Improvements in or relating to Apparatus Applicable for Washing Sand and other Granular or Fragmentary Materials.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 31st Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1888
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus Applicable for Washing
Sand and other Granular or Fragmentary Materials.
1, JAMES STEWART GARDNER of 71 Uxbridge Street, Edgehill near Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:
-
The object for which my invention was primarily designed was to wash sand for
filtering and other purposes, and at the same time separate the finer particles, which
are comparatively useless for purposes of rapid filtration, thus dispensing with the
usual separating operation after washing.
It will be obvious that by the system hereinafter described, particularly for washing
sand for purposes of filtration, that the particles are not subjected to a harsh or
grinding influence (such as would occur by a purely mechanical washing effect, and
therefore tending to take off the sharp points of the granules), but are cleansed
by the friction of the particles against each other in a yielding medium with
the least appreciable reduction of the particles, which constitute the mass as a
whole.
Now I wash the sand, or other granular, or fragmentary matter, by means of a
mixed upward current of air and water. The water by this means can rise compara-
tively slowly, and yet the particles can be violently agitated, and the finer ones carried
upward to the overflow by the ascending current of air.
I carry out this idea in the following manner:-
The washing chamber, preferably cylindrical or prismatic, or slightly conical or
pyramidal, increasing in size to the top, is preferably hung upon trunnions, placed not
far from its centre line of gravity, for convenience of emptying. Through the
trunnions the air and water respectively pass to the bottom of the vessel or chamber,
the whole of course hanging vertically when at work. One or both trunnions are
preferably fitted with a worm wheel and worm, or other gearing, for turning the
vessel over when required. The air and water are preferably brought in at different
points one, (say the air) in the centre and the water at a series of points concentric
with the air,entry, other arrangements of entrances can be adopted.

page_text: Over the air entrance and under an adjustable false bottom in the washing chamber
is placed an adjustable baffle plate. The false bottom can be perforated, or otherwise
not covering the entire area, and can be of any desirable shape, such as flat dome
shaped or conical in centre. Against the baffle plate, the current of air impinges and
is thereby broken up into streams and bubbles, and is enabled to ascend all round as
well as in the middle.
The introduction of air and water or either of them into the washing chamber may
be variously accomplished, and I do not confine myself to any particular method, nor
as to whether the effect be intermittent, continuous, or regulated.
Round the top or overflow end of the vessel, I place a screen with an overflow
channel beneath, with pipe or pipes, which will take away the overflow water with
its dirt and fine particles, and convey it to the waste water settling tank, or run
it to waste according to circumstances. Over the top of the overflow screen (to
prevent splashing), a cap is preferably fixed dipping down into the overflow
channel.
It will be obvious that with different materials to be washed, different modifications
generally must be adopted.
Thus in some cases, the vessel could be made stationary and not hung on trunnions,
and the material could be placed in the washing chamber in nets or cages, which are
capable of being withdrawn for cleaning.
Dated this 1st day of April 1887
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Apparatus Applicable for Washing
Sand and other Granular or Fragmentary Materials.
אן
I JAMES STEWART GARDNER of 71 Uxbridge Street Edgehill Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS OR RELATING TO APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR WASHING SAND
AND OTHER GRANULAR OR FRAGMENTARY MATERIALS, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The object for which my Invention was primarily designed was to wash sand for
filtering and other purposes and at the same time to separate the finer particles which
are comparatively useless for purposes of rapid filtration thus dispensing with the
usual separating operation after washing.
It will be obvious that by the system hereinafter described particularly for washing
sand for purposes of filtration that the particles are not subjected to a harsh or grinding
influence (such as would occur by a purely mechanical washing effect and therefore
tending to take off the sharp points of the granules) but are cleansed by the friction
of the particles against each other in a yielding medium with the loast appreciable
reduction of the particles which constitute the mass as a whole.
Now I wash the sand or other granular or fragmentary matter by means of an
upward current of mixed air and water. The water by this means can rise compara-
tively slowly and yet the particles can be violently agitated and the finer ones carried
upward to the overflow by the ascending current of air.
I carry out this idea in the following manner :-
The washing chamber preferably cylindrical or prismatic or slightly conical or
pyramidal increasing in size to the top-is preferably hung upon trunnions placed
not far from its centre line of gravity. Through the trunnions the air and water
respectively pass to the bottom of the vessel or chamber the whole of course hanging
vertically when at work. One or both trunnions are preferably fitted with a worm
wheel and worm or other gearing for turning the vessel over when required. The
air and water are preferably brought in at different points one (say the air) in the
centre and the water at a series of points concentric with the air entry other
arrangements of entrances can be adopted.
Over the air entrance and under an adjustable false bottom in the washing chamber
is placed an adjustable baffle plate. The false bottom can be perforated or otherwise
not covering the entire area and can be of any desirable shape such as flat dome shaped
or conical in centre. Against the baffle plate the current of air impinges and is
thereby broken up into streams and bubbles and is enabled to ascend all round as well
as in the middle.
The introduction of air and water or either of them into the washing chamber may
be variously accomplished and I do not confine myself to any particular method nor
as to whether the effect be intermittent continuous or regulated nor as to the
temperature in particular cases.

page_text: Round the top or overflow end of the vessel I place a screen with an overflow
channel beneath with a pipe or pipes which will take away the overflow water with its
dirt and fine particles and convey it to the waste water settling tank or run it to
waste according to circumstances. Over the top of the overflow screen (to prevent
splashing) a cap is preferably fitted dipping down into the overflow channel.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of an apparatus constructed
according to my Invention. Fig. 3 is a plan of the plate which supports the false
bottom and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the apparatus shown tilted forward for convenience
in emptying.
a designates the vessel in which the materials to be washed are placed in this case
the vessel a is shown cylindrical in form and slightly larger in diameter at the top
than at the bottom. The vessel a is suspended upon hollow trunnions bbl supported
in standards or pedestals c; water under pressure is supplied through the trunnion b
pipe d and branch pipe d' to the chamber a¹ at the bottom of the vessel a and air
under pressure is supplied through the trunnion and pipe e which is preferably
connected centrally to the bottom of the vessel a as shown. Any suitable arrange-
ment of valves may be employed for regulating the volume of air and water
admitted.
The top of the chamber a¹ above referred to is formed by a plate or gallery / shown
detached in Fig. 3 the central portion of which is solid and acts as a deflector against
which the air issuing from the air pipe e impinges. The plate or gallery ƒ constitutes
a support for the false bottom g which may be a wire net work or a plate the outer
portion of which is perforated with holes of any degree of fineness to suit the
material to be washed; above the solid portion of the plate f is secured a sheet metal
or other cone which is intended to prevent the air escaping to the surface making a
core through the material in the vessel a and also to guide the displaced material back
again to the perforated surface of the false bottom which perforated surface acts as
a washing table. The sides of the vessel a may or may not be perforated near the
top and on the top of the vessel a is placed a movable cap or cover made either of
perforated metal or of a frame covered with wire gauze; the dirt and fine particles
are carried through the perforated portion of the sides or through the cap h by the
upward current of air and water into an overflow trough or channel which is secured
on the outside of the vessel a. A float the stem of which is guided by the cover h
acts as a guide to direct the dirt and fine particles through the perforations in the
sides of the vessel a or in the cap or cover into the overflow channel i from
which the said dirt and particles with the water are carried off by the four pipes i¹.
The cap or cover can be readily removed at any time for filling or emptying
purposes.
A worm wheel is fixed on the trunnion and a worm with a bandle is carried
in an arm c¹ of the pedestal c so that by turning the handle the worm turns the
worm wheel and the vessel a can be gradually tilted as shown in Fig. 4 and emptied
of its contents.
Any suitable arrangement of apparatus for supplying water and air under pressure
through the trunnions and the pipes d d and e to the interior of the washing
vessel a may be employed. A cock m worked by a lever is fitted at the bottom of
the vessel a by means of which the water may be drained off before emptying the
vessel.
It will be obvious that for different materials to be washed and separated different
modifications in the form of the washing vessel and in the arrangement of its parts
may be adopted. Thus in some cases the apparatus could be held stationary instead
of being swung upon trunnions or it could be made portable and would thus be easily
movable. Again for washing grain coal etc. the vessel may be of a form suitable for
producing a continuous delivery and the details may be varied in other ways without
departing from the nature of my said Invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
1 claim is :-
1. In machinery or apparatus for washing sand and other granular or fragmentary
materials the use and application of an upward current or currents of air and water
for the purpose of washing and cleansing said materials and separating the finer or
lighter particles from the coarser or heavier particles substantially in the manner
herein described with reference to the Drawings annexed.
means for
2. The combination with a washing vessel of suitable form, of
supplying air and water under pressure to the bottom of said vessel whereby the
ascending current or currents of mixed air and water agitates and cleanses the sand
or other granular or fragmentary material at the same time separating the finer or
lighter particles from the coarser or heavier particles substantially as herein described
and as illustrated by the Drawings.
3. The construction combination and arrangement of parts embodying my
improvements in or relating to apparatus for washing sand and other granular or
fragmentary materials substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
as illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 30th day of December 1887
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for Applicant.