1290
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 59

a rack for operating said gear, means for operating the rack
from the rear of the machine detachably connected to said
rack, and also means detachably connected to the gear for
operating the rock-shaft from the front of the machine,
whereby by detaching one or the other it may be operated by
either as desired.
(Specification, 17s. 6d. ; drawings, £1 11s.)

No. 11682.—6th June, 1899.—JOSEPH GOMMESEN, of Wilson Street, Newtown, near Sydney, New South Wales, Engineer. Improvements in centrifugal apparatus for the separation of fats or grease from liquors containing same.

Claims.—(1.) In centrifugal apparatus of the class set forth, the combination and arrangement with the revolving pan or basin of one or more discharge-orifices (or, as substitutes therefor, one or more inserted pipes) at or near the upper part thereof, substantially as described and explained. (2.) In centrifugal apparatus of the class set forth, the combination and arrangement with the revolving pan or basin having one or more orifices at or near its upper part of automatically operating discharge- or snifting-valves in or on such orifices, substantially as described and explained. (3.) The combination and arrangement together of the mechanical parts (or their modifications) forming a centrifugal apparatus for the separation of fats or grease from liquors containing same, substantially as described and explained, and as illustrated in the drawings.
(Specification, 4s. 3d. ; drawings, 5s. 6d.)

No. 11684.—6th June, 1899.—EDWARD WATERS, Jun., a member of the firm of Edward Waters and Son, of 131, William Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Patent Agents (nominee of Emile Bede, of 10, Square Guttenberg, Brussels, Belgium, Engineer). Improvements connected with electric traction.

Claims.—(1.) A conduit placed on the ground-level along one of the rails of the track, and presenting in front of this rail holes closed by indiarubber plugs (or other similar elastic and insulating material), through which pass contact-pieces, which, when their heads are pressed by a current-collector drawn along between the conduit and the rail by an electro-motor car, come in contact with the main current-conductor located in the said conduit, whilst the elasticity of the indiarubber separates the said pieces when the current-collector ceases to press upon them, substantially as set forth. (2.) A conduit which can be formed of two angle-iron bars, and the vertical wall of which opposite the rail is made with holes closed by the said indiarubber plugs, which conduit encloses an insulated cable, upon the metal of which are fixed at intervals in front of the described holes contact-pieces surrounded by indiarubber sheaths provided with lateral short tubes or necks secured in the said holes by the bases of the plugs so that the contact-pieces of the latter are opposite and very near to contact-pieces carried by the cable, and that the whole is well insulated, and protected from penetration of water, substantially as set forth. (3.) A conduit formed of one of the rails of the track and of iron bands which are attached thereto, and a conductor formed of copper bars insulated by sheaths of indiarubber or other insulating material provided with holes opposite the contact-pieces, substantially as set forth. (4.) A current-collector suitable to the conductors hereinbefore specified, consisting of a plough attached to an electro-motor car, and formed of a plank of wood (or other insulating and flexible material) provided with a copper band sliding against the heads of the contact-pieces and pressed against them by springs or weights, the said plough being forced down into the channel in which it moves by springs or weights to a depth determined by stops which are attached to it, and being maintained in a vertical position by guides attached to the car, substantially as set forth. (5.) For the purpose of allowing the passage into the switches without interrupting the current, the use of pins, which pass through indiarubber sheaths fixed in holes made through the switches, and which press upon the contact-pieces of the conductor in such a manner that the plough in travelling along the switch makes contact through the medium of the said pin with the cable of the conduit corresponding to the rail that it has left, substantially as set forth. (6.) For cleaning the channel in which the current-collector moves, a circular rotary brush suspended freely from the car, and the axis of which is provided with a brake which prevents it from turning as quickly as if the wheel were entirely free upon the said axis, substantially as set forth. (7.) In cases where no special conductor serves for the return of the current, careful electrical connection between the parts of the conduit, so as to allow the same to serve as a principal conductor for the return of the current, and thus prevent induction on the telephone-wires and injurious derivations in the ground, substantially as set forth.
(Specification, 12s. drawings, 13s. 6d.)

