724

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

April 14, 1916.

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

735 (1915). Improvements in Crushing, Grinding, and
Pulverising Machines. W. H. Coward, of Niagara Mills,
Kelston, Somerset County.—Relates to improvements in
crushing, pulverising and grinding machinery of the revolv-
ing drum type with interior edge runners. The primary
features in this machine are a cylindrical drum revolving in
a vertical plane, and supported on ball or roller bearings
of large diameter arranged between the outer periphery of
the drum and the inner periphery of a suitable casing, also

23 "//
//

the drum is driven by worm or spur gearing, and the edge
runner gears with the drum by semicircular teeth, such as
have been employed previously in ring mills. An improved
method is claimed through having a series of balls or rollers
kept apart by links or pipes, whereby they are carried in a
continuous chain around the whole periphery of the mill.
The accompanying drawing is a longitudinal elevation with
part in section in accordance with the invention. (Four
claims.)

3250 (1915). Improvements in and relating to Couplings
for Shafts and the like for Well Sinking, Boring, and
analogous Operations. C. F. Perkins, and Perkins
Macintosh Petroleum Tool and Boring Company Limited,
25 .and 27, Bishopsgate, London.—Relates to couplings
employed to connect shafts and the like, more particularly
of the kind employed for well sinking, boring, and analogous
purposes, which are usually provided with ia screw-threaded
portion at one end adapted to engage a nut portion at the
adjacent end of the part with which it is to be coupled.
The invention has >as its object to provide means whereby

the conically screw-threaded portions may be co-axially
^arranged before the screw threads are brought into engage-
ment with each other. These means consist of providing
both the male and female portion of the coupling with one
or more cylindrical portions so situated with relation to the
screw-threaded portions as to be engaged before the threads
of the said screw-threaded portions come into contact with
each other. The accompanying drawing illustrates the
adjacent ends of two shafts or elements of a string of
percussion drilling tools provided with the improved self-
centring coupling. (Two claims.)

2779 (1915). Improvements in Rock Drilling and other
Pneumatic and like Tools. J. H. A. Macadam, of No. 68,
10th Avenue, Mayfair, Johannesburg; and J. Thirlwell,
Ariston, Transvaal, South Africa.—Relates to improvements
in rock drills or machines and other pneumatic and like
tools in which the distribution of the compressed air or
other actuating pressure fluid to both sides of the piston is
controlled by a valve housed within and moving with the
piston, the actuating fluid being conveyed to the valve
chamber by a tubular member movable with the piston, and
has for its object to simplify and improve such drills or
machines. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the cylinder
showing the piston and other parts in elevation; fig. 2 is a
section of the piston, the valve box housed therein and
portion of the rifle bar; fig. 3 is a transverse section of
fig. 2 on line x—x; fig. 4 is -a section of fig. 1 through
the ratchet mechanism and rifle bar. 1 denotes the cylinder
of the machine, which is provided with the longitudinal
ribs 2, 3, at the bottom to allow the cylinder 1 to be
carried in any suitable type of shell or cradle, and it is
also provided .at the bottom with a released projection 4 to
carry the feed nut. The cylinder 1 has one or more exhaust
ports 5 midway between the extreme limits of travel of the
piston 6, and is closed at both ends; the front end by an
internally bored head 7 constructed in halves, and the rear
end by an internally bored head 8 made in one piece; 9, 10
are rings round the front and back heads 7, 8, and con-
nected together by means of ordinary side bolts, thereby
keeping the heads 7, 8 in position at and closing the ends of
cylinder 1; 11 is the piston rod integral with the piston 6,
which reciprocates in the cylinder 1; 12 is a chuck on the
outer end of the piston rod for holding the drill steel. The
piston 6, at its rear end, has .a hollow or tubular rifle bar
or helically grooved extension 13 which moves backwards
and forwards, when the drill or machine is in operation, in
a rifled or correspondingly grooved nut 14, which is arranged
in and non-rotatably attached to a ratchet wheel 15;
13a being a guide for the rifle bar 13. The ratchet wheel
15 is housed within a counter bore 16 at the rear end of the
cylinder 1. In recesses 17, 18 in the counterbore 16 there
are arranged pawls 19, 20, which engage the teeth of the
ratchet wheel 15; 21, 22 are springs which keep the pawls in

engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 15. The
pawls prevent rotation, in one direction, of the ratchet
wheel 15 and -nut 14 in the backward movement of the
piston rod, intermittent rotary motion being then imparted
to the rifle bar 13, piston 6, piston rod 11, chuck 12 and
drill steel. The rifle bar 13 has an exteriorly threaded head
23, which screws into a threaded recess 24 in the rear end of
the piston 6. In the bottom of the recess 24 and held in
position by the head 23 is the valve box or casing 25, made
in two parts, the one part being open and the other closed,
at the centre. Between, them is an .annular chamber 26
which communicates with the interior of the hollow rifle bar
13’ by holes 27 in the valve box near the inner end of the
bar 13. In each part of the valve box is a ring of holes
28, 29, those in the one half being placed opposite the holes
29 in the other half when the parts of the valve box are
in position. The valve box has at each side an annular
recess 30, 31; the one recess 30 placing all the holes 28 in
communication at the outside of the valve box, and the other
recess 31 placing all the holes 29 in communication at the
other side of the valve box; 32 represents a plurality of
longitudinal holes through the head or enlargement 23.
These holes place the bore of the cylinder 1 at the back of
the piston 6 in communication with the annular recess 31;
33 represent a plurality of longitudinal holes through the
piston 6, which holes place the bore of the cylinder 1 at
the front of the piston 6 in communication with the annular
recess 30. The holes 32, 33 form the induction ports leading
from the valve box to the back and front of the piston 6
respectively. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the employment of a
plurality of ball valves 34, one for each pair of the holes
28, 29. As shown in fig. 3, the chamber 26 is constructed,
as shown at 35, around the holes 28, 29 so as to serve as a
guide for the balls 34 and to maintain them in their correct
positions relative to the holes 28, 29; 3'6 is the feed pipe
which conducts the compressed air or motive fluid into the
rifle bar 13. It is partially housed within the back head 8

.

8

of the machine, which is counterbored at its rear end to take
a flange 37 on the rear end of said feed pipe. The other
end of this pipe 36 passes into the bore of the hollow rifle
bar 13, which slides over the end of the feed pipe 36 when
the piston is reciprocating. The bore of the back head of
the drill is large enough to allow the rifle bar to slide freely,
and said back head is screwed internally at the rear end
as indicated at 39 to accommodate the connection for the
motive fluid supply pipe. The front head 7 of the drill is
provided with >a packing recess 40 near its rear end, and
is lined with a bushing 41, also in two pieces in a
longitudinal direction, as indicated at 42. The bushing 41
has a central annular projection 43, which fits in a recess
44 in the front head, and prevents longitudinal displacement
of the bushing. (Five claims.)

3393 (1915). Improvements in Mine Shaft Signalling
Apparatus. R. S. Scott, of Mountain View, Thornhill,
Dewsbury, Yorkshire; and J. Wheatley, of 8, South View,
Thornhill Lees, Dewsbury, aforesaid.—Relates particularly
to visual signalling indicators, and consists of an indicator,
placed within the engine room, which is adapted to give
aural and visual signals. For this purpose, a suitable casing
is employed, having two dials at its front side, one for signals
from the onsetter, and one for the banksman. Each dial is
divided into numbered spaces corresponding to or indicating
certain signals, and the two dials are each provided with two
pointers, one on the front and one behind the dial, adapted to
be operated according to the desired signal by the onsetter or
the banksman by means of cables attached to their respective
operating levers. Both pointers are, when a signal is given,
operated at the back of the casing by an arrangement of levers
and pawls operating on ratchet wheels. The mechanism for
operating the pointers is so arranged and constructed that an
aural sound upon one of two bells is given simultaneously
with the visual signal, one pointer indicating the visual signal
not being interfered with when the other pointer on the same
dial is operated, while all the pointers remain at the positions
given until the signal is complete, and has been complied with
—when they are all automatically returned to zero on start-
ing up the engine. When a signal has been given to the
winding engineman, and accepted by the banksman or the
onsetter, as the case may be, the engineman starts his engine
in order to comply with the signal, whereupon a bowl on the
winding drum is brought into contact with a sliding plate,
and operates mechanism which moves a releasing lever in
such a manner as to bring all the signals back to zero, i.e.,
the men must be in the cage, and the cage or cages in motion
in the shaft, before the indicator can be brought to zero.
When a signal has been complied with, the releasing lever
is automatically latched by means of the mechanism attached
to the engine. Operating in conjunction with the aforesaid
mechanism, means operated from the shaft indicator may
be provided for preventing the releasing lever being moved
and further signals being given from the pit whilst the cages
are in motion in the shaft. Combined with such improved
visual signal indicator is provided a seam indicator, to indicate
the seam in connection with which a signal is given. Fig. 1
is a front elevation of an indicator constructed according to
the invention; fig. 2 is a rear elevation partly in section,
showing the interior of the casing and the dial and pointer

