and other Matter and Substances.
Year: 1888

page_text: and other Matter and Substances.
1 GEORGE FREDERICK THOMPSON of 16 Cicely Street Liverpool, E. in the County
of Lancaster, Flour & Rice Milling Engineer and Architect do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a machine or apparatus for the purpose of separating Dust
and other matter and substances from currents of air withdrawn from Machines, in
Corn, Flour, Rice & other Mills, by attenuation or rarefaction of the said dust-
laden currents of air, and precipitation of the particles of dust or other matter held
in suspension, while the said air is at atmospheric pressure or any pressure exceeding
same, and for the classification and continuous collection of the said dust and other
matter & substances so precipitated and separated from the air.
The objects of my said invention are (1) to reduce the fire risk in Corn Flour &
other Mills, by removing the liability of dust laden air while at atmospheric or any
exceeding pressure to ignite and explode. (2) To obviate the necessity for the use
of all filtering mediums of fabric, grain or other substances, and the danger attending
the accumulation of dust laden air in a state of compression caused thereby.
(3) By removing all obstructions to the passage of the said currents of air withdrawn
from the machines enable the said machines to accomplish more & better work.
(4) To effect a more thorough separation of dust from air, by rarefaction or attenuation
of the said air, than can be effected by any method of straining or filtering the air
at atmospheric or any greater pressure, and to prevent the loss of dust and other
matter & substances through imperfect separation.
My said machine or apparatus consists of a rectangular or square Box, Chamber
or Room of any convenient size, divided into a number of passages or channels by
one two three or more, horizontal floors and a number of vertical longitudinal partitions,
openings being formed or left in the said floors & partitions in such positions as to
allow of communication from one passage to the next at the same, or at alternate ends
of the said Box or Chamber & the partitions & floors so arranged as to give a
slightly increasing area to each succeeding passage or channel,

page_text: The Trunks or passages conveying the dust-laden air from the machines or other
parts of the mill are brought & connected to the first or inlet passage which may be
at the top or bottom of the said Box or Chamber and the said air caused to travel in a
serpentine direction or line through all the passages or Channels in the said Box or
chamber, being finally withdrawn by a powerful Exhaust Fan connected to the
last or outlet passage of the said Box; the increase of area in each succeeding passage
in my said Box or Chamber causes the air to become more & more attenuated or
rarefied as it passes along & to travel much slower in the last than in the first
passages, thus allowing of the release & precipitation of all particles of dust or
other matter; the dust so deposited upon the bottoms of the several passages is drawn
to one end of the said Box or Chamber by self acting continuous scrapers worked by
endless chains or bands, and the dust so collected from each floor or passsage may be
kept separate or mixed together as desired.
I may employ my said Box or Chamber for the precipitation and collection of two
or more distinct & separate classes of dust or other light material in which case I
shall make it in one two or more sections and exhaust each section separately or
exhaust all sections together by one large Fan.
I may also use my said apparatus for the sorting & classification & precipitation
of materials heavier than dust, such as the feeds & bye-products in Corn & other
Mills.
Wah1000

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Sorting, Precipitating, and Collecting Dust
and other Matter and Substances.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK THOMPSON of 29 Newstead Road, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Milling Engineer and Mill Architect 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 :-
My invention relates to a Machine or Apparatus for sorting or classifying and
separating from air, dust and other matter and substances held in suspension thereby,
by rarefaction or attenuation of the said air, thereby reducing its density and flotative
or sustaining power and by intercepting at various points the flow of the said air, and
dividing or splitting it up into a number of small streams by such means as to set up
a series of eddies, cause the particles of dust and other matters to be released and to
precipitate or fall by natural gravitation.
My said Machine or apparatus is for use in Corn, Flour, Rice and other Mills,
Manufactories, or other places where it is required to separate from air, dust and other.
matter withdrawn thereby from machines, parts of machines, machine rooms or
elsewhere, and for purifying the said air, by rarefaction and precipitation of the dust
& other matter and substances held in suspension while the said air is at normal
atmospheric or any exceeding pressure.
My said Machine or Apparatus consists of a rectangular or square box, chamber, or
room, of uny convenient size, constructed of wood, iron, brick or other suitable material,
divided into a number of passages, or channels by one, two, three or more horizontal
floors or shelves, & one, two, three or more vertical longitudinal partitions, placed in
between the said floors, or shelves, openings being provided in the floors at one end
and in the partitions at the other end of the said box or chamber for the passage of
the air from one division to the next, the said floors and partitions are so arranged or
disposed as to give a gradually increasing sectional area to each succeeding passage
from the inlet to the outlet of the said box.
In the said passages of my said Apparatus I place a number of inclined V or U
troughs of wood, tin or other suitable material, attached to the top part of the said
passages, or carried in other convenient manner, arranged either singly, or in groups
of 2, 3 or more, and so placed that their apices meet the current of air for the purpose
of splitting up or dividing the said air into a number of thin streams, which in
passing the said troughs, eddy over the edges of same and deposit dust therein, which
runs down and falls upon the said floors and is continually removed together with the
other precipitated dust, by endless chain creepers which scrape the dust to one end of
the said chamber or box.
Upon the several floors in my said Apparatus I place a number of pivoted or.
hinged flaps, of wood or other suitable material, arranged to lift up and allow the
aforesaid scrapers to pass beneath, for the purpose of intercepting the lower stratum of
the body of air in its passage, and by so retarding same, cause the beavier particles of
dust and other matter carried thereby, to fall.

