US1952277A - Coal washer - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1934. 1A, MQNTGOMERY 1,952,277

COAL WASHER Filed Sept. 25, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 QW k H1 J 'I MH \l MJ q@ l* SKU Q w INVENToR.

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J. A. MONTGOMERY COAL WASHER Filed sept. 25. 1929 March 27, 1934.

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March 27, 1934. 1 A, MQNTGOMERY 1,952,277

COAL WASHER Filed Sept. 25. 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 James' dm'yamef '/A/ M 7 /f q ATTORNEYS.

March 27, 1934. J. A. MONTGOMERY COAL WASHER Filed sept. 25, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

March 27, 1934. J, A, MONTGQMERY 1,952,277

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Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES Aerrreur OFFICE coAL WASHER Application September 25, 1929, Serial No. 395,081

1 Claim.

This invention relates to coal washers and has for an object to provide an installation embodyingV new and improved elements and features which shall more successfully wash and separate coal than such installations as are now known.

A further object of the invention is to provide 'a coal washer having a xed screen upon rand over which the coal and refuse material travel with underlying piston for forcing water upwardly through the screen and carried mass while preventing any return iiow or back lash.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved type of piston recipro-cating ver-v tically within a fixed chamber with a screen fixed 'within the chamber above the active element of the piston and with means to check the" return iiow of water with the reciprocation of the piston.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination with a fixed screen and water impelling element an improved type of refusedischarge and control.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for controlling the introduction of coal into and upon the screen from the reciprocation of the piston.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the amount Yof refuse discharged as well as the operative point at which initiation of discharge is automatically effected.

A further object of the invention is to provide Yimproved means for circulating the water impelled by the piston through a settling tank and to return so that the same water is employed over and over in carrying out the function of the machine. A'further object of the invention is to provide improved means located within the path of travel of the water from the settling tank to the piston chamber whereby iioating refuseor extraneous -matter is trapped.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved specific types of water impelling piston in association with specific type of interacting screen.

With these and other objects in view, the inven- 'tion comprises certain novel parts, elements, combinations, mechanical movements, constructions, interactions and functions, as disclosed in the drawings, together with mechanical and functional equivalents thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

.Figure l is a top vplan view of the improved Washer installation.

Figure 2 is a view of the mechanism principally in end elevation, parts of the chamber structure being broken away to disclose the mechanism, taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View taken on Vline 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the piston.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the screen, part of the screen fabric being broken away to show the supporting structure.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 8 8 of Figure 1.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The improvedV coal washer which forms the subject matter of this application comprises a frame l0 within and supported by which is a piston chamber comprising the side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14. Rigidly secured to opposite side walls as the walls 11 and l2 are cross bars 15 and 16 forming with the bars 17 and 18 a frame for the support of a screen fabric 19. This screen fabric may be of any usual and ordinary type, actually woven mesh screen Vor perforated sheet material, as utility and exigencies of use may make necessary and desirable.

The side bars 17 and 18 are spaced far enough away from the side walls 13 and 14 to accommodate the opposite plates 20 and 21 of the piston. The piston is constructed as shown in perspective at Figure 6, having a bottom 22 supported upon the necessary framework 23 which is all'rigidly united into an integral structure, as shown in the said Fig. 6. The bottom 2 2 is provided with a plurality of flap valves 24 opening to an upward flow of water but closing to prevent any return flow. The upward flow of water referred to may be only relative and may be, as in fact it is, actually stationary and the movement is that of the piston itself downwardly. A chamber under the piston is provided by means of an inclined partition or deck 25 which said deck is also provided with flap valves 26 opening also to an upward iiow of water but checking any return flow.

Beneath the deck 25 a chamber 27 is provided, to and into which water ows in the manner which will be hereinafter more fully described. The chamber 27 below the deck 25 and the chamber 28 above the deck 25 are respectively provided with manholes or clean-outs indicated at 29 and 36 respectively. At the lower side of the inclination of the deck 25 is a screw conveyor 31, which passes through the wall 13 and into a chamber 32 formed by the wall 13 and a wall 33 spaced therefrom. This chamber 82 is the refuse chamber and the conveyor 31 is intended to convey from the chamber 28 any matter which might accumulate therein. Within the chamber 32 an elevator 84 is provided for removing the refuse from the chamber 32. This refuse is discharged from the screen 19 onto a chute 35 which is inclined as shown more particularly at Fig. 4 and discharges into the chamber 32.

