IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STIRRING, CRUSHING, AND CONVEYING SUBSTANCES, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE DRYING AND CALCINING OR ROASTING OF ORES, SODA ASH, AND THE LIKE, AND FOR THE REMOVAL OF DEPOSITS FROM CRYSTALLIZING AND EVAPORATING PANS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STIRRING, CRUSHING, AND CONVEYING SUBSTANCES,
MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE DRYING AND CALCINING OR
ROASTING OF ORES, SODA ASH, AND THE LIKE, AND FOR THE REMOVAL OF
DEPOSITS FROM CRYSTALLIZING AND EVAPORATING PANS." A communication
from abroad by Johann Thelen, of Aix-la-Chapelle, in the German Empire.
Sealed the 3rd February 1880, and dated the 21st November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st November 1879.
JOHN IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STIRRING, CRUSHING, AND
CONVEYING SUBSTANCES, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE DRYING AND
CALCINING OR ROASTING OF ORES, SODA ASH, AND THE LIKE, AND FOR THE
REMOVAL OF DEPOSITS FROM CRYSTALLISING AND EVAPORATING PANS." [A
communication from abroad by Johann Thelen, of Aix-la-Chapelle, in the
German Empire.]
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to C. D. Abel on the 18th December
1876, No. 4875, as a communication from Johann Thelen, was described an
apparatus wherein a revolving shaft extending along a semicircular trough carried
a number of radial arms, to the ends of which were hung loosely flat blades or
scrapers, placed somewhat obliquely to the axis of the pan, so that as they revolved
with the axis continuously in one direction the blades in passing round the surface
of the pan scraped the deposit therefrom, and at the same time moved it forward
on to the path of the next blade, so that the deposit was continuously stirred, and
at the same time conveyed towards one end of the pan, where it was removed by
a scoop.
According to one of the present improvements this construction of apparatus is
rendered applicable to the drying and calcining of soda ash, ores, and the like, by
providing at intermediate points between the arms carrying the scrapers other

page_text: radial arms carrying at their ends rollers, which in passing over the material in the
pan crushes it as it is conveyed along, and thus causes it to be acted upon more
effectually by the heat of the fire below the pan. The axes of the rollers are, by
preference, arranged to run in slots in the arms, so as to ensure that they shall
always bear with their whole weight on the substance to be crushed.
According to another improvement instead of imparting to the shaft a continuous
rotary motion it receives a reciprocating rotary motion, and it is provided with
two sets only of the before described radial arms with scrapers or blades, the arms
of the two sets being so arranged at an angle to each other that as the shaft
revolves in one direction the one set of blades is caused to pass along the surface of
the pan, removing the soda ash or other material in its path, and conveying it on
to the path of the contiguous blade of the other set, which is then caused to
descend along the surface of the pan, while the first set recedes again, and so on;
each set alternately scraping, stirring up, and conveying the material a step
forward along the pan towards the one end, where it is removed by a scoop
attached to one of the reciprocating arms.
This construction of apparatus may be employed either for drying and calcining
or roasting purposes, as described, in which case it is, by preference, also provided
with the before mentioned crushing rollers; or it may be employed for removing
deposits in crystallizing or evaporating pans, as described in the Specification to
the beforementioned previous Patent.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Imray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th April
1880.
JOHN IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STIRRING, CRUSHING, AND
CONVEYING SUBSTANCES, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO THE DRYING AND
CALCINING OR ROASTING OF ORES, SODA ASH, AND THE LIKE, AND FOR THE
REMOVAL OF DEPOSITS FROM CRYSTALLIZING AND EVAPORATING PANS." A
communication from abroad by Johann Thelen, of Aix-la-Chapelle, in the German
Empire.
