620

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

September 24, 1915.

deck. The diameter of this ram is 3 in. This cage is
fitted with a tilting bottom, so that when it reaches
the bottom deck level the tubs leave it and gravitate to
the shaft cage. The decking cage for the empties
operates as follows :—The pressure to lift the cage and
empty tubs to the top deck level is obtained from the
lodge at the 77|-yd. level, the weight of the empty cage
alone being sufficient to force this water back to the
lodge at the 368-yd. level at the same time as it is
lowered to the bottom deck level. The diameter of the
ram is 3 in., - and it is fixed slightly out of the centre
of the cage bottom, so that when the cage and empty
tubs are being lifted the bottom is tilted, and the tubs
gravitate from the cage on reaching the top deck level.

The guides for the downcast shaft are duplicates of
those in the upcast.

The cages have four decks, each deck carrying three
tubs. The total height of the cage is 22| ft., and the
weight 11 tons. The lifting weight, when starting from
the bottom, is 30 tons. The locked coil winding rope is
2 in. in diameter, a white metal cap being used.
Instead of cage chains, a bow of special Low Moor iron
is used, a strong spiral spring being inserted to take up
any jar. Owing to the length (14| ft.) and weight of the
cage, the keps are of the old-fashioned type. These are
fixed on the side of the cages, in order to overcome the
difficulty of deflection of the bottom angle frame, which
would rise if supported at the ends. In order that more
standage accommodation may be available for the full
tubs between the screens and the shaft, the gangway
is constructed with four decks, corresponding with those
of the four-deck cage. The full tubs as they are pushed
from the cage gravitate along the gangway to the
decking cage, by which they are lifted to the weighing
machine floor level. An hydraulic ram is so fixed that in
the lifting cage the bottom of each deck is tilted to a
gradient of 1 in 18, so as to allow the full tubs to run
off as each d£ck reaches the machine floor level, and
gravitate through the tippler and back to the empty
side of the pit. The return empty gantries are arranged
to do away with elevating creepers, the object being to
do all the lifting back to the cage level by the hydraulic
lifting cages in one operation, rather than to elevate
by means of creepers and then to each deck by the
hydraulic cage. The four decks on the main shaft cage
are changed simultaneously by hydraulic rams placed
behind the decking cage. The pusher rams are 8 in.
in diameter by 7 ft. stroke, and are attached to a lever.
A smaller ram is fixed directly in front of the main
ram, and attached to the same lever. The function of
this ram is to bring the whole machine back into position
after the changing of the decks is complete. In order to
do this, the smaller ram is always open to the accumu-
lator pressure; the large ram has this force to overcome,
in addition to doing its work of changing the tubs.
When the tubs are rammed into the shaft cage, the
water is let out of the larger ram, and the smaller one,
still being open to the accumulator pressure, brings it
back ready for the next cage of empties. The empty
tubs are kept in position in the decking cages by axle
catches, which are automatically released before the
ram comes into contact with them. Under the empty
decking cage are fixed three rams; the lifting ram being
7 in. and the two smaller rams 3 in. in diameter. The
two last-named have the same function as the small
ram in connection with the pushers, and like it are
always open to the accumulator pressure. The total
travel of this cage is 26 ft., on account of which, and
in order that great rigidity may be ensured, a ram of
large diameter with low hydraulic pressure (550 lb.) is
used. The full-tub decking cage has also three rams
arranged in the same manner as the empty cage, the
larger ram being 10 in., and the two smaller ones each
4 in. in diameter. The height of the lift is 15 ft.

Boilers and Power House.—The boiler range consists
at present of 11 Lancashire boilers, each 30 ft. long by
8| ft. in diameter, fitted with Proctor shovel stokers.
The blow-off pressure is 1601b. The feed hoppers for
the stokers were at first charged by hand, but a conveyor
band was fitted up to deliver into the storage bunkers
over each boiler, from which the coal automatically feeds
the stokers. The band conveyor is fed either with dry
coal from the jigger, or with washed coal delivered by
an elevator. The draught is obtained from one chimney
173ft. high by lift, in diameter. The feed pumps
consist of one Coalbrookdale duplex-ram' double-acting
pump, and a Weir vertical double-acting pump.

