An Improved Mixing Machine for the Manufacture of Artificial Fuel and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Mixing Machine for the Manufacture of Artificial
Fuel and the like.
We, ISAAC ROBERTS, of Spring Gardens, and STEPHEN JENKINS, of Merlin's
Bridge, both in Haverfordwest, in the County of Pembroke, Merchant and
Engineer respectively, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to a machine or apparatus for intimately mixing together
small anthracite coal (technically known as "culm") and clay, with a suitable
proportion of added water to form a plastic compound, in the manufacture of
balls or other shaped lumps to be used for burning or heating in open grates as a real
or artificial fuel, the object of our said invention being to provide a cheap and
simple apparatus for expeditiously performing what has hitherto been effected by
hand only.
In
Our invention consists of a metallic or other cylinder in one or more parts bolted
or otherwise connected together, and mounted at each end upon suitable metallic
or other stands, one of which is preferably higher than the other by which the said
cylinder is slightly elevated at one end. The said stands are preferably bolted
together by one or more iron rods, and upon the lower stand is mounted a suitable
hopper or receptacle for the material to be mixed and converted into balls or other
shaped lumps, and into the said hopper one end of the said cylinder extends.
a suitable position upon each of the said stands a plummer block or other
equivalent device is mounted, which form bearings for a preferably metallic shaft,
passing through the said cylinder, and to which is fixed, (and in such a manner
as to be easily removed and renewed in case of breakage or wear) any number
of radiating blunt and sharp teeth or projections arranged alternately in helical
form, one end of the said shaft extending through the said hopper or receiver
while its opposite and higher end carries a suitable fly wheel and one or more
pulleys or other gearing by which the said shaft may be rotated by steam or other
available power.
Alongside the said cylinder and at about the same angle of elevation is placed
and fixed a suitable trough or conveyer, having at each end a wheel or roller, one of
which, preferably that at the higher end, is rotated by a band or other gear by the
same or other power as that of the before mentioned cylinder shaft, and with the
said rollers or wheels is connected an endless band or strap, with or without having
equidistant wooden or other projections fixed thereon.
The before mentioned roughly mixed compound of culm and clay would be:
shovelled or otherwise fed into the said hopper or receiver onto the lower end
of the revolving shaft, whereat it would be picked up by the sharp and blunt
projections thereon, and by these be cut up, intimately mixed, and formed into a
homogeneous mass, and by reason of the helical disposition of the said projections,
the material would by them, be conveyed along the said cylinder, after the manner
of a mincing machine, and upon reaching the upper end of the said cylinder the said
material would drop therefrom in lumps or balls onto the before mentioned
travelling strap or band, by which these would be carried away from the
cylinder to the opposite end of the conveyor, whereat they would be tipped

page_text: and carted away to where required to be further treated in the usual way if
necessary..
Dated the 5th day of November 1895.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for Patentee.
An Improved Mixing Machine for the Manufacture of Artificial
Fuel and the like.
We ISAAC ROBERTS of Spring Gardens and STEPHEN JENKINS of Merliu's
Bridge, both in Haverfordwest, in the County of Pembroke, Merchant and
Engineer respectively 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 relates to a machine or apparatus for intimately mixing together
small anthracite coal (technically known and hereinafter referred to as "culm") and
clay, with a suitable proportion of added water to form a plastic compound, in the
manufacture of balls or other shaped lumps for use as real or artificial fuel, to be
heated or burned in open grates, the object of our said invention being to provide
a cheap and simple apparatus for expeditiously performing what has hitherto been
effected in a slow and tedious manner by hand only.
In order that our invention and the manner in which we prefer to construct the
same may be clearly understood we have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings,
of which,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our said machine or apparatus, while Fig. 2 is a plan
view of same substantially as we prefer to construct it.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the travelling chute or conveyer
shewn in position in Fig. 2 but omitted in Fig. 1 to prevent confusion by the
hiding of important parts.
Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detached perspective views of the detachable teeth or
projections upon the shaft of the mixing cylinder hereinafter explained.
Our invention consists of a metallic chamber, preferably composed of two
parts A and B, each provided with flanges a and b, which, when connected
together by bolts or their equivalents c, form a hollow cylinder, the length of
which may vary according to the desired capacity of the machine. The said
cylinder is mounted and fixed at its ends upon suitable metallic or other stands C
and D, the latter of which is preferably less in height than C, which may, if
necessary, be to such an extent that the said cylinder is slightly elevated at the
opposite end, but in practice we find it best that the said cylinder shall be perfectly
horizontal as shewn in Fig. 1. The said stands are preferably bolted together by
ties rods d, and if further stability is needed, these may be fastened to the floor or
ground by bolts or their equivalents e. Upon the stand D is mounted and fixed a
suitable hopper or receptacle E, and into and across this the lower portion B of the
said cylinder extends, the upper portion A terminating at, and bolted or otherwise
fixed to the outside of E substantially as shewn in Fig. 1. The opposite end of
the said compound cylinder is provided with an opening F, which may be
provided with a portable cover or door (not shewn) engaging with hinges such
as f, that the said aperture may, if necessary be closed when the machine is not
in use.
In a suitable position upon the stands C and D are plummer blocks or their
equivalents g and y', which form adjustable bearings for the ends of a shaft G,

