IMPROVE- MENTS IN SEPARATING AND ELEVATING APPARATUS FOR GRAIN OR GRANULAR MATTERS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Young, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Millwright and Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SEPARATING AND ELEVATING APPARATUS FOR GRAIN OR GRANULAR
MATTERS."
Sealed the 26th February 1864, and dated the 2nd September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
September 1863.
I, ROBERT YOUNG, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Millwright and Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS 'IN SEPARATING AND ELEVATING APPARATUS FOR GRAIN OR
GRANULAR MATTEES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention of improvements in separating and elevating apparatus for
grain or granular matters has generally for object increased simplicity, efficiency,
and economy.
In a simple modification of separating apparatus embodying the improve-
ments a blowing fan occupies the lower part of a casing, and blows air into a
vertical passage at one side..The matters to be acted upon enter the vertical
passage by a side opening, and the heavier matters (such as stones in the case
of grain) fall to the bottom, whilst the lighter matters are carried up by the
air current. At the top of the casing the air current. carries the matters across,.
but they strike against a plate and fall upon an incline, down which they pass
to a discharge outlet fitted with a loose valve beyond the plate, which causes

page_text: the matters to fall; there are, openings communicating by passages with the
centre of the fan, so that there are a drawing and a blowing action combined
in the air current, and this forms an important feature in the arrangement;
or, instead of the arrangement described, the top part of the side passage may
be curved so as to discharge into the upper part of the casing in a downward
direction. The apparatus becomes a simple and convenient elevator for grain
and the like by making the vertical side passage of the required height, and
by driving the fan at a sufficient. speed.
In another modification of the apparatus as arranged for separating, provision
is made for separating the matters carried up the vertical side passage into two
or more qualities of different gravities. The top of the vertical side passage
communicates with a transverse passage which is horizontal or more or less
curved, and the top of this passage is fitted with slats, between which a large
portion of the air passes into an outer passage, the slats being inclined so that
the grain or other matters are deflected and prevented from passing through.
The outer air passage is continued in a downward direction and then returns
upwards, and the stream of grain is made-to fall obliquely across the upward
current, which carries the lighter parts upwards, and into a pocket or duct, the
heavier parts falling to the bottom of the bend of the air passage, and escaping
thence by a valve. By a similar arrangement the heavier parts last separated
may again be acted upon by the air current or a part of it, and be further
separated into heavier or lighter portions; or a further separation may be
effected by passing any of the separated matters a second time through the
entire apparatus, the fan being then driven at a different speed if necessary.
In some cases a riddle may be introduced at any convenient part to separate
some of the matters, and, if wished, chaff may be winnowed out from grain by
allowing a portion of the air to blow across the stream of grain into an open
discharge outlet or passage. A valve is applied to the fan discharge to give
the power of adjusting the current within the differences of speed for which
it. may be convenient to arrange the driving details; or the valve may be
arranged to direct different portions of the air current to different parts of the
apparatus. The fan may be either combined with or be detached from the
apparatus, and it may be arranged in any convenient position. Instead of a
passage at one side only of the fan there may be two or more passages round
it, or the air may be thrown off all round it, the spindle of the fan being
vertical in these cases, and the grain or other matters being allowed to fall
across the currents so as to be acted upon as in the modifications herein-before
described.
::

page_text: i
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
YOUNG, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Millwright and
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Second day of September, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Young, Her special license that I, the said Robert Young,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Robert Young, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should. at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and 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
SEPARATING AND ELEVATING APPARATUS FOR GRAIN OR GRANULAR MATTERS,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Young, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, or under the band and seal of one of them, 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 Robert Young, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and. by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention of improvements in separating and elevating apparatus
for grain or granular matters has generally for object increased simplicity,
efficiency, and economy.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing sepa-
rating and elevating apparatus, embodying modifications of my improved
arrangements.

