Improvements in Machinery, Apparatus, and Appliances for Soreening, Sorting, Cleaning, and Travelling Coal and other Minerals and the like Substances.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 30th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted. 31st Dec., 1887
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery, Apparatus, and Appliances for Soreening,
Sorting, Cleaning, and Travelling Coal and other Minerals and
the like Substances.
We ALFRED BRADLEY SOUTHALL, Mining Engineer and JAMES HARGREAVES
CLEGG, Mechanical Engineer, both of Monckton near Barnsley, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, for IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES FOR SCREENING, SORTING, CLEANING AND
TRAVELLING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS, AND THE LIKE SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates more particularly to the mechanism and appliances for
actuating screens, or cradles, travelling platforms, and the like apparatus employed
in the treatment of minerals and analagous substances, and the object of our Invention
is to render the action of such apparatus and appliances more automatic, effective and
economical than is the case with those at present in use.
We effect this object by a combination of mechanism and appliances, the principle
and action of which will be the same, or similar, in all apparatus, of the kind already
indicated, employed in the treatment of minerals.
A description therefore of our Invention as applied to the Machinery and apparatus
for the treatment of Coal, will suffice.
First. As applied to Coal Screens.
The apparatus commonly in use for screening Coal comprises a series of fixed bars
placed parallel to each other at certain distances apart varying according to the size
of the Coal required, and at such an inclination as will allow the Coal to slide by
gravitation, over the surface of the screens, to the trucks, the largest Coal passing over
the full length of the screen and the smaller and intermediate sized Coal passing
through the screens, according to their mesh or pitch into trucks or otherwise as
circumstances may require.
By this arrangement it is difficult to adjust the inclination of the screens so as
to adapt them to the various sizes of Coal to be passed over their surface.
It being

page_text: found in practice that an inclination sufficient for the gravitation of the large Coal, is
not sufficient for the smaller Coal, which has to be assisted in its progress over the
screens by raking or some other equivalent manual operation.
On the other hand if sufficient inclination is given to the screens to allow of the
small Coal passing over by gravitation alone; the larger Coal travels so quickly, as
to carry with it a proportion of the small Coal, which does not pass through the
screens, and owing to the increased velocity at which the large Coal is delivered into
the trucks and the consequent shaking and knocking which it receives, the proportion
of small Coal is materially increased.
Another objection to this arrangement, is, that considerable elevation is absolutely
necessary between the two extremities of the screens, the difficulty in obtaining which,
has in some instances prevented more than one or two varieties of size in Coal, being
produced.
This objection may be almost if not entirely obviated by our improved apparatus,
which can be worked in an horizontal line if required, four or five feet or thereabouts
of head room, between the top of the truck, and the level of the corve road or tippler,
being sufficient, and this distance need not be increased however many sizes of screens
are employed in continuation.
In lieu of the fixed screens as herein last described, we construct our screens in
several distinct moveable sections; but in line with each other, as in ordinary screens;
and as already stated they may be placed in a Horizontal line if so required, though
where sufficient head room can be obtained they may be placed at an angle in a
similar manner to the arrangement of ordinary screens, the mean inclination
however would only slightly exceed the angle of repose of the material to be
treated.
In some cases the mean inclination may be the same or even less than the angle of
repose of the materials to be treated.
