Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Coal or other Material from a Higher to a Lower Level.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 14th Oct., 1889-Accepted. 16th Nov.. 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Coal or other Material
from a Higher to a Lower Level.
I, LEWIS HENDERSON BALLANTINE, of Borrowstounness, in the County of Lin-
lithgow, Scotland, do hereby declaro the nature of my invention to he as follows
My present invention relates more especially to the spiral shoot for which I
obtained Royal Letters Patent, dated November 23rd A.D. 1887, and numbered 16,081.
It has for its objects improvements upon and in connection with a helical shoot of
the kind described in the specification of the said Letters Patent, by which improve-
ments the apparatus is simplified, and cheaper in cost, and is capable of more general
application than in my former invention.
The helical shoot or conductor, is described in my said former specification as being
built in a spiral form with spiral openings between the turns, and being suspended
from a hoisting chain so that it can be raised or lowered as desired to suit the height
at which the coals or other materials are to be discharged from the bottom of the
shoot. A guide is described fastened round the outside spiral frame of the shoot and
working upon or against a fixed guide or revolving castor or roller so that as the
shoot is raised or lowered it is also turned round to a corresponding extent, so that the
spout or shoot through which the coals or other materials are delivered into the upper
part may always remain in its proper position between two successive turns of the
helical or spiral conductor.
The arrangement described is likely to be sometimes ineffective on account of the
small angle which the helical guide makes with the fixed guide or roller, and one part
of my present invention consists in fixing a central vertical bar or rod above the upper
part of the helical shoot, such bar being formed with a helical groove or feather round
it, corresponding in pitch with that of the shoot itself.
This helical groove or feather passes freely through a corresponding nut or guide in
a fixed frame above, which frame is so supported that it cannot turn round. When
therefore the shoot is raised or lowered it is made at the same time to revolve to a
corresponding extent, so that the end of the stationary directing spout or shoot through
which the coals or other material are supplied to its upper part, always remain in the
proper position between two adjoining turns of the helical shoot.
Pulleys may be arranged upon the upper supporting frame described, round which
suspending ropes or chains pass and have the upper end of the shoot suspended to
them, and their ends may be brought to any convenient point where they are con-
nected to a crane or winch.
I sometimes omit the fixed guide or nut and the central bar with the helical groove
or feather, but 1 make the suspended shoot capable of turning upon its vertical axis,
and when it is raised or lowered I turn it round simultaneously by hand or other
convenient power so that the supply spout always remains in its proper position as
already described.
The entire suspending apparatus may be carried upon a turntable or other device of
the like kind, by which the position of the helical shoot can be altered as may be
desired.
Where the helical shoot is not to be suspended but is to be used as a fixed sheet it
lower end always remaining at the same level, I construct the helical shoot or passage
in the same way as the suspended shoot, but I fix it to a suitable foundation or sup
port, the supply spout remaining permanently in position at or near the upper end of
the helical shoot, and, the materials which pass down being delivered either at the
bottom, or at any intermediate points where openings may be made for its delivery:

page_text: The materials may be delivered not only from a single supply spout or shoot at the
top but from one or more intermediate ones at different heights.
The outer side of the helical shoot may be cased in, with metal, wood, or other
suitable material.
Dated this 12th day of January 1889
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Coal or other Material
from a Higher to a Lower Level.
1, LEWIS HENDERSON BALLANTINE, of Borrowstounness in the County of Lin-
lithgow, Scotland, Draper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to he performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawing, that is to say :-
My present invention relates more especially, to the spiral shoot for which I
obtained Royal Letters Patent, dated November 23rd A.D. 1887, and numbered 16,081.
It has for its objects improvements upon and in connection with a helical shoot of
the kind described in the Specification of the said Letters Patent, by which improve-
ments the apparatus is simplified, and cheaper in cost, and is capable of more general
application than in my former invention.
The helical shoot or conductor is described in my said former specification as being
built in a spiral form with spiral openings between the turns, and being suspended
from a hoisting chain so that it can be raised or lowered as desired to suit the height
at which the coals or other materials are to be discharged from the bottom of the
shoot.
A guide is described fastened round the outside spiral frame of the shoot and
working upon or against a fixed guide or revolving castor or roller so that as the
shoot is raised or lowered it is also turned round to a corresponding extent, so that
the spout or shoot through which the coals or other materials are delivered into the
upper part may always remain in its proper position between two successive turns of
the helical or spiral conductor.
The arrangement described is likely to be sometimes ineffective on account of the
small angle which the helical guide makes with the fixed guide or roller, and one part
of my present invention consists in fixing a central vertical bar or rod above the upper
part of the helical shoot, such bar being formed with a helical groove or feather round
it, corresponding in pitch with that of the shoot itself.
When
This belical groove or feather passes freely through a corresponding nut or guide
in a fixed frame above, which frame is so supported that it cannot turn round.
therefore the shoot is raised or lowered it is made at the same time to revolve to a
corresponding extent, so that the end of the stationary directing spout or shoot
through which the coals or other material are supplied to its upper part always
remains in the proper position between two adjoining turns of the helical shoot.
Pulleys may be arranged upon the upper supporting frame described, round which
suspending ropes or chains pass and have the upper end of the shoot suspended to
them, and their ends may be brought to any convenient point where they are con-
nected to a crane or winch.
The central guide or nut through which the bar having the helical groove or feather
passes may be made capable of being raised or lowered as desired, without turning
round, so that the helical shoot is caused to revolve.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention. Figure 1 is a side
view of a shoot, figure 2 a vertical section through the same, figure 3 a horizontal
section on the line B, and figure 4 a horizontal section on the line CD. The
helical shoot itself is shewn at a, built in the way described. is the central vertical

page_text: rod or bar, having the helical groove or feather c round its upper part, and passing
freely through the corresponding nut or guide which is shewn suspended by ropes
or chains e by which it can be raised or lowered. is a bar passing through a guide
at by which the guide d is prevented from turning round.
As explained the nut or guide d may be fixed, the shoot a being raised or lowered by
the ropes or chains e.
I sometimes omit the fixed guide or nut d and the central bar & with the helical
groove or feather, but I make the suspended shoot capable of turning upon its vertical
axis, and when it is raised or lowered I turn it round simultaneously by hand or other
convenient power so that the supply spout always remains in its proper position as
already described.
The entire suspending apparatus may be carried upon a turntable or other device
of the like kind, by which the position of the helical shoot can be altered as may be
desired.
Where the helical shoot is not to be suspended but is to be used as a fixed shoot, its
lower end always remaining at the same level. I construct the helical shoot or
passage in the same way as the suspended shoot, but I fix it to a suitable foundation
or support, the supply spout remaining permanently in position at or near the upper
end of the helical shoot, and the materials which pass down being delivered either at
the bottom, or at any intermediate points where openings may be made for their
delivery. The materials may be delivered not only from a single supply spout or
shoot at the top but from one or more intermediate ones at different heights.
The outer side of the helical shoot may be eased in, with metal, wood, or other
suitable material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In combination with the helical shoot, the central bar having a helical groove or
feather of corresponding pitch, and the nut or guide d substantially as described
and shewn.
2. In combination with the nut d, the guiding device f, g, substantially as and for
the purpose described and shewn.
3. The method of raising and lowering the shoot a, or the nut d, substantially as
and for the purpose described and shewn.
4. The suspended helical shoot capable of being raised or lowered, and of being
turned round simultaneously by hand or other power, substantially as described.
5. The fixed helical shoot, having one or more delivery openings at its bottom or
sides, and one or more supply spouts or shoots at the top and sides, substantially as
described.
Detail this 10th day of October 1000
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Patentee.