Improvements in Rotary Tipplers for Discharging Coals over Screens and Cleaning Belts, and in the Novel Application of Endless Tramway for the Automatic Transport of the Debris therefrom.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Tipplers for Discharging Coals over
Screens and Cleaning Belts, and in the Novel Application
of Endless Tramway for the Automatic Transport of the Debris
therefrom.
We, WILLIAM OUTTERSON WOOD of South Hetton in the County of Durham
Mining Engineer and CUTHBERT BURNETT of Fallowfield, South Hetton,
aforesaid Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Rotary tipplers for discharging the coals upon the screening apparatus have
hitherto been made to be driven by two plain pulleys in frictional contact with
the circular ends of the tippler, the pulleys are placed below one at each end and
their positions relatively with the guiding pulleys are so arranged that the whole
or nearly the whole weight of the tippler and its contents rest upon the said pulleys.
This arrangement not being positive there is more or less slip of the periphery
which becomes worn and indented more particularly at the starting point. We drive
it by positive gearing and provide means for instantaneous stopping and starting.
The positive driving gear we prefer to use consists of an endless chain from a
lower driving pulley passing round a sprocket rim at one end (or it might be at
both ends,) of the tippling frame or we may employ tooth gearing.
The said driving wheel is on one side provided with a friction clutch which can
engage with a sliding friction wheel by preference fitted with a friction ring, the
said ring, being set against the sides of the clutch or released therefrom by means
of a wedge and connecting rod the latter with the sliding piece working on a
feather on the shaft and provided with a clutch lever. On the friction clutch is
provided a brake band which by suitable lever connections can be actuated so as to
bring the apparatus quickly to rest after disengagement of the friction clutch. The
same lever serves first to ease and liberate the brake strap and next to put the
friction clutch into gear to rotate the tippler.
In the opposite movement the clutch is first disconnected and then the brake
applied and this is effected automatically a suitable arrangement is as follows.
To the hand lever is connected a rod having at its end a wedge which passes
through a slot in a socket. This latter is jointed to a horizontal arm of the clutch
lever, the latter passing down and terminating in a fork. The horizontal arm is
continued on the other side of the fulcrum and is there provided with a weight (or
spring). The lower end of the socket comes against an arm proceeding from the
fulcrum of the brake strap lever. In the upper end of the aforesaid socket a rod
is made to slide which is jointed to a lever on a weigh shaft which also carries a
tappet lever. On the tippler frame is provided a cam or roller which when the
frame returns into its original position strikes and depresses the tappet lever
thereby also depressing the horizontal arm of the clutch lever and disconnecting
the clutch. The next moment the bottom end of the socket comes in contact with
the brake lever and tightens the brake band thus stopping the rotation of the clutch
body and the chain wheel thereon and the tippler rotated therefrom. The tub is
now emptied and another full tub pushed in thereby pushing out the empty one.
The hand lever is now pushed over whereby wedge is withdrawn and the weight
causes the brake to be liberated and the clutch put into gear so that the tippler is
rotated again. As soon as the cam or roller has passed the end of the tappet lever,
the hand lever by means of a weight or spring is carried over and the wedge
pushed through the slot or socket to a determined position. This raises the tappet
lever ready to be again depressed on the return of the cam or roller referred to
when the tippler will again be brought to rest.

page_text: Should it be desired to stop the tippler at any part of the rotation the hand lever
may be pushed back until a stop on the wedge rod jointed thereto comes in contact
with an arm passing down from the tappet weigh shaft and applies the brake.
Or we may perform this operation by means of a treadle rod provided with a
stepped catch plate to hold it in position. This treadle rod is jointed to a weighted
three armed lever to which is jointed a rod that passes through an eye on the
aforesaid down arm on the tappet weigh shaft. When a stop on the just named
rod comes against the eye the brake is applied.
The coals from the tippler are discharged onto and over a screen which has
either fixed or mechanically operated bars (the latter form being known as the
"jigging" screen) and thence on to a travelling belt on which the coals as they are
carried along are cleared by hand and finally discharged over the outer end of the
belt into trucks. (Or the tippler may discharge direct upon the belt and the screening
be carried out at the other end of the belt.)
For the purpose of dealing with the refuse we surround the cleaning belt with
an endless tramway passing along each side the side parts being united by half
circular end parts. The tramway carries at suitable intervals tubs with lateral
discharge spouts towards the outer side. These tubs are connected to and carried
along by stops on an endless rope (or chain) which by suitable guide pulleys is led
to and around a driving pulley.
