88

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

’ January 14, 1916.

2

removable sulphur compounds; and, as a rule, this preliminary
purification is best employed. The presence of hydrogen
sulphide much retards the formation of further quantities of
hydrogen sulphide by breaking down organic sulphur com-
pounds, i.e., it exercises a specific protective influence on such
organic sulphur compounds. Where a preliminary purifica-
tion is employed, the conversion of the residual sulphur com-
pounds in the gas into hydrogen sulphide is found to be more
efficient. The gas, after having passed through the electric
discharge, is. led to suitable purifiers for the removal of
hydrogen sulphide, etc. If the gas after this treatment still
contains sulphur compounds,
the treatment with the elec-
tric discharge followed by
absorption of hydrogen sul-
phide may be repeated as
many times as it is necessary
to procure commercially pure
gas. By introducing small
quantities of air into the gas
prior . to the treatment with
the electric discharge, the ozone
formed while the gas is passing
through the silent discharge
greatly intensifies the revivify-
ing effect of the air in the sub-
sequent passage of the' gas
through the purifying mate-
rials. As a result, the amount
of air required to be mixed

with the gas to produce this revivifying effect is less than
that heretofore necessary; and consequently the gas after
purification contains a less proportion of nitrogen. Fig. 1 is
a diagrammatic lay-out of a complete gas plant; and fig. 2
is a longitudinal section of a special type of combined con-
verter and purifier. Gas generators 1 of any suitable type are
connected by means of dip pipes 2 with washbox 3, the dip
pipe extending to near the bottom of the washbox. Conduit 4
leads .gas from the washbox to scrubbers 5, where tar which
has escaped deposition in the washbox is separated by suit-
able cooling means. Exhauster 6 draws gas from the relief
holder 7 and scrubber 8, and forces it through suitable washer
9, all of these being connected by conduits 10, 11, and 12.
The gas leaving the washer passes through conduit 13 to a
purifier 14 containing hydrated iron oxide for absorbing the
hydrogen sulphide from the gas. Conduit 15 leads from the
hydrogen sulphide purifier to a Y 16, having branches 17 and
18, which are provided, respectively, with suitable valves 20
and 19. The branches of the Y lead to carbon. bisulphide
converters 21 and 211, the two converters being similar in
structure. Each converter comprises a suitable chamber con-
taining electrodes of opposite sign, having connections 22 to
the secondary 23 of a transformer, to the primary 24, of which
power is supplied from a suitable alternating current
generator 25. Switches 26 may be provided for putting either
converter into or out of operation. Following the converters
21 and 211 are secondary hydrogen sulphide purifiers'27 and
28, respectively containing purifying material such as iron
oxide. From these secondary purifiers conduits 29 and 30
pass purified gas, and discharge the same through Y branch
31 and station meter 32 into conduit 33, whence the gas passes
to any convenient place, such as holder 34. Valved waste gas
ports 60 and 61 are provided for 27 and 28 respectively, for use
in regeneration of the contained oxide purifier. The air inlet
35 valved or dampered at 36 joins branch conduit 16 at a
point in advance of its entry into the CS2 converters 21 and
211, and is supplied by air fan 37, which is directly connected
to exhauster 6. An alternative arrangement shows fan 38
with pipe connection 39 to small ozoniser 40, conduit 41,
Y branch 42, valves 43 and 44, to secondary purifiers 27 and
28. (Eight claims.)

21750 (1914). Improvements in Fasteners for Wagon
Sides, Boxes, and the like. J. Yarwood, Bramber-road,
North End-road, Fulham, London, S.W. — Relates to
improvements in fasteners for wagon sides, comprising a link
or links and pin pivoted to a lever at a point beyond where it
is fulcrummed from a bracket attached to one wagon side or
the like, the said link engaging with a hook attached to the
other wagon side off the like, and the improvements consist in
forming the lever with a slot therein to allow the entrance into
same of a staple attached to or formed in one piece with the
bracket carrying the same, so as to form a locking device by
inserting a padlock or other fastener through the hole in the
staple, and is specially applicable to motor wagon sides which
are hinged from the platform of the wagon, and when swung
up into position require fastening at each corner. Attached
near the upper edge of one of each of the sides is a hook pro-
jecting slightly beyond the side in such a manner as to engage
with a link or with a pin at right angles to links pivoted
from a lever at a short distance away from the pin by which
the lever is fulcrummed to the bracket carrying same from
the adjacent-side of the wagon. This link is pivoted to the
handle thus so as to form a toggle or cam action in such a
manner that when the handle

is turned forward to engage
the link with the hook on the
adjacent side, by pulling the
handle away therefrom it
brings the link and the hook
with it until the handle lies
nearly parallel with the side,
by which time it has brought
the link and the hook on the
adjacent side into such a
position that it is firmly
secured to the hook, and the

