Improvements in Husking and Polishing Grain and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Husking and Polishing Grain and in Apparatus
therefor.
I, HERMANN SCHNEIDER, of Lissa, Posen, in the German Empire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improved means whereby grain of various kinds is
husked and polished; the grain passing through a number of horizontally-divided
boxes, to which a to-and-fro movement is imparted.
As the result of experiment, it has been found that if grains of corn be placed
in a box provided with partitions made of any hard material, such as wood or metal,
and the box shaken for a time, the grain of corn becomes loosened from the husk,
although it may remain enveloped thereby. By the same means, the grain with its
husk may be separated from the stalk.
My improved apparatus operates on this principle and is represented in the
accompanying drawings, whereof
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, Fig. 3 a transverse section through x-y
(Fig. 2), and Fig. 4 an enlarged longitudinal section through r―s (Fig. 2).
Fig. 5 represents in side elevation an alternative method of construction; Fig. 6
being a plan of the same, and Fig. 7 an end elevation.
Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 relate to details hereinafter more particularly
referred to.
In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a driving pulley a is fixed on the
shaft b, which also carries two bevel-wheels cc; these gearing with bevel-wheels d d.
The bevel-wheels d d are keyed on the shafts gg, which swing in the bearings e e.
The shafts g g are carried at their lower extremities in sockets ff.
The box A is suspended at each corner by the rods iiii, and is divided into a
number of horizontal partitions on which the grain is spread; the material being
fed from the hopper B by way of the conduit and funnel k. There are as many
filling conduits as partitions.
It will be observed that the grain does not first arrive on the top partition and
pass thence to the second and from that to the third and so on, but that each of the
several streams passes through one of the compartments formed by the partitions
and then leaves the machine by way of the outlet S (Fig. 2); these several outlets
communicating with the shoot S'. The grain-holder or hopper B is provided with
feed-rolls m in the usual manner. The machine is supported on a frame C. Each
compartment formed by the partitions is subdivided by means of vertical plates n,
as shewn in Fig. 4. These may be of plane and zigzag form arranged alternately
as shewn in Fig. 2.
The object of this arrangement is to force the grain along in the direction of
the arrows tt, when the machine is made to move backwards and forwards in the
direction of the arrows V, W, (Fig. 2). The grains of corn are thrown backwards
and forwards in the direction of the dotted lines 1-2-3 . . . . . 18-19-20, and
at the same time advance in the direction of the arrows t t. After impact with the
surface of the plate, each grain is thrown back at an angle corresponding with the
angle of incidence, the material thus gradually advancing and being subjected at
the same time to a great number of blows during its passage through the machine.
O are directing plates to guide the grain from one division to the next.
It will be obvious that means other than those described with reference to
Figs. 2 and 4 may be employed without departing from the principle of my

page_text: invention. For example, the subdividing plates may be arranged out of parallel,
as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9; the grain being caused to follow a path such as
represented by the zigzag line and by the bent arrows. Or the grain may be made
to pass through rectangular or cylindrical tubes of the character illustrated by
Figs. 10, 11 and 12; the same being placed one above the other or along-side one
another and having roughened or smooth internal surfaces according to whether the
treatment be primarily for husking or for polishing. The letters of reference in
Fig. 12 have the same significance as they bear in Fig. 2.
The box A derives its motion from the shafts gy, which carry the disks / h.
These disks are provided with weights (Fig 2) arranged in such a manner that
the longitudinal movement of the box A results from the centrifugal force set up by
the revolution of the weighted disks h h. The grain inside the box A receives the
same motion as the box, and being thrown from side to side as herein before
described, the husk is loosened or knocked off. The advantage of these means over
the crank and connecting rod commonly employed in other machines is readily
demonstrable. When the box A is at the end of its throw in the direction of the
arrow V (Fig. 2), the revolving weights are in the positions indicated by the dotted
lines at p', p; and when in mid-stroke at p, p the weights commence their back-
ward moving power in the direction of the arrow W. As the weights move in
opposite directions, no force is generated laterally; i.e., at right angles to the
direction of the arrow V or W.
The action of the apparatus is as follows :-
The grain to be husked is supplied to the hopper B and falls through the shoot
and funnel into the several compartments of the box A, where the husk is either
entirely removed or is loosened. The grain leaves the machine through the
outlet S, and having been perfectly dried is again passed through the machine.
The husks, having been rendered brittle by the drying process, are now readily
separated, and may be removed by an air blast in the usual manner.
In the machine shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the box A is mounted on rails instead
of being suspended. The construction is as follows:- is a horizontal shaft
carrying a bevel-wheel c¹. The shaft 6' is supported by the bearing w secured to
the frame C' of the machine. To the outer end of the shaft b is fitted a sleeve z
which slides thereon; these parts being provided with a feather and feather-way.
On the sleeve is keyed a driving pulley a¹. The bevel-wheel c¹ gears into two
bevel-wlieels d' d². The shaft b' sliding in the sleeve follows the swinging motion
of the machine; the sleeve revolving in the journals vv. The two bevel-
wheels d¹ d² are mounted on the shaft g, which is carried in bearings on the frame
of the machine. The wheel d² is keyed fast to the shaft g', whilst the wheel dis
secured to the sleeve m', which is free; a heavy fly-wheel 2 being fastened to the
latter. There are also two similar wheels h³ keyed to the extremities of the
shaft g. The two fly-wheels are fitted with crank-pins k¹ k', to which rods are
connected; the opposite ends of these rods being attached to fixed points 1.
The box A is fitted in the same manner as previously described, except that it is
rigidly secured to the frame C', the latter being provided with runners or rollers o¹ 01
working on rails.
For the proper working of the machine, the weights of the three fly-wheels h¹ h² h³
should not be alike, but should be so proportioned that the momentum of the
wheel is equal to the joint momentum of the other two wheels h¹ h³.
As the parts d', h² and m³ are all fastened together, but revolve loosely on the
shaft g, and in the opposite direction to that of the shaft g' and flywheels h¹ h³,
and as the rods i'i' are held fast at the ends, the frame C and with it the box A
move backwards and forwards on the wheels h³ ³ being rotated.
The method of working is substantially the same as that previously described
with reference to Fig. 2, except that the shaking motion imparted to the box A is
of an opposite character, the movement of the box A being determined by the
throw of the crank-pins k¹ k¹.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim:-
1. The improved process of husking and polishing grain, substantially as herein
described.
2. The improved apparatus for husking and polishing grain constructed or
operating substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 of the acccom-
panying drawings.
3. The improved apparatus for husking and polishing grain constructed or
operating substantially as described with reference to Figs. 5, 6 and 7 of the accom-
panying drawings.
4. In apparatus for husking and polishing grain, the employment of a box having
one or more horizontal compartments each divided by means of vertical transverse
partitions, the opposed faces of which are inclined to one another so as to cause the
grain to travel gradually through the passages formed by the partitions on a
horizontal to-and-fro movement being imparted to the box.
5. In apparatus for husking and polishing grain, the combination, with a suspended
box, such as A, of driving mechanism comprising unequally weighted fly-wheels,
such as hh, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
Dated this 13th day of December 1892.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.