708

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

April 5, 1918.

COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES.
REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS.

Bedwas Navigation Colliery Company Limited.—The
report for the year ended December 31 last states that
the profit, after paying debenture interest and providing
for income tax, excess profits duty, and contingencies,
amounts to £39,491; £13,239 was brought forward,
making £52,730. Deducting interim dividends, there is
left £36,980. The directors recommend a dividend of 6|
per cent, on the ordinary shares, less tax, making 12^
per cent, for the year, leaving £19,980 to be carried
forward.

Cammell, Laird and Company Limited.—The directors
recommend final dividends of 2s. 6d. per share on the
preference, making the full amount, and 7s. 6d. per share
on the ordinary, making 10 per cent., as last year. Both
dividends are payable 17th inst., less tax. The sum of
£150,000 is carried to reserve and £74,689 forward.

Hatfield Main Colliery Company Limited.—The report
for 1917 states that £43,057 was expended, making the
capital expenditure since the formation £316,149. The
capital was increased by the issue of 130,000 new ordinary
shares, the whole of which were taken up by members.
The sinking of No. 2 shaft proved a fault between the
two shafts. The Barnsley seam was found on the north-
east side of the fault, the section of which is quite
satisfactory.

Hydraulic Power and Smelting Company Limited.—
The report for the year ended September 30 last states
that debenture debt has been reduced to £280,925 by the
purchase, of £150,000 debentures. Since the date of the
accounts a further £278,265 debentures have been
redeemed, and the balance of £2,660 is in course of
redemption. The difference between the nominal value
and the purchase price of debentures redeemed, amounting
to £4,758, was added to the reserve fund. Sundry
expenditure, including debenture and other interest, after
deducting the credit balance of £3,496 brought forward,
amounted to £11,957, which was placed against the reserve
fund, reducing that account to £55,917.

Maclellan (P. and W.) Limited.—For the year 1917 the
net balance at credit of profit and loss, after debiting all
charges (including a provision for excess profits tax and
contingencies) and including the balance from last year,
is £110,041. Deducting the year’s interest on debentures,
£15,000 transferred to depreciation account, and £25,000
transferred to reserve fund, there is left £63,291. There
was paid on March 30, 1918, interim dividends on pre-
ference and ordinary shares of 6 per cent., absorbing
£18,000, and there remains £45,291. The directors
recommend a surplus dividend of 6 per cent, on both
preference and ordinary shares, absorbing £18,000, and
carry forward £27,291.

Main Colliery Company Limited.—For the 12 months
to December 31 last the output of coal was 285,014 tons,
as against 574,613 tons for the previous 18 months. The
directors have set aside £9,000 for depreciation of the
property and £10,000 to general reserve account, and
after bringing in the amount estimated to be recoverable
out of the excess profits duty provided in the previous
account, the profit and loss account shows a balance of
£22,308. Including income tax, the interim dividend paid
in August last absorbed £6,900, and the directors recom-
mend payment of a final dividend of 6 per cent, per
annum, less income tax, for the half-year ended December
31, and £8,508 is carried forward.

Marbella Iron Ore Company Limited.—For the year
ended December 31 last the total output was 60,720 tons,
as against 40,450 tons in 1916. It is the largest output
for 25 years. The shipments for the year also show an
increase over the previous year, being 43,320 tons, as
compared with 38,950 tons in 1916. After making due
allowance for depreciation on machinery, plant, and
investments, the revenue account shows a profit for the
year of £8,798, making, with the balance from last year,
an available total of £14,044. Payment is recommended
of a dividend at the- rate of 10 per cent, (or, say, 6s.
per share), less income tax, which will absorb £5,625,
carrying forward £8,419.

Mirrlees Watson Company Limited.—The report for the
year 1917 states that the credit balance, after deducting
depreciation, directors’ fees and other provisions, amounts
to £32,022; £6,961 was brought forward, making £38,982.
The directors recommend a dividend of 10 per cent, and
a bonus of 2^ per cent., both less tax, and that £20,000
be transferred to general reserve account, leaving £7,264
to be carried forward.

Nantyglo and Blaina Ironworks Company Limited.—
£3 per share, less income tax, on preference shares on
account of arrears, payable 17th inst. Last year,
dividend same.

Ocean Coal and Wilsons Limited.—The report to
December 31 last states that the profits available for
distribution amount to £306,393. The directors recom-
mend a dividend of 10 per cent, on the ordinary shares,
free of tax, carrying forward £6,393. The distribution
for the year is 20 per cent., which compares with 16 per
cent, for the four previous years.

Scottish Tube Company Limited.—The report for the
year ended December 31 last states that after providing
for sinking fund, depreciation, excess profits, and
reserves, the directors recommend a dividend of 5 per
cent, and 6d. bonus on the ordinary shares, making 7^
per cent., the same as 12 months ago.

Steel Developments Limited.—The report for the year
ended December 31 last states that profit amounted to
£4,265 and £2,641 was brought in, making £6,906.
Depreciation of investments absorbs £300. The directors
propose a dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum,
free of tax, and carry forward £1,812.

