Improvements in Power-driven Rotary Tipplers for Discharging Coal and other Minerals from Tubs, Trams, Waggons, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec.; 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1893-4ccepted, 8th Apr., 1,893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Power-driven Rotary Tipplers for Discharging
Coal and other Minerals from Tubs, Trams, Waggons, and the
like.
WILLIAM CUTHBERT BLACKETT, of Acorn Close, Sacriston, Durham, Mining
Fngineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
This invention consists of improvements in the mechanism used in driving and
stopping rotary tipplers for discharging tubs of coal, ironstone, and other minerals.
Power driven rotary tipplers have hitherto been driven by gearing which
depended entirely upon the attention of some person to both start and stop
them, or in which the starting and disengaging gear depended upon the accurate
adjustment of brakes, chains, wedges, and other complicated gearing, or in which
the working depended on parasite or jockey wheels and pulleys, all tending to add
unnecessary friction.
I drive them by frictional contact with all or part of four supporting wheels, and
provide simple means for starting by hand and stopping by automatic means,
instantaneously, and invariably at the proper point for the entry and exit of the
tubs or waggons.
The tippler will consist of a cylindrical frame, hereinafter called the cage, which
carries a portion of the tramway upon which the tubs or skips to be emptied are
ruu. The height of this tramway may be so regulated in connection with the
centre of the cage, that the centre of gravity of the full tub will be above the
centre of the cage, while the centre of gravity of the empty tub will be below that
point.
The cage is carried upon four flanged supporting wheels, two of which, or it
might be more, can be connected by a friction clutch to some power driven pulley.
To a weighbar placed at one side of the cage are keyed in suitable positions, three
levers. The first of these is a hand lever, placed in a convenient position for use
by the attendant, and is continued beyond the weighbar or fulcrum so as to provide
a short arm to the end of which is connected, by an adjustable link, a bell-crank
controlling the action of a sleeve operating the friction clutch. The second lever
provides a counterpoise, which is adjustable so that the levers when released fall
into a position necessary to liberate the friction clutch, and throw the holding
catches into gear.
The third lever, placed preferably opposite the centre of the
cage is provided with a projecting stud or pin, and coupled by a connecting rod to
a gib-ended lever on the shaft carrying two of the supporting wheels driving the
cage. This gib-ended lever, through which the shaft revolves freely, is prevented
from lateral movement by fixed collars on the shaft. At the moving end of this
lever a gib is formed, so arranged as to catch upon a projecting plate fixed to the
cage, and near the gib is hung, by a double-eye and pin arrangement, a recoil catch,
the object of which is to prevent the cage from rebounding after having been
brought to rest by the gib. The tramway in the cage is by these means kept at
the proper working level, so as to allow the tubs or waggons to pass freely in or out
of the cage.
A lever, provided with a pawl or sneck, having an adjusting set screw, is hinged
to a convenient fixture, the free end of the lever being suspended by a chain
or rope to a quadrant or pulley, whereby it may be convenient to be lifted by
the attendant. The moving end of the third lever works freely in a slot formed
in the sneck lever just named, the pawl or sneck of which can retain the third
lever when pushed over by the movement of the first or hand lever.
Гр

page_text: The action of the tippler is as follows:-
When a full tub is run into the tippler cage, pushing out the empty one,
the hand lever is moved over by the attendant until the pawl or sneck engages with
the stud or pin upon the third lever. This action removes the gib with its recoil
catch, from contact with the projection on the cage, thus leaving the cage free to
rotate. The sleeve of the friction clutch is simultaneously moved into such a
position that the driving shaft and the supporting wheels connected therewith are
caused to rotate by becoming engaged with the power driven pulley. The friction
between the rims of the cage and these pulleys is sufficient to cause the cage to
rotate and therefore to upset the tub and discharge the coal or other mineral there-
from. When the tippler cage has nearly completed a revolution a projection
thereon lifts the lever with the pawl or sneck, and thus releases the levers connected
with the weighbar, and permits the counter poise upon the second lever to move the
combined gear into the position necessary for bringing the tippler to rest.
Should it be necessary to disengage the tippler cage from the driving power after
it has commenced to rotate, the attendant may do so by pulling the chain or rope
attached to the pawl or sneck lever, and thus at once release the clutch gear.
The mechanism of the tippler may be modified to suit the varying circumstances
under which it may have to be worked.
Thus instead of the second lever and counterpoise being used to return the
catches and gear into the stopping position the first or hand lever may be lengthened
and a counterpoise attached to it by a chain passing over a sheave.
Should it be found necessary to increase the driving friction between the bearing
up pulleys and the rims of the tippler cage, the two supporting shafts may be con-
nected by an endless strap or chain upon pulleys placed on each shaft where
convenient.
Instead of a hand lever being used for starting the tippler a foot lever may be
applied.
The advantages claimed for this invention are:-
Simplicity and certainty in the automatic mechanism used in bringing the tippler
to rest at the proper place.
Absolute freedom from any rollers or like contrivances, other than the supporting
rollers, acting upon the rims of the tippler during the time of its revolution, thus
retarding its motion.
The working parts being simple in action and the loss through friction being
minimised, a minimum amount of power is required to drive the tippler.
It may be so arranged that the coals or minerals, together with the tub or
waggon in which they are contained, may be weighed while in the tippler.
To effect this the tippler would have to be contained in a frame which could be
attached to the levers of a weighing machine, in which case the friction clutch
engaging with the driven pulley all upon one shaft would have to be replaced by a
long jawed clutch or similar contrivance working on a shaft being entirely
disconnected when out of gear from the driven pulley shaft.
Dated this 24th day of December 1892.
W. C. BLACKETT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Power-driven Rotary Tipplers for Discharging
Coal and other Minerals from Tubs, Trams, Waggons, and the
like.
I, WILLIAM CUTHBERT BLACKETT, of Acorn Close, Sacriston, Durham, Mining:
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly d'escribed and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention consists of improvements in the mechanism used in driving and

page_text: stopping rotary tipplers for weighing, if necessary, and discharging tubs of coal,
ironstone, and other minerals.
Power-driven rotary tipplers have hitherto been driven by gearing which
depended entirely upon the attention of some person to both start and stop them,
or in which the starting and disengaging gear depended upon the accurate adjust-
ment of brakes, chains, wedges, and other complicated gearing, or in which the
working depended on parasite or jockey wheels and pulleys, all tending to add
unnecessary.friction.
I drive them by frictional contact with all or part of four supporting wheels, and
provide simple means for starting by hand and stopping by automatic meaus,
instantaneously, and invariably at the proper point for the entry and exit of the
tubs or waggons.
With reference to the sheets of illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 a side view of the
tippler.
The tippler consists of a cylindrical frame A, hereinafter called the cage, which
carries a portion of the tramway a, upon which the tubs or skips to be emptied are
run. The height of this tramway may be so regulated in connection with the
centre of the cage, that the centre of gravity of the full tub will be above the
centre of the cage, while the centre of gravity of the empty tub will be below
that point.
The cage is carried upon four flanged supporting wheels B, B, two of which, B, B,
(or it might be more), can be connected by a friction clutch C to some power-driven
pulley D. Three levers E, F and G are keyed to a weighbar H, mounted on
plummer blocks placed at one side of the cage. The lever E is the starting hand
lever, to the short arm of which is connected by an adjustable link, b, the bell-
crank, c, controlling the action of the sleeve of the friction-clutch C. The lever F
carries a counterpoise, f, which is adjustable so that the levers, when released, fall
into a position necessary to release the friction clutch, and throw the holding
catches into gear. The lever G is provided with a projecting stud or pin e, and
is coupled by a connecting rod, g, to a gib-ended lever 1. This lever, through the
eye of which the shaft B revolves freely, is prevented from lateral movement by
fixed collars, h, h. The gib, i, upon the lever I, is arranged to catch upon a
projecting plate, j, fixed to the cage, and near the gib is hung a recoil catch, k, the
object of which is to prevent the cage from rebounding after having been brought
to rest by the gib. The tramway in the cage is by these means kept at the proper
working level, so as to allow the tubs or waggons to pass freely in or out of
the cage.
