40 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 7, 1916. ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 535 (1915). Improvements in Winding, Sinking, and Hauling Engines. J. Richardson, The Elms, South Bark, Lincoln.—Relates to improvements, in the construction of winding, sinking, and hauling engines, by combining the winding drum or drums with a high speed motor, preferably a reversing turbine. The' motor is geared in such a way that while driving the drum with ease, it cannot be driven by the drum; and forms such an effective brake, that no other is regularly needed. The reversing gear is so connected with the winding drum, that while any depth of winding can be fixed upon, the drum is automatically stopped when the cage reaches the surface, or any other desired position in the shaft. In this way accidents from overwinding are rendered impossible. Fig. 1 shows a side view of the wind- ing engine and motor combined; fig. 2 shows, to a larger scale, details of the reversing apparatus; fig. 3 shows a section through line u—v in fig. 1; fig. 4 shows a section through line w—x in fig. 1. A is the motor (e.g., a radial flow reversing turbine); B is the driving shaft on the end of which is a hard steel worm enclosed in the cover C of the lubricant casing D. A strong worm pitched wheel engages with the worm, and is contained within the casing D. This wheel is firmly fixed on to the main shaft E, which shaft also carries and is secured to the winding drum F. The end of this drum shaft is reduced in diameter, and projects through the casing D. On the end of the shaft is fixed a small skew geared wheel G, gearing with another skew wheel H below, and at right angles with it. This s G J-E wheel H is fastened to one end of the small screw shaft I, which revolves in a bearing J, bolted to the casing D; and collars upon the shaft outside the bearing, prevent it moving longitudinally. Near this bearing is a-projection K on the casing, extending beyond its circumference. Its extremities are indicated by the letters L and L1 in fig. 2. A horizontal groove is made in K in which groove fits and slides a slide block. This block is screwed on to the screw shaft I, and the revolution of this shaft causes the block to travel along the groove in the projection K forwards and backwards with the revolutions of the winding drum. A turned stud, solid with the front side of the slide block carries another block N, adjustable by means of the set screws 0 and O1. This block fits and slides in a long slot in one end of the connecting rod P, the other end of which is jointed to the stop valve and reversing lever Q. When the drum starts to revolve, the stop valve lever is in the inclined position shown in fig. 1. The stop valve is then wide open, and so remains until the adjustible block N reaches one end of the slot in the connecting rod P, which from that time travels with it, and commences to close the stop valve. The stop valve lever thus gradually assumes a more vertical position until the point of the trigger box R reaches the edge of the V shaped depression in the catch plate S, whereupon a strong spring in the trigger Box forces it downwards, and at the same time suddenly moves the lever into the vertical position, as shown in fig. 2, and instantaneously closes the stop valve, thus stopping the motor and bringing the drum to rest at any desired position. When the drum is required to revolve in the opposite direction, the lever is pushed to the other end of the catch plate, and a similar but reverse action takes place. (Four claims.) 1849 (1915). Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Substances of Different Specific Gravities, such as Fine Coal or Ores, and the like. J. M. Draper, of 38, King-street West, Manchester.—Relates to apparatus for washing or separating fine coal or ores, and the like, and comprises a vertical tube-shaped receptacle, to the upper end of which the material to be treated is fed, and which towards the lower end is provided with a water connection for the purpose of producing an uprising current of water to act on the downwardly descending material. A second water inlet is provided below the first water connection, and leads to a suitably shaped chamber open at the top, and situated in an ’15^ 0 such -a position as to maintain a constant level approximately in line with the discharge opening from the upper end of the vertical tube shaped separating chamber, and to so constitute a steady head or balancing column, which is essential for the efficient separation of the material therein. The discharge opening at the upper end of the separating chamber is fitted with an adjustable sill to allow the height of the water level or overflow to be adjusted as required to suit the material under treatment. Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section; fig. 2 a horizontal section through the separating tube ; and fig. 3 a vertical section of the discharge end of such tube, fitted with a diminishing nozzle. 1 is the vertical tube-shaped separating chamber, provided at its upper end with a feed chamber 2, through which the material to be separated is supplied, and an outlet or over- flow orifice 3, to which varying the height of such overflow. To- wards its lower end chamber 1 is provided with 'an inlet orifice 5, connected with a hydraulic supply 6, and below this, with a second water inlet 7, connected with a tank 8, in which the water is maintained at the same level as the overflow over sill 4 of the discharge opening . 