In order to obtain the necessary inclination to bring our improved screens into
operation each section is made to rise and fall at what may be called its rear end,
(that is the end furthest from the point of discharge or delivery), and the sections are
made to rise and fall intermediatly or alternately, thus, if the screens were arranged
with four moveable sections, the first and third section would be raised or elevated
at their rear ends whilst the second and fourth, would be lowered, but, by a
mechanical arrangement, hereinafter described, the act of rising or elevating is
performed a few seconds later than the act of lowering; the effect of this arrangement
being as follows:-
:-
Suppose that we call the four moveable sections A, B, C, & D, the Coal' is first
received on A, when in a horizontal position or at its most obtuse angle of inclination,
the rear end of the section B, would be elevated so as to give that section its most
acute angle of inclination, the section C would be in a position corresponding to A,
and the section D, would be in a position corresponding to B, the action would then
be as follows:
The Coal tipped upon the section A, would be retained and prevented from sliding
further down the screen by the elevated rear end of section B. On the rear end of
section A, being elevated, and the rear end of section B having already begun to fall
some seconds in advance of the elevation of the rear end of A, the Coal would be
moved forward by the inclination of section A, on to section B, but its further
progress down the screen would be again temporarily arrested by the elevated rear
end of section C, whose movements would correspond and be simultaneous with those
of section A, the next movement would be the elevation of the rear end of section B,
preceeded some seconds by the depression or falling of the rear end of section C
when the Coal would be again moved forward by the inclination of section B, on to
section C, where its progress down the screen would again be temporarily arrested by
the elevated rear end of section D, whose movements would correspond and be
simultaneous with those of section B. The next movement would be the elevation
of the rear end of section C, preceded some seconds by the depression or falling of
the rear end of section D, when the Coal would be moved forward by the inclination

page_text: of section C, on to section D, whence its further progress down the screens either
into Trucks or on to other sections may be effected in the manner already described.
The mechanical arrangement and appliances by which the several sections of
moveable screens are actuated, comprises a driving shaft, with an eccentric, crank or
cam motion which may be driven from a line shaft or from a separate motor. The
motion of this shaft is communicated by an eccentric, connecting, or coupling rod
to a series of rocking levers, to which the rear end of the screens are connected
in pairs, by appliances which may be called slides and guides, the action of these
slides and guides, being that which produces the falling of the rear end of one
section of the screen, a few seconds in advance of the elevation of the other,
and in order that this action may be fully understood it will be necessary to describe
the appliances as connected to, say, the first pair of Screen sections A, and B,
previously referred to.
A pair of slide rods and guides are attached to the rear end of each screen section,
one pair being attached the A, section, and connected to the rear ends of the first pair
of rocking Levers, and the other pair of slides and guides being attached to the B,
section and connected to the front ends, of the rocking Levers last named.
When the Rocking Levers are in motion they have a stroke somewhat longer than
is communicated to the Screen, thus, when the rocking levers are on their downward
stroke the slide rods and guides descend with the screen, but the screen being
arrested in its downward motion before the rocking levers have completed their
downward stroke, the slide rods follow the ends of the rocking levers and are drawn
some inches out of the guides, which are made long enough for this extended motion
of the slide rods.
It will thus be seen, that when the motion of the rocking levers is reversed
and the other screen begins to fall, that the slide rods last referred to will be forced
some distance back into the guides before the action of the rocking levers is
communicated to the screen.
The motion cominunicated to the rocking Levers may be regulated, by forming a
slot in the driving arm of each rocking lever or pair of levers, so that the connecting
rods may be attached to the same at a greater or less distance from the centre as the
case may be.
The screen Bars may be made of similar material and strength to screen bars
cominonly in use and the distance apart or pitch, may be regulated by any of the
existing methods. The bars however would be turned at their rear ends so as to
form a right angle or thereabouts with the face of the bar, or the ends may be turned
to a curve formed by a radius from the centre of oscillation (at the front end of the
Bar).
The ends so turned over would be connected together in the same or similar
manner to that employed in ordinary screen Bars.
The bars are also arranged so that these turned or rear ends may pass and slide between
the fixed or front ends of the bars to the rear of them; the turned ends of the bars
being made sufficiently long to allow of their rising and falling to the required distance,
and so that the connecting bolts and other attachments may be made on the undersides
of the bars to the rear of them; by this arrangement the centre of oscillation of the
rear bars, is to the front and underside of the rising and falling ends (or rear ends,)
of the front bars.
Screens may be made as herein described to work one set over and one set under,
so that the Coal falling from the first set of screens, may be received on to the second
set, and be further manipulated and the second set of screens may be arranged
to deliver the Coal or slack in an opposite direction to that of the first set of
screens.
