IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING THE FINER AND COARSER PORTIONS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hicken, of Dunchurch, and James Hopewell, of
Rugby, both in the County of Warwick, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING THE FINER AND COARSER PORTIONS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hicken and James
Hopewell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th July
1880.
THOMAS HICKEN, of Dunchurch, and JAMES HOPEWELL, of Rugby, both in the
County of Warwick. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING
THE FINER AND COARSER PORTIONS OF LIME, CEMENT, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES."
Our Invention relates to a mode of and apparatus for separating the coarser and
finer parts of ground cement, lime, and other pulverised or granular substances.
According to our Invention the substances to be separated are deposited on a
travelling surface, and are projected therefrom to distances varying according to
the size and weight of the particles.
The form of apparatus we prefer to employ is an endless apron travelling at a
high speed on drums and guide rollers, on which apron the limo or cement, after
being burnt and ground as usual, is deposited from a hopper. At this point the
edges of the apron are slightly raised by passing over inclined guide rollers, so as
to prevent the substances spreading too near the sides of the apron. After travelling
upon this apron in a horizontal or slightly inclined direction for a convenient
distance, the direction of motion of the apron is suddenly changed by passing over
a drum or roller, and the cement or other substance continuing its motion in the
same direction is thrown off, the heavier and coarser particles, by reason of their
greator momentum, being projected farther than the rest, whilst the finer particles
are projected to lesser distances, and the fino dust which may cling to the apron
being removed by a brush. The different grades or qualities thus separated are
received in appropriate receptacles.
The apron may also serve the purpose of a conveyor for transporting tho lime,
cement, or other substances from one part of the works to another.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Hicken and James Hopewell in the Great Seal Patent Offico
on the 12th January 1881.
THOMAS HICKEN, of Dunchurch, and JAMES HOPEWELL, of Rugby, both in the
County of Warwick. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING
THE FINER AND COARSER PORTIONS OF LIME, CEMENT, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES.”
Our Invention relates to a mode of and apparatus for separating the coarser
and finer parts of ground cement, lime, flour, and other pulverised or granular
substances.
According to our Invention the substances to be separated are deposited on
a travelling surface whereby they are carried forward at a certain velocity,
and projected to distances varying according to the size and weight of the particles.
The form of apparatus we employ is an endless apron travelling on drums and
guide rollers, on which apron the lime or cement, after being burnt and ground as
usual, is deposited from a hopper. At this point the apron is slightly troughed
by passing over inclined guide rollers at the sides, so as to prevent the substances
spreading too near the sides of the apron. After travelling upon this apron, which
may move in a horizontal or slightly inclined direction for any convenient distance,
the direction of motion of the apron is suddenly changed by passing over a drum
or roller, and the inertia of the coment or other substance-causing it to continue
its onward motion in the same direction it is thrown off, the heavier and coarser
particles being projected proportionately farther than the finer and lighter particlos
by reason of the greater momentum of the former overcoming, to a greater extent,
the resistance of the air. The fine dust which may cling to the apron is removed
by a brush. The different grades or qualities thus separated are received in
appropriate receptaclos.
The apron may at same time serve the purpose of a conveyor for transporting
the lime, cement, or other substance from one part of the works to another before
separating the different grades as above described.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation, and Figure 2, a plan illustrating in
outline tho above described apparatus for separating pulverized or granular
substances.
A is the endless band or apron travelling in the direction of the arrows, and
passing around drums B, B', to the shaft of one of which power is applied from a
motor shaft; b, b, are rollers upon which the horizontal part of the apron is
supported under the weight of the load upon it; 6' are guide rollers; C is a shoot
through which the ground cement or other substance is supplied from a hopper or
other receptacle above, the shoot C being inclined in the direction in which tho
band travels in order that the cement or other substanco may acquire a horizontal
velocity, approaching that of the band at the moment of being deposited thereon;
D, D, are inclined guide rollers beneath the apron at each side, in passing over
which the edges of the apron are slightly raised, as shown, so as to trough the
apron at this point; E, E¹, E², E³, are a series of hoppers or receptacles placed in
succession in line with the apron A and at some point below the level of its upper
These
surface, preferably entirely below the level of the drum B' as shown.
hoppers are inclined downwards towards the front where they are provided with
spouts so as to clear themselves.
F is a brush held in contact with the surface of the apron at a point where it
passes round the underside of drum B¹ whereby the fine dust that adheres to the

page_text: surface of the band is swept off and falls into the first hopper E immediately
beneath the said drum B. The material deposited on the upper surface of the
apron and carried forward by it is thrown off as the apron passes round drum B',
and the different grados to be separated are projected to various distances pro-
portionate to the momentum of the particles, and are received in the different
hoppers E', E, Es, as indicated by the arrows.
The speed at which the apron travels should generally be about eight feet per
second, but may vary more or less according to the nature of the material to be
separated.
When from any cause the speed of the apron is liable to variation, it is desirable
to adjust the hoppers E, E¹, E³, ES, at a greater or less distance from the drum B¹,
so that they shall always receive the same grade of material notwithstanding any
irregularity in the speed of the band. This is conveniently accomplished by
providing the said hoppers with adjustable shelving boards g connected with and
adjusted by a governor G driven from the shaft of drum B', as shown in separato
elevation at Figure 3, the said boards being so mounted above the hoppers as to be
capable of being moved towards or from drum B¹, and thereby virtually shift the
mouths of the hoppers according to the varying velocity of the apron.
The boards g are all connected to a frame g' so as to be moved together, which
frame rests on rollers 92, 93, and is connected by a rod with the sliding sleeve on
the governor spindle, so as to be shifted to and fro with the rise and fall of the
governor balls.
Having described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing the
same, wo declare that what we claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The mode of and combination of apparatus for separating the coarser and finer
parts of ground cement, lime, flour, and other pulverulent or granular substances by
projecting the said substances through the air, substantially as herein described and
shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Hicken and James Hopewell, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.