IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR HULLING AND WINNOWING GRAIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Seck, of No. 46, Schöne Aussicht,
Bockenheim, near Frankfort-on-the-Maine, in the Kingdom of
Prussia, but temporarily residing at No. 22, Richmond Terrace,
Clapham Road, in the County, of Surrey, Mechanical Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
HULLING AND WINNOWING GRAIN."
Sealed the 17th October 1868, and dated the Sth May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Seck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th May 1868.
1, WILLIAM SECK, of No. 46, Schöne Aussicht, Bockenheim, near
Frankfort-on-the-Maine, in the Kingdom of Prussia, but temporarily
residing at No. 22, Richmond Terrace, Clapham Road, in the County of
Surrey, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
APPARATUS FOR HULLING
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
AND. WINNOWING GRAIN," to be as follows:-

page_text: apparatus for hulling and winnowing grain, and relates to a peculiar
arrangement and combination of mechanical parts, as herein-after
described.
For the purposes of my Invention I make use of a cylinder or casing
made of or lined with iron, stone, or other hard material, and having
its inner surface grooved, corrugated, or equivalently formed and
provided with a number of inclined or other rings or shelves. A portion
or portions of this cylinder or casing is or are made of wire gauze or
otherwise constructed to form a screen or sieve, or screens or sieves,
through which the bran, hulls, or integuments after being separated from
the kernels may be blown into a receptacle or receptacles provided for
the purpose.
Within this outer cylinder or casing I place the main
shaft of the apparatus, which is capable of rotating in suitable bearings
and is provided with radial arms which carry a perforated inner cylinder
or casing constructed by preference of wire ganze and capable of rotating
with the main shaft. To the radial arms of the main shaft within the
inner casing are secured vanes for creating a draft or current of air
for the purpose herein-after mentioned. Around the circumference of
the inner cylinder or casing are arranged a number of vanes, rings, or
feathers, or otherwise; in some cases it may be found convenient to
employ shelves preferably inclined, such shelves being formed O'
provided with corrugations, spikes, or projections.
feathers, or shelves on the circumference of the inner cylinder or casing
extend into the spaces between the inclined or other shelves on the inner
side of the outer cylinder or casing, preferring that the space or
clearance left between the edges of such vanes, rings, feathers, or
corrugations or projections, as the case may be, and the shelves and
inner surface of the outer casing should be about half an inch. It will
thus be seen that by the arrangement of the shelves around the interior
of the outer cylinder or casing I establish a series of annular recesses,
spaces, or chambers within which the vanes, rings, feathers, or shelves
and projections on the circumference of the inner cylinder are carried
round by the rotation of the main shaft. In some cases the shelves on
the outer casing may be placed horizontally and the projections on the
inner casing inclined. The main shaft with its radial arms, vanes,
and the inner casing being caused to rotate by means of suitable
gearing, as will be readily understood, the grain to be treated is fed
through a hopper: on to the upper shelf so that as the shaft and inner
The vanes, rings,

page_text: casing rotate the grains are acted upon by the vanes or projecting parts
around the circumference of the inner casing, and are thereby forced
into contact with each other and drawn against the grooved, corrugated,
or equivalently formed inner surface of the outer cylinder or casing, the
bran, hulls, or integuments being simultaneously blown through the
screen or sieve, or screens or sieves, in the outer cylinder or casing
by the currents of air produced by the action of the vanes attached to
It
the radial arms within the inner casing as herein-before described.
will be understood that the grain under treatment gradually falls from
one annular recess or chamber to another, and is submitted to a similar
process in each until it finally leaves the machine by a spout or shoot
provided for that purpose. I prefer that the positions of the vanes,
shelves, or projections on the exterior of the inner casing as well as of
the shelves on the outer casing should be capable of adjustment to suit
the requirements of particular cases. I am aware that it has been
previously proposed to use apparatus in which a vertical shaft is pro-
vided with a number of dished or inverted cones having their peripheries
higher than their centres, there being between each pair of these
rotating plates a stationary conical or dished plate similar to those
carried by the vertical shaft but secured to an outer casing which
surrounds this portion of the apparatus, but by the use of the vanes for
producing a current of air, together with the inner casing and the
projecting parts around its circumference in combination with the
shelves around the interior of the outer casing, according to my inven-
tion I am enabled to treat the grain more rapidly and effectually than
is the case with the other description of apparatus above referred to.
0
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patelit,
filed by the said William Seck in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SECK, of No. 46, Schöne Aussicht, Böckenheim, near Frankfort-on-the-
Maine, in the Kingdom of Prussia, but temporarily residing at No. 22,
Richmond Terrace, Clapham Road, in the County of Surrey,
Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
!

