734

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

April 13, 1917.

CONTRACTS OPEH FOR COAL AND COKE.

For Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late
for inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last
. White pages.

' Abstracts of Contracts Open.

Bury (Lancashire), April 24. — Coal and coke (six
months) for the Joint Hospital Board. Forms from F.
Wild, clerk, Cross-street, Bury.

Cardigan, April 26.—20 tons culm for the Cardigan
Guardians. Tenders to D. Davies, clerk, Workhouse, St.
Dogmaels.

Hertford, April 16.—Coal and coke (seven months) for
the Corporation. Forms from the borough surveyor, The
Castle, Hertford.

Hoylake (Cheshire), April 28. — Best Arley cobbles,
free from slack, blasting powder, and other explosives, for
the Urban District Council. Forms from the engineer,
Town Hall, Hoylake.

Maud (Aberdeen), April 24.—Coal (12 months) for the
Poorhouse. Forms from Mr. J. Niven, governor, Maud.

Rhyl, April 17.—5,500 tons screened gas coal and 100
tons best house coal, f.o.r. Rhyl, during 12 months, for the
LTrban District Council. Forms from the Gas Engineer’s
Office, Paradise-street, Rhyl.

The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be
received.

COMTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON

AMD STEEL WORK, le.

London, W., April 25.—Mechanical Stokers, etc.-—
Mechanical stokers, induced fan draughts, boiler feed
pumps, centrifugal pumps, etc., for the Hammersmith
Borough Council. Forms from the engineer, Electricity
Department, 85, Fulham Palace-road.

COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES.
REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS.

Arauco Company Limited. — The gross profits for-1916
amounted to <£117,336; after charging debenture service
and adding £9,377 brought in, there is £86,904. The
directors recommend a distribution of 5 per cent., free of
tax, making 10 per cent, for year, placing £10,000 to
reserve, £10,000 to equalisation of dividend reserve,
£5,000 to coal extension reserve, and £5,000 to renewal
reserve, carrying forward £9,122. Gross railway traffic
£118,845, net £61,244. Net profits of mines £58,339. Out-
put of coal 118,129 tons, and sales 183,316 tons.

Cammell, Laird and Company Limited.—The report for
1916 states that the year’s trading resulted in a profit of
£321,372, an increase of £17,530. The profits, after pro-
viding special and ordinary depreciation, and after paying
debenture and bank interest and all charges, amount to
£321,372, and £49,150 was brought in, making £370,522.
After deducting interim dividends paid in October last,
there remains £311,200. The directors recommend a divi-
dend of 7s. 6d. per share on ordinary shares, less tax,
making 10 per cent, for the year, and to appropriate
£109,000 to reserve, leaving £94,494 to be carried forward.

NEW COMPANIES.

Brown (P. R.) and Company Limited. — Private com-
pany. Registered March 20. To carry on the business of
engineers, etc. Capital, £2,000 in £1 shares.

Russo-British Coaling Company Limited.—Registered
office, 149, Leadenhall-street, London, E.C. To carry on
the business of coal exporters, bunkering agents, coal con-
tractors, coal, coke, patent fuel, and oil merchants, colliery
owners, etc. Capital, £4,500 in £1 shares (3,000 “ A ” and
1,500 “ B ”). Directors : W. A. H. Hulton, R. H. Thomp-
son, N. M. Snowball, J. McLennan, and C. Roscorla.

This list of new companies is taken from the Daily
Register specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan ana Sons
Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C.

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

104368. Improvements in Processes for Controlling Com-
bustion in Coking Plants. W. J. Mellersh-Jackson, of the
firm of Haseltine, Lake and Company, 28, Southampton-
buildings, London. (Communication from H. Koppers
Company.) This invention relates to the control of the
combustion of the fuel used for coking in coking plants,
and more particularly to the control of the combustion of
fuels of rapid combustibility. The use of rich coke oven
or other gas of high hydrogen content has commonly been
the source of loss of valuable by-products by reason of the
intense heating of the lower portions of the coke mass,
and also loss of valuable time and fuel by reason of the
length of time which combustion must take place to
further coke the upper layers of the coal. It is broadly
the object of this invention to provide a process which
will permit coke oven or other gas rich in hydrogen to be
much more efficiently and economically employed than has
heretofore been possible in coking plants, and to permit it
to be burned at safe yet highly effective temperatures
without danger of injuring or destroying the plant or any
of the valuable commercial by-products obtainable in the
conversion of coal into coke, and which will accomplish
the conversion of all of the coal in the coking chambers
into coke simultaneously and in the shortest possible time
through the even distribution of proper heat to all parts
of the partition walls between the coking and combustion
chambers. It is a further object of the invention to pro-
vide a process for controlling the combustion in coking
plants and the like which will permit either a slowly com-
bustible gas or a rapidly combustible gas to be employed
with high efficiency in a coking plant, and without altera-
tion or reconstructon of the internal structure of the plant.
The accompanying drawing illustrates a prefered appar-
atus for carrying out the process, the apparatus forming
the subject of a co-pending application, No.' 104369. This
is a transverse vertical sectional view through the plant,
on which are indicated the directions of flow of the air
and gas, For the purpose of illustrating this invention,

