Improvements in Machinery for Washing Coal and other Minerals.
Year: 1889

page_text: .
Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Washing Coal and other Minerals.
I, GEORGE JENKINS, of No. 1 Claremont Place, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention of improvements in machinery for washing coal and other minerals
consists in an apparatus wherein advantage is taken of the different specific gravities
of the materials to be separated in the process of washing, as is well understood, and
wherein water is used as a medium of partial suspension, as is usual in other coal
washing machines.
I employ a rectangular cistern of considerable depth in reference to its area, which
I keep full of water. I place the coal to be washed in a cage, nearly the same area
as the cistern I have mentioned. The bottom of the cage is open, except in so far as
a wire work grating serves to close it, that is to say, it is open for the passage of
water but closed for the passage of even small pieces of coal or stone. I place the
cage within the cistern, and arrange guides in which the cage can work up and down.
The cage is of little depth compared with the cistern. I arrange machinery whereby
the cage can be moved up and down, in the cistern, with any desired degree of
rapidity, and, as the cage nearly fits the cistern, it will be clearly understood the
water under the cage is forced up through the perforated bottom into the mass of
coal and that it lifts the coal more or less according to the rapidity of movement.
The effect of continued lifting of the mass of coal is, to allow of a settlement of the
more dense particles towards the bottom of the cage, and the accumulation of the
lighter particles at the top. That is to say, the separation of the particles of different
specific gravities is effected. In order to deal with the soparated masses of coal and
stone accumulated at different parts of the cage as described, I must now explain
another peculiarity of my Invention, viz. The cage consists of a series of shallow
boxes resting one upon another, and capable of sliding one on another, so that if
desired the lowest box may be pushed or pulled out from underneath those which are
over it, or the two lowest boxes may in like manner be pushed or pulled out. Or,
conversely the top box may be pushed or pulled off the lower ones, and then the
second, and, so on. Or several boxes from the top may be pushed or pulled off
together. The first process of separation thus takes place in the cage, by means of
the action of the water, and the second process of separation takes place when the
boxes are separated one from another as described. When the boxes are separated
one from another I arrange that the contents of each shall be deposited in such
positions as may he desired, the coal in one place and the stones in another by any
convenient arrangement of shoots.
As a subsidiary part of my Invention I may arrange to have a connection
by means of a large pipe between the top and bottom of the cistern, with valves in
it so that when the cage is ascending part of the water may pass to the underside of
the cage by means of the pipe, but when the cage is descending the valves prevent
passage of water by the pipe and cause it to pass through the coal. I may also
arrange a sliding sluice valve at the bottom of the cistern so as more easily to
remove accumulations of mud which tend there to settle. And I may have man-
hole doors as convenient. The machinery for operating the washer may be of any
convenient kind as for instance hydraulic or steam or mechanical.
I may employ hot water for washing the coal so as to facilitate the drying of the
coal after leaving the machine.
Dated this Twelfth day of March 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Washing Coal and other Minerals.
I, GEORGE JENKINS of No. 1 Claremont Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascortained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention of improvements in machinery for washing coal and other minerals
consists in an apparatus wherein advantage is taken of the different specific gravities
of the materials to be separated in the process of washing as is well understood and
wherein water is used as a medium of partial suspension as is usual in other coal
washing machines.
