Improved Discharge Opening and Door for Vats.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Discharge Opening and Door for Vats.
I, ALFRED JAMES, of 56, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Mining and
Metallurgical Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to door openings and doors suitable for fitting into the
bottom of vats such as are used for instance in the lixiviation of gold or other ores
by chemical solutions, the objects of such openings and doors being to empty the
vats by discharging the residues after treatment.
The doors in use made of cast iron are very heavy and cumbersome to work
and the discharge is usually either impeded by the cross bolt, or this cross bolt
has to be fished out and removed. In the manufacture of this door opening and
door I obtain the requisite lightness by the use of pressed and cast steel in the
manner hereinafter specified. The rubber or other packing and joint of the
opening are placed in such a position as to be out of the way of the discharge of
the tailings, and the tightening bolt is arranged to work outside the door so that
the internal orifice is perfectly clear and free as will be seen in the accompanying
drawings.
The upper flanged ring of the door opening is pressed out of steel plate and this
is bolted to a flange of cast iron, malleable cast iron or cast steel forming the
under part of the door opening, the bolts being of sufficient length to permit
of the insertion of the bottom planks or plates of the tank and of the necessary
packing.
The cast iron, malleable cast iron or cast steel flange has an eye for a chain
attachment and a suitable shaped circular channel cored on its under face to hold
a ring of asbestos or other suitable packing against which the steel circular lid
or door may press to form a watertight joint.
The pressed steel circular plate which forms the door is pressed out of Siemen's
mild steel plate and has rivetted on the under side a cast steel casing to receive
the head of the tightening bolt and also a mild steel eyeplate to receive a chain
attachment.
Two brackets of mild steel plate with the necessary bolt holes are bolted
diametrically opposite each other to the under side of the cast iron, malleable cast
iron or cast steel flange round the door opening, and on these rest the ends of the
bridge of the door, and they take up the thrust of the bridge when the door
is closed.
The bridge is of cast steel partly of I section and having an opening cored in
the centre to admit of the steel nut of the bolt which tightens up the door.
This tightening bolt is of mild steel, parts of which are screwed to fit two nuts
respectively, and has a flat head with hole bored in same to allow of the insertion
of a steel lever for turning the bolt.
Two chain attachments of mild steel are fitted to hold the door back in its open
position to allow of discharge.

page_text: In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will now proceed to
describe same by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a section illustrating the construction of the improved door with its
frame, thrust bar or bridge, and tightening bolt all in the closed position.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the above showing the arrangement of the bridge, door, bolt
holes, and chain fastening.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a bracket showing the bar of the bridge in position.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the door when open and held back by the chain.
a is the flanged curb ring forming the internal opening of the door, b the
bottom plate of the tank, the packing, & the bolts, e the cast iron, malleable cast
iron or cast steel flange which is the under frame of the door opening and contains
the ring of packing f and to which are bolted the brackets gg.
h is the casing
rivetted to the pressed steel lid of the door by the rivets jj. k is the chain
attachment rivetted to the door and connected by the chain 7 to the lug m cast
on to the frame of the door opening. n is the cross bar or bridge through which
the tightening bolto passes, the nut on the top end of such bolt engaging the
casing h. Another iron nut takes the thrust from the cross bar n. A hole ris
made at the top of the tightening bolt by which this may be adjusted by the
insertion of the lever s. t is a chain fastening attached to the bottom of the tank
or the supports of same at a suitable distance from the door opening and
terminating in the hook which engages the hole r of the extremity of the
tightening bolt o, and this holds the door back free of the discharge opening.
To open the door the tightening bolt o is unscrewed by one or more turns. This
enables the bridge to be turned passing through the openings made in the side of
the brackets gg for this purpose, so as no longer to engage such brackets 99;
the door then falls open and is hung back by the chain fastening therein before
described in the position shown in Fig. 4.
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:
રી
1. A discharge opening and door the upper frame of the opening and the
lid of the door being made of pressed steel in combination with
lower frame of cast iron, malleable cast iron or cast steel round the opening
and having a recess for the insertion of packing and steel lugs bolted thereto and
also with a cast steel bridge, a tightening bolt and chain attachments all substan-
tially as described.
2. The improved discharge doors and door openings constructed and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agent for the Applicant.