WASHING TESTS. 
By G. R. Delamater. 
REPORT FOR 1905. 
IMPROVEMENT IN EQUIPMENT. 
The lack of adequate storage facilities and the constant demand 
on the weighing and conveying apparatus for delivering coal to the 
other sections of the fuel-testing plant, which greatly interfered with 
the washing tests made during 1904, a were again felt in 1905 and 
tended somewhat to vitiate the results, although much improvement 
was made in the equipment. 
In order to eliminate these difficulties, important changes were 
made during the year in the arrangement of the washer equipment. 
The storage capacity available during 1904 was increased from 175 
tons to 350 tons. Additional "shed bins" of 150 tons aggregate 
capacity w r ere provided outside the washer plant for storing coal at 
times when the regular washer bins were rilled. 
The coal was shoveled from the cars direct to the crusher or to a 
hopper scale. By means of a combination elevator conveyor the 
coal could be transferred from the hopper scale or crusher to any one of 
the twelve regular storage bins, or from one bin to another; or could 
be transferred to belt conveyors for delivering the coal to the boiler 
section and other divisions of the plant. The elevator conveyor 
referred to was relieved of a large portion of the work of handling 
coals for the gas-producer and boiler sections by a 30-inch Jeffrey belt 
conveyor, which was installed to run from the car siding to the bins of 
these sections for the purpose of delivering coal to them direct from 
the cars. 
All washing tests made during 1905 were made on the -Stewart jig 
used during 1904, at a speed of 35 revolutions per minute and 6-inch 
stroke. The sludge-recovery system, with the customary perforated- 
bucket elevators, was used in reclaiming the w r ashed coal and refuse 
aComparethe following U. S. Geological Survey publications: Bull. No. 261, 1905, p. 60; Prof. Paper 
No. 48, 1906, p. 1460. 
8 