Screens fitted according to our improved arrangement may likewise be provided
with other appliances and mechanical contrivances, for dealing with the Coal after it
has passed through the screens, as are at present in use for such purposes.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise means herein described for conveying
motion to the screens, which may be effected in a variety of ways, none of which

page_text: need possess any special feature of novelty so far as the mechanical action is
concerned.
The essential feature of our Invention is in the combination of mechanism and
appliances, for actuating screens and other apparatus, with a particular arrangement
and formation of screen bars and screens as herein described.
Dated this 30th day of December 1886.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery, Apparatus, and Appliances for Screening,
Sorting, Cleaning, and Travelling Coal and other Minerals and
the like Substances.
We ALFRED BRADLEY SOUTHALL, Mining Engineer, and JAMES HARGREAVES
CLEGG, Mechanical Engineer, both of Monckton near Barnsley, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES FOR SCREENING, SORTING, CLEANING, AND
TRAVELLING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS, AND THE LIKE SUBSTANCES," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
Our Invention relates more particularly to the mechanism and appliances for
actuating Screens, or cradles, travelling platforms and the like apparatus employed in
the treatment of minerals and analagous substances, and the object of our Invention is to
render the action of such apparatus and appliances more automatic, effective and
economical than is the case with those at present in use.
We effect this object by a combination of mechanism and appliances, the principle
and action of which will be the same, or similar, in all apparatus, of the kind already
indicated, employed in the treatment of minerals.
A description therefore of our Invention as applied to the machinery and apparatus
for the treatment of Coal, will suffice.
First. As applied to Coal Screens. The apparatus commonly in use for screening
Coal, comprises a series of fixed bars placed parallel to each other at certain distances
apart varying according to the size of the coal required, and at such an inclination as
will allow the Coal to slide by gravitation, over the surface of the Screens, to the
trucks, the largest coal passing over the full length of the screen, and the smaller and
intermediate sized coal passing through the screens, according to their mesh or pitch
into trucks or otherwise as circumstances may require.

page_text: By this arrangement it is difficult to adjust the inclination of the screens so as to
adapt them to the various sizes of Coal to be passed over their surface. It being
found in practice that an inclination sufficient for the gravitation of the large Coal, is
not sufficient for the smaller Coal, which has to be assisted in its progress over the
screens by raking or some other equivalent manual operation.
On the other hand if sufficient inclination is given to the screens to allow of the
small coal passing over by gravitation alone; the larger coal travels so quickly, as to
carry with it a proportion of the small Coal, which does not pass through the screens
and owing to the increased velocity at which the large Coal is delivered into the trucks
and the consequent shaking and knocking which it receives, the proportion of small
Coal is materially increased.
Another objection to this arrangement, is, that considerable elevation is absolutely
necessary between the two extremities of the screens, the difficulty in obtaining which,
has in some instances prevented more than one or two varieties of size in Coal, being
produced.
This objection may be almost, if not entirely obviated by our improved apparatus
which can be worked in an horizontal line if required, four or five feet or thereabouts
of head room, between the top of the truck, and the level of the corve road or tippler,
being sufficient, and this distance need not be increased however many sizes of screens
are employed in continuation.
In lieu of the fixed screens as herein last described, we construct our screens in
several distinct movable sections, but in line with each other, as in ordinary screens ;
and as already stated they may be placed in a Horizontal line if so required, though
where sufficient head room can be obtained they may be placed at an angle in a
similar manner to the arrangement of ordinary screens, the nean inclination
however would only slightly exceed the angle of repose of the material to be
treated.
In some cases the mean inclination may be the same or even less than the angle of
repose of the materials to be treated.
