Mechanism or Apparatus to be Used therefor.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 22nd Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 6th May, 1887.
Mechanism or Apparatus to be Used therefor.
We, ROBERT STEWART of Holytown, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Colliery Manager and JAMES FRANCIS WALDIE of Glasgow, in the said County,
Colliery Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This Invention, which relates to improvements in washing coal or other material
and in the mechanism or apparatus be used therefor, consists of an open topped
vessel having a closed bottom and provided with a valve or cock for opening the
bottom periodically as hereinafter described. At some distance above the bottom of
this vessel there is arranged a chamber or an enclosed space, the lower part of which
is solid and the upper part perforated. This chamber or space is in connection with
sources of supply for water and air. Through the perforations in the upper side of
this chamber or enclosed space, water commingled with air or water only, is forced at
any desired pressure by a pump or pumps or the mechanical equivalents. Agitators
or propellers are arranged upon a vertical revolving shaft a short distance above the
chamber or enclosed space and above these agitators or propellers there is a fixed or
moveable guide. Into this guide the dross or coal or other material to be washed is
discharged and directed by it to the central part of the washing apparatus. It
is here explained that the coal or dross or other material to be washed is carried
into the washer by the flow of water; at the side of the washer an overflow is
provided.
The action of the washer is as follows:-The coal or dross carried into the guide
falls towards the central part of the revolving agitators or propellers and is by
centrifugal action moved towards the outer extremities thereof so that whilst being
rotated by the action of the agitators or propellers, the coal is at the same time
subjected to the cleansing action of the jets of air and water, the pressure of which is
sufficient to carry off the washed coal through the overflow from which it passes to a
screen or screens by which it is sized in the well-known manner.
In order to get rid of the dirt and dust separated from the coal during the washing
action, the valve in the bottom of the washer is periodically lifted by means of a

page_text: tappet, cam or the equivalent thereof driven by the engine or other motor which
actuates the washer. When this valve is lifted the dirt and dust, which have
descended upon or around it, are disturbed and fall through the valve opening.
In place of the perforated chamber or enclosed space hereinbefore described one
or more coils of pipes having perforations on the side or a series of jets or the
mechanical equivalent thereof may be substituted but the perforated chamber or enclosed
space is preferred and it may be provided with a sludge cock or valve for freeing it
from dirty matter which from time to time might collect therein.
D
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Petitioner's Agents.

page_text: Mechanism or Apparatus to be Used therefor.
We, ROBERT STEWART of Holytown, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Colliery Manager, and JAMES FRANCIS WALDIE of Glasgow, in the said County,
Commercial Colliery Manager 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 :-
Our Invention, which relates to improvements in washing coal or other material
and in the mechanisin or apparatus used therefor consists of an open topped vessel
having a closed bottom and provided with a ball valve or a cock for opening the
bottom periodically as hereinafter described. The bottom of this vessel is arranged as
a chamber or an enclosed space, the lower part of which is solid and the upper part
perforated. It being preferred that the perforations are fitted with plugs or nozzles
conically bored the base of the cone being towards the inside of the vessel. This
chamber or space is in connection with sources of supply for water and air. Through
the perforations in the upper side of this chamber or enclosed space, water commingled
with air is forced at any desired pressure by a pump or pumps or the mechanical
equivalents. Agitators or propellers are arranged upon a vertical revolving shaft a
short distance above the chamber or enclosed space and above these Agitators or
propellers there is a fixed or moveable guide. Into this guide the dross or coal or
other material to be washed is discharged and is directed by it to the central part of
the washing apparatus. It is here explained that the coal or dross or other material
to be washed is carried into the centre of the washer. At the side of the washer an
overflow is provided which goes off at a tangent or at right angles from the centre of
the washer.
The action of the washer is as follows: The coal or dross carried into the guide falls
towards the central part of the revolving agitators or propellers and is by centrifugal
action moved towards the outer extremities thereof so that whilst being rotated by the
action of the agitators or propellers, the coal is at the same time subjected to the
cleansing action of the jets of air and water, the pressure of which is sufficient to
carry off the washed coal through the overflow from. which it passes to a screen or
screens by which it is sized in the well-known manner.
In order to get rid of the dirt and dust separated from the coal during the washing
action, the ball valve in the bottom of the washer is periodically lifted by means of a
tappet, cam or the equivalent thereof driven by the engine or other motor which
actuates the washer-When this valve is lifted the foreign matter which has descended
upon or around it, are disturbed and fall through the valve opening.
In place of the perforated chamber or enclosed space hereinbefore described one or
more coils of pipes having perforations on the upper side or a series of jets or the
mechanical equivalent thereof may be substituted but the perforated chamber or

