Improvements in Separating Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by NOAH WILLIAM HOLT, of Manchester, County of
Washtenaw, State of Michigan, United States of America, Milling Engineer.]
Improvements in Separating Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS. LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 that class of separating machines in which the separation
is effected by an ascending air current which removes the light material while the
heavy material descends and in which the dust-laden air-current is freed from the solid
particles which it contains in a dust collector from which the purified air is returned
to the separator, so that a continuous circulation of air is maintained within the
machine.
The object of my invention is to produce a machine in which the dust laden air is
freed from the solid particles by centrifugal force and in which the air is admitted to
the separator more evenly than heretofore, thereby improving the operation of
separating the light particles from the heavy material, as well as the operation of
collecting the dust and purifying the air.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved separating machine in which an
aspirating separator is employed.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation at right angles to Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on lines x, x and y, y of Figure 1
respectively.
Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary vertical sections at right angles to each other
of my improved separating machines in which a sieve separator is employed.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
A represents the exhaust chamber which forms the top portion of the machine and
is provided in its lower portion with inclined or cant boards a, a¹ and two series of
adjustable valves a² which are arranged on each side of the exhaust chamber between
the upper cant board a and the lower cant board a¹.
b represents throat plates extending from the heels of the valves a² to the lower
edge of the exhaust chamber so as to form upwardly converging passages in the
exhaust chamber through which the air and light material pass upwardly and
between the valves into the inner portion of the exhaust chamber. The space between
the cant boards and valves enlarges upwardly whereby the force and speed of the
ascending air current is gradually diminished and the heavier particles, which have
been carried off with the light dust, are allowed to drop out of the air current.
C represents the fan case which is preferably arranged in the upper portion of the
exhaust chamber and which is provided in its sides with eyes c through which the
dust laden air is drawn into the fan case. In order to compel the dust laden air to
rise nearly to the top of the exhaust chamber the lower portions of the eyes are
covered by oblique shields D which are surmounted by adjustable dampers . The
dust laden air enters between the shields and the dampers, as indicated by the arrows
in Figure 1. By adjusting these dampers the force of the air current is regulated.
The shields increase the height to which the dust laden air ascends in the exhaust
chamber whereby the separation of the heavier particles from the fine dust in the
exhaust chamber is facilitated and rendered more complete.
E represents the fan blades secured to a horizontal shaft e which extends
through the end walls of the exhaust chamber and is provided at one end with a
driving pulley and at the other end with an eccentric g. G represents a shaker

page_text: which is arranged under the exhaust chamber and which is actuated from the
eccentric g by rods h h and a bell crank lever H. The shaker is suspended from the
exhaust chamber by flexible hangers ².
As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the shaker is provided at opposite ends with
feed boards i and with two series of overlapping inclined shelves I 11 12 13 which
are inclined inwardly so that the material passes from the feed board upon the outer
and highest shelf I and then from each shelf upon the next lower shelf until. the last
and inner shelf is reached.
J represents feed hoppers which are arranged above the feed boards i and provided
with suitable feed gates j. The shaker is provided with throat plates which are
arranged above the shelves and form downward continuations of the throat plates b.
The shaker is further provided with cant boards K which are arranged in the middle
portion of the shaker, between the two series of shelves and which form continuations
of the lower cant boards a¹ in the exhaust chamber. The motion of the shaker takes
place in the longitudinal direction of the shelves so that the register of the movable
portions of the throat plates and cant boards, which are secured to the shaker with
the stationary portions which are secured to the exhaust chamber is not effected by
the movement of the shaker.
represents the tapering shell or peripheral wall of the centrifugal dust collector
which is arranged below the separator and which receives the dust laden air at its
upper and large end tangentially from the blast spout of the fan which penetrates
the side wall of the exhaust chamber and extends downwardly therefrom to the upper
end of the dust collector.
m is the head which covers the large end of the shell L and upon which the exhaust
chamber A is supported by the casings M which enclose the feed hoppers at both
ends of the shaker. n represents the dust discharge spout at the small end of the
tapering shell L; is a central discharge spout which receives the heavier particles
deposited in the exhaust chamber and p p two discharge spouts which receive the
purified material from the two series of shelves. The lower ends of these spouts
extend through the enclosures of the dust collector and discharge outside of the same
into convenient receptacles.
Qrepresents a downwardly tapering shield or guard arranged in the upper portion
of the dust collector at a suitable distance from the peripheral wall thereof, so as to
compel the whirling body of air to move downwardly into the body of the separating
chamber of the dust collector before the air is permitted to ascend to the shaker,
thereby ensuring the thorough removal of all solid particles from the air before it is
again admitted to the separating apparatus above the dust collector.
The material to be separated is fed into the feed hoppers and passes thence upon
the shelves of the shaker over which it flows in thin streams of uniform thickness. In
descending from one shelf to the other the stream of material encounters an ascending
air current which removes the light material while the heavy material moves on from
shelf to shelf and passes finally purified into the discharge spout p. The air currents
passing upwardly from the shelves carry the light material through the throats
between the plates and through the narrow spaces between the valves into the
enlarged central space in the exhaust chamber. The air currents expand here and
drop the heavier grade of light material which descends over the valves and cant
boards into the central discharge spout o while the light dust is carried by the air
current into the fan case and thence into the dust collector. The air current enters
the dust collector tangentially whereby the dust laden air. is caused to whirl in the
same. This causes the dust particles to be deposited against the peripheral wall of
the dust collector on which the material moves toward the discharge spout-at the
small end through which it escapes while the purified air moves inwardly toward-the
axis of the dust collector and ascends within the tapering shield Q toward the shaker
and the exhaust chamber. The whirling motion of the air in the dust collector
distributes the air over the entire lower surface of the shaker whereby the action of
the air is rendered even and uniform upon the material flowing over the shaker. This
improves the separating, action and increases the separating capacity of the shaker, so

