Improvements in Apparatus for Mechanically Oleaning the Meshes of the Gauze Surfaces and the Surfaces of the Collecting Trays · in Rotary Sieves, and in the Means of Automatically Driving the same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1876
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mechanically Oleaning the Meshes
of the Gauze Surfaces and the Surfaces of the Collecting Trays
·
in Rotary Sieves, and in the Means of Automatically Driving
the same.
I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM of 32 Seel Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaning the lower
and upper surfaces of the gauze sieves and the surfaces of the collecting trays
used in rotary sieves and for a means of automatically driving such apparatus.
The following is a description of my invention when applied to clean the under
surface of a gauze sieve and to clean the upper surface of the collecting tray or
gauze sieve immediately below the saine.
In the space between the above mentioned surfaces I place one or more driving
shafts preferably extending the length of the sieve and tray surfaces, and I also
place a series of vertical or nearly vertical shafts or spindles arranged at a suitable
distance from each other and connected with the driving shaft or shafts in such a
manner that motion may be communicated from the driving shaft to the said
vertical spindles by means of worms on the driving shaft and worm wheels upon
the vertical spindles.
To the upper and lower ends of the revolving vertical spindles I attach brushes
or scrapers which revolve therewith and I arrange the brushes in such manner that
the upper revolving brush sweeps the under surface of the gauze sieve and the
lower revolving brush sweeps the upper surface of the sieve or collecting tray
below the samo.
I preferably arrange the brushes at an angle to the axis of the vertical spindle
so that any material lying upon the collecting tray or upon the upper surface of
the lower sieve is swept in a diagonal direction.
I preferably place the vertical spindles and brushes at such a distance apart as
will cause the path of one brush to cross the path of the contiguous brush.
Upon the driving shaft which drives the vertical spindles and their brushes
I place a worm wheel and I connect such worm wheel with a worm upon a separate
main driving vertical spindle arranged in such a manner that when the separate
main driving vertical spindle revolves, the above described driving shaft is thereby
caused to revolve.
For the purpose of causing the separate vertical main driving spindle to revolve
1 place upon the same a centrifugal flyer, such flyer is either rigidly attached to
the spindle or it may be attached by means of a joint and pin in a similar manner
to the governor balls of a steam engine.
The separate main driving spindle and the driving shaft, also the series of
vertical spindles with their brushes are carried by means of brackets fastened to
the frame which carries the gauze sieves or to the collecting tray below.
The action of the centrifugal flyer is as follows:-
When rotary motion is imparted to the sieves, such motion is communicated
through the carrying brackets to the separate main driving vertical 'spindle and to

page_text: the centrifugal flyer attached thereto, with the result that the flyer is caused to
revolve and thereby the separate main driving vertical spindle, the driving shaft
and the series of vertical spindles and brushes in connection with the same are also
caused to revolve.
I adjust the position and the weight of the centrifugal flyer and the diameter of
its path of revolution so that the centrifugal force developed by the flyer is
sufficient to cause the cleaning or sweeping brushes or scrapers to be kept in
motion.
In some cases I may arrange each of the vertical brush shafts or spindles with
its own centrifugal flyer so that each spindle with its top or bottom brushes may
work independently by means of the motion imparted thereto by the rotating
sieve.
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In some cases I may drive the vertical brush spindles from the driving shaft by
means of bevel or skew gearing instead of a worm and worm wheel, but I prefer to
use worms and worm wheels, because the speed of the vertical centrifugal flyer
main driving shaft can be thereby more readily reduced to such a speed upon the
brush spindles as will ensure that the brushes will not unduly wear the gauze
Bieves.
In some cases I may use bands or cords and pulleys to connect and drive one or
more of the vertical brush spindles from the main driving spindle or from each
other.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mechanically Cleaning the Meshes
of the Gauze Surfaces and the Surfaces of the Collecting Trays
in Rotary Sieves, and in the Means of Automatically Driving
the same.
