Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Blocks of Com- pressed Coal-dust and Pitch or other Agglomerate, also of Clay, Cement, and similar Substances.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left 6th Dec. 1889-Accented. 6th Feb.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Blocks of Com-
pressed Coal-dust and Pitch or other Agglomerate, also of Clay,
Cement, and similar Substances.
We JULIUS FREDERICK MOORE POLLOCK of Longclose Works, Newtown, Leeds,
Yorkshire, Engineer, and GEORGE HENRY COLLINS of 3 Fairfax Place, Dartmouth,
in the County of Devon, Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
At the base of a mixer or pugmill of the usual description I employ a sliding bottom
in two parts connected in a special way by strips at the sides of the same. One of the
portions of this sliding bottom receives reciprocating motion from an eccentric crank
or cam on a main driving shaft actuated by gearing pulleys or other suitable method.
This portion is coupled to the other portion of the sliding bottom by bolts at each side,
but is not closely coupled, and the two parts are kept asunder by spiral or other
springs, so that in order to come together these springs have to be compressed. At
the opposite end of the sliding bottom from the crank, is fixed a weighted lever, the
short end of which carries an antifriction roller, against which the sliding bottom
comes at a certain part in such a way that if forced forward, the lever will be lifted,
and the sliding bottom will pass under the said roller a little distance. As it passes
under, a slight indenture receives the said roller, which therefore to a certain extent
retains the sliding bottom (i.e. The second part of it) in this position.
The operation is thus, the crank or eccentric being at extreme back of stroke the
two parts of sliding bottom are as far asunder as the bolts will allow and the space
between them forms a mould under the central portion of the pugmill, into which the
material to be compressed or moulded descends. As the crank rotates this mould full
of loose material, (kept open by the side springs) passes under a closed part of
the pugmill base, at which point the movable part of the sliding bottom comes
against the antifriction roller which resists its further progress: the eccentric or
crank at the same time continues to force forward the other portion of the sliding
bottom, thereby compressing the material enclosed in the mould, (of which the two
parts of the sliding bottom form the ends and (though not necessarily) sides-and
the fixed framework the top and bottom) until the compression is sufficient to lift the
weighted lever, the weight or spring, or resistance of this lever being regulated to
suit the amount of compression necessary. Passing then under the said roller, the
one portion of the sliding bottom is retained as above described, and the occentric or
crank brings back the other portion of the sliding bottom, thereby releasing the com-
pressed block, which either falls or is pushed down by a suitable lover above it, on to
a traversing belt or other convenient apparatus for removal from the machine. When
the space between the two slides is again open the side bolts cause the movable part
of the sliding bottom to overcome the resistance offered by the pressure of the lever,
and to return to the first position ready for another charge.
It is evident that the form of the mould can be varied, the corners rounded or
bevelled to meet the requirements of the case.
Partitions may also be inserted so as to make 2 or more blocks at once, and these
blocks may vary in size-so that one machine may produce several sizes at once.
The blocks may also be made perforated by the insertion of pins, and a suitable
adjustment of stroke to the different parts.
The sliding bottoms may be readily duplicated or such parts of them as are
necessary to give a machine a variety of moulds.
The weighted lever may be actuated by dead weight, spring-column of water-
compressed air, steam or other convenient resistance medium.
Dated this Fifth day of February 1889.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for the Manufacture of Blocks of Com-
pressed Coal-dust and Pitch or other Agglomerate, also of Clay,
Cement, and similar Substances.
We, JULIUS FREDERICK MOORE POLLOCK, of Longelose Works, Newtown, Leeds,
Yorkshire, Engineer, and GEORGE HENRY COLLINS, of 3 Fairfax Place, Dartmonth,
in the County of Devon, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly descrihol and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
At the base of a mixer or pugmill of the usual description and hereinafter called
a mixer we employ a sliding bottom in two parts connected in a special way by
slotted strips at the sides of the same. One of the portions of this sliding bottom
receives reciprocating motion from an eccentric, crank or cam on a main driving
shaft actuated by gearing, pulleys, or other suitable means. This portion is coupled
to the other portion of the sliding bottom by the slotted strips at each side, but
the two parts are not closely or rigidly coupled. At that end of the sliding bottom
further from the crank, is fixed a loaded lover, the short end of which may carry
an antifriction roller or have a hardened edge against which the sliding bottom
comes at a certain part of its travel in such a way that if forced forward, the
lever will be lifted, and the sliding bottom will pass under its short end a little
distance.