To control the discharge of refuse from the screen 19 into the chute 35, a gate 36 is mounted to slide in guides carried by the -wall 12 with its lower margin only slightly raised above the screen 19. To operate this gate 36, a rod 37 is connected with the gate and extends upwardly to a lever 38. As shown in the drawings, two of these levers 38 and two of the rods 37 are employed with the levers mounted upon a shaft 39.

A second shaft 49 is journaled upon the frame 10 with a bell crank lever 41 mounted thereon, one end of which is connected by a link 42 with the piston at 43. From the opposite end of the bell crank lever 41 a rod 44 extends to a lever 45 mounted to oscillate upon the shaft 39. The rod 44 is not rigidly connected with the lever 45 but slides through a sleeve 46, which sleeve is carried by the lever 45. A spring 47 is introduced between the sleeve 46 and a washer 48 with a nut 49 positioned to vary the tension of the spring 47. A screw 50 is pivotally connected at 51 with the lever 45 and with the lever 38 at 52. A hand wheel 53 is employed to vary the angle between the levers S8 and 45, making thereby an adjustable bell crank lever so that, as the lever 45 is oscillated from the connection 43, the lever 38 is also oscillated to oscillate the refuse gate 86. This, of course, takes place only when the levers 38 and 36 are interconnected which is brought about by means of a pawl 54 fulcrumed upon the lever 45 and in position to engage an abutment 55 upon the rod 44.

To actuate the pawl 54, a member which will be referred to as a float 56 is employed. This oat, while preferably a hollow container, is not of such specific gravity as to be lifted'by the water within the chamber. The float is provided with a stem 57 extending downwardly through the screen 19 and with a conical or tapered bottom 58.

A stem 59 extends' upwardly, preferably in alignment with the stem 57, and is pivotally connected with a lever 69. The lever 60 is fulcrumed at 61, and a link 62 is connected with the lever 60 opposite the pivoting of the stem' 59. The link 62 controls the pawl 54 as will be apparent, so that, as the float 56 rises, the pawl 54 is depressed. At Fig. 3 where this is shown to best advantage, the pawl is shown as disconnected, that is to say with the float at its lowermost limit, in which position the gate 86 will remain closed, as the reciprocation of the rod 44 is not transmitted to the lever 45.

The operation and function of these features will be more fully described in the description of the operation of the entire structure.

Above the locale of the gate 36, a chute 68 is provided for the overflow of the washed coal which is discharged into the chamber 64. This chamber 64 is provided with an elevator 65 of such screened or foraminous construction as to drain or de-water the coal which is raised by the elevator 65 to any point found necessary or desirable. The water raised by the piston is discharged through this overflow 63 together with the washed coal. Entering the chamber 64 the water ows into the settling tank or chamber 66, which said chamber 66 is provided withone or more screw conveyors 67 so that the fines or small particles of fuel carried by the movement of the water beyond the elevator 65 is returned by the screw conveyors 67 into the elevator chamber 64 to be raised by such elevator along with the other fuel.

At the end of the settling chamber 66, opposite the elevator 65, a trough 68 is provided adjacent the top of such chamber, a wall 68a (see Fig. 8) being of such height as to prevent the water flowing from the settling chamber 66 into the trough, necessitating the flow of the water under the trough, as indicated at Fig. 8 over the side wall 69. This arrangement prevents any floating material from passing into the trough 68. The trough 68 is continued by a trough 70 about the side of said settling chamber and discharges into the chamber 71 which is in communication with the chamber 27. The water, therefore, flows continuously about the circuit through the settling chamber 66, the troughs 68 and 70, cham.- ber 71 and return to the chamber 27 under the inclined deck 25 to be lifted by the piston.

To operate the piston and provide for the flow of water just referred to, a drive shaft 72 is journaled upon the frame l() having any means for receiving power, as the pulley 73 and carrying a pinion 74 intergeared with a gear 75 upon the shaft 76, which is also journaled upon the frame 10. The shaft 76 carries eccentrics 77, preferably of adjustable type, although the specinc type of eccentric does not enter into -the present invention. The eccentrics 77 operate the connecting rods 78 which are pivotally connected to the cross bar 79 extending between the side walls 20 and 21 of the piston.

