Improvements in and connected with Coal Washing Apparatus and Appliances connected therewith.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb.,
1897
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct., 1897
Improvements in and connected with Coal Washing Apparatus and
Appliances connected therewith.
We, WILLIAM BLACK, Secretary and Manager, and WILLIAM GEORGE TODD,
Certificated Colliery Manager, both of the Nunnery Collieries, Sheffield, in the
Centy of York, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention to be as
follows:
—
The objects of our invention are, to economise the use of water in the process
of coal washing, to cleanse the water so used, to prevent the loss of fine coal which
by the ordinary process of coal washing is allowed to pass away with the polluted
water, and to dispenso with settling tanks and ponds commonly used with such
processes.
We effect these objects in the following manner:
In a convenient position near the coal washing plant we provide a specially
constructed hopper tank to receive the washed coal and water as it leaves the
washing machine. The hopper shaped sides of the lower end of this tank, are so
arranged as to leave a flat bottom or floor of sufficient area to allow space for a
sliding door or doors through which the drained coal is allowed to pass from the
hopper into a truck or shoots or other receptacles.
On either side of such sliding door, or where more than one door is used, on the
sides of and between such doors but parallel therewith, we provide recesses for
filter beds in the said bottom below the level of the doors, such recesses being
extended along the two hopper shaped sides which are in line with the said doors
and recesses.
The recesses at the bottom of the hopper are provided with bottoms of perforated
plates, and the recesses in the hopper shaped sides are likewise provided with
perforated plates, gauze or other suitable medium through which the filtered water
may pass into troughs or channels provided for the purpose.
The filter beds in these recesses we construct of rough coal or any other suitable
filtering medium and the said filter beds may be confined to the bottom of the
hopper or they may be extended up the recesses, or partly up the recesses which
form the sides of the hopper as previously described. When the filter beds are
prepared they are flush with the sliding doors and bottoms of the said hopper and
whore the beds are formed in the side recesses also, such beds are likewise made
flush with the sides of the said hopper.
The action of our Improved apparatus and appliances is as follows:-
As the washed coal and water is discharged into our improved hopper tank, the
water is Altered first through the coal which is discharged with it into the tank,
and then through the filter beds and perforated plates, into the troughs or channels
by which it may be conveyed back to the pumps and used over again at the washing
machine, or to a reservoir and being comparatively clean water it may be discharged
into any ordinary drain or water course in such a condition as not to be objected
to under the provisions of the Rivers Pollution Acts.
The water in passing through the coal and filter beds here described leaves the

page_text: fine coal, which is usually carried away with the water, in the hoppers mixed with
its other contents and is drawn off with the coal as it is discharged from the hopper.
In cases where coal, such as beans and nuts, have to be dealt with, after leaving
the washer they are passed over perforated screens or other suitable drainers and
delivered practically dry into a hopper from whence they are drawn for use without
further manipulation. The water drained from such beans and nuts however,
is caught and passed along troughs or chaunels into one of our improved filteration
hoppers, where the fine coal is retained and the filtered water is conveyed away as
previously described. The sluck or smudge thus recovered may be used either
for making coke, briquettes, or other fuel and the water after it has been filtered as 1
here described may be used over and over again.
It will be seen from the foregoing description how the several objects of our
Invention may be attained.
Dated this 1st day of February. 1897.
R. HEBER RADFORD,
Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in and connected with Coal Washing Apparatus and
Appliances connected therewith.
We, WILLIAM BLACK, Secretary and Manager, and WILLIAM GEORGE TODD,
Certificated Colliery Manager, both of the Nunnery Collieries, Sheffield, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
The objects of our Invention are, to economise the use of water in the process of
coal washing, to cleanse the water so used, to prevent the loss of fine coal which by
the ordinary process of coal washing is allowed to pass away with the polluted water.
and to dispense with settling tanks and ponds commonly used with such processes.
We effect these objects in the following manner, and our Invention will be better
understood on reference to the accompanying sheet of Drawings in which,
Fig. 1. is a section of our improved apparatus taken on the line A. B. (Fig. 2.).
Fig. 2. is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3. is a transverse section taken on the line E. F. (Fig. 2.) and,
Fig. 4. is a transverse section taken on the line C. D. (Fig. 2,).
The same letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
1.
In a convenient position near the coal washing plant we provide a specially
constructed hopper tank, a, to receive the washed coal and water as it leaves the
washing machine. The hopper shaped sides, b, b, of the lower end of this tank,
are so arranged as to leave a flat bottom or floor, c, of sufficient area to allow space
for a sliding door or doors, d, d, d, through which the drained coal is allowed to
pass from the hopper into a truck or shoots or other receptacles.
On either side of such sliding door, or where more than one door is used, on the
sides of and between such doors but parallel therewith, we provide recesses, e, 8,
for filter beds, in the said bottom below the level of the doors, such recesses being
extended along the two hopper shaped sides, b, b, which are in line with the said
doors and recesses.
The recesses at the bottom of the hopper are provided wth bottoms of perforated
plates, g, g, and the recesses in the hopper shaped sides are likewise provided with
perforated plates, gauze, or other suitable material, h, h, through which the filtered
water may pass into troughs or channels, i, i, provided for the purpose,

page_text: The filter beds in these recesses, c, &, we construct of rough coal or any other
suitable filtering medium, and the said filter beds may be confined to the bottom
of the hopper or they may be extended up the recesses or partly up the recesses
which form the sides of the hopper as previously described. When the filter beds
are thus prepared they are flush with the sliding doors and bottom, c, of the said
hopper and when the beds are formed in the side recesses also, such beds are
likewise made flush with the sides, b, of the said hopper, but in practice we find
that the washed coal which is tipped into the hopper with the water, falls into the
recesses, e, e, 80 as to form a filter bed or beds without being specially prepared or
constructed. The weight of the coal and water in the centre of the hopper causes
some of the washed coal to rise in the recesses in the sides of the hopper, so that
any water which is drained or filtered through the gauze in the sides of the hopper,
must also pass through a self formed filter bed of coal.
The action of our improved apparatus and appliance is as follows.
As the washed coal and water is discharged into our improved hopper tank, a,
the water is filtered first through the coal which is discharged with it into the tank,
and then through the filter beds in the recesses, c, e, and thence through the
perforated plates g, h, into the troughs or channels, i, i, by which it may be
conveyed back to the pumps and used over again at the washing machino, or to a
reservoir and baing comparatively clean water it may be discharged into any
ordinary drain or water course in such a condition as not to bo objected to under
the provisions of the Rivers Pollution Acts.
The water in passing through the coal and filter beds here described, leaves the
fine coal which is usually carried away with tho water, in the hoppers, mixed with
its other contents and is drawn off with the coal as it is discharged from the hopper,
but the fine pyrites or other substance which comes away with the water may,
where necessary be caught and separated from the water in the troughs or channels,
by weirs or any of the ordinary means at present employed in such processes.
In cases where coal such as beams and nuts have to be dealt with, after leaving
the washer they are passed over perforated screens or other suitable drainers and
delivered practically dry into a hopper from whence they are drawn for use
without further manipulation. The water drained from such beans and nuts
however, is caught and passed along troughs or channels into one of our improved
filteration hoppers, where the fine coal is retained and the filtered water is conveyed
away as previously described. The slack or smudge 'thus recovered may be used
either for making coke, briquettes, or other fuel and the water after it has been
filtered as here described may be used over and over again.
It will be seen from the foregoing description how the several objects of our
invention may be attained.
We are aware that coal, coke, and the like carbonaceous substances have been
used for filtering water and other liquids and wo lay no claim to novelty in respect
to the user of such substance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. In coal washing apparatus and appliances connected therewith the arrange-
ment and combination of parts and appliances comprising, a specially constructed
hop per tank, a, provided with a sliding door or doors, d, d, placed in a flat bottom, c,
of the said tank, and on either side of such sliding door, or where more than one
door is used, on the sides of aud between such doors but parallel therewith, the
recesses, e, e, for the reception of filter beds below the level of the doors such
recesses being extended along the bottom of the said tank and up the two hopper
shaped sides, b, b, which are in line with the said doors and recesses, the bottoms
of such recesses and the extensions thereof being provided with perforated plates
or gauzes, g, g, h, h, or other suitable material, also the troughs or channels, i, i,
to catch and convey the water as it is strained through the filter beds and perforated

page_text: plates or other filtering media in the manner and for the purposes substantially
as herein described and illustrated.