October 9, 1914.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

787

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

4244 (1914). Improvements in Grips for Cables, Ropes,
Chains, and the like. W. G-. S. de Carteret, of The Pines,
Beer, Devonshire, and temporarily residing at 99, South
Park, Halifax, Canada.—Relates to grips formed in two
main parts hinged together and provided with a gripping
wedge such as are used, for instance, for the purpose of
attaching a heaving, or holding, line to cables, ropes, chains,
and the like. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved
grip applied to a cable; and fig. 2 is a vertical section. When
the grip is to be attached to a cable the small end of the
wedge is situated within the shell, and the shell is thrown
open to enable it to be slipped over the cable, or the like,
the hinged side, d1, of the shell being then closed over the
cable, or the like, and the two parts of the shell locked
together by the pin k. When the holding line is pulled, or
a strain exerted thereon, the wedge slides to the position
shown in dotted lines in fig. 2, and tightly grips the cable,

e

'f

or the like, which is then securely wedged in the shell by
means of the correspondingly inclined surfaces of the shell
and wedge. As the cable, or the like, is completely sur-
rounded by the shell, the holding line may be pulled side-
wise in any direction without the possibility of the cable,
or the like, being forced out of the grip, while in the event
of the holding line becoming slack and the wedge conse-
quently loosened, such wedge will always be in position to
grip the cable, or the like, immediately the holding line
is again tightened. The edge b2 of the wedge and the
interior surface of the hinged part of the shell are pre-
ferably grooved for the reception of the cable, or the like,
and they may be suitably formed to receive a chain, and
the said interior surface of the shell may be roughened to
give a hold upon the cable, or the like, and prevent the
possibility of the shell being pulled along with the wedge
when in the act of tightening. (Three claims.)

7117 (1914). Improved Process for Treating Carbona-
ceous Material. C. W. Tozer, A.M.I.Mech.E., of 66, Vic-
toria-street, Westminster, London.—Relates to the known
processes employed for the treatment of carbonaceous sub-
stances, both mineral and vegetable, such as all classes of
coal, lignite, shale, peat, brown coal, wood, and the like,
in a retort under specified degrees of heat and of vacuum.
The invention consists in an improved variation, of the
degree of heat and of vacuum in treating the substances.
The coal or other carbonaceous substance is charged into
retorts, which are fitted with a cover or covers in such a
way that the retorts can be hermetically sealed. The
retorts are heated by a furnace or other suitable means to a
temperature of from 300 to 700 degs. Cent., and at the same
time the retorts are connected by means of suitable valves
and pipes with a pump or other exhausting apparatus
capable of continuously maintaining an absolute pressure of
4’9 to 12’25 lb. pressure to the square inch, such pressure
being equal to a vacuum of from 20 to 5 in. of mercury. The
products of the destructive distillation taking place in the
retorts are passed through a suitable condensing apparatus,
in which the vacuum is maintained, and thence to an
ammonia washer, and an oil washer, to recover the oils,
ammonia, and light spirits. (Two claims.)

8482 (1914). New or Improved Method of Making Fis-
sured Water-bearing Strata Watertight. A. Francois, of
Broom Lodge, Hatfield, near Doncaster, Yorkshire.—
Relates to a method of rendering fissured water-bearing
strata impervious to water by means of cement, and has
for object to provide a new or improved method of stopping
fissures or crevices wherein cement could not hitherto be
made to enter. This is the case, for instance, with very
fine fissures and fissures that contain silt, clay, or sand,
which latter acts as a filter and prevents the penetration of
cement. It is well known that in the case of porous rocks
the pores, and sometimes even the very fine fissures existing
in such rocks, can be stopped by injecting separately therein
solutions of substances, such as commercial silicate of soda
and sulphate of alumina, w’hich react so as to give rise
within the soil to a precipitate of a gelatinous or colloidal
nature. The invention is based on the observed fact that
when the aforesaid colloidal substance is injected into such
fissures as will not admit cement, cement can afterwards
be easily injected therein. According to the invention the
colloidal substance is employed, not for stopping fissures,
but for preparing the same to receive cement. When dur-
ing the progress of cementation in water-bearing strata there
is met a spot where cement cannot be made to enter, a
gelatinous precipitate of the before-mentioned kind is forced
therein. For this purpose a ready-made mixture of suitable
chemical solutions is preferably injected, that is, a liquid
holding in suspension the gelatinous or colloidal precipitate
already formed. The injection is continued until the pres-
sure gauge of the pump shows a rise of pressure denoting
the stoppage of the fissures in the ground and a cement milk
is then injected in the usual manner. On examining a
section through a fissure thus cemented, a thin layer of the
chemicals first injected will be found between the cement
and the walls of the fissure. It would seem as if in the case
of fine fissures the colloidal substance acts somewhat after
the manner of a lubricant which nullifies the frictional
resistance of the walls 'of the fissures to the penetration of
the cement, and in the case of larger fissures containing sand,
silt, or clay, the colloidal substance appears to penetrate
between the particles of silt, sand, or clay, and thus prevent
the same from setting in a compact mass, whereas the slight
consistency of the said colloidal substance forms no obstacle
to the subsequent pentration of cement. (Two claims.)

