IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING PARTICLES OF IRON AND OTHER MAGNETIC SUBSTANCES FROM MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHINA AND EARTHENWARE."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Neale, of Stoke-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford,
Electrical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SEPARATING PARTICLES OF IRON AND OTHER MAGNETIC SUBSTANCES FROM
MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHINA AND EARTHENWARE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Neale at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th June 1879.
E
JOHN NEALE, of Stoke-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford, Electrical Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING PARTICLES OF IRON AND OTHER
MAGNETIC SUBSTANCES FROM MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHINA
AND EARTHENWARE.'
"
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts of
electro-magnetic apparatus for operating upon the materials used in the manufac-
ture of china and earthenware, whether the said materials be in a dry state or
mixed with water in the form of glaze and slip.
In constructing apparatus according to my Invention, I hinge to the top of a
vertical tube a hollow cylinder of soft iron a hopper, so that the said hopper can
be lifted and turned aside from off the said tube. The lower contracted end of
the hopper opens into the top of the said tube. The bottom of the said soft iron
tube is provided with an external collar or ring capable of being readily attached
to and removed from the tube by the use of small cotters, pins, screws, or otherwise.
The said collar carries several layers of soft iron wire, which wires crossing each
other, form a series of meshes. Surrounding the said soft iron tube is a bobbin on
which insulated copper wire is coiled. When an electric current is passed through
the coil of copper wire, the hollow iron cylinder or tube is converted into an electro-
magnet.
The material to be treated is put in the hopper, the lower end of which has a
layer of wire gauze, perforated metal, or fabric stretched across it to act as a sieve,
and also breaks the fall of the material down the tube. The crossing iron wires at
the bottom of the soft iron tube, are made magnetic by the electric current passing
through the coil of copper wire, and as the material operated upon passes through

page_text: the meshes formed by the crossing magnetic wires, any particles of metallic iron or
other substance attracted by a magnet is retained in the said magnetic meshes.
The hollow cylinder or tube of cast iron can be withdrawn from the bobbin, and
the collar carrying the iron wires removed for the purposes of clearing them of the
iron or other magnetic material collected. The hinged hopper can also be turned
aside, and its wire gauze, perforated metal, or fabric cleared of any foreign matter
collected there.
An arm may be attached to the top of the iron tube by giving a vibratory motion
to which a reciprocating rotatory motion through a small angle may be given to the
iron tube.
The passage of the material when in a state of dry powder down the tube is
much facilitated by the reciprocating motion of the tube.
Two of the iron tubes and the appliances described may be combined. In this
case a bar of soft iron connects the tops of the two tubes, and there is thereby
formed by the combined tubes and bar of soft iron an electro-magnet having two
parallel legs or branches.
Or a tube of wood or non-magnetic metal surmounted by a hopper, having at its
bottom wire gauze, perforated metal, or fabric may be employed. The poles of
several electro-magnets are made to project into and cross the said tube at different
heights. The poles of these electro-magnets are slotted or divided so as to increase
their surface. The apparatus is mounted on horizontal centres, so that a rocking
motion can be given to it. The oscillating motion prevents clogging when dry
powder is used, and the sieve at the bottom of the hopper and the crossing poles of
the electro-magnets effectually break the fall of the material, and thereby cause it
to be thoroughly operated upon by the magnets.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Neale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd December
1879.
JOHN NEALE, of Stoke-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford, Electrical Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING PARTICLES OF IRON AND OTHER
MAGNETIC SUBSTANCES FROM MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHINA
AND EARTHENWARE,"
My Invention consists of the construction and arrangements herein after described
of the parts of electro-magnetic apparatus for operating upon the materials used in
the manufacture of china and earthenware, whether the said materials be in a dry
state or mixed with water in the form of glaze and slip.
