Improvements in or appertaining to Apparatus applicable for Separating Dust or like Particles from Air or other Gases, also for Separating Dust from Cotton and for other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1897
Contato Carnifiontin Lat 20th w
1000
00th Aux 1900
Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1808 Accepted, 20th Aug., 1909
Improvements in or appertaining
to Apparatus applicable for
Separating Dust or like Particles from Air or other Gases, also for
Separating Dust from Cotton and for other purposes.
I, WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE, of 12, Dale Street, Sowerby Bridge, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates among other things to apparatus for separating dust or
like particles from air.
In carrying my invention into effect I will first describe my invention as applied
to separating dust from cotton or other flocculent material. I employ a stationary
chamber, the upper portion of which is circular and the lower part polygonal or
prismatic with an inlet for air entering in a volute form instead of in a line with
one face, through which entrance air is forced by means of a blast fan. Instead
however of the usual stationary truncated pyramidal exit dipping down into the
centre of the machine, I form a rotary chamber which may be cylindrical though-
out and have a flat bottom or diaphragm for the purpose of dividing the two
incoming currents of air that is to say from the top outlet and discharge outlet
or if preferred the lower part may have a conical or pyramidal form, but I do not
prefer this, as the cone is an obstruction to the air in some cases. This chamber
is mounted on a vertical shaft supported on a pivot at top and bottom, working in
bearings, and is provided with vanes so that it shall be caused to revolve by the
current of air in the machine. The rotary chamber dips down into the stationary
chamber a suitable distance, and projects some little distance above it, a wash
leather or other seal preventing the escape of dusty air between the rotary chamber
and the boards forming the top of the prismatic chamber. The periphery of the
rotary chamber where it projects above the boards and the top of the prismatic
chamber, is formed of fine gauze or silk or perforated metal, and at one part of the
chamber below the said boards and immediately opposite the air entrance of the
prismatic chamber its periphery is also formed of similar material for the purpose
of separating the fine dust from the air. Stationary brushes or cleaners are pro-
vided inside or outside, or both, to keep the silk free from dust, and there is also
a vertical blade or cleaner in a volute form. Brushes may also be provided in the
lower or conical part of the chamber inside, when such conical part is provided
to brush off all the fine particles of dust as they accumulate, and cause them to
fall into the ingoing current.
The bottom of the prismatic chamber is flat or practically so and is perforated
with holes to enable the dust to fall through, and on this bottom I place low
vertical ribs in the volute form. These ribs are provided with a horizontal flange
or blade which may be serrated or toothed in such a manner as to tear up any
lumps of flocculent material that may enter the machine. Below the perforated
bottom is a chamber into which the dust falls through the perforations, rotary arms
being provided in this chamber so curved as to collect the dust deposited therein,

page_text: and feed it to an outlet or spout, while a revolving brush in the meantime keeps
the perforations clear. The silk or perforated metal is arranged so that it can
be taken out and replaced. In some cases the volute ribs may be arranged. to
travel, when the material tends to be sticky.
In action, the dusty cotton is fed in from the air entrance into the prismatic
chamber by means of the blast, and whirling round, the cotton and dust fly to the
outside. The air passes through the filtering silk into the rotary chamber where
it is freed from the finer dust and is finally delivered through the silk or metal
at the top.
The dust and cotton whirling round the inside of the prismatic
chamber, fall down to the perforated bottom, where they are guided by the bladed
or flanged ribs. The larger lumps of cotton get pieces torn off them as they pass
and this continues until the lumps of cotton are so small that they will be retarded
or checked (not stopped) by the volute ribs. It then is guided by the volute ribs
to the central outlet hole and falls down free from dust and in white flaky form,
while the dust falls through the perforated bottom into the chamber below.
For aspirating chaff, cut straw, hay or other like material of its dust for the
purpose of ventilating the chaff cutting room for the benefit of the men engaged
in feeding the apparatus, I proceed as follows:-
I provide an aspirator for the current of air to rise in, the air being either pro-
pelled or induced by a fan and delivered into a vortex dust collector of the kind
herein described, or of other suitable kind, the chaff cutter being placed inter-
mediate between the aspirator and the dust collector. I provide two passages up
to the vortex machine, one of which shall carry the dust with the air from the
chaff cutter and aspirator to the vortex machine, and the other an auxiliary one
which shall draw in the dust caused by the feeding in of the material, which would
otherwise remain in the chaff cutting room, and thus ventilate the said room for
the benefit of the men engaged in feeding the apparatus. These two passages may
join just before reaching the dust collector, and here 1 locate a regulating valve or
shutter which shall control the passage of air through the respective passages, that
is to say which shall regulate the force of the wind up the aspirator, and through
the auxiliary passage which enables the men to obtain greater or less ventilation
of the room as required with or without altering the speed of the exhaust fan.