The power house contains, under one roof, the follow-
ing plant :—

1.	A Capell fan, driven by a Robey engine, with a
single high-pressure cylinder 18 in. in'diameter, and a
low-pressure cylinder 30 in. in diameter by 3 ft. stroke.
The fan is 124 ft. in diameter by 8 ft. in width, with
double inlets 8| ft. in diameter, and is driven by 12
ropes 1| in. in diameter, from a flywheel 14 ft. in
diameter. The capacity of the fan is 300,000 cu. ft. of
air per minute, with a 5 in. water gauge.

2.	A duplicate Capell fan, with a capacity of 500,000
cu. ft. of air per minute at a water gauge of 7 in. This
is driven by a Robey engine, with a single high-pressure
cylinder 24 in. in diameter by 48 in. stroke. The fan
is 15 ft. in diameter by 9 ft/wide, with double inlets
104 ft. in diameter, and is driven by 18 1J in. ropes from
a flywheel 16 ft. in diameter.

3.	Two 500kw. Curtis mixed-pressure turbines, with
Mirlees-Watson condensing plants. One 1,250 kw.
Curtis mixed-pressure turbine, with Mirlees-Watson
condensing plant.

4.	One direct-current generator of 300-horse power,
220 volts, direct-coupled to .Beiliss and Morcom high-
speed compound engines, with a high-pressure cylinder
14 in. in diameter, and a low-pressure cylinder 20 in. in
diameter. One direct-current generator of 300-horse
power, 220 volts, direct-coupled to a Willans and
Robinson high-speed triple expansion engine, with a
high-pressure cylinder 14 in. in diameter, and a low-
pressure cylinder 20 in. in diameter.

5.	One hydraulic pump, which supplies the water

power, at a pressure of 5401b. per sq. in., for working
the rams for the decking arrangements at No. 1 pit top.

6.	One Alley and MacLellan air compressor is on
order, and will also be installed in this house. This set
will be capable of generating 5,000 cu. ft. of air per
minute, at a pressure of 801b. per sq. in., and will be
direct-coupled to a 950-horse power motor.

7.	In this house is also fixed a small motor generator
to supply the necessary current for all shaft and other
signals. The motor of this generator is supplied with
alternating current at 500 volts, and the dynamo gives
out current at 15 volts. Both winding engine houses
and this power house are supplied with travelling cranes.

The shops are easy of access from both pits and coke
ovens. A Morris and Bastert 10-ton travelling crane
traverses the full length. The shops are fitted with the
following tools:—One 12 in. stroke shaping machine;
one circular cold saw, with three feed speeds, for cast
steel, wrought iron, and cast iron; one 8in. centre self-
acting sliding surface and screwing lathe; one 12 in.
stroke double-geared slotting machine; one punching
and shearing machine; one 13|in. centre lathe; one
pillar drilling machine; one 5-cwt. pneumatic hammer;
one screwing machine; one planing machine; four black-
smith’s hearths, with blast supplied by a Capell fan 14 in.
in diameter; one circular wood cutting saw; and one
band saw. The power is supplied by a 23-horse power
Holmes “ Castle ” motor.

Screens and Washers.—The first section of screens
consists of an automatic tippler which delivers, on to a
jigging screen, by which all the coal smaller than 3|in.
cube is taken out. The lin. slack and the l|in. nuts,
when the latter are to be washed, are delivered on to a
24 in. canvas conveyor, by which they are delivered to
the dry coal storage hopper. When the 1| in. nuts are
required for sale as dry nuts, they pass from the jigger
with the 3| in. nuts on to the Marcus conveyor, which
is fitted with a 1| in. mesh, through which the smaller
nuts pass on to a plate picking band, the larger 3J in.
nuts passing over the delivery end to the plate picking
belt. The larger coal is delivered by the jigger on to a
bar belt, from which the soft coal is picked by hand
and delivered by means of shoots on to the soft coal belt,
from which the brasses and dirt are picked, and also the
best hand-picked brights. The 7 to 8 in. cobbles and
the slack and nuts made during dressing are left on the
belt, and delivered on to a Marcus conveyor. This is
fitted with a 3J in. mesh plate, through which the slack
and nuts are dropped on to a band conveyor, leaving the
7 to 8 in. cobbles to pass into the wagon. The slack
and nuts are separated by a jigger. The colliers’ coal
and hand-picked brights are delivered to wagons by
respective lowering shoots, those for the hand-picked
brights being provided with 1 in. spaced bars to take out
the slack. The slack from the hard coal bar belt is
delivered by scrapers on to a 12 in. scraper, and by it to
the main 18 in. band conveyor to the dry coal hopper.
All the picking bands are fitted with lowering jibs for
the delivery of the coal into wagons.