. c Fig. I

7 g

b H ybvir"-

two sides are securely locked
together. To lock the appli-
a nee the handle is formed with
a slot, into which enters a
staple attached to and form-
ing one piece with the bracket
carrying the handle; this	//	\\\\

staple projects above the	U	u |Ll*

handle when it is in the posi-
tion for locking the sides

together, and the shank of a padlock or other appliance is
passed through an eye or hole formed in the staple above the
handle, so as to prevent the handle from being moved. Fig. 1
is a front elevation attached to two sides of a wagon; fig. 2
is a plan; fig. 3 is a side elevation of the hook; fig. 4 is a
front elevation of the fastener, as applied to magnetos or other
curved articles. In the drawing A is the hook attached to
one side X of the wagon or the like, and is so fixed that it
engages with the pin P fixed to the outer ends of links B,
which are pivoted at the other ends at C from the lever L at
a short distance away from pin D, by which the lever L is

fulcrummed to the bracket G, formed with the base F for

attachment to the other side Y of the wagon or the like. The
links B and pin P are pivoted to the lever L in the position
shown so as to form a toggle or cam action when the handle
Lx of the lever is turned upward so as to engage pin P with
the hook A; and all is so arranged that when the lever L L x
is pulled back again into the position shown in the drawing,
it brings with it the hook A and the side X', and thus
securely locks them in the position shown. T is a staple
carried from the base F, which enters into the slot S formed
in lever L, and has formed in it the hole M for the insertion
therein of the shank of a padlock or other appliance for locking
the lever in the position shown. (Two claims.)

21585 (1914). Improvements in or relating to Super-
heaters for Steam. A. Boss, 1, Glengall-road, Old Ken-t-
road, London, S.E. — The object of the invention is an
improved superheater which shall not obstruct the flame tubes
or interfere with their cleaning or removal, and which shall,
as to its own tubes, permit such tubes to be readily inspected
or removed and kept clean, both without and within. To
effect this, there is combined with a steam boiler a super-
heater which is to be used for steam, comprising steam tubes
side by side and straight or nearly so, and is situated in the
smoke box or uptake, and in particular is wholly below the
level of the boiler top, but above the level of the uppermost
flame tubes with the length of each steam tube transverse in
relation to them. In this position the superheater tubes offer
no obstruction in the flame tubes, or in the line of the flame
tubes, so that the latter can be swept or removed and replaced
just as readily as if the superheater were absent. The super-
heater tubes may be slightly curved from their ends to the
middle to provide for easy expansion of the tubes under the
action of heat; but they are to be so nearly straight in any
instance that a cleaning rod can readily pass through any one
of them from end to end, and in no case are they to be given
so much curvature that permanent “ set ” of the tube would
be produced thereby. The ends of the superheater tubes may
be received in headers or circular drums, which also receive
the pipe connections, and diaphragms may be provided in
such drums or headers to determine the course of the steam
flowing through the superheater tubes of different groups.
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a superheater, showing
its arrangement in the uptake of a boiler; fig. 2 is a diagram-
matic view, with the end cover of the header removed and the
uptake shown in section; and fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view
of another arrangement of the baffles for the superheater. The
wall of the uptake is indicated at A, and the superheater
tubes B are shown as mounted transversely in the uptake at
a point above the level of the uppermost flame tubes, which
level is indicated at A1 (fig. 2), but below the level of the
boiler top, which extends higher up than the tubes B, as indi-
cated by the part C which is broken away, there being no
need to show this in detail for the purpose of the present
invention. The tubes B extend at each end through the walls
of the uptake, and at each of the points, where they pass
through the walls they are surrounded by a sleeve B1. These
sleeves are made a gastight fit in the wall A, and each sleeve
carries at its outer end a tube plate B2. The tubes can thus
be fixed in the tube plates B2, where their ends are accessible
from outside the uptake, and each tube can be thus readily
inspected and cleaned or renewed without interfering with
the uptake or the flame tubes of the boiler. To the tube plates
B2 are bolted headers B3, B4,
respectively, and each header
is covered by an end plate B5.
An intake D communicates
with the top' of the header B3
and a horizontal baffle or dia-'
phragm B6 is provided therein
so as to shut off about one-
third of the tubes, those above
it, from those which enter the
header below this point. In
the header B4 a horizontal
baffle or diaphragm B7 is pro-
vided which shuts off about
two-thirds of the tubes, those
above it, from the remaining
third, which enter the header
below it; the header B4 has an
outlet conduit B8 at the
bottom. Steam entering the
header B3 passes through the
upper tubes into the header B4,
and thence back through a sec