In the Specification to Letters Patent granted to C. D. Abel on the 18th December
1876, No. 4875, as a communication from J. Thelen, was described an apparatus
wherein a revolving shaft extending along a semicircular trough carried a number
of radial arms, to the ends of which were hung loosely flat blades or scrapers,
placed somewhat obliquely to the axis of the pan, so that as they revolved with
the axis continuously in one direction the blades in passing round the surface
of the pan scraped the deposit therefrom, and at the same time moved it forward
on to the path of the next blade, so that the deposit was continuously stirred, and
at the same time conveyed towards one end of the pan, where it was removed by a
scoop.
According to one of the present improvements this construction of apparatus is
rendered applicable to the drying and calcining of soda ash, ores, and the like, by
providing at intermediate points between the arms carrying the scrapers other
radial arms carrying at their ends rollers, which in passing over the material in the
pan crush it as it is conveyed along, and thus cause it to be acted upon more
effectually by the heat of the fire below the pan. The axes of the rollers are, by
preference, arranged to run in slots in the arms, so as to insure that they shall
always bear with their whole weight on the substance to be crushed.
According to another improvement instead of imparting to the shaft a
continuous rotary motion it receives a reciprocating rotary motion, and it is
provided with two sets only of the before described radial arms with scrapers or.
blades, the arms of the two sets being so arranged at an angle to each other that.
as the shaft partly revolves in one direction the one set of blades is caused to
pass along the surface of the pan, removing the soda ash or other material in its
path, and conveying it on to the path of the contiguous blades of the other set,
which is then caused to descend along the surface of the pan, while the first set
recedes again, and so on; each set alternately scraping, stirring up, and conveying
the material a step forward along the pan towards the one eud, where it is
removed by a scoop attached to one of the reciprocating arms. This construction
of apparatus may be employed either for drying and calcining or roasting purposes,
as described, in which case it is, by preference, also provided with the before
mentioned crushing rollers; or it may be employed for removing deposits in
crystallizing or evaporating pans, as described in the Specification to the before
mentioned previous Patent.

page_text: "
from a revolving shaft, as indicated at Fig. 4; to the shaft D are connected by
arms F two longitudinal bars F, F¹, running parallel therewith, on which bars are
hung loosely the scrapers or blades G, G¹. These blades are so arranged that those
on the bar Fare situated in intermediate positions relatively to those on the bar F',
and they are placed in reversed, angular, or oblique positions, so that as the shaft
turns from right to left each of the blades G conveys the material operated upon
that lies in its path into the path of the next blade G¹, while when the shaft turns
in the contrary direction each of the blades G₁ conveys the material in its path
into the path of the next blade G. By this means the material operated upon is
gradually conveyed along the trough in the direction of the arrow, the last blade G
being made to convey the material into the path of the scoop H, which in rising up
along the surface of the trough to the upper edge thereof conveys the material into
the shoot I; or in place of this arrangement an aperture may be provided at or
near the end of the trough, through which the material will fall of itself as it is
pushed along by the blades G, G. When the material operated upon requires to
be crushed at the same time that it is acted upon by heat, the shaft D is provided
at one or more points of its length with arms J, in the slots of which rest the
trunnions of a heavy roller K, which in being made to travel to and fro transversely
over the surface of the pan by the motion of the shaft D crushes the material as it
is moved into its path.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim,―
First. In combination with apparatus wherein materials are conveyed along a
trough or pan by the action of revolving or reciprocating oblique scrapers or blades
suspended loosely from a longitudinal shaft, the use of crushing rollers carried by
arms from the shaft that actuates the scrapers or blades, which rollers are by the
motion of the said shaft caused to pass over and crush the material operated upon
as it is moved forward by the blades, substantially as herein described.
Second. In apparatus wherein materials are conveyed along a trough or pan by
the action of oblique blades suspended loosely from a longitudinal shaft, constructing
such shaft with two sets of such blades suspended from arms at an angle to each
other, the blades of the one set having an oblique position, the reverse of that of
the other set, so that on a reciprocating rotary motion being imparted to the shaft
each set of blades will in turn convey the materials acted upon into the path of the
other set, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Imray, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.