The particulars of the picking bands are as follows :—
The hard coal bar belt is 112 ft. long by 5 ft. in width;
the bars are 1| in. in diameter, and are spaced 1 in.
apart. The soft coal belt is 94 ft. long by 5 ft. in width,
with plates J in. thick. The If and 3 in. nuts belts are
108 ft. long by 4 ft. in width. Between the picking
bands are placed 18 in. dirt tray conveyors, which
deliver the dirt on to a main cross conveyor, and thence
to the dirt wagon.

The second section of screens has just been completed
by Messrs. Plowright Brothers, and consists of one hard
coal bar belt 5ft. wide by 133ft. long; one soft coal bar
belt, 3 ft. wide by 116 ft. long; and one colliers’ coal belt
3 ft. wide by 116 ft. long. The slack and nuts for the
washer are delivered from the jigging screen to a cross
plate belt conveyor, common also to the No. 1 section
of screens, and then conveyed to the dry coal bunker.
The If and 3| in. nuts are delivered to the nuts belts in
the first section of the screens.

The washer is of the Baum type, and is situated near
the 500-ton dry coal hopper. The coal is delivered direct
from the 18 in. band conveyor into the washery. When
the pit is drawing coal and the washery standing, the
nuts and slack are delivered by means of an automatic
knock-off carriage on the 18-in. band conveyor direct into
the different compartments of the storage hopper, from
it by means of a scraper conveyor under the bunker to
the feed elevator, and by it to the washery. By this
means the expense of loading into wagons and emptying
again is avoided. The first unit of the washer has a
capacity of 75 tons per hour, the building having been
made large enough for a second unit of the same
capacity. It is fitted with a Baum drainage band, by
means of which the guaranteed moisture is 12 per cent,
when washing 1 in. slack. From the crusher the slack
is delivered to a 24 in. rubber-canvas conveyor, and from
it, by means of a cross conveyor, into an 800 ton storage
bunker fixed over the ram track. The coal is fed direct
from this bunker, which is fitted with two sets of
stampers, to the compressor box.

Coke Ovens. — The full battery of ovens will con-
sist of 120 ovens with by-product works. At present 60
ovens, in two batteries of 30 each, by Messrs. Simon
Carves, are installed, with by-product works on the dry
recovery process. The crushed coal (under f in.) is
delivered by a canvas conveyor to a storage hopper of
a capacity of 800 tons, from which it falls direct into
the cake box, the stampers being fixed to the bunker.
The particulars of the ovens are as under :—

Width.............................. 1	9

Length .......................... 32	0

-Height ........................... 6	6

Tons cwts.

Dry coal charged per oven.......... 8	15

Coal produced per charge .......... 6	0

Time of burning................. 38 to 40 hours.

The coke is rammed from the oven direct on to a Goodall
coke car, attached to which is a Darby quencher. After

quenching, the coke passes over a jigging screen to the
wagon.

The by-product works consist of a Simon-Carves
direct recovery plant. The slack makes a very good
Barnsley seam coke with a high yield of by-products.

Underground Plant.—The downcast porches are con-
structed of reinforced concrete, in the form of a complete
ellipse. The concrete is of a minimum thickness of 3 ft.,
reinforced by means of tee-irons measuring 6 in. by 6 in. '
by | in., bent to the form of an ellipse on the inside and
outside circumference, and tied together by means of
iron flats measuring 6 in. by f in. The rings are placed
at intervals of 4j ft., and the space between filled with
concrete. The concrete is further reinforced by old
winding ropes and steel rails running longitudinally.
The pit eye is formed by means of concrete blocks,
reinforced with steel strips and fitted with iron lugs,
against which the oval rings abut and are attached.
The decking is by hydraulic power, the base of the
Barnsley seam forming the running-on and running-off
levels. The full tubs are lowered to a position whence
they can be rammed on to the decks of the shaft cage
by means of hydraulic cages. As the full tubs are
rammed into the shaft cage, the empties are received
by the cages fitted with tilting bottoms, the lifting rams
being placed out of centre, so that as each deck reaches
the running-off level, the tubs gravitate from the cage,
the gradient being 1 in 18. The full cage rams are
4jin. diameter. The water pressude (6001b. per
sq. in.) obtained from the lodge at the 368-yd. level is
sufficient to lift the empty cage. When the cage is filled
with loaded tubs, the weight is sufficient to allow it to
be lowered and to force the water used in lifting the
empty cage back to the lodge at the 77|-yd. level. Each
time that the main shaft cage is decked, 6 gals, of water
are by this means pumped from the bottom to the top
lodge, besides doing the work of decking. The ram
under the empty decking cage gets its pressure from the
rising main for lifting the loaded cage, the weight of the
empty cage being sufficient to force the water back to the
bottom lodge. The diameter of the ram is 5| in. The
pusher rams are similar to those at the surface. The
water is taken from the bottom lodge, the 6 gals, used
per wind being pumped back to the lodge with the sump
water.

The whole of the full tubs are delivered on the rise
side of the pit, and gravitate to the cages. The empty
tubs are delivered from the dip side of the shaft; they
gravitate from the hydraulic decking cages, are then
attached to the endless rope, and by it hauled .to either
main level. The haulage for this purpose is driven by
electric power. The tub standage is : full tubs, 1,000;
empty tubs, 420.

The main haulage consists of two endless rope clutch
wheels, one for each main level. In the same house is
working an Ingersoll-Rand compressor, capable of giving
out 750 cu. ft. of free air per minute, and driven by
a 200-horse power motor. The above main haulage
works the main levers alone, all branch roads being sub-
sidiary haulages. For example, an endless haulage with
two clutch wheels driven by compressed air, serves
the two main roads going north and south.

.Sufficient experience was gained at this pit to prove
that .the usual system of working the Barnsley coal on
the cross is the most suitable for this seam. From the
commencement, therefore, the main roads were laid out
with this in view, the roads from the pit bottom being
almost dead “ end.” The main levels are at right
angles, and therefore nearly dead “ bord ”; and the
grates turned off the latter cause the face to be on the
cross. As few roads as possible were driven through
the shaft pillar (which is 900 yds. in diameter), the first
holing being 80 yds. from the pits on either side. A
12 yd. solid pack has been built round the shaft pillar,
the packing material being augmented by rock sent from
the surface, and the whole of the timber recovered from
the goaf. By these contrivances it is hoped to avoid
spontaneous combustion in close proximity to the shaft
pillar.

In order to obviate the necessity of air crossings in
the shaft pillar, and also to allow the full and empty
tubs to gravitate to and from either pit, overcast drifts
from the main return have been driven.

Practically the whole of the face haulage is effected
by small compressed air winches. The cross gates are
worked by compressed air endless rope single road haul-
ages, the gateways being worked by either single or
double drum winches, according to the gradient; pass-
byes are carried forward at the face of each gate to
hold at least ten tubs. The advantages claimed for this
system are :—

1.	The exhaust air from the winches reduces the
temperature, and increases the purity of the air by
adding to the ventilation.

2.	Less risk of accident to the boys working the
winch than in driving ponies.

3.	Cheaper working cost and less standing charges
than in the case of ponies, especially at week-ends and
when the pit is idle.

The winches used at present are respectively 4 in. in
diameter by 7 in. stroke, and 7 in. in diameter by 9 in.
stroke, and are of the single and double drum and endless
rope type. The former have oscillating cylinders, and
are designed for the lighter work of hauling the tubs
at the face up dip banks; they are strongly built, and
can be transported from place to place on an ordinary
underground tram. The latter haulages are designed
for this special underground work; they are strongly
constructed,. and yet easily transported from place to
place.

Owing to a slight explosion in one of the headings in
August 1911, due in the first instance to a fall of roof
and derangement of the air pipes, coupled with a subse-
quent accident caused by a workman damaging his
lamp by a pick, thus igniting the gas which had
accumulated, electric lamps have been adopted for all
face work.