IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COMMON SALT AND CARBONATE OF SODA, AND FOR PACKING SALT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND FOR REGULATING THE DENSITY AND TEMPE- RATURE OF LIQUIDS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Howard Worthington Biggs, of Mason's Buildings,
Liverpool, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF COMMON SALT AND CARBONATE OF SODA, AND FOR PACKING
SALT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND FOR REGULATING THE DENSITY AND TEMPE-
RATURE OF LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 28th August 1877, and dated the 30th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Howard Worthington
Biggs at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May 1877.
JOHN HOWARD WORTHINGTON BIGGS, of Mason's Buildings, Liverpool.
"IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COMMON SALT AND CAR-
BONATE OF SODA, AND FOR PACKING SALT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND FOR
REGULATING THE DENSITY AND TEMPERATURE OF LIQUIDS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for the manufacture
of common salt and carbonate of soda, and for packing salt and other substances,.
and for regulating the density and temperature of liquids.
I arrange an apparatus (Figures 1-2) for the more economical evaporation of
brine, either in or ex vacuo, and sometimes with the use of chlorhydric acid or gas.
It consists of three evaporating vessels, which may be worked separately and in
combination with other apparatus, but which I prefer to work together. The first
is a shower chamber, ex vacuo, supplied with hot brine from a pan or jet pipes
above, which showers brine in thin spray or drops through a rising current of hot.
air or gas, or both, blown in from the bottom. There is a vertical shaft down the
centre on which are scrapers for removing the salt from the surfaces of the chamber
and upper pan, fitted also with brushes to keep the jet holes clear from incrustation.
I sometimes put hot pipes or ledges fitted with scrapers in this chamber.
The chamber is heated by a hot jacket or central tube with steam, air, gas, or oil,
but in preference by the products of combustion, which pass round it in spiral flues
and then down a downcomer, on which there may be a dryer. The hot air and
steam from evaporation is either used to warm brine in another pan or by preference
Dies 1. 10.71

page_text: brough down by a pipe to the furnaces (sometimes being superheated on its way),
and passed under the grate or into the combustion chamber in jets to assist combus-
tion. No. 2 chamber is a similar shower chamber in vacuo fed with hot brine from
the bottom of chamber 1, which passes through hot circulating tubes on its way.
It has a vacuum pan or coil at the top, fed from an ex vacuo pan above it or other-
wise, fitted with a float to provide against destroying the vacuum. This chamber,
with its pans, like No. 1, is supplied with revolving scrapers and brushes, as also
sometimes chlorhydric acid, and both pans are relieved of their salt by screws and
elevators. The brine from this chamber passes much concentrated to No. 3 chamber
at its base. (I sometimes also pass chlorhydric acid into No. 3.) No. 3 chamber
contains a number of flue tables, which may be heated with steam, air, or oil, set
parallel, or having uneven surfaces to one another at a few inches apart. They
have a face on each side with scrapers and sometimes jets.
There are holes in the centre of the tables, through which a horizontal shaft
carrying the scrapers and sometimes jets revolves. The shaft is supported on
bearings at intervals. There is a trough at the bottom fitted with travelling belts
or a left and right screw, which collects the salt falling from the tables, and passes
it to and up a central elevator, which communicates with a double salt store fitted
with valves, as does the elevator from No. 2 chamber, sometimes passing the salt
through a dryer en route. The furnace heats No. 3 chamber, and the waste gases
pass round chambers 1 and 2, and over a surface pan or otherwise.
I sometimes arrange to pass brine, and arrange scrapers on the bottom of the
combustion chamber for the purpose of heating the brine and steaming the pans
instead of jets. In place of using scrapers, which may be of wood or material to
avoid scratching the tables, and arranged to expand or trace uneven surfaces, I
sometimes employ rakes, brushes, squeejecs, or instruments for wiping of the salt
from the surfaces on which it collects.
This arrangement applies also to the various scrapers mentioned in my two
previous Patents.
I arrange to clean the scrapers from the exterior. The steam from this
pan is
collected in a long dome which passes over the tables at their top. It, together
with the steam from chamber No. 2, is used for warming brine in other pans, in
which it is condensed, and then run through a receiver and down a vacuum column,
as illustrated in my previous Patents.
I sometimes work No. 3 on the film principle, having jets at the sides, otherwise
it is full of brine partly up the dome, Figures 3 and 4. I prefer to economise the
space for the condensing pans, and employ, with this view, a deep circular pan with
a jacket, or internally coiled with condensing tubes, which are cleaned with a
revolving scraper or brushes, as described in my last Patent, the salt being removed
by scrapers and elevators. To this deep pan I sometimes connect a large open pan,
or use a series of pans one over the other, or both or either.
I arrange a slip in the pan connected with the circular pan with one or more
paddle wheels to pass cool brine into the deep circular pan. As this cool brinc
sinks to the bottom of the pan, the brine, warmed by the condensation of the steam
coil, flows into the larger pan and returns cooled by the slip, and is again paddled
as before.
The lower pans are connected by pipes and cocks with the upper one, and may
also have condensing tubes or condensed or hot water tubes in them.
I sometimes employ pockets, also scrapers, to clear the salt out of these pans
mechanically, otherwise it is removed by hand. I sometimes heat the lower pan,
covering in its sides between it and the next pan for the steam to warm the next
pan. Jets or pumps are used to circulate the brine through any or all of the pans,
which may also be supplied with cold brine from the brine head and have sensitive
floats.
For drying salt (when I do not employ my mechanical dryers) I arrange two
stoves fitted with railways, one annular and the other rectangular, in combination
with pans and double doors, shelves, loading carriages, in such a manner that the

page_text: heat is husbanded, and brine heated, and the stoves worked by self-acting mechanism,
or very economically by hand.
The pans are provided with floats and brine feed and salt-discharging apparatus,
whilst the large surface-heated pan sometimes has rails with an excavating carriage
arranged to empty it en masse.
The heated air or steam from the stoves are used to warm brine, or for the furnaces,
&c., or other heating purposes.
No. 5 is a plan, No. 6 a section of circular pans (two of which I sometimes use
in conjunction), and spiral stove for drying salt. The upper pan feeds the lower, or
both may form one pan, and both are provided with scrapers, elevators, and shoots.
The lower has a screw. The pans and stove are heated by spiral flues round the
lower pan, which discharge into a downcomer on which there may be a dryer.
There is a circular inclined railway round the stove, on which run wagons with salt
to be dried. The wagons are fitted with a centre wheel guiding the axles or other
mechanism to make them either go round the curve in the stove and run out on tho
loading quay at the bottom, from which their salt is passed into wagons and store.
The wagons being re-charged with salt, pass on to a turn-table and up a lift on to a
higher line of rails for again circling round the stove.
I sometimes avail myself of the drag of the wagons down the incline by linking
the wagons together or by a chain, or use revolving wheels in gear with racks on
the lower wagons to assist in working the lift. The lift and upper line are covered
in, and self-acting double doors are provided at the loading quay to prevent, as far
as possible, the escape of heated air.
The heated air and steam from the stove is allowed to escape by a regulating
valve and tube, and brought down under another pan, or used for the furnaces to
improve combustion.
I sometimes employ shelves in connection with the inclined railway, or make a
level circular railway on the bottom of the stove with a self-acting loading wagon
to fill and empty the shelves, as in the next stove.
Figure 7 is an end sectional view of a stove placed between two pans. The
stove has an iron or arched bottom. The pan is filled with brine within a few
inches from the ceiling, between which and the ceiling pass the heated gases,
returning by the central flue, or vice versa. The stove is provided with one or
more lines of railway, on which carriages bearing salt is dried, and is provided with
double doors at the sides or one or both ends. I prefer, however, to arrange shelves
on each side of central railways, on which a carriage, which I arrange to nove by a
chain or otherwise (Figure 8), also fitted with shelves, can transfer the salt in boxes,
trays, or moulds. The air and steam from this pan inay be similarly used to that
from the last stove conducted to the furnace. The upper pan is provided with scrapers,
screw elevator, and shoot. The lower pan is entered froin the end or sides, or from
the stove above or from below. It may either be emptied gradually by scrapers or
moving surfaces, or have sloping bottoms with screws, Fig. 9, which sometimes slope
up to a shoot at the end, or screws in connection with a store or elevator, or it may
be allowed to fill with salt within a few inches of the surface of the brine, when I
transfer the surplus brine to another pan, and empty the salt en masse by an
excavator (Figure 10), which is provided with revolving screws or cups, &c., mounted
on a carriage and thrust forward into the salt. It discharges the salt into a wagon
at its rear, which conveys the salt to the stove above or to a dryer, or to where it is.
wanted.
I prefer that the bottom of the lower pan should be slightly inclined towards tho
entrance doors, and that there should be rails or indentations in its bottom, along
which the excavating machine and wagons can move.
The excavator is driven by suitable machinery from without, or by steam with a
boiler on the carriage, or by steam, compressed air, or water introduced by a tube.
The full salt wagons fill up the empty ones.
I arrange an apparatus (Figures 11, 12,) for precipitating the chloride of sodium
from brine or sea water (also the chloride of potassium) by the use of chlorhydric acid-

page_text: or gas, ammoniacal liquid or gas, or other suitable volatile alkalies. It may, with some
alteration, also be used for the chlorides of sodium, barium, potassium, ammonia.
The novelty is the apparatus and the arrangement of the pans, and in the self-
acting machinery by which the precipitates are collected from the various pans or
vessels, and passed by scrapers and elevators through various stages until they are
passed through a dryer into a store (largely freed from chloride of magnesium or
other deliquescent salts) or filled into pots, bottles, or tins, or made into blocks,
which may be self-loaded into wagons, boats, &c., or otherwise treated.
I prefer to work the apparatus with chlorhydric gas from chemical works, but
where this is not convenient I employ sulphuric acid stills or chambers to keep the
chlorhydric acid up to a working standard. I sometimes dribble acid on coke in a
vertical chamber, and blow steam (which may be superheated), hot air, or gas
through it to take up the chlorhydric gas, and pass it on to the other pans or other
portion of the apparatus.
I arrange 3 or more pans (Figs. 11, 12,) constructed, by preference, of Professor
Barff's iron, or lined with enainel or glass, with sloping bottoms and discharging
apparatus to stores or elevators. I prefer to make them circular and deep, but they
may, however, be like Figure 1 or of any shape, and made of stone or any suitable
material. I arrange jackets, coils, or flues round one or more of them, connected
with heating or cooling apparatus. Each pan is fitted with a vertical shaft, to
which are affixed scrapers and agitators, and in some cases radiating perforated
spokes.
When the pans are of stone or difficult to heat from a liability of fire cracking
their surfaces, I lead pipes out of them to hot circulating tubes; they are provided
with deposit boxes and scrapers to keep them clean. I arrange the pans with
various valves and pipes with cocks to convey the liquid or gas to and from different
parts of the apparatus, which I sometimes force by pumps, steam, or jets of chlor-
hydric acid gas under pressure.
I provide for the conveyance of salt to different parts of the apparatus, arranging
scrapers, screws, elevators, dryers, shoots, and also double stores (which can be
worked alternately without stopping the apparatus). I prefer, however, to employ
vertical shafts in the pans with revolving scrapers, brushes, or rakes (to clear the
salt from the surfaces on which it settles or may adhere), the same shaft carrying
agitators, some of which may be perforated pipes for the introduction of chlorhydric
or ammoniacal gas.
I arrange each of the pans and stills to communioute with pipes and cocks with
each other with a receiver (which may be exhausted or worked under pressure)
with the hot and cold brine, and acid or gas supply, and the still. There are also
man holes, safety valves, and pipes for discharging.
If I cannot get a constant supply of chlorhydric gas from chemical works I
arrange to heat or boil concentrated acid in one of the pans (No. 1), into which I
introduce chloride of sodium by a hopper or brine (which I prefer to be hot and
concentrated). I can, however, use the pans reciprocally, and arrange to use the
acid and brine of any strength desired. The gas from No. 1 or the gases from
chemical works passes through jet holes near the bottom of the next pan No. 2,
which may be filled with cold brine or acid, but which I prefer to have heated to
give off more gas. The gas from the second pan is passed into a cold solution of
brine in the third pan, and either used in the pans again or passed on to a
"4" or
"5" similar pan (which may be alternately heated) until its strength has been
exhausted, sometimes being heated through pipes or passed through strong brine
en route.
The salt from the pans is raised by elevators and passed through a dryer into
shoots or to double stores (I do not however always dry the salt), on its way being
cleansed and washed. This I effect by running it on to a revolving table of suitable
material, with jets of acid and brine (either or both of which I prefer to be con-
centrated) playing on to the salt, or else on to a travelling belt. As the belt
proceeds, it is either sprayed on from above or dips once or more into two vessels,

page_text: one containing brine and the other strong acid, which washes the salt and drives
off the chloride of magnesium and deliquescent salts. I prefer that the belt and
table should be of chemically prepared gauze to drain.
In place of the travelling belt, I sometimes employ an apparatus filled with brine,
and another filled with strong acid, or let the salt dribble into deep pans containing
these liquids, through which it passes and is passed forward by the discharging
arrangements; the gases from the pans and from the dryer are used for successive
pans until all their available strength has been extracted from them, and then
passed into crystallising pans.
I sometimes use the gases under pressure or in partial vacuo with suitable
appliances, and occasionally employ the gases for jets to pass brine or acid into
various parts of the apparatus. I arrange for the continuous introduction of brine
which I prefer to be concentrated (sometimes heated) into the various pans at
pleasure.
I arrange to introduce rough chloride of sodium into one or all of the pans by:
suitable hoppers and taps without stopping the apparatus. Sulphuric or other acids,
may also be introduced, for which pipes and taps are provided.
I prefer to employ the chlorhydric gas from chemical works, afterwards using the
chlorhydric acid for preparing chloride of lime, bleaching powder, etc., or fix crystal-
lising pans, but I arrange suitable stills with coils or condensing chambers for
concentrating the acid, or chambers in which I introduce sulphuric acid evolving,
the chlorhydric acid which I use for the apparatus, and use or dispose of the diluted
sulphuric acid for chemical works or other purposes.
I arrange to use some of the weak hydrochloric acid in the following manner :-
it is conveyed by a tube fitted with a cock to a pump or jet (worked by gas, steam,
or air) to a pan, which I prefer to be circular, placed within a larger pan of the
same shape. The pans may be covered in with a pipe to convey gas and also
communicate with the vacuum receiver. The acid on its way passes through
circulating tubes fitted with scrapers and self-discharging apparatus; both pans are
provided with scrapers and discharging apparatus, and the inner ones also with
agitators. The acid before reaching the pan passes through a jet in a tube supplied
with heated brine (which may be concentrated) and mixing with the solution forces
the latter into the central pan, which, on being filled, is allowed to cool. I now
run cold brine into the outer pans which hastens the cooling of the inner ones and
warms the brine for further use; when both pans are emptied, they are ready for a
fresh charge.
I sometimes arrange jackets to the pans, or jackets only at the bottom, by which
the pans may be licated or cooled at pleasure.
I sometimes arrange several pans in rings, Figure 14, or over one another, or like
Figure 13 (in section) which I sometimes use for the original precipitating pans
instead of circular pans filled alternately with cold brine and heated acid brine for
precipitation.
When so much brine is not wanted warmed by the acid brine cooling, I jacket
the divisions between the pans and use steam for heating, or a cold water current
through the jackets to cool the new brine; the water may be used for warming
other brine. I provide all the pans with scrapers, and a screw running across the
rings of paus brings out the salt to an elevator or store. I sometimes employ
an apparatus to use the chlorhydric acid for producing chloride of calcium and for
other purposes.
The apparatus I arrange for producing carbonate of soda from rough soda is of
simpler construction. In this case I employ a hopper containing rough soda, which
passes through a grinding machine which delivers it in a fine powder to a number
of filters, into which the apparatus admits automatically a dissolution saturated
with ammonia. As each filter has finished, it turns out its contents (or has its
contents lifted out on to a travelling band or carriage to a dryer and store on to
the pot-filling machine and is refilled. Having arranged various apparatus for
producing, and storing so large a quantity of salt, I further arrange and prepare it