No. 11698.—8th June, 1899.—THE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE COMPANY (LIMITED), of 13 and 14, Abchurch Lane, London, England (assignees of Gustave Seligmann-Lui, of 78, Rue Mozart, Paris, France, Gentleman). An improved system of automatic telephone exchange.

Claims.—(1.) In an automatic telephone-exchange system wherein the subscribers’ lines are divided into groups, the lines of each group being presented on its own pair of “calling” and “called” line coupling-boards (or a combined “calling” and “called” line coupling-board) by line-contacts, in pairs whose members correspond to the two members of a line, and are accompanied by distinct contacts for the service of the exchange mechanisms, said line- and service-contacts being regularly arranged in series of rows, so as to be accessible by a plurality of coupling-devices located at the several coupling-boards,—the combination with the pairs of line- and service-contacts presented on the coupling-boards of a plurality of coupling-devices, each comprising two independently movable, electrically propelled, and electrically associated mechanisms termed “couplers” (said couplers being respectively appropriated, the one for making connection with a called line, and the other for making connection with a calling line), each coupler being adapted to move across its board and being provided with a plurality of sets of line- and service-contact fingers, said sets respectively corresponding to the several series of rows of contacts on the coupling-board, each set comprising a pair of line-fingers whose members are appropriated to make contact respectively with the members of a pair of line-contacts, and a service-finger appropriated to make contact with the service-wire corresponding to such pair of line-contacts, so that each set of line- and service-fingers is adapted to make contact with the line- and service-contacts of one or another row of contacts of the series to which that set corresponds; all the fingers of like function in the one coupler being in electrical connection with each other, and being connected at predetermined moments with the fingers of corresponding function of the associated coupler through the agency of a magnetically operated multiple switch or distributer in connection with the called-line coupler, there being as many couplers of each function located at each coupling-board of similar function as there are groups of lines, the couplers (of the kind appropriated to make connection with calling lines) which are located at any one calling-line coupling-board being electrically associated with couplers (of the kind appropriated to make connection with called lines) which are severally located at called-line coupling-boards severally appertaining to different groups of lines; so that each said coupling-device is adapted to telephonically couple together any two lines on the coupling-boards at which the two couplers forming said coupling-device are respectively situated. (2.) In an automatic telephone-exchange system in which the subscribers’ lines are divided into groups, the lines of each group being presented by line- and service-contacts (on coupling-boards or pairs of coupling-boards respectively representing different groups of lines), and in which there is combined with the boards a plurality of coupling-devices each composed of two electrically associated mechanisms or couplers each provided with a plurality of sets of line- and service-contact fingers, there being so many such coupling-devices, and the location of their constituent couplers relatively to the coupling-boards being such, that those couplers which appertain to any one group of lines are electrically associated with couplers which severally appertain to different groups of lines,—the combination, to form a coupling-device, of two electrically operated couplers (respectively distinguished as called-line coupler and calling-line coupler), said couplers being independently and electrically movable each across a coupling-board, and each comprising a plurality of sets of electrically controlled contact-fingers, the fingers of like function of all the sets comprised in each coupler being electrically connected, and the fingers of the called-line coupler being electrically connected at predetermined moments with the fingers of like function of the calling-line coupler through the agency of a multiple switch or distributer, by which also the movements of the called-line coupler as a whole are controlled, the sets of fingers of the called-line coupler being under the control of an electrically operated selector, and the sets of fingers of the calling-line coupler being respectively controlled each by an electro-magnetic mechanism in the circuit of the service-finger of its set, each such electro-magnetic mechanism being dependent for its action (on the one hand) on the action of the distributer of the called-line coupler and (on the other hand) on the completion of its own circuit by the service-finger of the corresponding set of fingers of the calling-line coupler making contact with the service-contact (of the calling-line) which has been earthed, through the operation of an electro-magnetic commutator or connector appertaining to that line, there being such a commutator in connection with each line. (3.) In an automatic telephone-