In constructing apparatus according to my Invention, I hinge to the top of a
vertical tube or hollow cylinder of soft iron a hopper, so that the said hopper can
be lifted and turned aside from off the said tube. The lower contracted end of the
hopper opens into the top of the said tube. The bottom of the said soft iron tube
is provided with an external collar or ring capable of being readily attached to and
removed from the tube by the use of small cotters, pins, screws, or otherwise. The
said collar carries several layers of soft iron wire, which wires crossing each other,
form a series of meshes. Surrounding the said soft iron tube is a bobbin on which
insulated copper wire is coiled. When an electric current is passed through the
coil of copper wire, the hollow iron cylinder or tube is converted into an electro-
magnet. The material to be treated is put in the hopper, the lower end of which
has a layer of wire gauze, perforated metal, or fabric stretched across it to act as a
sieve, and also breaks the fall of the material down the tube. The crossing iron
wires at the bottom of the soft iron tube are made magnetic by the electric current
passing through the coil of copper wire, and as the material operated upon passes
through the meshes formed by the crossing magnetic wires, any particles of metallic
iron or other substances attracted by a magnet are retained in the said magnetic
meshes. The hollow cylinder or tube of soft iron can be withdrawn from the
bobbin, and the collar carrying the iron wires for the purpose of clearing them of
the iron or other magnetic material collected. The hinged hopper can also be
turned aside, and its wire gauze, perforated metal, or fabric cleared of any foreign
imatter collected there.
Two of the iron tubes and the appliances described may be combined. In this
case a bar of soft iron connects the tops of the two tubes, and there is thereby
formed by the combined tubes and bar of soft iron an electro-magnet, having two
parallel legs or branches.
Or a tube of wood or non-magnetic metal surmounted by a hopper, having at its
bottom wire gauze, perforated metal, or fabric may be employed. The poles of
several electro-magnets are made to project into and cross the said tube at different
heights. The poles of these electro-magnets are slotted or divided so as to increase
their surface.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which any Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section apparatus constructed according to my
Invention for separating particles of iron and other magnetic substances from
materials used in the manufacture of china and earthenware, and Figure 2 repre-
sents a portion of the said apparatus separately.
a is a non-metallic reel or bobbin containing a coil of insulated copper wire
b surrounding a soft iron pipe or hollow cylinder c. To the top of the said soft iron
pipe c a hopper may be hinged, the said hopper serving to deliver the material to
be operated upon into the pipe c, or the material may be delivered into the pipe c
without the use of a hopper. At the bottom end of the said soft iron pipe c, one,

page_text: two, or more sieves or layers of soft iron wire gauze d are fixed. These sieves or
layers of wire gauze are supported at the bottom of the pipe c by means of the
collar e, which is screwed or attached by a bayonet joint fastening or other fastening,
so that it may be readily removed for permitting the sieves, perforated discs, or
layers of wire gauze to be cleared and replaced. These sieves, layers of wire gauze,
A current of
or perforated soft iron, are represented separately in Figure 2.
electricity passing from through the coil 6 and out at g, converts the soft iron
pipe c into an electro-magnet, the sieves or layers of wire gauze d forming one
of the poles of the said magnet. When the slip, glaze, colour, dust, or other
potters' material is passed down the pipe c, the particles of iron or other magnetic
material contained in it adhere to the magnetized sieves or gauzes d, the slip, glaze,
colour, dust, or other material passing free from iron or magnetic material through
the meshes or gauze of the apparatus into a receiver placed beneath the said
apparatus. The sieves or gauzes of soft iron at d are removed from time to time,
and cleared of the particles of iron or magnetic material adhering to them, or
collected upon them, and the said sieves or gauzes, after having been cleared, are
replaced in the bottom of the tube c.
An arm may be attached to the top of the soft iron tube c by giving a vibratory
motion, to which arm a reciprocating rotatory motion through a small angle may
be given to the iron tube.
The passage of the material when in a state of dry powder down the tube is
much facilitated by the reciprocating motion of the tube.