The operation is thus :-The eccentric crank or cam being at the extreme back of
its stroke the two parts of sliding hottom are as far asunder as the strips will allow
and the space between them forms a mould under the discharging aperture of the
mixor into which mould the material to be compressed or moulded descends. As the
eccentric crank or cam rotates, this loose material is caused to pass under a closed part
of the mixer base, at which time one of the movable parts of the sliding bottom
comes against the short end of the loaded lovor which resists further progress of the
said movable part; the eccentric crank or cam at the same time continues to force
forward the other part of the sliding bottom, thereby compressing the material
enclosed in the mould (of which the two parts of the sliding bottom form the ends and
sometimes though not necessarily the sides and the base of the mixer and fixed
framework the top and bottom respectively) until the compression is sufficient to lift
the loaded lever, the weight or spring, or resistance of this lever being regulated to suit
the amount of compression necessary.
Passing then under the short end of the lever the pressure of which at this time is
removed from the sliding bottom, the one part of the sliding bottom remains
stationary, and the eccentric, crank or cam brings back the other part of tho sliding
bottom, thereby releasing the compressed block, which either falls, or is pushed down
by a suitable pusher above it, onto a traversing bolt or other convenient apparatus for
removal from the machine. When the space between the two parts of the sliding
bottom is being again opened the side strips cause the movable part of the sliding
bottom to return to the first position ready for another charge.
It is evident that the form of the mould can be varied, and the corners of the mould
may be rounded or bevelled to meet the requirements of any particular case.
Partitions may also be inserted so as to make two or more blocks at onco, and
these blocks may vary in size, so that one machine may produce blocks of several
sizes at once.
The blocks may also be made perforated by the insertion of pins, and by a suitablo
adjustment of stroke to the different parts.
The sliding bottom may be readily made in several portions in such a manner
as will enable a variety of moulds to be formed with the machine to suit different
requirements.
The loaded lever may be actuated by dead weight, column of water, compressed air,
steam or other convenient resisting modium.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation and
Fig. 2 a plan, partly in section, of a machine according to this invention.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views showing certain parts of the machine at different
stages of the operation. In these views the bottom part of the mixer is shown in
cer tral vertical section and the parts 3 and 4 of the movable bottom are shown in
side elevation the strip next the observer being removed and the rivets that
connect it to part 4 as also the pin 7 which projects into the slot of the strip
removed being in section. The slot in the strip at the opposite side is indicated in
dotted lines.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the sliding bottom.
1 is the mixer in which revolves a shaft carrying stirring arms. The shaft is in
connection with a rotary hopper 1 driven by an external bevel wheel 1b which is
actuated by a pinion and pulleys of ordinary construction and not shown in the
drawings. A door 1 for clearing purposes is provided. The mixer is furnished at
its base with a discharge aperture 2 and at its upper part with a sight hole normally
close by a cover 1ª. 3 and 4 are the two parts of the sliding bottom. To the
part are secured two side strips 5, 5 each formed with a slot 6 into which extends
one end of a pin 7 carried by the part 3. The space 8 between the parts 3 and 4
forms a mould the ends of which are formed by the parts 3 and 4, the sides by the
strips 5, the top by the bottom of the mixer and the bottom by the frame 9 of the
machine. In the example shown, the top of the mould is formed by removable wearing
plates 10 and 11 secured to the base of the mixer. 12 is a cam secured to the driving
shaft 13 of the machine and arranged to act during a part of its revolution against ai
antifriction roller 14 carried by the movable part 3 of the sliding bottom and cause
this part to move from left to right. 15 is one arm of a lever against which the
cam 12 acts during another part of its revolution for the purpose of moving the
part 3 of the bottom in the reverse direction or from right to left, by the action of
the other arm 16 of the lever upon the antifriction roller 14.
By this arrangement the mould is rapidly opened and the sliding bottom quickly
returned to position to receive a fresh charge. The two extreme positions of the
lever 15-16 and the roller 14 are indicated in Fig. 1.
17 17 is a lever of peculiar construction herein referred to as the loaded lever.
It is made with or fixed to a shaft 17". Against the arm 17 acts a pressure plate 18
upon which bears a spring or springs 19 resisted above by an adjustable plate or
support 20. In the example the lever is formed thus
The central portion of the shaft 17" is larger than its ends: part of the enlargement
is cut away as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 so that the edge which is hardened, forms
the short end 17 of the lover against which acts the part 4 of the sliding bottom
which is faced with a hardened wearing plate 4. While passing under this lever the
part is supported by a transverse plate 4' fixed at each end to the framework of
the machine. Upon one end of the shaft 17 there is an arm 21 connected by an
adjustable link 22 to a rocking arm 23 that carries an antifriction roller 24 against
which a cam 25 on the driving shaft 13 acts, to remove the pressure of the
lever 17, 17 and spring or springs 19 from the part 4 of the sliding bottom,
when the front end of the compressed block arrives in a position corresponding with
that of the line a Fig. 4 so that the compressed block will be relieved of the great
pressure that would otherwise be necessary to cause the part 4 to pass under and in
contact with the short end of the lever 17, 17b and will only need to transmit
sufficient pressure to simply move the part 4 into the position shown in Fig. 5.