page_text: The dust or other matter deposited upon each succeeding floor of my said box or
chamber, as the air traverses same, is finer and lighter than that precipitated on the
preceding floors, the dust or other matter so sorted or classified may be drawn off
from each floor, or division separately, or all may be allowed to mix together.
A powerful exhaust Fan or other exhauster is attached to, or connected with my
said box or chamber for the purpose of continuously withdrawing the air from same,
and setting up a partial vacuum therein, and the influx of the dust-laden air thereto is
regulated or throttled by means of a valve, or a number of valves, for the purpose of
obtaining the required degree of rarefaction or attenuation necessary for the release
and precipitation of the dust or other matter, or purification of the air admitted to the
said box or chamber.
I may use my said Apparatus in connection with a number of machines, or in direct
combination with single machines, or parts of machines, such as Purifiers, Aspirators
or other machines employing or utilizing air currents, or machines from which air is
exhausted, by forming an air rarefying and dust precipitating chamber combined with,
or attached to one or more of the machines as aforesaid.
I may also modify and adapt my said Apparatus and employ the principle for the
purification, by rarefaction, and precipitation, of air contaminated or charged with
particles of organic or other matter and disease germs, or microbes, by passing the
said impure air through my said Apparatus and subjecting it to high rarefaction by
attenuation, thereby causing the precipitation of all matter and substances held in
suspension by the said air while at atmospheric pressure, or any pressure exceeding
same, for the purpose of purifying air admitted to, or withdrawn from, Hospitals
or Institutions of like nature, or to any building, room, or enclosed place, where a
number of persons are congregated, such as schools, works, factories, public halls and
other places; I may also fumigate the air so purified, or charge with fumes, or pass
through a spray of any suitable evaporative fluid, or other disinfectant, either before
or after, or both before and after, being rarefied.
"
I may also use my said Apparatus for purifying air charged with chemical, lead, or
other "fume or fumes, employing the same principle viz., rarefaction by attenuation,
and interception of the current, for separating & for precipitating the "fume" or
particles of matter, & for purifying the said air.
Figs. 1 and 2. upon the sheet of drawings appended hereunto are elevation and
plan respectively of my said Machine or Apparatus, in which A is the inlet passage
provided with an equilibrium valve for throttling or regulating the admission of the
dust-laden air. B to B are the several passages; . C. C. are the said V or U shaped
slanting troughs; D. D. D. are the said hinged flaps; E. E. E. E. are the continuous
creepers for scraping the dust to the end of the said chamber where it is received
by the worm F to be conveyed where desired. G is a powerful exhaust fan for with-
drawing the air and maintaining a partial vacuum within the chamber. Fig. 3 is a
modification of my said Apparatus adapted for the sorting and precipitating of
dust and other matter and substances in which the material to be sorted and
precipitated is placed in the hopper G and " fed " or caused to fall in a
stream in front of the openings to the passages B, the intensity of the currents
of air drawn through the several openings being regulated by the valves F.
the air being exhausted in the same manner as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is another
modification of Fig. 1. in which the dust-laden air is admitted to a number
of passages
simultaneously and the opening to each governed by a separate
valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An Apparatus for the purpose of classifying and separating from air dust
and other matter and substances floating therein, and sustained thereby while
at atmospheric or any exceeding pressure, in which the separation from the
air and precipitation of the dust and other inatter and substances is effected

page_text: or accomplished by rarefaction or attenuation and interception of the said air,
and by reducing its density, impair or destroy its flotative or sustaining power
to hold in suspension such particles of dust or other matter or substances,
thereby allowing the same to fall or precipitate by natural gravitation, sub-
stantially as herein set forth & described.
at-
2. In a machine or apparatus for the purpose of separating from air, dust
and other matter and substances by rarefaction and interception of the said
air and precipitation of the said dust etc., the method of rarefying or
tenuating the said dust-laden air admitted thereto, for the purpose of
impairing or destroying its flotative or sustaining power and thereby allow the
said dust and other matter and substances to precipitate or fall by employing
a powerful exhaust fan, or other means or mechanism designed and arranged to
withdraw the air in greater volume than the said dust-laden air is admitted to
the said Apparatus & thereby set up and maintain a partial vacuum within
the said Apparatus, substantially as herein set forth and described.
3. In a machine or apparatus for separating from air dust and other matter and
substances, by rarefaction or attenuation and interception of the said air, and
precipitation of the dust etc. the method of throttling or regulating the admission
of the dust-laden air by means of one adjustable valve placed in the inlet to
the initial passage, or by a series of adjustable valves arranged to govern the
admission of the air to each of the several divisions or passages, substantially as
herein set forth and described.
4. In a machine or apparatus for separating from air dust and other matter and.
substances by rarefaction or attenuation and interception of the said air & precipitation
of the dust etc., the arrangement of floors and partitions for the purpose of causing
the current of air to travel to and fro upon each floor and to pass through the several
floors from one level to the next at one end only of the said box or chamber, leaving
the other end free for the withdrawal of the dust precipitated and collected, substan-
tially as herein set forth and described.
5. In a machine or apparatus for separating from air, dust & other matter and
substances by rarefaction or attenuation and interception of the said air and pre-
cipitation of the said dust etc., the arrangement and construction of the inclined V
or U troughs in the several passages and the method of placing the same at intervals,
singly or in groups, for the purpose of intercepting and dividing the current of air
into a number of streams and causing same to eddy, for the purpose of releasing and
depositing dust, substantially as heroin set forth and described.
6. In a machine or apparatus for separating from air, dust and other matter and
substances, by rarefaction or attenuation and interception of the said air and precipita-
tion of the dust etc., the construction and arrangement of the hinged or pivoted Haps
placed at intervals upon the floors for the purpose of retarding the lower part of the
body or current of air and intercepting the dust or other matter etc., carried along
thereby, substantially as herein set forth and described.
Dated this 12th day of November 1888.