A MECHANICAL WASHING APPARATUS FOR IRON ORE AND OTHER MATTERS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jozé Luis, of No. 1B, Welbeck Street, (Cavendish
Sqr) London, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"A MECHANICAL WASHING APPARATUS FOR IRON ORE AND OTHER MATTERS."
A communication.
Sealed the 10th September 1858, and dated the 11th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jozé Luis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th May
1858.
I, JOZE LUIS, of No. 1B, Welbeck Street, (Cavendish Sqre.,) London, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A MECHANICAL WASHING APPARATUS FOR IRON ORE AND OTHER MATTERS," (a
communication,) to be as follows:-
The principle on which my Invention rests consists in causing the matters
to be washed to advance regularly in an opposite direction to the water, that
is to say, the water entering one side of the machine, the substance to be
washed enters on the opposite side. This arrangement produces the following
result: A most perfect washing in an economical manner, the smallest
possible quantity of water being used. The earthy matters, together with all
other light substances, will from their volume remain suspended, and by a
continual movement be carried away with the water without returning again
to the matters thus washed.

page_text: The successive elevation of the matters to be washed, which fall in the water
at about of the diameter of the washer, the dashing of the water produced
by the troughs detaches the earthy matters, and keeps them necessarily in
suspension with the other matters relatively lighter by their volume; the
successive advancement of the matters against the water are all more or less
conducive to the perfection of the washing.
Having thus stated the principle, I will state the means taken to accomplish
the desired end. The diameter and length of the apparatus must depend on
the quantity to be washed in a given time, and the difficulty likely to be met
with in the washing. However, we will suppose a tube of sheet' iron or other
material, of fifteen feet in lenght and six feet in inner diameter, closed at each
end by a piece of sheet iron, in both of which pieces a hole has been cut as
follows:-
1st, on the side the matters to be washed are to enter, and by which the
water goes out, a hole of four feet and a half in diameter.
2nd, in the opposite side by which the water enters and where the matters
go out, a hole about three feet ten inches in diameter.
The wash proceeds horizontally, and the difference in the diameter of the
holes gives the required slope for the passing out of the water.
The interior of the tube is composed of a series of twenty-four troughs in
the circumference, and fourteen to fifteen in the lenght. These troughs are
inclined at about twenty degrees; trenches are made at the corner in order to
facilitate the flowing of the water. The second row of troughs are made about
three inches in advance nearer the outlet of the row above, and so on with the
following rows. The slope of the troughs which carry the matters with part
of the water is favorable to their sliding towards the lower part, and thus they
fall from one trough to another, each trough being more advanced, and nearer
to the outlet. This continual movement of the matter and the water in the
apparatus detaches and washes off as perfectly as possible the earthy matters
with which the substances to be washed are mixed and covered.
It will be easily seen from what has been already said, that the substances
can be made to advance rapidly or otherwise, according to the greater or lesser
slope and length of the troughs. From the end intended for the entrance of
the matter the troughs are made more and more narrow, till at the extremity
of the outlet this difference in size represents the waste which goes on in
the substance to be washed, and must vary according to the waste which is
likely to take place in the matters to be washed. When the substances have
passed through the whole length of the apparatus they are raised by straight
troughs, which bring up very little water with the substances washed; the

page_text: substances then fall on an inclined plane, and then into wheelbarrows or
waggons, whose bottoms are made of plaited iron sheets, or pierced with holes
in order to let the rest of the water escape.
The trunnion, of four branches, is fixed at each end, and in the centre of the
apparatus the branches are attached to the circumference either by rivets or
by bolts; they are supported by woodwork, and on the exterior circumference
of the washer a system of wheels is attached, which gives it a velocity of ten
revolutions per minute.
The diameter of the apparatus can be reduced to the smallest dimensions,
but the principle rest the same.
Ventilation can be adapted to this machine; in that case wind must supply
the place of water, in driving before it dust and other light matters. Heat can
also be applied for heating or drying any substance in a regular and progressive
manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jozé Luis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOZE LUIS,
of No. 1B, Welbeck St., Cavendish Sqre, London, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Jozé Luis, Her special licence that I, the said Jozé Luis, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jozé
Luis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A MECHANICAL WASHING APPA-
RATUS FOR IRON ORE AND OTHER MATTERS," (a communication,) upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jozé Luis, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-