page_text: for market. For this purpose I arrange 4 machines for treating it; the first for
filling pots, tins, and glasses; the second for making blocks of salt by pressure or
stoving the third for sorting the blocks, heads, and tails; the fourth for removing
the blocks and loading them into railway wagons, boats, or store, or unloading them
therefrom.
The first consists of a travelling belt (Figure 141/2) or revolving table, which pre-
vents pots, or tins, or glasses to be filled by a hopper (sometimes pressing the salt
in the pots) as they pass to the store or wagon. The surplus salt is scraped off the
pote. I sometimes arrange to lift off the lids and blow out the dust from the pots,
putting the lids on again when the pots are filled. I prefer to use a travelling
jointed belt running on rollers or fitted with wheels. I let a line of pots slide from
a trough on to the belt, which has ledges to catch them, and bring them up in a
line to the filling machinery. The travelling belt may pass through a stove, or the
pots may be licated before they are filled. The spilt salt is returned to the hopper
or store.
The second is an improved moulding machine, Figure 15, fitted with self-dis-
charging apparatus, 15ª, 15b, 15c. A hopper fills moulds, which may be heated in
a table which may move or be fixed with a fixed or moveable hopper, or be placed
at an angle, Figure 10. It is fitted with automatic pressing, scraping, swabbing,
and discharging apparatus, and delivers the salt blocks on to a table, belt, or wagon,
or to a shoot, or allows the blocks to be lifted from the table by suitable machinery,
and keeps the moulds clean for further use. I employ grid tables and belts to
facilitate the machinery (Figures 17, 18,). I sometimes fill moulds with moveablé
bottoms or trays, or wagons, Figure 19, and run them into the stove to be dried on
the carriage, Figure 8, or on shelves, to which they are transferred from or by the
carriage. All the moulds may be arranged to form indentations or projections on
the blocks of salt to aid the machinery in lifting, etc., or for other purposes.
The third machine sorts the blocks, heads, and tails, either by lifting half the
charge out of the moulds and lowering the other half till the moulds are removed,
when the upper blocks are lowered and the whole set compressed laterally to make
them compact, or else by swing levers, Figure 20, which receive the alternate blocks
of each side from a mould box above on suitable levers or pistons, and lower them
till the blocks face on one side a space opposite them, on the other when they are
pushed together. The blocks may be loaded two or more deep.
The fourth machine 21 lifts boxes or trays of salt or blocks, or a batch of blocks,
and conveys them to the boat wagon or store, sometimes trueing them up, and each
time returning for a fresh load. 1 employ for this purpose self-acting cranes, or,
by preference, travelling wagons, which run on a platform, Figure 22, over the
wagon, or boat, and are moved sideways by a traversing platform to where the salt
is to be lowered. I sometimes arrange lifting apparatus on the boats to assist in
discharging the salt in boxes, trays, or otherwise, or arrange apparatus at the delivery
end of the wagons or boats to discharge the salt or blocks.
I arrange an apparatus for filling sacks. It consists of a revolving ring, on which
the sacks are hooked by a lad, and which presents them open to be filled by a self-
regulating hopper. The salt in the sack is shaken down by a moveable shelf or
table on which the sack rests. Mechanism is arranged to fasten or tie up the sacks
às they pass from the hopper, and detach them from the hooks when they pass
down a shoot to wagon, boat, or store.
I arrange to fill salt into bladders by a coned pipe and valve and afterwards tic
them round. I prepare the bladders by placing them on a coned pipe, through
which I blow air to inflate them, tie string or wire round their necks so that they
may be scraped, and place them on a drying line. 1 sometimes place a wooden peg
in the air tube, which is taken out when the bladders are to be filled.
arrangements may be used for other purposes besides salt.
These
I regulate the heat and density for the tanks, pans, vessels in the following
manner, although they may less advantageously be regulated by hand :-
I employ a shaft turned by the engine or a cylinder with a 3 way cock, so

page_text: arranged as to open and close the hot and cold valves, dampers, ventilators, gas
pipes, etc., by the movement of a rod regulating a strap, fork, clutch, or valve.
This rod is moved by regulating instruments connected with the vessels, chambers,
and flues. I connect then with mechanism, or electricity, or magnetism which
drives or moves wheels, rods, or catches, faster or slower, according to the heat or
density of the fluids, and connect with wheels or catches which move at a regular
pace.
For heat I employ thermometers with pistons or floats, regularly causing parts
of the machinery to move, but making it move faster or slower, according to the
temperature indicated by the thermometer and pyrometer. I prefer to employ
hollow glass floats with silver at the top, which, as it rises, passes more wires and
lets more electric or inagnetic fluid pass, but I prefer to employ one or more radio-
meters, which I make of suitable size and sometimes assist with lenses, reflectors,
and connecting wires. I employ the varying speed of its revolutions, either to turn
a spindle communicating with the exterior through a stuffing box (direct or with
intermediate wheels and catches in vacuo), or to pass more or less electricity or
magnetism through the instrument or chambers by suitable wires and revolving
points, preferably on the upper part of the spindle, which I prefer to be encased by
a glass tube with disc and silver ring with points.
To enable a very slight current of fluid to be passed through the radiometer or
chamber, I prefer to arrange that the discharge wire should have presented to it, by
clock work or otherwise, a succession of little bars or receptacles for more or less
units of the fluid. I arrange these bars on a revolving glass drum or table in such
a way that when the collective fluid, in more or less of them, amounts to a given
quantity, they attract a time lever presented to it within a short distance of them
which disengages or actuates machinery in connection with the dampers.
I arrange to regulate the density of the liquid by a float, which I prefer to sub-
merge, that sinks more or less, according to the density of the liquid. The float
communicates with the damper machinery. I also employ in connection with the
time machinery a cup wheel for weighing the liquor, over which the liquor trickles
in a constant quantity. The speed of the wheel is regulated by the weight of the
fluid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Howard Worthington Biggs in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 30th November 1877.
JOHN HOWARD WORTHINGTON BIGGS, of Mason's Buildings, Liverpool. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COMMON SALT AND CAR-
BONATE OF SODA, AND FOR PACKING SALT AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, AND FOR
REGULATING THE DENSITY AND TEMPERATURE OF LIQUIDS."
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the manufacture of
common salt and carbonate of soda, and for packing salt and other substances, and
for regulating the density and temperature of liquids. The apparatus is represented
by Drawings, which I will proceed to describe.
Sheet 1 is an apparatus for producing vacuum or other salt. It illustrates a com-
bination of warming brine by condensation of steain, scumming it mechanically,
showering it in and ex vacuo, and boiling it between vertical tables in or ex vacuo.
It is fitted with self-acting machinery for stoking the furnaces, scraping, collecting,
and storing salt from the pans, etc. The whole is firmly bolted to a strong frame
of cross girders to ensure stability, and is constructed preferably of Professor Barff's
iron; the pans and pipes are covered with non-conducting cement, and preferably
glazed externally.
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a front elevation partly in section; Figure 3, section
from A to B; Figure 4, sectional plan and end view of F; Figure 5, a view of
scrapers in C; Figure 6, plan view of ditto; Figure 7, sectional view of valves o;
Figures 8, scumming wheel b 1; Figure 9, front and side view of vertical elevator k*.
A is the preparatory pan; B, the scumming pan; C, the concentrating pan; D are
the pumps; E, top pans in towers 1 and 2; F, spray cases in towers 1 and 2;
G, shower chambers; H, blower; I, hot air and steam and air cases; J, circulating
brine tubes; K, elevator; L, No. 3, vertical tables; M, steam pipe from No. 3 to
condensing pan N; N, condensing pan; 0, vacuum air pump; P, fuel elevator;
Q, stoking gear; R, furnaces; S, combustion chamber; T, flues; U, downcomer
and auxiliary chimneys; V, flue for waste heat to pan N 3; W, salt stores; ✗, gearing;
Y, engine.
The preparatory pan A is fed with brine from the condensing pan N or otherwise.
It supplies heated brine to B; it is heated by steam condensing on its under surface.
It is provided with lifting reciprocal bar scrapers a, moved by cranks on three
shafts a', which work in vertical slots attached to the bar frame a in such a way as
at each forward motion to pass the salt deposited on the bottom of the pan to the
discharge screw a³, but to be raised from the bottom as they pass backwards for the
next stroke. The shafts a' are connected by mitre wheels with the cross shaft a³;
they are slowly turned by a screw on the shaft x, x.
The scumming pan B is placed over flue Tx. It is fed with brine from A. and
supplies C; It is provided with a pocket b and a scumming wheel b', driven
slowly from x, x. The brine from A passes through a sieve near-b containing cow-
heels, glue, etc., to make.the scun risc. This pan may be scraped by mechanism,
but is here scraped by hand.
The scum drum b₁ (see Figure 8) is finely perforated or covered with gauze or
canvas. It is placed in a compartment b with a projecting ledge b³; a scraper b*,
and scum box bo; bo is a door to clean out the compartment 62; 67 connects with
pan C; b is a slide door opening holes under b³. The drum is designed to draw
off the scum as it drifts up against it by the current of the escaping brine.
The concentrating pan C is placed over the furnaces R and combustion chamber S,
and boils the brine it receives from B for the shower tower No. 1. It has a sloping
roof with side gutters draining into a tank b, b, for the boiler. There are side doors
as well as for the pans above, so that the pan may be scraped by hand, but it is
here scraped by an endless band of flexible T scrapers c¹ (see Figures 5 and 6)
passing round drums c² driven by vertical shaft x c', cross shaft x c, from x, x.

page_text: It is further fitted with an intercepting tray and two discharging screws c¹ and c³.
The scrapers are formed of T pieces jointed together with swivels and rings in
such a manner as to pass round the drums c², and yet accommodate themselves to
the shape of the bottom of the pan in case it should become blistered, as shown
at c. The tray c³ is designed for intercepting the crystals as they fall from the
surface, and to help to protect the bottom from the chance of pan scale. Steam
jets c are arranged under the pan to prevent too fierce a. heat from impinging on
its bottom.
The pumps D are driven by shaft x', but can be thrown out of gear; D¹ pumps
brine from C to the pan E on No. 1 tower; D2, pumps brine from the bottom of
shower chamber C into cistern j for the circulating tubes J; D³ receives brine from
a cistern on the other side of J, and pumps it into pan E bis, at the top of shower
chamber No. 2; D' pumps brine from the bottom of shower chamber No. 2 to the
vacuum tanks L in No. 3; D5 pumps brine (when required) from No. 3 to the
pans N' and N2 for slow crystallization, or pumps to a film cylinder table, or for
other service. There are pumps (not shown) for pumping brine between the various
condensing pans when required.
Towers Nos. 1 and 2 are in duplicate, and are similarly lettered; they may either
be worked in or ex vacuo; here they are worked, No. 1 ex vacuo, and No. 2
in vacuo. They are each heated by spiral flues T round their exterior, or may be
heated by a central tube, and are composed of pan E, spray tubes or case F, and
shower chamber G. They have a vertical shaft e down their centre, carrying
scrapers e¹ and g. It passes through a stuffing box ex, and is made to turn by a
screw wheel x e, keyed to its top, driven from x, x, by shafts x and x 2, and
intermediary bevil wheels. There is a float e² sliding on a slotted pipe e allowing
more brine to pass to the spray case F if the brine rises in E, but shutting down
and always keeping the pipe e full of brine, in case the brine in E gets low.
I
The construction of F is best seen in Figure 4; it is designed to prevent the spray
holes clogging with crystals; e, f, is a plate forming the bottom of pan E, and the
top of case F; to it are cast or attached transverse girders f, on the bottom of which
is an annular ring or pipe f¹ (communicating with a pipe to the superheating boxes I
and to the tubes n in the condensing pan N) with deposit boxes f at its side.
Secondary girders 2 are attached to the annular ring and with form a level
grid, on which thin perforated metal or gauze f is attached. The object of this
arrangement is to give support to a thin sheet of metal or gauze f, and yet allow
of its being brushed top and bottom, or of having steam blown through it without
its being displaced. The lower side of f* is brushed by g¹, while the upper compart-
ments are brushed or scraped by f5 extending between the girders f and over and
between the secondary girders fƒ, are moved backwards and forwards by rods f³,
passing through stuffing boxes 7, actuated by a mangle rack f, which moves on
slides fo by " driven from xk, drawing, the head f8 backwards and forwards.
The two centre rods of fo are attached to this head; the side rods have stops on
them so as to take a less stroke. The salt scraped into the pockets is removed by
four screws into the deep central side pockets f12, which are emptied with a
valve at their bottoms as occasion may require. The screws f" are driven by a
little shaft xf, and by intermediary shafts × f², and × ƒ³, and bevel wheels, as
shown Figure 4.
10
In a simpler arrangement I employ tubes terminating in deposit boxes, the front
of which remove to facilitate the tubes being brushed from without. I also some-
times arrange a coil of tubes on the girder principle with gauze below, in which
case a segment plate is fitted into the bottom of e, f, and rests on the girders.
When removed it allows the coils to be brushed from above.
•
In all cases I arrange to blow steam through the jet hoies or gauze, and sometimes
wash them out with hot water.
In the shower chamber G I arrange to keep the rain from its sides by ledges or
pipes g placed at.intervals up the sides. In tower No. 1 ex vacuo hot air coming
from the blower H driven by engine shaft y' through the hot air cases I is blown

page_text: in near the bottom of the chamber G, and meets the fine falling spray as it rises.
The air and steam given off, pass by the annular pipe f¹ down to the superheating
tubes I, and is then passed into the furnaces R or combustion chamber S to improve
combustion; it may however be used for warming brine or otherwise. I prefer to
employ the furnace blowers to draw off this heated air and steam before passing it
through the superheating tubes I to the furnace N, etc. The steam from No. 2
chamber in vacuo passes pipe f¹ to the coils in N for condensation. The towers 1
and 2 are connected by a gallery E, E, which is reached by steps e, e. Each tower
is provided with man-holes, also valves and pipes communicating with the boiler, the
pumps, the air cases, the vacuum tubes, blow off pipes, &c. The brine on its way
from the bottom of No. 1 to the pan on the top of No. 2 passes through the circu-
lating tubes J. They are placed in flue T and have a box j at top and at bottom.
The upper box is divided into three parts, the lower into two, so as to cause the
brine to circulate. In each tube there is an annular scraper ³ moved up and down
by rods j, passing through stuffing boxes ³, or it may be open to tanks above.
These rods are attached to cross bars moved by chains over drums on a shaft j
moved by a mangle wheel 3. The mangle wheel is driven by a shaft turned by
a mitre wheel on screw wheel x7, which is driven by a screw on x, x. In the
bottom boxes there are two screws 10 delivering salt to a double elevator j¹¹ which
empties it out into à box at its side.
The salt collecting in pans E and G is scraped by the scrapers e¹ and e, g, to
holes leading to the clevators for the top pan, and 12 and for the lower one.
These elevators are constructed to work in a small space best seen in Figure 9. A
moveable flap shoots the salt falling from the bucket down the pipe k, and
then rocks back on its axis to let the bucket pass. The flap is actuated by a
weight, an eccentric, a crank A, and a connecting rod with stops on it /7;
k and are driven from x, x, by screw x, wheel x, shafts x, and x, turning
xare driven by a worm shaft e,, turned by e, and a mitre wheel on x
The clevators for pans A and C are turned by a shaft a, k', in gear with a³, or it
may be driven from x⁹.
The brine from the bottom of No. 2 tower is pumped by D into chamber No. 3
containing the vertical tables L in vacuo. The tables are heated by the products
of combustion blown into the cross flue Tx, and drawn through the flues of each
table by a steam jet in their upper flue. Each table is provided with a damper to
regulate its heat; also soot doors to clean the flues. Tho tables rest on two
guides, and are placed within a few inches of one another in two sets having spaces
left at the ends and centre of the apparatus for the free circulation of the heated
brine, see Figure 1. Their edges are triangular top and bottom, an air space being
left in the latter; L* is the dome for collecting the steam from the boiling brine,
it has a manholo and an outward safety valve 2, and a pipe M communicating to
the condensing tubes m in pan N, etc; 13 is a float for regulating the speed of the
engine or pumps, according to the speed at which the brine is evaporating or
pumped off; is the salt trough at the bottom of the tables; 15, the left and right
screw supplying the central elevator with salt; is the scraper shaft turning; 1, the
scrapers which are in spring pieces to follow uneven surfaces on the table; 19 are
saddle grid scrapers for keeping the corner and upper ridge of the table clean; they
are moved by levers 1, by an eccentric on shaft, not shown. The shaft l passes
through stuffing boxes at each end, and rests in bearings 11; it is turned by
screw wheel x 7, by screw x3. This shaft may be supported within the chamber; in
this case I provide stuffing boxes on each side the bearing to keep the brine from
the brasses, and oil the bearings by a tube from without.
In another arrangement I make the tables square, and scrape them by grids
extending nearly from top to bottom, or side to side, moved by levers 19, or with
side rods and stuffing boxes. Tubes may be used instead of tables, when I arrango
them in a similar manner. The tables may bo used for making film salt by
introducing jets and running the scrapers at a higher rate of speed. This apparatus
may be worked by steam, oil, or hot water, instead of fire.. I sometimes construct

