Improvements in Machines for Washing Sand, Coal, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Washing Sand, Coal, and the like.
I Joseph SOUTHALL of Woodleigh, Selborne Road, in the City of Worcester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Constructing machines for washing sand, coal &c. substantially as follows: To
the framing of the machine is secured a casting forming a pipe for conveying high
pressure water from the main down into the bottom of the machine, the lower end
of the casting terininating in a number of jets arranged horizontally like spokes in
a wheel, round this stationary casting is another shorter pipe casting which serves
partly to carry and to form the top bearing of the box, preferably circular in form,
which is the washing vessel of the machine. The top of the box forms a hopper
to receive the material to be washed, its interior being divided horizontally into
several chambers, below these chambers round the inside surface of the side of the
box are recesses so arranged as to perform the functions that buckets on a water
wheel do, against these the water coming down the fixed centre casting. from the
main impinges as it issues from the jets causing the whole box casting to revolve at
a high speed, a pivot on its bottom working in a footstep on the framing serving as
its lower bearing, the top bearing being formed on the top of the second named
pipe casting which revolves in a hole bored out to receive it in the top of the
frame. The plates that form the bottoms of the various chambers are made
alternately as follows: the first has numerous projections on its surface, so that,
when the material to be washed is fed into the hopper and falls down near to its
centre, it is driven by the centrifugal force created by the high speed at which
the machine is revolving to the outside casing, the projections on the plate dashing
it about and agitating it violently during its outward course, on arriving at the
outside of the plate it drops down through holes in same on to the plate forming
the bottom of the next chamber, this plate has projecting up from its surface a rib
or ribs of spiral form which carry the sand back again into the centre of the
machine, where it again drops through a hole on to another plate like that first
described which again drives it to the outside of the machine, the number of times
this is repeated depending on the number of chambers employed, finally the sand is
deposited at the bottom of the machine where it is delivered through outlets
controlled by hinged doors. It must be understood that whilst the sand is thus.
descending from the hopper to the bottom, the water which enters by the jets
inside the box below the chambers having acted on the buckets causing the box to
revolve rapidly, rises up through the chambers in a contrary direction to the sand
finally overflowing over the mouth of the hopper into a suitable trough, which
carries it and the dirt extracted by it from the sand, away. This action thoroughly
washes the sand. The fixed pipe which brings in the water from the main can to
steady it be provided with a pivot at its lower end fitting into a footstep formed in
the revolving box, the sand can also be forced to delivery if desired by a worm fitting
in a recess in bottom of the revolving casting, the worm being fixed to the pivot
of the water inlet pipe so as to be stationary. Large machines may be driven by a
water; steam or other engine instead of by jets as described.
Dated this 18th day of February 1893.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Washing Sand, Coal, and the like.
I JOSEPH SOUTHALL of Woodleigh Selborne Road in the City of Worcester
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 :-
Constructing machines for washing sand, coal and the like to act substantially as
follows:-
Referring to the accompanying drawing which represents a sectional elevation
of such a machine, A is the framing secured to which is a part B serving to
convey the high pressure water to the several exits C. These exits C being the
outlets of passages which in plan have the same form as the S arms of a flywheel.
D is the washing vessel of the machine and E is the hopper to receive the material
to be washed, the box D is made so as to revolve freely in bearings F, F, and is
divided up horizontally into as many chambers as are deemed necessary to
sufficiently cleanse the material to be washed, round the inside of D at G are
recesses for the water issuing from the exits C to impinge against at a proper angle
so as to cause the entire box D and its parts to revolve at a high speed. The
various chambers are alternately made as follows, after leaving the hopper E, the
material to be washed drops into chamber H falling near the centre of plate J and
is rapidly passed outwards by centrifugal force; the numerous projections on the
surface of J serving to violently agitate it during its course, on arriving near the
casing D the material falls through holes into chamber K and arriving on plate L
is carried back to the centre of the machine by the spiral rib M, having reached
the centre it again falls through holes into chamber N on to another plate O
similar to plate J, these same operations being repeated as often as desired.
Whilst the material being washed is thus descending the water is rising up con-
tinuously through it and finally overflows over the mouth of the hopper E into a
suitable trough P, carrying with it the dirt it has extracted. The cleansed
material after reaching the bottom of the machine is either delivered through doors
formed therein, or it may be forced to delivery by a worm. As drawn, the
worm Qrevolves with D driving the clean material up through the centre pipe of
the machine and delivering it into a shoot R so arranged as to swivel to any point
round the washer. The machine may be mounted on wheels and may be driven if
preferred by a water, steam or other separate motor instead of by the way above
described.
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 :
: Constructing machines to wash sand, coal and the like substantially as described
above.