IMPROVEMENTS IN SCOURING MACHINES FOR CLEANING GRAIN
Year: 1885

page_text: I, CHARLES AUBREY DAY, of 321, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SCOURING MACHINES FOR CLEANING GRAIN,"
(a communication to me from abroad by William A. Cockrell, Inventor, of United
States of America) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that kind of
grain cleaning or scouring machines in which there is used a cylindrical case,
within which revolves a series of either brush-like devices, or mere beaters or both,
rotating in proximity to the inner surface of said cylindrical case, and a suitable
fan-like contrivance to create a suction blast to ventilate the grain and carry off
the dust and other impurities resulting from the cleaning, or scouring of the
kernels.
Previous to this Invention machines of this type have been more or less defective
and unsatisfactory in their operations and results, from various causes which it is
the object of the present improvements to wholly or partially remove; thus
providing for use a machine capable of producing much better results than those
heretofore employed.
To this main end and object the present Invention may be said to consist in the
novel features of construction which will be found hereinafter fully explained, and
which will be specifically pointed out in the claim of this Specification.
To enable those skilled in the art to which this Invention relates, to make and
use machines containing, either wholly or partially, the several features of the
present improvements, I will now proceed to more fully describe the same,
referring by figures of reference to the accompanying drawings which form part of
this Specification, and in which I have shown each of the features of the Invention
carried out in that form in which it has been most successfully practiced.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1, represents a vertical sectional view of a machine embodying the
Invention.
Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the same.
Fig. 3, a horizontal section taken at the line, x, x, of Fig. 1.
Fio & face view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the screen or case.

page_text: Fig. 6, a partial sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of one of the brushes
employed; and
Figs. 7, and, 8, respectively a side and edge view of the wire bristles used in the
brush partially shown at Fig. 6.
In the several views the same or like parts are designated by the same figures
of reference.
1, represents a vertical shaft arranged centrally of the case, 2, of the machine,
and so as to turn freely in suitable bearings. At, preferably, the lower end of the
shaft, is secured a pulley, 3, through the medium of which motive power is
applied to the working parts of the machine. Surrounding the shaft is a sleeve
or hollow shaft, 4, which is provided at its upper end with a perforated flange or
collar, 5, and the upper end of the shaft, 1, is screw-threaded, and over this portion
a threaded hub or nut, 6, works, which is provided with a collar, 7, similar to
that, 5, on the end of the sleeve, 4, The collars, 5, and, 7, are connected by
bolts, 8, and by these means the shafts, 1, and, 4, are made to turn together.
The nut, 6, is provided with a hand wheel, 9, by which it may be turned when
it and its connections are to be raised or lowered for a purpose which will be
hereinafter explained, and above the nut, 6, is arranged a jamb-nut, 10, which is
also provided with a hand wheel, 11, for convenience of manipulation.
From each end of the shaft, 4, project radially, a series of lugs or ear pieces, 12,
to which are pivotted one set of ends of a series of rods or arms, 13, the other ends
of which are jointed in a similar manner to a series of lugs, 14, which project
inwardly from the backs, 15, of the scouring brushes (or combined beaters and
brushes), as shown.
Instead of using the combined beaters and brushes, such as shown, and in which
the side strips or vertical pieces, 16, (see Fig. 3), which are secured to the edges of
the wooden brush-backs, and the edges of which extend out into close proximity
to the internal surface of the scouring cylinder, act as beaters; beaters of any of
the usual forms and used without the presence of any brushes may be employed.
Whether brushes, or beaters, or both combined, be used, (according to the kind of
work for which the machine may be designed) all the advantages derivable from
the use of the peculiarly constructed scouring surface will be obtained.
By this improved mode of hanging the brushes, 17, to the hollow shaft, 4, the
said brushes, which are confined, end-wise only, between the upper and lower
heads, 18, and, 19, of the cylinder, are rendered capable of adjustment, radially, by
raising or lowering said hollow shaft.
Each of the brushes, 17, is composed (see Figs. 6, 7, 8,) of a strip of card clothing
formed with staple-shaped, straight, wire teeth, arranged close together, in parallel
lines, and secured at their roots in a leather holder strip, 20, which is securely
cemented or otherwise fastened to the wooden backing, 15.
A brush thus made has been found to work best in the improved machine herein
described, because, while presenting a comparatively stiff working face, no grain
can enter between the parallel wire bristles arranged close together; and the
working face acts in the inost efficacious manner on the kernels of the grain.
21, represents a metallic cylinder or casing of the machine, composed, as shown,
of a wire woven fabric, of the peculiar structure illustrated in Figs, 4, and, 5, and
fastened at its upper and lower portions, to the wooden case or frame, 2.
Immediately over the main shaft, 1, is arranged, axially in line with it, a
secondary shaft, 22, the lower end of which is stepped at, 23, in the top of the
shaft, 1, and which is provided at its upper end, with a pulley, 24.
At one side of the frame or box of the machine is located, and arranged to turn
in suitable bearing boxes, a vertical shaft, 25, which is provided near its lower and
upper ends, respectively, with fast pulleys, 26, and, 27, so that by an endless band
or belt passing round the pulleys, 28, and, 26, respectively fast on the shafts, 1,
aud, 25, the power and motion of the shaft, 1, is or can be imparted to the shaft, 25,
and also so that by means of another belt passing round the pulleys, 27, and, 24,
the rotary motion of the shaft, 25, is or can be imparted to the secondary shaft, 22.