page_text: the tables of thin metal and pass vacuum steam, through them. In place of using
scrapers, which may be of wood or material, to avoid scratching the tables, and
arranged to expand or trace uneven surfaces, I sometimes employ rakes, brushes,
squeezers, or instruments for wiping off the salt from the surfaces on which it
collects. This arrangement applies also to the various scrapers mentioned in my
two previous Patents. M is the steam pipe connecting No. 3 with the coils; it has
branch pipes to the engines O and Y, and three valves m 1, 2, 3. The exhaust
steam from No. 2 tower sometimes blows into this pipe; it discharges into the
tubes n, between which and the engine pipes there is a large escape valve fitted,
which may be raised and lowered at pleasure, and which is slightly weighted when
the steam is passed to engines O and Y.
The circular pan N is supported at its sides by brickwork, and at its top by
guides; it contains the condensing jacket or coils divided into 4 or more
parts for the tower shower chainbers, No. 3 pan, and the engines O and Y, but
which may be connected one with the other, which may either form parallel rings
(as described in my last Patent) or coil down in spirals. The latter plan is here
represented, and the coils are brushed by continuous following band brushes n¹
which pass round little drums and n³, on frame n' keyed to a central shaft n³.
The frame has also diagonal scrapers nº for the bottom of the pan which slowly
pass the salt to the elevator for the shoot ; it is made to rotate by the small screw
shaft xn, driven from the engine shaft y' by a vertical shaft x n; × n¹ turns
a screw wheel on shaft in gear with a double bevel wheel ns, which is loose on
shaft n³. Wheels turns shafts n which cause rack wheels n10 at their extremities
to run round a rack and rail n¹¹ at the circumference of the pan. The rail helps to
support the weight of the scrapers, and the rack enables thein to move very slowly
round the pan. To bring up sufficient cool brine for condensing the steam arising
from the vacuum chambers, I arrange an upper pan N* with a side slip n, x 1, in
which I arrange a paddle wheel n, x 2 driven by shaft, n¹. Below N* I some-
times place three pans N 1, 2, 3, to work up the waste heat from the condensed
water and spent heat of the furnaces, and occasionally arrange to boil and scum
salt in a portion of the lower one having fires at the end of flues V and V₁, which
rekindle any gases which may escape under the pan on their way to the chimney.
The intermediate pans are heated by tubes or jackets; they are used for con-
densing, warming brine, or for allowing brine pumped from the vacuum chambers,
etc., to slowly cool and crystallize.
For some qualities of salt I pump the hot saturated brine from the vacuum
chambers into the circular condensing pan N by the pump D, or the other pans.
The air pump O has a receiver o connecting with the coils and the Torricellian
columns. The receiver o is fitted with a regulating valve o¹ (as described in my
last Patent) for the air pump. Both the air pump O and the engine Y are double
cylindered, blowing their exhaust steam into the condensing coils. They are
arranged to be supplied with steam from a boiler, and from pipe M by pipes m, o,
and m, y, for either or both.
The throttle valve for the vacuum engine is worked by o¹, and that of the
engine by ; P is a vertical fuel elevator feeding the hopper p of the self-acting
stokers; it connects by a screw, or otherwise, with two large hoppers fitted at
their bottom with crushing rollers; each hopper is arranged to receive a railway
load of fuel at a time. I usually fill one with slack and the other with coke ;
Qare self-acting stokers, they grind up the fuel and throw it on to the fires in R,
also rocking the furnace bars; they are driven by shafts x, q, x, q':
The furnaces R are fitted with rocking bars r; they have doors r¹ and 7,
and blowers ; their flames meet in the combustion chamber S through the
openings
The combustion chamber S may contain brine at the bottom to steam the pans
and deposit salt, which is then removed, by scrapers into a deposit box arranged in
the front. Arrangements are made to improve combustion by pipes and openings

page_text: admitting air and steam to both R and S, preferably superheated from the cases J.
The products of combustion escape by flue T or by to.
The flues T are fitted with dampers, and the draught is accelerated by steam jets.
They are so arranged that either of the three chambers 1, 2, or 3 can be worked separately
or together. The ordinary course of the products of combustion is between the tubes J
by T under B, by Tx, round the tables by t along t¹ to the short downcomers t, across
to the bottom of the towers by t³, round the spiral flues in the towers 1 and 2,
down the downcomers U, along V and V1, under pans N, and so away to the
chimney. Auxiliary flues are however provided, vizt., 5 connects the combustion
chamber S with either the tower flues t, or the downcomer U, or the pan flue V ;
to connects t¹ with the downcomer U; t connects t2 with the pan flue V, V¹.
.
The downcomer U may either be used as such, or as a chimney, by opening a
damper u, by the chain u, x, of the auxiliary chamber U*. The downcomer of
No. 1 is arched near its base to allow space for the gearing x, x1, and x². There are
powerful steam jets in the downcomers.
V, V. These flues sometimes pass their gases over fires placed near its opening
under pan M, or deliver their gases over a surface-heating pan, or to a stove. Ware
the salt stores for receiving the salt from the apparatus. They are arranged with
steam, and brine, or water pipes, so that the salt deposited therein may be kept
moist and prevented from caking until such time as it is ready for removal. When
filling the stores with dry salt for filling bags, pots, etc., I use dryers like M (Sheet 3
in my last Patent) improved by the addition of circular cutters revolving on the
shelves h 4, 5, and a revolving screw in the spout h¹, driven after the manner of
c², Figure 8. I also place grooved or notched rollers at the bottom of the dryer
between which the salt passes before leaving it.
In place of this arrangement I sometimes feed the moist salt on to revolving
heated rollers, on which it is dried before passing between them, or is scraped off by
suitable scrapers or revolving rollers. These rollers may be placed at top or bottom
of the store through which the salt is dried and ground before delivery. This
system of moistening and drying may also be applied to the stores in my previous
Patent.
I further sometimes arrange to have screws, elevators, or other means of com-
munication in combination with blocking, bagging, or pot filling apparatus, so that
the dry salt is passed direct to such apparatus without further handling.
The stores are divided into four vacuum stores, w, 1, 2, alternate stores for No. 3,
23, and w, for shower chambers G₁ and 2; all are fitted with cut-off valves w at
their top and w have divisions 20¹ near their top also fitted with valves w² to
allow salt to accumulate while the lower parts are being emptied; w and w
are divided, the front portion for the pans A and C, and the back portion for
pans E, towers 1 and 2; each store has a discharge screw w³ at its base, driven by
clutch gearing in communication with x, x, and also a discharge valve w', and spout
20 in front, worked by a chain or otherwise. There are glass peepholes in the
front of the stores to show when they are ready for emptying. There are drain
pipes, and for the vacuum stores vacuum pipes in addition, all of which have
regulating valves.
1
The main gearing X is driven by the engine Y by the shaft y¹, spur wheel y³,
driving wheel x, main shaft X, cross shaft X, x, by mitre wheels x and x working
in an arch under the down comer of No. 1. X has a worm x3 turning the scraper
wheel xl; X, x, turns the vertical shaft x¹ and x2, by the mitre wheels x 1, 2, 3, 4,
and the vertical shaft x5, by a screw x, on X, x, working into screw wheel x7.
The engine Y has double cylinders, and is arranged so as to work one or both
with boiler or pan steam. It discharges its exhaust into coils n, or into the various
jets and heating chambers about the apparatus; Z is the rail and tramway for
bringing up fuel and taking away salt. There are turntables on the tram with lines
along the side of pan N³ for conveying salt.
I arrange galleries n, n, round the large pan N and N¹, and a passage on each

page_text: side of No. 3, between B and 7, and between L and N. Pans A, B, C, vessel h,
and chamber No. 3, are provided with safety floats admitting brine from the brine
head if the level falls too low. All the pans are covered with non-conducting
packing, and the stores and pipes are lined with enamel.
To start the apparatus I fill up the pans with brine from the brine head, open the
dampers in flue 15, and between u and u*, establishing direct communication
between the combustion chambers S, and the auxiliary chimney U*. I light the
fires, and when they are burnt up put on the blowers . I now open a damper in
to, and turn on the table jets in No. 3, closing damper in t. When the brine in pan
C begins to boil, I slowly start the engines and pumps, closing the flue to, and
passing the heat round the flues in the shower towers. When steam begins to
issue from the safety valve l, on No. 3, I blow the vacuum chamber G, in No. 2
tower, full of steam, and open communication with the coils n, start the vacuum
engine o, and open the Torrecillian column. On a vacuum being established in G,
No. 2, I slowly open communication between No. 3 and the coils n. When both
vessels are in vacuo Iquicken up the speed of engine Y and open communication
between pipe M and the engines. The damper in Ux may now be closed, jets
turned on in flue V and V, and the apparatus is started for a week's run.
In a simpler form of this apparatus, in place of the two towers 1 and 2 and the
central stores W, I put large salt stores, which I use alternately, fed by an elevator
at each end of No. 3 with a single screw 13, which I drive alternate ways, according
to which store is to be filled. These stores may be fitted with dryers and com-
municate by elevators or otherwise with bagging or blocking machinery.
In place of pan N, I employ pipes in old salt pans which may be placed over ono
another like pans N to increase the cooling area.
Figure 14 is a plan, Figure 15 a section of circular pans (two of which I some-
times use in conjunction) and spiral stove for drying salt. The upper pan feeds
the lower, or both may form one pan, and both are provided with scrapers, clevators,
and shoots. The lower has a screw. The pans and stove are heated by spiral flucs
round the lower pan which discharge into a downcomer, on which there may be a
dryer. There is a circular inclined railway round the stove on which run wagons
with salt to be dried. The wagons are fitted with a centre wheel guiding the axles
or other mechanism to make them either go round the curve in the stove and run
out on the loading quay at the bottom, from which their salt is passed into wagons
and store. The wagons being recharged with salt pass on to a turntable and up a
lift on to a higher line of rails for again circling round the stove.
I sometimes avail myself of the drag of the wagons down the incline by linking
the wagons together, or by a chain, or use revolving wheels in gear with racks on
the lower wagons to assist in working the lift. The lift and upper line are covered
in and self-acting double doors are provided at the loading quay to prevent as far
as possible the escape of heated air.
The heated air and steam from the stove is allowed to escape by a regulating
valve and tube and brought down under another pan, or used for the furnaces to
improve combustion.
I sometimes employ shelves in connection with the inclined railway, or make a
level circular railway on the bottom of the stove with a self-acting loading wagon.
to fill and empty the shelves, as in the next stove.
Figure 16 is an end sectional view of a stove placed between two pans. The.
stove has an iron or arched bottom. The pun is filled with brine within a few
inches from the ceiling, between which and the ceiling pass the heated gases,
returning by the central flue, or vice versa. The stove is provided with one or
more lines of railway, on which carriages bearing salt is dried, and is provided with
double doors at the sides, or one or both ends. I prefer, however, to arrange
shelves on each side of central railways, on which a carriage, which I arrange to
move by a chain or otherwise (Figure 17), also fitted with shelves, can transfer the
salt in boxes, trays, or moulds. The air and steam from this pan may be similarly

page_text: used to that from the last stove conducted to the furnace. The upper pan is provided
with scrapers, screw, clevator, and shoot. The lower pan is entered from the end
or sides, or from the stove above or from below. It may either be emptied gradually
by scrapers or moving surfaces, or have sloping bottoms with screws (Figure 18)
which sometimes slope up to a shoot at the end, or screws in connection with a store
or elevator; or it may be allowed to fill with salt within a few inches of the surface
of the brine, when I transfer the surplus brine to another pan and empty the salt
en masse by an excavator (Figure 19) which is provided with revolving screws or
cups, etc., mounted on a carriage and thrust forward into the salt. It discharges
the salt into a wagon at its rear, which conveys the salt to the stove above, or to a
dryer, or to where it is wanted.
I prefer that the bottom of the lower pan should be slightly inclined towards the
entrance doors, and that there should be rails or indentations in its botton along
which the excavating machine and wagons can move.
The excavator is driven by suitable machinery from without or by steam with a
boiler on the carriage, or by steam, compressed air, or water introduced by a tube.
The full salt wagons pull up the empty ones.
I arrange an apparatus (Figures 20, 21,) for precipitating the chloride of sodium
from brine or sea water (also the chloride of potassium) by the use of chlorhydric
acid or gas, ammoniacal liquid or gas, or other suitable volatile alkalies. It may
with some alteration also be used for the chlorides of sodium, barium, potassium,
ammonia.
The novelty is the apparatus and the arrangement of the pans, and in the self-
acting machinery by which the precipitates are collected from the various pans or
vessels, and passed by scrapers and elevators through various stages until they are
passed through a dryer into a store (largely freed from chloride of magnesium or
other deliquescent salts) or filled into pots, bottles, or tins, or made into blocks which
may be self loaded into wagons, boats, etc., or otherwise treated.
I prefer to work the apparatus with chlorhydric gas from chemical works, but
where this is not convenient, I employ one or other of the ordinary form of apparatus
used in chemical works for the production of chlorhydric acid. I sometimes dribble
acid on coke in a vertical chamber, and blow steam (which may be super-heated),
hot air, or gas through it to take up the chlorhydric gas and pass it on to the other
pans or other portion of the apparatus.
I arrange three or more pans, Figures 20, 21, (constructed by preference of
Professor Barff's iron) or lined with enamel or glass, and jacketed for steam, with
sloping bottoms, and discharging apparatus to stores or elevators. I prefer to
make them circular and deep, but they may, however, be like Figure 1, of any
shape, and made of stone or any suitable material. I arrange jackets, coils, or flues
round one or more of them connected with heating or cooling apparatus. Each pan
is fitted with a vertical shaft, to which are affixed scrapers and agitators, and in
some cases radiating perforated spokes.
When the pans are of stone or difficult to heat from a liability of fire cracking
their surfaces, I lead pipes out of them to hot circulating tubes. They are provided
with deposit boxes and scrapers to keep them clean. I arrange the pans with
various valves and pipes, with cocks to convey the liquid or gas to and from
different parts of the apparatus, which I sometimes force by pumps, steam, or jets of
chlorhydric acid gas under pressure.
I provide for the conveyance of salt to different parts of the apparatus, arranging
scrapers, screws, elevators, dryers, shoots, and also double stores (which can be
worked alternately without stopping the apparatus). I prefer, however, to employ
vertical shafts in the pans with revolving scrapers, brushes, or rakes (to clear the
salt from the surfaces on which it settles or may adhere), the same shaft carrying
agitators, some of which may be perforated pipes for the introduction of chlorhydric
or ammoniacal gas.
I arrange each of the paus and stills to communicate with pipes and cocks with

page_text: cach other with a receiver (which may be exhausted or worked under pressure)
with the hot and cold brine and acid or gas supply and the still. There are also
man-holes, safety valves, and pipes for discharging.
If I cannot get a constant supply of chlorhydric gas from chemical works, I arrange
to heat or boil concentrated acid in one of the pans (No. 1) into which I introduce
chloride of sodium by a hopper, or brine (which I prefer to be hot and concentrated).
I can, however, use the pans reciprocally, and arrange to use the acid and brine of
any strength desired. This gas from No. 1, or the gases from chemical works passes
through jet holes near the bottom of the next pan, No. 2, which may be filled with
cold brine or acid, but which I prefer to have heated to give off more gas. The gas
from the second pan is passed into a cold solution of brine in the third pan, and either
used in the pans again or passed on to a
"" or < 5" similar pan (which may be
alternately heated), until its strength has been exhausted, sometimes being heated
through pipes, or passed through strong brine en route.
The salt from the pans is raised by elevators, and passed through a dryer into
shoots or to double stores (I do not, however, always dry), the salt on its way being
cleansed and washed. This I effect by running it on to a revolving table of suitable
material with jets of acid and brine (either or both of which I prefer to be concen-
trated) playing on to the salt, or else on to a travelling belt. As the belt proceeds
it is either sprayed on from above or dips once or more into two vessels, one
containing brine and the other strong acid, which washes the salt and drives off the
chloride of magnesium and deliquescent salts. I prefer that the belt and table
should be of chemically prepared gauze, to drain.
In place of the travelling belt, I sometimes employ an apparatus filled with brine
and another filled with strong acid, or let the salt dribble into deep pans containing
these liquids, through which it passes, and is passed forward by the discharging
arrangements. The gases from the pans and from the dryer are used for successive
pans until all their available constituents has been extracted from them and then
passed into crystallizing pars. I sometimes use the gases under pressure or in
partial vacuo with suitable appliances, and occasionally employ the gases for jets to
pass brine or acid into various parts of the apparatus. I arrange for the continuous
introduction of brine, which I prefer to be concentrated (sometimes heated) into the
various pans at pleasure.
I arrange to introduce rough chloride of sodium into one or all of the pans by
suitable hoppers and taps, without stopping the apparatus. Sulphuric or other
acids may also be introduced, for which pipes and taps are provided.
I prefer to employ the chlorhydric gas from chemical works, afterwards using the
chlorhydric acid for preparing chloride of calcium, bleaching powder, etc., or for
crystallising pans, but I arrange suitable stills with coils or condensing chambers
for concentrating the acid, or chainbers in which I introduce sulphuric acid, evolving
the chlorhydric acid which I use for the apparatus, and I use or dispose of the
diluted sulphuric acid for chemical works or other purposes.
I arrange to use some of the weak hydrochloric acid in the following manner:-
It is conveyed by a tube fitted with a cock to a pump or jet (worked by gas,
steam, or air) to a pan, which I prefer to be circular, placed within a larger pan of
the same shape. (The pans may be covered in with a pipe to convey gas, and also
communicate with the vacuum receiver.) The acid on its way passes through
circulating tubes fitted with scrapers and self-discharging apparatus.
Both pans
are provided with scrapers and discharging apparatus, and the inner ones also with
agitators. The acid before reaching the pan passes through a jet in a tube supplied
with heated brine (which may be concentrated) and mixing with the solution forces
the latter into the central pan, which ou being filled is allowed to cool. I now run
cold brine into the outer pans, which hastens the cooling of the inner ones, and
warms the brine for further use; when both pans are emptied they are ready for a
fresh charge.
I sometimes arrange jackets to the pans, or jackets only at the bottom, by which
the pans may be heated or cooled at pleasure.

