Improvements in and Apparatus for Washing or Disintegrating Coal, Ore, and other like materials.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 25th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for Washing or Disintegrating Coal,
Ore, and other like materials.
I, JOHN HENRY DARBY, of Brymbo, near Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention has for its object a further improvement of or addition to the
process and apparatus for treating coal, set forth in my Patent No 5376 of 1898,
whereby I wash and disintegiate the coal, the previous invention only apply-
ing to dying In my further experiments however on this invention, I
have found it an admirable machine for disintegrating the coal also, and there-
fore now before the diawings and specification are published, I wish to make a
claim for the disintegration also
When my apparatus is applied to washing or washing and disintegrating instead
ot having the axis of the apparatus horizontal, I have it vertical or nearly so,
and instead of having the cone rotating, I prefer to have rotary paddles in the
cone. In carrying out the punciple of 1otation in a cone for washing on separaung
coal, ore, and the like, from earthy materials. which are easily disintegrated in
water or are of very different specific gravity I use the apparatus constructed
as follows I form the cone with its large end uppermost and surmounted
preferably by an inversely truncated cone or a cylinder The slope 18 at any
suitable angle In my experiments I have put it about 30 to 35 degrees from
the horizontal, but other slopes may probably be better. The apex of the lower
cone 18 cut away and an opening left of suitable size for the heavier material to
drop through on to a carrier into a water chamber below, hereafter described.
The central portion of this opening is closed by a roof or triangular hood above
In the centre line of the cone I arrange a shaft as before, but this shaft instead
of being fixed to the cone 18 caruled in bearings and supplied with large paddles
having their edges parallel and contiguous to the sides of the cone These paddles
are caused to revolve at a suitable speed, varying with the size of the machine
and the material to be washed and separated At the top of the lower cone I
place an opening on to a perforated sheet or gauze slightly inclined upwards
for a distance, and then preferably slightly inclined downward again On this
gauze I arrange a push conveyor for carrving the washed material to an elevator
or main conveyor or even direct to the drving mechanism. Under the lower cone
I place a large trough in which works the conveyor for calving away the re-
movable ejected rubbish or heavy valuable ore as the case may be
The mode of action is as follows
-
Water being admitted to the lower chamber so as to stand in the cone to a
considerable height the central shaft is set in motion by means of a pulley or other
mechanism driving round the paddles The coal or ore to be separated is now
poured into the cone I will describe the apparatus first however for the washing
of coal This coal and the water are driven round at a great speed by the paddles,
and thus by centrifugal force aided by upward current the light material and the

page_text: water are driven out on to the inclined gauze. The stones and heavy material
however fall down through the upward current of water and through the annular
hole in the bottom and are conveniently removed by the conveyor below The
washed coal itself 18 drawn forward by the push conveyor and thus leaves the
machine An automatic device can be used for keeping the water at approxi-
mately the same normal level. The violent agitation however made by the
paddles causes a strong upward flow up the cone which is perforated near the top,
and over the perforated sheet oi gauze The water passing through the perforated
sheet or gauze etuins to the chamber below the cone from whence it wells up
again, the heavier stones, dirt etcetera, however being carried out by the conveyor
When using the apparatus for washing corundum and other heavy ores from soft
conglomerate the conglomerate is thrown into the water, the violent agitation
caused by the paddles disintegrates the material and the dirt is washed off and
carried upward, while the clean corundum or one falls down to the bottom on to
the conveyor
In this case the conveyor instead of being at the very
bottom of the outer water chamber can be at a higher level, and
at the very lowest the water escape, (when water 18 abundant), is placed, so as
to carry off the mud At a colliery several, say three, of these washers will
be arranged to work side by side treating different grades of material
material falling from the respective chutes will by means of a conveyor be
collected together and carried to other machines for drying or drying and pulver-
181ng.
The
Improvements in and Apparatus for Washing or Disintegrating Coal.
Ore, and other like materials.
I, JOHN HENRY DARBY, of Brymbo, near Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
18 to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention has for its object a further improvement of or addition to the
process and apparatus for treating coal, set forth in my Patent No 5376 of 1898,
whereby I wash and disintegrate (comminuting) the coal, the previous invention
only applying to dying In my further experiments however on this invention, I
have found it an admuable machine for disintegrating the coal also, and there-
fore now before the diawings and specification are published, I wish to make a
claim for the disintegration also
As regards disintegration what actually takes place in the operation of the
apparatus described in the previous specification and in the present apparatus in
each instance is that the coals or other materials are dashed about so much that
the attition breaks them down to smaller particles
When my apparatus is applied to washing or washing and disintegrating (com-
minuting) instead of having the axis of the apparatus horizontal, I have it vertical
or nearly so, and instead of having the cone rotating, I prefer to have rotary
paddles in the cone
In carrying out the pinciple of rotation in a cone for washing or separating
coal, ore and the like hom earthy materials which are easily disintegiated in

