IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREENING, SEPARATING, AND CLEANING COAL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whitelaw, of Motherwell, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREENING,
SEPARATING, AND CLEANING COAL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Sealed the 13th November 1877, and dated the 18th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitelaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th May 1877.
THOMAS WINTELAW, of Motherwell, in the County of Lanark, North Britain..
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREENING, SEPARATING, AND CLEANING COAL AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in screening, separating, and
cleaning coal, has for its object to enable those operations to be more completely
effected than hitherto by affording greater opportunity for the separation of the
dross or dust from the round coal, at the same time enabling attendants to inspect
and pick the coal during the operations, so that the coal is not only properly
screened, but in cases where different kinds of coal are got from the same working
or seam they are enabled to be picked out and separated from one another, or from
foreign substances.
J
The machinery or apparatus constituting the Invention consists of a screen, over
which the coal to be dealt with is thrown or upset, and the larger portions of the
coal, or those which do not pass through this screen, fall upon and are caught by an
endless travelling horizontal or inclined platform, formed of cross bars or plates
carried on the links of chains, by which they are slowly traversed over pulleys or
rollers.
The cross bars or plates constituting the travelling platform overlap each other,
so that there is no space left between them for pieces of coal to fall down through.
It is whilst the coal is being carried on the slowly travelling platform that oppor-
tunity is afforded the attendants or inspectors to examine, pick over, and separate
the coal, which on arriving at the further end of the platform is upset over another
screen, where any further dross or dust which may have been collected or formed
during the operation is separated.

page_text: The apparatus constituting this Invention is not only applicable for treating coal
in the manner described, but may also be used for cleaning or separating minerals
generally and other substances requiring to be so dealt with.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Thomas Whitelaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th November
1877.
THOMAS WHITELAW, of Motherwell, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SCREENING, SEPARATING, AND CLEANING COAL AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
'My said Invention relates to improvements in screening, separating, and cleaning
coal and other substances, and has for its object to enable these operations to be
more completely effected than hitherto, by affording greater opportunity for the
separation of the dross or dust from the large or round coal or other substance, at
the same time enabling cleaners and inspectors to pick and inspect the coal or other
substance during the operations, so that it is not only properly screened, but in
cases where different kinds of coal are got from the same working or scan they may
readily be picked out and separated from one another, or foreign substances separated
or picked from them.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being hal to the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of machinery or apparatus for screening coal,
constructed or arranged according to my Invention; and Figure 2 is a plan of the
same. It consists of a screen A, over which the coal to be dealt with is thrown or
upset, the dust and small portions falling through the said screen and down the
shoot B into a truck or receptacle placed to receive it. The larger portions of the
coal, or those which do not fall through this screen, pass down over the plate C on
to an endless travelling platform D. This platform is formed of cross bars or plates
d, d, carried by the links of endless chains E, passing over polygonal pulleys or
rollers F, as more clearly seen in Figure 3, which is an enlarged elevation of a part
of the said platform D, the axes of the said pulleys being carried in bearings f
mounted on the framework F'. The plates d, d, are each furnished with lugs d¹, d,
(as seen in the under side view of one of the plates, Figure 4) to receive between
them the links of the chain, the single links of which are formed with the thickened
parts e, as shewn in Figure 5, which when the parts are put together become
situated between the lugs d¹, d¹. Coincident holes g are made in the lugs d¹ and
the links of the chain through which pins are passed to fasten the plates to the
chains, of which two (one on either side) or more may be used.
The plates a, d, are of such width that they, overlap each other, as seen in
Figure 3, so that no space is left between them for pieces of coal to fall through and
obstruct the working of the platform, and they may, if desired, be strengthened by
strips of angle iron on their under sides, as shewn at 1, Figure 4.
The platform may be either horizontal, as shewn, or it may be inclined upwards

page_text: or downwards from the plate C. It is supported at its upper part by carrying
rollers h, h, on either side, mounted in bearings carried by the framework F', and at
its lower part by rollers i, i, mounted in the framing F¹. Angle irons f' are fixed
to the said framework or to the bearings of the rollers h, h, so as to project above
the platform D on either side, and prevent the coal from falling from the said
platform.
The travelling of the platform is effected by any suitablo motive power through
the driving pulley n on the axis of one of the rollers F. The bearings of one of the
pulleys F may slide in their bed plate, so that by screws, as at m, or by other
suitable means any slack in the platform D may be taken up. It is whilst the coal
or other material is being carried on the slowly travelling platform that opportunity
is afforded the cleaners or inspectors to pick over and separate or examine the
coal, which on arriving at the farther end of the platform is upset over a screen G,
being regulated and spread by a spring door j, shewn in Figure 1, but omitted from
Figure 2 in order to shew the screen clearly. Any further dross or dust which may
have been collected or formed during the operation is thus separated, and passing
through the said screen is directed by the shoot H into any suitable receptacle. The
coal which does not fall through the screen G passes over the inclined plate I, through
the opening J into a truck or receptacle placed to receive it.
The apparatus herein-before described is applicable for cleaning or separating
minerals generally and other substances requiring to be so dealt with..
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, inode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I am
aware that a screen and a travelling platform have been previously used in screening
apparatus, and that I do not lay any claim to such apparatus generally, but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―-
First. The combination with the apparatus for screening, separating, or cleaning
coal and other substances of an additional screen at the end of the travelling plat-
form, as at G, Figures 1 and 2, of the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction of the travelling platform of apparatus for screening,
separating, and cleaning coal and other substances, that is to say, constructing the
said platform of transverse plates formed with lugs pivoted to the links of endless
chains, each plate overlapping the next, as herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Whitelaw, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
THOMAS WHITELAW. (L.S.)