page_text: passing centrally and entirely through the said cylinder, upon the end of which
extending beyond the stand C is mounted a fly wheel H, and a pair of fixed
pulleys J and K, the former of which said pulleys receives a band L, in connection
with an adjacent power shaft by means of which motion is imparted to the shaft G.
At suitable and equidistant intervals along the said shaft, and all in the same
plane, are through holes or borings, which receive the threaded shunks h of
preferably metallic teeth or projections M, these being secured in position by nuts
screwed upon the projecting ends of the said shanks, and in such a manner, that
the portions M alternate with each other at opposite sides of the shaft, and
alternating with the said projections M and at right angles therewith the
shaft G carries sharp edged or cutting teeth N, the threaded shanks of which h¹
pass through like holes or borings in the said shaft and are secured in position by
a nut in like manner, which provides, that both M and N may be easily removed.
when broken or worn out and be replaced by new. In Figs. 4 and 5 we show
enlarged views of M and N substantially as we prefer to form these, the former of
which may be likened to a propeller blade, while the latter resembles a chisel, but
we do not confine ourselves to these or any other formation, the main object being
that these, when in position upon the shaft, may collectively form a helix and
serve the purpose of cutting up, intimately mixing, and conveying through the
cylinder the material being treated, after the manner of a mincing machine.
Upon the stand C, and immediately below the opening F in the cylinder, is
bolted or otherwise fixed one end of a wooden or other trough or conveyer P,
which extends upwardly from F at any desired angle but preferably at or about
that shewn by Fig. 3, and in any direction horizontally, but preferably at right
angles with the cylinder A B or thereabouts, as shown at Fig. 2. The said
trough P carries at its lower end a roller m, and at its upper end a roller n, the
spindle p of the latter carrying a grooved wheel or pulley r, in gear by a band or
straps with the pulley K upon the shaft G, and receives motion therefrom. The
rollers m and n carry an endless band or strap R, which may be perfectly plane
or provided with equidistant wood or other projections or ridges as suggested by
dotted outlines at t, in Figs. 2 and 3. The manner of operation is as follows
The roughly mixed compound of culin, clay and water would be shovelled or
otherwise fed into the hopper or receiver E, which would fall on to this end of the
revolving shaft G, and be picked up by the sharp and blunt projections M and N.
and by them be cut up, intimately mixed into a homeogenous mass, and conveyed
along the cylinder AB, after the manner of a mincing machine, and upon reaching
the opening F. the said material would drop therefrom in the form of ball-like or
other shaped lumps on to the travelling band or strap R, by which they would be
carried away from the cylinder to the opposite and higher end of the conveyer P,
whereat they would be tipped and carted away to where required, to be dried,
baked or otherwise further treated in the usual way.
We wish it understood that the description and illustration of our invention
bereinbefore contained, is substantially the manner in which we purpose carrying
our invention into effect, but that we may exercise any reasonable modification of
the details or the disposition of the same without departing from the principle
involved, and having fully 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. In a machine for, in one operation, intiinately mixing together culm and
clay, forming the same into ball-like or other shaped lumps, and conveying these
to where required, to be used as real or artificial fuel, the construction and use of
the herein described apparatus, and the several parts constituting the same,
connected, combined and operating substantially as herein set forth and shewn.
2nd. In a mixing machine or apparatus for the manufacture of fuel from culm
and clay, the combination of a divided cylinder such as A B, and hopper E,
mounted upon stands such as C, D, carrying a shaft G, provided with any number

page_text: of sharp and blunt renewable projections such as M and N, arranged in helical
form thereon, with means for rotating the said shaft, and conveying motion
therefrom to an endless band R, upon rollers m and n, carried in a trough or
conveyer such as P, connected to, and extending at any vertical or horizontal
angle from, the stand C, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of July 1896.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.