page_text: that when the machine is used for purifying middlings, a larger proportion of the fluff
or light impurities is removed.
By providing the shaker with two separate feeding devices and two separate
discharges for the purified material, the machine is enabled to operate upon two
different grades or kinds of material at the same time discharging each purified
product separately but delivering the separated heavy dust or cut-off" material
through the central spout and the separated fine dust from the dust collector of both
grades together. By means of the valves a² the air currents passing through each
grade of material can be regulated to the requirements of that material. These
valves afford a complete control over the air currents, so that when the machine is
used for purifying middlings no sharp middlings are carried off to the fan, but
whatever inconsiderable, amount of sharp middlings is lifted off with the dust is
deposited with the cut-off material in the central space of the exhaust chamber, and
prevented from passing to the dust collector.
The machine is very simple and compact, takes up little space, requires little power
for its operation and is dustless as it does not discharge any air. It contains no
conveyors or other contrivances which wear or pulverize the middlings but leaves
them intant and in good condition.
In the modified construction of the machine represented in Figures 5 and 6 the
shaker is provided with two sieves R R. over which the material to be separated flows.
The tailings from both sieves pass together with the cut-off material from the exhaust
chamber into the central spout o while the purified material which passos through the
sieves falls on overlapping shelves S between which the air passes upwardly to the
exhaust chamber and by which the purified material is conducted to the discharge
spouts p, p. These sieves are preferably provided with cloth cleaning devices of any
well known or suitable construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First The combination with a dust separating chamber, means whereby the air is
caused to rotate within said separating chamber, a shaker arranged over the air outlet
of said separating chamber and an exhaust chamber arranged above said shaker
substantially as set forth.
Second The combination with a dust separating chamber, a shaker arranged over
the air outlet of said separating chamber an exhaust chamber arranged over said
sbaker and a fan having its eye connected with said exhaust chamber and its blast
spout connected tangentially with the dust separating chamber substantially as set
forth.
Third The combination with a dust separating chamber a shaker arranged over
the air outlet of said separating chamber an exhaust chamber arranged over said
shaker, a fau having its eye connected with said exhaust chamber and its blast spout
connected tangentially with the dust separating chamber and a shield arranged
within said dust separating chamber between the blast spout and the shaker,
substantially as set forth.
Fourth The combination with a dust separating chamber, means whereby the air
is caused to rotate within said separating chamber, a shaker arranged over the air
outlet of said separating chamber, an exhaust chamber arranged over said shaker and
a feeder arranged over the shaker outside of the exhaust chamber substantially as set
forth.
Fifth The combination with a dust separating chamber, means whereby the air is
caused to rotate within said separating chamber, a shaker arranged over the air
outlet of said separating chamber and provided with a series of shelves having air
passages between them, and an exhaust chamber arranged over said shaker,
substantially as set forth.
Sixth The combination with a dust separating chamber, means whereby the

page_text: air is caused to rotate within said separating chamber, a shaker arranged over the
air outlet of said separating chamber, an exhaust chamber arranged over said
shaker, and throat plates and valves arranged in the exhaust chamber, substantially
as set forth.
Seventh The combination with a dust separating chamber, means whereby the air
is caused to rotate in the same, a shaker arranged over the air outlet of said separating
chamber and provided with two separators an exhaust chamber arranged over the
shaker, feeders arranged at opposite ends of the shaker, and separate discharge spouts
for the purified material substantially as set forth.
Eighth The combination with the dust separating chamber, means whereby the
air is caused to rotate in the same, a shaker arranged over the air outlet of said
separating chamber and provided with two separators, an exhaust chamber arranged
over the shaker, feeders arranged at opposite ends of the shaker, two series of throat
plates and valves arranged in the exhaust chamber over the two separators a central
discharge spout for the discharge of the material deposited in the exhaust chamber,
and separate discharge spouts for the material passing over the two separators,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 17th day of December 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant