IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE DELIVERY OF COALS FROM SCREENS OR DROPS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Stokoe, Colliery Manager, and William Tulip;
Colliery Engineer, both of Houghton-le-Spring, in the County of Durham, for
an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE DELIVERY OF
COALS FROM SCREENS OR DROPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Stokoe and William
Tulip at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th June 1880.
JOSEPH STOKOE, Colliery Manager, and WILLIAM TULIP, Colliery Engineer, both
of Houghton-le-Spring, in the County of Durhamn. "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE.
USED IN THE DELIVERY OF COALS FROM SCREENS OR DROPS."
This Invention relates to improved apparatus to be used in the delivery of coals
from screens or drops to trucks, wagons, or other receptacles, with tho objects of
lessening the usual breakage of the coals, and of offering greater facilities for
cleaning or freeing the same from stones, shale, and other foreign matters.
The improved apparatus is intended to be attached to or used in connection withi
a coal-screen or drop-head as may be required. It is constructed as a self-acting'
trapped coal-tray, which is at one end hinged or otherwise suitably connected to
the coal-screen or drop-head, and at its free end is provided with a trapped outlet,
this end being suspended in working position ready for the tray to receive the coals
from the screen by means of weighted chains passing over suitably arranged
pulleys. When the tray is in this suspended position, the outlet is kept closed by
the trap by means of stepped connecting-rods, which engage with guide-bars
depending from the tray, the trap being hinged to parts rising from the tray. As
the tray is charged with coals from the screen, its free end is lowered by the weight
thereof, and when in proper position for discharging the coals into the wagon or
other receptacle, the connecting-rods are raised from their trap-detaining position
by parts depending from the coal-screen; when the weight of the coals in the tray
forces the trap open allowing then to escape, the end of the connecting-rod is bent
or so shaped as to catch into or engage with the part depending from the coal-
screen, so as to prevent the trap from being forced too far open by the coals. As
soon as the coals are discharged from the tray, the latter is brought back to its
normal position by means of the weight attached to the chains, the weight being
provided with a bow or other spring to prevent any undue momentum in the
return. The length of the tray can be regulated as may be necessary by means of
a handle.
"

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Stokoe and William Tulip in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd December 1880.
"
JOSEPH STOKOE, Colliery Manager, and WILLIAM TULIP, Colliery Engineer, both
of Houghton-le-Spring, in the County of Durham. IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE
USED IN THE DELIVERY OF COALS FROM SCREENS OR DROPS."
This Invention relates to improved apparatus to be used in the delivery of coals
from screens or drop-heads to trucks, wagons, barges, ships, or other receptacles,
with the objects of lessening the usual breakage of the coals, and of offering greater
facilities for cleaning or freeing the same from stones, shale, and other foreign
matters.
The improved apparatus is intended to be attached to or used in connection with
a coal-screen or drop-head as may be required, being equally applicable to both.
It is illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the annexed Drawings as adapted to a coal-
screen, and in Figure 4 as adapted to a drop-head; Figures 1, 3, and 4 represent
the side elevations, and Figure 2, a front elevation.
The improved apparatus is constructed as or with a self-acting trapped coal-tray 1,
which is at one end 2 hinged or otherwise similarly connected to the coal-screen 3
or drop-bead 4, and is at its other or free end 5 provided with a trapped outlet 6 (as
will be best seen on reference being had to the right hand half of Figure 1, and to
the dotted lines in Figure 4), this end being suspended in working position
(see the left hand half of Figure 1 and Figure 3, and the full lines in Figure 4), '
ready for the tray to receive the coals from the screen by means of chains 7,
which pass over suitably arranged pulleys 8, and are provided with a counter-
balance weight or weights 9. When the tray is in this suspended position, the
outlet is kept closed by the trap 10 by means of stepped-rods 11, which are
connected thereto at 12, and engage with stay rods or guide-bars 13 depending
from the tray, the trap 10 being hinged at 14 to parts 15 rising from the tray. As
the tray is charged with coals from the screen or drop-head, its free end 5 is
Jowered by the weight of the coals, and when in proper position for discharging the
coals into the wagon, ship, or other receptacle, the stepped rods 11 are raised from
their trap-detaining position by fixed parts 16 depending from the coal-screen or
drop-head, upon which the weight of the coals in the tray forces the trap open (as
shown in the right hand half of Figure 1, and in dotted lines in Figure 4), allowing
the coals to escape; the free ends of the rods 11 are bent or so shaped at 17 as to
catch into or engage with the parts 16 depending from the coal-screen or drop-hend,
so as to prevent the trap from being forced too far open by the coals. As soon as
the coals are discharged from the tray, the latter is brought back to its normal
position by means of the weight 9 attached to the chains; the weight may be
provided with a bow or other spring 18, as shown in Fig. 1, to lessen the shock of
its return. The length of the tray may be regulated as may be necessary by
lifting a door 19 in or about the centre of the tray by means of a haudle 20, this
will be best seen on reference being had to Figure 3, the special utility of the short
tray thus formed being to fill up the wagons.
Having now described the nature and objects of our said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we would remark in conclusion that what we claim as the Invention
secured by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The application to and use in combination with a coal-screen or drop-head for
delivering coals to trucks, wagons, barges, ships, and other receptacles, of a

page_text: self-acting trapped coal-tray, which is constructed and arranged and operates
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated on the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Stokoe and William Tulip, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty second day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.