Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Impurities from Wheat and other Grain.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Impurities from Wheat
and other Grain.
We CHARLES JOHN ROBINSON and JOHN WARD both of Railway Works Rochdale
in the county of Lancaster Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object is to provide simple durable and efficient apparatus for separating from
wheat or other grain stones and other impurities whether heavier or lighter than the
said grain.
The apparatus consists essentially of a funnel shaped chamber having double
discharge valves at the bottom, an intermediate diaphragm and grain outlet and a
grain supply hopper and overflow way at the top in combination with an upper and
lower water supply rotating agitators current adjuster and grain delivery elevator.
The upper and lower water supplies maintain a constant head by means of a
cistern and ball valve and indicator cocks are employed to regulate the speed
of flow.
The agitators are carried by a central rotating spindle and are disposed so as to
drive the grain outwards over the diaphragm.
The current adjuster consists of a cap free to be moved on the central spindle to
and from the diaphragm.
The grain outlet is placed longitudinally so as to allow of free exit of the grain.
The delivery elevator consists preferably of a worm in an inclined cylinder caused
to rotate by means of suitable gear, the upper part of the worm being formed of
detached blocks. The upper portion of the cylinder is perforated and the lower part
has an opening leading to double discharge valves.
When in operation water is supplied both above and below the diaphragm and
grain is fed into the vessel through the hopper. The grain falls through the water
onto the diaphragm but is prevented from passing below by the upward current of the
water. The light impurities pass away by the overflow at the top and the heavy
impurities fall below the diaphragm and are removed from time to time past the
double valves. The grain is carried by the agitators to the delivery elevator where
again heavy impurities fall to the double discharge valves whilst light impurities pass
away through the perforations.
Dinted this 27th
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
_Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Impurities from Wheat
and other Grain.
We, CHARLES JOHN ROBINSON, and JOHN WARD, both of Railway Works, Rochdale
in the County of Lancaster Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
Cascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object is to provide simple durable and efficient apparatus for separating from
wheat or other grain, stones and other impurities whether heavier or lighter than the
said grain.
The apparatus consists essentially of a funnel shaped chamber having double
discharge valves at the bottom, an intermediate diaphragm and grain outlet and a

page_text: grain supply hopper and overflow way at the top in combination with an upper and
lower water supply rotating agitators, current adjuster, and grain delivery elevator.
The upper and lower water supplies maintain a constant head by means of
a cistern and ball valve and indicator cocks are employed to regulate the speed
of flow.
The agitators are carried by a central rotating spindle and are disposed so as to
drive the grain over the diaphragm.
The current adjuster consists of a cap free to be moved on the central spindle to and
from the diaphragm.
The grain outlet is placed longitudinally so as to allow of free exit of the grain.
The delivery elevator consists preferably of a worm in an inclined cylinder caused
to rotate. by means of suitable gear the upper part of the worm being formed of
detached blocks. The upper portion of the cylinder is perforated and the lower part
has an opening leading to double discharge valves.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section and fig. 2 is a plan of apparatus under our invention.
a is the framework of the machine. 6 is a funnel shaped chamber carried by the said
framework. c discharge way from the bottom of the chamber b. d.d' are discharge
eel valve spindles ;
valves closing in an upward direction against seats in the way c..
the valve spindle e passes through the valve spindle e. ffweighted levers coupled
to the spindles e e¹ for retaining the valves à d' against their seats. 9 intermediate
diaphragm with a central orifice h. i grain outlet way above the diaphragm g and
leading into the grain delivery elevator j. k grain supply hopper. I overflow way
leading to a tank m. n reservoir attached to the elevator j. 。 water supply pipe
leading from the reservoir n to the top of the chamber b. p feed water pipe opening
into the chamber 6 at the bottom. valve for regulating the rate of flow of the
feed water. The valve q is provided with a dial and indicator of any usual kind so
that the speed of flow of the feed water may be readily adjusted and the pipe p is
supplied with water from a cistern fitted with a ball float valve so that a constant
head is maintained. r central spindle carried in bearings s secured to the chamber b.
t agitators attached to arms u on the spindle above the diaphragm g and disposed
at an angle as shown so as to drive the grain from the centre outwards. The said
agitators are preferably perforated. v cap free to be moved along the central.
spindle by means of a cottar w which passes through a slot in the said contral
spindle. rod passing freely lengthwise through the said spindler and attached at.
one end to the cottar w and at the other provided with screw and hand wheel gear y
for raising and lowering the said rod and with it the cap v. The delivery elevatorj
is fitted internally with a worm ¹ the upper part of which is formed of detached
blocks ... The upper part of the elevator chamber j is made with perforations which
open into.the reservoir n. The lower part of the elevator chamber is advantageously
z driving
made with a discharge way having discharge valves such as d d¹.
When in operation water supplied above the diaphragm from the reservoir n
and below the diaphragm through the pipe p and grain is fed into the vessel through
the hopper k. The grain falls through the water onto the diaphragm g but is
prevented from passing below by the upward current of water through the orifice h.
Light impurities pass away by the overflow at the top and heavy impurities fall
through the orifice / below the diaphragm and are removed from time to time past
the double valves d d¹. The grain is carried by the agitators t to the delivery
elevator where again heavy impurities are removed by means of double discharge
valves whilst light impurities pass away through the perforations into the reservoir n
from which they are removed from time to time.
gear.
Instead of double discharge valves a perforated plate 1 may be secured to the
spindler so as to rotate over a grid 2 and allow the waste water and stones to pass
to a box 3 provided with a perforated bottom. The stones are retained in the box

page_text: whilst the water passes into the tank m and may thence be pumped back into the
chamber b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is,
First. Apparatus for separating impurities from wheat and other grain substantially
as set forth.
Second. In apparatus for separating impurities from wheat and other grain
substantially as set forth maintaining a constant head of water by means of a cistern
and ball valve with or without an indicator cock.
Third. In apparatus for separating impurities from wheat and other grain
substantially as set forth agitators disposed at an angle for the purpose set
forth.
Fourth. In apparatus for separating impurities from wheat and other grain
a movable cap on the central spindle for the purpose set set forth.
Fifth. In apparatus for separating impurities from wheat and other grain
substantially as set forth a delivery elevator having a worm and overflow and
discharge ways constructed and arranged substantially in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 27th day of July 1880
Per pro J. T. KING,
J. Johnson,
Agent.