its application has been shown on the drawings to coking
plants in which are incorporated either coking ovens of
the “combination” type or the “plain” type, the “com-
bination ” type providing for either preheating the fuel gas
by passing it through the regenerators or admitting it
without preheating directly to the combustion chambers,
and the “ plain ” type leading it directly to the combustion
chambers without any provision for preheating. If the
fuel gas is to be introduced into the combustion chambers
23 without being preheated by the regenerators, it is con-
ducted through the pipe or main 26, which connects at
proper intervals with a cross pipe or main 36 extending
beneath each set or series of combustion chambers, and
from which suitable connections lead to the apertures or
inlets 25. The two sets of regenerators 27 are alternately
operable, one heating the air, or the air and fuel gas, while
the other is becoming heated by the hot burnt gases from
the combustion chambers. Each series of combustion
chambers has an opening at 37 throughout its length above
the tops of the walls 38, which separate the individual com-
bustion chambers 23, as shown in the figure. The burnt gas
resulting from combustion in the combustion chambers 23,
which are located above the regenerators preheating the air
or the fuel gas, flows from these chambers and passes over
and down through the remaining chambers or the cham-
bers communicating with the other said regenerators,
through which they are drawn into a flue 39. When the
plant is operating on producer gas or any other lean gas
that is slowly combustible and of low calorific value, the
burning of the gas in the combustion chambers evenly dis-
tributes the heat to the walls between these chambers and
the coking chambers, when the gas and. air are drawn
through the plant by the draught of the stack, for because
of the great proportion .of inert constituents in such gas,
and consequently the slow rate at which gas of this char-
acter burns, the stack draught, is able to move the burn-
ing gas substantially to the top of the combustion cham-



Z5

bers before combustion is complete, producing thereby a
flame extending to the top or substantially to the top of
each combustion chamber. When, however, it is desired
to use a gas rich in hydrogen, such as coke oven gas, its
rapid combustibility prevents the burning of the gas under
ordinary conditions above the lower portion of the com-
bustion chambers, concentrating greatly the heat at this
portion, while the upper parts remain relatively cool. Of
late years there has been a marked tendency in the art to
which this invention pertains to extend materially the
height of the combustion chambers, and also due to
numerous changes in the industry, to obtain from the
coking ovens a gas for fuel in the combustion chambers
of increased hydrogen content, both the increase in height
of the combustion chambers and the increase of hydrogen
content having rendered more difficult the proper distri-
bution of the heat in the combustion chambers. The coke
oven gas cannot effectively be forced into the combustion
chambers under pressure to produce the long flames, which
would evenly heat their side walls because of the rela-
tively low specific gravity of the gas. A further disad-
vantage that appears to be present where velocity of the
air alone is relied upon to extend the combustion to near
the tops of the combustion chambers is the loss of heat
through the too rapid outflow from the regenerators that
are being heated. In accordance with this invention, it is
contemplated that the oxygen content of the air, which
has a determining effect upon the rate of combustion,
shall be lowered, and this is accomplished by the introduc-
tion into the air of combustion, before delivery to the
regenerators, of a gas poor in or free from oxygen, flue gas
preferably being employed because of its ready avail-
ability in plants of this character. The mixture thus
formed may be forced into the combustion chambers under
pressure, or it may merely be introduced in the ordinary
manner. The rate of combustion can positively and accu-
rately be governed through the various dampers and
through the control of the fans to meet the requirements
of the particular coal being coked, for, as is well known
to those skilled in the art, coking coal varies greatly in
its composition and in the treatment needed to produce the
best results, both as regards the production of the coke
itself and the production of the by-products. This inven-
tion also permits the attainment of a substantially rela-
tively even high heating efficiency, whether gas of low
hydrogen content or gas of high hydrogen content be
employed, without altering the internal arrangement of the
plant. Coking plants designed for the use of producer
or other gas of low hydrogen content, because of the slow
burning nature of gases of this sort must have relatively
large port openings, and must be given dimensions which
will permit this gas to burn at best efficiency. These
dimensions and the area of the ports are ordinarily too
large for the most efficient utilisation of coke oven or other
gas high in hydrogen. The practice of this invention,
however, permits of coke oven or other gas of high
hydrogen content to be used with high efficiency in coking
plants constructed primarily for best efficiency when
operating with producer or other gas poor in hydrogen.
(Eleven claims.)

