Improvements in Rotary Screens, with Adjustable Meshes for Soreening Grain, Seeds, and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 8th Mar.; 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Screens, with Adjustable Meshes for
Soreening Grain, Seeds, and the like.
WILLIAM FRANCIS BRIGGS, Fitter 26 Cross Street and WILLIAM THOMAS WEST,
Publican, 56 Portland Street, both of the city of Lincoln, in the county of the same
City do hereby declare the nature of their (aforesaid) invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
ROTARY SCREENS WITH ADJUSTABLE MESHES FOR SCREENING GRAIN SEEDS AND THE
LIKE to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a rotary adjustable self-cleaning screen, which consists of
a'drum of fixed mesh, formed with flat wire, and a number of sections, whose mesh is
also formed with flat wire, and which are fitted externally to the drum, so that they
are capable of a slight lateral movement on the drum itself. The drum rotates with
the central spindle, and is also capable of sliding on it for a short distance, which
movement is controlled by a screw or other contrivance. This constitutes the adjust-
ment. The sections are controlled by suitable mechanism, so that the mesh is enlarged
in the area of any section, when that section is at the highest point in the rotation
of the screen. This constitutes the self-cleaning arrangement, by releasing any object
that has become fixed in the meshes.
Date 0th of Annil 1980
WILLIAM FRANCIS BRIGGS.
WILLIAM THOMAS WEST.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Screens, with Adjustable Meshes for
Screening Grain, Seeds, and the like.
We, WILLIAM FRANCIS BRIGGS, of No. 26, Cross Street, Fitter, and WILLIAM
THOMAS WEST, of No. 56, Portland Street, Publican, both in the City and County of
Lincoln, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to a rotary adjustable self cleaning screen, and consists of a
drum of fixed mesh formed with flat wire bars or perforated sheet metal, and a number
of sections whose mesh is formed in the same manner, but which are fitted upon the
exterior of the drum with capability of slight longitudinal movement in relation to
the drum.
The drum is mounted upon a shaft or spindle so as to revolve therewith, but with
capability of slight end way movement thereon independently of the sections and this
movement is obtained by means of a screw or other device so as to adjust the mesh
of the screen as hereinafter more fully described.
Each section is caused to move longitudinally in relation to the drum, and inde-
pendently thereof when such section is at the highest point in the rotation of the
screen thus enlarging the mesh of the screen at that point and thereby automatically
freeing the screen of any matter that may have become fixed in the meshes
thereof.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.

page_text: OF THE
Figure 1. is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 3. of a
rotary screen constructed according to our invention and looking towards the
right.
Figure 2. is an end elevation thereof looking towards the left.
Figure 3. is a vertical longitudinal section thereof taken on the line 2-2 of
Figure 2.
Figure 4. is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section of part taken on the
line 3-3. of Figure 6. and drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 5. is a plan of parts drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 6. is a transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 4.
Figure 7. is an edge view of one of the straps or brackets separately.
Figure 8. is a section taken transversely of the wire bars showing them in their
normal position and adjusted to a given gauge, and,
Figure 9. is a similar view showing the bars of a moveable section moved into
position to enlarge the mesh.
In the several figures, like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a. represents the supporting frame of the machine, and a¹ represents bearings in
which the central driven shaft b. of the rotary drum or screen is mounted with
capability of revolution.
The shaft b. of the drum or screen is formed hollow and has mounted loosely
thereon several skeleton frames c. in which are fixed, equidistant from each other, a
number of rods or bars c¹ which extend longitudinally of the drum from end to end
thereof and serve to support a ribbon of flat wire c³ which is wound around the bars
or rods c¹ and takes complete turn around each rod or bar c¹ at each point of crossing
and thus forms the mesh of the screen.
The frame c at the left hand end of the machine is formed with a boss provided
with a way therethrough for a key c" and the hollow shaft b. is formed with long
slots or openings b* therein through which such key c* passes, whilst at the opposite
end of the drum, a similar arrangement of parts is employed, but in this case, the
boss c is attached to the frame c through a bracket c**.
At this end of the machine, a nut e¹ is placed loosely within the tubular shaft b.
and the key c* passes through slots or openings & formed therein and thus connects
the boss c and the nut e' together.
Within the tubular shaft b. is also arranged, with capability of revolution, a shaft e.
which is, at one end, formed with a thread e engaging the thread of the nut e' and
near its other end, it is formed with a flange et which takes an abutment against the
end of the shaft 6 in one direction and against a cap or extension b¹ of the hollow
shaft 6 in the other direction, whilst the extreme end of the shaft e. passes through an
aperture in the cap b¹ and is, at that point, formed with a square e to receive a key
by which it may be rotated.
It will thus be seen that whilst the drum is compelled to revolve together with the
hollow shaft b. it is capable of receiving a slight end way movement independently of
such shalt b. through the shaft e, screw thread e, and nut e¹, in order to obtain the
required adjustment of the size of the mesh as hereinafter described.
Within the drum and fixed thereto is arranged a screw conveyor c³ which serves to
traverse the material under treatment therethrough as the drum rotates.
Upon the exterior of the drum are arranged a number of sections or frames f. each
consisting of two longitudinal rods or bars f¹ around which are turned the ends of
short lengths of flat or ribbon wire f* extending from bar to bar so as to form a
mesh similar to that of the drum.
The bars or rods f¹ of each section or frame f. are mounted with capability of
end way movement in recesses or bearings g' formed in brackets or straps g. removeably

page_text: fixed to the frames c. of the drum and the rods or bars f¹ of each frame or section f.
are, at one end thereof, connected together by a bar or yoke f1 carrying a truck or
roller which, in the revolution of the drum or screen travels in the groove h¹ of a
cam wheel h. fixed to the bearing a¹.
The groove h¹ of the cam wheel h. is, at the highest point in the rotation of the
drum or screen, formed with a lateral wave h* so that, as each segment arrives at
that point, it will receive a longitudinal movement in relation to the drum, and inde-
pendently thereof, thus momentarily enlarging the mesh of the screen and freeing it
from any material that may have become fixed therein.
The position of the bars f of the sections f. being invariable, except as hereinbefore
described, the size of the mesh of the screen may be regulated to suit the material
under treatment by turning the screw shaft e. in the desired direction thus traversing
the drum end wise upon its shaft b. and more or less covering or uncovering the mesh
or openings between the bars f' of the sections f. by the bars of the drum as repre-
sented more particularly at Figure 8. where the two sets of bars f' and are shown
set to a given gauge and in their normal position, and at Figure 9. where the bars f*
of the section are shown traversed by the cam h* to momentarily enlarge and clear
the mesh.
It will be understood that in lieu of the flat wire bars and f forming the body
of the drum and sections, we may, if desired, employ perforated sheet metal for that
purpose.
We would here remark that since filing our provisional specification, we have
discovered that the method therein described, of adjusting the size of the mesh of a
flat screen and the method therein, and herein described of adjusting the size of the
ruesh of a rotary screen, do not possess sufficient novelty to render it advisable to
make any claim thereto, and we therefore desire to disclaim, and we do hereby disclaim
such methods.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
In combination with a rotary screen or drum, several sections or frames of wire
bars or perforated sheet metal normally partially covering the mesh of the drum and
mounted with capability of movement in order to uncover or enlarge such mesh and
means for imparting such movement to each section or frame as it arrives at the
highest point in the rotation of the drum, all in manner substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 13th day of January 1890.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.