Other

B/j Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Joseph A Parenti

Malcolm J Charles

The apparatus includes a large-capacity main blower for drawing in air from the face of coal being mined. The main blower draws the air sequentially through a grid which deflects large pieces of coal into a refuse bin, and a main stage of centrifugal filters which separates dust and particles into a stream of dirty air while discharging the clean air back into the mine. The dirty air is routed through a secondary stage of centrifugal filters which is energized by a second blower or pressure unit, the output of which is then routed through a cloth filter stage. Only clean air is discharged into the atmosphere. An air balancing device maintains proper operating pressures in the secondary filter stage for more efficient processing of the dirty air discharge. An adjustable balancing plate maintains proper operating pressure at the collection outlets for the main and secondary filter stages. A device is also included for incorporating rock dust into the main clean air discharge using the power available at the main blower to reduce any hazard.

Apparatus for cleaning air in coal mines

Dust generated in coal mining is removed by means of a blower having an exhaust fan which draws air through its intake opening from the face of the coal. The blower is provided with a first stage of closely-arranged small-diametered cylindrical-shaped individual centrifuges between its intake opening and the exhaust fan in which the dust-laden air spins as air is drawn therethrough and concentrates the dust in an annular surrounding portion which is separately drawn from the centrifuges through a conduit also evacuated by the exhaust fan. This conduit contains a sharply-reversing bend which effectively separates and discharges the dust into a collection chamber, e.g. a removable bin. A grid disposed ahead of the first stage of individual centrifuges prevents large size particles from entering the centrifuges; and a second stage of closely-arranged, similarly-operating individual centrifuges located in the conduit closer to the exhaust fan remove 'fines' which were not discharged to the collection chamber. The thus cleaned air exiting from the conduit is combined by the fan with the dust-freed air drawn from the core of the individual centrifuges and is discharged to the mine return area.

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Morgantown, WV, United States of America

Joseph A Parenti