IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING MACHINERY USED IN TREATING GRAIN AND PRODUCING FLOUR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Martin Benson, of No. 52, Chancery Lane, London, for
:
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING MACHINERY USED IN
TREATING GRAIN AND PRODUCING FLOUR." A communication from abroad
by Oscar Oexle, of Augsburg; in the Empire of Germany, Civil Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Martin Benson at the Office.
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th March 1881.
MARTIN BENSON, of No. 52, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PURIFYING MACHINERY USED IN TREATING GRAIN AND PRODUCING FLOUR."
A communication from abroad by Oscar Oexle, of Augsburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Civil Engineer.
The principle novelty of my improvement is the use of an enclosed endless
moving filtering apron or belt made of any suitable material, consisting of woollen
cloth, wire netting, or any other suitable material that allows a free passage
of purified air, and in the meantime retain the fine particles of dust, and also in
saving space, and dispensing with the usual dust chamber for the exhaust air.
My improved apparatus for filtering air may be used in combination with
machines or machinery for purifying middlings, or for any other purpose when it is
required to purify dusty air in the process of making flour and treating grain, and
also in combination with any apparatus, machinery, or room for exhausting and
purifying dusty air therefrom.
In practice the main frame of the machine for containing the moving endless
apron is constructed of wood, and provided with suitable framing for carrying the
machinery for working the apron and other parts of the apparatus; it is made
about three feet wide and ten feet long, more or less, to suit the work required to
be done. For a medium machine the apron is about eight feet long and two feet
wide, and is situated in the upper part of the main frame or vacuum chamber; it
is mounted on two rollers, one at each end of the machine or apron; one of these
rollers is for driving or working the apron at the required speed, and is made
stationary, while the other is for guiding the apron, and is made adjustable for
Dino G71

page_text: keeping the apron properly stretched and in its place. The adjusting of the
movable roll is usually effected by weights and cords, or may be done in any other
equivalent manner. There are usually five other stationary rolls used for the
several purposes of guiding and retaining the lower portion of the apron in position,
and dividing the working portion of the apron into four compartments, through
which the air is drawn from the vacuum room; these four compartments are
provided with regulating air valves, and are in communication with the exhaust
chamber or fan usually at the side of the machine. The filtering apron is so
arranged and worked that no air can pass out of the filtering room or chamber
without passing through the filtering apron. The vacuum space or room below the
working portion of the apron is provided with longitudinal hoppers for catching
the dust and dirt retained by the apron.
Provision is made for removing the dust and dirt from the filtering chamber by
suitable discharge gates and valves, and also for admitting the air into the vacuum
chamber under the filtering apron by providing the chamber with a dividing
longitudinal right angle diflecting ridge piece for conveying the dust and dirt
equally to each side of the chamber, and at the same time allow a passage for the
air between the dividing ridge piece and dust hoppers.
There is a supplementary vacuum chamber placed between the endless apron and
directly over the main vacuum room for properly distributing the air to all parts
of the canvas in communication with the vacuum room; this supplementary
chamber is divided into five transverse channels, including the one leading to the
exhauster.
There is a horizontal projection made at the top of one end of the machine or
frame extending out two or three feet, more or less, into which the endless apron
works in order to discharge the dust therefrom that may adhere to it in the process
of exhausting the air through it, and directly under this projection at the end of
the machine a collecting hopper is provided for catching the dirt or dust from the
apron in the process of cleaning it. The cleaning of the apron is effected by a
series of cords or rods, six or more are used, extending across the apron on its
under side, and made to shake or beat the apron for freeing it from the dust that
may adhere thereto, through the medium of springs attached to the cords or rods,
said springs being acted on for receiving motion by eccentrics, which receive
their motion from the driving pulley for working the endless apron, or from any
other source, through the medium of bevel gearing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Martin Benson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st September 1881.
MARTIN BENSON, of No. 52, Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PURIFYING MACHINERY USED IN TREATING GRAIN AND PRODUCING FLOUR,"
A communication from abroad by Oscar Oexle, of Augsburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Civil Engineer.
The principle novelty of my improvement is the use of an enclosed endless
moving filtering apron or belt made of any suitable material, consisting of woolen
cloth, wire netting, or any other known suitable material that allows a free passage
of purified air, and in the meantime retain the fine particles of dust and also save
space and dispense with the usual dust chamber for the exhaust air.
My improved apparatus for filtering air may be used in combination with
machines or machinery for purifying middlings or for any other purpose, when it
is required to purify dusty air in the process of making flour and treating grain,
and also in combination with any apparatus, machinery, or room for exhausting
and purifying dusty air therefrom.