104437. Improvements in Creepers for Raising Trams
or Tubs Carrying Coal or other Material from a Lower to
a Higher Level. G. E. Llewelyn, Bryngarw House, Bryn-
menyn; and F. S. Carter, 8, Broad-street, Port Talbot.—
This invention relates to creepers for raising trams or tubs
carrying coal or other material from a lower to a higher
level. Creepers of this type are generally constructed of
long link chains provided with suitable horn links placed

at uniform intervals to catch the tram or tub axle, and
riding on hexagonal drums, one of which is usually driven
by gearing. This chain is guided by means of channels or
angle iron guides, and the chain pulls the tram or tub up
the incline on which the rails are fixed. The approach to
this incline is made so as to slope slightly downwards
towards it, and the trams or tubs run to the foot of the
incline and are caught by means of the horns on the chain,
and taken up the incline. The difficulty with this type of
creeper is that the trams or tubs frequently overrun the
mark, and catch on the incline, and run back again, and
miss the horn on the creeper chain, and have to be pushed
forward again to engage with the horn. Sometimes also
the horn catches the framework of the tram, and the tram
is pulled up the incline a short distance, and then, released,
and runs back. It is the object of this invention to
obviate these faults, and this is achieved by an arrange-
ment of an auxiliary chain or chains provided with a horn
or horns, which always brings the tram or tub to a point
at which correct engagement of the main creeper chain
horns with the tram or tub is ensured. The chain on the
creeper is made of a definite length, which is a multiple
of the distances that the horns are apart. The auxiliary
chain or each auxiliary chain, when arranged to travel at
the same speed as the main creeper chain, and provided
with one horn, is of a length equal to the distance between
one pair of horns on the main creeper chain, and when
arranged to travel at the same speed as the main creeper
chain, and provided with a number of horns, is a multiple
of such distance in length, and its horns are spaced the
same distance apart as on the main creeper chain. These
chains, namely, the auxiliary chain or chains and the main
creeper chain, are so fixed on hexagonal drums (octagonal
or other regular shaped drums can be used) that the horns
on the auxiliary and main creeper chain come together
when the main creeper chain is about to pull the trams or
tubs up the incline. The auxiliary chain or chains work
on an incline of small inclination, which can be adjusted
to suit the type of tram or tub to be handled. The tram
or tub rails decline slightly as they approach, and run on
each side of, the auxiliary chain or chains, so that the
tram or tub runs by gravity until it is over the said chain
or chains. The horn or horns of the auxiliary chain or
chains then engage the tram or tub, and move it forward
until the said horn or horns coincide with the horn on the
main creeper chain, thus obviating the necessity for attend-
ance and also any likelihood of the tram or tub being
caught in any position but on the axle, so that all danger
of running back is avoided. It is preferable to incline or
curve the tram or tub rails upwardly for a short distance
before they arrive at the foot of the main creeper chain, in
order to check the tram or tub after it has run into posi-
tion over the auxiliary chain or chains. An auxiliary
chain or chains may also be employed at the top of the
creeper with a horn or horns which take the trams or tubs
away as soon as they land on the higher level, as there is
danger on a steep creeper of the catch releasing the tram or
tub before it is properly landed on the higher level, and
it may then run backwards. By employing the said auxi-
liary chain or chains, a premature release of the tram or
tub is rendered impossible, because the horn (or horns) on
the auxiliary chain (or chains) takes hold of the tram or
tub before the horn on the main creeper chain releases the
tram or tub, and carries the tram or tub well forward, so
that it is free to run down the auxiliary incline. Another
advantage to be gained by using this invention is that

creepers may be used having a very steep angle of inclina-
tion without any danger of the tram or tub running back,
thus saving a considerable amount of space where trams
have to be raised to a considerable height. The arrange-
ment also tends to reduce the amount of power required,
as it is not necessary to cause the chain to bind on the
guiding channels, as is necessary with the ordinary type
of creeper. Although it is preferable to employ two auxi-
liary creeper chains at either end of the main creeper
chain, especially at the lower end thereof, in order to
avoid any twisting action on the trams or tubs and the
possible derailment of such trams or tubs in consequence
thereof, one auxiliary chain may be dispensed with at
either end. The auxiliary chain or chains must, however,
always be of such a length that the horn link or links
thereon co-operate with those on the main creeper chain in
the hereinbefore described' manner. (Four claims.)

104591. Improvements in Apparatus and Appliances for
Preventing the Overwinding and Underwinding of Cranes,
1 Hoists, Lifts, Winding Drums. Edgar Allen and Company
Limited, Imperial Steel Works, Tinsley; and E. H. Fur-
nival, 68, Button-hill, Ecclesall.—This invention relates to
apparatus and appliances for preventing the overwinding
and underwinding of cranes, hoists, lifts, winding drums,
and the like, and consists in an improved arrangement and
construction of parts for effecting the above-named objects ;
and as the principle of the invention is the same to which-
ever of the before-named purposes it is applied, a descrip-
tion of it as employed in connection with an overhead
travelling crane will suffice. Fig. 1 is a sectional eleva-
tion of the improved apparatus; fig. 2 is a cross section
on the line X—X, fig. 1; fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on
the line Y—Y, fig. 1 : fig. 4 is a detail view of part of an
audible signal attachment which may be used in connec-
tion with the improved apparatus. The action of the
apparatus is as follows :—In order to prevent the over-
winding of any weight being lifted by the crane, the
apparatus is set so that should the crane driver omit to
stop the winding operation when the load being lifted has
passed the maximum working height, the supply of current
to the hoisting motors is automatically cut off. The same