page_text: I sometimes arrange several pans in rings, Figure 23, or over one another, or like
Figure 22 (in section), which I sometimes use for the original precipitating pans
instead of circular pans, fitted alternately with cold brine and heated acid brine
for precipitation. When so much brine is not wanted warmed by the acid brine
cooling, I jacket the divisions between the pans and use steam for heating, or a
cold water current through the jackets to cool the new brine; the water may be
used for warming other brine. I provide all the pans with scrapers, and a screw
running across the rings of pans brings out the salt to an elevator or store. I
sometimes employ an apparatus to use the chlorhydric acid, for producing chloride
of calcium and for other purposes.
The apparatus I arrange for producing carbonate of soda from rough soda is of
simpler construction. In this case I employ a hopper containing rough soda, which
passes through a grinding machine, which delivers it in a fine powder to a number
of filters into which the apparatus admits automatically a dissolution saturated
with ammonia. As each filter has finished, it turns out its contents (or has its
contents lifted out) on to travelling band or carriage, to a dryer and store, or to the
pot filling machine, and is refilled. Having arranged various apparatus for pro-
ducing and storing so large a quantity of salt, I further arrange to prepare it for
market. For this purpose I arrange machines for treating it; the first for filling
pots, tins, or glasses, consists of a travelling belt or revolving table which presents
pots, tins, or glasses to be filled by a hopper (sometimes pressing the salt in the
pots). As they pass to the store or wagon the surplus salt is scraped off the pots.
I sometimes arrange to lift off the lids and blow out the dust from the pots, putting
the lids on again when the pots are filled. I prefer to use a travelling jointed belt,
running on rollers or fitted with wheels. I let a line of pots slide from a trough
on to the belt, which has ledges to catch them and bring them up in a line to the
filling machinery. The travelling belt may pass through a stove, or the pots may
be heated before they are filled.
On Sheet 2 of the Drawings Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2, a side view, and
Figure 3, an end view of an automatic apparatus for continuously producing com-
pressed dried blocks of salt, and delivering them in order on to a tray or waggon
for the store, or other purposes. It may be worked by steam from the boiler
or from the vacuum pans, and be used without the moulds being heated; it is
chiefly made of Professor Barff's iron to avoid corrosion. A is the basement; B,
the upper frame; C, the rail frame carrying carriage P; D, the cylinder for com-
pressing and loosening the blocks; E, the table containing the jacketed moulds;
F, steam trap; G, flues under table; H, pulley, driving the table; I, hopper tube
communicating with salt supply; J, compressing beam; K, loosening beam; L,
lifting cylinder; M, water socket joint; N, washing and scraping box; O, clip.
box; P, carriage for same; Q, pulleys for moving the carriage P; R, regulating
wheel on carriage P; S, box for supplying loose bottoms for moulds; T, railway
to stove, store, etc.; U, carriage on railway; V, trays on carriage; W, gear for
moving waggons; X, main shaft; Y, engine; Z, cams. A is tho basement formed
of strong girders and masonry to which the apparatus is solidly bolted. It supports
the upper frame B by the upright a and other uprights not shown, the top
railway C by the columns a³, and has cross girders a, a, from below the cylinder D
to the resistance past a, e, firmly bolted to it and to B supporting the beam K with
bearings at a, k.
The upper frame B has cross girders b, b, from the cylinder D to the column J*,
which latter is also strongly bolted to the lower frame A. Between these girders
there is a dead plate at e, b, beneath the compressing piston j. There are internal
girders supporting the hollow cone b, c, as also the wheels bx on which the circular
table E rotates. There is a ball plug b, c, truly fitting the upper part of the
cone b, c, which may be raised or lowered by a screw b, e², turned by the handle b, c,
by the shaft and worm wheel b, c, and b, e³.
The table E contains the moulds e in a steam-tight annular jacket ex. It has
radial girders e, x, passing from the ring to its centre, in which there is a cupped.

page_text: hole fitting the ball plug b, e¹, on which it rests and rotates. The table may be
constructed of one or more pieces, but preferably as shown, Figure 4, in section.
It has at its bottom a rail e¹ resting on the wheels b', and at its side a rack e² and
stop ring e, in which there are notches at regular intervals; a casing e, fastened
to B, encircles its side to prevent radiation. The steam jacket has pipes e³ for
admitting steam, and eo for discharging steam and condensed water. They com-
municate with the inlet pipes e and the outlet pipe e through the plug tap e, in
which is an upper and lower ring; there is no communication between the pipes
except through the table. The pipe e, g, discharges into a steam trap F where the
water escapes by pipe f, x 2, the steam passes by f to the cylinder D or elsewhere.
The table is further warmed by flues G between A and B, carried sometimes round
the outer sides of the table. They are fed by the inlet flue g³, and discharge by
the outlet flue g. When only heating the table by flues I construct the moulds
without the side and bottom casing e and es, bolting the mould to e in order to
admit more direct heat to the mould c.
Their
The moulds e are taper, with the corners filled in, preferably rounded.
outer top and bottom are bevilled off, they are then parallel for a few inches and
taper between.
Within each mould there is a strong moveable bottom c, e, resting
on a ledge at c, e¹, and projecting slightly below the bottom. I sometimes make
indentations, or have projections in the sides of the moulds to cause notches or
impressions in the blocks. The moulds may be lined with tin or other material
to economise the cost of facing. The table is turned by the pinion h, working in
rack e, driven by a friction clutch h* on the vertical shaft by the worm wheel h³,
by the worm h³, driven by the pulley H. It moves intermittently one mould at a
time, stopping as each mould is successively placed under the compressor j. It is
locked in its correct position by the lock bar falling into notches in ring e
The hopper tube I fills the moulds with salt; it communicates with a store above,
and may be fitted with revolving inclined blades to force the salt downwards and
with a steam or brine pipe to moisten the salt. It has a slide ring i resting on the
table to prevent the lateral escape of salt.
The compressor j compresses the salt into blocks. It works in guides ji bolted to
the column J*, and is moved by the beam J, connecting link d', and cylinder D.
The cylinder D has a through piston rod, is jacketed, has its ports, which are
small, a few inches from each end, so that the piston cuts off the exit of the steam
which it uses for a cushion. There are two small openings between the extreme end
of the cylinder and the ports for allowing the piston to quietly complete its stroke,
and also for starting it. The steam to the cylinder is regulated by a 4-way cock v,
d, x, worked by a pinion and rack rod 2, d, actuated by cam ¹. The mould in
passing under I has its projecting bottom raised by sliding up a slight slope leading
to the dead plate e, b, under j The weight of the compression thus lies between
the beam J and the guides b, b, and relieves the table of the downward thrust.
There is a pin in the lower end of the piston rod a 1 passing through a slot in the
head of beam K. This beam has its fulerum from the bearings at a, k, and forces
up the bottom of each mould in succession by a connecting rod and plug under the
mould, e, not shown. I sometimes place a heavy weight at the end of this lever
to economise steam in raising the piston. The resistance past a, e, (on which I prefer
to have a wheel) overhangs and holds down the table E at the top while the beam K
is forcing the block up; the pressure is thus transferred to the girders a, a, and
relieves the table.
L is a cylinder fitted with a 4-way cock and ports like D, it has a hollow piston
rod open at both ends passing into a telescope cylinder M which is regulated by a
valve m¹, and rod m². On the top of is the lifting head *, fitted with a spike
which enters the bottom of the mould, as shown, Figures 4 and 5 (plan and side
view in section).
N is the washing and scraping or swabbing box. It is screwed on the top of 1.
It has a cylinder a perforated at b, and a loosely fitting piston c with a piston rod d
steadied below by a cross in tube l, and passing through a stuffing box c. It moves

page_text: a grooved head fup and down working 4-crank levers g, which are centred at h.
and move four sliding plates i. These plates have expanding scraping bars K, on
which I sometimes fix swabs or brushes; they overlap at the middle of the four sides,
and move from the corners inwards, so as to keep the scrapers rectangular, but still
follow the taper of the mould.
A simpler but less advantageous method of swabbing the moulds, is to have
swabs or brushes fixed to the under side of the lifting head *. There is a rod attached
to N, with stops actuating rod m2; it opens valve m' as L reaches the top of its stroke,
and closes it when reaching the bottom. On the water being turned on, piston c is
forced up by the water passing it to the spray holes b. The scrapers K are thereby
expanded, and as the lifting head descends the moulds are washed and scraped.
When the water is turned off, the piston c sinks by its own weight or is forced
down by the contracting sides of the mould, and which pushes back the scrapers
and is then ready for the next stroke. There is a trough over M to carry away the
washings.
When not washing the moulds I sometimes use a fixed swab which sinks into
a lubricant for wiping the mould as it passes up and down it.
The clip box O is mounted on a shaft o supported from the carriage P above by
the arms (see Figures 6 to 9). It is provided with side clips a pivoted at b, and
end clips c pivoted at d; the first for holding the block as it comes out of the mould,
the second for supporting it when the box is turned over.
Figure 7 gives a transparent view of the back of the box showing how the clips
are worked. Pivots bare moved by arms 6 and eccentrics 6 attached to cog
wheel e.
Pivots d have crank arms f, connecting rods g, and are moved by crank
pins on e. The wheels e are in gear with wheel h, which turns on shaft o, and
has wheel i attached to it, in gear with the rack bar j moving in guides . At each
end of j there is a hole into which a pin m on rods n enters as the box turns over.
It has also a spring j* at its back fitting into notches to keep it steady when the
box is turned over. Rods n slide in guides o and are moved up and down by p,
which slides on a square rod y, and is carried in bearings on the carriage at r.
shaft o has at its end a cross bar o* with corresponding holes at its ends to pins on
the carrier bar p on the frame C*, which come in contact when O is over its mould.
This bar turns the box O over and back again. The left side of the box O is weighted
and has a locking wheel u on shaft o with a catch v which is raised before the box
is turned by the rod v¹ coming in contact with a pin in frane c*.
The
The carriage P on which the box O is supported by p, has four wheels 22, running
on the sides of frame C. It is moved by a quick screw 7, 2, turned to the right and
left by pulleys Q. It passes through brasses at o'. The carriage p has also a
regulating wheel R, see Figure 10 (side and plan view), carried on a stud pin or
shaft at a. It is here arranged to have six outer pins b, and 6 inner pins c, but may
have more or less. There are the same number of notches on its rim, with a catch d
supported by the carriage P. As the carriage P is moved to the left one of the pins b
comes in contact with catch e on frame C, and moves the wheel round one notch.
As it is moved to the right, one of the pins e comes in contact with the stepped
slide rod, Figure 2, which it moves at different lengths of traverse, according to
the stop pin with which e comes in contact. At the return trip the carriage moves
rod c, when it gets over its mould. Rods and 4 have catches at their ends which
on being withdrawn allow the fork rod q*, to quickly run the strap on the central
loose pulley and so stop the screw and carriage. With a view of guarding against
the salt sticking to the side and bottom of the mould, I sometimes arrange to insert
into the moulds from above linings of thin metal, wood, or paper which are
removed from the block when afterwards put on the tray or waggon. I have here
illustrated the method I employ for introducing thin sheets of wood, metal, etc., for
protecting the bottom of the moulds.
S is a box containing loose bottoms for the moulds (see Figure 11, side view in
section); it is supported on the head by brackets. They consist of thin sheets of
wood, metal, &c., and are fed from above at its bottom. Its left side is slightly

page_text: As a noves
higher than the right, so as to allow the exit of one sheet at a time. It has at its
bottom a slide a, Figure 11, running in guides b, and moved by lever c.
from the right to left one thin sheet from the box S falls in front of the slide, and is
pushed out on to the top of the mould bottom e, c. The lever is pressed forward by
the weight & on shaft e, and caused to move backwards by being in gear with a
projection f moved by the carriage P.
In addition to or instead of this arrangement, I sometimes employ a pipe over the
next mould, and sprinkle dry salt or sawdust, etc., into it previous to its receiving its
moist salt from the hopper tube T. There is a railway at T, communicating with
the stove, store, etc., on which the carriages U nove. These carriages are constructed
for casily transferring heavy trays of salt about the works and from and on to
themselves. They have grid or skeleton tops crossed by two rails u (see Figure 2),
on which the trays V, also perforated between the blocks, are run. They have racks
a at their bottom, by which the apparatus moves them for filling the trays above.
They are also fitted with three shafts u, with cog wheels on them, which work
in the racks v2 at each end of the trays V. The outer wheels have projecting pins
on them, which assist the carriage to load by catching projecting pins v¹ on
either side the trays, by which they drag the tray racks v² into gear. The central
shaft is turned by a hand wheel 3 at the end. It communicates its movement
to the right and left parallel shaft by a cross shaft and bevel wheels.
two bevel wheels u slide on the cross shaft u', on which there is a feather by
the movement of handle u, by which either of them may be put in gear with
the bevel in the central shaft. With this waggon a heavy load of blocks of
salt is readily run into a stove between the flues and placed on their tops,
or transferred from their tops to shelves in a stove, or, where wanted, about
the works.
The
The carriages U are caused to move intermittently and progressively by the
apparatus by means of the rack wheels wº, driven by the pulley W. The screw 201
drives the worm wheel w and vertical shaft w³, cross shaft w, and rail shafts w
carrying w. These latter wheels may be pushed out of gear with the rack at the
bottom of the carriage by a handle at the side actuating levers 7. The pulleys
H, W, and Q are driven from the main shaft X by belts from the drums x and x
They may however be geared when using friction clutches. Shaft X is driven by
the little engine Y. It is fitted with expansion valves and governors, and ordinarily
blows its exhaust steam by pipe e into the table E, which acts as a reservoir to supply
steam by pipe e and to the large cylinder D and lifting cylinder L for
afterwards condensing in the pan, coils, or elsewhere. Pipes are arranged to
supply steam direct to D and L if desired to be worked with direct steam in
addition.
The movements of the apparatus are governed by three cam wheels 1, 2, 3.
21 is driven by the screw x3 on shaft X, and makes one turn for each block; is
driven by a pinion * on the shaft of, and wheels 1, 2, 3, here making one
turn for every 6 blocks; is intermittently driven by a pinion on shaft w, and
here makes one complete turn for every 48 blocks; has a worm wheel z, with
4 cams on its left, and 3 on its right. These cams move weighted levers actuating
rods. Rod moves a crank arm, shaft 3, rod, and lifts the weight; this
raises the lock catch c, h, out of its notch in the table ring, and allows 20 to move
forward, lowering weight, which is keyed on to the shafts, whose further end is the
stop-fork. This runs the belt on to H, and starts the table rotating. Rod ¹ now
backs, and c, h, rests on the table ring; when the next notch in the ring passes under
e, h, it falls into it when weight runs the belt on to the loose pulley H* between
Hand W, and the table stops.
I sometimes deepen the notch just before the table stops, so as to stop it dead
with e, h. Rod vd has a rack at its further end turning the 4-way cock v, d*, of the
cylinder D; rod turns a crank on a shaft, with a quadrant at its end, regulating
the 4-way cock for cylinder L; rod z, p, moves the crank arm p, moving the

page_text: squared rod
rod has a rack at its end turning pinion *1 on shaft q, p; rod z, q,
has stops, by which it moves the fork rod q* from the centre pulley to the alternate
side pulleys. The fork rod has a weight or spring causing it always to run the
belt quickly on the central pulley if left alone. It is so arranged, however, that two
moveable catches (not shown), actuated by the stop rods c³, c, detain the fork rod
when it is moved to the extreme right or left by the rod a, q, until the movement of
the carringe P disengages them, as previously explained. Rod zw slides in a swing
frame, actuated by the cam 22. Every sixth turn of cam 1, 2, is lowered, so
that the notch a on rod z, w, pushes back a crank arm z, w₁, keyed to shaft z, w,
which raises, w³, lifting weight 7, and running the belt on pulley W. Lever 2
moves the fork in a similar way by lifting the arm once for every forty-eighth
block.
To work the apparatus, I provide the hopper tube I with a continuous supply of
salt (perfectly moistened) from a store above, or through the medium of an elevator
belt or screw.
I open a damper, allowing heat to pass round the flues G, and to heat
the table D; I throw wheels w back, and put out the stop w; I bring up an
empty tray waggon until it touches the stop w, and put the wheels wº in gear with
the rack under the carriage U. When the table is heated I turn steam into it,
and slowly start engine Y by the handle y. The piston in 1 takes an upward
stroke, and table D turns a mould of salt under the compressor j, when it stops.
As cam slowly turns the piston takes a slow downward stroke heavily compress-
ing the block under j at the same time when the table is filled with blocks loosen-
ing one in moulde. The lifting piston L rises, raising a block previously loosened
by K into the clip box O, whose clips close on to it when 1, x, slightly withdraws.
The block is now turned over by the movements of O, and transferred therein to
the further side of the carriage. The clips quietly open and the block slips out on
the tray V. As the carriage leaves the table it liberates the catch f, and passes a
loose bottom on to the raised mould bottom e, e, which then sinks, washing and
scraping the mould ready for refilling as it descends. The compressor j now rises
and the table moves another mould in position for filling, compressing, loosening,
and delivering a fresh set of blocks. The carriage P gets again into position over
its mould, a new block is raised into it, and transferred next to the last block until
the blocks form a row across they tray V. Cam then runs the strap on to pulley
W, and moves the waggon a space ready for a fresh row of blocks. A new row is
filled in, and so on, until the waggon is full. Cam then moves the carriage an
extra length to pass over the buffers, etc., when the next tray is filled, and so on.
The blocks on the trays continue to dry over the flues, and the loose bottom may
be taken off and put back into the box S by the attendant. As each tray is ready
it is run into a stove or store and there discharged on to a shelf by turning
handle u³. The waggon reloads an empty tray, and on returning the outside
of frame Chooks on behind the wagon that is being loaded and gets filled in
its turn.
By using several waggons the single line T may be used. In this case when the
last waggon is filled the wheels 20 are put out of gear, and the apparatus stopped.
The train of waggons is run into the stove or store, and discharged and run back
again under C, and again brought up to stop w³, the wheels put into gear, the
apparatus again started, and the train of waggons refilled.
In another form of this apparatus I arrange to deliver the blocks from below the
table instead of extracting them from above. To this end I construct the moulds
with the large end downwards, and bevelled off at the top and bottom as before.
They have at their hottom either a slide actuated by a cam, or preferably a strong
flap B, Figure 12, pivoted at b, in slotted bearings bx. This flap is strongly made,
and has two rollers b', which run on a plate under the table until the block is ready
to be discharged, when the plate slopes off and allows the flap to open. I some-
times put pins on the side of this flap to force it open. Before the mould passes
under hopper 1 to be filled the rollers brun up an incline and close the flap.