Two of the soft iron tubes c and bobbins may be combined into one apparatus
by connecting the tops of the two tubes by a plate or bar of soft iron.
Figure 3 represents in vertical section another form of my Invention, and
a is
Figures 4, 5, and 6, represent portions of the same as herein after explained.
a box holding one, two, or other number of bars of soft iron b, c, d, e. These soft
iron bars are each separately surrounded by a coil of insulated copper wire b², c², d²,
and e". Iron plates or armatures f, f, through which the soft iron bars b, c, d, e,
pass, and on which the shoulders of the said bars rest in contact form the pairs of
soft iron bars b, c, d, e, into compound electro-magnets, when an electrical
current is passed through the several coils b, c, d², e². The poles bs, cs, and d³, e³,
of the electro-magnets protrude from the coils of insulated copper wire and cross a
vertical pipe or tube g. These poles b³, c³, ³, e³, are divided as represented in
Figure 3, and constitute sieves or grids through the bars of which the material to
be operated upon must pass as it falls through the tube g.
The protruding poles of the electro-magnets constituting the sieves or grids may
be formed either of square, round, triangular, or other shaped pins, but triangular
pins are preferred. Figure 4 represents an end view of one of the protruding poles
shaped into triangular bars. Or the sieves or grids may be formed of one, two, or
more layers of soft iron wires interlaced to form a gauze, as shown in Figure 5; or
sieves or grids of the electro-magnets may be formed of a series of horizontal soft
iron plates which are perforated with holes as shown in Figure 6.
When a current of electricity is passed from the terminal h through the several
coils of wire b, c, c, d, which coils form one continuous circuit, and out at the
terminal i, the cores or bars b, c, d, e, are thereby powerfully magnetized, and
the grids or sieves bs, cs, d³, e³, as described, form the poles of the magnets. When
the glaze, slip, colour, dust, or other material is passed down the tube or pipe g, the
particles of iron or other magnetic material contained therein are attracted to and
attach themselves to the magnetized sieves or grids, and the remaining particles
pass free from iron or magnetic material out at g into a receiver. The cores or
bars b, c, d, e, of the magnets are fitted loosely in the bobbins containing the coils
of insulated copper wire, and can at any time be separately withdrawn by means
of the handles k, k, for the purpose of clearing off the iron or magnetic particles
which have collected on the sieves or grids. This apparatus may be mounted on
horizontal centres so that a rocking motion may be given to it. A hopper with a
sieve at its bottom may also be used. The oscillating motion prevents clogging

page_text: when dry powder is used, and the sieve at the bottom of the hopper and the
crossing poles of the electro-magnets effectually break the fall of the material, and
thereby cause it to be thoroughly operated upon by the magnets.
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
of "Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Particles of Iron and other Magnetic
Substances from Materials Used in the Manufacture of China and Earthenware,"
First. Constructing apparatus for the purpose described, by connecting with the
lower end of a vertical tubular electro-magnet a disc or discs of soft iron wire
gauze, so as to constitute a sieve or grid through which the material to be operated
upon passes, and by which soft iron wire gauze or sieve, made strongly magnetic
by the tubular electro-magnet, the particles of iron or other magnetic material
contained in the matter passing through the apparatus are retained; the parts of
the apparatus being constructed, arranged, and used, substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings; also
the modification described in which two soft iron tubes are used so as to forin an
electro-magnet having two parallel legs or branches.
Secondly. Constructing apparatus for the purpose described, by combining one or
more horizontal electro-magnets with a vertical tube, so that the poles of the said
electro-magnet or magnets shall protrude into and cross the said tube at different
levels, the said poles of the electro-magnet or magnets being formed into or carrying
sieves or grids, which being strongly magnetized, retain the iron or other magnetic
inatter contained in the material passed down the said vertical tube, substantially
as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, of the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Neale, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and saventy nine
Witness,
EDW. CHAS. COTTERILL,
Stoke-on-Trent.
JOHN NEALE. (L.S.)