IMPROVEMENTS ON DUST COLLECTORS FOR FLOUR MILLS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lionel Varicas, of 2, Montague Place, Russell Square,
London, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
ON DUST COLLECTORS FOR FLOUR MILLS." A communication from abroad
by Samuel Lorenzo Bean, of the City of Washington, in the County of
Washington and District of Columbia, in the United States of America,
Gentlemen
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Lionel Varicas at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March 1882.
LIONEL VARICAS, of 2 Montague Place, Russell Square, London, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS ON DUST COLLECTORS FOR FLOUR MILLS."
A communication from abroad by Samuel Lorenzo Bean, of the City of
Washington, in the County of Washington and District of Columbia, in the
United States of America, Gentleman.
This Invention relates to balloons for collecting and grading flour dust in mills
such as described in a former application for Letters-Patent.
The object of the Invention is to intermittently suspend the action of the air
current in one or more of the angles or separating chambers of the stellated balloon
at a time so that the dust which has collected upon the cloth covered sides of said
angles or separating chambers will be relieved from the pressure of air and the
cloth be more rapidly freed from dust by the action of the knocker. To this end
the Invention consists in providing an automatically operated cut-off or gate or
other suitable means for intermittently shutting off the current of dust-laden air,
or practically so from one or more of the dust sifting angles or separating chambers
at a time. It further consists in combining with said gate a knocker adapted to
give a trembling vibration to one or more of the angles or separating chambers
just as the air current is shut off therefrom.
17
In the annexed Drangs:-
Fio 1 is a vertical of a stellated dust catching balloon embodying my improve-

page_text: The same letters of reference are used in all the Figures in the designation of
identical parts.
A refers to the reticulated cloth which is stretched over the
peripheral bars B, and inner bars C, in such manner as to form a stellated balloon
having a series of radically arranged chambers or angles A' open at their inner
sides as shown. A vertical shaft D is arranged centrally within the balloon, its
lower end resting in a step or socket and is rotated by means of belt and pulley
on the exterior of the balloon, or, in any other preferred manner. To the shaft D
are keyed arms d, which carry on their outer ends a frame or gate E, adapted to
move in such close proximity to the inner bars C as to practically close the
entrance to the angles or separating chambers A successively, and thus prevent the
passage of the air currents from the interior of the balloon to the said angles or
separating chambers.. This gate E I prefer to make of such size that it will close
two angles or separating chambers at a time. A wing E', is secured to the bottom
of the gate E, extending to the outer sides of the angles or separating chambers.
This is arranged to move closely under the bottoms of the angles or separating
chambers A¹ and prevent the passage of air currents thereto. To one of the
arms d is pivoted a knocker F actuated by a spring f. The free end of the knocker
extends outwardly through a slot in gate E. The slot is of such size as to permit
the free end of the knocker F to be moved inward sufficiently to allow it to pass
the inner line of the bars C. Upon the rotation of the vertical shaft in the
direction indicated by the arrow the knocker will be forced inward by its contact
with one of the inner bars C, but by the continued rotation of such shaft, the
knocker becoming freed from the bar C will be impelled by the action of the spring
against the next adjacent bar with some force, thus causing a trembling vibration
of said bar, and to the cloth covered sides of the angle or separating chamber on
each side thereof. This vibration will cause the dust which has accumulated on
the cloth covered sides of the angles or separating chambers to be shaken therefrom
when it falls to the flat surfaced wing E¹ of the gate E, and is swept or scraped off
by the bottom edges of the chambers into the bottom of the balloon to be
conducted thence to the proper receptacle. The knocker is so arranged with
relation to the gate E and its wing E' that the two angles or separating chambers
nearest to the bar which receives the shock from the knocker will be closed against
the air current by said gate and its wing, so that the dust which has accumulated
upon the cloth covered sides of the angles or separating chambers will be relieved
from the pressure of the air current and be easily detached; and when so detached
by the shock can fall through a practically dead air space. Otherwise a portion of
the dust would. be held against the cloth covered sides of the angles or separating
chambers, and a portion of that liberated would be again carried back by the air
current which is constantly passing through the balloon. In balloons having other
than a cylindrical cross-sectional contour the gate with its wing might be operated
by means of endless belts and be run on endless tracks, suitable modification
being made in the gate and accompanying devices to adapt them to the angles of
the balloon.
It will be understood that I do not confine myself strictly to the construction
herein before set forth as many modifications of that construction might be made
without departing from the spirit of my Invention. For instance, the vertical
with the arms and gate might be stationary and the balloon revolve. Also,
instead of having the knocker protude through the gate it might operate on the
exterior of the balloon and be so timed as to impart a shock to the angles or
separating chambers which are at the time closed. A number of swinging gates
could be used hinged to the bars C and separated by an arm projecting from a
central shaft such as that shown. This construction would obviate the necessity of
using a knocker as the swinging gates in closing the angles or separating chambers
would impart the required vibration thereto.
What I claim as my Invention is:
1st. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of a dust catching balloon,
and an automatically operated cut off or gate which periodically cuts off the air

page_text: current from a section or portion of the balloon to permit the dust to be shaken
from such section.
2nd. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of a dust catching
balloon, and a travelling gate for cutting off the air current from successive
portions or sections of said balloon.
3rd. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of a dust catching
balloon, a travelling gate for cutting off the air current from successive portions
or sections of said balloon, and a travelling knocker.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lionel Varicas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twentieth (20th) day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
LIONEL VARICAS. (L.S.)