Improved Apparatus for Feeding Ground or Pulverised Substances.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Sept., 1889-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL DIMATICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Feeding Ground or Pulverised
Substances.
I, DAVID ESPLIN THOMSON of Gillespie Street, Works, Gilmore Place, Edinburgh,
in the County of Midlothian, North Britain, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to improved apparatus for feeding ground or pulverised
substances consists as follows
From the receptacles provided for storing the ground or pulverised substance, it is dis-
charged into automatic weighing machines and conducted thence to any receptacle when
it is required in measured quantities or to apparatus wherein it is to be further treated.
A special feature of the construction of the feeding arrangements is that the pulverised
material is fed therefrom in accurately measured quantities into the weighing machines.
The mechanism is applicable for discharging in accurately measured quantities
pulverised substances such as flour, ground mustard, cement, the oxides of metals and
others, thereby rendering the necessity of hand weighing in chemical and color works
unnecessary and thereby also abolishing a class of work which in many cases is highly
prejudicial to the health of the operators.
The apparatus constituting this Invention includes more particularly hoppers which
are specially constructed to effect the positive and regular delivery of the pulverised
substance from bulk irrespective of the amount thereof stored. The hoppers are con-
structed wider at the lower part than at the upper part of the sides and onds and from
the widest part the hoppers taper towards its lowest part. The lowest part of each
hopper is fitted with a frame work of iron or other material whereinto the mechanism
for the delivery of the pulverised material is arranged. This mechanism consists of a
pair of rollers revolving on their axes and which rollers are formed with parallel.
recesses in their exterior whereinto the pulverised substance to be discharged in
measured quantity falls. As the recesses in the course of revolution of the rollers pass
beyond the horizontal plane in which their axes are situated the pulverised substance
is free to fall of its own weight and this continues so long as the rollers are kept
revolving. The pulverised substance flowing from these discharging measuring rollers
falls upon a screw creeper which carries the pulverised material to the outlet of the
creeper from which it is regularly discharged into a weighing machine. When a
sufficient amount of the flour or other pulverised material has been discharged by the
aforesaid rollers so as to bring the quantity fed into the weighing machine to nearly
balance the weight thereon the discharge orifice by which the flour or pulverised sub-
stance has been discharged thereinto is automatically shut off by the action of the
weighing machine and then to make the weight of flour or other pulverised substance
a true balance of the weight on the machine a small screw creeper is brought into
operation which discharges a small stream of the pulverised unaterial into the weighing
machine until the weight is accurately balanced and so soon as this true balance is
reached the small stream of pulverised material is shut off from the receptacle and
diverted into another weighing receptacle.
For certain pulverised substances, instead of using a screw creeper to discharge the
small or final feed for making the true balance, after the larger feed has discharged a
quantity of material approximately to the weight required, a thin roller may be used,
the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the feeding screw of the creeper. This
roller is divided into serrated compartments, the pulverised substance being kept in
gitation by the screw creeper falls into the serrations of the said roller from which it

page_text: is discharged partly by centrifugal force and partly by the action of gravity as the
roller revolves, thus causing a small and regular flow to take place until an accurate
balance is made when the stream or feed is again diverted as hereinbefore mentioned.
D
114 Al 1
C T
1000'
JOHN
LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Feeding Ground or Pulverised
Substances.
I, DAVID ESPLIN THOMSON, of Gillespie Street Works, Gilmore Place, Edinburgh,
in the County of Midlothian, North Britain, 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 :-
My Invention, which relates to improved apparatus for feeding, ground or pulverised
substances, has for its object the storing of large quantities in bulk in closed receivers,
and from bulk the automatically delivering of the substance at the required rate for
allowing of correct weighings being made. This is effected by keeping the weight of
the quantity stored in the receptacles above from the delivery point, thereby allowing
the densest and heaviest substances being fed into the weighing machine, in the
thoroughly open condition necessary to obtain correct results.