mechanism in zero position; fig. 3 shows a detached elevation
of the upper portion of the mechanism shown in fig. 2, show-
ing the ratchets released on a signal being complied with;.

FIg. 1

2

^sanksman'



fig. 4 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale of the
upper portion of the pointer mechanism and dials. (Six
claims.)

3675 (1915). Improvements in and relating to Fuel Feed-
ing Apparatus for Furnaces. R. Niedergesaess, of 1235,
10th-avenue West, Seattle, King County, Washington,
U.S.A.—Has particular reference to the kind of apparatus
wherein the fuel is fed from a hopper to the base or lower
end of a vertically arranged fuel receptacle, having con-
veying means which lift the fuel to the fire zone of the
apparatus, and means for supplying a quantity of air to the
fuel to aid its combustion. The invention consists in an
apparatus comprising a hopper communicating with the lower
end of a vertically arranged fuel receptacle provided with
conveying means and means for automatically supplying and
maintaining at a predetermined level, a liquid, at the lower
end of the fuel receptacle. A further feature consists in the
provision of spiral ribs formed on the innei' walls of the fuel
receptacle, and a spiral lifting screw or screw blades arranged
centrally of the receptacle, the thread or blades of the screw
being inclined oppositely to that of the inclination of the
spiral ribs. This conveyor for the fuel has a hollow core or

a 7,°\ a-

ss



tube, through which air passes to radially-disposed nozzles,
which distribute the air to the fuel. Fig. 1 is a view in
vertical longitudinal section of apparatus; fig. 2 is a hori-
zontal sectional view through the air-supplying means; fig. 3
is a fragmentary detached view in front elevation of a portion
of the transmission apparatus employed. (Four claims.)

3677 (1915). Improvements in and relating to By-Product
Recovery from Gas Producers and the like. N. Testrup,
of 3, Dean Farrar-street, Westminster; London; T.. Rigby,
of 61, Loreburn-street, Dumfries, Scotland; and Wetcar-
bonizing Limited, of 3, Dean Farrar-street, Westminster,
London.—Consists in an improved method of utilising the
tar condensed from the gases of producers or blast furnaces
using fuels, such as peat or bituminous coal, containing
volatile matter, according to which, after distilling oil from
the tar, the residual pitch is added again as fuel, thereby
increasing the total yield of oil. The invention further con-
sists in the improved methods of increasing the yield of
by-products, and decreasing fuel consumption as hereinafter
described. In carrying the invention into effect, the pitch
obtained from the distillation of tar is distributed to the
producer in such a manner that it is subjected to distillation
by means of the outgoing gas, care being taken in the arrange-
ment that' the pitch is completely distilled before the residue
reaches the zone of combustion. In order to achieve the
foregoing result, the pitch is mixed as intimately as possible
with the fuel, either in the liquid form by spraying, or by
mixing with the fuel in the form of small pieces. . In the
latter case, the pitch is preferably broken into pieces about
the size of an egg, or of such size as to be uniform with the
particles of fuel by which the gas producer is fed. The depth
of the gas producer is preferably so arranged that the distilla-
tion of the pitch is complete before the residue reaches the
combustion zone, which results in a high proportion of the
volatile matter distilled from the pitch being carried forward
in the producer gas as condensable products. The final result
is that the tar, which is condensed from the gas in the tar