page_text: The slotted bearings bx permit the flap while in a horizontal position to receive a
false bottom by a similar arrangement to that explained for S, delivering under the
table.
Under the compressor the plate is hollowed out below the rollers, so that the
sides of the flap, which are very strong, rest upon the dead plate e, d, whilst the
compression is taking place, the rollers afterwards supporting the flap. In delivering
the blocks below the table I dispense with the rail frame C and clip box O above
the table, and substitute an endless belt D, Figure 12, and carriage loader, Figures
13 and 14.
I further arrange the loosening plug K above, worked by a lever and shaft, from
the beam J, which is supported on two standards (like J*), but placed further from
the table. I place railway T on a lower level, and rather further from the table,
and arrange two intergeared drums, one under the table, and one on the other side
of the railway, which carry an endless grid belt D passing under the mould from
which the block is to be ejected, and crossing above the tray V or waggon about to
be filled, Figures 13, 14.
The belt is jointed at short intervals, and supported at its sides by bars (which
are themselves supported on standards ), and sometimes has wheels on which it
runs. It has depressions dx in it at fixed intervals, and the bars d, on which the
belt passes over the carriage, are similarly shaped. Below the belt and under the
delivery mould I place a lever or cylinder E, with two vertical square-headed rods
e, which rise up and down between the bars of the belt, see Figure 12.
A is a section of the table; D, the endless belt; E, the cylinder working down-
wards, and fitted with ports (like cylinder D), and regulated by a 4-way cock e*.
It has guides e' at its two sides, in which slide the rods e, which are united by a
cross head at e².
When up they touch the block of salt to be lowered. When the
ejector K presses the block downwards the steam or compressed air by which the
piston is raised serves as a cushion; the 4-way cock e* is gently opened, and tho
block is deposited on the belt D. The rods e sink below D, which moves on for a
new block, the table presents a fresh mould, and the operation is repeated.
Figures 13, 14, shew the arrangement for transferring a row of these blocks from
the belt to a carriage or tray running on T at right angles beneath it. The endless
band passes along the two bars d over the tray, and returns under the bottom of
the apparatus on rollers d'. There are 4 hollow columns L supporting a frame M,
with two pair of curved rails m. It is made to move up and down about an inch
by rods m passing down the pillars L connecting with 4 cranks n on shafts n*.
These cranks are actuated by a lever O having a wheel running on a cam P, which
is made to move by screw shaft Q. The frame M is partially balanced by weights
; it has 4 sockets m² fitting the tops of the pillars. On the rails there is a
carriage frame R supported by four wheels ; it has a curved rack rx at each side,
and is made to move by two pinions s on vertical shafts S, which are connected by
a cross shaft and mitre wheels s¹. The carriage has two bars at its top supporting
frame W, with divisions w having flat pieces at their bottoms, which pass between
and under the sides of the blocks on the endless band D moving in the depressed
spaces dx, also between spaces v in the tray V. Cam P has an inner and an outer
rim, on which there are intermittent teeth p 1, 2, 3, for driving a pinion on the end
of shaft S backwards and forwards. There are projections on these rims, as also on
the pinion, for insuring its getting in and and out of gear at the commencement
and end of each set of teeth. As this cam P rotates it moves the carriage so that
frame W passes between and under the blocks on the endless band D. Lever O
now rises, lifting the blocks about an inch, the carriage moves forward with its row
of blocks until it has cleared the band, and then passes down the inclines until it is
just above the tray, when it takes the blocks to to the position marked
Lever O now lowers the frame, so that the blocks of salt are left on the tray V in a
while the bottoms of frame W, which have sunk into the spaces v, move back-
wards, again rise, pass over the endless baud, and resume the position shewn in the
Drawing.
row,
.
.

page_text: i.J
In place of using the curved rails and rack m and v* I sometimes arrange for the
rails to be straight, and give the fraine M. the additional vertical movement that is
necessary from the cam P. To allow plenty of time for this movement (which is
very quiet) I arrange that the endless band, here arranged to bring up six blocks,
but which may be arranged to bring up more or less, is moved by intermittent
pulleys (like W) governed by cams (like 2, 3). It inoves one space for each block
until it has received the sixth or last, wlien it moves three spaces instead of one, and
runs the row of blocks in front of W, with two or three vacancies behind it. In
this way the transferring apparatus has the time and space for its movements until
two or three blocks have been pressed. The wagon U is moved by wheels ×, and
cross shaft X by a worm wheel, with a regular motion, so that one row of blocks
noves out of the way before another is ready to be deposited. The wheels × slide
on their shafts (like w%, Figure 1).
I sometimes arrange to place the top of tray V on a level with D by letting it
run parallel with it, or backing V up to it. In this case the carriage R has a
progressive movement (like box O, Figure 2), governed by a similar regulating
wheel (R, Figure 10).
Figures 15, 16, 17, show the construction of the self-acting transfer carriage
arranged to load itself in one place, and deliver its load in another, moving one or
more trays, boxes, or moulds at a time.
Figure 15 is a side view partly in section.
Figure 16, a plan view of the lower portion of the carriage A, showing the driving
machinery.
Figure 17 is an end view of the carriage at work in a stove, one side of which is
shown in section. It is fitted with one or more shelves a, with cross rails a* at the
same level and guage as those in the stove, store, etc., where it works. It transfers
trays V from and to itself by the rack wheels m and projections m¹ at the sides of
each shelf. When the shafts turn the projections m* come in contact with pins x, x,
on each side of the trays v, and drag them forward until the racks v¹ gear with m,
and pass on to the carriage, or vice versa.
The carriage moves on rails, and when stopped (by double stops and stop ¹ in
the roadway) faces a set of trays to be removed or vacant shelves for trays to be
delivered; the rails of the carriage a* and_the_rails of the stove w, x, etc., being
alined and nearly touching. The stove rails w₁ are supported on a frame of grid
bars. To ensure a free passage for the carriage, when moving between lines of trays
on each side, I slop the shelve rails w, x, a little backwards, or let then dip at their
further end, which holds the tray back against stops w*. The carriage travels
with the projections m* turned up and inwards, which steady the trays on the
carriage.
The carriage is light, well fastened together, and kept true by the tie rods a¹ at
cach end nutted up to bar a², extending from end to end, and forming part of the
carriage frame. The carriage is driven by a wire rope passing round B, or by other
ineans.
For hot stove work I arrange the reversing movements with clutch or friction
boxes; for cool work I prefer straps and reversing pulleys. It is here arranged for
stove work, and is mounted on rail wheels x and x¹ running on a railway extending
froin the filling machinery to the farther end of the stove. The wheel B turns a
vertical shaft band a horizontal shaft C by mitre wheels b' and c¹. On shaft C
there are five loose wheels c 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and three clutch boxes, two double, D and
E, and one single, F, for turning the same. There are also two loose wheels on the
cross shafts K with their two clutch boxes G, which are connected by levers g¹, g²,
and rods g. All the loose wheels are kept in position with suitable stops on the
shaft, and the clutches slide on double feathers projecting from the shaft.
The clutch D drives the carriage backwards and forwards, and puts in motion
either c or c, turning shaft by wheel round either to the right or left. It
keeps out of gear unless held in by the cam P or catchés.

page_text: On shaft there is a small fly wheel 2 and screw h³ which turns the worm wheel
i, placed on the wheel shaft X, which it turns by a friction box i*.
The clutch E turns the rack wheels m on the sides of the shelves a. It puts in
motion either cor c, which turn wheel j, j 2, 3, and shaft j, driving the loose
wheels j 2, 3 on shafts K by the wheel j¹.
The two clutches G turn the shafts K for either side of the carriage, which turns
the vertical shafts by wheels k¹ and screwing round the worm wheels m², which
like m and projection m* are keyed to shaft m. The clutch F regulates the inter-
nittent movement of cam wheel P by wheel c and n³, shaft n, screw n², worm
wheel o, and pinion o, x, gearing with the teeth p on the circumference of the cam.
On the shaft of P there is a small wheel p which turns a second can wheel
through the medium of shaft and wheels g 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. This cam operates the stop
bar R. The cam wheel P actuates the various clutch boxes by levers d, e, f, g, rods
d, e, f, and g', and cranks d², e², ƒ³, and g².
>
The levers are pressed against the cams by springs or weights. The cam is set in
motion by catches on the carriage which come in contact with pins placed on or by
the side of the roadway to affect them. At the back the catch moves a crank on
the bottom of the shaft carrying f" in the front at t. The latter swings on the bar
R, and communicates with F by the swing t' and rod t². The cam P when started
unloads one set of trays and reloads another, then it puts clutch D in gear for a
forward or backward journey, and stops.
It is here arranged to make one complete turn after every second journey, at
which time it moves cam Q, so that the bar R is adjusted for the level of the stop
at the next stopping place. The bar R is swung at 7 for the purpose of stopping
the carriage in a correct position opposite each set of trays in the stove until they
have been changed, when it moves and allows the carriage to move on to the next
set, and so on. There are stops on each side of the carriage way with which it
comes in contact according to the position of the bar. On the left-hand side there
are also small projections a short distance in advance of the stops which push
back catch s and throw clutch D out of gear by means of a curved swing rod S1,
moving lever S2 and slide S3, which permits a catch on rod d to be disengaged.
The slide u at the side of the carriage similarly stops D by freeing a catch on rod d 1
at its other end. When clutch D is out of gear the fly wheel h², gradually loosing
its speed, takes the carriage quietly up to its stopping place. There are friction
boxes at i, x, d4, and f4, to avoid strains, and 4 corner wheels y to open and shut
the two pair of swing doors at the entrance to the stove and to steady the carriage
in its position when transferring trays. They run along rails at the side of tho
upper stove shelves.
The carriage is operated as follows:-Wheel B is set in motion by an endless wire
rope, the clutch D is in gear with wheel c1, and the carriage enters the stove
through the double doors which it opens and allows to shut behind it. It continues
its course until the position of bar R causes catch s to be pressed back by ¹ on the
side of the roadway when clutch D is thrown out of gear and the fly wheel h² takes
the carriage quietly up to the stopping place opposite the set of trays V which havo
to be removed. As the carriage is brought to a stand the little lever is depressed
and puts clutch F in gear, starting the cain P. The can now starts the right rack
wheels m, revolving by putting in gear clutches E and G. The projection m, x,
catches the pins v, x, and draws the trays V forward until the racks v1 on the under
side meet with the teeth on wheels m when the trays are transferred to the carriage.
The cam P stops the wheels m turning, and puts clutch D in gear with c 2 when the
carriage returns with its load out of the stove to the discharging cages or quay.
Just before reaching it the catch u meets a projection on the sideway, which
depresses it and throws D out of gear, when the fly wheel brings the carriage up as
before to its correct position and stops. The clutch F is put again in gear by a stop
coming in contact with the lower crank on f; the cam B is again started when È
and G are put into gear, driving the left rack wheels m, which pass the trays off
the carriage into the discharging cages or on to a quay. The cam P now stops the

page_text: left rack wheels m and starts the right ones, thereby.drawing on a fresh set of trays
for its return journey. When they are fairly on the carriage the cam p puts D
in gear with c1, and throws itself out of gear. The carriage now enters the stove
as before, stops at the same place, transfers the new trays to shelves from which it
extracted the old ones, and then takes a load from the shelves on the other side,
which it brings out and discharges as before. It again picks up a new load,
returning to the stove, and stows it away opposite the last it brought. The bar R,
moves one of its divisions, the cam D is put into gear with c 1, and the carriage
moves forward to the next stops opposite the next set of trays. These trays are
extracted as before, and the carriage works progressively to the end of the stove,
when it returns to the loading cages or quay to be used elsewhere or to wait until
the stove is ready for recharging.
I sometimes arrange a second bar R at the other end of the carriage, and in
certain cases I use more shelves or dispense with the upper shelves, using the
carriage shelf only. As the cam p does not turn except when the carriage reaches
stops at either end, or intermediate end of its course when fitted with a small engine
turning shaft C, with a little boiler or gas receiver on the frame A, it may be made
to travel any required distance between stops, or be used for several different stoves,
stores, or other purposes. It may also be driven by air, steam, water, or gas, or
from the vacuum receiver, by having a pipe coiled round a drum on the carriage
and connecting with the engine. In this case the drum is connected by suitable
gearing and friction boxes with the axle of x, and pays out and takes up the tube
as it travels to and fro.
To facilitate the loading and unloading of the carriage when having more than
one shelf, I arrange at the loading quay to have a cross line of rails for bringing up
or taking off the trays from the carriage. This cross line terminates at each side of
the carriage line, in two cages fitted with the same number of shelves and rails as
the carriage. The cages move up and down in guides, so that each shelf may be
brought on a level with the cross line, locked by a catch, and then loaded or
discharged. The cages are connected by chains passing over suitable wheels, or are
supported from the ends of two beams keyed to a shaft laid parallel with and
under the roadway, one cage rising as the other sinks. When the carriage is
between them they are locked in a position so that the rails of the carriage and
those of both the cages are on a level for each tier of shelves, the carriage then
readily discharges one set of trays in one cage, and takes a new load from the
other. The cages may be worked by hand or from the engine.
All the moulds may be arranged to form indentations or projections on the blocks
of salt to aid the machinery in lifting, etc., or for other purposes.
I also arrange a machine which sorts the blocks, heads, and tails, either by lifting
half the charge out of the moulds and lowering the other half till the moulds are
removed, when the upper blocks are lowered and the whole set compressed laterally
to make them compact, or else by swing levers which receive the alternate blocks
of each side from a mould box above, on suitable levers or pistons, and lower them
till the blocks face on one side a space opposite them on the other, when they are
pushed together. The blocks may be loaded two or more deep.
Another machine lifts boxes or trays of salt, or blocks, or a batch of blocks, and
conveys them to the boat wagon or store, sometimes trueing them up, and each time
returning for a fresh load. I employ for this purpose self-acting cranes, or by
preference travelling wagons, which run on a platform over the wagon or boat, and
are moved sideways by a traversing platform to where the salt is to be lowered.
I sometimes arrange lifting apparatus on the boats to assist in discharging tho
salt in boxes, trays, or otherwise, or arrange apparatus at the delivery end of the
wagons or boats to discharge the salt or blocks.
On sheet 3, Figures 1 to 8 represent my automatic lineal blocking and discharging
apparatus. Figures 1, 2, 3 the former; Figures 5, 6, 7 the latter; Figures 4 and 8
are details. I will first describe the blocking machine.
-
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 is a plan of the filling and blocking

