An Improved Machine for Decorticating Grain and Seeds, or for Cleaning Metallic or other Articles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Decorticating Grain and Seeds, or for
Cleaning Metallic or other Articles.
I, LUIGI MARCHISIOFU DOMENICO, of Porto Franco Genoa, in the Kingdom
of Italy, Manufacturer, 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:-
Cereals such as corn and seeds after being removed from the plants and freed
from their outer husks are still covered with a second hull or skin which has to be
removed by a cleansing process in order to enhance their appearance and com-
mercial value.
My invention has reference to apparatus for accomplishing this cleansing process,
and consists of a machine for the rapid, thorough and economical execution
thereof.
Various corn like materials (chiefly vegetable) require to be moistened before they
can be cleansed, and therefore immediately after the cleansing there must be
a drying operation, otherwise the moisture left would act injuriously on the corn.
Hitherto it has been customary to carry on this drying in the sun, which, however,
gives the material a bad taste and may cause it to become mouldy, or if carried on
in the shade the drying is insufficient. It is, therefore, almost impossible with the
means now in use to obtain a proper cleaning of all kinds of cereals when they
require to be moistened before being subjected to the cleaning process. My invention,
however, not only allows the preliminary moistening of the material to be treated
but renders such moistening very useful and in many cases indispensable, while it
dries the material by the heat developed by friction.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will describe the drawing hereunto annexed, in which the same letters
refer to the same parts in the several figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of the machine.
Figure is a plan, and
Figures 4 and 5 show details.
V is a circular receptacle open at the top and having the sectional shape of an
inverted trapezium, such receptacle resting on a masonry or brickwork foundation M,
or upon standards of suitable height, or it may be supported in any other suitable
manner. It is firmly bonded with the foundation either by means of screws or
bolts passing through flanges cast on the receptacle, or otherwise. In the centre
is arranged the vertical main shaft A resting in a socket or step bearing and held
above by another bearing. The shaft A is set in motion, by means of suitable
gearing, by a second shaft which may be arranged below ground. It is obvious
that the whole of the mechanism may be arranged in any suitable manner according
to the requirements of the material to be treated and to the space at disposal. The
shaft A carries the boss c which can move up and down thereon and be adjusted in
any desired. position, said boss being provided with four arms fixed by wedges
and screws. Two of these arms b, which are diametrically opposite one another,
carry at their outer extremities the drums T which are held by pins carried by
the said arms and are secured by cotters; one of the other two arms b carries a
pair of shovels o, p, the former of which, o, serves for distributing and regulating
purposes while the other, p, serves to clear out the receptacle. The other arm b
arranged diametrically opposite is furnished with a shovel similar to the shovel o

page_text: and with a fork t having three or more prongs. These four tools, that is, shovels o
and p and fork t, are screwed or rivetted at their extremities upon handles or levers
preferably made of flat iron which carry centrally a bearing, the latter serving to
hold the levers or handles on suitable axes or pins of the arms b, the levers being
fixed by cotters. In the working position of the tools the bearings of the levers
may have their bearing axes firmly secured by a pin m which can be readily
removed by hand.
The levers with the two tools can turn upon the respective pins of the arms b,
that is to say, the tools can have their working position changed according to the
requirements and progress of the work. At the bottom of the receptacle is
arranged a valve or door s serving to empty said receptacle and held in a locked
position, during the working, by a bolt or in any other suitable manner.
In the drum T and over the whole of its periphery are formed grooves of suitable
breadth and depth which extend over the shell in an axial direction and alternate
with the radial grooves of the front walls (not shown in the drawing for the sake
of clearness). To prevent angles and sharp edges all the grooves terminate ere
they reach the outer edge of the drum which is blunted and rounded. The
shovels o which have for their object to prevent the accumulation of the material
under treatment against the inner wall of the receptacle are made in the form of
a coulter and are arranged so as only to act on the material accumulating against
the inner wall of the receptacle, standing clear away from the outer wall, in cou-
sequence of which a free opening is formed for the material.
The working of my apparatus is as follows:-After the tools have been mounted
on the machine and the valve or doors is closed the position of the drums T
relatively to the receptacle is first regulated, these drums cleaning the material
but not crushing or pulverizing it. For this purpose the drums are arranged
in such a manner as to be at a distance of about one inch from the bottom
surface of the receptacle; this distance may vary according to the nature and
mass of the material. To regulate the height of the drums the ring e which is
movable on the shaft A is fixed by means of welges and set screws at such a height
that the drums stand on the bottom of the vessel and the boss c rests on the ring e.
This is the position of rest. To set the apparatus in motion it is sufficient to raise
the boss by tightening one or more of the adjusting screws arranged on the
ring e parallel to the shaft A. In this manner the weight of the drums will
fall on the arms b. For this reason and to reduce the power required to operate
the machine the drums are made hollow and have thin walls. According to the
nature of the material to be treated either the two shovels oor only one of them
and the fork are brought into their working position; the latter prevents the
material clogging and forming more or less large lumps. On the material being
now introduced into the receptacle, the dimensions of which may vary according
to the nature of the substance and is to be determined by practice, the machine is
set in motion, the rotation being in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 3) which
direction depends upon the position of the shovels the inclination of which from
front to back can be altered, while their position can be regulated by shifting their
handles or levers. The motion of the machine causes a reciprocal friction on the
corn or other material together and against the walls of the receptacle and of the
drums. In this manner the cleaning is thorough.
The machine accomplishes its work when driven at about 20 to 30 revolutions
per minute, or according to the material, but is such that the progress of the work
can be watched.
'
When the cleaning process is terminated the machine is stopped, the lever of the
shovel p is turned over so that the shovel o is out of gear and the shovel pin gear;
the valve or door s is now opened and the machine is set in motion again, being
allowed to perform two or three more revolutions, whereby the material. is
discharged from the receptacle by the shovel p through the opening of the valve
or door's, and is eventually carried away by an elevator in order to be conveyed
to a ventilator to be freed thereby from dust particles.

page_text: Substances of a vegetable, mineral or metallic nature which have skins or coatings.
which require to be removed may be treated by my apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A machine for simultaneously cleaning and drying corn and other materials,.
consisting of a circular grooved receptacle V having a valve or doors, adjustable
rotating drums such as T, and adjustable and exchangeable shovels o and p and
fork t, the whole arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes.
described and as illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 29th day of October 1895.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for the said Applicant.