Improved Arrangement for Sorting and Loading Coal or other Mineral.
Year: 1897

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 17th day of May 1898.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Arrangement for Sorting and Loading Coal or other
Mineral.
LOUIS MADDOX FLINT, Chapel Terrace, Ripley. Nr. Derby. Engineering
Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The use of endless travelling bands for picking, sorting and cleaning coal or
other mineral offers great facilities, but hitherto the methods of loading either
involve considerable labour or costly appliances for reducing the work of loading.
When railway trucks or other vehicles are made to run alongside and parallel to
the endless band, the coal or other mineral is in some cases lifted from the band or
belt and deposited in the truck by hand, thus making the work of loading more
laborious and costly than it should be; and where shoots are provided the founda-
tions on which the travelling band and framework are carried prevent the trucks
or vehicles being brought sufficiently near to the band, and so cause the shoots to
be heavy and of a shape difficult and costly to manufacture.
My invention has for its object the avoidance of the before mentioned objections,
and although more particularly adapted to those cases where the movement of the
trucks or vehicles are parallel to the band it can by suitable modifications here-
after described, be made applicable to those cases where the motion of the trucks
is at right angles to the band or belt.
The whole framework of the travelling band and that which carries the pick-
ing and loading floor is supported on Columns on girders, so as to afford a clear
and unobstructed space under the band and floors, so that the trucks or other
vehicles may run underneath the travelling band for the whole length, if desired.
The loading of the coal or other mineral can be done on one or both sides of the
travelling band, but I shall first describe the improved method as applied to an
endless travelling band loading from one side only.
The travelling band is of any usual construction, but instead of being directly
supported underneath, it is carried on framework forming longitudinal girders,
supported at intervals by transverse girders; these transverse girders being
preferably carried by the Columns supporting the roof, and spaced at a distance
not less than that of one of the trucks or vehicles to be loaded. At the side of the
longitudinal framework is secured a straight fixed inclined shoot, set at such an
angle that the coal or other mineral removed from the endless band and deposited
thereon will slide gently down the lower end of this fixed shoot is kept at such a
height above the rail or floor level to allow a loaded truck or vehicle to pass under-
neath clear of the lower end of the shoot. Any coal or other mineral falling from
the lower end of the fixed shoot into an empty truck or vehicle would have to fall
a considerable distance, or about six feet, and would be broken and deteriorated

page_text: in quality and value, and to avoid this breakage, I provide a movable shoot formed
of a flat bottom and straight sides, but suspended in a novel and peculiar manner
in order to effect the operation of loading with as little breakage as possible.
When the movable shoot is at its lowest position for the delivery of the coal or
other mineral, on the floor of the truck or other vehicle, the upper end of the
movable shoot projects a few inches under, and as close as possible to the lower end
of the fixed shoot; the two combined shoots forming a continuous spout at or
about the same inclination throughout.
The movable shoot is hinged at its upper end to a pair of levers carried on
fulcra above the bottom of the fixed shoot, the said levers by an extension being
capable of vibration in a vertical plane. To the opposite end of the shoot, and on
each side, are attached two chains fixed to and coiled on two barrels, which barrels
are both keyed to a shaft placed overhead, the said shaft also being fitted with a
brake wheel and brake for holding the shaft and drums in any desired position;
a third drum is provided on which is coiled a chain suspending a counterweight,
which weight is somewhat in excess of and opposes the weight of the end of the
movable shoot.
The operation of loading is conducted as follows: a truck placed in position for
loading, the brake is released for the counterweight to raise the lower end of
the movable shoot to nearly but slightly below a horizontal position, and then the
brake is applied to the brake-wheel. Coal is removed from the endless band, and
sliding down the fixed inclined shoot is deposited on the movable shoot, and when
a sufficient quantity of the mineral is collected on the shoot, the brake is released,
and the weight of the coal or mineral being in excess of the counterbalance, the
shoot descends, and the mineral slides down and is delivered into the truck or
vehicle. The counterweight then returns the shoot for a further supply, and this
operation is continued until the truck or vehicle is loaded to such a height that the
coal or other mineral will no longer descend the movable shoot. The vibrating lever
from which the upper end of the movable shoot is suspended is then thrown over
and secured, thus moving the upper end of the movable shoot so far horizontally
and vertically as to clear the end of the fixed shoot, and enable the loading of the
truck or vehicle to be completed by the fixed shoot. The opposite end of the
movable shoot is raised clear of the truck or vehicle and the mineral therein by
means of the counterweight and chains as before described.