page_text: machine. Figure 3 is a sectional view showing how the moulds are operated upon;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the carriage; A is the main frame; B is the lower frame;
C is the guide frame; D.is the upper fraine; E is the wagon line; F is the hopper
spout; G are the revolving inclined blades; H is the cut-off valve; I is the mould
case; J is the tray box carrying the mould case; K is the wagon carrying both;
L are the rack wheels for moving the wagons; M are the stop or locking catches;
N are the compressor cams; Pare.the driving pulleys; Q is the gearing for driving
G; R is the driving wheel for N; S is the vertical shaft driving W; T are the cam
wheels;
U is the wheel for driving the can wheels; V is the engine; W is the driving
wheel for L; X is the fly wheel; Z is the ground level.
Figures 1 and 2-A is the main frame to which the rest of the apparatus is
firmly bolted; B is the lower frame bolted to A, carrying the driving shaft w, drum
W, fly-wheel X, and gearing U for driving the cam wheel T; C is the guide frame
supporting guides c, for keeping the mould case I in a correct lateral position under
the compressors 0; it is bolted to D and shored up at each end with inverted
brackets; D is the upper frame supporting the hopper tube F, the gearing Q, the
compressor cams N, and has guides at each side for the compressor frame Ox to
slide in;
E is the line of rails communicating with the stove, store, and discharging
apparatus, Figures 5, 6, etc.; F is the hopper spout communicating with the supply
of salt which I prefer to have inoistened; it is supported by frame D, on the top
of which I sometimes place a large hopper in connection with F. There is a valve
at the upper end of F, and it is also fitted with pipes for admitting steam, water or
brine. I sometimes arrange for it to be supplied with salt by wagons from an
overhead tramway, but prefer to have it fed by an elevator or screw, travelling
belt, etc., communicating with several salt stores; it may also be placed imme-
diately under one or more salt stores which discharge their accumulated contents
directly into it. The tube is slightly wider at the bottom than the top to facilitate
the salt descending. G (see Figure 3) are the revolving inclined blades for
pressing the salt downwards into the moulds i below. The blades are fastened
to a vertical shaft g, driven by a wheel g, x from a cross shaft q, by the wheels
21, and driving wheel Q.
In place of these blades I sometimes employ vertical stampers worked by
eccentrics or lifting catches on the shaft above. His a sliding cut-off valve with
a knife edge. It is moved across the tube F near its bottom by wheels h, x, gearing
with racks at each end of the valve, and turned by a quadrant f, x1 by a handle
f, x2, on which there is a weight f, x 3, which closes the valve should there be no
wagon under the hopper tube. It is raised by hand and kept up by a catch p 7, to
which is attached a rod p 6 which rests on the mould case I, and falls when it is
withdrawn. There is a plate f¹ sliding upon F, which rests upon the top of the
mould case I to prevent the lateral escape of salt. It may be raised or lowered at
pleasure by the handle f and rod f³.
The moulds are contained in the mould case I, carried on and supported by the
tray J. They are bevilled off at the top for O to enter freely, and then taper
downwards. They have their corners bevelled off or rounded, and are sometimes
lined. They may also be jacketted for oil, steam, etc., to regulate their temperature.
There is a flat space i1 at the sides of the case having a notch i2 at regular intervals
for each mould so placed as that when each row of the moulds & moves under G or
O for filling or pressing the catches M on each side of the case fall into the notches.
and hold the case true for being operated upon. There is a swing flap i 3 at the
back of each of the cases I. It is weighted so as generally to be half raised, but to
shut down on to the next carriage, forming a smooth surface over the buffer space
when passing under the hopper F to prevent the salt escaping between the
carriages.
The tray boxes J, see Figures 3, 5, 7, run on wheels j; their bottom is supported
by light girders; x which rest on the top of the wagon K when under the com-
pressors ; they have racks at each side j and hooks and pins 3 for attaching
them in line one to another. The hooks have a projection j', which on coming in

page_text: contact with stops on the roadway, cause the catches to be raised and allow the trays
to be detached one from the other. The bottom of these trays may serve as the
bottom for each of the moulds i, but I prefer to use a thin loose bottom j5 which has
raised pieces 6 fitting into the moulds, which I employ in sets of various heights to
make the blocks of different lengths and weights for various markets.
5
The tray boxes J are moved about the works on transfer wagons and cross lines
or otherwise; they are run oii to the carringe K by the discharging apparatus
Figure 7. (For description of carriage see Figures 4, 5, 7.) This carriage has a
central rack K x at its bottom, and moves along the line E through the filling
machinery by rack wheels L. It is constructed with cross rails, Figure 4, on a 1
frame, x, which rises up and down by two pair of cams & 1, on which rollers 2
attached to the frame rest. These cams raise and sink the rails to three levels; the
lowest lowers the rails from under the tray wheels j and allows the little girders of
the tray to rest on the top of K, which serves as a dead plate for salt in the moulds
when under compression. The middle level raises the rails to the height of the 1
cross rails on D, Figure 7, and allows the trays to be run off and on to the carriage.
The high level raises the mould case for the discharging apparatus, Figure 5, allowing
the ejectors c to almost touch the salt, as afterwards explained. For the filling
apparatus the trays rest on the dead plate at their lowest level, and have pins
fitting into K to keep them steady when travelling. Each pair of cams is keyed to
a stout shaft 3 and turned by a cross shaft & 6, and bevil wheels 4 and 5 keyed to
it. The cross shaft has a screw wheel 7 keyed to it, turned by a vertical worm
shaft 8, at the bottom of which there is a crank with projecting crank pink 9;
this crank is locked in position by a little pin not shown.
When the carriage is passed into position under C, in Figure 6, for the after part s
of the process, the little pin is raised as the crank enters a similar arrangement
to g 6, x Figure 6, and allows the crank to be turned by the grooved wheel g 6.
When leaving 6 the crank is again locked. The wagon has a second crank
similarly locked and driven; it turns a screw wheel 12 on shaft & 10, on which are
the wheels 11 for gearing with the racks j, x, on the under side of the trays, and
transferring them to and from itself.
The wagons may be moved along the line E to and from the machine by hand,
but preferably by a wire rope from the drum F, Figure 6, to which it is attached by
an excentric grip moved by a handle on the carriage. There are hooks for each
carriage to attach it to its neighbour like, and pin and . The wagons are
passed through the filling and discharging machinery either by the same method or
by wheels L, Figure 3, working in a rack k, x, at the bottom of the wagon.
One method is illustrated in Figure 1, and the other in Figure 5, but either way
may be used for one or both apparatus.
The rack wheels L on the shafts are turned at their end by wheels 1 geared with
wheel w, which is driven by a friction clutch w 1 on the shaft w2, which is turned
by screw wheel W by the worm s 1 on the vertical shaft S. These rack wheels, liko
those in Figure 1, Sheet 2, slide on their shafts for intergearing with the carriage
racks, and are moved by a convenient side handle. In connection with these rack
wheels there is a stop on frame C, against which the leading carriage is brought up
for getting it into a correct position for being intergeared with L previous to starting
the apparatus.
I soinetimes also employ a speed reducing wheel like s, s, Figure 6. The two pair
of locking catches M on shafts m act on both sides of the case I; they are connected
at their ends by cranks m, x, and rod m 1, pressed downwards on the sides of the
mould case by weight m 2, and raised upwards by rod m³, connected with lever m 4,
which is actuated by the cam wheel T. These catches move a cranked catch m' by
lever m³ and rod me in such a way as that when M are resting on the mould case
they keep the belt on pulley P 3 by holding the projection y 3 on shaft Y. When
the catches fall into the notches on the mould case they raise catch m² and
liberate y 3, allowing the belt to be run on to the loose pulley P 2.
The compressing cams N are turned by the shaft n by the large screw wheel R

page_text: at its end. They compress the salt in the moulds i, and hold it down so compressed
for some time by bearing down upon the rollers o, x, resting in U shaped bearings
on the top of the sliding frame 0, x, which carries the compressors o. These rollers
are arranged on a removable rod, which can be taken out and replaced by another
with rollers of larger or smaller diameter to regulate the downward stroke of the
compressors o, so that the blocks may be compressed, more or less, to suit various
markets. When taken out altogether the compressors o do not come down far
enough to reach the salt.
The frame O is pressed upwards by balance weights o 1, so that the rollers o, x,
are in constant contact with the cams N. It slides in guides on the frame Dat
each end, and the compressors in this, as in my circular machine, may carry stamps
to mark the salt.
The revolving blades G, and the compressing cams N, are driven by the cross
shaft P, on which there are three pulleys P 1, 2, 3. The first is keyed to shaft p,
and turns P by the worm pl, to which there may be a clutch box for pulling it in
and out of gear.
It also turns the wheel Q by the mitre wheel p 2, driven by a
friction clutch p 3 to prevent the blades G being over driven.
and out of contact by a crank weight and rod p 4, 5, 6.
lowered by a wheel at its bottom, resting on a case below.
passes under it the rod is raised, and Q is ready for turning; when the case has
passed it allows rod p 6 to drop, and puts Q out of gear.
This clutch is put in
Rod p6 is raised and
When a mould case
P2 is a loose pulley, on to which the belt always runs by the action of the fork
rod when leaving either of the side pulleys P 1, 3. P turns loose on the shaft p,
and drives the vertical shaft S by wheels p, x, and 8, x, turning the wheel W by
the screws. The three pulleys are driven by a belt from the drum W. Its
position on the pulleys is regulated by partially turning the vertical rod Y, which
moves the sliding fork rod y, x, at its top.
Y has three arms, y 1, by which it is moved from the cam T by lever and rod
t1, 2; 2, by which it is caught and held for the pulley P¹ by catch y 4 when
turned to the left; and y 3, by which it is caught by m 7 and similarly held on the
right for pulley P³. Y is arranged with a weight, or otherwise, always to return
quickly to the central pulley unless held by the catches, on which it is placed by
the action of the rod 2, which presses against a pin on arm y 1.
The rod has a
short slot at its end, which allows y 1 to turn after being liberated by the catches
above. Catch m 7 is moved by the locking catches M; catch y 4 by the swing
lever y 5, actuated by a cam on the side of wheel R.
Engine V, preferably exhausting into the vacuum coils, has a regulating handle v, x;
it has also a throttle valve v, regulated by the apparatus. There is a rod from an
arm 1 on the cross shaft v2, which is moved by the cam T acting on arm v 3, and
also moving two feeling arms v4 with rollers on their top, which it allows to press
against the side of the mould case just after the mould has moved forward, and then
withdraws. If a mould is there nothing happens, if not the feelers fall forward and
stop the engine. The cam for moving this rod is preferably arranged to reduce the
speed of the engine while the compressors o are down and bearing heavily on the
salt. An adjusting set screw on arin v1 regulates the extent to which the throttle
valve is closed by the cam, so as to keep the salt under pressure for more or less
time at pleasure.
I sometimes arrange to put thin sheets of metal or wood on the top of the salt in
each mould before it is compressed under o. For this purpose I employ a similar
arrangement to Figure 8, Sheet 2, driven from the cain T.
To start the apparatus I bring up the first of a line of mould wagons to a distanco
stop on the frame, and put wheels L in gear with the rack at the bottom of the
wagon and withdraw the stop. The mould case on entering the case has pressed
back the first feeling bar v 4, and opened the throttle valve of the engine V. I
now turn haudle v, x, and start the engine, which slowly moves the wagon into
position under the hopper tube H. On passing beneath rod p6 it raises it, putting
in gear wheel Q. As soon as it gets into position for the moulds to be filled from F

page_text: the locking catches M fall, raising catch m 7, which causes the belt to be run on the
loose pulley P 2. I now raise the quadrant handle u 5, which opens the valve H
and allows the salt from the hopper tube F to pass into the moulds i beneath. The
cam T runs the belt on to P1 and starts the inclined blades G, revolving until the
moulds are filled, when the cam raises the catches M and passes the case forward
until they fall again and similarly fill the next row of moulds, and so on to the end
of the train of mould wagons. When the row of moulds containing salt get under the
compressors o they descend to the bottom of their stroke. The cam now slackens the
speed of the engine, leaving the compressors to consolidate the blocks under pressure
for some time, when it withdraws the compressors and repeats the operation on the
next row of blocks. In this way one set of moulds is being filled while another is
being compressed, and so on through the rest of the cases, until the last wagon
passes from under p 6, which then falls, freeing at the same time the quadrant
rate m 2, which also falls and closes the cut-off valve H at the bottom of the hopper
tube F. As the wagon passes the second fecler v4 it falls forward and stops the
engine until another train of moulds are ready for refilling in the same way.
each case is filled it is run by the wire rope, or otherwise, on to a siding (beneath
which there may be a flue), or into a stove, and there left until the case is ready
for removing.
As
The apparatus may be used for producing blocks of various densities by the
following arrangements:-Both Q and R may be thrown out of gear and the moulds
simply filled from the hopper, or Q may be worked and R stopped, or both worked,
and smaller or larger rollers o x, x employed for o. In arranging for very heavy com-
pression I employ steam or water cylinders with compressing beams after the style
of my circular apparatus. When only blocking salt for storing with the view of
afterwards grinding it for filling sacks, pots, etc., I simplify the apparatus, dis-
pensing with the cams N, and sometimes the revolving blades G, and sometimes
even run the moulds up by hand; but this is less advantageous than bringing them
up the wheels L, or a wire rope in conjunction with the locking catches M, where
large quantities of blocks have to be produced.
Figures 5 to 8-The discharging apparatus is shown, Figures 5 to 8. Figure 5 is
a side view (with the engine removed); Figure 6 is a plan view with upper frame
C partly removed; Figure 7 is an end view, showing the cross line D; Figure 8
give details of the levers G and G, x.
A is the lower frame; B, the guide pillars; C, the upper frame; D, the tray line;
E, the wagon; F, the winding drum; G, the cam regulating catch; H, the locking
catches; I, the mould case; J, the trays; K, the wagons; L, the gearing for
turning the wagon cams; M, the frame for lifting the mould case; N, the balance
beams; O, the connecting rods for the balance beams; P, the cranks for raising
frame MQ, the tray transfer wheels; R, the gearing for the tray transfer wheels;
S, the wheels for driving the drum; T, the slow movement wheels for trays; U,
the cams; V, the cross shaft for driving the cranks; W, the driving shaft; X, the
cross shaft; Y, the engine; Z, regulating handles. A is the main frame to which
the apparatus is firmly bolted; it has three levels of frame girders a 1, 2, 3. There
are cross girders a a, a b, a c; the two last tied together by central girders a a.
The guide pillers B are firmly bolted to a b, and a c. The middle level of the
girders a b, and a c, carry bearings supporting the crank shaft p and the shafts of
the balance beams N 1, 2; they also support the drum shaft funder the line of
rails E. The middle girder a a, together with the middle girder a b, support the
shafts and u. There are various short cross girders and brackets, carrying
bearings for other parts of the machinery. The upper frame C is bolted to the
guide pillars B, and carries on cross girders cx, x the pendent ejectors c, which fit into
the moulds of the mould box I; they are fitted with brushes cl, but may have
expanding scrapers, and be supplied with water or brine for washing the moulds.
The tray line D, running at right angles with the wagon line E, is bolted to the
upper frame a 3; its rails come close up to the two sides of the carriage, and,
together with its rails, form a through line from right to left. It communicates at

page_text: each end with wagon lines parallel to E. On the right it receives from a transfer
carriage or otherwise empty trays J, and on the left it delivers the trays filled with
blocks on to a stove or store wagon by means of a cage or otherwise.
It has cog
wheels turned by a ratchet shaft q for moving the trays from right to left, which
work in unison with the wagon wheels "; they have an intermittent movement, and
transfer the trays from and to the wagon K. The tray line also has cog wheels T,
which have a slow but more continuous motion, and feed the apparatus on the
right with n continuous supply of empty trays, and move off to the left those that
have been filled. These wheels move when the cam U is in motion, and place the
trays in the position shown in Figure 7. The motion of these wheels may of
course be reversed in cases where it is more convenient to move the trays in the
opposite direction; they turn so that the trays on the right and left are in a correct
position for an empty tray from the right to be drawn on to the carriage K and a
preceding tray on the left to receive a full tray passed on to it by the intermittent
wheel Q to which it hooks, and is drawn out of the way ready for the next full
tray to be hooked on to it. The wagon line E communicates with the filling
machinery on the left and with a siding on the right. The wagon K is moved
quickly or slowly along it by a wire rope from the drum F passing over loose
pulleys 1, quickly forwards aud backwards by the bevel wheel S keyed on the
shaft f1, slowly forward by the screw wheel S*, which is loose on the shaft f, but
caused to turn it by a friction clutch controlled by the handle Z 1. The wheel S is
driven by the bevel 8 on the shaft s 1 turned by the vertical shaft s 4, bevel wheels
s 2, 3, and 5, and clutch wheel x, 8. The screw wheel S is driven by a screw
shaft w1 from the driving shaft W by wheels w 2, w, s. There is a small fly wheels, s,
on w 1 for bringing the wagons gently over the locking catches H. When driving
the apparatus slowly, I sometimes dispense with this wheel, simply throwing
the screw out of gear at such time as when the mould case I gets into its proper
position.
There are three levers G, x, G, and H, which are depressed by the bar k 12 at the
bottom of the carriage as it moves into position under C. It first depresses the
locking catches H, which act on each side of the wagon, and which are carried on
a strong cross shaft h. They have at their ends wheels 1, which are depressed as
the carriage enters the apparatus, but rise so as to allow the catches to enter into
suitable notches in the carriage K, to lock it when it gets into correct position. The
catches move a clutch box U, F. They are raised upwards by a balance weight, and
pulled downwards by a crank lever h 3 and stopped rod 4 actuated by a cam lever
5 by the cam wheel U. When it is depressed it causes the drum F to move slowly
forward; when it rises it stops it. It next depresses the swing lever G (Figure 8),
balanced upward by a heavy weight g, x, 1. This lever has a wheel at its end, and
operates on the far side of the wagon. It is attached to a shaft g, x, 2 passing along
the cross girder a a. At its end it has a crank with a projecting pin g, x, which it
lowers, and allows an arm ƒ from the clutch shaft g 1 to sink by the weight of 7 2
proceeding from the shaft, bringing the catch G up against the under side of the
carriage K. As the carriage is slowly moved into the correct position under the
ejector c, a notch g 4 on the under side of the carriage bar 12 allows G to rise,
which puts in gear the clutch box u, g, for driving cam U by turning the shaft g 1
and lever g 5.
When the apparatus again moves the wagon K forward, and incline 76 on the
other side of the carriage bar allows G*, to rise when the superior weight of g, x, 1
overcomes the weight of g 2 and lowers G, as shown by the dotted lines.
M is the frame for lifting the mould case I from off the blocks. It slides in
the guides bin the four corner pillars B. It is supported by four rods O connected
with the balance beams N 1 and N 2. M is moved up and down by four connecting
rods p worked by four cranks on the shafts 2, x. When down it allows projections
on the mould box I to pass over its side brackets m. When raised (as shown,
Figures 5 and 7) it raises the mould case, and allows the ejectors to protrude from