page_text: formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office'
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jozé Luis, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
:-
The principle on which my Invention rests consists in causing (by an
arrangement which I will explain) the matters to be washed to advance
regularly in an opposite direction to the water, that is to say, the water enter-
ing one side of the machine, the substance to be washed enters on the opposite
side. This arrangement produces the following result-a most perfect wash-
ing in an economical manner, the smallest possible quantity of water being
used.
The earthy matters, together with all other light substances, will from their
volume remain suspended, and by a continual movement be carried away with
the water without returning again to the matters thus washed. The succes-
sive elevation of the matters to be washed, which fall in the water at about
of the diameter of the washer, the dashing of the water produced by the
troughs, detach the earthy matters and keep them necessarily in suspension
with the other matters relatively lighter by their volume. The successive
advancement of the matters against the water are all more or less conducive
to the perfection of the washing.
Having thus stated the principle, I will explain the means taken to accom-
plish the desired end. The diameter and length of the apparatus must depend
on the quantity to be washed in a given time, and the difficulty likely to be
met with in the washing. However, we will suppose a tube of sheet iron, or
other material, of fifteen feet in length and six feet in inner diameter closed
at each end by a piece of sheet iron, in both of which pieces a hole has been
cut, as follows:-1°, on the side the matters to be washed enter and by which
the water goes out, a hole four feet and a half in diameter is cut. 2°, in the
opposite side by which the water enters and where the matters go out, a hole
about three feet ten inches in diameter is cut. The wash proceeds horizontally
and the difference in the diameter of the holes gives the required slope for the
passing out of the water. The interior of the tube is composed of a series of
twenty-four troughs in the circumference A, and fourteen to fifteen in the
length, having the form as seen in the Drawing. These troughs are inclined
at about twenty degrees, trenches are made at the corner in order to facilitate
the flowing of the water; the second row of troughs are made about one inch

page_text: rows.
in advance nearer the outlet of the row above, and so on with the following
The slope of the troughs which carry the matters with part of the
water is favorable to their sliding towards the lower part, and thus they fall
from one trough to another, each trough bringing them nearer the outlet.
This continual movement of the matter and the water in the apparatus detaches
and washes off as perfectly as possible the earthy matters with which the sub-
stances to be washed are mixed and covered. It will be easily seen. from
what has been already said, that the substances can be made to advance as
rapidly or otherwise according to the greater or lesser slope and length of the
troughs. From this end, intended for the entrance of the matter, the troughs
are made more and more narrow till at the extremity of the outlet. This
difference in size represents the waste which goes on in the substances to be
washed, and must vary according to the waste which is likely to take place in
the matters to be washed. When the substances have passed through the
whole length of the apparatus, it is raised by straight troughs, which bring up
very little water with the substances washed, which fall on an inclined-plane,
whence they again fall into wheelbarrows or waggons, whose bottoms are made
of plated iron sheets or pierced with holes in order to let the rest of the water
escape. A pivot of four spokes or branches is fixed at each end, and in the
centre of the apparatus the branches are attached to the circumference either
by rivets or by bolts; they are supported by woodwork, and on the exterior
circumference of the tube (see Plan, Fig. 1) a system of wheels is attached
which gives it a velocity of ten revolutions per minute. When the mechanical
washer is reduced in size, as in Fig. 2, A, B, it is better to put in the place of
the pivot at each extremity on the circumference a bevel pulley turning on
four rollers fixed on the framework, as seen in Plan No. 2. The diameter of
the machine can be reduced to the smallest dimensions. The holes at the end
of the tubes, the number of troughs, their size and slope, may of course vary
on account of the quantity or difficulty of the substances to be washed, but
the principle of the machine remains the same. Ventilation can be adapted
to this machine; in that case wind must supply the place of the water in
driving before it dust and other light matters. Heat can also be applied for
heating or drying any substance in a regular and progressive manner.
Fig. 1, A, a tube of sheet iron, the envelope of the washer.
39
B, twenty-four lines of troughs.
وو
25
C, cap at the end of the tube were the matters are introduced,
having a hole of four feet and a half in diameter.
D, cap at the outlet end of the tube having a hole three feet ten
inches in diameter.

page_text: E, pivots fixed at each end of the apparatus.
F, framework, with cushions and brackets, for supporting the pivots
of the tubes.
G, slope for the introduction for the matters to be washed.
H, slope pierced with holes for receiving the matters washed.
I, cog work on the circumference for communicating movement.
K, plan of the interior of the tube showing the position & slope
of the troughs.
L, longitudinal section of the troughs.
M, section of the apparatus according to the line A, B.
2, N, tube of sheet iron for a washer, being one yard in diameter and
six yards in length.
O, the entrance for the matters to be washed.
P, the outlet of the matters washed.
Q, bevel pulley fixed on the outer circumference of the washer.
R, section of the washer according to the line A, B.
S, rollers on which the tube turns by means of the pulley Q.
T, framework supporting the apparatus.
U, the communicator of movement.
witness whereof, I, the said Jozé Luis, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.