Improvements in Apparatus for Washing, Drying, Cleaning, and otherwise treating Grain.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Loft 16th Aug 4007 Accented 16th Nov
1807
DALC VT
で
Complete Specification Loft, 16th Aug, 1907 Accepted, 16th Nov, 1807
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing, Drying, Cleaning, and
otherwise treating Grain.
I, LOUIS MARTIN, of Orange (Vaucluse), in the Republic of France, Con-
structor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning grain in a dry manner before
it passes into water by completely separating out the stones and other heavy or
light bodies which are mixed with the grain. My washer has also for object to
instantaneously dry the grain by the employment of centrifugal force and air. The
grain passes into water contained in a washing trough which is continuously
supplied with a quantity of water. This water can be regulated as desired for
the purpose of enabling bodies more or less dense than the grain to be separated
from the latter.
In this washer the grain first passes through an orifice or opening formed in
the upper end of the apparatus and it is drawn or sucked by the vanes or palettes
of a centrifugal device which drives it against a jacket of perforated sheet metal
which is provided with an unperforated jacket for preventing the production of
dust. These two jackets are rotated together on the periphery of the said upper
end. An air chamber is provided to receive the grain forced forward by the
centrifugal apparatus and the air forced in by a fan which separates from the
grain the lighter impurities or bodies which escape through a suitable opening.
The vanes of the fan receive their air through openings or holes in the jacket
of the centrifugal apparatus; the said openings or holes are separated by a disc
and by the drum of the fan. The grain falls by its own weight into an annular
conical funnel which directs it into the centre of the column of water contained
in the trough. The stones and other bodies heavier than the grain drop on to a
movable valve. The trough is supplied with water under pressure through a cock
arranged upon the main opening or orifice of the trough. The water is divided in a
tube opening from the trough by two valves mounted upon a rod screw-threaded
at its upper end and screwing into the end of the said tube. The rod is operated
by a hand wheel so as to actuate the two valves thereby regulating the pressure
of the water and the area of the openings of the said valves. The current of
water below the opening of the lower valve is directed into a receiver and forces
the lighter impurities through the opening of the valve in the bottom of the
trough. The stones and other bodies heavier than the grain pass through the
circular opening of the said valve and being heavier than the water descend
through the nock of the said receiver and pass continuously with the water
through an opening in the bottom of the receiver controlled by a valve. This
valve is actuated by a rod to the bottom of which it is screwed and which passes
up through the trough. When it is not desired to separate the stones continuously
the opening in the centre of the valve is closed and the stones remain in the
receiver. They are extracted from this receiver instantaneously through the
periphery of the valve which is operated by pressing upon a handle which operates

page_text: the aforesaid rod so as to open it and close the movable valve in the bottom of
the trough whereby the grain is prevented from falling into the receiver whilst
the stones are being removed therefrom. On releasing the handle the rod is.
instantly raised by the pressure of a suitable spiral spring and also by the tension
of a spring on which the rod is fixed. The handle is formed on the end of this
rod the two springs have for object to normally maintain the valve of the receiver
closed and the movable valve open.
The current of water which separates the stones and other impurities heavier
than the grain from the latter maintains the grain in suspension in the centre
of the trough and separates from it all portions lighter than itself by lifting
them to the surface of the annular column of water so that they pass away through
an overflow pipe.
The current of water in the tube connecting the trough and receiver passes
through a circular opening in the upper of its valves. This particular arrange-
ment of the current produces a gyratory movement of the whole volume of the
water contained in the trough as well as of the grain. The current causes the
impurities to circulate and they rise to the surface of the annular column of
water and are projected in a continuous stream through the overflow pipe. The
current is regulated as desired by the said upper valve. The grain thus deprived
of its impurities and after having had the gyratory movement communicated to
it by the movement of the water in the trough, then passes with a quantity of
water through an outlet in the trough which outlet is regulated by a sliding
valve operated by a handle so that it can allow the passage of more or less grain
and water as desired; the grain then, through the pressure of the water, falls
into a passage where a portion of the water passes through holes in a grating.
The grain and water pass into a perforated sheet metal jacket where the grain
is scized by helicoidal blades which are of a special shape and by intermediate
blades which are slightly inclined or sloping. The grain rises in the interior of
the perforated sheet metal column by reason of the helicoidal and special arrange-
ment of the blades of this propeller and the intermediate blades project the water
and the impurities in the grain by centrifugal force through the perforated sheet
metal envelope into a jacket or trough of sheet metal so that they run down
through holes formed in the bottom of the said jacket. The grain thoroughly
dried and cleaned is projected by the blades of the propeller into a passage
through an opening, formed in the upper part of the perforated sheet metal
envelope. At the bottom of this jacket there is formed a hole for discharging the
grain if necessary. This hole is closed by a valve which is operated by a handle.
The spindle or shaft of the propeller rotates preferably at the rate of about 500
revolutions per minute and upon it are mounted a pulley the sleeves or bosses of the
centrifugal apparatus, of the fan and also of the propeller. The spindle is held at
its upper end by the upper plate or girder bolted to the upper ends of the standards
and in the centre of the plate or girder there is formed an oil box or lubricating
chamber which is provided with a bearing in which the journal of the shaft
rotates. This lubricator is fed from a suitable cup; the lubricant is fed to the
journal of the shaft or spindle by holes formed in the thickness of the brasses
of the bearings. This arrangement ensures perfect lubrication of the journal
of the shaft and substances which cause wear cannot gain access to the lubricator.
At its lower end the shaft or spindle is provided with a pivot which rests on a
support and is held by the lower ginder or plate which is bolted at its ends to
the standards of the apparatus. In the centre of this lower plate there is formed
an oil reservoir to receive the bearing in which the lower part of the shaft revolves.
This oil reservoir is fed by an oil cup which is held by a tube at the height of
the upper part of the bearings so as to lubricate the journal of the shaft through
small holes formed in the thickness of the brasses of the hearing, the oil passing
into the space in the hox of the footstep hearing and on to the support of the same
so as to lubricate it as well as the pivot of the shaft. When the oil is impure
or thick it deposits a sediment in the space below the said support down grooves