page_text: Figure 1 is a vertical section of one modification of apparatus with my
improved arrangements, which are contained in a rectangular casing 1, 1,
composed of a strong wooden framing lined inwardly with boards. A blowing
fan 2 occupies a portion of the lower part of the casing, and blows air into a
vertical passage 3 at one side. The grain or other matters to be acted on
enter the vertical passage 8 by an opening 4 at the inner side thereof, being
introduced into the machine by a shute, the inside mouth of which is seen at 5,
and from which it falls into a hopper 6 provided with a regulating shoe, by
which the rate of feed can be adjusted. It is useful to fit a glass window 7
opposite the mouth 4 by which the grain enters the vertical passage 3, so
that the action of the blast may be observed with a view to its adjustment.
When the blast is properly adjusted small stones and heavy particles leave the
rising grain and fall down into a duct with a loose valve at 8, whilst the
grain passes up the passage 3 with the blast, and is diverted at the top by a
curved plate 9 into a passage 10 inclined a little downwards. It is found
desirable to slightly reduce or temper the strength of the current at this part,
and with that view a portion of the bottom of the passage 10 is made of a
permeable material, the under side being in communication by side passages
22 with the eyes of the fan. At the lower end of the inclined passage 10
the grain passes down the lower portion of a vertical passage 11, whilst the
air current passes upwards by a wider part 12 of the same vertical passage.
If any
chaff passes upwards with the air current it may be allowed to blow out
at a duct 13 at the top of the passage 12. The air current or the main part
of it returns downwards by a vertical passage 14, near the bottom of which
there is a self-acting balance valve 15, which tending to close with increase of
pressure. serves to render the strength of the current pretty uniform. The
air current returns upwards by an inner vertical passage 16 to act again on
the grain which enters across it from an opening 17 in the lower part of the
passage 11, its delivery thence being retarded and regulated by inclined steps
fitted in the passage. The air current is at this part adjusted to separate the
grain into heavy and light, and to assist in the adjustment; a passage 18 is
formed to the inner side of the passage 16, and by a valvo at the bottom a
smaller or greater portion of the air may be allowed to enter this passage so as
to reduce the quantity acting on the grain. The heavy grain falls into a
pocket and. duct-19 fitted with a loose valve, whilst the light grain is carried
over and descends by another duct 20, the air leaving it just after it acquires
a downward direction by an enlarged opening and passage 21, which by side
passages 22 communicates with the eye openings 23 of the fan 2. The air
thus circulates continuously through the fan and the various passages, and a

page_text: drawing action and a blowing action are combined. I may, however, here
remark that I find that, with suitable proportions of the passages and adjust-
ment of the blast, an action which is entirely blowing, or one which is entirely
drawing or exhausting, will in general answer as well as a combined blowing
and drawing action.
When it is wished to merely separate stones or heavy foreign particles from
the grain without dividing the grain itself into light and heavy qualities, the
apparatus may be simplified by dispensing with the arrangements for causing
the air to act a second time on the grain; and, on the other hand, when it is
wished to separate the grain into more than two qualities, additional passages
may be arranged for the air current to act on the grain a third time or
oftener; or the grain may be passed a second time or oftener through the
entire apparatus, the strength of current being modified as may be found
requisite.
upon
$
In some cases a riddle may be introduced at any convenient part of the
apparatus to separate some of the matters, as in the modification represented
in vertical section in Figure 2, in which modification also the fan 2 is shown
as arranged to act by drawing or exhausting only. The grain to be acted
is fed in by a hopper 24, and falls on a riddle 25, which, for example,
may be such as to separate oats from wheat. The oats pass off at 26, and the
wheat
passes down a passage 11 fitted with retarding steps, and issues thence
by an opening 17 across the air current, passing up the passage 16. If there
are any stones or heavy foreign matters amongst the wheat they will fall into
the pocket or duct 8, whilst the good wheat, being carried by the air current
towards the enlarged passage 21, will fall into the pocket or duct 19, light.
wheat or chaff being carried upwards, and being finally received in the pocket
or duct 20. A balanced self-regulating valve 15 is applied where the air enters
the passage 16, and a valve 27 is applied between the passages 16 and 19,
which
be set to accurately divide the wheat from the stones or heavy
matters.
can
In a modification, represented in vertical section in Figure 3, the arrange-
ments just described are applied in combination with a smutting machine of the
same kind, for example, as that described in the Specification of my earlier
Patent, dated 31st March 1862, No. 889, and the description last herein-before
detailed applies thereto, excepting as regards the fan 2, which becomes the
fan usually applied to the smutting machine, the air current passing up to it
through and at the sides of the riddle 25. The fan may be either combined
with or detached from the apparatus, and it may be arranged in any convenient
position. Instead of a passage (3) at one side only of the fan, there may be

page_text: two or more passages round it, or air may be thrown off all round it, the
spindle of the fan being vertical in these cases, and the grain or other
matters being allowed to fall across the current so as to be acted upon as in
the modifications herein-before described.
For elevating aloue, or for elevating combined with the separating of stones
and the like heavy foreign matters from grain, a simple modification serves,
such as is shown in vertical section in Figure 4. Herein the fan 2 blows a
strong blast up a vertical passage 3, into which the grain or other matters are
introduced by the side opening 4, and at the top of the vertical passage 3
the grain is directed round and downwards by a curved plate 9 and falls
down an incline to a discharge outlet 28 with a loose valve.
The enlarge-
ment of the air space or passage immediately outside of the curved plate 9
conduces to the falling of the grain out of the air current in consequence of
such current becoming less concentrated. The air passes by side ducts 22
into a return passage 29 leading down to the eyes 23 of the fan 2, and the
air thus circulates entirely within the apparatus, the drawing or exhausting
action of the fan being combined with its blowing action. Stones or heavier
matters than the blast can carry up fall into the duct or pocket 8, which is
fitted with a loose. valve.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arranging or combining
of the parts of separating and elevating apparatus for grain or granular
matters and the working thereof, substantially in the improved manner herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Young, have hereunto set my
-hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
ROBERT YOUNG. (L.S.)