Improvements in Sand-blast Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Lott 23rd Sent 1896 Accented 24th Oct. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sand-blast Apparatus.
I JEREMIAH EUGENE MATHEWSON of Bellefield Works, Sheffield in the County of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to simplify the construction of that class of sand-blast
apparatus known as sand-blast tumbling barrel, which is used for the cleaning of small
castings, forgings, &c., to remove scale, sand, or other matter which may adhere
to the articles, as they come from the foundry or elsewhere.
The tumbling barrel is contained in a suitable casing, and rests on driven rollers or
wheels, so that a slow rotary motion may be communicated to it.
The casing is mounted on a suitable platform, and the bottom is formed hopper or
funnel shape, with a view to collect the sand after it has been used, and convey it to
the sand-blast apparatus, which is placed below.
This apparatus may be of the form described in the Specification of my Patent dated
22 June 1893, No. 12306, the only difference being that I employ, in some cases, two
blast pipes, which convey the sand and air upwards to suitable nozzles, which inject
the sand into the barrel through trunnion holes.
To the top of the barrel casing I connect an exhaust fan, which is driven in any
convenient manner, and draws the excess of air and fine particles of sand away from
the casing, and discharges them into the atmosphere, outside the building, or into
some suitable receiver, where the dust particles can settle.
Dated this 24th day of December 1895.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
I JEREMIAH EUGENE MATHEWSON, of Bellefield Works, Sheffield, in the County
of York, 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 :-
The cleaning of castings, forgings, etc., to remove scale, sand, and other matter,
which may adhere to the articles as they come from the foundry or elsewhere, has
been effected by means of the sand-blast with great advantage.
One mode of procedure has been to place the articles in a suitable position, and to
direct the sand-blast (the apparatus being supported in the hands of the operator)
onto them.
This mode, while being eminently suitable for large work, was obviously hardly
practical for small castings, forgings, etc., and therefore these articles have been
placed in a tumbling barrel, and the sand-blast has been directed upon them through
a trunnion hole.
The tumbling barrel was contained in a suitable casing and rested on driven
rollers, by which means a slow rotary motion was cominunicated to it, so that one
part or face of each article was exposed for a certain time to the action of the blast,

page_text: and was then, by the movement of the barrel, caused to tumble over, and roll down
to the bottom of the pile, thus presenting another part or face to the action of the
blast.
Hitherto a steam sand-blast, as described in Letters Patent granted to me & dated
5th December 1884, No. 15980, has been used in connection with the tumbling
barrel, for the purpose of cleaning these small castings, but in practice it has been
found detrimental, because of a certain amount of dampness which could not be
eliminated, and which caused the metal castings to become rusty.
There was, besides, a want of compactness and simplicity in the apparatus, which
rendered it somewhat difficult to properly work, and the object of the present
invention is to simplify the construction and improve the working of this class of
apparatus, and otherwise to overcome the disadvantages enumerated above.
In carrying out my invention, I employ a compressed air-blast in the manner
described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated 22nd June 1893,
No. 12306, and I place this sand-blast apparatus below the tumbling barrel apparatus,
this latter apparatus being provided with a hopper or funnel-shaped bottom, so that
the sand may drop into the sand-blast machine, and thus provide for the automatic
working of the whole apparatus.
The sand blast machine is provided with suitable pipes to convey the sand and air
upwards to the tumbling barrel casing, and connecting with suitable nozzles, which
inject the sand into the barrel through trunnion holes, suitable levers being provided
by which the sand and other valves may be manipulated from above.
To the top of the barrel casing I attach a pipe, which is connected with any suitable
exhausting system, and I draw the excess of air and fine particles of sand away from
the casing, and discharge them into the atmosphere outside the building, or into some
suitable receiver, where the dust particles can settle.
In the accompanying drawings
--
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved apparatus, with the front door of the
casing partly removed.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation; and
Fig. 3 a plan view.
The apparatus consists of two parts, namely, the tumbling barrel apparatus A, and
the sand-blast machine B. Referring more particularly now to the barrel apparatus,
a is the tumbling barrel with closed ends, which might perhaps he more properly
designated a cage, being perforated to permit of the sand, etc., dropping through.
The barrel a is carried by driven flanged rollers or wheels 6 mounted on shafts
having bearings in the sides of the enclosing casing c. This casing is provided with a
counterweighted sliding door c³, and the barrel a is also provided with a door a¹, by
which articles to be treated are placed in, and taken from, the barrel.
d are trunnion holes in the ends of the barrel, to receive the ends of conical
tubes, which project through the casing c, and serve to conduct the sand-blast
into the barrel. These tubes fare set at an inclination downwards and forwards, so
that the direction of the sand-blast shall be towards the front of the barrel, and
also downwards.
Connected with the outer ends of these pipes f, are the conducting pipes g from
the sand-blast machine B, which is placed in a pit below the tumbling barrel
apparatus A.
The articles to be treated are placed in the barrel a, in which, as it is slowly
rotated, they are continually being turned over, thus presenting new faces to the
action of the sand-blast.
The spent sand and scale removed, pass through the perforations in the barrel, and
drop into a funnel or hopper h, forming the lower part of the casing c.
h
The funnel conveys the sand, etc., to the top part of the sand-blast machine B,
which is also hopper-shaped, but is closed at bottom by a valve. This valve is
opened from time to time by the attendant operating a lever i, to allow the sand
to pass into another hopper contained in the blast machine proper, as described in
the specification of patent before referred to.

page_text: This hopper has sand outlets into two mixing chambers below, which outlets are
The mixing
regulated by valves operated by the attendant through the rods K.
chambers are connected each with a conducting pipe g before mentioned.
C is the air supply pipe, in connection with some suitable air compressor, not
shown.
D is the air, etc., outlet from the barrel casing c, to which the exhaust system before.
referred to, but not shown, is adapted, for the purpose mentioned.
It will be obvious that, as the greater includes the less, the apparatus may, if
desired, be made single-acting, or I may employ two, or even more tumbling barrels,
placed back to back, or otherwise, with the same sand-blast machine, the several
barrel funnels conducting the sand to the sand blast machine hopper, as above.
described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The general arrangement of sand-blast tumbling barrel apparatus as berein shown
and described, whereby the operation of cleaning castings may be effected in a more
simple and economical manner than heretofore.
2. In apparatus for cleaning small castings, the use of a compressed air sand-blast,.
in combination with a tumbling barrel, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of Santomber 1896