between these upper tubes and the baffle B7. By these tubes
it again enters the header B3, and returns by the third bank
of tubes which enter the header B4 below the baffle B7; thence
the steam passes from the superheater by the outlet conduit
B8. The sleeve B1 also constitutes a wrapper, whereby the
extreme ends of the tubes are prevented from being exposed
to the full beat of the gases of combustion. Conveniently
this sleeve has another plate B2* at the inner end, so that
the extreme ends of the tubes are thus entirely boxed off, and
kept comparatively cool. An oil separator E may communi-
cate with the inlet conduit D to trap oil and sediment. To
prevent the tubes B from falling together at the middle,
separator plates F may be provided. Beneath the tubes is
hung a flap G, which is hinged at G1 & ears G2 carried by
the plates F, and is rigidly secured to an operating spindle
G3, which extends through the wall A on one side of the
uptake, where it is provided with a cranked handle G4; the
other end of the flap may also be provided with a short
spindle supported in the wall of the uptake on the opposite
side. The flap G might be hung to one of the lower tubes of
the superheater instead of to the ears G2. The superheater
tubes B lie close to the back wall of the uptake, but a space
is provided between them and the front wall of the uptake.
The flap G can be swung to the position shown in fig. 2,
where it seals the part of the uptake between the superheater
tubes and the front wall of the uptake, so that all the gases
of combustion have to pass through the superheater. The
steam may be made to take various courses through the tubes
of the superheater, and in fig. 3 a modified arrangement
according to this invention is shown, wherein the tubes J
enter headers K, K1 respectively. The header K is divided
by a central horizontal baffle or diaphragm K2, and is pro-
vided at the top with an intake conduit L, and at the bottom
with an outlet conduit L1. In this case no baffle is required
in the header K1, and the steam enters the top half of the
header K, passing along the upper half of the tubes J, to
the header K1, where it returns by the lower half of the
tubes J, to the bottom half of the header K, and escapes by
the outlet L1. (Six claims.)

21851 (1914). Improvements in or relating to Concrete
Piles, Pillars, Beams, and other Concrete Structures. W. J.
Stewart, Elgin-street, Belfast, County Down, and J.
Woolcock, of J.' and W. Stewart, Laxton House, West-
minster, London, S.W.—Relates to concrete piles, pillars,

B-
a



bank of tubes which lies

beams, and other structures in the concrete of which steel
rods are embedded and held in position by struts and ties,
and has for its object the provision of a simple and efficient
means for tying the bars together and containing them in
their proper relation to each other, the means being designed
so as to economise material and labour in the construction

and fixing of the ties; to strengthen the hold on the con-
crete at the corner bars; and so that the material of the
ties may be so disposed as to give a better result than
hitherto in supporting the bars. The essential feature is
that the wire of which the ties are preferably constructed
is bent in .such a way as to embrace once or twice the central
rod of three rods, and to be looped round the other two, the
positions of which, in section, form an angle wtih the central
rod, the end portions of the wire being formed (into a circle
to embrace the middle rod of the three, by twisting them
together to tighten the wire circle on the central rod, and in
such a way that the twisted ends of the wire may project
from the central rod towards the heart of the concrete.
Fig. 1 is a section of a reinforced concrete pile, showing
the application of the ties in one form of the invention ; fig. 2
is a section of a pile or column of different shape and with
a large number of reinforcing rods; fig. 3 is the plan of a
link, used in connection with the arrangement shown by
fig. 1, before being placed in position on the reinforcing
rods ; fig. 4 is an end view of fig. 3. The ties a may be made
each of one piece of wire, with the ends of the wire finished
off at the middle of the link suitably for embracing the
middle rod at b, and with the ends c c of the wire projecting
inward from the angle. In making the ties, Lhe wire may
be bent round three studs or pegs of the same diameter and
at the same relative positions as the reinforcing rods on
which the ties have to be fixed. The length of wire for
the ties is decided beforehand, and cut to the required
length; and for making the link as shown in figs. 3 and 4,
the wire is looped on to the centre stud, having both ends
of equal length, and parallel to each other, the width
between the parallels being decided by the diameter of stud
employed. The ends of wire at this stage lie centrally
between the two other studs, which may form a right angle
with the centre stud. The ends of the wire are then crossed