20180 (1913). An Improvement in Hauling or Winding
Engines. R. H. Fowler, of Steam Plough Works, Leeds,
Yorkshire.—In the double speed gear for hauling or wind-
ing engines described in specification No. 26933 of 1907,

there is provided at the bottom of the upright shaft a
clutch to connect the shaft with the winding drum, the
clutch being such that the drive can be transmitted in one
direction only. The object of the clutch is to avoid the
possibility of the drum being driven in the wrong direction,
and the rope thereby dropped. By the present invention
this clutch is rendered unnecessary, and the driver relieved
of having to attend to an additional lever, by substituting
for the ordinary square teeth which lock the slow speed
wheel to the fast speed wheel in both directions of rotation,
as shown in the said specification, teeth which permit of
transmission of the drive in one direction only. (One
claim.)

20459 (1913). An Improved Method of and Apparatus
for Clay Getting or Mining. S. H. Leech, The Victoria
Hotel, Roche, Cornwall, and the Standardised China Clay
Company Limited, of 74, Coleman-street, London, E.C.—
According to the invention, a V-shaped trench is sunk
directly underneath the line of an aerial cable conveyor,
adapted to carry the conveying receptacles, and the clay is
excavated in layers from the sides of the trench and allowed
to roll down, preferably under its own gravitation, into the
receptacles which are deported on the cable when loaded.
The bottom or inverted apex of the V-shaped trench may
be formed as a secondary trench or trough, adapted especi-
ally to hold the conveying receptacles. The clay is exca-

FibZ

vated manually or by mechanically operated cutters or other
means. The invention also allows of the rapid transit of
shelters or covers, which may be deposited on the sides of
the V-shaped trench, or which may be suspended over same
from the line of the cable conveyor. The accompanying
drawing diagrammatically illustrates the method of and
apparatus used for clay getting according to the present
invention, fig. 1 being a cross section of the main trench
in course of construction, fig. 2 a cross section of the main
and auxiliary trenches showing the means for conveying
the clay, fig. 3 a longitudinal section of the main and
auxiliary trenches showing means for deepening the latter
trench. (Six claims.)

21079 (1913). Improved Cylinder or Ball Mill for Use in
Grinding Potters' Materials and the Like. W. E. Mad-
dock, of Dimsdale View, Porthill, Wolstanton, Stafford-
shire, and William Boulton Limited, of Navigation-road,
Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.—Relates to cylinder
or ball mills, the object being to provide an improved
arrangement and construction of mill whereby the grind-

ing operation can be observed through an opening in the
end of the cylinder, and the material being ground is sub-
jected to a revolving motion simultaneously, with a move-
ment in the direction of the length of the cylinder, so that
in this way the material referred to is subjected to a more
efficient grinding or pulverising action. The accompany-
ing drawing shows a side elevation of the improved machine
partly in section. (Two claims.)

21736 (1913). Improvements in and Relating to the
Arrangement of Flaps in Pumps, more especially in Explo-
sion Water Lifters.—Akt.-Ges. Brown, Boveri, et Cie., of





1*1



Baden, Switzerland.—The valves which have been gener-
ally used heretofore in the construction of pumps consist of
a valve disc or valve plate, a guide for the same, a valve
seat, and a portion of the wall of the casing for mounting

the same. This invention mainly consists in dispensing
with the walls and the valve seat, and arranging the closing
and inlet parts to form at once the wall, valve, and seat,
so that the ratio of free, valve cross section to the space
occupied is a minimum. The invention more specifically
consists in flap valves arranged side by side over the entire
or partial periphery of a whole body (for instance, a
cylinder) in such a manner that when closed they form a
wall, and rest one upon the other or upon the pivotal axis
of the adjacent flap or upon the hub of the flap. Fig. 1 is
a diagrammatic section of an explosion water lifter provided
with valves according to one form of this invention. Fig.
2 and 3 show these valves in cross section in the opened
condition and in the closed condition respectively. Figs. 4
and 5 are respectively a longitudinal section and cross section
of a construction of valves in detail. Fig. 6 shows a modi-
fied construction adapted for a plurality of superposed rows
of flaps. Figs. 7 and 8 show a suitable form of jointing in
connection with the flaps. (Five claims.)