Stewarts and Lloyds Limited.—For the year ended
December 31, 1917, the net profit, after setting aside
£100,000 for depreciation and after making provision for
estimated liability for excess profits duty, was £285,894,
making, with the balance brought forward, a total of
£397,017. After deducting the interim dividends for the
half-year to June 30, 1917, at the rate of 6 per
cent, per annum on the preference, and 10 per cent, per
annum, on the preferred ordinary shares (paid August
31, 1917), amounting to £39,000, there remains £338,017,
which the directors recommend should be appropriated as
follows:—Reserve fund, £100,000; employees’ benefit
fund (bringing this up to £90,000), £20,000; payment
of dividend for half-year ended December 31, 1917, at
the rate of 6 per cent, per annum on the preference shares
(less income tax), £16,500; payment of dividend for half-
year ended December 31, 1917, at the rate of 10 per cent,
per annum on the preferred ordinary shares, less income
tax, £42,500; payment of dividend for year ended

December 31, 1917, of 2s per share on the deferred shares,
free of income tax, £42,500; payment of bonus for year
ended December 31, 1917, of 6d. per share on the deferred
shares, free of. income tax,- £10,625; carried forward,
£105,892. The Treasury has sanctioned the issuing of
the balance of the deferred share capital.

NEW COMPANIES.

Child and Hewitt Limited.—Private company. Regis-
tered office, 14, Atherton-street, Liverpool. Registered
March 23, to carry on the businesses of iron and hardware
merchants and factors, etc. Nominal capital, £5,000 in
£5,000 £1 shares. Director: A. F. Hewitt. Qualification
of directors, £250.

National Metal and Chemical Bank Limited.—Private
company. Registered office, 70, Lombard-street, London.
Registered March 23, to carry on the business of banking
in all its branches, etc. Nominal capital, £1,000,000 in
100,000 £10 shares. Subscribers (one share): R. T.
Smith, W. W. Baines.

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

ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS
RECENTLY ACCEPTED.

112786. Improvements in Pneumatic Percussive Tools.
Eastville Engineering and Rock Drill Company Limited,
8, 10, 14 and 16, Ellbroad-street, and W. Levermore,
17, Brentry-road, Fishponds, Bristol.—This invention
relates to percussive tools, more particularly rock hammer
drills of the kind operated by compressed air or other
motive fluid and provided with a resiliently mounted
handle having a plurality of recesses engaged by cor-
responding projections on the tool and adapted to absorb
or nullify the vibrations or concussions set up by the
percussive action. Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a
pneumatic percussive tool handle constructed in
accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan. The
handle is denoted by a, and the part of the tool to which
the handle is attached by b. The said handle is pro-
vided with portions c having recesses d formed therein
for the reception of the projections e on the part b of
the tool. Arranged within the said recesses so as to be
interposed between the handle and the projections are
springs / which take up or dampen the vibrations which
would be otherwise transmitted to the handle. The said
projections are provided with the slots g adapted to
receive the transverse pins h which serve to connect the
handle to the said projections whilst allowing for the
relative movement set up by the vibrations of the tool
as aforesaid. (Two claims.)



112787. Improvements in Pneumatic Percussive Tools.
Eastville Engineering and Rock Drill Company Limited,
8, 10, 14 and 16, Ellbroad-street, and W. Levermore,
17, Brentry-road, Fishponds, Bristol.—This invention
relates to percussive tools more particularly rock hammer
drills of the kind adapted to be operated by compressed
air or other motive fluid, and provided with a detachable
drill or tool retaining chuck having a lateral slot or
opening whereby the chuck can be removed without
requiring to pass it over the full length of the tool, the
chief object being to provide a drill or tool retaining
chuck of this character which can be removed in a more
expeditious manner than heretofore. Fig. 1 is a longi-
tudinal vertical section of a drill or tool retaining chuck
embodying the invention, the chuck being shown locked
to the machine. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of
the chuck looking in the direction of the arrow in
fig. 1. The aforesaid sleeve-like member is denoted by
a, and b (fig. 3) is the lateral slot or opening provided
therein whereby the said sleeve can be passed laterally
over the shank of the drill or tool (not shown). The
bayonet slots are denoted by c, and the pins or projections
with which the said slots are adapted to engage, by d,
the said pins or projections being provided on a part e
of the machine. A spring / is for maintaining the said
sleeve in position against the pins or projections d. With
this arrangement, when the drill is in position and the
sleeve a is applied laterally to the drill and turned
angularly into the position indicated in fig. 1 so as to
cause it to become locked by the co-action of th,e pro-
jections d and bayonet slots c, the drill becomes secured
in position. When requiring to remove the sleeve a it
is turned angularly in the reverse direction to disengage
it from the projections d, whereupon the sleeve occupies
such a position that the laterally disposed slot b permits
of its being instantaneously removed laterally without
requiring to disturb either the drill or other parts of
the machine. (Three claims.)

