IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GETTING OR WORKING CHINA CLAY
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Stocker, of Saint Austell, in the County of
Cornwall, Clay Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
GETTING OR WORKING CHINA CLAY.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Stocker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th November 1879.
*6
THOMAS STOCKER, of Saint Austell, in the County of Cornwall, Clay Merchant.
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GETTING OR WORKING CHINA CLAY."
This Invention has for its object improvements in means and apparatus for
getting or working china clay.
"
China clay is always found in admixture with stony granules or gravel." The
usual way of working it is to expose the clay bearing stratum from top to bottom,
and after loosening the material to run a stream of water over it.
The water
carries the material down with it, and at the bottom of the bank the gravel is
deposited in boarded tanks or receptacles prepared for the purpose, whilst the clay,
which is always in a minutely divided state, remains suspended in the water, and
is carried on by it into ponds, where the water is retained sufficiently long to
enable the clay to settle. This system necessitates a heavy expenditure of labour
in removing the gravel from the tanks or receptacles and loading it into waggons
to be conveyed away. According to my Invention I replace the tanks or receptacles
mentioned above by moveable boxes, into and through which I cause the stream of
water, which comes down laden with gravel and clay, to flow. The gravel then is
deposited in the boxes, whilst the clay passes on with the water to the settling
ponds. As the boxes fill and become loaded with the gravel they are lifted by a
crane or like appliance, they are placed upon a waggon and conveyed away. Or
the boxes themselves may be mounted upon wheels, and when full may be run
away along a railway. Very frequently the position is such that the gravel has to
be drawn up a steep incline before it can be conveyed away on the level; in such
cases I connect the boxes when loaded with a pulley running upon an overhead
rope strained tight and leading from the bottom of the incline to the top. The

page_text: box is first lifted and slung from the pulley, and then by a hauling rope passing
to a winding engine the pulley and load are drawn to the top of the incline.
The hauling rope is so applied that in commencing to wind it operates first to
lift the box and cause it to be freely suspended, and then as the winding continues
the pulley and load are drawn up the incline. On arrival at the top of the incline
the box is upset, or the bottom opens and the gravel is dropped; the winding rope
is then allowed to run out, and the box descends the inclined rope. When the box
reaches its position the pulley from which the box is suspended is stopped by
suitable appliances, and the slackening of the hauling rope permits the box to
descend on to the floor or seat prepared for it.
In some cases in place of passing the whole stream of water through the boxes
I form the launder or trough by which the material is brought to the boxes with
openings near the bottom, by which the gravel with some of the water will pass
into the boxes, whilst the remainder of the water free from gravel will flow off
over an edge on the other side of the launder or trough.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Stocker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th May
"
1880.
THOMAS STOCKER, of St. Austell, in the County of Cornwall, Clay Merchant..
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GETTING OR WORKING CHINA CLAY."
This Invention has for its object improved apparatus for getting or working
china clay.
China clay is always found in admixture with stony granules or "gravel." The
usual way of working it is to expose the clay bearing stratum from top to bottom,
and after loosening the material to run a stream of water over it. The water
carries the material down with it, and at the bottom of the bank the gravel is
deposited in boarded tanks or receptacles prepared for the purpose, whilst the clay,
which is always in a minutely divided state, remains suspended in the water, and
is carried on by it into ponds, where the water is retained sufficiently long to
enable the clay to settle. This system necessitates a heavy expenditure of labour in
removing the gravel from the tanks or receptacles and loading it into waggons to
be conveyed away.
According to my Invention I replace the tanks or receptacles mentioned above
by moveable boxes, into and through which I cause the stream of water, which
comes down laden with gravel and clay, to flow. The gravel then is deposited in
the boxes, whilst the clay passes on with the water to the settling ponds. As the
boxes fill and become loaded with the gravel they are lifted by a crane or like
appliance, they are placed upon a waggon and conveyed away. Or the boxes
themselves may be mounted upon wheels, and when full may be run away along a
railway. Very frequently the position is such that the gravel has to be drawn up
a steep incline before it can be conveyed away on the level; in such cases I connect
the boxes when loaded with a pulley running upon an overhead rope strained
tight and leading from the bottom of the incline to the top. The box is first lifted
and alung from the pulley, and then by a hauling rope passing to a winding engine
the pulley and load are drawn to the top of the incline.
The hauling rope is so applied that in commencing to wind it operates first to
lift the box and cause it to be freely suspended, and then as the winding continues
the pulley and load are drawn up the incline. On arrival at the top of the incline
the box is upset, or the bottom opens and the gravel is dropped; the winding
rope is then allowed to run out, and the box descends the inclined rope. When
the box reaches its position the pulley from which the box is suspended is stopped
by suitable appliances, and the slackening of the hauling rope permits the box to
descend on to the floor or seat prepared for it.
In some cases in place of passing the whole stream of water through the boxes I
form the launder or trough by which the material is brought to the boxes with
openings near the bottom, by which the gravel with some of the water will pass
into the boxes, whilst the remainder of the water free from gravel will flow off over
an edge on the other side of the launder or trough.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
into effect, I will, proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section showing the arrangement of the workings and
plant; Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of the same; Figure 3 is a perspective
view.
The place from which the clay is worked, technically called the stopes, is marked
in the plans A, A, A; there the clay is broken into small pieces, which are washed

