Improvements in Machinery for Preparing and Compressing Materials for Use as Fuel or for Smelting purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Machinery for Preparing and Compressing
Materials for Use as Fuel or for Smelting purposes.
We JOHN M°CULLOCH, of Cardarroch House, and WILLIAM BLACK of Stanrigg
House, both places near Airdrie in the County of Lanark North Britain
Coalmasters do hereby declare the nature of our said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND COMPRESSING MATERIALS FOR USE AS
FUEL OR FOR SMELTING PURPOSES" to be as follows, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation
of machinery for preparing and compressing materials for use as fuel or for
smelting purposes. When the materials are to be used as fuel they consist of
small coal and pitch; and when the materials are for smelting purposes they are
those mentioned in the Provisional Specification of John McCulloch one of the
present applicants, N° 6894 of 1885.
In carrying out the present Invention the materials are, firstly, separately ground
to a moderately fine pulverulent, condition, and for this purpose what are known
as Carr's disintegrating machines are by preference used. From the disintegrating
machines the pulverised materials are conveyed along a trough or combination of
troughs having within them screws or screw blades on a rotating shaft, which
whilst conveying, partially mix the materials. The materials are in this way
conveyed to a powerful pugging mill in which they are very thoroughly intermixed
and agglomerated, heat being applied if required, to render the pitch slightly
adhesive in order that it may the better bind or agglutinate the coal or other
materials together.
As the materials are discharged from the pugging mill they are supplied either
directly or by means of an elevator or of a trough and conveying screw, to the
feed hopper of the compressing apparatus. The compressing apparatus is made
with a vertical or horizontal disk formed with a number of mould cavities of
circular or other form passing completely through the disk. When a mould
cavity is opposite the hopper a feeding plunger forces a charge of the materials
through a passage into the cavity the passage being of the same form as the cavity.
The feeding plunger is worked by a crank or eccentric on a rotating shaft, but
spring is interposed between the ram and the plunger itself to limit the degree
of compression to which the materials are subjected when being filled into the

page_text: mould cavity. The turning of the disk at intervals successively brings each filled
mould cavity to a position where the materials in it are subjected to a very
powerful pressure (two tons per square inch, for example) by two plungers forced
towards each other into the mould cavity from opposite sides of the disk by means
of hydraulic cylinders worked by an accumulator. After the materials have been
compressed as described the movement of the disk brings the mould cavities
successively to another position, and there a plunger entering each mould cavity
ejects the compressed block and thereby completes the operations, the finished
blocks being conveyed away by an endless apron or in any other convenient way.
Dated this eleventh day of August 1885.
We, JOHN M°CULLOCH, lately of Cardarroch House but now of 11 Doune
Gardens, Hillhead, Glasgow, and WILLIAM BLACK, of Stanrigg House, near Airdrie,
both places being in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Coalmasters, 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, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation
of machinery for preparing and compressing materials for use as fuel or for
smelting purposes. When the materials are to be used as fuel they consist of
small coal and pitch and when the materials are for smelting purposes they are
those mentioned in the Patent Specification of John M'Culloch one of the present
applicants No 6894 of 1885.
Our improved machinery as constructed for preparing and compressing materials
for use as fuel consists of a vertical or horizontal disk turned by an hydraulic ram
and formed with a number of mould cavities which are filled in rotation from
a hopper by a feeding plunger. The materials in the mould cavities are
successively subjected to a very powerful pressure (two tons per square inch for
example) by two plungers worked by hydraulic cylinders the compressed blocks
being afterwards ejected by another plunger.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append three sheets of explanatory
drawings to be hereinafter referred to and showing our improved machinery for
compressing the materials.