112493. Apparatus for Consuming Smoke in Furnaces.
J. W. Mudie, Norman, Route No. 7, McClain, Oklahoma,
U.S.A.—This invention relates to. apparatus for. con-
suming smoke of the type in which a pipe having a
flaring outlet is extended into the furnace space above
the grate, by means of which pipe a mixture of steam
and air is injected into the furnace space above the
burning fuel, the quantity of injected air being regulated.
It consists in a smoke consuming device of the type
in which the injection steam used is superheated, and
the inlet of air is regulated by a circular plate adapted
to slide on the superheated 'steam supply pipe to. or
from the enlarged inlet end of the pipe. Fig. 1 is. a
section of a furnace fire-box with the smoke consuming
device in its proper relative position. Fig. 2 shows on an
enlarged scale three views of an injection device accord-
ing to the invention. The fire-box is shown at 3 with
its fire opening 4, ash-pit 5, and its door 6 ; 7 shows, the
usual grate bars. At a suitable and. predetermined
position above the bars 7 a pipe 8 extends.into the furnace,
and its end is formed as a widened flaring outlet mouth
or nozzle 9, the longer dimension of which is arranged
on a horizontal axis. By this arrangement the flow of
the mixed gas which emanates from the nozzle will be

substantially diffused into the products of combustion
arising from the furnace. A suitable form of mixer is
used in connection with the nozzle as shown in fig. 2.
The outer end of the pipe 8 is widened out circularly
so as to form an inlet 11 at the outside of the furnace
or in front thereof. There extends into the expanding
end 11 a feed pipe 12 for supplying superheated steam,
whilst a circular plate 13 is arranged on the pipe 12
so as to more or less shield the open end of the inlet
11 and serving to regulate the admission of air there-



into. A device is hereby obtained which may be regulated
by a valve, not shown, and can be employed to so treat the
products of combustion of the fire-box as to consume
the smoke and break up the carbon density prior to
its being expelled through the stack in the ordinary way.
It has been observed that superheated steam properly
vaporised for the products of combustion has a great
effect on the molecular disintegration thereof.

112908. An Improved Pit Prop. U. M. Robertson,
36, St. Mary’s Grove, Chiswick.—This invention relates
to pit props, and consists of an improved construction
of prop made of concrete, which has for its object to
enable the props to be more readily man-handled, and
to prevent the ends of the prop becoming chipped when
the wedges are driven in. These ends are attained by
making the prop of a cigar or tip-cat shape, by covering
the ends of the prop by metallic caps or thimbles, the
sleeve parts of which have their free edges serrated,
and by turning the ends of some of the serrations inwards
so that they become embedded in the concrete. In the
accompanying drawing fig. 1 is a view in elevation of
the improved prop and fig. 2 is a broken view—on an
enlarged scale—showing the metal cap or thimble employed
for protecting the ends of the prop. The prop a is made
of a cigar or tip-cat shape, i.e. it is circular in section
and has a greater diameter at the centre of its length
than at its ends. This shape has the advantage that
when it is on the ground it can be rolled about with
a minimum of effort and with a minimum risk of damage.
Further, it facilitates tilting to .an upright position, as
one can get one’s hands under one end of it before it
is necessary to exert any lifting effort. The ends of
the prop are covered by metal caps or thimbles b, the
free edges of the sleeve parts of which are serrated to
form teeth c, some of which have their ends turned
inwards to form horizontal teeth c1. These serrations,
by gradually altering the “ change of section,” reduce
the tendency to fracture at the junction of the caps or
thimbles with the prop, while the horizontally disposed
teeth, by becoming embedded in the body of the prop,
effectively anchor the caps or thimbles to the ends of
the props. One or other of each pair of caps or thimbles
may have a hole d in its head to facilitate pouring the
concrete into the mould in which the prop is made. The
prop may, if desired, be reinforced with metal in any
suitable and convenient manner, the preferred construc-
tion being to employ as the reinforcing element a strip
e of metal wound to assume a spiral form and arranged
longitudinally in respect to the prop, as shown in fig. 2.
This reinforcing element may be secured to the caps or
thimbles at each end of the prop. (Four claims.)

No. 112908.	No. 112788.

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112788. Improvements in Respiratory Apparatus.
R. H. Davis, 187, Westminster Bridge-road, London.
—This invention relates to air supply and respiratory
apparatus for diving and like purposes, and to the class
of apparatus described in the specification of former
Patent No. 609 of 1912. Fig. 1 is a vertical section
of a diver’s helmet having the improved air supply and
respiratory apparatus applied thereto, and fig. 2 is a
sectional plan. The diver’s helmet is represented by a,
b is the mask which is arranged within the said helmet,
and which may be of any suitable form, and c the air
inlet-valve which, in the construction illustrated, opens
directly into the interior of the helmet a. An air inlet-
valve c1 is provided on the helmet, and communicates
directly with the interior thereof, and d is the outlet-
valve which communicates with the orifice e in the helmet.
A partition /, which may be of rigid or flexible material,
is fitted inside the helmet a so as to divide off from the