AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SCOURING AND CLEANING GRAIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SCOURING AND CLEANING GRAIN."
-A communication from abroad by Gardner E. Throop, of
Syracuse, New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 7th August 1868, and dated the 10th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th February 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE POB SCOURING AND CLEANING
GRAIN," a communication, to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to remedy the defects heretofore found
in smut machines, and to furnish an efficient machine for cleaning grain
by scouring and separating the impuritics therefrom, which machine

page_text: can be placed in any convenient spot, confining the dust within the
machine, and discharging it through a spout at any convenient point
in or out of the building in which the machine is located, and at once
removing all foreign substances from the grain as soon as they are
detached from the same.
The said machine is provided with a frame of metal or wood consisting
preferably of four posts connected by proper caps and cross ties, but a
frame of any convenient form and material may be used. At the top
of the frame there is a cross tree or bar forming the upper journal
bearing of a vertical shaft located at the centre of the machine and
supported at its lower end on a bridge tree; this shaft passes through
the axis of the fan and scouring case. Arms or other projecting supports
are affixed to the shaft within the said scouring case; these arms carry
wings arranged at a slight angle to a line extending radially from the
axis of the shaft, and the lower end of each wing runs in advance of
its upper end, the wings being arranged at a slight angle to a plane
taken through the shaft, whereby the draft is inclined somewhat upward
'and outward. A metal head or annular plate is affixed to and revolves
with the wings at the upper end just under the upper head of the case
which receives and distributes the grain by centrifugal action as it
enters the machine. Upon the inner opening of this head a flange is
extended upward to keep the grain from falling inward. This revolving
part of the scourer is surrounded by a perforated metallic case, the
construction of which forms one of the most important features of my
improvements; the thin metal of the case is perforated with small
holes, the said holes being preferably made circular, but which may be
of other forms if the size of the holes is small, and they are punched
close together in contradistinction to oblong holes or wire grating as
heretofore used. The holes being made perpendicularly through the
metal they form innumerable small sharp cutting edges that effectually
clean the grain. The surface of this perforated metallic case is
corrugated horizontally. The said case is thus strengthened, and
its working surface extended. At the top of the case a metal head
is arranged; a similar head is also placed at the bottom of the case,
the two heads enclosing the scouring wings. A space or opening is
left in the top and bottom heads around the shaft for the admission
of air, and on one side at the top there is another opening for the
grain to pass through. The external air is supplied from above directly

page_text: through the central opening in the top head, and below the same is
conveyed through a spout or trunk which supports the lower end of the
cylindrical case. This spout is so connected with the frame as to drop
and release the lower head and the perforated case, which when the
machine is operated is enclosed and shut off from the external air by
an outer casc or cover. A tangent spout is arranged at the bottom
of the perforated case, through which spout the grain passes from the
Scourer to the separator. The upper side of this spout is made horizontal
and the lower side expands downward. Over the mouth of the said
spout is a plate which covers the upper part of the opening and keeps
the grain from being thrown upward as it passes into the separator.
Below the outer case there is a fan whose wings radiate from the centre
shaft. These wings are surrounded by a drum which communicates with
the interior of the cover of the perforated case and draws off the contents
in the space between the said case and cover. The separator has an
upright trunk affixed to the frame of the scourer, the top of which trunk
is enlarged. The upright part of the separator is divided vertically into
two channels by a partition whose top turns at right angles towards the
enlarged portion, so as to leave a free passage through the trunk. In one
of the vertical channels are two inclined boards; at the lower edge of one
of these boards is a hinged valve which rests against the bottom of the
channel; this bottom inclines in the opposite direction to the said board,
and at the lower angle there is another valvo also opening outward.
The upper angle of this bottom joins the side of the upright trunk, and
at that point there is a slide which can be raised or lowered to contract,
or enlarge the opening into the down passage, which terminates in a
receptacle below. From this receptacle there is a communication with
the centre of the fan case on the lower side, which allows a strong
current of air to be drawn through the up and down passages. The
main shaft is driven by a pulley either at its upper end or below the
fan case.
In order to remove the perforated case without disturbing the working
parts of the machine the said case is divided vertically on one side, the
two edges being clamped and bolted together so that it can be unbolted
to open the case to remove the same for any purpose. I construct and
attach the fan case to the frame in such a manner that the opening into
the tangent spout can be turned to either of the three sides of the frame
unoccupied by the separator. The machine can be made to run in either

page_text: -
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th August 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
.Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 MACHINE FOR SCOURING AND CLEANING GRAIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 William Robert Lake, 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 accom-
panying Drawing forming part of this Specification :-

page_text: The object of this Invention is to remedy the defects heretofore found
in smut machines, and to furnish an efficient machine for cleaning grain
by scouring and separating the impuritics therefrom, and which can be
placed in any convenient spot, confining the dust within the machine,
and discharging it through a spout at any convenient point in or out
of the building in which the machine is located, and at once removing
all foreign substances from the grain as soon as they are detached
Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of my improved machine with a portion
of the exterior case removed to show parts of the interior; Figure 1*
illustrates sections of the perforated case; Figure 2 is a vertical section
of the separator at right angles to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a horizontal
section on line x, x, Figure 1.
The said machine is provided with a frame A of metal or wood, as
shewn in the Drawing, it consists of four posts connected by proper caps
and cross tics, but a frame of any convenient form and material may be
used. At the top of the said frame there is a cross trec or bar forming
the upper journal bearing of a vertical shaft a located at the centre of
the machine and supported at its lower end on a bridge tree a¹; this
shaft passes through the axis of the fan and scouring case. Arms or
other projecting supports. are affixed to the shaft within the scouring
case, to which wings 6 are attached at a slight angle to a radial line, and
the lower end of each wing runs in advance of its upper end, the wings
being placed at a slight angle to a plane taken through the shaft,
whereby the draft is inclined somewhat upward and outward. A metal
head or annular plate c is affixed to and revolves with the wings at the
upper end just under the upper head of the case, which receives and
distributes the grain by centrifugal action as it enters the machine;
upon the inner opening of this head c there is a flange c¹ projecting
upward to keep the grain from falling inward. This revolving part of
the scourer is surrounded by a perforated metallic case d, the con-
struction of which forms one of the most important features of my
Invention; the thin metal of the case is perforated with small holes,
as is most clearly seen in the small sections in Figure 1, the said
holes being preferably made circular, but which may be square or
lozenge shaped or of other forms if the size of the holes is kept small,

