The New International Encyclopædia/Coal-Breaker

COAL-BREAKER. A structure containing machinery for the purpose of crushing, sorting, and cleaning anthracite coal. The breaker is often as much as 150 feet high, and rarely less than 80 feet. The coal, as it is hoisted out of the mine, is carried up to the top of the breaker and discharged into a hopper, whence it passes downward over bars, through screens and crushers, and is finally discharged into bins at the bottom. The admixed slate is separated partly by special screens, and the slaty coal (bone coal) is picked out by boys as it slides down the chutes, in the more modern breakers water-jigs are used very successfully to separate the slate and coal. The sizes produced are described in the article on Anthracite. The capacity of a coal-breaker is commonly about 1000 tons per day, but some exceed 2000 tons in output. Consult Chance, “Report on Coal-Mining,” Report AC of the Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, 1883).