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the sand William Seck, Her special licence
that 1, the said Wilham Seck, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Seck, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR HULLING AND WINNOWING GRAIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that 1, the said William Seck, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
01' one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
IN
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Seck, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery or
apparatus for hulling and winnowing grain, and relates to a peculiar
arrangement and combination of mechanical parts as herein-after
described.
For the purposes of my Invention make use of a cylinder or
casing made of or lined with iron, stone, or other hard material and
having its inner surface grooved, corrugated, or equivalently formed
and provided with a number of inclined or other rings or shelves.
A portion or portions of this cylinder or casing is or are made of
wire gauze or otherwise constructed to form a screen or sieve or screens
or sieves through which the bran, hulls, or integuments after being
separated from the kernels may be blown into a receptacle or receptacles
provided for the purpose. The undulated inner surface of the cylinder

page_text: or casing should be free from sharp edges or projections likely to
damage the grain. Within this outer cylinder or casing I place the
main shaft of the apparatus, which is capable of rotating in suitable
bearings, and is provided with radial arms which carry a perforated
inner cylinder or casing capable of rotating with the main shaft. To
the radial arms of the main shaft within the inner casing are secured
vanes for creating a draught or current of air for the purpose of
blowing the bran, hulls, or integuments through the screen or sieve,
or screens or sieves. Around the circumference of the inner cylinder
or casing are arranged a number of vanes, rings, or feathers, or otherwise
in some cases it may be found convenient to employ shelves preferably
inclined, such shelves being formed or provided with corrugations,
spikes, or projections. The vanes, rings, feathers, or shelves on the
circumference of the inner cylinder or casing extend into the spaces
between the inclined or other shelves on the inner side of the outer
cylinder or casing and serve as beaters for acting upon the grain,
preferring that the space or clearance left between the edges of such
vanes, rings, feathers, or corrugations or projections as the case may
be, and the shelves and inner surface of the outer casing should be
about half an inch. It will thus be seen that by the arrangement of
the shelves around the interior of the outer cylinder or casing I
establish a series of annular recesses, spaces, or chambers, within
which the vanes, rings, feathers, or shelves and projections on the
circumference of the inner cylinder are carried round by the rotation
of the main shaft, which rotation may be caused by means, of suitable
gearing as will be readily understood, preferring to employ top and
bottom gearing for machines of large size. In some cases the shelves
on the outer casing may be placed horizontally and the projections
on the inner casing inclined.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrates the manier in
which an apparatus may be conveniently constructed according to
my Invention, Fig. 1 being a vertical section of the apparatus; Fig. 2,
a plan of the same partly in section; Fig. 3, a plan of part of one
of the rings or shelves d; and Fig. 4, a longitudinal vertical section
of part of the same.
1
1
11

page_text: about three-fourth parts of the circumference of which are composed
of corrugated iron plates c'; d are concentric rings or shelves having
ribs or projections d' on their upper surfaces, and are arranged around
the inside of the outer casing and secured to the vertical pillars b
so as to establish a series of annular recesses, spaces, or chambers d
around the interior of the casing. The rings or shelves are formed
with grooves which receive the edges of the corrugated iron plates.c'.
is a portion of the outer casing, which is in this instance constructed
of wire gauze or thin sheet steel perforated with small oblong holes
to form a screen or sieve. It is important that these holes should
not be sufficiently large to allow of the escape of grain from within the
casing. is the cover of the apparatus; e is the main shaft, and f
are its bearings, the construction of which will be readily understood
on reference to the Drawing; g, are radial arms fixed to the main
shaft and carrying vanes for creating a draught; h is the inner
casing, and is its cover. I prefer to make the casing / about
three-quarters of an inch smaller in external diameter than the internal
diameter of the rings or shelves d, so as to leave a concentric opening
about three-eighth parts of an inch in width between the outside
of the inner casing and the inner edges of the rings or shelves.
are vanes, feathers, or projections extending into the recesses, spaces,
or chambers between the concentric rings or shelves d. These
vanes, feathers, or projections, are by preference formed in vertical
sets or rows, each row being made out of one piece of metal, and are
formed with slots through which sarews or bolts pass by which the
vanes or feathers are secured to angular bars carried by the radial
arms, therefore the positions of the vanes or feathers may be regulated
so as to leave more or less space between their outer edges and the
interior of the outer casing, while the distance between their lower
edges and the supper surfaces of the shelves d may if requisite be
increased or diminished by raising or lowering the main shaft with
its arms and inner casing h. is a pulley through which motion is
communicated to the main shaft by means of a strap in the usual
manner; m is the opening through which grain to be treated is fed, for
which purpose such opening is by preference furnished with a hopper not
shewn in the Drawing; is a spout or shoot by which grain leaves the
apparatus after having been treated therein. The main shaft with
its radial arms, vanes, and the inner casing and its vanes or feathers

