IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HULLING OR DECORTICATING GRAIN
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HULLING OR DECORTICATING GRAIN."
-A communication from abroad by Henri Charpentier, Ex-military
Engineering Contractor, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 23rd March 1869, and dated the 29th January 1869..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th January 1869.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HULLING OR
DECORTICATING GRAIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for removing the
husks from cereals by the aid of friction in lieu of the ordinary
thrashing operation, by which improved means the straw is preserved in-
tact. Hitherto grain has been usually threshed out by means of a flail,
or by machine driven by horse or other power. The first mode is very
tedious and the latter renders the straw.fit for litter. The removal

page_text: of the husks from the grain is obtained, as above mentioned, by means of
friction, the cars passing between two surfaces grooved either in straight
or curved lines. The surfaces. whether straight or curved, are placed
parallel with each other in either a horizontal or inclined position, and at
a sufficient distance apart to separate the grain from the husks without
bruising it. The grooved surfaces above mentioned consist of a rotating
cylinder and a fixed plate curved concentrically therewith mounted in a
suitable frame. The cylinder in its rotary motion draws the ears between
it and the fixed surface, the hulling of the grain being effected by the
friction thus produced. The curved plate is adjusted more or less closely
to the cylinder by means of screws according to the kind of grain to be
operated on. For certain kinds of grain the friction produced might be
too lengthened, and I obviate this by making the curved plate in several
parts which form a whole when combined but are capable of being
detached one from the other, one or more parts only being used at a time,
so as to have just the necessary extent of surface required. The hulling
cylinder and counterpart formed by the fixed plate are both grooved as
above-mentioned, and may be made either solid or open, the rubbing of
the grain for removing the husks being obtained by the aid of the
grooved or fluted surfaces. After the grain is separated from the husks
it falls into a receptacle placed at the bottom of an inclined surface, down
which the straw passes, and is then formed into sheaves by the attendant.
The cylinder is grooved only on a portion of its length, the smooth part
serving to support the straw (which is fed in parallel with the grooved
roller) in order that the ears may be regularly drawn in between the roller
and plate and prevent damage to the straw. This machine requires but
three persons to operate it; one for imparting motion to the grooved roller
by means of a crank, or it may be driven by other power, a second for
untying and retying the sheaves, and a third for feeding the straws into
the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 27th July 1869.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 27th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting..

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in
the thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR HULLING OR DECORTICATING GRAIN," a communication to me from abroad
by Henri Charpentier, Ex-military Engineering Contractor, of 13,
Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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 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 Melville Clark,
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 following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for removing the
husks from cereals by the aid of friction in lieu of the ordinary thrashing
operation, by which improved means the straw is preserved intact.
Hitherto grain has either been thrashed out by means of a flail, or by
machinery driven by horse or other power. The first mode is very
tedious and the latter renders the straw fit only for litter. According to
these improvements the removal of the husks from the grain is obtained,
as above mentioned, by means of friction, the ears passing between two
rollers grooved either in straight or curved lines.

page_text: The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1 of which shows a plan, Figure 2 an end view, and Figure 3 a
transverse section of the improved machinery or apparatus for hulling or
decorticating grain. The surfaces B, D, whether straight or curved, are
placed parallel with each other in either a horizontal or inclined position
and at a sufficient distance apart to remove the grain from the husks
without bruising it. The, grooved surfaces above mentioned consist of a
rotating cylinder B and a fixed plate D curved concentrically therewith
mounted in a suitable frame A. The cylinder in its rotary motion draws
the ears between it and the fixed surface, the hulling of the grain being
effected by the friction thus produced. The curved plate is adjusted
more or less closely to the cylinder by means of screws on framing A
according to the kind of grain to be operated on. For certain kinds of
grain the friction produced might be too lengthened, and I may obviate
this by making the curved plate in several parts which form a whole
when combined but are capable of being detached one from the other,
and one or more parts only being used at a time, so as to have just the
necessary extent of surface required. The hulling cylinder and counter-
part formed by the fixed plate D are both grooved as above mentioned,:
and may be made either solid or open, the rubbing of the grain for
removing the husks being obtained by the aid of the grooved or fluted
surface. After the grain is separated from the husks it falls into a:
receptacle placed at the bottom of an inclined surface, down which the
straw passes, and is then formed into sheaves by the attendant. The
cylinder is grooved only on one half or more of its length, the smooth
part serving to support the straw (which is fed in parallel with the
grooved roller) in order that the ears may be regularly drawn between
the roller and plate and prevent damage to the straw. This machine
requires but three persons to operate it; one for imparting motion to
the guard roller by means of a crank M and fly wheel C, or it may be
driven by other power, a second for untying and retying the sheaves, and
a third for feeding the straw into the machine. A hopper may be placed
above the cylinder B, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 3, although
it is preferable to dispense with a hopper and dispose the table about on
a level with the upper part of the cylinder so as to permit of a more a
uniform feed of the straw.
Having described the nature of this Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the

page_text: improved machinery herein-before described for hulling or decorticating
grain in which the ears are caused to pass between two grooved surfaces
either or both of which may be rendered adjustable, to adapt it to
different kinds of grain, all in the manner described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)