page_text: and they are punched close together in contradistinction to oblong
holes or wire grating as heretofore used. The holes being punched
perpendicularly through the metal they form innumerable small sharp
cutting edges that effectually clean the grain. The surface of this
perforated metallic case d is corrugated horizontally, as clearly seen in
the Drawing. This strengthens the case and extends its working
surface; at the top of the said case there is a metal head e, and a similar
one at the bottom f inclosing the scouring wings b; there is a space or
opening in the top and bottom heads around the shaft at the centro
for the admission of air, and on one side at the top there is another
opening for the grain to enter through. The external air is supplied
above directly through the centre opening in the top head, and below
the same is conveyed through a spout or trunk i which supports the
lower end of the cylindrical case. This spout is so connected with
the frame as to drop to release the head f and case d, which when the
machine is operated is enclosed and shut off from the external air by
the case except through the centre of the heads above named. There
is a tangent spout at the bottom of the case d, through which the
grain passes from the scourer to the separator. The upper side of this
spout is made horizontal, and the lower side expands downward, as
seen in Figure 1. Over the mouth there is a plate ' which covers the
upper part of the opening and keeps the grain from bounding or being
thrown upward as it is thrown into the separator. Below the case &
there is a fan whose wings radiate from the centre shaft a; these arc
surrounded by a case which communicates with the interior of the
casc and draws off the contents in the space between cases d and .
The separator has an upright trunk affixed to the frame of the scourer,
the top of which is enlarged, as clearly seen in Figure 2. The upright
part is divided vertically into two channels n and u by a partition o, the
top of which turns at right angles towards the enlargement n' so as to
leave a free passage from n, as indicated by the arrows. In the part n
are two inclined boards P and 9, to the lower edge of q there is a hinged
valve q¹ which rests against the bottom of the enlargement; this
bottom inclines in the opposite direction to q, and at the lower angle
there is another valve s also opening outward. The upper angle of this
bottom joins the side of the upright trunk, and from that point there
is a slide which can be raised or lowered to contract or enlarge the
opening into the down passage u, which terminates in the receptacle 10
below. From this receptacle there is a communication with the centre

page_text: of the fan case on the lower side, by which a strong current of air
is drawn up the passage n, through which the grain falls, and around
down the passage u, as indicated by the arrows, Figure 2. The main
shaft a is driven by a pulley p affixed to the said shaft either at its
upper end, as seen in the Drawing, or below the fan case l.
In order to remove the perforated case a without disturbing the
working parts of the machine the said case is divided vertically on one
side, the two edges being clamped together and bolted (as seen at ~,
Figure 1) so that it can be unbolted to open the case to remove the
same for any purpose. To fit the machine for any desired position
the delivery spout m must be movable; I consequently so construct
and attach the fan case to the frame that the opening into the tangent
spout m can be turned to cither of the three sides of the frame A
unoccupied by the separator. The machine can be made to run in
either direction by reversing the position of the wings in the scourer, the
separator, and the tangent spout on the fan.
The operation of this machine is as follows: The grain enters through
a spout at the opening g in the upper end e of the scouring case, and
falls upon the plate c, which together with the wings 6 revolves with a
high velocity that distributes the grain and throws it off with force
at the periphery against the perforated case; thence it descends, being
kept in contact with the perforated case and striking the sharp edges
of the small holes therein by means of the strong current of air caused
by the wings b and the fan. The extraneous matter is thus removed
from the grain as fast as it is detached therefrom, and the surface of the
grain is kept from being soiled with smut or other impurities, as would
be the case were it not instantly removed. The grain descends to the
tangent spouth below with the impurities, that are too large to pass
through the perforations in the case d, and is thrown out into the
separator, the sound grain falling down through the upward current in
the passage n, and the lighter material being driven up over into the side
projection n', where the light wheat is separated from the chaff and falls
out at the valve 8, while the lightest impurities are carried over the
slide and down the passage u to the fan, and thrown off through the
tangent spout m together with the smut drawn from the scourer. In
this way all the smut, dust, and chaff extracted from the wheat arc
kept within the machine until discharged at the tangent spout m, either

page_text: into a receptacle prepared, for the purpose or outside of the building in
which the machine is located.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may
be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,—
The perforated metal case d and corrugating the same, substantially
as set forth.
I also claim the combination of the revolving wings 6 or equivalent
devices with cutting surfaces or edges formed by the numerous small
holes or perforations in the case surrounding the same.
I also claim uniting the perforated case with clamps, substantially
as described, so that it can be removed and replaced without disturbing
the other parts of the machine.
I also claim in combination with the machine constructed as herein
specified the revolving fan case for the purpose of placing the tangent
spout m on either side of the machine, as set forth.
I also claim producing the currents of air for the removal of impurities
from the grain scourer and separator, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
FRANK WALLIS.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)