In practice the main frame of the machine for containing the moving endless
apron is constructed of wood and provided with suitable framing for carrying the
machinery for working the apron and other parts of the apparatus; it is made about
three feet wide and ten feet long, more or less, to suit the work required to be done.
For a medium machine the apron is about eight feet long and two feet wide, and
is situated in the upper part of the main frame or vacuum chamber; it is mounted
on two rollers, ono at each end of the machine or apron; one of these rollers is
required for driving or working the apron at the required speed and is made
stationary, while the other is for guiding the apron and is made adjustable for
keeping the apron properly stretched and in its place. The adjusting of the
movable roll is usually effected by weights and cords, or may be done in any other
equivalent manner. There are usually five other stationary rolls used for the
several purposes of guiding and retaining the lower portion of the apron in
position and dividing the working portion of the apron into four compartments,
through which the air is drawn from the vacuum room; these four compartments
are provided with regulating air valves and are in communication with the exhaust
chamber or fan usually at the side of the machine. The filtering apron is 80
arranged and worked that no air can pass out of the filtering room or chamber
without passing through the filtering apron. The vacuum space or room below the
working portion of the apron is provided with longitudinal hoppers for catching
the dust and dirt retained by the apron.
Provision is made for removing the dust and dirt from the filtering chamber by
suitable discharge gates or valves, and also for admitting the air into the vacuum
chamber under the filtering apron, by providing the chamber with a dividing
longitudinal angular diflecting ridge piece for conveying the dust equally to each
side of the chamber and at the same time allow a passage for the air between the
dividing ridge piece and dust hoppers.
There is a supplementary vacuum chamber placed between the endless apron and
directly over the main vacuum room for properly distributing the air to all parts
of the canvas in communication with the vacuum room; this supplementary
chamber is divided into five transverse channels including the one leading to the
exhauster.
There is a horizontal projection made at the top of one end of the machine or.
frame extending out two or three feet, more or less, into which the endless apron

page_text: works, in order to discharge the dust therefrom that may adhere to it in the process
of exhausting the air through it, and directly under this projection at the end of
the machine a collecting hopper is provided for catching the dirt and dust from the
apron in the process of cleaning it. The cleaning of the apron is effected by a
-series of cords or rods, six or more are used, extending across the apron on its under
side, and made to shake or beat the apron. for freeing it from the dust that may
adhere thereto through the medium of springs attached to the cords or rods, said
springs being acted on for receiving motion by eccentrics which receive their motion
from the driving pulley for working the endless apron, or from any other source,
'through the medium of bevel gearing.
: The following is a detailed description of the machine and mode of working it,
reference being made to the accompanying Drawings and letters of reference marked
thereon..
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of the machine through the
endless apron.
Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine; Figs. 4 and 5 are partial sectional
views of the end of the machine provided with mechanism for working the beating
cords for cleaning the endless apron, and Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the end
of the machine (through the line x, x, Fig. 1), shewing the hopper for catching the
dust beaten from the endless purifying cloth.
The general construction of the frame of the machine is represented by the
several Drawings. The purifying apparatus is supposed to be applied to an
ordinary riddle for treating any of the ground products of wheat or grain for
purifying purposes.
a represents a vacuum chamber between the riddle W and
endless purifying apron b; the apron is worked over the rollers d¹ and d². The
roller d is furnished with a driving pulley e worked by a belt from any suitable
prime mover; the roller d' works in movable bearings and is acted on by the
weight and cord J for keeping the endless apron b drawn tight at all times;
d, d, d, d, d, are rollers working on the inside of the apron for guiding and keeping
it in position and for dividing the space above into compartments f,f,f.f, for
assisting to distribute the air to all parts of the apron and from thence to the
exhaust chamber through the supplementary vacuum chambers R, R, R, R; a
portion of the air from these supplementary vacuum chambers is made to pass out
at each side of the machine into air passages A, A', and from thence to the
exhauster through the pipe C, which may be placed on one or both sides of the
machine;
the air passages A, A1, at the side of the machine communicate with each
other by the air channel T through the body of the supplementary vacuum chamber;
as before stated, no air can pass through the machine to the exhauster pipe C
without going through the endless purifying cloth; the vacuum is regulated by air
valves S, S, S, S, placed on each side of the machine opposite the four supplementary
vacuum chambers R, R, R, R, as represented.
The vacuum space below the working portion of the filtering cloth is provided
with longitudinal hoppers or recepticals m and n for receiving the dust and other
matter drawn into the chamber and separated from the air; it then falls from the
cloth into the hoppers, which are provided with valves and conductors t, t, t, t, on
each side of the machine for drawing it off as represented. The dust hopper under
the apron is usually divided by a longitudinal angular deflecting ridge piece p with
diflecting sides o, o, for conducting the dust and dirt equally to both sides of the
chamber into the hoppers m, n; the dividing ridge piece p also serves for equally
distributing the air on both sides to the entire surface of the filtering cloth b
through the openings 01, 0¹. In the Drawings the direction of the motion of the
air through the several parts of the machine is indicated by arrows marked
thereon.
As before stated, provision is made for cleaning the filtering cloth 6 by the
mechanical action of beaters; this is effected by running the apron beyond the
main end of the machine by extending the frame as represented in Fig. 1, and

page_text: providing the extension with a hopper B arranged so as to come under the filtering
and driving roller d². One mode of working the mechanical beaters g, g, g, for
cleaning the cloth is represented in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The driving roller d' is
provided with, bevel gearing K for working the shafts i, i, one attached on both
sides of the. machine; said shafts are provided with notched wheels or eccentrics h, h,
for acting on the springs g¹, g¹, g', to which the beating cords g, g, g, are attached,
as more fully represented in Fig. 4, which shows a partial section of the machine
for that purpose. The action of the eccentrics h on the springs g¹ slackens the cords g,
and when the springs g' fly back to their normal position the cords g are jerked
back and made to strike the filtering cloth b and shake the dust and dirt therefrom
which falls into the hopper B and is discharged from the machine in any convenient
manner. The Drawings are sufficient full to show the action of this portion of the
improvement without further description.
Another mode of mechanically freeing the apron from dust and dirt is shown in
Figs. 1 and 6 by seven or more spring beaters D worked and acted on the apron
through the medium of gear wheels, a revolving shaft and eccentrics or lifting
thumbs, by motion taken from the drum d³; one end of these beaters are per-
manently attached by means of screw bolts and nuts or in any equivalent manner
to a piece of transverse framing secured to the sides of the machine shown in
Fig. 1. The beaters are lifted or worked by the cams y on the revolving shaft V
by the cams acting on the projections u on the top of the beater, as shown in Fig. 1.
The beaters D are usually made of metal and thin enough to spring at the ends
attached to the frame r, so that when they are lifted by the action of the cams y
they are forced down on the endless apron by reason of their springing action
with sufficient force to beat the dust from the filtering cloth that may adhere to it
as it comes from the vacuum chamber. The shaft V is furnished with a gear
wheel F, which is driven by a pinion working into it on the driving drum d².
Other equivalent mechanical means for cleansing or freeing the endless filtering
apron b from dust may be used which in practice would embrace the principle of my
improvement.
The following is a description of the action of the filtering apparatus:-In
practice the exhauster may be placed directly on the machine or connected there-
with by suction pipes aspirating the air through the pipes. The air enters below
the filtering apron b, as denoted by the direction of the arrows marked thereon,
and is drawn through the meshes of the cloth, leaving behind it all dust and foreign
matter originally mixed with it; the clean air then passes through the side valve
openings S and air passages A, A', and T to the exhauster when it is blown free
of dust into the atmosphere. The particles of dust and foreign matter retained by
the filtering apron either drop into the collecting hoppers m and n or are carried by
the filtering apron outside the machine casing, where they are removed from the
apron by the beating action of the springs g¹ and cords g into the hopper B, as
before described.
My improved purifying apparatus possesses the following advantages over similar
machines before in use, namely,―
Saving of space; no collecting dust channels are required; economy in saving the
light dusty particles; simple and self acting method of cleaning the filtering cloth;
saving of power, owing to the fan exhausting into the air instead of a dust chamber;
a stronger draft can be used without loss of dust, consequently making a more
efficient machine in quantity and quality of work done.
Having described the nature of my improvement, and manner of constructing
and working the same, what I claim as new is,-
1. An endless filtering apron b of filtering cloth or any equivalent known
material placed between one or more exhausters and a suction room or space and
worked in the manner and for the purpose herein before described.
2. An endless apron b of filtering cloth in combination with the guide and
dividing rollers d and supplementary vacuum chambers R arranged with an

page_text: exhaust and suction room and worked in the manner and for the purposes herein.
before described.
3. Cleaning the endless filtering cloth b outside the suction room or vacuum
chamber by self acting mechanical beaters, as hereinbefore described.
4. The air filtering apparatus provided with an endless filtering cloth 6 and
worked as described, combined with any room, space, machine, or apparatus filled
with dusty air or air mixed with light substances for purifying the air in the
manner hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Martin Benson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of September, in the year of our Lord 1881.