close up to the centre stud,
loops are then formed with
the wires at the other two
studs, the ends of the wire
then returning to the centre
stud and bent round suffici-
ently on opposite sides for the
ends to lie centrally between
the outer studs and parallel
with each other. The ties
when made are placed in
position on the rods d, e f g,
and are tightened thereon by
the ends c c being twisted
together as shown by fig. 1,
a suitable wrench being used
for the purpose. The ends
of the wire, c c are finished
off in the form of a fork, in
known manner, to give a
good grip in % the heart of
the concrete. Any suitable
well-known form of strut

Z



may be used to assist the

action of the ties in stiffening the reinforcing rods, as
for instance, flat bars h k placed between the rods d
and f, and e and g at opposite corners of the structures;
or any other form of strut may be used, this invention relating
only to the ties. Any suitable number of ties may be used
lengthwise of the re-inforcing rods, and any suitable spacing
may be adopted. Four ties may be grouped together at
one position along the rods d e f g, completing the circuit
of the rods with one tie tightened on each rod; or two ties
may be tightened one on each of the rods d f at opposite
corners of the structure at one position lengthwise of the
rods, and two ties at another position tightened on the two
rods e g at the other two corners; or one tie only may be
fixed at each position lengthwise, but with four adjacent
ties tightened on each of the bars d e f g, successively to
Complete the circuit. In the arrangement shown by fig. 2,
the ties are constructed and affixed as already described.
They are made to embrace the hods n o p, q, r, s, in groups of
three, for example, nop, o p q, p q r, etc., the ends c c of
the wire being twisted together at the middle rod of each
group for tightening the tie on the reinforcing rods. The
advantages attained are : (1) The ties are simple in con-
struction and application; (2) they are more efficient in
stiffening the reinforcing rods, in conjunction with the
struts, than ties used hitherto, because of the power for
tensioning the ties supplied by the method of twisting the
ends c c at the rod, the support of the rod against the
twisting of the 'wire allowing greater twisting power to
be applied; (3) material and labour are saved, because it is
possible to use a lesser number of ties owing to their greater
efficiency; (4) the efficiency may be further increased by the
method of bending the ties lengthwise of the reinforcing rods ;
and (5) the method of twisting the wire ends c c at the rods,
together with the provision of a forked end, anchors the
rods directly to the concrete, thus binding them into the
structure in a better way than hitherto. (Two claims )

The usual list of new patents connected with the coal
and iron trades will be found on page 90.

At a meeting of the Belfast Corporation on Monday, a
resolution was adopted to the effect that, as none of the Irish
coal merchants will, enter into arrangements with the local
authorities for the limitation of their profits, as suggested by
the Board of Trade, and as the Irish consumer has a further
grievance by reason of. the exorbitant freight charges which
are added to the cost of the coal, it is necessary that special
legislation be introduced for the protection of the Irish con-
sumers. It was also decided to ask the Lord Mayors of
Dublin and Cork if they would confer with the Lord Mayor
of Belfast on the subject.

Almanacks and Calendars, 1916.—Messrs. Wm. J". Glover
and Company, the well-known wire rope and cable manu-
facturers, whose works are at St. Helens, Lancashire; Messrs.
R. Y. Pickering and Company Limited, railway carriage and
wagon builders, and makers of wheels and axles, etc.; and
Messrs, the Diamond Coal Cutter Company Limited, of
Wakefield, makers of the well-known “ Diamond ” cutting
machines and conveyors, have sent us useful office calendars
of the monthly tear-off sheet type.