I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM of 32 Seel Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaning the lower
and upper surfaces of the gauze or perforated metal sieves and the surfaces of the
collecting trays used in rotary moving sieves and for a means of automatically
driving such apparatus.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in
which―
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation,
Figure 2 sectional plan, and
Figure 3 transverse section of part of an apparatus showing the cleaning
device as applied to the under surface of a sieve and the upper surface of a
collecting tray.
In these A is the sieve surface, B collecting tray, C a longitudinal shaft
carrying worms D. These worms actuate worm wheels E each keyed or connected
to a vertical spindle F in such manuer as to move with the same. This vertical
spindle F is carried in brackets G attached to transverse bearers H. On each of
these spindles are fixed one or two revolving brushes I and J. There may be two.

page_text: or more shafts C if desirable and also scrapers of any kind can be used instead of
brushes. The spindles F can be placed at any convenient distance apart and the
brushes are preferably arranged so as to cause the path of one brush to cross the
path of the other brush so as to leave as little unbrushed surface of the sieve as
practicable, as is shown by the dotted lines and arrows.
I sometimes arrange the
brushes as shown at an angle to the axis of the vertical spindle so that any
material lying upon the collecting tray or upon the upper surface of the lower
sieve as the case may be is swept in a diagonal direction. Upon the driving.
shaft C, I place a worm wheel K gearing into a worm on shaft L which is..
arranged in such a manner that when this shaft L revolves the shaft C shall
revolve also though at a lower speed. For the purpose of causing shaft L to
revolve I place upon it a centrifugal flyer M. Such flyer is either rigidly attached
to the spindle or it may be attached by means of a joint and pin in a similar
manner to the governor balls of a steam engine. The action of the centrifugal
flyer is as follows-When rotary motion is imparted to the sieves such motion is.
communicated through the carrying brackets N to the shaft L and consequently to
the centrifugal flyer M, the result being that the flyer is caused to revolve and
thereby drive spindle C and its accompanying machinery. I adjust the position
and the weight of the centrifugal flyer and the diameter of its path of revolution so
that the centrifugal force developed by the flyer is sufficient to cause the cleaning
or sweeping brushes or scrapers to be kept in motion. In some cases I may
arrange either of the vertical brush shafts or spindles with its own centrifugal flyer
so that each centrifugal spindle with its top or bottom brushes may work
independently by means of the motion imparted thereto by the rotating sieve. In.
some cases may drive the vertical brush spindles from the driving shaft by
means of a bevel or skew gearing instead of a worm or worm wheel, but I prefer
to use worms and worm wheels because the speed of the centrifugal flyer shaft L.
can be thereby more readily reduced to such speed upon the brush spindles as will
ensure that the brush will not unduly wear the gauze sieves. In some cases I may
use bands and cords or pulleys to connect and drive one or more of the vertical.
brush spindles from the main driving spindle or from each other.
I am well aware that brushes have long been used in various forms for cleaning-
the under-surface of sieves and of brushing the surfaces of the trays, but these-
brushes I believe in all instances have been brushes attached to chains or pulleys or
in the case of circular sieves have been brushes rotating on the axes of the machine
itself, but that never before has a series of spindles been arranged rotating in axes.
vertical to the surfaces to be brushed and crossing each other's path.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The improvement in apparatus for mechanically cleaning the meshes or holes
of the gauze or porforated metal sieve surfaces or the surfaces of the collecting-
trays in rotary driven sieves which consists in arranging a series of vertical shafts
with their axes at right angles to the surface to be cleaned and each spindle
carrying one or more brushes or scrapers substantially as described.
2. In combination with a series of revolving brushes applied to a rotary sieve or
sieve bottom a driving shaft rotating with the sieve carrying a flyer connected by
speed reducing gearing to the revolving brushes, whereby as the sieve rotates the
flyer shall revolve at an equal speed and the brushes or scrapers at a much less.
speed.
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1004
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Agents.