To receive the pressure of the spring or springs when the part 4 retires to the
position shown in Fig. 3 an extension 21 of the arm 21 is provided which at this
time comes in contact with a stop 21° fixed to the frame of the machine.
26 is a pusher actuated by a lever 27 tixed upon a rocking shaft 28 which at one
end carries a bell crank lever 29. One arm of this lever 29 carries a weight 30 and
the other arm is connected to one end of a rod 31 the other end of which is formed
with a step or shoulder 32 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, against which a pin

page_text: carried by the driving wheel 33 can act during a part of each revolution of this
wheel. The rod 31 when the piu passes out of contact with it is returned suddenly
to the left by the action of the weight 30. A pin 33 projecting eccentrically from
the driving shaft 13 carries a long pawl 34 and canses it to act upon a ratchet wheel 35
mounted upon a shuft 36 carrying a roller 36 by which an intermittent motion
is given to a delivery helt 37. Motion is imparted to the driving wheel 33, which is
fast on the shaft 13, by a pinion 88 fixed upon a shaft 39 that may be driven either
by a pulley or by an engine attached direct either in combination with the machine
or otherwise. When it is required to make more than one briquette at a time, one
or more partitions, as shown at 40 in plan, miny be used. Such a partition consists
simply of a plate similar to one of the side strips 5 seenred to the part 4 of the
sliding bottom and arranged to work in a slot 40 in the part 3 sufficient clearance
being provided to allow of the cumpressing motion of this part 3 without coming
into contact with the partition.
As will be obvious the details of construction may be variously modified. For
example an eccentric or crank may be used instead of the cam 12 and return
lever 15-16; and different combinations of levers may take the place of the
parts 21, 22 and 28 without departing from the nature of this invention.
The arm 2 might be extended, especially in small machines, to he acted upon
directly by the cam 25. When using an eccentric or crank to drive the sliding
bottom, the intermittent motion may be obtained by slotting the connecting rod the
object of so doing being, as will be evident, to allow the sliding bortoin to dwell
whilst being filled and also whilst a briquette is being pushed out of the
mould.
When the substance to be compressed consists of materials such as small coal and
pitch it should be heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the particles of pitch
as they pass downward through the mixer. The heating may be effected by the
introduction of steain or hot air into the mixer through a pipe 1; to assist this opera-
tion the part under the sliding bottom may he made hollow as shown in Fig. 8 and
kept hot by the introduction of steam or hot air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, wo declare that what
wo claim is :-
1. Introducing a charge of coal dust and pitch or other substance to be compressed
into a spaco constituting a mould between two main parts of a sliding bottom and
effecting the compression of the said charge by causing one of the snid main parts to
approach the other whilst the latter is restrained by an arresting and holding device
until its resistance is overcome by pressure exerted through the charge of material
confined between the two main parts of the sliding bottom as set forth.
2. In a machine for the manufacture of compressed blocks of coal dust and pitch or
other substances the combination with a mixer or vessel for supplying material to be
compressed, of a sliding bottom comprising two main parts having between them a
space that constitutes a mould, one of these main parts being capable of movement
without moving the other, moans for reciprocating one main part and for effecting the
return movement of the other and a device such as a loaded lover for arresting and
holding the last mentioned main part, the arrangement being such that after the
mould or space between the said main parts has been charged with material to be
compressed, the one main part will be advanced, and pressing the said material will
through it move the other main part into contact with the arresting and holding
device so that the material in the mould will be compressed by the further forward
movement of the one main part until the pressure oxerted thereby through the
material upon the other main part causes it to overcome the action of the arresting
and holding device, when hoth the main parts will move together with the compressed
material between them into a position in which by suitable mechanism the arrosting
and holding device will be caused to release the sliding bottom whilst the compressed
charge is still between the top and bottom parts of the mould.

page_text: 3. In a machine of the kind referred to in the preceding claims the combination
with the sliding bottom having two main parts and connecting parts of a cam adapted
to move the sliding botton in one direction to compress a charge of substance and
a levor arranged to effect the rapid opening of the mould and return of the parts of
the sliding bottom into position to receive a fresh charge of substance to be
compressed.
4. In a machine for the manufacture of blocks of compressed substance the com-
bination with a delivery belt and means for causing the same to travel intermittently
of a pusher adapted to deliver the blocks from the mould onto the belt whilst the
.tter is at rest.
5. The improved machine for the manufacture of blocks of compressed substance,
constructed, arranged and operating as berein described with reference to and shown
in the drawings annexed, or modified by substitution of an eccentric or a crank for
actuating the sliding bottom.
L 1000
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicants.