IMPROVEMENTS IN SIFTERS OR SIEVES FOR SIFTING CINDERS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE USES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hitchcock Lake, of Cheltenham, in the County
of Gloucester, Tailor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIFTERS OR
SIEVES FOR SIFTING CINDERS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE USES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hitchcock Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1877.
JOHN HITCHCOCK LAKE, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, Tailor.
"IPROVEMENTS IN SIFTERS OR SIEVES FOR SIFTING CINDERS, AND FOR OTHER LIKE
USES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in sifters or
sieves for sifting cinders, and for other like uses.
Sifters or sieves made according to my Invention are simple in construction,
efficient and convenient in use, and little liable to derangement.
I will describe my improvements as applied to a cinder-sifter or sieve. The
outer case of the instrument or apparatus is, by preference, of a cylindrical figure,
and contains in its axis a conical chamber, the lower or base part of which is made
of wire gauze or of other meshed or perforated material. The said conical chamber
is capable of a rotatory motion in the cylindrical case, the said conical chamber
being connected at its base with a short axis passing through the bottom of the case
and terminating in a winch or handle, by which the said conical chamber may be
turned. A deep rim at the bottom of the case supports it at such a height from the
floor as to prevent injury to the winch or handle beneath the bottom. At or near
the middle of the case is a division or diaphragm, having in it a concentric circular
opening, through which the upper part of the conical chamber passes, and in which
opening the conical chamber fits and turns freely. The said conical chamber thus
has two bearings, one by means of its axis at the base, and the other at its middle
by means of the circular opening in the division or diaphragm. At the top of the
case is a central opening capable of being closed temporarily by a lid, through which
opening the cinders to be sifted are poured into the conical chamber.
In order to effect the sifting of the said cinders the opening in the top of the case
is closed by its lid, and the sifter is laid horizontally and the conical chamber turned

page_text: by means of the winch or handle described. The ash and fine particles pass through
the wire gauze, of which the lower part of the conical chamber is made, and are
received in the lower half of the cylindrical case. The central lid of the sifter being
removed, the sifter is raised into an inverted position, by which means the screened
or sifted cinders are emptied from the conical chamber into any convenient
receptacle. The ash and fine particles contained in the lower half of the case at the
same time pass into the upper half of the case in the following way :-
A portion of the division or diaphragm herein-before described is hinged to the
other fixed portion, the said hinged portion constituting a flap or valve, which can
only open upwards or towards the top of the sifter. Hence, when the sifter is
inverted to empty it of the screened cinders, the said flap or valve turning upon its
hinges falls and permits of the passage of the ash and fine particles into the upper
part of the case of the sifter. On restoring the case to its normal or upright position
the said hinged flap or valve falls, and prevents the return of the ash into the lower
half of the case, and the sifter is now ready to be used a second time. The lower
half of the case in which the sifting is effected is thus cleared of ash after each
sifting, the said aslı accumulating in the upper half of the case by the inversion of
the sifter after each use. By means of a sliding or other door on the top of and near
the margin of the case, access to the upper part of the said case may be obtained
for the removal of the ash.
In addition to sifting cinders my Invention, with slight modifications, may also
be applied to the sifting of pulverized earthy substances, powdered sugar, spices,
drugs, and other articles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Hitchcock Lake in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 19th
September 1877.
JOHN HITCHCOCK LAKE, of Cheltenham, in the County of Gloucester, Tailor.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SIFTERS OR SIEVES FOR SIFTING CINDERS, AND FOR OTHER
LIKE USES."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in sifters or
sieves for sifting cinders, and for other like uses.
Sifters or sieves made according to my Invention are simple in construction,
efficient and convenient in use, and little liable to derangement.
I will describe my improvements as applied to a cinder-sifter or sieve. The outer
case of the instrument or apparatus is by preference of a cylindrical figure, and
contains in its axis a conical chamber, the lower or base part of which is made of
wire gauze, or of other meshed or perforated material. The said conical chamber is
capable of a rotatory motion in the cylindrical case, the said conical chamber being
connected at its base with a short axis passing through the bottom of the case and
terminating in a winch or handle, by which the said conical chamber may be turned.
A deep rim at the bottom of the case supports it at such a height from the floor as
to prevent injury to the winch or handle beneath the bottom. At or near the
middle of the case is a division or diaphragm having in it a concentric circular
opening, through which the upper part of the conical chamber passes, and in which
opening the conical chamber fits and turns freely. The said conical chamber thus
lias two bearings, one by means of its axis at the base, and the other at its middle
by means of the circular opening in the division or diaphragm. At the top of the
case is a central opening capable of being closed temporarily by a lid, through
which opening the cinders to be sifted are poured into the conical chamber.
In order to effect the sifting of the said cinders the opening in the top of the case
is closed by its lid, and the sifter is laid horizontally and the conical chamber turned
by means of the winch or handle described. The ash and fine particles pass through

page_text: the wire gauze, of which the lower part of the conical chamber is made, and aro
received in the lower half of the cylindrical case. The central lid of the sifter being
removed, the sifter is raised into an inverted position, by which means the screened
or sifted cinders are emptied from the conical chamber into any convenient
receptacle. The ash and fine particles contained in the lower half of the caso at
the same time pass into the upper half of the case in the following way:-
A portion of the division or diaphragm, herein-before described, is hinged to
the other fixed portion, the said hinged portion constituting a flap or valve, which
can only open upwards or towards the top of the sifter. Hence when the sifter is
inverted to empty it of the screened cinders, the said flap or valve turning upon its
hinges, falls and permits of the passage of the ash and fine particles into the upper
part of the case of the sifter. On restoring the case to its normal or upright position,
the said hinged flap or valve falls and prevents the return of the ash into the lower
half of the case, and the sifter is now ready to be used a second time. The lower
half of the case in which the sifting is effected is thus cleared of ash after each
sifting, the said ash accumulating in the upper half of the case by the inversion of
the sifter after each use: By means of a door on the top of and near the margin of
the case, which may be closed by means of a spring or flexible hinge, access to
the upper part of the said case may be obtained for the removal of the ash.
In addition to sifting cinders, my Invention, with slight modifications, may also
be applied to the sifting of pulverized earthy substances, powdered sugar, spices,
drugs, and other articles.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation, and Figure 2 in vertical section a sifter or sieve
for sifting cinders and for other like uses constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 3 represents the sifter or sievo placed horizontally in position for usc.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
a is the cylindrical outer case of the sifter, and is the internal conical rotating
chamber in which the cinders to be sifted are placed, the lower half, of the said
chamber b, being perforated or made of wire gauze or other meshed material. The
said chamber b, is supported at bottom by the bearing at c, in which bearing the
axis & connected with the conical chamber b works. On the end of the axis d is a
winch or handle e for turning the conical chamber. The winch or handle e is
situated in a recess of formed by a deep rim on the bottom of the case a, the said
rin supporting the sifter at such a height from the floor as to prevent injury to
the said winch or handle. At about the middle of the case a is. a division or
diaphragm g, through a central opening in which the upper part of the conical
chamber b, passes, and in which opening the conical chamber fits and turns freely.
The partition or diaphragm g divides the space between the outer case a and the
inner conical chamber binto two parts marked respectively a³ and a³. The top or
head of the external case a is conical, the narrow end of the cone meeting the
narrow end of the conical chamber b, as represented. The opening in the conical
head of the case a is closed by a tight-fitting lid or cover h, which may be con-
nected to the case by a chain at h. In the division or diaphragm g is a hinged
flap or valve i opening upwards, and in the conical top of the case a is a door k².
This door may be hinged to the case, or it may be capable of being wholly removed
from the case by a sliding motion or otherwise, or it may be fixed in its place by a
spring hinge and spring catch. I do not however limit myself to any particular
construction of the door in the conical top of the case.
In using the sifter, say for sifting cinders, the cover or lid h is removed, and the
cinders are placed in the conical chamber b, the sifter being in the vertical position
represented in Figure 2. The cover or lid h having been replaced, the sifter is laid
horizontally, as represented in Figure 3, and the conical chamber b is rotated by
means of the winch or handle c. On the rotation of the conical chamber b con-
taining the cinders, the ash and fine particles from the said cinders pass through
the wire gauze or perforated lower part of the said conical chamber 6, and are

page_text: received in the lower part a² of the case a, as seen in Figure 3. The lid or cover / being
removed, the bottom f, f, of the sifter is raised, and the chamber 6 so inclined
that the screened cinders fall from the conical chamber b. By the inclination or
invertion of the sifter, the flap or valvo i, turning upon its hinge, falls and opens
the lower part a² of the case, and the ash in the said part a passes through the
open valve i into the upper part a³ of the case. On restoring the sifter to the upright
position, Figure 2, the hinged flap or valve i falls and closes the opening in the
diaphragm g, and prevents the return of the ash into the lower half as of the case,
and the sifter is ready to be used a second time. The ash accumulating in the
upper half a³ of the case a is removed therefrom by opening or removing the door
at k. It will thus be seen that the inclination or invertion of the sifter to remove
the screened cinders effects the clearing of the ash from the lower half a² of the
case, the ash accumulating in the upper half as being removed when the said upper
half as is filled with the ash.
It must be understood that the conical internal chamber b is perforated or
meshed from immediately below the division or diaphragm g to the base of the said
chamber b. In the Drawing a portion only of the said chamber b is represented as
being perforated or meshed.
My Invention is used for sifting or screening other materials, substantially in the
manner described with respect to the sifting of cinders.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
the improvements in sifters or sieves for sifting cinders, and for other like uses,
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to
say, the combination of the external cylindrical (or other shaped) divided case
a, a², a³, provided with a flap or valve i and door or slide 3, with the internal
perforated or meshed conical rotating chamber b, the said divided case and perforated
or meshed rotating chamber being constructed and used substantially as described
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hitchcock Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeeth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven
Witness,
WILLIAM NORTON,
16, Clarence St.,
Cheltenham.
JOHN HITCHCOCK LAKE. (L.S.)