From the receptacles provided for storing the ground, or pulverised substance, it is
discharged into automatic weighing machines, and conducted thence to any receptacle
where it is required in measured quantities, or to apparatus wherein it is to be
further treated. A special feature of the construction of the feeding arrangements is
that the pulverised material is fed in measured quantities from the receptacles to the
screw creepers hereinafter referred to from which it is discharged into the weighing
machines. The mechanism is applicable for feeding at a regular rate quantities pul-
verised substances, such as flour, ground mustard, cement, the oxides of metals, and
others, to weighing machines thereby rendering the necessity of hand weighing in
chemical and color works unnecessary, and thereby also abolishing a class of work
which in many cases is highly prejudicial to the health of the operators.
In order that my Invention may be properly understood, and readily carried into
effect, I have hereunto appended two explanatory sheets of drawings, in the several
Figures of which, corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of
reference.
'
Figure 1, sheet 1, is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2, is a transverse section
of one form of the apparatus.
Figures 3, and 4, are a longitudinal section and transverse section of another form
of the apparatus.
The hoppers which are specially constructed to effect the regular delivery of the
pulverised substance are marked A. These hoppers are wider at the part marked B, B,
near the bottom, than at the top; the sides B C, being slightly tapered. From the
widest part B B, the sides slope inwards to the lowest part D D. The lowest part D D,
is provided with a framework of iron, or other material for carrying the mechanism
for delivery of the pulverised material. This mechanism consists of a pair of rollers E, E,
revolving on their axes, which rollers are formed with parallel recesses a, a, on their
exterior, whereinto the pulverized material falls. As the recesses in the course of
revolution of the rollers pass beyond the horizontal plane in which their axes are
situated the pulverised substance is free to fall of its own weight on to a screw
creeper F, which is kept revolving and carries the pulverised material to the outlet G,
from which it is discharged into the weighing machine H.
The rollers E, E, are made of such a size that there is just sufficient room for them
to revolve in the opening D D. Thus the only discharge from the hoppers A, is

page_text: the amount contained in the recesses a, a. The pulverised material is thus fed in
measured quantities into the space below the rollers E, E. This allows of a considerable
quantity of pulverised material being stored in the hoppers without any pressure from
the weight being allowed in the space underneath the rollers E, E.
When an amount of flour or other pulverised material has been discharged through
the outlet G, into the weighing machine nearly sufficient to balance the weight I,
thereon, this weight begins to rise, and in doing so closes the outlet G, by means of
the lever K. Then in order to make the weights of flour or other pulverised sub-
stance a true balance of the weight on the machine, a small screw creeper L, with its
axis at right angles to that of the larger creeper F, and overlapping the outside of the
helix of the larger creeper, is brought into operation, which discharges a small stream
of the pulverised material into the weighing machine, until the weight is accurately
balanced. As soon as this true balance is reached the small stream of pulverised
material is diverted into another weighing receptacle by the flap M, which is auto-
matically turned by the rising of the weight of the balance.
Instead of the small screw creeper, to discharge the final feed, I may use a thin
roller, the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the feeding screw of the large creeper,
and having its outer part overlapping the helix of the creeper, as shewn at N,
Figures 3, and 4. This roller is divided into serrated compartments, the pulverised
substance being kept in agitation by falling from the screw creeper into the serrations
of the roller, from which it is discharged partly by centrifugal force, and partly by
the action of gravity as the roller revolves.
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 apparatus for feeding flour or other pulverised
inaterials to weighing machines, substantially as described, and illustrated on the two
sheets of drawings.
2. The construction of the hoppers with the widest part near the bottom as
described.
3. The arrangement and construction of rollers whereby a definite and measured
quantity of the pulverised material is fed from the hoppers on to the screw
creepers.
4. The screw creeper for carrying the substance to the discharge orifice, in com-
bination with the small screw creeper, having its axis at right angles to the larger
creeper, substantially as described, or in combination with the serrated roller having
its axis parallel to the axis of the large creeper, substantially as described.
Dated this 21st day of September 1889
JOHN LIDDLE
JOHN LIDDLE
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agent.