IMPROVEMENTS' IN APPARATUS FOR RIDDLING COALS AT COLLIERIES
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WALKER, of Saint Helens, in the County of Lancaster, Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of December,
in the eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Walker, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Robert Walker, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Walker, my exors;
aditors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS' IN
APPARATUS FOR RIDDLING COALS AT COLLIERIES;" in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso that I, the said Robert Walker, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Walker, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same may be performed, are fully made known in the
description hereunto annexed:-
My Invention consists of a mode of arranging apparatus in such manner.
that a rotation riddle is put into action, the interior thereof being free, by,

page_text: which great economy is secured in the operation of separating coals from slack,
In order to render the construction and
or large coal from the small coal.
adaptation of my Invention clearly understood, I have appended to this my
Specification a Drawing representing the same, with the position. and general
appendages for working the machine to advantage. The Drawing here
referred to contains three views of the machine, drawn to a scale of three
quarters of an inch to one foot, namely, plans, side and front elevations, figured
respectively 1, 2, 3, and a Plan upon a reduced scale Figure 4, showing the
manner in which it may be applied to two pits. Figure 2 represents a side
elevation of the riddie A, together with the friction wheels B, B, and other
gear (by which motion is communicated to the riddle), fixed upon a framing of
timber at a suitable angle of declination for delivering the coals. At the lower
end the riddle A, as shown, is cylindrical, and constructed of wrought-iron hoops
or angle bars, within which are rivetted longitudinally and parallel to each
other bars of wrought iron, about five-eighths of an inch square, alternate
spaces being formed between the bars of a wid:h necessary for separating
coal from slack. The two hoops a, a, bear or run upon the four wheels
B, B, B, B, by which the riddle is driven, sufficient surface being thus brought
into contact to give it rotatory motion. By this arrangement the interior of the
rotatory riddle is left free and unobstructed by any axis or arms in the interior.
The four wheels B, B, B, B are fixed upon two wrought-iron spindles b, b,
placed longitudinally in the direction of the riddle, and parallel to each other,
to allow the riddle hoops a, a, to bear equally upon each of the wheels, and
at a sufficient distance apart to maintain the cylindrical riddle in a stealy
position when in a state of motion. The spindles are connected together by
means of two connecting rods c, c (one at each end), curved downwards to
allow clearance between them and the riddle, the crank pins by which they are
connected being attached to the wheels B, and placed at right angles to those
at the opposite ends of spindles. The bearings of the spindles run in pedestals
or bearings secured by bolts to the cross bearers C, C, which are morticed
into the side timbers of framing. This will be better understood by referring.
to the Plan of framing Figure 1, where the riddle is removed from its seat..
B, B, B, B are the four wheels; b, b, the spindles or shafts upon which they
are fixed. c, c, the connecting rods., C, C, the cross bearers of framing, upon
which the pedestals, &c. are secured. D is a shaft turning in pedestals or
bearings secured to the side of frame, giving motion to the spindles b and wheels
B by means of the pair of mitre wheels d, d. D¹ is a pulley fixed on the end.
of shaft D outside the framing, over which a chain or belt passes, communi-
cating motion from the driving pulley D², which can either be fixed on to one

page_text: end of the winding shafts of an engine, as shewn in Figure 4, or be driven by a
small independent engine erected in any convenient situation for that purpose.
E is the receiving mouth, over which the coals pass into the riddle, which
revolving slowly delivers them down the shoot F into the waggon for coals.
The slack being separated from the coal whilst passing through the riddle,
falls between the bars into the hopper G underneath, by which it is conducted
into the waggon for slack. Figure 3. is simply a front end elevation of the
riddling machine, shewing more comprehensively the manner of fixing the
framing, and its position with the riddle. Although the cylindrical riddle,
as shown in the annexed Drawing, is driven by the wheels B, as before
described, it may, if required, be driven by means of a spur pinion gearing
into a spur wheel of a sufficient diameter outside of the riddle; or other
convenient means may be resorted to; but the former-described manner of
driving I believe to be much preferable. Figure 4 is a ground plan upon a
reduced scale of the pit, brow, tramways, &c., and represents the manner in
which this machine has been already applied to pits. I represents the side
of the winding engine, with gearing attached to the winding shaft I, giving
motion to the driving pulleys D2, D¹, and thence to the machine. K, K, are
tramways from the pits to the riddle, and L, L, L, cast-iron stages at the
mouth of the riddle, and at each of the pits; but these are not necessary, as
the application of the machine will in all cases depend upon the locality in
which it may have to be placed.
Ilaving thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it expressly
understood that I do not confine myself to the details, so long as the peculiar
character of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is, the mode of
arranging apparatus to riddle coals, whereby a rotatory riddle is employed, the
interior of which is unobstructed, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
Signed, sealed, and delivered (being
first duly stamped), by the within-
named Robert Walker, in the pre-
sence of
ROBERT (L.S.) WALKER.
Signed, sealed, and delivered (being
first duly stamped), by the within-
named Robert Walker, in the pre-
sence of
RICH
ROBERT (L.S.) WALKER.
WOODWARD,
JOHN RIMMER,

page_text: ANSDELL, Extra.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Tenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1845, the aforesaid Robert Walker came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.