When loading is done from both sides of the travelling band, the width of the
picking bands usually adopted is not sufficient to allow two trucks to be brought
sufficiently close together for the trucks to be central with the loading shoots and
for such cases I prefer to remove the shoots horizontally to a sufficient distance
from the picking band to deliver into the trucks or vehicles, and insert a horizontal
plate or table between the upper end of the fixed shoot and the picking band, so
that the Coal or other mineral may be drawn from the picking band on to the table
before being delivered into the loading shoots. This arrangement may be also
used for existing picking hands directly supported underneath by metal work or
masonry, but for new machinery, I prefer to adopt the arrangement first described.
I prefer also that the fixed shoot should incline downwards in the direction of
the moving vehicles, and in certain cases I place a shorter fixed shoot inclined
in an opposite direction, and delivering on to the lower end of the longer fixed
shoot, the single vibrating shoot serving for both, and by this method another
loader can be employed for the same truck or vehicle.
It will also be obvious that my improved movable and vibrating shoot can also
be used in conjunction with fixed inclined shoot standing at right angles with
the picking band. Also the bottoms of the fixed shoots may be formed of screen
bars, and have hoppers underneath to receive any small coal removed from the
picking band.
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page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improved Arrangement for Sorting and Loading Coal or other
Mineral.
LOUIS MADDOX FLINT Chapel Terrace, Ripley, Derby Engineering Draughts-
man, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the arrangement for sorting and load-
ing coal or other minerals into railway trucks or other vehicles, and by means of
which, the coal is delivered with less breakage and labour than by many methods
now in use.
The accompanying eight sheets of drawings show three examples of the use of
my apparatus as applied to loading railway trucks, but the apparatus can be
applied to other vehicles and boats without departing in any way from the purpose
of this invention.
Hitherto the methods of loading from travelling bands or conveyors, either
involve considerable labour, or the appliances for reducing breakage and the
labour of loading are expensive to manufacture.
When railway trucks or other vehicles are made to run alongside and parallel
to the endless band, the coal or other mineral is in some cases lifted from the band
or belt and deposited in the truck by hand, thus making the work of loading more
laborious and costly than it should be; and where shoots are provided, the founda-
tions upon which the travelling band and framework are carried, prevent the
trucks or vehicles being brought sufficiently near to the band, and so cause the
shoots to be heavy and of a shape difficult and costly to manufacture.
My invention has for its object the avoidance of the before mentioned objections,
and is designed as shewn by Sheets 1 to 8, and although more particularly adapted
to those cases where the movement of the trucks or vehicles are parallel to the
band, it can be made applicable to those cases where the motion of the trucks is
at right angles to the band or belt.
Sheets 1, 2 and 3 show respectively Elevation, Plan and Cross section of a
travelling band fitted with my invention, and illustrates the application to both
sides of the band or conveyor on Sheet 3: but for the purpose of this specification,
the shoots on one side only, as shewn on Sheets 1 and 2, are described.
A is the travelling band supported by girders b which girders are, in turn,
supported by Columns C; this arrangement giving an unobstructed space under
the band and floor, as shewn on Sheet 3, so that the trucks d can pass underneath:
attached to the sides of the band are small tables e and e, and connected at the
outer edges of these tables are two straight inclined fixed shoots f and f₁. The
table e₁ and shoot fare supplementary only and are for the purpose of enabling
a larger quantity of material to be dealt with, or for coal that requires more dress-
ing and cleaning than usual.