24318 (1913). Improvements in Appliances for Localising
the Effects of Mine Explosions. J. F. Balfour, of Eversley,
Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland.—Patent Specification No.
18210 of 1911 describes a method of localising the destruc-
tive effects of mine explosions by the automatic insertion
of a water screen in the path ot the gas current produced
by an explosion. According to the present invention there
is mounted in a section of the gallery a swing door or a
pair of symmetrically swing doors, at a slight angle to the
walls of the gallery, the said doors being directly exposed
to the pressure of the explosion gases, so as to swing
towards the centre and close the passage when an explosion
occurs. The said doors are mounted in a frame guided on
two or more bars mounted along the right and left wall,
and are held in position by an equal number of springs
coiled on the said bars, so that the pressure of the gases
on the door will cause the entire frame to recede and com-
press the springs. Each of the said doors may be provided
with horizontal openings, which are normally closed by
hinged flaps or louvres, each of which may be provided
with a supply of water, and suitable openings or nozzles,
the object being to cause a flow of water from the edge of
each flap and each aperture as soon as the flap opens. For
this purpose the hinge of each flap and each door may be
hollow, and serve as a water supply pipe and valve, which
is opened and closed by the turning of the flap or door, and

h'g

Fig.2.

the water may be supplied by a flexible or telescopic pipe.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a gallery provided with an
apparatus according to the invention; fig. 2 is a horizontal
section of the same; fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the
wings or doors on a large scale; fig. 4 is a vertical section;
fig. 5 is a horizontal section. To render the effect more
certain, two or more swing doors or pairs of swing doors
may be mounted at a short distance apart and mechanically
connected with each other. In localities where the explo-
sion gases may be expected to arrive from either direction,
horizontal guide bars and coiled springs may be mounted
on both sides of the door frame, and separate pivot devices
may be established in front and at the rear of the door, so
that either of them, when operated by the pressure of the
explosion gases, will release the bolt or weighted lever, and
thereby cause the door to close. In this case the door may
have two sets of flaps or louvres placed alternately at the
front and at the back of the door. Instead of arranging
the springs so that the effect of the explosion gases will
subject them to compression, they may be subjected to ten-
sion, in which case one end of each spring would be fixed
to the movable door frame, and the other end to a stationary
frame situated a short distance in front of the door frame,
instead of being mounted behind the same, as shown by
the drawings. (Six claims.)

29047 (1913). Improvements in Recovering as an
Ammonium Salt the Nitrogen of the Hydrocyanic Acid in
Crude Coal Gas. The South Metropolitan Gas Company,
of 709, Old Kent-road, London, and E. V. Evans, of 709,
Old Kent-road.—According to this invention, the ammonium
sulphocyanide made from the hydrocyanic acid in crude coal
gas is hydrolised by an acid, preferably sulphuric acid, at
a temperature not lower than 50 degs. Cent., and under con-
ditions of concentration and proportion by mass suitable for
obtaining the maximum yield of ammonia in the form of
an ammonium salt. The best temperature can only be
ascertained by experiment when it has been decided what
is to be the proportion of ammonium sulphocyanide to acid,
and what is to be the degree of dilution of the mixture
undergoing reaction. These conditions vary with the
nature of the coal carbonised to produce the coal gas, the
mode of carbonisation, and the particular process adopted
for absorbing the hydrocyanic acid in the form of ammo-
nium sulphocyanide, in short, with the practice of gas
works or coke oven installation where the invention is
applied. The invention is primarily intended for gas works
or coke oven works where ammonia is used for making
ammonium sulphate; for here it is convenient to use sub
phuric acid for the hydrolysis, and owing to the fact that
excess of acid must be used for obtaining the best yield of
ammonia, the liquor produced by the hydrolysis is a suitable
liquor for feeding the saturator of the ammonium sulphate
plant, from which the yield is increased by the sulphate
produced by the hydrolysis. In such works the temperature
of reaction should be between 80 degs. Cent, and 110 degs.
Cent., since this is best for the conditions likely to prevail
when ordinary gas coals are used, namely :—(1) An extrac-
tion of some 95 per cent, of the cyanogen in the crude gas