I employ a rectangular cistern of considerable depth in reference to its area which
1 keep full of water. place the coal to be washed in a cage nearly the same area
as the cistern I have mentioned. The bottom of the cage is open except in so far as
a wire work grating serves to close it, that is to say it is open for the passage of water
but closed for the passage of even small pieces of coal or stone. I place the cage
within the cistern and arrange guides in which the cage can work up and down. The
cage is of little depth compared with the cistern. I arrange machinery whereby the
cage can be moved up and down in the cistern with any desired degree of rapidity,
and as the cage nearly fits the cistern it will be clearly understood the water under
the cage is forced up through the perforated bottom into the mass of coal and that it
lifts the coal more or less according to the rapidity of movement. The effect of
continued lifting of the mass of coal is to allow of a settlement of the more dense
particles towards the bottom of the cage and the accumulation of the lighter particles
at the top. That is to say the separation of the particles of different specific gravities
is effected. In order to deal with the separated inasses of coal and stone accumulated
at different parts of the cage as described I must now explain another peculiarity of
my Invention, viz.: The cage consists of a sories of shallow boxes resting one upon
another and capable of sliding one on another so that if desired the lowest box may
be pushed or pulled out from underneath those which are over it, or the two lowest
boxes may in like manner be pushed or pulled out. Or conversely the top box may be
pushed or pulled. off the lower ones and then the second and so on. Or several boxes
from the top may be pushed or pulled off together. The first process of separation
thus takes place in the cage by means of the action of the water and the second
process of separation takes place when the boxes are separated one from another us
described. When the boxes are separated one from another I arrange that the
contents of each shall be deposited in such positions as may be desired, the coal in
one place and the stones in another by any convenient arrangement of shoots. As a
subsidiary part of my Invention I may arrange to have a connection by means of a large
pipe between the top and bottom of the cistern, with valves in it so that when the cage
is ascending part of the water may pass to the underside of the cago by means of the
pipe but when the cage is desceuding the valves prevent passage of water by the pipe
and cause it to pass through the coal. I may also arrange a sliding sluice valve at the
bottom of the cistern. so as. more. easily to remove accumulations of mud which tond
there to settle. And I may have man-hole doors as convenient. The machinery-for
operating the washer may be of any convenient kind as for instance "hydraulic-or
steam or mechanical.'
I may employ hot water for washing the coal so as to facilitate the drying of the
coal after leaving the machine..
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will proceed more particularly
to describe the manner in which the same is to be operated, reference being had to the
drawing hereto attached. A. is the cistern already mentioned shewn in section-in-
Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 1. is a side view and Fig. 2. is a front view: Similar lettering
is used for similar parts in both drawings. B. is the cage the horizontal lines shewn
on which represent- the shallow boxes already described one of which is shewn in

page_text: Fig. 1. as moved to some extent in the manner referred to, so as to discharge part of
its contents into a coal receptacle prepared for it marked C.R. When the cage is in
a position for working, the level of the top is just below the level of the bottom of the
pipe P. Fig. 1. and the level of the water in the cistern is coincident with or slightly
above the level of the top of the pipe P. The cage is shewn in Fig. 2. in its
working position at the top of its stroke, and by dotted lines in the same Fig. its
position is shewn at the bottom of its stroke. The pipe P. communicates as shewn
(Fig. 1.) between the top and bottom of the cistern but it is provided with a valve
arrangement V whereby the water may freely pass from the upper to the under part
of the cistern but not in the opposite direction. These valves are shewn in the
drawing (Fig. 1.) as closed but their position when open is shewn by dotted lines.
G is the wire-work grating already described on which rests the charge of mixed coal
and stone to be washed. I fill the cage, while it is in the water in the cistern, with
mixed coal and stone, and then move it up and down with any desired degree of
rapidity by means of suitable mechanical appliances.
The effect of this movement is that the water below the cage in the cistern is forced
up through the coal and stone as the cage descends, with a velocity corresponding to
the rapidity with which the cage is moved; but on the upward movement of the
cage the water above it in a great degree passes, by means of the pipe P. through the
valves V. already referred to in that pipe. The upward movement of the water
through the contents of the cage, having naturally a greater lifting effect on the
particles of least specific gravity, the result of repeated movement of the cago is, that
coal accumulates in the upper part of the cage and stone in the lower part. When
the separation is effected in the requisite degree 1 raise the cage to the position shewn
in the drawing (Fig. 1) and remove the top box then raise the cage a little higher
and remove the second box and so on.
In the same way I remove the box at the bottom containing stone which by the
movement of a shutter D. operated by the handle E. into the position shown by dotted
lines is passed into a stone receptacle marked S.R. If desired three receptacles may be
provided one for clean coal one for separated stone and a third for any portion which
inay not be perfectly separated which may be washed again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The apparatus for and method of washing coal and other minerals by means of a
cistern and cage with sliding drawers, substantially as described.
Deted this Fourth day of October 1889
JAMESON & SCHAEFFER.
Agents for Applicant.