling is to be attached to the trucks or the like at F in like manner to the joints D and E. When the hook C and the catch B are in position, as shown in fig. 1, the shackle is locked, and thereby preventing any link or coupling attached to hook C from becoming released until liberated by lifting catch B. To unlock the shackle and release the load, it is required to lift up catch B, this releases the hook C which opens outwards and allows any link or coupling attached thereto to slip off. (One claim.) 16456 (1913). Method of Detonating Explosive Charges for Mining and Military Purposes. Dr. C. Claessen, of Dorotheenstrasse 36, Berlin, N.W. 7, Germany.—Relates more particularly to detonating nitro-explosive charges, and has for its object to increase the inflammability of the trinitride of lead used for causing such detonation. Accord- ing to prior specification, No. 13086/13, the charges are provided first with trinitride of lead and subsequently with a charge of fulminate of mercury and potassium chlorate; now by further experiments the patentee has proved that instead of fulminate of mercury- Or of the mixture of ful- minate of mercury and potassium chlorates the ignitable substances mentioned may be employed as flame trans- mitters. (One claim.) 16611 (1913). Process for the Production of Light Oils from Crude, Heavy or Lighting Oils. J. Moeller, 11-15, Rochester-row, Westminster, London, S.W., and H. C. Woltereck, 11-15, Rochester-row, Westminster, London, S.W.—Relates to the production of light oils having a low boiling point from crude, heavy or lighting oils having a high boiling point by a partial decomposition of the same by means of highly superheated steam at low or practically atmospheric pressure. The vapours of heavy mineral oil are mixed with steam superheated to about 700 degs.-800 degs. C. and of practically atmospheric pressure, and passed through tubes of refractory material or iron, heated to a dark red heat, 600 degs.-800 degs. C. The tubes are filled with broken coke, and the hydrocarbon vapours are partly decomposed and broken up by the action of nascent hydrogen from the reaction of the steam on the coke, and the gases are condensed on leaving these contact tubes and produce oil of a very much lower boiling point than the oil introduced into the apparatus. (Two claims.) 17154 (1913). Automatic Safety Suspending Apparatus for Pit Cages, Hoists and the like. T. Paton, of 39, Park- avenue, Cowdenbeath, Fifeshire, N.B., and P. William- son, Cowdenbeath, aforesaid.—Relates to automatic safety suspending apparatus for pit cages, hoists and the like, of the type in which spring-controlled bolts are operatively connected to the suspending chain or rope, and the invention has for its object to provide means for use in connection with such apparatus whereby shock to the cage in the event of the hauling chain being broken is greatly reduced. In carrying out the invention the automatic safety suspend- ing apparatus consists of a number of spring-controlled bolts, arranged in the bottom and at each side of the cage, so as to be capable of protruding from the ends thereof. The inner end of each bolt is connected to a chain which passes round a guide pulley, or pulleys, and is connected ■ Mill ■■■ directly, or indirectly, to the suspending chain or rope. The spring-controlled bolts are adapted to enter apertures, or holes, formed for them in the shaft, or parts connected therewith, said apertures in each case, being arranged at a short distance directly below each other, and provided with springs which reduce shock to the cage. Fig. 1 is a plan of the cage, with the top and sides removed; fig. 2 is a view of the cage suspended in a brick-lined shaft; figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively a plan, side and end elevations, drawn to a larger scale of the springs. (Two claims.) 17529 (1913). Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Electrically Igniting Miners' Safety Lamps. V. E. Joyce, and Spagnoletti Limited, both of Goldhawk Works, Goldhawk-road, London, W.—Relates particularly to that type of apparatus in which hand driven electricity generating apparatus is employed for providing the current necessary for igniting the lamp, the enclosing casing of the apparatus comprising a generator chamber, a lamp chamber, an open- ing in the lamp chamber through which the lamp to be lighted is inserted into the said chamber, and means for closing the opening of the lamp chamber, said means being so constructed and arranged that in one of its extreme posi- tions it closes the said lamp chamber and enables the generator to be driven, and at all other of its positions it prevents the generator being driven by preventing the generator handle being coupled to the generator. The invention principally consists in so constructing and arrang- ing the means which closes the aperture in the lamp chamber, and so arranging the hole in the generator chamber through which the driving handle passes or is adapted to be passed in order to drive the generator, that the said hole is uncovered, or the handle itself is uncovered, only when the .so 7? /P 10 '2Z '10 22 12 A? 15 2' le Fiq4 Z 7 25 F/q 6. 7 <"21. -76 -15 ~~2 - /©* - 1b 10 ----/sa 21 -----n-? F/a 3. BWIWi1 '2* said means which closes the aperture in the lamp chamber is in position properly sealing said lamp chamber, the entrance to said hole being blocked, or the handle partially or entirely covered in all other positions of the said lamp chamber closing means, the handle thus not projecting from the apparatus when the lamp chamber is open and the apparatus idle. Fig. 3 is a part sectional, part full eleva- tion of the apparatus; fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the apparatus ; fig. 5 is a plan view of the top cover of the apparatus shown in the preceding figures with the brush; fig. 6 is a view, partly sectional, of the top cover of the apparatus and the negative contact removed from the apparatus. In the embodiment of the invention shown the apparatus comprises in combination an inner cylindrical casing 1, of the desired diameter, closed at its ends by plates or parts 2, 3, and divided by an airtight partition 4, into a lamp chamber 5, and generator chamber 6, the lamp chamber 5 having in its cylindrical wall an opening 7, through which the lamp to be lighted is inserted, and the generator chamber 6 a hole 8 in its cylindrical wall through which the stem of the generator driving handle passes or is passed to engage or connect with the operating spindle of the generator 9, which handle may be removable or be so constructed as to fold in flush with said cylindrical wall of the generator chamber, an outer imperforate cylinder or sleeve 10 of lesser height or length than the inner cylin-