June 16, 1916. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1155 THE FREIGHT MARKET. Outward chartering has been seriously impeded during the past week by reason of tonnage shortage. There is a very large enquiry for collier tonnage, 'both for France at the restricted rates and for other Allied and neutral Continental countries at “free trade’’ figures. The coal markets are inundated with enquiries for coals and coke, but by reason of the shortage—due to a variety of causes, including con- gestion at Rouen, delay at Norwegian ports, and the general disinclination of neutral owners to accept limited rates for France—comparatively little business is possible. At the Tyne, Mediterranean rates “ dipped ” to 90s. to Genoa in the course of the w7eek, but recovered to 97s. 6d. For the French Mediterranean, 90s. has been paid to Mar- seilles. Algiers and Oran are each 7s. 6d. down on the week. Coasting business is not being done. When last heard of, it was based on about 12s. to London, but would probably now be more. A good deal of French Atlantic business has been done at the restricted rates. Baltic rates have been easier, but are now stronger again. At South Wales, rates all round are now rising, although generally lower on the week. Other shipping centres are similarly affected by the dearth of tonnage. Homeward business is very limited in volume at present. Australia is quoted at 110s., Government terms. Nitrate ports are quiet, and requirements are covered by requisitioned tonnage. There is not much demand for grain tonnage from the United States, and from 8s. 6d. to 8s. 9d. from the Northern Range to the United Kingdom is the current quota- tion. There are few7 cotton tonnage orders at from 135s. to 140s., net form. Savannah has paid 240s. net to Archangel. American coal freights are easier, at from 80s. to 85s. to the River Blate, 130s. to Marseilles, and 127s. 6d. to West Italy. Lumber rates are steady, at about 560s. from the Gulf to the United Kingdom, and 660s. to West Italy. Deals are inactive, at 360s. from Canada. The River Plate is practically steady at 160s. for up-river loading in July, but is quoted at only 130s. for September. Vladivostock is quoted at about 165s. for beans. The rice ports are steady, with Burmah at from 140s. to 145s., and Saigon at from 160s. to 162s. 6d. The East Indies are dull and weaker, Bombay to two p.p. being done at 112s. 6d. on d.w., and Kurrachee at 90s. scale. The Mediterranean and ore ports are steady. Alexandria is paying from 52s. 6d. to 55s. on, 60 cubic to the East Coast of the United Kingdom. Tyne to Algiers, 6,000, 60s. ; Boulogne, 500, 42s. fid., coke; 700, 27s. 6d.; 2,000, 26s. 6d.; Barcelona, 3,500, 70s.; 1,600, 71s.; Bordeaux, 2,000, 40s.; Cherbourg, 1,400, 26s. 6d. ; Calais, 500, 42s. 6d., coke; Caen, 1,100, 26s. 6d., 450; 700, 27s. fid.; Drammen, 1,600, 34 kr.; Dieppe, 1,200, 26s. ; Dun- kirk, 1,900, 28s. 6d. ; 500, 42s. 6d., coke; 550, 42s. fid., coke; 900. 42s. 6d., coke; 300, 42s. 6d., coke; 550, 29s. 6d. ; East- Norway, 1,250. 35 kr.; Gefle, 2,500, 351 kr. ; 2,000, 36 kr. ; Genoa, 3,100, 90s.; 5,200, 90s.; 3,500, 95s.; 1,700, 95s.; Havre, 1,700, 1,400, 25s. 6d. ; Hommelvik, 1,500, 40 kr. ; Lisbon, 3,000. 50s. ; Marseilles, 2,000, 90s. ; 4,200, 90s. ; Oran, 1,600, 60s.; Rochefort, 2,000, 35s.; Rouen, 2,600, 2,000, 1,800, 2,300, 1.500, 27s. 6cl. ; St. Servan, 1,300, 2?s. fid.; Treport, 700, 27s. 6d.; Trouville, 300, 27s. fid. Cardiff to Algiers, 1,400, 50s.; Barcelona, 1,800, 65s. ; Dunkirk. 2,250. 27s. fid.; Dieppe. 1,800, 24s. fid.; Gibraltar, 5.800, 35s., 500; 1,500, 40s., 400; Genoa, 1,800, 77s. fid.; 2,600, 75s. ; 3,500, 80s. ; 2,700, 82s. fid. ; Honfleur, 1,100, 21s.: Lisbon. 1,650, 37s. fid.; Leghorn, 1,800, 77s. 6d.; 3.500, 80s.; 82s. fid.; Malaga, 1.500, 50s. ; Marseilles, 2,600, 77<. fid. : 2,500, 78s. 6d. : 2,500, 80s. ; Morlaix, 34 fr. ; Malta, 2.700, 80s. ; Naples, 5,400. 85s., 1,000; Oporto, 950, 35s. 3d. ; Oran, 1,500, 46s. 3d. ; River Plate, 4,000, 40s., June; Rouen, 1,400. 24s. fid.; St. Malo, 1,600, 21s.; 680, 900, 700, 22s.; St. Servan, 1,600, 21s. ; Savona, 3,500, 80s.; 2,700, 82s. 6d. ; Spezzia, 3,500, 80s.; St. Michaels,. 