page_text: As the driver pulleys, 28, and, 27, are each of greater diameter than the
pulleys, 26, and, 24, which are respectively driven by them, it follows that this
system of pulleys operates to "speed up," and to cause the secondary shaft, 22, to
run considerably faster than the main shaft, 1, the object of thus speeding up
being to drive the fan, 29, which is mounted on the shaft, 22, with sufficient
velocity.
In the general operation of the machine, the grain to be cleaned falls from
a supply hopper, thence through a spout, 30, into the interior of the scouring
cylinder, 21, and in between the combined beaters and brushes by which the grain
is thrown outwardly (by centrifugal force) toward and against the internal surface,
of the cylinder, 21, between which and the rapidly revolving brushes, 17, the grain
is scoured during its descent to the bottom of the cylinder where it escapes from
the machine through the exit spout, or discharge conduit, 31; the grain passing
then downward, while the dust is drawn upward through, 32, following the course
of the arrows, the heavier parts or chaff dropping out at, 33.
By reason of the use of a cylinder, 21, composed of a woven wire fabric, having
its superficial projections flattened, as shown and described, the maximum number
of small perforations to effect a perfect ventilation is obtained, while at the
same time no deep or large cavities occur in the working surface of the cylinder
to permit any lodgment of the kernels of grain, and the best possible character of
scouring edges and surfaces is obtained under the most desirable conditions.
As shown at Figs. 4, and, 5, (where I have illustrated the character of the wire
cylinder fabric, by showing a piece drawn on an exaggerated scale), the cylinder, 21,
is formed of a woven wire fabric composed of ono set of warp and one set of weft
strands; each set of strands being arranged about equidistant so as to form
rectangular meshes of such size as to preclude the entrance or lodgment therein of
any kernel of the grain, and at the same time afford opportunity for the passage
of the maximum quantity of air, or air blast, through the fabric.
On the working side or surface of this cylinder, all the projecting bends of all
the strands are flattened; so as to form a series of facets, 34, which operate to
render the face of the fabric flatter, while at the same time reducing the depths
of the interstices between the crossing strands, and also forming a series of both
vertical and horizontal edges and ledges, the former of which act as cleaners or
scapers, and the latter to retard the descent of the grain being operated upon; but
if only the bends of those strands which run lengthwise of the cylindrical case, be
flattened, the main advantages of this improved kind of scouring surface will be
attained.
Therefore I wish it to be understood that in carrying out the present Invention
the facets formed by flattening the bends of those wires running circumferentially
of the case may be omitted, though the form of flattened wire fabric shown on the
accompanying drawings is preferred.
The straight wire brushes, such as shown, acting in conjunction with a cylinder
such as I have shown and described, have been found to be stiff enough to act
efficiently in removing all adhering impurities from the entire surface of the grain ;
while, at the same time, they will not scratch or abrade the bran, and it is there-
fore deemed desirable in carrying out this Invention, to use this kind of brushes.
By means of the combination of devices described and shown for adjusting the
hollow shaft, 4, vertically; and thus moving the brushes and beaters radially, the
operator is enabled to quickly, easily and perfectly adjust the brushes relatively to
the scouring cylinder, 21, to compensate for wear in the working surfaces.
The exact degree of fineness to which the wire fabric of the cylinder, 21, should
be woven, and the degree of flattening of the working surface of the fabric
whether both or only one set of strands be flattened, may be varied, more or less,
in the judgment of the maker of the machine, according to the nature of the
character of the grain to be operated upon by the machine, and many variations
in the details of construction of the machine may be made without departing from
the gist, or features of improvement essential to the Invention. For instance, for

page_text: the purposes merely of a smut machine, the flattened woven-wire fabric may be
used for the cylindrical case in a machine having no brushes at all, and provided
only with beaters operating to throw the descending grain constantly against the
internal working surface of said case.
It will be obvious that this Invention may be applied with equal advantago to
machines in which the cylindrical case may occupy an oblique or nearly horizontal
position, instead of, a vertical position as represented on the accompanying
drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and objects
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare
that what I claim, is-
In a machine for cleaning grain, the combination of a scouring cylinder composed
of a woven wire fabric having one or both of its sets of strands flattened, suitable
interiorily arranged cleaning devices, and means for causing the passage of air
currents through the scouring cylinder and the material being operated upon,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, with reference to the
accompanying drawings.