It will thus be seen that I am able to regulate the air current without any waste
of air, and also ventilate the chaff cutting room for the benefit of the men engaged
in feeding the apparatus. The dust laden air from the aspirator may, before it
enters the vortex machine, be caused to expand in an expansion or dead air chamber
in which the heavy dust falls and can be collected, while the light dust goes with
the air to the dust collector.
In thus describing my invention as applied to separating dust from cotton, and
to aspirating chaff, etcetera, of its dust I wish it to be understood that I do not
comfine my invention to these purposes as it may be made use of in numerous cases
where it is required to separate out the dust, and I have mentioned the foregoing
as examples of the purposes to which it may be applied. Thus for example an
apparatus somewhat similar to that for separating dust from cotton, may be used
in the wool sorting trade for separating dust and wool which is drawn from their
work tables. The great advantages resulting from the use of such apparatus is
that all the wool drawn off the tables is recouped again separate from the dust,
and also that when the woolsorters happen to have a diseased fleece of wool, the
bags into which the vortex machine discharged the wool and the dust can simply
be taken off and burned without having the danger of being affected with the
dreadful disease common to wool sorters.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant,

page_text: Improvements in or appertaining to Apparatus applicable for
Separating Dust or like Particles from Air or other Gases, also for
Separating Dust from Cotton and for other purposes.
I, WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE, of 12, Dale Street, Sowerby Bridge, in the County of
York, 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 among other things to apparatus for separating dust and
like particles from air, and is an improvement on the various patents for dust
collectors taken out by Pieter Van Gelder, Nos. 200309, 1811 91, 2121892, 21731 92
& 2291992 of which I am at the present time sole licencee.
,
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of two dust collectors or Tornados in
accordance with my latest improvements superimposed.
Fig. 2 a plan partly in section showing the ribs both stationary and revolving
in the upper chamber.
I will first describe my invention as applied to separating dust from cotton and
other flocculent material and refer more especially to the upper part of Fig. 1.
A is a stationary chamber the upper portion of which is circular and the lower
preferably polygonal or prismatic. It has an inlet B for air entering preferably in
a volute form rather than tangential. Through this entrance dusty air or air and
cotton are forced by means of a blast fan. C is a cylindrical sleeve the lower part
of which D is made rotary and perforated. The whole can be made rotary if
desirable but I find it more economical in practice to have the upper part C fixed
stationary and unperforate except just at the very top. The rotary chamber D
has a flat bottom and below this a fan E is placed driving the shaft F
on which
also the chamber D is fixed by arms d. G is a brush. This is required in those
cases where the chamber D is stationary. Where chamber D revolves a brush H
is fixed by a stationary stanchion to the top of the chamber thus in
either case one side of the perforated casing D is well brushedIn some cases.
where casing D is made to revolve I fix a stationary brush on each side, the mode
of suspension of the chamber being,such as to allow of the brush G being attached
to the chamber C or other stationary support. The flat bottom of the rotary
chamber D is for the purpose of dividing the two incoming currents of air, (which
are found in all vortex machines of this nature. and are apparently caused by the
centrifugal action forming a partial vacuum at the axis of the vortex), that is to
say the one down from the centre of the top or air outlet T and the other from the
centre of the bottom or dust discharge outlet U. This chamber Dis mounted on
the shaft F as already described which itself is placed in bearings at top and bottom,
the latter not shown. The bottom bearing can either be fastened by a light bracket
from the side or attached on by a tripod stand to the bottom plate. A wash
leather or other seal I when chamber C revolves and at I¹ when it is stationary
prevents air escaping from chamber A except through the open top of chamber C.
The periphery of chamber D and of chamber C where it projects above the boards P
is formed of fine gauze or silk or perforated metal and at one part of the chamber
below the boards and immediately opposite the air entrance B it is sometimes also
formed of similar material for the purpose of separating the fine dust from the air.