The lever K, provided with a pawl or sneck, l, is hinged to convenient fixture l',
the free end of the lever being suspended by a chain or rope, P, to a quadrant or
pulley, whereby it may be convenient to be lifted by the attendant. The
moving end of the lever G works freely in a slot formed in the sneck lever K,
just named. The pawl, 1 of which can retain the lever G when pushed over by the
movement of the starting lever E.
The action of the tippler is as follows:-
When a full tub is run into the tippler cage, pushing out the empty one, the
hand lever is moved over by the attendant until the pawl or sneck engages with the
stud e, on the lever G. This action removes the gib with its recoil catch from
contact with the projection on the cage, thus leaving the cage free to rotate. The
sleeve of the friction clutch is simultaneously moved into such a position that the
driving shaft B and the driving wheels B are caused to rotate by becoming
engaged with the power driven pulley D. The friction between the rims of the
cage and these pulleys is sufficient to cause the cage to rotate and therefore to
upset the tub, and discharge the coal or other mineral therefrom. When the
tippler cage has nearly completed a revolution, a projection, m, thereon, lifts the
lever K with the pawl 1, and thus releases the levers E F and G, and allows

page_text: the combined gear to move into the position necessary for bringing the tippler
to rest.
Should it be necessary to disengage the tippler cage from the driving power
after it has commenced to rotate, the attendant may do so by pulling the chain or
rope attached to the lever K, and thus at once release the clutch gear.
The mechanism of the tippler may be modified to suit the varying circumstances
under which it may have to be worked.
Thus instead of the lever F, and counterpoise f, being used to return the catches
and gear into the stopping position, the lever E may be lengthened and a
counter-poise attached to it by a chain passing over a sheave as shewn on Fig. 4.
Should it be found necessary to increase the driving friction between the
bearing up pulleys and the rims of the tippler cage, the two supporting shafts B
and B may be connected by an endless strap or chain upon pulleys placed on
each shaft where convenient, as shewn on Fig. 5.
Instead of a hand lever being used for starting the tippler, a foot lever may be.
applied as illustrated on Fig. 6.
It may be so arranged that the coal or mineral together with the tub. or waggon
in which it is contained, or the tub or waggon, alone, may be weighed while in
the tippler.
To effect this, the tippler would be contained in a frame as illustrated on Fig. 7.
The frame, X, would be suspended by rods, a, to the platform, Y, of a weighing
machine. The friction clutch engaging with the driven pulley all upon one
shaft, B', would be replaced by a jawed clutch or similar contrivance as shewn on
Fig. 8, the driven pulley being keyed to a length of shafting, y, in a line with, and
contiguous to, the driving shaft Bi; the jawed clutch Z being arranged to connect
the two separate shafts when required, and the tippler, when out of gear, being
entirely disconnected from the driven pulley shaft.
The advantages claimed for this invention are:-
Simplicity and certainty in the automatic mechanism used in bringing the tippler
to rest at the proper place.
Absolute freedom from any rollers or like contrivances, other than the supporting
rollers, acting upon the rims of the tippler during the time of its revolution, and
retarding its motion.
The working parts being simple in action and the loss through friction being
minimised, a minimum amount of power is required to drive the tippler.
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:-
First. The construction of combined starting and stopping gear-for-power-driven
rotary tipplers, substantially as herein before described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8
of the accompanying drawings.
Second. The application of a weighing machine to power-driven rotary tipplers,
for the purpose of weighing the coal or other mineral contained in the tubs or
waggons, in the manner herein set forth, with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 6th day of February 1893.
W. C. BLACKETT,
Applicant.