page_text: its bottom. The shafts p, x, are caused to move by screw wheels p 1, 2, by the screw
shaft V, on which there are right and left screws v 1, 2.
The balance beams N are carried on shafts n 1, 2, thelevers moving. The
connecting rods move on the outside of girders a, b,a, c, on which there are
bearings n, x. The beams to which the balance weights N are fastened move on
the inside of the same girders. The balance weights N are of sufficient weight to
raise frame M. with its mould.
*
The tray wheels Q are turned by a cross shaft g, which is driven by the ratchet
of a worm wheel 9 1, which is turned by a screw shaft q 2 driven by bevel wheels q 3, 4,
Չ
from the cross shaft 5. This shaft also turns q 6, which moves the cranks k, q, on
the carriage K. The cross shaft q5 is driven by the bevel wheels by the clutch
box R. The shaft v is here turned from W, but I sometimes drive it from shaft
, x, 1. The wheels T and T 2 are driven by a long cross shaft t by the vertical
shaft t1 and intermediate bevel wheels.
I sometimes arrange to have additional wheels T placed further from the machine
on the line D, also driven by the cross shaft t, which is then extended. This shaft
is turned by the wheel 2, driven by a pinion on screw wheel T, x, turned by a
clutch and worm on shaft R, whose movements are regulated by the cain U. The
wheels T 2 are loose on their shaft, but are turned by a spring carrier fixed to it in such
a way that trays may have their racks run over and into gear with them before
starting the apparatus, which then with the carrier brings up the carriage to a
proper distance for the machine.
The cam wheel U is driven by a pinion u, x, on the shaft of screw wheel U, x,
which is turned by a worm on shaft u, x, 1 by a wheel u, x, 2 in gear with w 3 by the
clutch box U, G, under the control of the lever G. It makes one revolution for each
wagon, and only moves when lever rises in the notch of a carriage to be operated
upon. It commences to work when the wagon is in the right position under the
frame M, and stops shortly after the wagon is started. It regulates by levers and
rods the clutch boxes U F, L, U W, R, UT. Clutch box L drives a cross shaft q 5, for
turning the crank kon wagon K, by a similar arrangement to q G.
W is the driving shaft driven by mitre wheels we in gear with x 1 on the shaft X.
It has three loose wheels upon it, w 1, 2, 3, caused to turn by clutch boxes U W,
UF, UG. It also drives shaft R, x, by a vertical shaft w, v, and intermediate
bevel wheels.
X is the cross shaft driven by the wheel x; it has two loose wheels upon it, × 1, 2,
regulated by clutch boxes, which are moved by handle 1 by levers and rods = 2, 3,
4, 5. The clutches are arranged so as only to be in gear with one wheel at once.
Y is the engine fitted with a governing valve, break, and link motion, moved by
At the end of
lever y 1 on shaft y 2 by quadrant wheels y 3, 4, by the handle = 2.
shaft 2 there is a wheel y, g, in gear with a loose wheel y, g, 1 on shaft g, arranged
with a stop on the shaft g, so that when the engine is reversed, the lovers G, x, G,
and H are depressed. The break y 5 is carried on a shaft y 6, held open by a weight
y 7, and applied to the fly wheel y 8 by a lever and paddle y 9,
regulating handle.
10.
,, is the
Handles 1, 22, move in guides x, and have locking catches; 1 puts in and out
of gear the clutch boxes on shaft X, and also the clutch on f. When moved to the
left it puts shaft W and wheel S. out of gear, putting in gear wheels for
driving the drum F quickly backwards or forwards; when moved to the right it
reverses these movements. 22 reverses the engine and causes the levers Hand
GG, x, to dip. When moved to the right it drives the apparatus forward.
A pin
2x on the side of the lever prevents the engine from being turned back wards
unless handle 1 is first moved to the left, which puts all of the apparatus out of
gear, with the exception of the drum F, and leaves the line clear for running the
carriages back through the apparatus to the filling machine.
To work the apparatus I place the first empty tray in the position of J, a, and
push handle to the left, clamp the carriages whose moulds are ready for emptying
on to the wire rope drawn by the drum F. I now start the engine forward and

page_text: run the first carriage up under care of the breaks until lever H is depressed, when I
slacken or stop the engine. I then draw handle 1 over to the right, admit more
steam to the engine, and leave the wagon to be drawn into position by the screw
wheel S x.
When the wagon is a short distance from its correct position, lever H rises,
throws S out of gear, and allows the momentum wheel s, 8, with slackening speed to
quietly run the carriage into its correct position under the ejectors c, depressing Gx,
and setting G free to rise for starting the cam U. When in correct position it is
locked by the catches H rising on each side of the wagon, and the cam U is set in
motion by lever G rising into a notch above it. When the cam is started, clutch L
is put in gear, causing the wagon K to slowly raise the mould case I, so that the
ejectors call but touch the tops of the blocks when it stops.
In place of this movement I sometimes arrange for the pendent ejectors c, carried
on the frame C, to be brought down by cams on the shaft p, x, almost touching the
blocks. Frame M now rises and withdraws the mould box I from the blocks which
are kept on the tray J by the ejectors c. The carriage K then lowers the tray, so
that its lines form a through line for the transference of the trays when the
wheels and 11 run the tray of blocks off the carriage to the left, so that it
hooks on to a preceding tray. An empty tray is at the same time moved from the
right on to the carriage K. When in position on the carriage, K allows it to sink
so that its bottom rests firmly upon K. The frame M now lowers the mould case I
down on to the tray, when it stops, and is ready for the next wagon. The cam U
starts drum F, and passes the wagon with its empty moulds off to the right. As it
moves G, x, rises and stops the cam U until the next following wagon has been
brought up as before for discharging, when the operation is repeated. So long as
the line of wagons continues G, x, allows the cams U to be started as each wagon
gets into position. When, however, the last wagon has passed G, x, rises, and
remains raised, so that the cam U remains unmoved, and permits the drum F to do
any amount of work without putting the apparatus into disorder.
I sometimes arrange a catch to the right of catch G, which being liberated by the
last carriage passing, stops the engine until again started for a new train, after the
style of the feeling levers v4, Figure 1.
I prefer to arrange for the filling and emptying apparatus, where ground permits,
to be arranged on one line of railway E, so that the same superintendent can first
fill the moulds and afterwards discharge them. In this case I divide it into three
portions, placing a drying stove or hot flue in the central portion, with a filling
apparatus to the left at one end, the discharging apparatus to the right at the
other. We will suppose a train of 10 or 12 trucks run out to the left of the filling
machine. These are filled by it and quietly passed into the drying stove by means
of the drum F, or otherwise; here they are allowed to remain until such time as it
is desired to remove the moulds. They are then brought up by drum F to the
discharging machine, and successively emptied and passed through to the right,
when the engine is reversed, handle f, Figure 3, lowered, and the whole train run
through the two machines into its previous position, ready for re-filling and
re-emptying.
Where space does not admit of this arrangement, or where it is desired to employ
a less number of wagons, or feed them continuously, I place the machines at each
end of the stove as before, and arrange a parallel line of rails with E, with points or
transfer carriages to pass the wagons from one line to the other, so that they
may be passed round to the back of the filling machine. In this case I prefer
to arrange a second wire rope driven from the engine Y which takes the
wagons back from the discharging machine to the filling machine, or the second
line may be inclined, so that the wagons with the empty moulds run by them-
selves to the back of the filling machine, to which they are drawn up by the
wire rope on the main line E.
In certain cases I dispense with the use of trays and the tray line D, constructing
carriage K without the rail frame x, or wheels 11, and using its top sometimes,

page_text: with the addition of a loose bottom to form the bottom of the mould case I. When
the mould case is run under C, the ejectors descend, nearly touching the blocks,
while the case is raised, as at present. While up the full wagon is replaced by an
empty one, on which the mould is lowered when it is ready for removal, to permit a
fresh mould case being operated upon. This may be facilitated either by having
alternate full and empty wagons following one another, or there may be a parallel
line to E, from which empty wagons may be placed under C, either by the use of
points, or preferably, by the use of a transfer carriage, moving from one line to the
other, on which the wagon is run, and passed under C to receive the mould, when
it is returned to the second line and sent back to the filling machine.
In place of using this fixed discharging apparatus, I sometimes employ the upper
movements attached to a moveable overhead carriage, which can be moved over
various moulds in the stove or store, and removes the covers from a full tray or
wagon on to an empty tray or wagon near it.
In another arrangement, with a view of keeping the apparatus more compact, I
employ a long table of moulds which moves on wheels or guides backwards and
forwards through the filling apparatus. I arrange at one or both ends of it to
have ejectors worked by steam or otherwise to discharge a row of blocks on to a
grid belt on the under side of the table, after the manner of Figure 15, Sheet 2,
or on to a wagon which may move with the table. In this case the moulds taper
downwards, but they may be constructed tapering upwards, with moveable
bottoms like those in the table, Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 2. In this case I provide a
row of clip boxes like S, Figure 1, fed by a row of vertical lifters, with the saine
movement as Figure 2, Sheet 2.
These machines are, preferably, chiefly constructed of Professor Barff's iron, and
the machinery is as far as possible covered in with hinged covers to protect it from
dust, and admit of its being easily cleaned. They may both or either of them have
their movements actuated by clutch boxes or belts.
I have illustrated one machine each way. The engines discharge their exhaust
stean into the vacuum coils, by preference. Both the machines may however be
driven by belts in cases where it is more convenient than using independent
engines. This machinery may be used for blocking other material than salt, and
the moulds may be of various forms and shapes.
On Sheet 4 Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2, a side view partly in section and at
work; Figure 3, an end view of a machine for excavating salt in deep pans, stores,
&c.
A is the carringe frame supporting B, the sloping frame to which it is firmly
bolted. It is supported on two pair of wheels C and D running upon rails E,
which I prefer to be made after the fashion of tramway rails. F is a revolving
drum, round which together with a second drum Cx turning on the shaft of the
front wheels C, there is an endless belt, chain, or linked plates G carrying rows of
cups g, supported on wheels g1 running in grooves on the side of B. The cups are
arranged to be taper internally with projecting curved tops which are sharpened.
The rows are placed so that the spaces between the curves of one row leave ridges
of salt to be scraped up for filling the cups of the next.
In place of this belt I sometimes mount the inclined screws, which are then
driven by a shaft in place of the drum F. H are revolving screws or cylinders for
passing the salt from the sides to the cups. They turn inwards and are centred at
the top and bottom of the frame. The screws have a decreasing twist from the
bottom upwards and are placed round a vertical cone. When revolving, the salt
rises between their blades and falls forward ready for the cups to pass on to the
wagon I at the rear of the apparatus.
In place of the side screws I sometimes substitute revolving drums with ledges
for cutting away the salt. These are seen in plan and side view, Figures 4, 5. A,
Figure 4, is a hollow vertical drum, to whose bottom plate is fixed a central shaft a
turned by wheels p2, 3, and shaft p 1. On this shaft there is a tube b bolted at the
top to frame A. This tube has two or more fixed eccentrics c, round which rings d
revolve. To the sides of these rings are fastened projecting arms e, fastened to

page_text: vertical plates f, which move in long slots ax in the sides of the hollow drum A.
As the drum revolves these plates which are sharpened at their cutting edge pro-
trude and scrape the salt round towards the vertical scraper g fastened to the frame.
Before passing g they withdraw until they have passed it, when they re-issue and
take a fresh cut in the path of the dotted line h.
I, Figure 5, is a hollow drum with fixed ledges i on its exterior. It is similarly
turned by wheels and shaft. At its side there is a vertical scraper j pivoted at the
top and bottom to frame. It is pressed inwards by a heavy weight or strong
spring (not shown). At its top is an arm with a pin which traces the edge of a
cam fastened to the top of drum I. In this cam there are notches m, which allow
the pin to fall inwards, just as one of the ledges i brings up a load of salt. As the
scraper moves outwards to the position of the dotted lines, the salt is passed to the
cups G by the scraper. Cam now closes the scraper on to the drum again until
the next ledge is brought round, when its salt is similarly treated. When
working in very deep salt I make this motion a positive one by an eccentric or
otherwise. There are side plates J on which these revolving screws or cylinders
are centred, supporting sheaths h, and extending as far as the curved pieces K placed
at the two sides of the carriage, and forming a trough at the lower end of B.
These pieces turn any salt that may pass the screws under the carriage by the
opening, where it is picked up by the return cups. There is a sheath / 2 protecting
the front wheels from salt. There are brushes and scrapers attached to the carriage
for clearing the line. The apparatus is thrust forward into the salt by a screw
wheel L turning loose on a tube projecting from the drum Lx, to which it may be
coupled or uncoupled by the clutch bar m moved by the handle M. L is turned
from the cross shaft of o 2 by wheels o x, 1, shaft 2, screw 13. At the further end of
the drum there is a wheel 24 gearing with 5, on whose shaft there is 16 turning dx,
keyed to the axle of the rear wheels D, and on which the tube of the drum L turns
loose. These wheels are of such diameter as to cause the periphery of the drum to
travel over the same space as the driving wheels D. The front and rear wheels are
coupled by a chain n passing round suitable wheels N, or by a shaft with bevel
wheels. Both are protected from salt by coverings. The cup belt is driven by
wheel O by a chain of wheels o, pinion o1, wheel o2, pinion o 3, on the shaft t of the
engine T. There are bevel wheels P on each side of the upper drum turning bevels >>
on shaft p1 for driving the screws by bevels p 2, 3. A clutch box q moved by handle
Qputs either of the bevels 2 in and out of action. There is a fast movement to
the carriage by pinion r on the engine shaft which turns an intermediate wheel 1,
and wheel 2 keyed to the axle d of the rear wheels. This is put in and out of
gear by clutch box d1 and handle M, which handle at the same time moves the
clutch box belonging to the drum wheel L. S is a hauling drum placed on the
engine shaft for bringing up empty wagons.
T is the engine for driving shaft t, strongly constructed and arranged to run at a
high speed; it is fitted with link motion u, regulated by the side handles U; it has
also a regulating valve v, regulated by the side handles V, rod v 1, shaft v2, and
rod v 3. The engine may be supplied with steam or gas from a boiler or receiver on
the frame, but is here supplied with compressed air or steam by tube w, on which
turns, fitted with suitable stuffing boxes or joints, a hollow coil drum W; to this
drum is attached a long flexible tube communicating at one end with an air com-
pressor or boiler near the entrance of the pan or store, and at the other with the
interior of the drum. The tube is generally coiled upon the drum (which may be
governed by a break), which pays it out under the carriage as the apparatus proceeds
forwards. On returning, a chain w 2 passes round a friction pulley w 2, and is turned
by a pulley d 1 on the side of the rear wheel D. The friction pulley is arranged so
as to rather overwind the drum, which causes the tube to be wound up neatly.
Pulley w1 may be put in and out of geur by a handle, not shown.
X is a handle for putting the elevators in and out of gear.
Y is the lower casing for B, to prevent any loose salt from the cups falling

page_text: '
in amongst the machinery; it dips at y 1; and forins part of the plate J under
drum E x.
Z is a groove in the bottom of the pan or store, along which a rope, chain, or belt
may lie out of the way of the cups.
To work the apparatus the carriage is admitted to the store or pan by suitable
doors, and run up to the face of salt at which it is to work, drawing after it an empty
wagon; this is done by putting handle M to the right, and placing handles U, V,
as shown in Figure 2. When the apparatus is within a few inches of the salt, I
move handle X to the right, and put the elevator in gear, and put handle M to the
left, changing the speed of the carriage from the fast to the slow motion. The
carriage now moves slowly forward towards the salt, when the revolving screws H
pass it on to the cups. The salt being cut away at the two sides, falls forward, and is
picked up by the revolving cups g, which pass it into the wagon I to the rear of the
apparatus. When this is full 1 stop the machine by handle V, and run the full
wagon away, replacing it with an empty one, preferably by placing a pulley on
the frame A, and passing a rope round it from the full to an empty waggon, so
that the full one, running slightly down hill, draws the empty one up to the
machine. The movement of the empty wagon to and from the machine may be
facilitated by passing a rope round the hauling drum S, which is turned by moving
handle s to the left. When a fresh empty wagon has been brought up to the
machine I start it again, and so on until the requisite number of wagons have been
filled.
In place of stopping the apparatus while the wagons are changed, I sometimes
arrange a hopper fastened to the back of the frame to receive the salt that the
apparatus delivers during the time that the wagons are changed. On an empty
wagon coming up, the bottom or side of the hopper is opened, and the accumulated
salt falls into the wagon, which is then filled as before without loss of time.
The apparatus works its way to the end or side of the pan or store, when the
elevators G are stopped, and it is then reversed by handle U, and it coils up its air
tube, and runs back to where it first started. Here it is run by points or otherwise
on to a parallel line of rails to E, when it cuts out a fresh breadth of salt, as before.
In this case I generally put the off screw H out of gear by handle Q.
I prefer to enclose the lower portion of the apparatus so as to protect the
machinery from salt that may fall from the sides, and sometimes provide a species
of plough that hooks on at the back of the apparatus to clear any salt out of the
path that may have fallen before the apparatus is ready to return.
In cases where large quantities of salt fall at the sides I provide small vertical
elevators at the side of the apparatus, which either deliver the salt on to the belt or
into the wagon. They are driven by shaft or bevel wheel.
In place of the cups I sometimes employ bars across the belt. In this case I drive
the belt backwards, raking the salt up the under cover Y, and out by the spout Y 1.
In cases where the line is slippery, or where the wheels do not take sufficient bito
to keep the apparatus well up to its work, I attach a rope, chain, wire, or belt to
the further end of the pan or store, laying it in the groove Z at the bottom of the
pan; this I pass round or attach to the drum Lx, which moves the carriage with a
positive motion. I sometimes, in place of this, cog the rails, or provide a high central
rail, which is gripped by wheels on the carriage.
I arrange another variety of excavator for cases where the salt falls at the side of
the roadway, or where it is desired to work both backwards and forwards without
previously backing the apparatus. Figure 6 is a plan of the same, and Figure 7 a
side view partly in section of a cup excavator arranged on this principle.
The rows of cups are attached to three endless belts A, B, C; A and C being in
duplicate, and the back of belt B being level with the ends of A and C. The belts
are carried on drums at top and bottom, a, b, c, 1 and 2. The drums are inounted
on a carriage D moving backwards and forwards ou wheels E and F. The cups
on the elevators discharge into a central hopper G, and are driven by a pair of