page_text: being caused to rotate rapidly (say about 240 revolutions per minute)
by means of a strap passing round the pulley, the grain to be
treated is fed in a regular stream by a hopper through the opening m
on to the cover of the inner casing, and from thence is thrown by.
the centrifugal force against the casing c and on to the upper shelf d,
so that as the shaft and inner casing rotate the grains are acted upon
by the vanes or projecting parts around the circumference of the
inner casing, and are thereby forced into contact with each other and
driven against the grooved or corrugated inner surface of the outer
cylinder or casing, the bran, hulls, or integuments being simultaneously
blown through the screen or sieve in the outer cylinder or easing by
currents of air produced by the action of the vanes. The whole of
the grain is carried round in the same direction as the immer casing,
the grain nearest to the outer casing travelling at a slow speed in
consequence of not being in actual contact with the vanes
or pro-
jections. It will be understood that the grain under treatment gradually
falls from one annular recess or chamber to another, and is submitted
to a similar process in each until it finally leaves the machine by the
spout or shoot provided for that purpose. By the employment
of this apparatus the decortication of the grain is thoroughly effected,
its beard and dark germe being removed, besides which what is
known as the corn mite and the smut of blighted corn may be
removed, and the unsound grain thus rendered fit to produce good
flour. I would remark that dry grain may be thoroughly cleaned and
partially hulled according to my Invention, but in order to hull
it completely the grain should be fed to the apparatus in a damp
state. The apparatus may be constructed with a greater or less
number of concentric rings or shelves and vanes or projecting parts
to suit the requirements of particular cases, and it may in some
instances he found convenient to make the casings in one piece.
am aware that it has been previously proposed to use apparatus
in which a vertical shaft is provided with a number of dished or
inverted cones having their peripheries higher than their centres
there being between each pair of these rotating plates a stationary
conical or dished plate similar to those carried by the vertical shaft
but secured to an outer casing which surrounds this portion of the
apparatus; also that it is not new to employ a rotating shaft having
radial arms carrying an inner casing provided with series of concentric

page_text: rings or circular shelves for treating the grain and carrying it along
the interior surface of a vertical cylinder, as such an apparatus is
described in the Specification to certain Letters Patent, numbered 2800,
bearing date the 7th day of September 1865, and granted to William
Lloyd Wise, for an Invention of Improvements in Machinery or
Apparatus for Hulling and Winnowing Grain," communicated to him
from abroad by Friedrich Henckel and myself; but by the use of
the vanes for producing a current of air, together with the inner casing
and the projecting parts around its circumference acting as beaters
in combination with the shelves around the interior of the outer
casing, according to my present Invention I am enabled to more
rapidly and effectually treat the grain.
Among the advantageous features peculiar to my improved apparatus
1 may mention the employment of the adjustable vanes, feathers,
or beaters as described, which enables me to regulate the treatment
of the grain in the apparatus by advancing the vanes, feathers, or
beaters towards or withdrawing them more or less from the interior
of the outer cylindrical casing, while by the combination of these
vanes, feathers, or beaters with the concentric rings or shelves on
the outer casing I am enabled to effect the constant and vigorous
frictional contact or rubbing against each other of the grains under
treatment, which consequently polish one another without any material
wear and tear of the machinery, an important feature when it is borne
in mind that the husks or surfaces of the grains contain a considerable
quantity of silicate, about the hardest known substance with the
exception of diamond. Moreover the congregation of grain, as shown
at o in Fig. 1, is a desirable peculiarity, inasmuch as it facilitates
the rubbing of the grains against each other by reason of the difference
in their speed of travel round the apparatus, for while the grain nearest
the outer casing is retarded in its progress by the corrugations the
inner portion of the stream is urged on at a greater speed by the
vanes, feathers, or beaters, and thus the requisite friction of the grains
against each other already mentioned is obtained.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be or may be carried into effect, I would have
it understood that without confining myself to the precise arrangements
or details shewn in the Drawing I claim, the combination of parts

page_text: forming apparatus as described, the whole arranged and operating
substantially as herein set forth for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Seck, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
WILLIAM SECK. (L.S.)