In order to obtain the necessary inclination to bring our improved screens into
operation each section is made to rise and fall at what may be called its rear end, (that
is the end furthest from the point of discharge or delivery) and the sections are made
to rise and fall intermediatly or alternately, thus, if the screens were arranged with
four movable sections, the first and third section would be raised or elevated at their
rear ends whilst the second and fourth, would be lowered, but by a mechanical
arrangement, hereinafter described, the act of rising or elevating is performed a
few seconds later than the act of lowering; the effect of this arrangement being as
follows:-
Suppose that we call the four movable sections A. B. C. & D, the coal is first
received on A, when in a horizontal position or at its most obtuse angle of inclination,
the rear end of section B, would be elevated so as to give that section its most acute
angle of inclination, the section would be in a position corresponding to A, and
the section D, would be in a position corresponding to B, the action would then be as
follows:-
The coal tipped upon the section A, would be retained and prevented from sliding
further down the screen by the elevated rear end of section B. On the rear end of
section A, being elevated, and the rear end of section B, having already begun to fall
some seconds in advance of the elevation of the rear end of A, the coal would be
moved forward by the inclination of section A, on to section B, but its further
progress down the screen would be again temporarily arrested by the elevated rear
end of section C, whose movements would correspond and be simultaneous with those
of section A, the next movement would be the elevation of the rear end of section B,
preceeded some seconds by the depression or falling of the rear end of section C,
when the coal would be again moved forward by the inclination of section B, on to
section C, where its progress down the screen would again be temporarily arrested by
the elevated rear end of section D, whose movements would correspond and be simul-
taneous with those of section B. The next movement would be the elevation of the

page_text: rear end of section C, preceeded some seconds by the depression or falling of the rear
end of section D, when the coal would be moved forward by the inclination of
section (, on to section D, whence its further progress down the screens either
into trucks or on to other sections may be effected in the manner already described.
The mechanical arrangement and appliances by which the several sections of movable
screens are actuated, comprises a driving shaft, with an eccentric, Crank or Cam
motion, which may be driven from a line shaft or from a separate motor. The motion
of this shaft is communicated by an eccentric connecting or coupling rod, to a series
of rocking levers, to which the rear end of the screens are connected in pairs, by
appliances which may be called slides and guides, the action of these slides and guides,
being that which produces the falling of the rear end of one section of the screen, a
few seconds in advance of the elevation of the other, and in order that this action
may be fully understood it will be necessary to describe the appliances as connected to,
say, the first pair of Screen sections A, and B, previously referred to.
A pair of slide rods and guides are attached to the rear end of each screen section,
one pair being attached to the A section and connected to the rear ends of the first
pair of rocking levers, and the other pair of slides and guides being attached to the
B section and connected to the front ends, of the rocking levers last named.
When the rocking levers are in motion they have a stroke somewhat longer than is
communicated to the screen, thus, when the rocking levers are on their downward
stroke the slide rods and guides descend with the screen, but the screen being arrested
in its downward motion before the rocking lovers have completed their downward
stroke, the slide rods follow the ends of the rocking lovers and are drawn some
inches out of the guides, which are made long enough for this extended motion of
the slide rods.
It will thus be seen, that when the motion of the rocking levers is reversed
and the other screen begins to fall, that the slide rods last referred to, will be forced
some distance back into the guides before the action of the rocking levers is com-
municated to the screen. An elastic washer or cushion may be provided when
necessary to reduce the shock and noise caused by the collars and flanges of the
guides and slides coming in contact with each other during the working of this part
of the apparatus.
The motion communicated to the rocking levers may be regulated by forming a
slot in the driving arm of each rocking lever or pair of levers, so that the connecting
rods may be attached to the same at a greater or less distance from the centre as the
case may be.
The screen bars may be made of similar material and strength to screen bars
commonly in use and the distance apart or pitch may be regulated by any of the
existing methods. The bars however would be turned at their rear ends so as to form
a right angle or thereabouts with the face of the bar, or the ends may be turned
to a curve formed by a radius from the centre of oscillation (at the front end of the
Bar).
The ends so turned over would be connected together in the same
or similar
manner to that employed in ordinary screen bars. The bars are also arranged so
that these turned or rear ends may pass and slide between the fixed or front ends
of the bars to the rear of them; the turned ends of the bars being made sufficiently
long to allow of their rising and falling to the required distance, and so that the
connecting bolts and other attachments may be made on the undersides of the bars to
the rear of them; by this arrangement the centre of oscillation of the rear bars,
is to the front and underside of the rising and falling ends (or rear ends) of the
front bars.