page_text: enclosed space is preferred and it may be provided with a sludge cock valve or
manhole for freeing it from dirty matter which from time to time might collect
therein.
In order that our Invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, we will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
On Figure 1 of the annexed drawings, we have shown in vertical section partly in
elevation our improved washing machine constructed according to this Invention, and
at Figure 2 an end elevation of the same corresponding to Figure 1, whilst Figure 3,
is a plan of the same.
In these Figures, the washing vessel marked A, is that into which the coal or dross
to be washed is discharged from the hopper B by the shoot B¹, the coal being dis-
charged from hutches, waggons, or by an elevator or by other suitable means into the
hopper.
The coal as it is discharged from the shoot B¹, falls into the spaces between the run
and the boss of the revolving guide wheel C, on the vertical shaft D. On the lower
part of this shaft D, the Agitator blades E, are carried and the connecting parts are
rotated by the bevil-wheel F, from the bevil-wheel F¹, on the horizontal shaft G,
which is driven from the piston within the Cylinder H of the Steam Engine or it may
be driven by any other prime mover-Upon this shaft D, there is also carried a
smaller bevil-wheel I, which gears into and actuates another bevil-wheel I', upon the
shaft I, wherein the rotating screens I³, 14, and I³, are carried. From the underside
of the piston working within the Steam Cylinder H, there is a connecting rod J,
coupling the piston of that cylinder to the pump rod of the pump K by which water is
pumped from the mine near to which the washing machine is or may be placed or
from any other source of water supply. On the pump K are two cocks, which with
valves admit air in any desired quantity to mix with the water being forced by the
pump K through the pipe K2-From the pump K, a pipe K², extends to and is
connected with the lower part of the washing Vessel A so that when the pump is in
action water and air are forced under pressure into the lower part of the vessel A and
escape therefrom vertically upwards through the coned perforations in the inner or
upper bottom A2, of the vessel A, that is to say, in the form of numerous jets dispersed
through the coal which is being carried round and agitated on the second bottom A
by the revolving action of the stirrers or agitators E. The pressure of the water and
air escaping through the perforations in the inner bottom A2, is such as to completely
wash the coal and separate all the foreign matter whilst the water running off through
the shoot L, carries with it the washed coal into the revolving sieves I, I, I, through
which it is discharged in sizes corresponding to the different meshes of these sieves
through the hoppers I, 17, 18, and collected as required.
In order to facilitate the fall of the coal through the shoot B', into the Guide
Wheel C, a branch pipe is led from the pipe K', into the upper part of the hopper B,
so that any desired quantity of water is caused to flow down with the descending
coal whose passage is thereby facilitated. To prevent too great a pressure from
accumulating in the pipes K', and K2, and the enclosed part of the washing vessel A,
the pipe K2, is fitted with a safety valve M which releases water when the pressure
which may be fixed at any desired limit is reached. The pressure being indicated by
the pressure gauge X.
As from time to time quantities of foreign matter are separated from the coal or
other analogous material these tend to fall to the bottom of the Vessel A, and as a
receptacle for such portions the Vessel A is formed with a deep pocket N, at its
central part in which this foreign matter collects. This pocket N, is fitted at the
bottom with a ball valve O, carried upon a vertical spindle P, whose upper end works
in a guide Q, and whose lower part is attached to a lever R, on the horizontal shaft S,
fitted with the hand lever T.
The platform beneath the washing apparatus is preferably fitted with rails U, on
which a waggon V runs. When the pocket N, has become loaded with the foreign
matter separated from the coal an attendant raises the handle T whereby the ball-
valve O, is lifted from its seat and the foreign matter faces out from the pocket N,

page_text: through the space formed by the opening of the valve O, into the truck or waggon V,
and when the pocket N is thus emptied the valve O, is again lowered to its scat.
At Figure 4, on sheet 4 of the drawings we have shewn in plan and in Figure 5, a
transverse vertical section of the washing vessel A constructed somewhat differently
to that shewn on the preceding sheets of drawings that is to say with a coil of pipes
perforated on the upper side in place of the perforated upper second bottom.
As will be seen from the annexed drawings it is preferred to construct the
perforated plate of the washing vessel or the coil of pipe used therein in lieu of such
plate inclined downwards towards the centre of the washing vessel, the effect of this
being that the coal has always a tendency to press downwards towards the centre of
the said washing vessel in and amongst the stirrers so that the action of the stirrers
thereon and of the air and water are at all times insured, whilst the foreign matter is
also guided into the pocket N.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1st. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved
coal washing machine substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn upon the
annexed sheets of drawings.
2nd. In a coal washing machine the vessel for containing the coal to be washed
having a blunted or hood conical bottom with vertical or cylindrical sides, the said
bottom being fitted with conical nozzles or provided with the equivalent thereof, such
for example as the coil of perforated pipe shewn at Figures 5 and 6 having air and
water commingled under pressure issuing vertically through the perforations or conical
nozzles, the coal at the same time being agitated or moved about by the rotating
stirrers so that the washed coal is continuously discharged with the water through
the shoot leading to the rotating sieves or their equivalent substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn on the annexed drawings.
3rd. The connecting of the pump which forces the water and air used in the coal
washing operations both to the perforated chamber or pipe of the washing vessel as
well as to the hopper and shoot from and by which the coal to be washed is discharged
into the washing vessel substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn on the
annexed drawings.
4th. The wheel on the vertical shaft of the coal washing machine arranged for the
purpose of guiding the coal discharged from the shoot to the centre of the washing
vessel, that is to say, as much as possible into or amongst the rotating arms of such
vessel substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn upon the annexed drawings.
5th. The construction of the perforated plate or the arranging of the perforated coil
of pipes inclining downwards towards the centre of the washing vessel whereby the
tendency of the coal or other analogous material undergoing washing to remain in or
about the agitators is facilitated and the foreign matter guided to its exit substantially
as hereinbefore described and shewn upon the annexed drawings.
6th. The use or employment of air and water mixed and forced under pressure
through the perforations or conical nozzles in or amongst the coal or other inaterial
being washed substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn upon the annexed
drawings.
1 11-
01 1
1 1000