Improvements in Apparatus for Screening, Sorting, and Picking Coal.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Screening, Sorting, and Picking Coal.
I, WILLIAM FREDERIC BUTLER, of Stansty Lodge, near Wrexham, in the County
of Denbigh, Colliery Owner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to he
as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for screening, sort-
ing and picking coal whereby the large lumps of coal can be separated from the
nuts and the dust separated from the nuts, or the nuts may be delivered with the
large lumps if desired.
In carrying out the invention, a tippler of suitable construction may be employed
which deposits the coal on to an inclined screen down which the coal passes by
gravity and falls on to a travelling or picking band which conveys the coal to the
place required. The nuts and dust which have passed through the screen fall
through a hopper (which may be provided with false screen bars) and on to an
ordinary travelling band which conveys it to an elevator by which it is raised and
deposited on to another inclined screen which separates the nuts from the dust,
the latter falling into a suitable hopper to be led away to any convenient place and
the former falling from the screen on to a third travelling band which conveys
them to a three way hopper. This hopper has two inclined shoots at the bottom
leading in opposite or suitable directions, and at the junction of these shoots is a
hinged flap or door whereby the entrance to either shoots can be closed. A second
hinged door is also provided in one of the sides of the hopper adapted to open
inwards and to close the passage to the aforementioned shoots. By means of this
three way hopper, the nuts can be delivered in various directions to the place where
they are required to be delivered; thus by closing one of the doors, the nuts might
be conveyed to the picking belt to mix with the large coal, the dust having been
previously separated out, or by closing that door and the other opened, the nuts
may be conveyed to railway trucks or elsewhere through the shoots provided for
the purpose. In a single apparatus, only one of the shoots would be required and
I prefer to make my apparatus double. The picking belt or band, is formed with
perforated plates which further screens the coal carried thereon, and the links
carrying the plates are provided with teeth or projections adapted to engage in
recesses on the drums, the drums themselves being made hollow to prevent any
breakage occurring through coal getting between the belt and the drum, that is to
say the belt is adapted to bear upon flanges at the sides of the drum only, and
the projections on the links engaging in these flanges. The drums may be made
hexagonal or other shape.
This apparatus may either be single or double, if the latter it would be right and
left handed so that one elevator, one screen for separating the nuts from the dust
and one three way hopper may be made to serve.
Dated this 17th day of March 1897.

page_text: improvements in apparatus for screening, sorting, and Picking Coal.
I, WILLIAM FREDERIC BUTLER, of Stansty Lodge, near Wrexham, in the County
of Denbigh, Colliery Owner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
This invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for screening,
sorting and picking coal, whereby the large lumps of coal can be separated from
the nuts, and the dust separated from the nuts, or the nuts may be delivered with
the large lumps if desired..
The invention will be understood from the following. description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a diagrammatical front elevation of my apparatus ;
Figure 2 a plan;
Figure 3 a side elevation;
Figure 4 a detail view being a sectional elevation of the three way hopper;
Figure 5 a sectional side elevation ;
Figure 6 a detail view, showing the construction of the picking belt.
In carrying out the invention I use an overhead tram or railway
having trucks corves or tubs A. of suitable construction for conducting
the coal from the pit's mouth to, and depositing it on, the inclined screens B
down which the coal passes by gravity and falls on to a travelling or picking belts C
which conveys the large coal separated from the nuts and dust to the place required
such as wagons C. The nuts and dust which have passed through the screen B
fall through a hopper D (which may be provided with false screen bars) and on
to an ordinary travelling band E which conveys them to the shoe of an elevator F
by which they are raised and deposited on to an inclined nut screen G which may be
either a bar screen or a revolving riddle and which separates the nuts from the
fine slack and dust, the latter falling into a suitable hopper or shoot H to be led
away to any convenient place such as a railway wagon or any other receptacle as
the necessities of the colliery may require, and the former falling from the screen
on to a third travelling band I which conveys them to a three way hopper J. This
hopper has two inclined shoots K at the bottom leading in opposite or suitable
directions, and at the junction of these shoots is a hinged flap.or door whereby
the entrance to either shoot K can be closed. A second hinged door M is also pro-
vided in one of the sides of the hopper adapted to open inwards and to close the
passage to the aforementioned shoots, L' and M are the handles that work' these
flaps. By means of this three way hopper J, the nuts can be delivered in various
directions to the place where they are required to be delivered; thus by closing
the shoot N by the door M and opening one or both the shoots K by the door L,
the nuts are conveyed through K to the picking belt C to mix with the large coal
thereon, the dust having been previously separated out, or by opening door M into
position shown in dotted lines Figure 5 the nuts may be conveyed direct to railway
trucks or elsewhere through the shoots N provided for the purpose. Without
mixing the large coal on the picking belts C I am thus able to remove all dust,
slack and nuts from the large coal, with the option at will, of returning the nuts
into the large coal, for gas and other purposes, or the passing of them into separate
wagons or other receptacles. In a single apparatus, only one of the shoots K would
be required, but I prefer to make my apparatus double as shown. The picking
belt or band C is formed with perforated plates 0 which further screens the coal
carried thereon, and the links P carrying the plates O are provided with teeth or