Screens may be made as herein described to work one set over and one set
under, so that the coal falling from the first set of screens, may be received on to
the second set, and be further manipulated and the second set of screens may be
arranged to deliver the coal or slack in an opposite direction to that of the first set
of screens.
Screens fitted according to our improvement arranged may likewise be provided with

page_text: ther appliances and mechanical contrivances for dealing with the
assed through the screens as are at present in use for such purposes
We do not confine ourselves to the precise means herein descri
notion to the screens, which may be effected in a variety of ways no
ossess any special feature of novelty so far as the mechanical action
The essential feature of our Invention is in the combination o
ppliances for actuating screens and other apparatus with a partic
nd formation of screen bars and screens as herein described.
Our invention will be better understood on reference to the ac
heets of drawings in which
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, represents a side elevation of our improved coal s
Fig. 2, Sheet 1, represents a longitudinal section of the same.
Fig. 3, Sheet 1, being a plan of one set of screens.
Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is an enlarged view of a portion of the mechan
movable sections a. b c & d are actuated.
The same letters and figures refer to similar parts throughout the
both Sheets of drawings.
a, b, c &d, represent four sets of movable screen bars already refe
e, is the driving shaft.
f, is the eccentric.
9, 9, are the eccentric, connecting or coupling rods.
h, h, are the rocking levers.
hi
1, ³, are the shafts for the same.
i, i, are the slides or slide rods.
, are the Guides.
,, are the elastic buffing washers.
k, k, are the driving arms of the rocking levers.
1,1, are the screen bars.
m, m, are the fixed centre bolts on which the screens oscillate.
n, n, are the radial screen bolts.
o, o, are guides for the same fixed in the side of the screen case.
P, P, is the side or sides of the screen case which is hoppered at
9, when the slack elevator is used.
r, is the coal shoot.
s, is a slack elevating creeper.
t, is the slack hopper.
น,
v,
10,
is the rotary screen in which
is the smudge section.
is the pea section.
w, is the nut section and
, is the dead plate.
y, y, are hoppers for the different qualities of coal and slack.
2, is a wagon for smudge.
, is a wagon for peas.
is a wagon for nuts.
is a wagon for large coal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the natu
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we dec
claim is
(1) The combination of mechanism and appliances for actuating
apparatus with a particular arrangement and formation of screen
comprising the driving shaft marked e, the eccentric f, the eccent
coupling rods g, g, the rocking levers h, h, the shafts for the same
slide rods i, i, the guides i, j, the elastic buffing washers j³, j³, the d
rocking levers k, k, the screen bars 1, 1, the fixed centre bolts on
oscillate m, m, the radial screen bolts n, n, the guides for the same
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1) The combination of mechanism and appliances for actuating screens and other
apparatus with a particular arrangement and formation of screen bars and screens
comprising the driving shaft marked e, the eccentric f, the eccentric connecting or
coupling rods g, g, the rocking levers h, h, the shafts for the same, h, the slides or
slide rods i, i, the guides j, j, the elastic buffing washers j',, the driving arms of the
rocking levers k, k, the screen bars 1, 1, the fixed contre bolts on which the screens
oscillate m, m, the radial screen bolts n, n, the guides for the same fixed in the side

page_text: of the screen case o, o, together with the fittings, fixings, and appendages, apper-
taining thereto for screening, sorting, cleaning, and travelling coal and other
minerals and the like substances either with or without the slack elevating creeper,
the rotary screen, or other auxilliary parts as at present used in ordinary coal screens,
substantially as herein described and illustrated."
(2) The specially designed appliances used in combination with the mechanism
described in claim 1, herein referred to as the slides or slide rods ii, and the
guides fitted with the elastic buffing washers j¹³, by means of the ends of one
section of screen bars are made to commence their descent a little in advance of the
elevation of the ends of the section of screen bars immediately in front of them
substantially as herein described and illustrated.
(3) Improvements in machinery apparatus and appliances for screening, sorting,
cleaning, and travelling Coal and other minerals and the like substances, substantially
as herein described and set forth.
ليوم
1000
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicants.