IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING, SEPARATING AND PURIFYING COAL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY GEORGE FAIRBURN of 222 Cowbridge Road, Cardiff in the County
of Glamorgan South Wales, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING, SEPARATING AND PURIFYING
COAL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES to be as follows:-
To make this class of machinery more efficient, continuous in its action, dispensing
with settling tanks, avoiding waste of water and enabling the automatic with-
drawal of the impurities without loss by the admixture of the Coal or other
substances to be washed.
The Machine consists of one or more chambers or bashes provided with a
perforated floor fixed horizontally about 3 feet from the top of the bash-On this
floor is placed in any convenient position a rim, ridge or sill of about 5 inches
high and so as to enclose a space of sufficient area to admit of small elevator
buckets working therein.
This space to be further enclosed by a bottomless casing or partition, the bottom
edge of which is fixed about 3 inches from perforated floor and about 4 inches
from either side of the projecting ridge or sill so as to leave sufficient space for the
shale, stones and other impurities to pass under the bottom edge of the casing and
over the ridge or sill or vice versa into the enclosure in which works the elevator
for their ultimate removal.
The casing itself is to reach from the level of the top of the bash to (as before-
described) a point 34 inches above the perforated floor.
In getting the Machinery ready for work the first time, it is necessary to place a
layer of shale or small stones about 4 inches thick all over the perforated floor; it is
then filled with water which receives a rapid pulsatory motion of about 150 beats
per minute from a piston worked horizontally, or otherwise under the perforated
Hoor inside the tank, and coupled to a piston rod direct, or by a connecting rod
worked at right or other angles from the cross head guide block of a steam, water
or any other motive power Engine.
The Coal or other substance to be operated upon can be crushed, screened or
divided if required-It is then continuously supplied by any suitable means to the
washing bash, and as the washing and parting of the Coal from its impurities takes
place by gravity the heavier substances descend to the perforated floor and thero
Pine 71

page_text: they increase in height from 4 inches to about 5 inches, that is to say sufficiently
high that when aided by the pulsatory motion given to them by the water, they
pass or flow over the projecting ridge or sill placed as before described on the
perforated floor and under the lower edge of the bottomless casing or partition or
vice versa into the space allotted for their reception and whence they are afterwards
removed by the Elevator or revolving buckets provided for the purpose or otherwise
and discharged into trains, railway wagons or otherwise without manual labour
supervision or attention of any kind.
The pure Coal having been separated from impurities rises to the surface of the
water in the bash, and is taken up by a number of revolving buckets which are
perforated on the back only, and which work slowly along the surface of a hollow
perforated catchwater, fixed at an angle of the same inclination beneath them-
This catchwater is partly exhausted of air, which frees the water from the Coal by
suction, and the Coal is discharged into trucks or into a drying Machine for further
treatment.
The water which is lifted by the buckets along with the Coal, is collected by the
Catchwater, and carried back by a shoot, and used to force the incoming dry and
dirty Coal under the surface of the water in the bash, thereby setting up a perfect
circulation which carries the washed Coal or other substance to the discharging
buckets working at the opposite end of the bash, thereby dispensing with settling
tanks, water pumps &-The bottom edge of the bottomless casing or partition
being imbedded to about 2 inches beneath the surface of the diaphragm of shale
and other impurities effectually prevents the passage of the Coal or other washed
substances into the space allotted for the reception of the stones or shale, that is
within the casing, since the Coal being of less specific gravity cannot pass down
through the diaphragm of stones like the mud and other finely divided impurities
which latter not being able to roll or flow over the projecting ridge pass through
the shale and perforated floor into the mud chamber beneath, where it is retained,
the circulation being stopped by fixed partitions placed therein in suitable directions
for that purpose, and as the stroke of the agitating piston is much less than the
depth of the shale and stones and other impurities on the perforated floor the foul
or muddy water is by this means kept from mixing with that in the washing bash
.-The liquid mud is continuously discharged as the washing proceeds by a small
adjustable valve, and the water in the bash being maintained at a given height by
a self-acting arrangement.

page_text: I, HENRY GEORGE FAIRBURN, of 222 Cowbridge Road, Cardiff, in the County of
Glamorgan, South Wales, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WASHING, SEPARATING AND PURIFYING
COAL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in Machinery for Washing,
separating and purifying Coal and other substances, from stones, shale, clay, mud or
dirt, and also for making this class of Machinery more efficient, continuous in its
action, dispensing with settling tanks, avoiding waste of water and enabling the
automatic withdrawal of the impurities, without loss of Coal or other substances
operated upon For these purposes a Machine consisting of one or more chambers
or washing bashes is provided with a perforated floor of any suitable material, which
is fixed horizontally about three feet from the top of the chambers or washing
bashes.
On the said perforated floor I place or fix in any convenient position, rims, ridges
or sills, made of any suitable material, of about five and a half inches high-Then,
I further place or fix a bottomless casing or partition, supported by standards, the
bottom edge of which said bottomless casing or partition is about three and a half
inches from the perforated floor, and about four inches from either side of the rims,
ridges or sills-These rims, ridges or sills, in combination with the bottomless casing
or partition, are so placed or fixed as to form a space of sufficient area to admit of
elevator buckets working therein, and so as to leave space for the stones, shale and
other impurities to pass over the outside rim, ridge or sill, and underneath the
bottom edge of the bottomless casing or partition, and then over the inside rim,
ridge or sill, which is placed or fixed in the enclosed space above mentioned, and in
which work elevator buckets, or other suitable means, for the ultimate removal of
the stones, shale and other impurities.
As before-mentioned, the bottomless casing or partition is supported on standards,
or otherwise, about three and a half inches above the perforated floor, from which
springs the bottomless casing or partition to a level with the top of the washing
bash.
When the Machinery is first started it is necessary to place a layer or diaphragm
of shale or small stones about four inches thick all over the perforated floor; the
washing bash is then filled with water to about six inches from the top, and receives
a rapid pulsatory motion of about one hundred and fifty beats per minute from a
piston worked horizontally, or otherwise, underneath the perforated floor inside the
mud tank, or chamber, and this piston or pistons are coupled to a piston rod direct,
or to a connecting rod worked at right or other angles from the cross-head guide
block of a Steam, Water, or any other motive power Engine, thereby obtaining a
double stroke of the agitating piston rod for each single stroke of the piston of the
motive power.

page_text: The Coal or other substances to be operated upon, can be crushed, screened or
divided, if required, before they are put into the washing bash.
They are then continuously supplied to the washing bash by any suitable means,
and as the washing and parting of the Coal and other substances from their
impurities take place by gravity, the heavier substances descend to the perforated
floor, and there they increase in height from four inches, to about five and a half
inches, that is to say, sufficiently high that when aided by the pulsatory motion
given to them by the water, they pass or flow under the lower edge of the bottomless
casing or partition, and over the projecting rim, ridge or sill, placed as before
described on the perforated floor, when the stones, shale, and other impurities drop
into the space allotted for their reception, from whence they are afterwards
removed by elevators, revolving buckets, or other means provided for that purpose,
or otherwise, and are discharged into trams, railway wagons or other conveyances,
without manual labour, supervision, or attention of any kind.
The pure material having been separated from impurities, rises to the surface of
the water in the bash, and is then skimmed or picked up by a number of revolving
buckets, which are perforated on the back only, and which said buckets work
alowly along the surface of a hollow catch water, perforated on the top side, and
fixed at an angle of the same inclination beneath them-This catch water is partly
exhausted of air which extracts the water from the Coal by suction, after which the
Coal is discharged in a damp stato into trucks, or into a drying Machine for further
treatment.
The water which is lifted by the elevator buckets along with the Coal or other
material, is collected by the catchwater as it is exhausted, and is then carried back
by a shoot, and is used to force the incoming dry and dirty material, under the
surface of the water in the washing bash, thereby creating a perfect circulation,
which carries the washed Coal or other cleansed substances to the discharging
buckets working at the opposite end of the washing bash, thereby dispensing with
settling or filtering tanks, and centrifugal or other pumps, and the like.
The bottom edge of the bottomless casing or partition, being imbedded to about
two inches bencath the surface of the diaphragm of shale and other impurities, it
effectually prevents the Coal or other washed and purified substances, from passing
into the space allotted for the reception of the Stones or shale, and the small coal
also being of less specific gravity, it cannot pass down through the diaphragm of
stones in the same manner as the mud and other finely divided impurities, and as
the latter pass through the shale and the perforated floor in the bottom of the
washing bash, they fall into the mud chamber beneath, where they are retained, the
circulation being stopped by fixed partitions placed therein, in suitable positions for
that purpose.
The stroke of the agitating piston being much less than the depth of the shale,
stones, and other impurities on the perforated floor, the foul or muddy water is by
this means prevented from again mixing with the cleaner water in the washing
bash The liquid mud is continually discharged as the washing proceeds, by a
small adjustable valve fixed in the bottom of the mud chamber, and the water in
the washing bosh is maintained at a given height by a self-acting float or other
arrangement.
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 is
1. Projecting rims, ridges or sills of about five and a half inches high, placed or
fixed on the perforated floor of the washing bash, in combination with a bottomless
casing or partition, the bottom edge thereof being about three and a half inches
above the perforated floor, and about four inches from either side of the projecting
rims, ridges or sills, and so placed as to enclose a space in which shall work elevators,
revolving buckets, or other means, for the purpose of removing the stones, shale, or
other impurities collected therein, after their extraction or separation from the Coal

page_text: or other substances operated upon-Also this bottomless casing or partition, in
combination with one or more of the rims, ridges or sills before-mentioned.
2. Placing or fixing the Agitating Cylinder and Piston, or Cylinders and Pistons,
in the sides or ends, horizontally or otherwise, of the washing bash or bashes and
beneath the perforated floor, so as to work two washing bashes from one and the
same piston, and enabling several pistons to be fixed on the same rod so as to work
several pairs or sets of bashes from the same piston rod.
3. To give motion to the Agitating pistons and piston rod, by means of a
connecting rod worked at right or other angles, from a cross head or other guide
block, of a Steam, Water, or other motive power Engine, thereby obtaining a double
stroke of the Agitating piston rod, for each single stroke of the piston of the motive
power.
4. A perforated catchwater or shoot, partly exhausted of air, for the purpose of
extracting the water by suction, from the wet coal or other substances, as they are
slowly travelling over such perforated catch water or shoot, in combination with
suitable perforated, or porous buckets, until the Coal or other substances reach the
point at which they are discharged.
5. Fixed partitions placed-in the mud chamber, for the purpose of retaining the
mud and other impurities extracted from Coal and other substances, and for
preventing their circulation back again into the washing bashes.
Finally, I would have it clearly understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details herein described, as the same may be somewhat modified without
departing from the principles of my said Invention; neither do I claim any of the
mechanical parts herein described, except when the same are employed in and for the
purposes of my said Invention; but what I do claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is, the mechanical arrangement and combination of the several parts in the
manner and for the purposes herein-before set forth and described.
Tad this terminth day of Tanner 198K