page_text: water or are of very different specific gravity, I use the apparatus, a vertical
section of which 18 shown on the accompanying drawings:
I form the cone A with its large and uppermost and surmounted preferably
by an inversely truncated cone B or a cylinder The slope is at any suitable
angle. The apex of the lower cone is cut away and an opening C left of suitable
size for the heavier material to drop through into a shot bag arrangement C.
D are valves for removing the material The central portion of this opening C
18 closed by a roof or cowl E which directs the flow of water. In the centre
line of the cone I arrange a shaft F, but this shaft instead of being fixed to the
cone is carried in bearings G and supplied with large paddles H having their
edges parallel and contiguous to the sides of the cone A These paddles are
caused to revolve at a suitable speed, varying with the size of the machine and
the material to be washed and separated At the top of the lower cone A, I
place an opening I through which water and washed material is discharged on
to a perforated sheet or gauze J slightly inclined upwards for a certain distance
On this gauze I arrange a push conveyor K for carrying the washed material
to an elevator or main conveyor or even direct to the drying mechanism
the lower cone I place a large trough L, and under the gauze Ja trough L' in
connection therewith P chute for delivering the coal to be washed.
The mode of action 18 as follows
Under
Water being admitted to the lower chamber L L¹ so as to stand in the cone A
to a considerable height shown on the drawing by a dotted line, the central
shaft F 18 set in motion by means of a pulley M or other mechanism driving round
the paddles H The coal or ore to be washed is now poured into the cone through
chute P This coal and the water is driven round by the paddles H, and thus by
centrifugal force aided by upward current, the coal and light material and the
water are driven through opening I out on to the inclined gauze J
The stones and heavy material however fall down through the upward cuirent
of water and through the annular hole N in the bottom and are conveniently
removed by means of the valves D The washed coal itself is drawn forward by
the push convevor and thus leaves the machine An automatic device such as a
ball cock R can be used for keeping the water at approximately the same normal
level The paddles cause a strong upward flow upon the cone and over the
perforated sheet or gaure J
The water passing through the perforated
sheet or gauze J returns to the chamber L below the cone from whence
it wells up again, the heavier stones, dirt, etcetera, however being removed by
the valves When using the apparatus for washing corundum and other heavy
ores from soft conglomerate, the conglomerate is thrown into the water, the
paddles disintegrate the material and the dirt is washed off and carried upward.
while the clean corundum or ore falls down to the bottom on to a convevor 8
in a trough O similar to L¹ and both of which are shown in dotted lines at the
left hand side A convevor of this nature can take the place of chamber C¹ and
valves D for removing the heavy materials even in coal washing At a colliery
several, say three, of these washers will be arranged to work side by side treating
different grades of material The material falling from their respective chutes
will, by means of a convevor be collected together and carried to other machines
for drying or drying and pulverising, and in similar manner the heavier refuse
coming from the several washers will be collected by one conveyor
It will be obvious that instead of the naddles H only revolving, the paddles H
and the entire cone A could revolve and the casing B left stationary
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim 18-
1 The process of washing coal, ores, and the like, which consists in passing
them into the upward part of a circulating current of water kept in a state of
approximately horizontal rotation allowing the heavy material to settle through

page_text: the water from which it 19 withdrawn, and allowing the water and the lighter
materials to overflow over the top of inclined surfaces by centrifugal force, drain-
ing the water from the same, and allowing it to fall back into the original stream
of circulating water, and raking off the washed lumps from the inclined surfaces,
substantially as described
2 In apparatus for washing coal, or other minerals, the combination of a
truncated inverted cone, stimer plates in said cone having a motion of rotation
relatively to the cone, means for introducing the mineral into the cone for allow-
ing the lighter material to escape over the surface of the cone by centrifugal
force, and the heavier materials to subside at the bottom, and means for keeping
the whole partially submerged in water
3. The application and use of apparatus as hereinbefore mentioned in this
specification and No 5376 of 1898 to the disintegration of coal or other mineral
substantially as descubed, and whether as arranged in No 5376 of 1898 or as
modified in present application.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1899
WM P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London