IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OR SORTING VARIOUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OR SORTING
VARIOUS SUBSTANCES."-A communication from abroad by Jean Jules
Hignette, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 12th March 1872.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING
OR. SORTING VARIOUS SUBSTANCES," a communication to me from abroad by
Jean Jules Hignette, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer, to
be as follows:-
•
-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction of apparatus for
effecting the mechanical separation or sorting of various substances, such

page_text: for example as grain, semolina, ores, and the like, and consists in the
construction and use for that purpose of a species of trough open or
closed on the top, having a curved or partially cylindrical bottom, and
suspended from centres above by suitable arms of any desired length.
The radius of the curve of the bottom of the said trough is variable,
according to the quantity of substances to be separated per hour. This
trough is caused to swing or oscillate with a curvelinear reciprocating
motion upon the said centres, motion being imparted thereto by a con-
necting rod and crank or other well-known mechanical arrangement. A
slight inclination is given to the trough, and its two sides are made of a
zig-zag form, the inner projections on one-side breaking joint with those
on the opposite side. A discharge aperture is provided at each end of
the trough, and the mixed substances to be sorted or separated are fed
therein through a hopper at or near the longitudinal centre of the
trough. The fighter portions rise to the surface, and are caused to
ascend the trough by the action of the oscillations and zig-zag sides of
the trough, and are discharged through the aperture at the upper end,
whilst the heavier portions descend and are discharged through the
aperture at the lower end.
Several of these oscillating or swinging troughs may be placed parallel
or in a line with each other, or two troughs may be disposed in contrary
directions, so that the stones or heavier portions may escape at the same
place.
If desired gratings may be used in conjunction with the apparatus in

page_text: CIM-
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OR SORTING VARIOUS.
SUBSTANCES," a communication to me from abroad by Jean Jules Hignette,
of Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
The said Invention relates to a system of mechanical sorting for ores
and other substances on the principle of the apparatus known as Josse's
sifter, and consists in certain important modifications in the form and
construction of the said apparatus, as herein-after described, the exclu-
sive use of which it is desired to secure, not only in the application to
the treatment of ores, but also to the clearing of stones and cleaning of
grain or any other substances, the separation of decorticated and
undecorticated grain, and the bolting or sifting of semolina and the like.
This novel method of construction admits of a considerable saving in
the expenditure of motive power in the use of the apparatus, whilst
obviating the shaking of the building attendent upon its use, which was
due to its horizontal reciprocating rectilineal motion, and which defect
prevented its being used in many works.

page_text: And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the new apparatus; Figure 2 is a corre-
sponding horizontal section of the same; and Figure 3 is a vertical section
taken along the line 1-2 (Figure 2).
The apparatus is composed of a box T of the peculiar form shewn in
the horizontal section, Figure 2, composed of sheet metal, wood, or cast.
iron, and which may be closed or not by a cover. The bottom of this
box is circular, and the radius of its curvature is variable, according to
the quantity of the substance required to be operated upon per hour.
This cylindrical bottom is one principal feature in the construction of
the new apparatus, as it enables the box or table T to be suspended
from a horizontal shaft A, and its horizontal reciprocating rectilineal ·
motion to be converted into a reciprocating circular motion, that is to
sav. into an oscillating motion.

page_text: arrows F, F¹, the lighter portions ascend to the surface, and by means of
the suitable inclination of the table in the direction of P, P¹, the lighter
portions ascend to be discharged at S, S', whilst the heavier portions
descend to be discharged at I, I¹.
Several apparatus may be placed parallely or in a line, the one with
the other, or two apparatus may be disposed in reverse directions, so that
the stones may be discharged at the same place.
Several gratings may also be provided at the end of the apparatus for
the purpose of separating the substances according to their size.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculiar construction and arrangement of separator, as
herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Second. The application of the said separator to the separation and
classing of grain, ores, semolina, and other substances, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of
July, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)