The necessary tension of the driving rope may be obtained in any well known
manner. We prefer to obtain it by a loaded car or truck placed on inclined rails.
Some of the tubs on the tramway are painted one colour and the others another
colour or they are otherwise marked to distinguish their use riz. one set for receiving
bad coal and the other for receiving stone or the general design and arrangement
of the tubs may be varied. Shoots are provided at intervals for automatically
receiving their respective contents. If stone only is to be separated one shoot may
suffice.
The tubs are at the end caused to rise on a sloping part of the tramway so that
they of their own accord descend upon and pass round the half circular end of the
tramway and then remain stationary until caught by the next stop on the driving
rope.
Instead of the above we may connect the tubs by means of coupling rods or
chains, and instead of the rope or chain and driving wheel, a short creeper or other
analogous arrangement might be used.
Instead of discharging into trucks direct we may deliver on to a suitable
tray or belt for the purpose of having the good coal detached from the debris.
By our arrangement we greatly diminish the width of the belt house the floor is
freed from the objectionable heaps of debris, and the expense and labour of handling
it a second time are dispensed with.
Dated this 12th day of Moab 1901
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Tipplers for Discharging
Coals over
Screens and Cleaning Belts, and in the Novel Application
of Endless Tramway for the Automatic Transport of the Debris
therefrom.
1, WILLIAM OUTTERSON WOOD of South Hetton in the County of Durham,
Mining Engineer and CUTHBERT BURNETT of Fallowfield South Hetton afore-
said Engineer, 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 :-
Rotary tipplers for discharging the coals upon the screening apparatus have

page_text: hitherto been made to be driven by two plain pulleys in frictional contact with
the circular end of the tippler such pulleys being placed below, one at each
end and their position relatively to the guiding pulleys being so arranged that
the whole or nearly the whole weight of the tippler and its contents rests
upon the said driving pulleys. This arrangement not being positive there is more
or less slip on the periphery of the tippler ends which become worn and indented,
more particularly at the starting point.
Now according to our invention we drive the rotary tippler by positive gearing
of any suitable form and provide means for instantaneous stopping and starting.
The positive gear we prefer to use consists of an endless chain from a lower driving
pulley passing round a sprocket wheel rim at one end (or it might be at both ends)
of the tippler frame. We may however also employ tooth gearing or endless belt
or other suitable positive gearing. The said driving sprocket wheel is provided
with a friction clutch which can be made to engage with and be disengaged from a
wheel sliding on a feather on a rotating driving shaft by means of a wedge and
actuating handle or clutch lever. In connection with the clutch we provide a
brake which by suitable lever connections serves to bring the apparatus quickly to
rest after disengagement of the friction clutch. The same lever may serve to case
and liberate the brake and next to put the friction clutch into gear to rotate the
tippler. In the opposite movement the clutch would be first disconnected and then
the brake applied and this automatically.
In the accompanying drawings we illustrate a suitable construction of rotary
tippler constructed according to our invention Figure 1 being a side view Figure 2
an end view Figure 3 a side view from the opposite side and Figure 4 a plan.
a is a sprocket wheel fixed on or cast solid with one end ring al of the rotary
tippler (or such a sprocket wheel might be applied at each end of the tippler).
The tippler is supported on 6 wheels or it might be 4 wheels. is an endless
driving chain passing round the sprocket wheel a and round a sprocket wheel c
on a friction clutch d which runs loose on the rotated driving shaft e but can
be put in driving connection therewith by means of the box or boss d¹ which is
free to slide on one or two feathers on the shaft e. f, f, 2 is a three-armed lever
one arm having a fork end or jaws with a ring or pair of blocks which work
between flanges on the box d', another arm being provided with a counter
weight (or it might be a spring) which tends to hold the boss d¹ in gear with
the clutch d, and the third arm being by double eye and pin jointed to a box or
socket g.
Through the latter passes a wedge h which at one end by a rod i
is connected to the clutch lever j, and at the other end provided with a spring_k.