page_text: and mixed up with water, so that the water as it flows from the foot of the stopes
is charged with china clay held in suspension, and the water carries along with it
the sand, gravel, and stones.
The water rolling along the said gravel and stones is directed by the hatches
marked O, O, into one or more boarded channels, two such marked B, B, are shown
on the plan. The greater part of the water free from the said gravel and stones
passes over the overflow hatches E, E, into a covered launder C under the recep-
tacles B, B, and is directed by hatches P, P, into either of a series of receptacles
marked D, D. Here a more complete deposition and separation of the sand takes
place, and the water charged with clay flows on until it is turned into a clay pit
and the clay deposits. At the ends of the channels B, B, are hatches G, G, which
when lifted communicate with a trough or launder marked H, H, in which there is
a hatch marked I. The tram waggon J is pushed back until its butt is under the
end of the launder H, H. The moveable launder L is placed at the opposite end of
the butt, beneath a lip place K in this end of the butt, and the launder L is
furnished with a lip which exactly fills the space of this lip place K. This launder L
serves as a water way to convey the water which overflows the butt when it is
being filled; the hatches M, M, therein direct the course of the water into either
of the receptacles D, D, and in these receptacles any sand not caught in the butt
becomes deposited. To cause the sand, gravel, and stones to be delivered into the
tram waggon, the modus operandi is as follows:-The hatch I is lifted, and then
one of the hatches marked G is raised until the water rushes out of one of the
channels B, B, carrying with it a very large quantity of sand, gravel, and stones,
which had been accumulating therein, and the butt of the tram waggon J speedily
becomes filled with the sand, gravel, and stones. When the man in attendance
perceives that the butt is just full he pushes down the hatch G, and then pushes
down the hatch I and removes the launder L from the opposite end of the tram
waggon. Some sand from one of the receptacles D, D, then out of use is shovelled
into the butt of the tram waggon to complete the load, and the waggon being thus
filled it is run along the tramway and its contents thrown over the bank, or it is
tipped into another waggon N, as shown on the plan, which waggon N is then run
along the tramway and its contents thrown over the bank.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 illustrate another method for carrying out my Invention ;
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the workings and plant; Figure 5 is a plan; Figure 6,
a perspective view; and Figures 7 and 8 show separate parts of the apparatus.
In this case, as in that already described, the water rolling along the sand, gravel,
and stones is directed by hatches O, O, into one or more boarded channels, two
such marked B, B, are shown. The water freed from the sand, gravel, and stones
passes away over the overflow hatches E, E, and flows on until the water is turned
into a clay pit and the clay deposits. In the channels B, B, are hatches D, D,
which when lifted communicate with the launder C, in which are two hatches
marked F, F. An overhead rope N is bung over the middle of the launder C
transversely. This rope is kept in position by the high sheers S, one end being
fastened to a tie post behind the shears S, and the other end is fastened to a tie
post sunk in the earth in the bottoms marked U. On the overhead rope N runs
the horse G, which is a double iron frame hung on each side of two pulleys K, K.
This horse may be made, as shown in skeleton, on the middle of the overhead
rope N, with one under pulley H, in which case the drawing rope
passes over the
pulley H, down and around the loose pulley J, and is fastened to the bolt V of the
horse. Or it may be made with two under pulleys H and I, in which case the
drawing rope P passes over the pulley H, down and around the loose pulley J, over
the pulley I, and is hooked to the frame of the loose pulley J.
In removing the sand, gravel, and stones the modus operandi is as follows:-
The man lifts one of the hatches F, F, and then one of the hatches D, D, as &
result the water carrying with it the sand, gravel, and stones which had accumu-
lated in one of the channels B, B, rushes into the box M, which speedily becomes
filled with the sand, gravel, and stones. The man then pushes down the hatch D

page_text: and the batch F, and shovels into the box M any sand which may have over-
flowed. He signals to let the drawing rope run out, this is carried down by the
horse G and empty box M. When the horse reaches the stop W the loose pulley J
and box M descend, the man directing them a little on one side and allowing the
box M to settle down directly under one of the hatches F, F. He then unhangs
the hook L from the handle of the box M, and hangs the hook to the handle of
the other box M, which has been filled, he signals to haul in the drawing rope P,
the box M at once ascends to the horse G, and the horse G with box M close
to it is drawn along the overhead rope N to the required height. On its arrival
the boy hooks the lower end of the small rope Q on the iron lever T fixed in the
sheers S, and then holds down the lever T, the engineman reverses the engine, and
the horse G with the box M close to it runs down a short distance.
The rope Q
fastened on the top of the off end of the box M becomes tight, and the strain upon
it causes the box to turn over and empty itself. Its contents may be directed by
a shute into a tram waggon R, which is run along the tramway and emptied over
the bank; when the box is emptied the boy raises the lever of the shaft T, so
releasing the rope Q, the box rights itself, and runs down to be refilled in
its turn.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the exact details described, but I claim as my improved apparatus for getting or
working china clay,―
First. The apparatus by which the sand, gravel, and stones are separated
from the stream of water which brings them down, together with the clay, and
caused to be deposited in tram waggons or moveable boxes, substantially as
described.
Second. The apparatus by which the sand, gravel, and stones are caused to be
deposited in tram waggons or moveable boxes whilst the greater part of the water
holding the clay in suspension is diverted from the sand waggons or boxes, sub-
stantially as described.
Third. The apparatus for getting or working of china clay, substantially as
described in respect to Figures 1, 2, & 3 of the Drawings.
Fourth. The apparatus for getting or working china clay, substantially as
described in respect to Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings.
Fifth. The apparatus by which the sand, gravel, and stones are conveyed
away, substantially as described in respect to Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Stocker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand