An Improved Machine for Sorting Materials According to Size.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 21st Jan.. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Sorting Materials According to Size.
I, WILLIAM STRONACH LOCKHART, of 67 Granville Park, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to machinery for sorting or screening materials of any
character, whether wet or dry and is designed by a combination in the screening
part of the machine of a rotary and jigging motion to effect such screening and
sorting without liability to clogging in a more perfect manner than hitherto.
I arrange around the axis of a cylindrical or polygonal revolving screen a helix,
so that the material to be screened or sorted shall have to pass over the entire outer
periphery of the screen as it revolves below the material.
The said axis may be the central shaft of the screen, or a core built on it, or the
helix may be attached to the inside periphery of the screen without such core or
shaft, the screen being supported externally.
The screen may be horizontal or placed at any desired angle to the horizon.
Further, I mount the said screen in a frame which is supported from fixed
supports by pivoted levers, so that the screen whilst rotating shall be given at the
same time a pulsating or jigging motion. The pivoted levers on which the screen
frame is suspended may be actuated by cranks, eccentrics, or other obvious
mechanical devices from a continuous revolving prime motion shaft. The rotating
motion of the screen may also be obtained from the said continuous revolving prime
motion shaft by carrying belts, ropes, chains, or other equivalent driving appliances
through the lever frame to the revolving screen by means of pulleys fixed at
suitable positions. For instance the first motion shaft and the pivots of the lever
frame are fixed points, so that strap, rope or chain or other driving gear can be
passed between them and from thence through the jigging frame to the axis or
periphery of the screen supported in the said frame.
It is obvious that many equivalent mechanical arrangements to that above
described as an example can be made without departing from the essence of my
invention which is to produce the combined rotating movement and the jigging or
pulsating movement of the screen through its supporting frame in either a horizontal
or vertical direction, withont interference with its rotary motion.
Further, I may effect the same combined movements of the screen by rotating it
upon a shaft slightly eccentric to its bearings in the axis of revolution, or by
mounting the screen to which rotary motion is given whilst resting upon eccentric
evolving discs, which would thus impart reciprocating movement to the screen
without interfering with its rotary motion.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1899
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Sorting Materials According to Size.
1, WILLIAM STRONACH LOCKHART of 67 Granville Park, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to machinery for sorting or screening materials of any

page_text: character in a wet condition, and is designed by a combination in the screening
part of the machine of a rotary and jigging motion in water or other liquid to
effect such screening and sorting or classifying without liability to clogging in a
more perfect manner than hitherto.
t MA
And in order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed
to describe the same, reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon.
1.611
Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of my machine.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same, and
A
Figure 3 is an end view of the same.
A is a cylindrical or polygonal revolving screen, more
or less completely
immersed in a tank or other vessel of liquid such as water, such screen having an
interior helical conveyor 'B surrounding the axis of the said screen and turning
with it. Thus the material to be screened or sorted is caused to pass over the
entire inner periphery of the screen A as the latter revolves below the material
which is introduced into the interior of the screen by the hopper C.
The axis of the screen may be merely a central shaft; or it may be formed as a
large core as shewn or alternatively the helix B may be attached to the inside
periphery of the screen without such core or shaft, and in such case the screen may
be supported externally on rollers or hung on links, such links being provided with
roller or ball bearings.
The screen may be horizontal, the feed being effected by the helix or the screen
may be placed at any desired angle to the horizon, and may be arranged to raise
the material by means of the helical convey or otherwise.
The reciprocating or jigging motion of the screen may be controlled by guides
or links and may be in a directly vertical direction or obliquely, but it is not
intended that the reciprocation shall be in the direction of the axis of the screen
but in a direction at right angles to it.
'The said screen A. is perforated with a series of successively sized holes indicated
only in the drawings' and is supported by the connecting rods D from the end of
two rocking levers E which are pivoted in bearings on the main frame G. The
outer end of the said rocking levers E are attached by pivoted bearings to
connecting eccentric rods H surrounding eccentric tumblers upon the first motion
shaft L.
It is obvious that this jigging or reciprocating motion of the rocking lever E
may be equivalently produced by a crank or a cam or ratchet wheels on the
shaft L. Or the system may be arranged for convenience with levers of the 2nd
order, and the balancing of 'parts provided for in any suitable manner.
'
The rotating motion of the screen, is produced by a strap, rope or chain m
driven by a pulley M on the first motion shaft. The driving rope, chain or strap
passes over a double pulley N on the axis of the rocking lever E and thence over
a pulley P on a shaft at the inner or screen end of the rocking levers E.,
'
The rotation of this shaft is' communicated to the screen by a rope chain, or
strap q'over pulleys Qand R the latter pulley being on the axis of the screen.
Riding pulleys S S are employed on the various straps, ropes or chains to
maintain the necessary tension.
Li
It is obvious that many equivalent mechanical arrangements to that above
described as an example can be made without departing from the essence of my
invention which is to produce the jigging movement of the screen through its
supporting frame in either a horizontal or a vertical direction, without interference
with its rotary motion.
TADT Mon
The material as it passes gradually down the revolving screen by the action of
the internal helix is jigged in water or other liquid, and is allowed to escape from
the screen through a series of perforations in regular succession of sizes into the
separate receptacles T the screening action being materially assisted by the
jigging action described.
I...
.
The material can be carried from the hoppers TT by a stream of water, or in
1

page_text: other convenient manner, to be subsequently treated as may be desired in parcels
consisting of uniformly sorted materials as to sizes by the action of my above
described machine.
To ensure the separation of the various sized gems or minerals from one another,
I provide diaphragms U U in the outer case vessel or tank which are pierced by a
suitable opening to admit the screen, and large enough to allow the jigging or
reciprocating movement of the screen.
Flanges W W are provided on the periphery of the screen loosely embracing
the said diaphragms so as to cover the space between the screen and the fixed
diaphragms U U in all positions of the screen and thus prevent particles of sorted
material passing between the screen and the edge of the diaphragm into an
adjoining hopper or receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A sorting or sizing machine consisting of a cylindrical or polygonal perforated
screen with an internal feeding or controlling helix supported and operated so that
the said screen receives simultaneously a combined rotary and jigging or recipro-
cating motion at right angles to its axis of rotation and immersed in water or other
liquid substantially as and for the purposes described.
2nd. In a wet sorting or sizing machine the combination of a perforated screen
mounted so as to revolve in water or other liquid and suspended from the extremity
of a rocking lever or levers which receive reciprocating motion from a first motion
shaft and driving straps, ropes or chains giving rotary motion to the screen and
passing over suitable pulleys from the said first motion shaft, over the fulcrum
and over the screen ends of the said rocking levers to the periphery of, or to a
pulley mounted on the axis of the said freely revolving screen, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
3rd. In a wet sorting or sizing machine the combination with a cylindrical or
polygonal screen having a rotary and jigging or vertically reciprocating motion of
a series of vertical diaphragms, having orifices through which the screen passes
with sufficient freedom to allow of its jigging motion, and flanges on the periphery
of the screen loosely embracing the said diaphragms to form a series of distinct
chambers for the separate collection of the different sized minerals passing through
the screen, substantially as described.
'
4th. The arrangement and combination of parts forming a sorting or sizing
machine, substantially as described and illustrated herewith.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.