The lower end of the socket g comes against an arm 7 proceeding from the
fulcrum of the brake strap lever, having arms and q to which the strap is
connected.
x
In the upper end of the socket g enters a rod 1 which is jointed to a lever m
on a weighshaft n which also carries a tappet lever o. On the tippler frame is
provided a cam p or roller which when the frame returns into its original
position strikes and depresses the tappet lever o thereby also depressing the
horizontal arm of the clutch lever and disconnecting the sliding boss d' from
the clutch d. The next moment the bottom end of the socket g comes in
contact with the army of the brake lever and tightens the brake band q' thus
stopping the rotation of the clutch body d and the chain wheel c thereon and
the tippler rotated therefrom. The tub is now emptied and another full tub
pushed in thereby pushing out the empty one. The attendant then pulls over
the lever and thereby withdraws the wedge thus shortening the distance
between the lever m and the lever by a distance equal to the taper of the
wedge or at least sufficient to permit the weighted arm f' to fall and carry with it
the arm and clutch boss d¹ so as to put it into gear with the clutch d and causing
the tippler to rotate. In a second or two the cam p will have passed the end
of the tappet lever o whereupon the attendant releases the lever ; and the wedge h
is returned into its in-position by the spring k, and simultaneously the tappet

page_text: lever o is raised into its up-position, and when the camp comes round again it
depresses the lever o and disengages the clutch thus bringing the tippler into a
condition of rest. But it is important that the tippler should stop at a fixed mark,
and this is effected by the brake which as explained is put into action when the
socket is depressed and put out of action when the wedge is withdrawn and
the socket g raised. Thus the brake is on when the clutch is out of gear and the
brake is off when the clutch is in gear and the tippler rotating.
Should it be desired to stop the tippler at any part of its path of rotation the
hand lever may be pushed back until a stop on the wedge rod i comes in contact
with an arm from the tappet weigh shaft n and applies the brake. Or we may as
here shown perform this operation by means of a treadle rods provided with
stepped catch s¹ and plates to hold it in position. This treadle rods is jointed to
a weighted three armed lever t t t to which is jointed a rod that passes through
an eye on the aforesaid down arm m' on the tappet weighshaft n.
When a
stop on the rod u comes against the eye of the arm m', the arm m and rod / with
box are depressed and the brake applied. This foot treadle arrangement is con-
venient for making an examination of the tub and also for taking out of the tub
any pieces of timber or rails which may be detected whilst the tub is being tipped.
Fig. 5 is an end view and Fig. 6 a vertical longitudinal section of a tippler end
ring a provided with a tooth wheel rim a which by an intermediate wheel and a
pinion c on the friction clutch on the driving shaft e can be driven therefrom by
clutch gear as in the previous example. The tooth wheel rim a can be shifted
round on the rim a¹ one of them being provided with oblong slots a* for the
purpose of making up for the extra wear which takes place in the teeth at the
point of starting.
The driving shaft may be overhead instead of underneath.
The coals from the tippler may be tipped on to the belt direct or into a suitable
hopper and thence fall on to a screen which has either fixed or mechanically
operated bars (the latter form being known as the jigging screen) and thence onto
a belt on which the coals as they are carried along are cleaned by hand and finally
discharged over the outer ends of the belt into trucks. Or the tippler may
discharge direct upon the belt and the screening be carried out at the other end of
the belt.
For the purpose of dealing with the refuse we surround the cleaning belt with
an endless tramway passing along each side, the side parts being united by half
circular end parts. The tramway carries at suitable intervals tubs with lateral
discharge spouts towards the other side. These tubs are connected to and carried
along by stops on an endless rope (or chain) which by suitable guide pulleys is led to
and around a driving pulley. The necessary tension is preferably obtained by a loaded
car or truck placed on inclined rails. Shoots are provided at intervals for receiving
the contents of the tubs. Or one shoot may suffice if stone only is separated.
Those tubs which receive the bad coal are distinguished from those which receive
stone by different colours or in any other striking manner.
The tubs are at the
end caused to rise on to a sloping part of the tramway so that they of their
own accord descend upon and pass round the half circular end and then remain
stationary until caught by the next stop on the driving rope.
Figure 7 is a side view continued from one sheet to another and Figure 8 a
plan similarly continued, of a tramway thus arranged.
Figure 9 is a vertical transverse section of same and
Figure 1 an end view of the driving gear for the tubs and for the jigging
screen.
A is the endless tramway on which the tubs B are drawn along by the endless
rope C which is provided at regular intervals with ferrules or other stops the tubs
being fitted with forked guides which at the root are but slightly larger than the
rope and which catch against the ferrules. The tramway has half circular ends as
shewn. There sufficient rise at each end as shewn in Figure 7 to cause the tubs
to gravitate around the ends on to the other straight side road whereupon the

page_text: rope C by means of one of the stops engages with the tub B and carries it forward
to the other end where it rises again, and on commencing to gravitate the tub
passes under the rope C which at intervals is held up by pulleys marked X
and the tub runs round the end and back on to the first named straight side
where it is again caught by a stop on the rope C and so on for all the tubs.