At the lower end of the fixed shoot f is shewn a movable shoot G. which can
be vibrated at its upper end where attached to a pair of levers h keyed on a
shaft carried in suitable bearers above the bottom of the fixed shoot f, the said
levers by an extension h, being capable of being moved and adjusted in a vertical
plane.
To the opposite end of the shoot G, and on each side, are attached two chains J
and J, fixed to and coiled on two barrels K and K, which barrels are keyed to a

page_text: shaft L placed overhead, the said shaft also being fitted with a brake wheel,
drum, and brake M, shewn more completely on Sheet 6, for holding the shaft L
and drums K and K, in any desired position.
Upon the drum and brake wheel M is coiled a chain suspending a counter-
weight M₁, which weight is somewhat in excess of, and opposes the weight of the
end of the movable shoot.
The operation of loading is conducted as follows:-A truck being placed in
position for loading, the brake is released for the counterweight M to raise the
lower end of the movable shoot G to nearly, but slightly below a horizontal position,
and then the brake is applied to the brake wheel M to fix the shoot G in that
position. Coal is removed from the endless band A and sliding down the fixed
inclined shoot f is deposited on the movable shoot G, and when a sufficient
quantity of the mineral is collected upon the shoot, the brake is released and the
weight of the coal or mineral being in excess of the counterbalance the shoot G
descends and the mineral slides down and is delivered into the truck or vehicle.
The counterweight then returns the shoot for a further supply and this opera-
tion is continued until the truck or vehicle is loaded to such a height that
the coal or other mineral will no longer descend the movable shoot G. The
vibrating lever h, h₁ from which the upper end of the movable shoot Gis
suspended is then thrown over and secured in the position h, thus moving the
upper end of the movable shoot G to the position G₁, so far horizontally and
vertically as to clear the end of the fixed shoot f, and enable the loading of the
truck or vehicle to be completed by the fixed shoot f. The opposite end of the
movable shoot is raised clear of the truck or vehicle and the mineral therein by
means of the counterweight and chains as before described.
The trucks are arranged to travel in the direction shewn by the arrows <
so that in the event of the movable shoot being partially lowered, the trucks in
moving will simply lift them up without causing damage.
Sheet 1 also shows a supplementary fixed shoot f₁ inclined in the opposite
direction to G and fixed shoot f, and by the use of a hopper N below the fixed
shoot f, the shoot f may be fitted with bars to form a screen.
Sheets 4 and 5 show respectively Cross Section and Plan of shoot f on one side
of the band or conveyor, and attached to the side, without the intermediate table e
as shewn by Sheets 1, 2 and 3.
The action and purpose of the movable shoot G is as before described.
Sheets 6, 7 and 8. show respectively Elevation, Plan and Cross Section illustrating
the application of the movable shoot G to existing bands or conveyors directly
supported underneath by metal work, or masonry, and where the height from
Rail level to the top of the band does not permit of the use of a fixed shoot.
The alternative plan of using a worm P and worm wheel 1', for revolving the
shaft on which the levers h, h₁ are keyed is shewn on Sheets 6, 7 and 8, and it is
obvious that this worm gear may also be substituted for the extension of the lever h
shewn on Sheet 1, if so desired.
The same letters are used on all the Sheets 1 to 8 to refer to identical parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I. would have it
understood that I am aware of Stevenson's Specification No. 7441 of 1892, and
I do not claim anything described or claimed therein, but I declare that what I
claim is:
(1) For the purpose of loading coal or other minerals, the employment of
movable centres for the vibrating shoot G so placed that the said vibrating shoot
can be swung clear to position G₁, Sheet 1, to enable the loading of a truck or
vehicle to be completed by the fixed shoot f as shewn.
(2) For the purpose aforesaid, the use of the straight fixed shoot f, or shoots f
and f, in combination with the vibrating shoot G suspended from movable centres.
as shewn on Sheets 1 and 6.

page_text: (3) The combination for the purposes aforesaid of the movable centres of vibra-
tion with the arrangement for counterbalancing the vibrating shoot G as described
and illustrated.
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