Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 15th June, 1888
1, ROBERT LE LAS of Walnut Tree Bridge, Glamorganshire, 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 :-
This invention relates to the construction and arrangement of machinery or appa-
ratus for the continuous rapid and economical screening, washing, and purification
of coals.
The screen employed is so constructed that several different sizes of coals may be
produced at the same time for which purpose a set of metal sheets perforated with
holes of various dimensions are bolted on to a framework of the screen in such
manner that they can readily be removed or replaced or interchanged at will.
There are also special washing apparatus discharging mechanism, cradles,
distributors, elevators, fixed and oscillating shoots, transporters, drainers, and loading
arrangements for receiving, moving and delivering the coal.
I will describe arrangements for this purpose referring to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan of the building and machinery, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section,
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the building shewing a. mode of loading. Similar
letters in all the figures indicate similar parts.
The coal is brought by trucks to a tipping cradle A and tipped into a large fosse B
of size suited to the quantity to be treated.
At an intermediate part of the fosse are placed with suitable intervals horizontal
bars C, C, which prevent the larger pieces of coal from finding their way to the
elevators.
At the bottom of this fosse are several feed regulators D which are adjusted by
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page_text: means of the handles E. Passing through the regulator the coal falls into the
buckets F of an endless elevator. Each bucket is fed automatically by means of an
oscillating shoot G`so arranged that each oscillation corresponds with the passage of
each bucket.
The coal thus raised is discharged into a shoot H fitted. with a sliding plate and
thence descends on to the upper plate of a screen J which receives motion from
eccentrics K and has spring suspenders L.
Each of these screens can be fitted with several plates one above the other per-
forated with holes to pass differentisizes of coals, these plates being readily removable
and interchangeable.
The stroke and speed of the screen can be altered by adjustable eccentrics and
cone pulleys, and the gradient can be altered by means of the sliding spring
suspenders L.
Each separate sheet of the screen is fitted with a spout' so as to deliver its category
of coal into a special shoot whence the coal can be conveyed to a second screen M
and there again divided into farther categories if required, after which it is taken to
the waggons or to the washing machines.
If taken to the waggons, the coal is delivered into a long shoot N having a to
and fro motion so as to carry it slowly thus reducing the fall and chances of breakage,
or it may be carried by a travelling web.
The coal to be washed is deposited on a transporter O which carries it direct to
the washing machines or to shoots P. These shoots are arranged so as to have but
little fall in order to prevent breakage, and the movement of the coal being aided by
a small stream of water which at the same time keeps the washing machines constantly
supplied.
The washers consist of a large tank a a smaller tank 6 and a supplemental tank c.
At the bottom of the tank a is a perforated sheet e giving passage for water from
the tank c which communicates with tank a below the perforated sheet. The tank c
is provided.with.a. piston d moved by rods and cams and adjustable eccentrics so as
to impart a pulsatory motion to the water and the coal in the tank a.
By this motion the coal is kept in a state of constant suspension in the water in
the tank a, the stones, shale and other impurities being precipitated to the lower part
of the tank a on the perforated sheet e which has a slight inclination towards the
smaller tank b. The tank b communicates with the tank a only by means of a.
passage which is regulated by two adjustable sliding vertical plates so that the
pulsatory motion of the water causes only the shale, stones and other impurities which
are deposited on the sheet e to pass into the tank b. The stones or other substances
are removed from the tank 6 by means of elevators and scrapers so contrived that
water taken up with them drains back into the tank. The coal in the tank a after
being thoroughly washed is also removed by an elevator so arranged that the coal is
drained of superfluous water, which returns into the tank.
After the coal has been washed it is carried by a perforated transporter to a per-
forated hopper or perforated inclined shoot thus allowing water carried by the coal to
be drained off before the coal is loaded into wagons. This hopper or shoot is fitted
with sliding doors so as to allow change of wagons without interfering with the regular
supply from the transporter.
Several sizes of nuts can be washed at the same time and conveyed separately by
the same transporter divided longitudinally into two or more divisions, each division
delivering into separate hoppers or shoots..
The machinery above described is driven by one main line of shafting driven by
an engine.
Some of the transporters and the upper screens are driven from pulleys on the

page_text: main shaft, from which also by bevil gear are driven cross shafts carrying pulleys for
the washers and other transporters.
By this arrangement of the shafting coupled with the general grouping of the
machinery, the first cost and the expenditure of power are economised. The machinery
moreover is simple, compact, easily controlled, and requires few attendants.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
The arrangement of apparatus for washing and sorting coal, substantially as herein
described and shewn by the accompanying drawing.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.