page_text: projections Q. adapted to engage in recesses on the drums R, the drums them-
selves being made hollow to prevent any breakage occurring through coal getting
between the belt and the drum, that is to say the belt is adapted to bear upon
flanges at the sides of the drum only, and the projections on the links engage in
these flanges. The drums R may be made hexagonal or other shape.
The apparatus can be so arranged that one revolving tippler A will serve two
screens B, and the picking belts C which deliver to the railway wagons C can be
made to do so either both on the same side of the pit bank or on opposite sides and
either into wagons on the same or different lines of rails. The apparatus is
driven by driving shafts S, bevel wheels T and driving belts U, or in any other
suitable manner. It is found that the power required to drive an apparatus of this
kind is comparatively small.
This apparatus may either be single or double, if the latter it would be right and
left handed, so that one elevator F, one screen G for separating the nuts from the
dust and one three way hopper H may be made to serve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. The improvement in the screening, sorting and picking of coal, which consists
first in delivering the coal on to an inclined screen which separates the nuts and
slack from the large coal and delivers the latter on to a picking belt or elsewhere,
second, in conveying the nuts and slack so separated from the large coal to an
elevator which raises them to a higher level, thirdly, delivering them to another
screen where the nuts are separated from the slack, and finally conveying the nuts
to a valve or hopper such as specified, by means of which they can either be
returned to the large coal for gas or other purposes or passed into a separate wagon
or other receptacle, while the dust separated from the nuts falls into a hopper.
and is led away to any convenient place.
2. In the screening, sorting or picking of coal, the combination of sloping screens
having means at or near the top thereof for charging them with coal, and adapted
to separate the large coal from the nuts and slack and deliver it to picking belts
or elsewhere, an apparatus for conveying the nuts and slack so separated from the
large coal and lifting it to a higher plane, and a nut screen adapted to be charged by
said elevator and so arranged as to separate the nuts from the slack and deliver them
into separate receptacles or return the nuts into the large coal for gas or other
purposes, substantially as described.
3. The combination with two separate screens adapted to separate the large coal
from the nuts and slack and deliver the former in two opposite directions on to
picking belts or elsewhere, of an elevator located intermediate between the screens
and arranged to raise the nuts and slack separated out from the large coal at
each screen to a higher plane, a screen located in proximity to the delivery of the
said elevator for the purpose of separating the nuts and slack, and means such
as specified for delivering the nuts and slack each into separate receptacles or
return the nuts into the large coal for gas or other purposes, substantially as
described.
4. The special construction of the three-way hopper or valve, whereby the nuts
can be returned into shoots placed on either hand for delivery back into the large
coal on the picking belt, or delivered direct by another shoot into a railway wagon
or other receptacle, substantially as described.
5. Forming picking belts or bands with perforated plates so arranged as to
screen the coal carried thereon, substantially as described.
6. In picking belts or bands, forming the drums which carry the belts hollow,
with flanges on each side on which alone the edges of the belts or bands or their
supporting chains or links rest, whereby any breakage which would occur through
coal getting between the belt and a solid surfaced drum is avoided, substantially
as described.

page_text: 7. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming my
improved apparatus for screening, sorting or picking coal, whereby the dust, slack
and nuts are removed from the large coal, with the option at will of returning the
nuts into the large coal for gas and other purposes or of passing them into separate
wagons and other receptacles substantially as set forth.
Dated this 17th day of December 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.