Improvements in or relating to the Transport or Conveyance of Materials from One Place to Another.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb. 1898
Improvements in or relating to the Transport or Conveyance of
Materials from One Place to Another.
FRIEDRICH HONIGMANN, of 30, Lagerhausstrasse, Aix-la-Chapelle, in the Empire
of Germany, Mine 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:--
In order to transport materials such as coals, gravel sand, ores etc. a current of
water is caused to circulate in pipes as shown in the accompanying drawing, illus-
trating various modifications of the invention, the substance introduced into said
pipes being carried along with the stream of water.
As shown in Fig. 1 the material to be transported is introduced at J into the
pipe conduit. It is taken up by the current coming from the pipe B and carried
along the pipe A to its place of destination where it is separated from the water
by means of a sieve S or boxes K in well-known manner.
The current of water then returns through the pipe B in order to take up again
fresh material at J.
The movement of the water in the pipes is produced by the difference of pressure
in the pipes A and B which can be attained in various ways. The simplest and
best is to introduce air through the piper into the branch of the pipe A whereby
the pressure of water in this branch becomes lighter and constant inflowing of
water from the pipe B is caused.
In order to attain a higher velocity of the stream in the pipe A the branch of A is
first bent downwards at A', as shown in Fig. 1, so that air can be introduced at a
low level into the vertical extension A3, and thereby, by its extended passage through
the water, cause the speed of flow to be greater than if it were introduced at a
higher point.
If it is desired to transport the material to a higher level as shown in Fig. 2 or
to raise minerals from mines as in Fig. 3 then the pipe is provided at the place
where the material is introduced with a special filling device. This device is con-
stituted by a receiver C with two openings or valves a and b (Fig. 3) for connecting
it to the pipes and for closing the whole. The receiver C is filled with the material
to be transported through the opening the superfluous water from said receiver
being allowed to escape. When the filling is completed the opening a is closed
and the receiver placed under the pressure of the circulating stream of water by
means of the pipe e then the valve b is opened, whereupon the material contained
in the receiver C is discharged into the stream and is carried upwards through the
pipe A. The valve 6 is again closed the pressure in C relieved by opening the
cock e and then the valve is opened in order to again fill the receiver C and so on.
The water displaced from the receiver C by the material introduced and escaping
through the overflow pipe d into the reservoir R can be again introduced into the
pipe A or B by means of a pump P, this being the work required to lift a correspond-
ing volume of water to the desired height instead of the material transported. The
compressed air introduced into the pipe A must also perform the work of causing

page_text: the water to circulate and beside the work required to lift the higher specific weight
of the material to this height.
If say coals of specific gravity of 1.3 are to be transported, 1 part of the work
must be performed by the pump and 0.3 parts by the compressed air. If the specific
gravity of the circulating water is 1.2 owing to its being dirty then only 0.1
1.3 1.2) part of the work is to be performed by compressed air.
=
In case of raising minerals from mines, the pipes in the shaft may be arranged
so that the pipe in which the minerals are raised to the surface by the stream of
water may be arranged within the pipe for the downward flow of water (Fig. 3).
If the minerals are to be transported to a lower level as in Fig. 4 then the
material is charged at J directly into the stream of water. The stream Howing down-
wards in the pipe A attains owing to the material added a greater pressure than
the head of water in the pipe B which does not contain said material after it has
been deposited at its destination in the receiver C and this excess of pressure alone
is sufficient to cause the circulation of the water without necessitating the intro-
duction of compressed air into the vertical branch of the pipe B at r.
The receiver C receiving the material transported must also have two openings
or valves a and b in connection with the pipes.
Material can be transported in the manner described to any distance and to any
height and it can be introduced or discharged at any desired place.
Fig. 5 shows how the excess of pressure in the pipe 1 and the circulation of
water can be produced by other means than by the introduction of compressed air
such for instance as a plunger pump.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The method of transporting or conveying materials by means of a current of
water caused to circulate in communicating pipes by the introduction of compressed
air or by any other means substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for use in transporting materials by means of a current of water
the production of a higher velocity of the circulating water by bending the branch
of the pipe downwards at the discharge end substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for use in transporting materials by means of a current of water
a receiver as C for the introduction of the material to be transported into the pipes
said receiver being provided with valves as a and b and a pump for re-introducing
into the pipes the water displaced from said receiver by the material introduced
substantially as described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete apparatus
for use in transporting or conveying materials substantially as described and
illustrated in Figure 1 or in Figure 2 or in Figure 3 or in Figure 1 or in Figure 5
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of November 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.