IMPROVED MACHINERY POR CLEANING GRAIN
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Mather, of Edinburgh, in the Kingdom
of Scotland, Millwright, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY POR
CLEANING GRAIN."
Sealed the 31st December 1867, and dated the 8th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Mather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
8th July 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MATHEB, of Edinburgh, in the Kingdom of Scotland, Mill-
wright, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR CLEANING GRAIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery which with
slight modification is applicable as a wheat cleaner or as a barley mill. It
may be described as a wire cylinder with closed ends mounted loosely on a
horizontal shaft which turns in bearings in a cast-iron framing. Within this
cylinder and concentric therewith are mounted two, three, or more millstones
(by preference Newcastle millstones). These stones are made fast by bolts to
metal centres which are keyed to the horizontal shaft before mentioned. The

page_text: cylindrical casing is strengthened with suitable framework, and at its centre it
is girt with a ring of spur teeth, through which it receives a slow rotary
motion; this ring of teeth gears into a pinion keyed to a second horizontal
shaft. A rapid rotary motion is transmitted to the stones through a band
pulley keyed on one end of the shaft which carries them, and a spur pinion on
this shaft gives motion through a spur wheel on the second shaft to the spur
pinion which drives the wire cylinder. Grain is supplied by a constant feed
to the cylinder. The grain enters through a stationary plate which closes one
end of the cylinder, and it passes in succession under the action of the several
stones, the dust or earthy matters being first removed and discharged from
the cylinder. A portion of the husks is then discharged in a marketable
condition, and the cleaned grain passes out at the opposite end of the
cylinder to that where the feed was admitted, adjustable shutters being
fitted to the discharging end of the cylinder to regulate the discharge of the
cleaned grain.
It should be remarked that for operating upon barley, which is a harder
grain than wheat, a more extended rubbing surface will in general be
required. This may be obtained by lengthening the cylinder and adding one
or more millstones to those used for cleaning wheat; or by contracting the
delivery opening, and thus keeping the grain longer under the action of the
stones, the required effect will be produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Mather in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MATHER, of Edinburgh, in the Kingdom of Scotland, Millwright, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexander Mather, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Mather, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Mather, 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

page_text: 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CLEANING
GRAIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Mather, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the 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 Alexander Mather, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery which with
slight modification is applicable as a wheat cleaner or as a barley mill.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of the grain cleaner ;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the centre of the
machine ¡ and Fig. 3 is an elevation shewing the delivery end of the
machine.
In these Figures A, A, is a wire cylinder closed by end plates a, a', of cast
iron, and mounted concentrically with and turning freely on a horizontal
shaft B; this shaft turns in bearings carried by standards C of cast iron.
Within this cylinder A, and concentric therewith, are mounted three or more
millstones (by preference Newcastle inillstones) D, D, D, but the number
may vary according to the requirements of the operator. These stones Dare
made fast by cross bolts to metal centres which are keyed to the horizontal
shaft before mentioned. The cylindrical casing is strengthened externally by
transverse bars A¹, and the space between the stones is divided for a certain
depth by flanged rings A2, which also serve to strengthen the cylinder, and
form as it were bridges for the grain under operation as it accumulates in the
cylinder to ride over in its progress to the discharging end of the cylinder. At
its centre the cylinder is girt with a ring of spur teeth E, through which it
receives a slow rotary motion. This ring of teeth E gears into a pinion F
keyed to a second horizontal shaft F¹ mounted in bearings on the standards C
and parallel to the shaft B. A rapid rotary motion is transmitted to the
stones D through a band pulley keyed on one end of the shaft B, and a spur

page_text: pinion B on this shaft gives motion through a large spur wheel F* on the
shaft F to the spur pinion F which drives the wire cylinder. The end
plates a, a, of the cylinder are fitted to bearings b, b, made fast to the
standards C, C. The end plate a is cast with a large central circular opening,
and this opening is covered by a fixed bearing b, which has a central hole to
allow of the free passage through it of the shaft B. Another opening is made
in this fixed bearing to receive the spout of a hopper c. Grain is supplied
by a constant feed to the cylinder from this hopper, the grain entering through
the plate a and falling to the bottom of the cylinder. Here it is subjected to
great friction between the periphery of the first stone and the cylinder, and as
the grain accumulates it will rise above the edge of the first ring A³, and
riding over it will come under the action of the second stone, from which it
will pass in like manner to the third stone, and so on (if there be more in the
series) till it meets one of a set of discharge openings in the end plate a¹ of
the cylinder. During this progress of the grain the dust or earthy matters
are first removed and discharged through the meshes of the cylinder. A
portion of the busks is then in like manner discharged and in a marketable
condition, and the grain passes out at the discharging end of the cylinder in a
clean state. The end plate a' is fitted with adjustable shutters d, d, (see
Fig. 3) which slide in grooves provided to receive them, and are held in
position by means of adjusting screws. These shutters serve to contract the
discharge openings to any required extent, and thereby to regulate the
discharge of the cleaned grain from the rotating cylinder. The time which
the grain will take to pass through the machine will depend upon the speed of
discharge permitted, and this being determined by the size of the discharge
openings it will be readily understood that the amount of friction to which the
grain is subjected may be regulated with nicety and with the greatest facility
by the attendant.
I would remark that for operating upon barley, which is a harder grain
than wheat, a more extended rubbing surface will in general be required.
This may be obtained by lengthening the cylinder and adding one or more
millstones to those used for cleaning wheat; or by contracting the delivery
openings, and thus keeping the grain longer under the action of the stones,
the required effect will be produced.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improved machinery
for cleaning grain, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim, the arrangement of parts above described, or any

page_text: mere modification thereof constituting my improved machinery for cleaning
grain.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Mather, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
ALEX³. MATHER. (L.S.)