Improvements in Middlings Purifiers and similar Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 15th day of June 1895.
Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in Middlings Purifiers and similar Machines.
We, WILLIAM NATHANIEL WHITMORE, and GEORGE BINYON, Engineers,
both of Iron Works, Wickham Market, County of Suffolk, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in machines principally used in flour
mills for sorting and classifying, and more thoroughly purifying, semolina,
middlings, and other such substances into various grades according to their size
and their specific gravity by means of a horizontal reciprocating sieve operating in
conjunction with a grid of catch trays and dust-catching chambers.
The object of these improvements is to provide a grid of catch-trays or troughs
above the horizontal reciprocating sieve, to provide for separating the loose or
small particles from the dust-laden air, drawn through each section of the sieve
independently and for depositing the settlings in a divisional manner on to the
cross conveyors discharging into the side collecting trough.
These objects are attained by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine,
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same, on the crooked line 2-2 of Fig. 1.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
A is the framework or casing of the machine which is of the usual construction,
B the hopper for the material to be purified, C the feed roller, D the exhaust fans
preferably fixed in the chamber a, at the top of the machine, E the reciprocating
sieve frame made to fit between the sides of the framework A suspended by
hangers or springs and vibrated to and fro by an eccentric b. F is the sieve of
various degrees of fineness carried by the sieve frame E, and G is a brush mounted
on endless chains travelling under the sieve for cleaning it. H is the hopper for
collecting the purified material which passes through the sieve and I are the two
conveyors with switch valves above for turning the material, falling from the
sieve, into one or the other, by which they are conveyed outside the machine
through spouts.
As much of the "sieve throughs' as desired can thus be directed into one
conveyor and the remainder as also the overtails if desired into the other.
Jare the catch trays or troughs fixed to, but just above the sieve frame which
permit of the dust and other material arising from the main sieve being drawn up
between them by the fan D, constructed so as to cause the material to fall or be
deposited into them. These trays are divided into sections longitudinally, and
having the same inclination as the sieve they deliver the material from each section

page_text: on to the cross conveyors K each of which, in turn, delivers the material to the
longitudinal main trough I at the side of the frame.
The chamber above the main sieve is divided into any number of air-tight
compartments M by the partitions d; these compartments have throttle valves e,
for regulating the air currents passing through them to the fan D and are fitted
with inclined draught boards N placed diagonally and having a series of
perforations f¹. The current is thereby intensified in its passage through these
apertures and expands again immediately in the chambers O. These perforations f
which may be of any sectional area or shape, are sheltered by hoods or roofs f,
which also act as deflectors to the air as it enters from the perforations to the
depositing or settling chambers O, and assist in causing the dust drawn up with
the air to settle upon the channels or surfaces between the hoods and slide down
to the bottoms, when as it accumulates it passes by gravity through the self-closing
traps g and is deposited in the cross conveyors K. Any light dust not caught in
this manner and drawn up by the fan D through the narrow openings of the
throttle valves e, at top reaches the large chamber P where it expands and at once
settles into the divisional hoppers Q,-outside the influence of the current of air-
and deposits itself through the self-closing traps together with that from the
settling chambers into the collecting conveyors.
The materials are collected from each section or compartment separately and
pass into the main trough which discharges at the tail end of the machine.
The overtails passing over the end of the sieve at the point are subjected to a
sharp current of air up the narrow passage R, the coarse semolina falling by
gravity into the discharge spout S below, whilst the impurities are carried by the
upward draught into the deposit chamber T, and there settling into the hopper at
the bottom, is discharged through valves pl pl the lighter offals being drawn
through another perforated draught board N₁ and the dust through a throttle
valve e, for deposit and discharge of any remaining impurities.
Other parts of the machine not shown or described may be of ordinary
construction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we
are aware of the Specifications of Letters Patent granted to J. B. Holgate
No. 9388 of 1892, and also of the Specifications of the following Letters Patent
granted to the said J. Higginbottom viz.:-No. 2094 of 1879, No. 14711 of 1888,
No. 793 of 1889, No. 11831 of 1889, No. 12692 of 1889, No. 18643 of 1889,
No. 2284 of 1890, No. 11820 of 1890, and No. 15001 of 1892, and we wish it to be
understood that we do not claim anything described and claimed therein, but what
we claim is;—
1. An inclined perforated dust depositing board or plate such as N with baffle
hoods in combination with a middlings purifier having an enclosing casing the
main sieve having a side trough L and superimposed grid of catch trays or
troughs J and means substantially as described for inducing the air currents and
for actuating the moving parts of the machine.
2. In apparatus such as described an inclined and perforated dust depositing
board or plate such as N substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
f
3. In apparatus such as described the combination with an inclined and
perforated dust depositing board or plate such as N of hoods or roofs such as,
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of October 1894.
GEORGE BINYON.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.