In practice however I have found no great advantage in this and my latest
apparatus has been made solid at this point. The bottom of the prismatic
chamber A¹ is flat or practically so and is perforated with holes to enable dust to
fall through. On this bottom I place low vertical ribs J of a volute form. These

page_text: ribs are provided with horizontal flanges or plates as shown which may be smooth
or serrated or toothed in such a manner as to tear up any lumps of cotton or other
flocculent material that may enter the machine. Below the perforated bottom
is a chamber K into which 'the' dust falls through the perforations. A brush L and
rotary arms M are provided in this chamber so curved as to collect the dust
deposited therein and feed it to an outlet or spout, the brush keeping the perfora-
tions clean. Both brush and ribs are attached as shown to the central revolving
tubular shaft N. The dust from the top machine is propelled through the
opening by the blades M. In all these cases the silk or perforated metal is
arranged so that it can be easily taken out and replaced, and in some cases I arrange
the volute ribs to travel when the material has a tendency to be sticky. The
drawings show a second dust separator below the upper one, but in place of a
rotating shaft similar to F, I use a rotating tube N. My object in having a tube
is in order to allow the cleansed cotton from the top machine to escape. In this
lower machine a part is shown in section in order to illustrate the way in which the
cotton from the lower machine also escapes through a tube, this tube surrounding,
the tube n of the upper machine. The two tubes can be connected together or the
lower tube can be driven independently by worm gearing Q. In other respects the
two machines are identical. There is no need therefore of: describing the lower
machine further. Referring now to Fig. 2 the inlet B is open to the interior of the
machine from the point R to the point S hence it only gradually enters the vortex
and thus has less tendency to form waves. The mode of action of my machine
is as follows: The dusty cotton is fed into the air entrance B or B¹ and by this
means into the prismatic chamber and whirling round the cotton and dust fly to
the outside. The air passes through the filtering silk cylinder D into the chamber C
and is finally delivered through the silk or metal at the top. The dust and cotton
whirling round the inside of the prismatic chamber A' fall down to the perforated
bottom where they are guided by the blades or flanged ribs J the lumps of cotton
assisting in sweeping forward the dust. The larger lumps of cotton too get torn
to pieces by these ribs until too small to pass over the ribs, they are then guided
by the volute ribs to the central outlet hole and fall down free from dust in white
flaky form. The dust in the meantime falls through the perforated bottom into the
chamber below and escapes at the hole O and its equivalent in the lower chamber.
When using this machine for aspirating chaff cut straw hay or other like material
so as to get rid of its dust and for the purpose of ventilating the chaff cutting room
for the benefit of the men engaged in feeding the apparatus I may work the machine
by an exhausting fan beyond the machine instead of by having a fan
blowing into it and bring two spouts into the vortex chamber on
opposite sides each provided with a shutter, one will take the air from a spout
down which the chaff falls and in which it is thoroughly aspirated in the well-
known manner used in corn mills and other places while the other spout will take
air and dust from near the chaff cutter and thus get rid of the dust caused by the
feeding in of the material which would otherwise remain in the chaff cutting room.
It will thus ventilate the room for the benefit of the men engaged in feeding the
apparatus. These two passages instead of entering on opposite sides may if more
convenient join just before entering the vortex chamber in which case one regu-
lating valve or shutter can be used at the junction of the passages so as to shut
off either of them or partially shut off either of them as required. It will thus
regulate the force of the wind up the aspirator and also enable the men to obtain
greater or less ventilation of the room as required with or without altering the
speed of the fan. The dust laden air from the aspirator may before it enters the
vortex machine be caused to expand in an expansion or dead air chamber having
a hopper below. Into this the heavy dust will fall and can be collected while the
light. dust goes with the air to the vortex chamber. In thus describing
my invention as applied to aspirating dust from cotton and from
chaff cutters I do not bind myself. to
as it is obvious
that it can be used for any of the vast number of purposes for which
.
"
•
these uses

page_text: tornados have already been applied. It can also be used in the wool sorting trade
for separating dust and wool which is drawn from the work tables. In thus
describing my invention and the best mode known to me of carrying it into effect
I wish it to be understood that I do not claim in this specification anything set forth
in the herein before recited Letters Patent granted to Mr. Pieter Van Gelder of which
patents I am now the sole licencee. but solely the improvements in or additions to
these patents herein set forth and that what I claim is:-
1. The improvements in the spiral or other vanes or scrapers at the bottom of the
chamber or underneath the same and also the arrangement of brush in combination
therewith against the perforations substantially as herein described.
2. The arrangement in the up-cast or exit from the machine of a rotary
chamber D preferably formed with perforated metal sides and preferably supplied
on both its sides with a brush device.
3. In combination with a rotary exit a fan such as E arranged to propel the
same.
4. The adaptation of a dust collector and aspirator combined substantially as
described in the concluding portion of the specification.
Dated the 26th day of May 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.