3 of the chamber 1. The tank 8 is open at top, and the water acts as a balancing column to the separating chamber 1. The sup- ply 6 is fitted with a valve 9, for regulat- ing the supply of water to product the upwardly rising cur- rent, ‘which carries the lighter portions of the material to the overflow discharge opening 3, while the heavier portions falling through the water below inlet 5 are discharged by gravity through the bottom 10, of chamber 1. If the material is not of a coarse nature, the orifice 10 at the bottom of 1 may be fitted with a diminishing, nozzle 11, and the discharge effected directly, such nozzle 11 being changed to suit the particular material under treatment. In the case of coarse material, the discharge end 10 of chamber 1 will communicate with a closed collecting and water recovery chamber 12, from the bottom of which a suitable elevator 13 conveys the heavy material to discharge 14, said elevator working in a tube in which the w.ater level is maintained at the same height as that in the separating chamber 1 and balancing tank 8. The upper end of the separating chamber 1 is preferably formed with an inner chamber 15 separated from the outer wall and leading from the point of entrance 2 to just above the inlet 5 of the hydraulic supply 6, such inner chamber further preferably narrowing downwards, and its lower end being provided with perforations 16, to direct the material so as to subject it to the action of the water entering at 5 in the most efficient manner to ensure the desired separation. (Five claims.) 2225 (1915). Improvements in Connecting Rods for Engines, Pumps, and the like. J. C. Merryweather, Greenwich-road, London, S.E.—Relates to an improved method of constructing connecting rods of the solid tee end type, -in such a way that a portion of the tee end can be removed from the rod so as to reduce, the overall width of the rod. In bucket plunger pumps of the type referred to in Specification No. 487/1915 it is convenient to make use of a connect- ing rod which will pass through the pump barrel for purposes of erecting and dismantling the pump, but it is found that the tee end of the rod as ordinarily constructed is too wide to pass through. There is formed on the end of the connecting rod a short tee end which will pass through the pump barrel (figs. 1 and 2) and in order to extend this short tee end to a suitable length to take the connect- ing rod end bolts, an extension piece (fig. 3 and 4) is fitted. Fig. 1 and 2 show the tee end of the rod formed with a central spigot A, and when this spigot is turned in the lathe the ends of the tee are also turned round the same centre, while the side of the tee remote from the spigot is recessed back so that two shoulders B are formed, one on each side of the tee. Figs. 3 and 4 show how the exten- sion piece is formed with recesses C adapted to receive the shoulders B on the end of the rod, and is also drilled out in the centre for the reception of the spigot A. Figs. 5 and 6 show the rod end completely assembled, and how the extension piece is secured in position on the end of the rod. Bolt holes D are drilled in the tee end, and extension piece so that the bolts which secure the brasses to the rod also form these two members into one solid tee end by preventing rotation of the. one within or around the other. 8965 (1915). Improvements in Cooling Towers and the like. F. C. Schmidt, of Broadway Court, Broadway, Westminster, London, S.W.—Relates to cooling and purify- ing plants of the enclosed type, working with natural or forced draught, or of the open type, and designed for cooling heated liquids, such as water for condensing or other plants, or for cooling or purifying gases, such, for instance, as air, such plant being provided with a filling of drip bars or laths, the ends of which are provided with projections which inter-engage with notches in bearers arranged transversely thereof, and has for its object to improve and render more compact the construction of the filling, or cooling or purify- ing hurdles or the like. As heretofore proposed, the drip bars have projected above the level of the top of the corre- sponding bearers. According to the invention, the ends oE the drip bars are provided with projections which inter- engage wTith notches in the upper edges of the bearers, and corresponding with said projections so that the upper edges of each drip bar is in the same plane as the upper edges of the corresponding bearers, which rest one on top of the other. The drip bars or laths are preferably narrow in width, so that (in plan) a great number can be accommodated side by side, and of sufficient depth to ensure rigidity and prevent sagging, and with their lower edges formed as knife edges, to ensure that the water drops with certainty from one to the next hurdle below. Fig. 1 is a transverse sec- tional elevation of the lower part of one form of cooling tower; and fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, a, a are the side walls of the tower, and b, b the end walls thereof, and to said walls, a, a are secured pairs of grooved posts c which may be solid, or built up. In the pairs of grooves thus formed are slid the ends of bearers d, the upper edges of which are notched, the lowermost bearer d resting on shoulders at the bottoms of the grooves, whilst the remainder rest on those below, and thus form a trans- verse partition, dividing the tower into sections as shown in fig. 2. The bearers d are adapted to support drip bars or laths f arranged in vertical and horizontal series between pairs of bearers, and for this purpose each drip bar f is formed at its ends with projections adapted to fit into the notches. The drip bars f may be arranged so that all the notches of a bearer d are occupied by the projections of a horizontal series of bars f, the series of bars of adjacent sections of the tower lying in the same vertical planes, but in staggered horizontal planes, or they may be arranged so that alternate notches e of a bearer d are occupied by the projections of the bars f of a horizontal series in one section of the tower, whilst the remainder are occupied by the projections of the bars of a horizontal series in the .adjacent section of the tower, the bars of said adjacent sections lying ■in the same horizontal planes, but in staggered vertical planes. If desired, the notches of the bearers d may be capable of receiving the projections of the adjacent ends of corresponding bars f in adjacent sections of the tower, said projections being either superposed or arranged side by side so that said bars lie in the same vertical plane, but different horizontal planes, or in the same horizontal plane but different vertical planes, respectively. Furthermore, by suitably proportioning the length of the projections, the notches may accommodate, end to end, the projections of the corresponding bars /in 'adjacent sections of the tower, so that said bars would lie in the same vertical and horizontal planes. The drip bars / are preferably formed with