Where two kinds of debris are to be picked out the tubs for the stone may be
painted say red and those for bad coal painted black. Two or more shoots Fare
provided for receiving the debris of the two kinds. When one of the black tubs
arrives at say Fit is caused to tip its contents therein and thence into the wagon
below in the well known manner. But the following tub would be so arranged
that it would not tip its contents until it arrived at the next shoot F. Instead
of the bad coal being discharged into wagons D it might be discharged on to au
endless belt or apron for giving facility for picking out some remaining good
coal.
The rope C which may suitably have a travelling speed of about 15 or 20 feet
per minute passes round guide pulleys E at each end of the tramway and around
the pulley G and the pulley H the shaft of which may receive its motion by wheel
gearing from the quickly rotating driving shaft 1. To provide the necessary
tension we may as shown pass the rope C round a pulley K which is attached to a
small loaded or heavy carriage K', which runs on sloping rails.
Lis the jigging screen and M the endless belt upon which it discharges and
which are both driven by straps and pulleys from the shaft N.
Instead of raising the tramroad on one side at each end we may unite the tubs
by links or rods so as to form one continuous or endless train of tubs. In such
case we may use one or two creepers driven by suitable gearing or endless rope
for propelling such a train but we prefer the rope driving arrangement hereinbefore
described and shown as the simpler form.
The present mode of dealing with the stone and other impurities is generally to
throw the same into heaps on the floor and at the end of the working shift to raise
the refuse from the floor on to the travelling cleaning belt to carry it along and
discharge it into wagons placed at the end of the belt. Coal cleaning belts are
however sometimes constructed with a channel in the centre extending the whole
length of the belt into which the stone is placed, and such channel is called the
stone channel. At the end of the belt is a small hopper projecting through the
shoot at the end of such belt, into which said hopper the stone is automatically
discharged, from the hopper it passes into a spout and is delivered into a wagon.
This arrangement of stone channel is however impracticable in the case of belts
constructed with a jib end (as in our recent Patent) by which arrangement the end
of the belt is carried into or over the truck or wagon into which the clean coal is
being delivered.
Now according to our invention and as an alternative arrangement to the tubs
and endless tramway we use a separate belt or belts or conveyors arranged one or
two as may be required, on each side of the coal cleaning belt. Thus as shewn in
the transverse vertical section Fig. 11 the said belts may be placed above the floor
level of the belt house or below the same if desired. M is a central coal cleaning
conveying belt, and A¹ A' are belts respectively for bad coal and for stone.
Instead of placing the stone on one belt and the bad coal on the other, the whole
of the debris might with greater advantage in some cases be placed on the nearest
of the two belts where the good coal could conveniently be detached and thrown
on to main belt and the worthless coal and pyrites, stone &c. could be thrown on
to the other belt. These belts may be run in the same direction or in opposite
directions to each other as the circumstances in each case may suggest.
When the belts A¹ and A² are placed below the floor level as shewn in the
transverse vertical section Fig. 12 and used as conveyors only, the bad coal and
stone will be passed down suitable boxes or openings P³¹ P' conveniently combined
and arranged.
By our aforesaid systems we greatly diminish the width of belt house, free the

page_text: floor from the objectionable heaps of refuse, and dispense with the labour and
expense of handling it a second time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
First. Driving rotary tipplers by chain and sprocket wheels or other positive
gearing while providing means for instantaneous braking and starting substantially
as set forth.
Second. The construction of combined breaking and starting gear for rotary
tipplers substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 of the accompanying
drawings whereby when the clutch for starting is in gear the brake is out of action
and vice versa.
Third. The combination with the gear firstly and secondly claimed of a treadle
for stopping the tippler at any part of its rotary path substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The construction of chain driving gear and wheel driving gear for
rotary tipplers as described and shown.
Fifth. The system of dealing with refuse material from mined coals consisting of
an endless tramway passing along the sides of the cleaning belt and around its ends,
tubs provided with spouts for discharging to the outer side and adapted to run on
the tramway, means for propelling them thereon up one side, round to and back
on the other side and round to the first named side and so on continuously as
required, and shoots at intervals for receiving the discharge from the tubs and
emptying same into wagons substantially as set forth, also the alternative
arrangement described with reference to Figs. 11 and 12.
Sixth. The construction of tramway described with reference to the drawings.
Seventh. In a system as fifthly claimed the employment of sets of tubs for
carrying different kinds of refuse such as stones and bad coals the sets being
distinguished by different colours or other marks, together with shoots adapted to
receive each kind substantially as set forth.
Dated this Fourteenth day of December 1891.
By JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.