page_text: The grain rises in the interior of the perforated sheet metal column, by reason
of the shape and arrangement of the. blades of this propeller (see Figure 7) and
the intermediate blades e project the water, and. the impurities in the grain by
centrifugal force through the perforated sheet. metal envelope into a jacket or
trough I of sheet metal so that they run down through holes t.formed in the
bottom of the said jacket (see Figures: 1 fand.3)... The grain, thoroughly dried and
cleaned is projected by the blades of the propeller into a. passage through an
opening formed in the upper part of the perforated sheet metal envelope 1. At
the bottom of this jacket there is formed a hole for discharging the grain if neces-
sary. This hole is closed by a valve o which is operated by a handle o¹.
The spindle or shaft R of the propeller rotates preferably at the rate of about
500 revolutions per minute and upon it are mounted a pulley T the. sleeves or
bosses of the centrifugal apparatus B, of the fan C and also of the propeller.
This spindle is held at its upper end by the support or girder Q bolted to the
upper ends of the standards 7, p (one of which is shewn in Figure 8).and in the
centre of the girder Q there is formed an oil box or lubricating chamber.q which
is provided with a bearing in which the journal of the shaft R rotates.
This lubricator is fed from a cup j; the lubricant is fed to the journal of the shaft
or spindle by holes formed in the thickness of the brasses of the bearing This
arrangement ensures perfect lubrication of the journal of the shaft R and dirt,
grit or the like cannot gain access to the lubricator. At its lower end the shaft
or spindle R is provided with a pivot which rests on a support a¹ and is held by
the lower girder or plate which is bolted at its ends to the standards p, p of
the apparatus. In the centre of this lower girder b¹ there is formed an oil reservoir
to receive the bearing c in which the lower part of the shaft R revolves. This
oil reservoir is fed by an oil cup z which is held by a tube at the height of the
upper part of the bearing c¹ so as to lubricate the journal of the shaft R through
small holes formed in the thickness of the brasses of the bearing cl, the oil passing
into the space in the box of the footstep bearing a and on to the support a¹ of
the same so as to lubricate it as well as the pivot of the shaft R. When the oil
is impure or thick it deposits a sediment in the space below the said support a¹
down circumferential grooves (see Figure 9) in which it runs. The impure
sediment of thick oil is removed through a cock d¹ which is fitted to the bottom
of the box and communicates with the oil. An adjusting screw passes
through the bottom of the box to support and adjust the shaft support a¹;
this screw is secured in position by a nut. The box of the footstep bearing is
fixed to the bottom of the lower girder or plate b¹ by two screws as shewn in
Figures 1 and 10. It is easily removed to allow the footstep bearing and the
support as well as the bearing c¹ to be inspected and replaced if necessary.
In Figure 11 I have shewn a construction wherein the apparatus is driven by
an arrangement of bevel gear mounted in brackets or standards fixed to the upper
girder Q
In some cases, for instance for apparatus of large output, I increase the length
of the drying column and I provide the helicoidal and intermediate blades along
the whole length of the frame at the same time dispensing with the cylindrical
portion of the centrifugal apparatus and of the fan. With this new arrangement
the impure grain is conveyed directly upon the annular cone of the washing trough.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In apparatus for treating grain, a washing trough having an annular cone
a stone receiver, regulating valves, a water supply and means for causing the water
to flow in currents and to acquire a gyratory movement, substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for treating grain, the air chamber, fan and centrifugal device,
substantially as described and illustrated.

page_text: 3. In apparatus for treating grain the arrangement of the standards and
supporting girders as described and illustrated.
4. In apparatus for treating grain the construction and arrangement of the grain
outlet from the trough as described and illustrated.
5. In apparatus for treating grain the construction and arrangement of the
bearings and gearing for driving the apparatus as described and illustrated in
Figure 11 of the accompanying drawing.
6. In apparatus for treating grain the construction and arrangement of the
bearing and lubricating device on the upper girder as described and illustrated.
7. In apparatus for treating grain, the construction and arrangement in the
lower girder of the footstep bearing, regulating screw, discharge cock and oil cup
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
8. In apparatus for treating grain the construction and arrangement of the
propeller blades, as described and illustrated.
9. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for treating grain hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 16th day of August 1897.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
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