Located above the screen 19 opposite the overflow 63 is a feed box 80 with a coal chute 81 positioned to discharge into said feed box. The coal chute 81 is connected with any source of supply, indicated by the hopper 82, with a sliding gate 83 interrupting the flow of coal through said chute. This gate 83 is connected by means o f a link 84 (see Fig. 2) with a bell crank lever .8.5 fulcrumed upon the frame 10. A cable 86 extends from the bell crank lever 8.5 over a pulley 87 to a lever 88. This lever 88 is connected at one end with the connecting rod 78 by means of a link 89 pivoted to a collar 90 carried by said connecting rod, and at its opposite end has a manual means 91 for adjusting the throw.

In operation, coal from the supply, indicated at 82, is admitted through the chute 81 to the feed box from which it drops onto the screen 19 at its upper end. The piston is reciprocated beneath the screen, lifting water through the valves 26 of the deck 25 and forcing it upwardly through the screen 19. Upon thereturn movement of the piston, the valves 26 close and the valves 24 open whereby the piston passes downwardly through the trapped water, the water remaining during this movement substantially at rest. It will be seen, therefore, that the movement of the water is wholly upwardly through the screen and no return movement or back lash is permitted by this arrangement. The water passing upwardly through the screen lifts the material upon the screen, which consists of coal and refuse, such as slate. The slate being heavier than the coal, the agitation provided by the movementI of the Water separates the material of lighter specific gravity from that of heavier specific gravity, stratifying the material upon the screen. The inclination of the screen and the feeding of coal through the feed box tends to move the coal from the position of the feed box to the position of the overflow 63 and the refuse gate 36.

As the material upon the screen becomes stratified, the refuse gate 36 is opened to permit the discharge of refuse therefrom while at the same time the lighter material or coal is discharged over and upon the chute 63 and into the elevator chamber. The water lifted by the piston is discharged over and upon this chute 63 With the coal, it being understood that, when the refuse gate 36 is opened, refuse only but no Water is discharged therethrough owing to the head in chamber 32. To control the properdischarge of the refuse, the hand Wheel 53 is adjusted to give proper opening to gate 36. The conical or tapered bottom 58 of the float is an important feature as the material under the float, consisting of slate and other refuse material, agitated by the rising water tends to move under this conical bottom and to lift the float with the rise of the surface of the refuse material. The adjustment provided by the hand wheel 53 is for variations in the amount of refuse compared to the amount of coal which is determined by the operator in observing the relative discharges through the refuse gate 36 and the chute 63.

As has been explained, the coal discharged through the chute 63 is raised by the elevator 65 and drained by its water and discharged into such receiving receptacle as may be provided. The Water ows from the elevator chamber 64 into the settling'chamber 66 which, being of large capacity, provides for a very slow movement of the Water and therefore provides for settling of the fine fuels which are returned by the Worms 67 to the elevator chamber. Y

The flow of coal into the feed box 80 is regulated by the gate 83, the adjustment of the lever 88 providing for admitting more or less coal by providing a greater or less throw of the gate under the actuation of the connecting rod 78. The reciprocation of this gate 83 through the structure disclosed provides for keeping the passage clear so that the flow is unobstructed but, at the same time, is regulated to such capacity as the installation may easily carey for.

What I claim to be new is:

In a coal wash-ing organization, a screen chamber, a screen structure spanning said screen chamber and rigidly attached to some of its Walls, a pistonmounted beneath the screen, means to reciprocate the piston vertically within the chamber, valved mechanisms associated with the piston tending to control the flow of fluid intermittently upwardly only in consonance with the rise of the piston, an elevator chamber located adjacent said screen chamber, an yoverflow from the screen chamber into the elevator chamber above the plane of the screen, a settling chamber in communication with the elevator chamber, means within the settling chamber comprising a screw conveyor for returning solids to the elevator chamber, and a conduit from said settling chamber returning fluid to said screen chamber.

JAMES A. MONTGOMERY.

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