6,000, 32s. 6d., 500; Trouville, 600,. 24s. Swansea to Havre, 650, 23s. 6d. ; St. Malo, 300, 22s.; St. Brieux, 550, 25s.; Barcelona. 1,300. 62s. fid.; Morlaix, 380, 25s. 9d., fuel; Dieppe, 650, 24s. 6d., fuel, coal terms; Dublin, 300, 14s. ; Granville, 750, 24s. ; La Rochelle or Rochefort, 1.500, 25s. ; Marseilles, 2,500, 85s.; Genoa, Savona, or Spezzia, 1,800, 87s. 6d. Newport to Gibraltar, 1,500, 40s., 500; Genoa or Savona, 3,000, 80s.; Genoa, Savona, Spezzia, or Leghorn, 3,500, 80s.; Naples, 5,400, 85s., 1,000. Port Talbot to St. Malo or St. Servan, 520, 22s.; Nantes, 29s. Hull to Bordeaux, 2,000, 40s.; Dunkirk, 350, 44s., coke; Gothenburg, 2,000. Birkenhead to Alexandria, 90s. Glasgow to Leghorn, 80s. Goole to Cherbourg, 670, 28s. Wales to River Plate, 5,000, 47s. fid. Methil to Rouen, 30s. 6d. Norwegian Ships and Maximum Freights.—In connection with the new7 system of maximum freights, Mr. T. Salvesen, secretary of the Norwegian Ship Owners’ Association in Christiania, has calculated the cost of sending a steamer from the Tyne to Rouen with coals and bringing her back in ballast. Air. Salvesen takes a Norwegian steamer of 1,700 tons dead weight. Commission he puts at 2| per cent., or £55 ; disbursements in the Tyne TSO, and at Rouen .£130. Discounts of Id per cent, amounts to £27 10s., the North Sea pilot’s fee £25, and' 80 tons of bunkers £160. War insurance, say, of 2 per cent, on 1,000,000 kr. amounts to 20,000 kr.; hull insurance at 5| per cent, per annum, 2,187-50 kr.; and freight insurance (war and other) of 3| per cent, on £2,200, 144 kr., making together 23,331-50 kr., or £477 10s. Wages to crew for '14 days amount to 1,90-7 kr. Norwegian tonnage dues at 1-50 kr. per gross ton per month amount to 826-50 kr., deck and engine stores to 416 kr., and management 100 kr., making 26,581 kr., or £1,661 6s., and giving total expenses of £2,138 16s. The maximum freight allowed for the cargo is 27s. 6d., yield- ing £2,200, and leaving a surplus of £61 4s., or “some 2-3 per cent.,” on the price paid for the steamer to cover wear and tear. Mr. Salvesen remarks :—“ I feel convinced that no sbip owner in Great Britain will find the above balance an adequate result in the present circumstances. It is plain that it leaves no dividend to the shareholder.” ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 5743 (1915). Improvements in Tipping Wagons. P. A. H. Mossay and Alossay and Company Limited, both of-Queen Anne’s-chambers, Westminster, S.W.—Relates to tipping wagons in Avhich the body of the wagon is caused to slide towards the rear and is also tilted. The screw7-threaded shaft, Avhich slides the body on the chassis, is provided Avith tw7o portions of different pitch Avith Avhich separate nuts engage, said nuts being connected by the toggle links to the body of the wagon whereby a tilting effect is obtained. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view, and fig. 2 is a plan. In one form, the body a or load platform is mounted on the chassis b Avith an initial tilt, the front of the platform being slightly higher than the rear and supported on pillars or the like c. These pillars have rollers d mounted thereon to run on the side frames of the chassis. Near the rear of the load platform and at each side there are provided angle irons / containing elongated slots e. Rollers mounted in brackets h on the chassis are adapted to work in the slots e in the angle irons /. During the tipping motion the grooves pass over the rollers, and the load platform thus traverses rearwardly with only rolling friction, a slightly increased tilt being imparted to the body, without the necessity of raising the centre of gravity, through the pillars c supporting the body w7ith an initial tilt and the freedom of the rearward part of the body to slide down over the rollers. A mere movement rearwardly of the platform w7ould lower the centre of gravity of tlie load platform. A slight raising movement Avhich would practically maintain this centre of gravity at a constant lever could thus be imparted to the load platform without doing any material amount of work. To this end a threaded shaft j is mounted centrally in the chassis. The fore part j1 of this shaft is threaded Avith a screw7 of larger pitch than the rear part n of the same. The shaft is pro- vided with bevel gearing k adapted to be operated by a handle placed on a shaft m at the side of the w7agon. Engaging with the fore paid /' of the screw7 is a nut o having- rollers p which run on a channel race pl -arranged centrally in the chassis. A similar nut o2, provided w’ith rollers p2, engages the rear portion n of the shaft. Long links q and short links ql connect the front and rear nuts respectively to a central pivot r fixed to the load platform. (Two claims.) 5988 (1915). Improvements in the Furnaces of Steam Boilers. N. D. F. Johnson, of Royston Works, Upper Richmond-road, Putney, S.W.—Relates to the furnaces of steam boilers, and more particularly to furnaces provided with a secondary grate, behind the ordinary furnace grate, Avhich secondary grate has suitably supported above it, blocks of asbestos or other material having the property of absorb- ing and radiating a large amount of heat. The furnace comprises a secondary grate located preferably behind the ordinary grate, and provided Avith a number of plates having apertures between such plates, a suitable number of blocks of asbestos or other refractory material being provided adapted to rest upon or betAveen the plates. The plates carrying the asbestos blocks have hinged. thereto flaps or louvres forming valves, which flaps are adapted to be operated by arms or levers connected to a rod passing to the front of the boiler, Avhich rod may be actuated by hand or by automatic means. The figure show7s a longitudinal section of a Cornish boiler fitted AATith the improvements ; a show7s the ashpit, and b a casting, with a port or aperture c ; d are plates carrying asbestos blocks e; f are flaps or louvres, forming valves immediately beloAV the blocks e, and pivoted at g to the plates d, and connected by arms or levers h to the rod i, passing through the ashpit to the front of the boiler, p shoAvs the furnace bars. The rod i may be actuated by hand or by the mechanism showm in the draw7- ing. j is a cylinder, Avith a piston k. The opposite ends of the cylinders on each side of the piston communicate by a tube m, a suitable valve n being interposed. The piston rod o is connected by levers Avith the long rod i. The cylinder is preferably filled Avith oil or any other suitable mixture. When the furnace door is opened, for firing, the piston is driven to one end of the cylinder, and wflien the door is again closed the liquid slowly travels through the tube m until the piston gradually resumes its former position, sloAvly closing the louvres or valves. (Three claims.) 6165 (1915). Improvements in Machines for. Stoking Gas Retorts and the like. J. Terrace, of Gas Works, Grimsby. —Relates to machines or apparatus for charging gas retorts and the like Avith coal or simultaneously charging through retorts writh coal and discharging or pushing out the coke or spent charge, and comprises two vertical side plates con- nected together and held at the required distance apart by stays to form a bottomless scoop and means located outside the retort for feeding or propelling the coal forward along the bottom of the retort betw7een the side plates of the scoop as the scoop is advanced into the retort. A hinged push plate is provided at the forward end of the scoop, and pushes out the spent charge as the scoop enters the retort, and means are also provided for preventing the withdraAval of the charge as the scoop is Avithdrawm from the retort. The coal propelling means consists of an endless band conveyor mounted on supports on the travelling machine and driven therefrom. The scoop lies immediately over the conveyor, the coal being fed into the same and being supported and fed forAvard by the conveyor, which may be driven at the same speed as the scoop. As the scoop completes its feed stroke a stop plate is advanced over the conveyor and apron plate and held in the mouth of the retort, during the return move- ment of the scoop. The vertical side plates of the scoop are preferably maintained at the required distance apart by arched stays, and may be rigid or jointed. Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of part of a retort charging and discharging machine showing the machine end of the scoop, the endless band conveyor, part of the stop operating- mechanism, Avinding drum and part of the main frameAVork of the travelling machine upon Avhich the charging and discharging apparatus is mounted. Fig. 2 is a plan illustrating the part of the scoop showm in fig. 1, and the stop. The scoop is constructed of side plates ■x connected together and maintained at the desired distance apart by arched stays b. At the forAvard end a hinged push plate a1 is arranged for pushing out the spent charge. The side plates a of the scoop may be each in one length, or divided into hinged sections. The scoop can be Avound on a drum c which serves for advancing the scoop into the retort or Avithdrawfing same. BeloAA7 the shoot d, Avliich is connected with a feed, and deposits the coal betAveen the side plates a of the scoop, an endless band con- veyor e is mounted on rollers f carried on bearing brackets q bolted to the vertically adjustable channel frame members h of the travelling machine, the end bearings being mounted to slide in their supporting brackets and provided Avith screw7s g1 Avhereby the tension of the conveyor band can be adjusted. For driving, a toothed wheel i is mounted on the drum c and actuates a pinion j keyed to one end of a shaft k Avhich rotates in a bearing bracket I bolted to a frame member m forming part of the vertically adjustable frame of the travelling machine. Power is conveyed to the con- veyor e from the shaft k by EAvart chain or other gear n, for y' /OOWj V T Z 9 e. \ 9J\y FZ# 2. which purpose chain wheels o o' are mounted on the shaft k and end roller of the conveyor respectively. A stop plate is fixed to a guide rod q arranged to slide in guides r and is normally held in a retracted position behind the conveyor e by a weight s connected w7ith the stop plate by Avire ropes or chains sl led over suitable guide pulleys on the travelling machine. Pins on the side plates of the scoop engage the stop plate and carry it forward Avith the scoop to push into the retort the last portion of the charge over the apron plate, and Avhen the stop plate comes inside the mouth of the retort the guide rod q is engaged by a catch t which main- tains the stop plate in position during the w7ithdraAATal of the scoop and prevents any portion of tile charge of coal from being dragged out of the retort by the scoop. When the scoop leaves the retort the stop is released by a trigger or tappet u on the drum c which tilts the catch t, alloAving the stop plate to be drawm back by the Aveight s. A bridge plate v on the travelling machine bridges the space betAveen the conveyor band and retort mouth, forming a bottom for the scoop as it passes between the travelling machine and the retort mouth. The plate v is trough-shaped and pivoted to the main frame at v‘, being connected by ropes or the like Avith a counter weight. (Four claims.) 7839 (1915). Device for Changing Regenerating Cart- ridges of Breathing Apparatus. Hanseatische Apparatebau- Gesellschaft, vorm. L. von Bremen and Co. mit Beschrankter Haftung, Werk Ravensberg, Kiel, Germany. —Relates to portable breathing apparatus of the kind in Avhich regenerative cartridges are employed for continuously purifying the exhaled air, and consists of a movable conduit portion adapted to telescope within a fixed portion of the air circulating system, and acts both as a clamping member for the cartridge and as a valve controlling member for the a ir ducts. When the’ movable conduit portion is telescoped Avithin the fixed portion, the cartridge is disconnected from the air circulating system, and the breathing a.ir is by-passed directly to the returned conduit, and when the movable con- duit is in its extended or drawn-out position the cartridge is clamped in position and the course of the breathing air system changed so that the air must pass through the