Improvements in Presses or Apparatus for Moulding Blocks of Artificial Fuel.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1887
Specification Accepted, 25th Nov., 1887
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Presses or Apparatus for Moulding Blocks of
Artificial Fuel.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been communi-
cated to me from abroad by Gérard Mülheims and Robert, Zimmermann both of
Noeuf-les-Mines in the Republic of France Engineers 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 a press or apparatus for moulding small ovoid blocks of
artificial fuel as hereinafter explained. Small blocks of artificial fuel presenting this
ovoid shape possess many advantages compared with blocks in the form of prisms,
cubes or other angular shapes ordinarily adopted. There is no waste owing to the
absence of sharp angles or corners or perforations and to there being no necessity for
breaking up the blocks before using them. The expense of stoking is greatly reduced
as the blocks or balls made according to this invention naturally tend to arrange
themselves in the most advantageous position in the fire-place and the numerous and
regular channels or passages formed between them greatly facilitate their combustion.
The ovoid form in addition to the other advantages hereinbefore set forth enables
the blocks or balls to be conveniently moulded in the moulding machine or press
forming the object of the present invention. This moulding machine is very strong
and contains no complex or delicate mechanism and acts with the greatest precision
and rapidity as hereinafter explained being capable of turning out about six tons of
the small ovoid blocks or balls per hour the blocks or balls being either of uniform
size or of varying dimensions. These blocks or balls of different sizes may remain
mixed or be separated or assorted by sifting.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the saine, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheets of drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in elevation a press constructed
according to this invention for making the small ovoid blocks or balls and figure 2 is
a plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents a vertical section taken along the line 1-2, figure 2.
This press is provided with a hopper T and with one or more pairs of rotary
moulding cylinders A A¹. The hopper is formed by a cylindrical box having as many
orifices o in its bottom as there are pairs of moulding cylinders (two such pairs being
preferably employed). Above the bottom there is a distributer or stirrer a with horizontal
arms or blades which draw the materials thrown into the hopper at the opening O to the
discharge orifices o. This distributer is carried by a vertical shaft B and has a rapid

page_text: rotary motion imparted to it by means of bevel wheels R and R¹ and of a driving
pulley P placed at the side of a suitable loose pulley for the purpose of enabling this
part of the machine to be conveniently stopped when required.
The shafts for the transmission of motion are supported by a footstep bearing c, a
vertical bearing b, and two horizontal bearings p p all of which are bolted to the
hopper placed over a frame formed by two checks or standards strongly connected
together and standing on a suitable bed plate or foundation. Facing each of the
orifices o there is a shoot C which conducts the pasty materials to the moulding
cylinders A A¹ by which it is forwarded and moulded. A valve enables the supply
of materials to be stopped when required and lateral openings v enable the shoots to
be cleared in case of obstruction. The moulding cylinders A. A' are made of steel
and present on their peripheries a number of ovoid recesses or hollows resembling
rounded cells or depressions with bases or openings of elliptical or other similar form.
These cylinders are fixed on two shafts B and B in such relative positions that as
they rotate the recesses or cells in their peripheries coincide exactly and are so adjusted
as to work in close contact with one another in order to avoid the formation of ridges
on the blocks at the lines where the moulds meet. The moulding cells are not
necessarily all of the same size but may be made of different dimensions in order to
utilize all the available surface of the cylinders and produce balls of varying size.
The cylinder A is driven by the pulley P¹ by means of intermediate gearing
arranged as indicated in the drawing or in any other convenient manner and transmits
motion to the cylinder, A' by means of wheels D and D' keyed upon the shafts B B¹.
The pasty material contained in the hopper T passes into the shoots Cas herein before
explained and falls between the two cylinders A and A' where it is carried forward by
the rotary motion of these cylinders which revolve in opposite directions. The
moulding and agglommeration takes place in passing between the two cylinders and is
performed by mechanical compression.
The
The balls are discharged automatically from the moulding recesses by simply falling
out in the course of the rotation owing to the shallowness of the said recesses.
balls drop into a suitable receptacle placed underneath the moulding cylinders or on
to an endless band or carrier. The balls may be sifted to separate the different sizes
and are then ready for the market being numbered according to the size. It is evident
that the machine illustrated in the drawing may be modified as to the details of con-
struction without departing from the principle of the invention.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of this Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A press or apparatus for moulding small blocks of artificial fuel of ovoidal form
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. The arrangement of the hopper T, distributer u and shoot acting in combina-
tion with recessed or cellular cylinders A and A' for moulding rounded blocks or balls
of artificial fuel of ovoidal form in the manner hereinbefore indicated with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
3. The construction and arrangement of the cylinders A and A¹ provided with
cells or recesses in the form of semi-ovoids of equal or unequal sizes and rotating in
opposite directions so that the materials are moulded and agglomerated in the said
cells or recesses by compression alone and without forming ridges at the junction of
the moulds the cylinders being adjusted to run truly in contact with one another
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of October 1887
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C.,
Agents.