An IMPROVED CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE FOR DRYING AND CLEANING GRAIN
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Whittingham, of the Cross, Willaston,
Nantwich, in the County of Chester, for the Invention of "An
IMPROVED CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE FOR DRYING AND CLEANING GRAIN,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Whittingham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th November 1872.
I, JOHN WHITTINGHAM, of the Cross, Willaston, Nantwich, in the
County of Chester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE FOR DRYING AND CLEANING GRAIN,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the class of centrifugal drying and cleaning
machines in which the grain is fed into a perforated vessel or chamber,
caused to rotate rapidly within a suitable casing, so as to force the water
from the grain through the perforations of the rotating vessel or
chamber into a suitable receptacle.

page_text: My improved machine is constructed with an inner and outer casing
with an annular space between them, leading to a suitable receptacle for
the dried and cleaned grain. The outer casing is made somewhat higher
than the inner one, and its upper part is suitably perforated or formed of
wire grating, against which the grain is thrown by the rotating vessel or
chamber with such force as to smash the lumps of dirt that have been
softened in washing, and to send them through the perforations or
meshes of the grating, which are kept clear of dirt by means of a
suitable fan or blower. The perforated upper part or grating of the
outer casing is surrounded by a guard or casing suitably formed to catch
any water that may be thrown through the perforations or meshes.
My improved machine will be found very efficient as a drying and
cleaning machine, especially for Egyptian and other dirty wheat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Whittingham in the Great Seal Patent Office :
on the 29th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WHITTINGHAM, of the Cross, Willaston, Nantwich, in the County of
Chester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Whittingham, Her special license
that I, the said John Whittingham, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Whittingham, 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 "AN IMPROVED
CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE FOR DRYING AND CLEANING GRAIN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Whittingham, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Whittingham, 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 follow-
ing statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, and the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention relates to the class of centrifugal drying and cleaning
machines in which the grain is fed into a perforated vessel or chamber,
caused to rotate rapidly within a suitable casing, so as to force the water
from the grain through the perforations of the rotating vessel or
chamber into a suitable receptacle.
My improved machine is constructed with an inner and outer casing
with an annular space between them, leading to a suitable receptacle for
the dried and cleaned grain. The outer casing is made somewhat higher
than the inner one, and its upper part is suitably perforated or formed of
wire grating, against which the grain is thrown by the rotating vessel or
chamber, with such force as to smash the lumps of dirt that have been
softened in washing, and to send them through the perforations or
meshes of the grating, which are kept clear of dirt by means of a
suitable fan or blower. The perforated upper part or grating of the
outer casing is surrounded by a guard or casing suitably formed to catch
any water that may be thrown through the perforations or meshes.
My improved machine will be found very efficient as a drying and
cleaning machine, especially for Egyptian and other dirty wheat.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in central vertical
section parts of a centrifugal drying and cleaning machine, embodying
my Invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the disc forming the cover of
the rotating chamber.
a is a perforated vessel or chamber fixed to a shaft b, which works at
its lower end in a footstep c, and at its upper part in a suitable guide.
bearing, or bearings, rotary motion being communicated to the shaft"
by a strap and pulley or otherwise as well understood; d is the inner
casing surrounding the perforated vessel or chamber a, and forming at
.

page_text: the grain.
The inner casing d is surrounded by an outer casing e, a space f being
left between the two casings d and 'e for the passage of the treated grain
which issues from a suitable orifice g, whence it may be collected in any
suitable receptacle.
The outer casing e is made somewhat higher than the inner casing d,
and the upper part or extension e¹ of the outer casing is suitably per-
forated or may be formed of wire grating. This perforated upper part
or grating e¹ of the outer casing e is surrounded by a guard or casing h
to catch or arrest any water that may be thrown through the perforations
or meshes. The disc a' forming the cover of the perforated rotating
vessel a is supported at its inner part by supports or stretchers a², and
carries four or other suitable number of vanes or blowers ; as shewn.
The disc a¹ is also made with a number of orifices a³ through which the
grain issues, as herein-after explained.
k is a tubular hopper or funnel through which the machine is fed with
the grain to be treated.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The shaft 6 having been
put in motion so as to rotate rapidly with the perforated vessel or
chamber a, the damped washed grain is fed into the vessel a through the
hopper or funnel k, and by the centrifugal force is thrown against the
perforated lateral part of the vessel a, and out by the orifices a*
striking against the perforated part or grating e¹ of the outer casing e
with such force as to smash the lumps of dirt that have been softened 1
in washing, and to send them through the perforations or meshes which
are kept clear of dirt by the blowing action of the vanes or blowers j,
the water removed from the grain in the vessel a passes through the
perforations of that vessel into the receptacle x, which, as shewn by
arrows, also receives the water, &c. thrown against the guard or casing h.
Having described the nature of my said Invention for "An Im-
proved Centrifugal Machine for Drying and Cleaning Grain," and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into practical effect,
I desire to have it understood that I do not claim the Invention of
drying grain by centrifugal force, nor do I claim as of my Invention or
the exclusive use of the several parts herein-before described or referred
to, except when the same are used in and for my said Invention, but I

page_text: do claim as secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, the arrangement and construction of parts herein set forth for
drying and cleaning grain by centrifugal force.
I claim particularly the combination of the rotating vessel or
chamber a with the fan or blower j, and the perforated upper part or
grating e¹ of the casing e against which the grain is thrown in the
manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Whittingham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
JOHN WHITTINGHAM. (L.S.)