page_text: cylinders H, driving a crank h 1, a vertical shaft h, on which there is a fly wheel h 2.
These cylinders are supplied with steam, air, etc., by a tube 3, or may have a tube
drum like W in Figures 1, etc. The engine shaft / turns a cross shaft I driving a
vertical shaft J (behind the frame), which turns a cross shaft K gearing with
wheels ax and cx on the two side elevators. A cross shaft Kx turns wheel b x of
B elevator. The two pair of travelling wheels E and F are geared together by a
cross shaft e, f; they may be turned quickly by wheel F x, and slowly by a screw
wheel Ex, by cross shaft cx and fx turned by the engine shaft h; there are clutch
boxes e 1, f1, connected by levers and rod moved by handle L for putting either
notion in gear; there are handles M and N on each side of the machine connected
by rods m and n; M stops the engine; N reverses it, by a similar arrangement to
that illustrated in Figure 1.
Each of the elevators is fitted with a horizontal noveable shoot O extending
across its back, which moves after the fashion of j, Figure 5, by a pair of geared
wheels and tracing arm ox; it receives the salt from each row of cups, and then
rises to let the row pass; it is moved by notches on the side of wheels a 3, 63, c 3:
There is a door g to the hopper raised or lowered by racks g 1, which are turned by.
the spurs on shaft p, and handle P; there is a clutch box Q, which keeps tho
elevators turning the right way when the engine is reversed, and there are clutch
boxes R for each of the side elevators to put them out of gear.
The apparatus may be fitted with a hauling drum like Lx and W, Figure 1, or
be provided with racks or central rail as previously described for Figure 1; thero
are projecting corner pieces S at the sides of the side elevators to pass the salt at
the sides into the cups; T is a hinged flap at each end of the carriage to scrape the
floor of the pan or store; there is a similar scraper in front of Figure 1 under Cx.
The apparatus is worked from right to left, and vice versa; it is started by.
handle M and Q4, driving the elevator A and B with C out of gear. The clevators
pour their salt into G, which may either be filled and run out elsewhere, or a
wagon may be hooked to the side of the carriage when handle P is put down, and
the salt is allowed to run from the hopper into a wagon as it accompanies the
machine. When the apparatus has reached the end of its course to the left it is
reversed by moving handle N, Q, and R, thus starting elevator C, and stopping A.
The apparatus now passes by sloping points on a parallel set of rails to the right,
cutting out a fresh breadth; on reaching the right it is reversed in a similar
and works progressively in a sort of parallel of zig-zags down the pan or store
cutting out a fresh breadth of salt at each trip.
way,
By using tramway rails for the carriage to run on flush with the floor of the pans:
or store the wagons filled by the apparatus may be run with broad flat wheels in
any direction across the floor of the pan or store. The machinery is cased in at the
sides and bottom to protect it from salt, and there are scrapers to clear the lines for
the wheels E and F to run on.
I sometimes shorten the elevators A and C, and put revolving screws or drums,
Figures 4 and 5, at the corners between A and C and B and C.
.
Figure 8 is a plan, Figure 9 a side view, both partly in section, of an apparatus
for filling sacks; A is the frame to which B the central shaft is bolted; on the top:
of B there is a round ball head supporting the upper portion of the revolving ring.
table C, whose centre c rests upon B, and which is supported by radial girders c1;:
there is a lower ring supported by similar girders c 2 resting on a ledge of the
shaft B. The upper and lower rings are connected together by a central and outer
ring shown in section, Figure S; the upper ring has openings corresponding with
the spout D. In the upper portion of the table there is a sliding rod i I carried in.
bearings 2 and ex at the two ends of the bag clip. This slide has a projection i
with a blunt hook or bead (which may be sharpened) corresponding to a similar.
one on its companion projection cx fixed to the frame, which latter also has a
similar bead at the two ends, the object being that when the mouth of a sack is.
placed by a boy or the outside of these clips it remains there, and when slide i 1
recedes it holds the sack firmly against the hooks or bends. The slide I is actuated

page_text: by a shaft J, on which there is an eccentric j and two projections j 1 and 2 at the
lower end. As the table revolves these projections meet pins j3 and 4 on the frame
which close and open them.
In the lower portion of the table there are moving plates F, on which the sacks
rest when full. These plates are fastened to a vertical frame by curved side pieces ;
the frame is swang on parallel levers f1 and 2, so as to move up and down, as
shown, to the left (Figure 8). At the bottom of this frame there are two projec-
tions f3, on which one or two rollers G are pivoted. The frame is moved up and
down by these rollers running on a circular railway a 1, and has a guide f 4. There
are also upon the table the ejectors K, which slide near its bottom; they are sup-
ported and actuated by levers L centred on the upper girders c 1, and moved in and
out at the bottom by a fork m on the shaft M. The bottom of these levers moves
in a ring a 2 on the frame A, in a gap of which m works.
D is the hopper tube communicating with the salt supply, and preferably provided
at its top with grinding rollers; it is supported by the uprights d. It is fitted
with two cut-off valves E, arranged to measure the charge for one sack like the
slides on a shot pouch, only these valves move independently of each other, and one
is always closed before the other is open. The valves slide in grooves E attached to
the uprights d, and are actuated cach by a lever e 2, one moved by the vertical
rode 1, and the other by e3. The table is caused to move by a vertical shaft and
spur ax by the side of d, which is driven with a slow intermittent motion after the
fashion of my circular blocking table, Figure 1, Sheet 2.
The bottom of the table rests on side wheels a. The circular railway a 1 rises to
the upper level under mould No. 1; it then runs level past moulds 2 and 3, and
part of 4, and sinks to the low level. Just under mould 3 there is a small section
of the rail a 3, which is moved slightly up and down by lever H, on which it rests.
There is a shoot or discharging place in front of mould 5; a boy stands at No. 1,
and places the mouth of a sack on the exterior of the clips i, which are here loose
and moved inwards by the motion of the eccentric j. The table now moves one
space, when the sack is in position of No. 2, the pin j3, having turned, the eccentric j
retiring the clip and holding the sack tight. The next move of the table brings the
sack under mould 3, bringing the roller or rollers G over the moveable piece a 3
While the table was moving the lower valve E was closed, and a measure of salt
run into the tube D from above. When the table stops the upper valve is closed,
and the lower one opened, which allows a measure of salt to pass into the sack.
During this, lever H has been rattling up and down by a suitable cam joggling the
Back and shaking the salt straight.
I sometimes apply this movement to the clips &, instead of or as well as the
movement below the sack. The table now moves on so that the filled sack passes
over No. 4, when pinj 4 loosens the clips, roller G at the same time sinking. This
I sometimes arrange to take place over the next space, when a compressor may be
used over space No. 4, the rail a 1 taking the weight of the compression at the high
level. From here to 5 the sack travels round on the lower level, and is either tied
up by machinery, or sewn up by one or more girls following the machine. When
the sack gets to mould the ejector K comes forward, pushing its bottom beyond
the table, when it slides down a shoot, or is passed on to a wagon, tray, etc., for
storage or loading. The space moves on to the boy, and is refilled, and so the process
continues.
In place of this circular arrangement I sometimes arrange to fill the sacks on a
lincal frame after the fashion of my second blocking machine, but preferably by
having a carriage arranged with a light iron upper frame, on which a boy hooks a
number of sacks in rows. The carriage is then passed under the hopper tube, when
the sacks are filled. The wagon is afterwards moved to a convenient adjoining
place, where the clips are loosened, and the frame is removed. Girls now stitch
the sacks over, when they are conveyed on the same wagon into a store or for
loading.
I arrange to fil salt into bladders by a coned pipe or valve, and afterwards

page_text: tie them round. I prepare the bladders by placing them on a coned pipe, through
which I blow air to inflate them, tie string or wire round their necks so that they
may be scraped, and place them on a drying line. I sometimes place a wooden peg
in the air tube, which is taken out when the bladders are to be filled.
arrangements may be used for other purposes besides salt.
These
I regulate the heat and density for the tanks, pans, vessels, in the following
manner, although they may less advantageously be regulated by hand :-
I employ a shaft turned by the engine or a cylinder with a 3-way cock so arranged
as to open and close the hot and cold valves, dampers, ventilators, gas pipes, &c., by
the movement of a rod regulating a strap, fork, clutch, or valve. This rod is moved
by regulating instruments connected with the vessels, chambers, and flues.
I
connect them with mechanism, or electricity or magnetism, which drives or moves
wheels, rods, or catches faster or slower according to the heat or density of the
fluids and connect with wheels or catches which move at a regular pace.
For heat I employ thermometers, with pistons or floats, regularly causing parts
of the machinery to move, but making it move faster or slower, according to the
temperature indicated by the thermometer and pyrometer. I prefer to employ
hollow glass floats with silver at the top, which as it rises passes more wires and
lets more electric or magnetic fluid pass; but I prefer to employ one or more
radiometers, which I make of suitable size, and sometimes assist with lenses,
reflectors, and connecting wires. I employ the varying speed of its revolutions
cither to turn a spindle communicating with the exterior through a stufling box
(direct or with intermediate wheels and catches in vacuo), or to pass more or less
electricity or magnetism through the instrument or chambers by suitable wires
and revolving points, preferably on the upper part of the spindle, which I prefer to
be encased by a glass tube with disc, and silver ring with points.
To enable a very slight current of fluid to be passed through the radiometer or
chamber, I prefer to arrange that the discharge wire should have presented to it
by clock work, or otherwise, a succession of little bars or receptacles for more or less
units of the fluid. I arrange these bars on a revolving glass, drum, or table, in such
a way that when the collective fluid in more or less of thein amounts to a given
quantity they attract a time lever, presented to it within a short distance of them,
which disengages or actuates machinery in connection with the dampers.
I arrange to regulate the density of the liquid by a float, which I prefer to
submerge, that sinks more or less according to the density of the liquid. The float
communicates with the damper machinery. I also employ in connection with time
machinery a cup wheel for weighing the liquor, over which the liquor trickles in
a constant quantity. The speed of the wheel is regulated by the weight of the
fluid.
Figure 10 is a plan view of two varieties of glass disc (very much enlarged),
which I place on the spindle sometimes top and bottom of a radiometer. C and D
are the wires for conducting the electricity, magnetism, etc., through the radiometer.
The glass disc A has a silver ring with a point a, which charges the ring with a.
spark of electricity or magnetism as it passes C, and delivers it to D as it
revolves. B is a split ring having spaces b, each half of the ring being alternately
filled by C and discharged by D as the disc revolves. This arrangement may
manifestly be equally well used for measuring light.
Figure 11 is a sectional side view of a thermometer tube A, having a piston o 2,
float B, round which is placed a silver casing C, for establishing communication
between the wires on the two sides of the tube. The float in this case rests upon
spirits or mercury D, preferably communicating with the large bulbs of a double
tube thermometer so as to give the float an extensive movement. There are wires,
1 to 12, communicating on one side with the cells of a battery, and on the other
with an electric or magnetic engine which turns shaft g, Figure 12. Wire No. 1
is connected with one or more cells, just suflicient to turn the electric or inagnetic
engine. Wire No. 12 is connected with a large number of cells, and drives the
engine at its highest speed. The intermediate wires 2 to 11 communicate with'

page_text: a graduated number of cells between 1 and 12. The float B is generally in the
position shown in the Figure. When the heat decreases the float sinks, and the
communication of one or more wires is cut off; less electricity or magnetism passes
to the electric engine which moves slower. When the heat increases the float rises
and connects more wires, driving the electric engine faster.
In some cases I construct tube A much wider where the wires come in, some-
times bringing them in in a double fan, in which case I arrange that the glass
float B has a rod moving in a guide or part of the tube, of less diameter up above,
to steady it. Float B may be connected with the density float, and moved up and
down thereby. It may also be connected with a pyrometer, but in this latter case,
and sometimes with a thermometer, etc., I prefer to employ a balanced arin, so that
the smallest movement will affect it. The spindle of the arm is connected with
the electric or magnetic engine, and its point in moving between the different wires
on each side of the instrument connects the engine with a larger or smaller number
of cells, according to the heat, density, etc., to be regulated.
Figure 12 is a plan and side view of the cylinder apparatus I employ in con-
nection with the radiometer, thermometer, pyrometer, and densityometer pressure
gauges, etc., for multiplying their feeble or slight movements into a force capable
of regulating automatic machinery, and for using this force to regulate valves,
dampers, ventilators, lighting apparatus, etc. A is the frame; B is a steel rod,
supported at each end by bearings b. To this rod is attached a swing frame C,
with a balance weight c1 at one end and a mitre wheel c 2 at the other, which is
fixed to a little shaft carried in the frame C. On each side of this mitre wheel,
intergearing with it, are placed two light loose bevel wheels D and E. These bevel
wheels have screw teeth on their circumference, and are turned by worms F and G
at the ends of shafts fand g. F is turned by clockwork or other regular mechanism,
and is arranged to be set faster or slower for adjusting the regulator to various
temperatures, densities, etc. G is turned by a revolving electric or magnetic engino
faster or slower, according to the amount of electricity or magnetism supplied to it
by the instruments for measuring heat, density, etc., or by the cup wheel for
weighing the liquor which trickles into the cups in a constant quantity, or by other
measuring instruments or motors.
At the end of the axle b there is a small wheel b, x, intergeared with wheel H,
which is attached to a 4-way cock h, belonging to a cylinder I, screwed to the
frame A. This cylinder is fitted at its bottom or side with a communication
between its two ends, regulated by handle J and cranks and rods j, or has a loose
fitting piston or one with a hole in it. The object of this arrangement is to allow
a small quantity of water, steam, etc., to pass from one end of the cylinder to the
other, so as to allow the piston, which is weighted to remain in the middle of the
cylinder, to return there from either end if the pressure of steam, water, air, etc.,
ceases. The steam, water, air, etc., for moving the piston is admitted to the 4-way
cock by handle K and pipe k, and discharges its exhaust by pipe L. The piston
rod is connected with various valves, dampers, ventilators, etc., that have to be
regulated. They are balanced so that the piston is generally in the middle of its
stroke when the heat, density, etc., is about what is required. When it is forced
to either end it opens or closes hot or cold valves, dampers, ventilators, etc.,
for regulating the inequality shown by the thermometer or other indicating
instrument.
When the apparatus is in motion, wheel F is set to move at about the same speed
as wheel D, driven by the regulating instruments, that is, when the piston is about
in the middle of the cylinder. When however the temperature, density, etc., falls
or rises, and the speed of the rod 7 increases or diminishes, wheel E noves faster
or slower than D, which results in the frame C being moved to the right or left,
turning the 4-way cock and driving the piston more or less to one of the ends of
the cylinder, according to the position of the handle J. For instance, if the wheel E
moves faster than D in consequence of the float B being raised through an increase
of temperature, thus driving the magnetic or electric engine faster, or by the

page_text: increased speed of the radiometer producing the same result, or by the dribbling
wheel being driven faster through the liquid dribbled into its cups, increasing in
density and therefore in weight, or through the density float rising higher for the
same cause, or the pyrometer indicating too great heat in the furnaces, or through
the level of the fluid in the pans being too high, it causes the piston to be moved
so as to shut off the supply of hot or dense liquid, and open the valves, admitting
less dense or cooler liquid, or closes the dampers in the flues of the furnace, or
opens ventilators for allowing the heat to escape, or shuts off the supply of liquid
or vapour. When E moves slower than F the 4-way cock is reversed, the piston
moves the other way, and these movements are likewise reversed.
I place of using the cylinder and 4-way cock I sometimes use a revolving shaft
driven by the engine, on which there are loose mitre wheels intergeared with a
wheel on a cross shaft, which shaft controls the movements of the valves, dampers,
etc., by a worm or otherwise. This shaft is driven round either way by a clutch box
on the first shaft between the loose mitre wheels, which is moved by an arm pro-
jecting from wheel H.
It is evident that this arrangement of apparatus may be applied for any purpose
where the shaft g may be turned faster or slower by electricity, magnetism, or
otherwise, by any apparatus or engine where automatic regulation is required.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
apparatus for the manufacture of common salt, and carbonate of soda, packing salt,
and other substances, and for regulating the density and temperature of liquids,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Howard Worthington Biggs, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN H. W. BIGGS. (Ls.)