page_text: Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the drawings is a plan; figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is a
sectional elevation, the sections being taken as at different parts; figure, 3, on
sheet, 3, is an end elevation and figure, 4, on the saine sheet, is a transverse
vertical section showing the mould disk and means for turning the same. In these
drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out the present Invention the materials are, firstly, separately ground
to a moderately fine pulverulent condition and for this purpose what are known
as Carr's disintegrating machines are by preference used. From the disintegrating
machines the pulverised materials are conveyed along a trough or combination of
troughs having within them screws or screw blades on rotating shafts which whilst
conveying, partially mix the materials. The materials are in this way conveyed
to a powerful pugging mill of any suitable construction in which they are very
thoroughly intermixed and agglomerated, heat being applied, if required, to render
the pitch slightly adhesive, in order that it may the better bind or agglutinate thé
coal or other materials together. As the materials are discharged from the pugging
mill they are supplied either directly or by means of an elevator, or of a trough and
conveying screw, to a feed hopper, 5, attached to the compressing apparatus shown
in the drawings..
This compressing apparatus is made with a vertical disk, 6, formed, with a
number of mould cavities, 7, preferably of a circular form passing completely
through the disk. This disk, 6, is turned into position to bring the mould
cavities, 7, successively opposite plungers, hereinafter described, by a lever, 8,
jointed to the end of the ram, 10, of an hydraulic cylinder, 11; the lever, 8, having
a notch in its end to engage with pins or projections, 9, on the disk, 6, and being
made with a weighted arm, to make it act like a spring ratchet pawl. When the
ram, 10, is forced down the lever, 8, turns the disk, 6, until the next cavity, 7, is
opposite the compressing plungers; the lever, 8, being drawn back on the return
stroke of the ram, 10, and the notch then engaging with the next projection, 9.
The water for working this ram, 10, coming from a suitably loaded accumulator
enters a casing, 12, and passes through a pipe, 13, to an inlet valve, 14, which is
then open, and thence through another pipe, 15, to the cylinder, 11. After the
ram, 10, has acted on the lever, 8, the inlet valve, 14, is closed and the pressure
of the water in a small pipe, 16, acts on the under small annular surface of the
piston of the ram, 10, and forces the ram up again; the water in the pipe, 15,
exhausting through the outlet valve, 17, which is then open and through a
pipe, 18.
These valves, 14, and, 17, are actuated alternately by bell crank
levers, 19, and connecting rods, 20, the outer ends of these rods, 20, being worked
by grooved cams, 21, on a main shaft, 22, which is driven by means of a spur-
wheel, 23, in gear with a pinion, 24, on a shaft, 25, having on it a pulley, 26, for
a driving belt.
When a mould cavity, 7, is opposite the hopper, 5, a feeding plunger, 27, forces
a charge of the materials through a passage, 28, into the cavity, 7, the passage, 28,
being of the same form as the cavity, 7. The feeding plunger, 27, is worked from
the spurwheel, 23, through a connecting rod, 29, one end of which is jointed to an
eccentric pin, 30, on the spurwheel, 23, its other end being jointed to the upper
end of a lever, 31, centered at its lower end on a rocking shaft, 32, and a rod, 33,
also jointed to the lever, 31, has its other end jointed to the front of the ram, 34,
of the feeding plunger, 27. A strong spring, 35, is interposed between the
ram, 34, and the plunger, 27, itself, to limit the degree of compression to which
the materials are subjected when being filled into the mould cavity, 7. The
turning of the disk, 6, at intervals brings each filled mould cavity, 7, in rotation
to a position where the materials in it are subjected to a very powerful pressure
by two plungers, 36, forced towards each other into the mould cavity, 7, from
opposite sides of the disk, 6, by means of bydraulic cylinders, 37, worked from the
accumulator the water from which entering the casing, 12, passes by a pipe, 38,
to an inlet valve, 39, which on being opened admits the water through pipes, 40,

page_text: to the hydraulic cylinders, 87. After the plungers, 36, have acted on the materials
in the mould cavity, 7, the inlet valve, 39, is closed and the pressure of the water
in small pipes, 41, connected to the casing, 12, acts on small pistons, 48, placed at
the outer ends of spindles, 49, which are attached to the hydraulic plungers, 36,
and returns them inwards ready for the next compressing action, the water in the
pipes, 40, exhausting through an outlet valve, 42, which is then open, and through
a pipe, 43. The valves, 39, and 42, are opened and closed alternately by rods, the
outer ends of which are connected by adjustable links, 44, to levers, 45, centered
at their bottom ends their upper ends being provided with pins, 46, acted on by
grooved cams, 21, on the main shaft, 22. After the materials have been compressed
as described in each mould cavity, 7, the movement of the disk, 6, brings the mould
cavity to a position, where a plunger, 47, worked from the lever, 31, entering the
mould cavity, ejects the compressed block thereby completing the operations. The
finished blocks may be conveyed away by an endless apron or in any other
convenient way,
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 :—
1-The combining together of the parts of machinery for preparing and
compressing materials for use as fuel or for smelting purposes substantially in the
improved manner hereinbefore described.
2-The arranging or combining together of the parts of machinery for
compressing materials for use as fuel or for smelting purposes substantially in
the improved manner hereinbefore described.
3-The combination of a feeding plunger provided with a spring to limit its
pressure to fill mould cavities, with a pair of plungers acting oppositely to each
other upon the materials in the mould cavities substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
4-The combination of oppositely acting plungers worked by hydraulic cylinders
for compressing materials for use as fuel or for smelting purposes, in mould cavities
formed completely through a disk substantially as herein before described.
Dated thath day of Mar 1904