Improvements in Apparatus for Controng Delivery of Solid Divided Matter.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 31st Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
Improvements in Apparatus for Controng
Delivery of Solid Divided Matter.
I, FRANCIS FINLAYSON, of Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, Strand, London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for controlling the passage or delivery of solid
divided matter, whereby certain advantages are obtained.
Numerous forms of valves for controlling the passage of solid divided matter, such
for example as grain or the like, have been devised; but they are all more or less
uncertain and irregular in their operation, either on account of their susceptibility to
variations or fluctuations of the resistance offered to their action, or on account of
other factors influencing their working. The object of my present invention is to
obviate these drawbacks by reducing the friction involved in the act of cutting off or
otherwise controlling the passage or delivery of the solid divided matter to a fixed and
determinable amount, by surrounding or enclosing part or parts of the apparatus so as
to protect such from superincumbent pressure, and by constructing and disposing the
several parts of the apparatus relatively to one another so as to induce an equal
distribution of the matter whose passage or delivery is to be controlled whereby free
and unretarded working may take place.
In carrying my invention into effect I may employ a valve, or other similar or
equivalent device for cutting off or controlling the passage or delivery of the solid
divided matter, of annular, cylindrical or tubular form, constructed of any suitable
This valve may
material, and capable of moving reciprocally in a vertical direction.
be of such weight, or have such weights attached to it, as to admit of its descending
and cutting off or controlling the passage of the matter by means of gravity; and it
may be surrounded at certain parts, as for example at the sides and top, by casings or
shields to protect it from the pressure of the matter whose passage or delivery is to be
controlled. This valve may move between guides, rollers, retainers or other similar
or equivalent devices serving to maintain it in position, and may be arranged in
connection with a hopper or other equivalent receptacle. From the valves legs or

page_text: Or
prolongations may extend vertically to a bearing piece or pieces of annular or other
suitable form. These bearing pieces may either serve the purpose of sustaining the
valve when open upon sustaining devices, and of receiving the pressure or impact of the
actuating device, or device causing the movement of the valve, and that either directly
or indirectly through the medium of intervening mechanism. The sustaining devices
may consist of brackets, steps, studs, projections or the like, and may be attached to
or form part of the releasing devices, which latter may consist of levers, link or
parallel motions or the like, and when desired fitted with projections for reacting on
any suitable part or parts of the actuating device. The actuating device may consist
of a receptacle for the solid divided matter or of a conductor or carrier serving to
conduct the said matter from the said valve or otherwise; and it may receive its
motion by gravity, or from a prime mover, or other source of mechanical energy, and
that either directly or indirectly through the medium of intermediate transmitting
mechanism.
My invention is particularly applicable to automatic weighing machines (as for
example automatic grain weighers) in which case the weighing bin or receptacle or a
part or prolongation thereof may conveniently form the actuating device.
J. G. LORRAIN,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street,
Strand, London,
Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Passage or
Delivery of Solid Divided Matter.
I FRANCIS FINLAYSON of Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, Strand, London Merchant
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:-
My invention relates to apparatus for controlling the passage or delivery of solid
divided matter whereby certain advantages are obtained.
Numerous forms of valves for controlling the passage of solid divided matter such for
example as grain or the like have been devised but they are all more or less uncertain
and irregular in their action chiefly on account of their susceptibility to variations or
fluctuations of the resistance offered to their action.
The object of my invention is to obtain certainty and regularity of action by reducing
the friction involved in the act of cutting off or otherwise controlling the passage or
delivery of the solid divided matter to a fixed and determinable amount. This I
effect by means of certain combinations of mechanical parts or devices and by
surrounding part or parts of the apparatus so as to protect such from superincumbent
pressure and by constructing and disposing the several parts of the apparatus
relatively to one another so as to induce an equal distribution of the matter whose
passage or delivery is to be controlled whereby free and unretarded working may
take place.
This
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a valve or other similar or equivalent
device for cutting off or controlling the passage or delivery of the solid divided matter
of annular cylindrical or tubular form constructed of any suitable material preferably
of cast iron and capable of moving reciprocally in a vertical direction.
valve is of such weight or has such weights attached to it as to admit of its
descending and cutting off or controlling the passage of the matter by means of
gravity and it is surrounded at certain parts as for example at the sides and top by
casings or shields to protect it from the pressure of the matter whose passage or
delivery is to be controlled. This valve I cause to move between guides rollers or
other similar or equivalent devices serving to maintain it in position and at the same
time allow of free reciprocal movement in a vertical direction and I dispose it in
connection with a hopper or other equivalent receptacle. From the valve legs or
prolongations extend vertically downwards to a bearing piece or pieces of annular or
other equivalent form. The said bearing piece serves the purpose of sustaining the valve
when open upon sustaining devices and of receiving the pressure or impact of the
actuating device (or device causing the movement of the valve) and that either
directly or it may be indirectly through the medium of intervening mechanism.
The sustaining devices consist of brackets studs projections or the like and may be
attached to or form part of the releasing devices which latter consist of levers link
or parallel motions or the like and fitted with projections for re-acting on any suitable
part or parts of the actuating device.

page_text: The actuating device consists of a receptacle for the solid divided matter or of a
conductor or carrier serving to conduct the said matter from the said valve and it
receives its motion by gravity or from a prime mover or other source of mechanical
energy and that either directly or it may be indirectly through the medium of inter-
mediate transmitting mechanism.
My invention is particularly applicable to automatic weighing machines as for
example automatic grain weighers in which case the weighing bin or receptacle or a
part or prolongation thereof (such for example as a shoot or funnel or other form
of conductor or carrier) conveniently forms the actuating device.
Having now briefly referred to my invention in general terms I shall now proceed
to describe it more in detail and for that purpose shall refer to the accompanying
sheets of drawings in which figure 1 is a vertical section of my invention as applied
to an automatic grain weighing apparatus and figure a horizontal sectional view of
the clutches FF and ring D figure 3 an end view of the clutches furnished with
roller projections, and figure 4 an elevation, partly in section, of a modification of the
form of my invention shown in figure 1. In these drawings similar letters of
reference refer to corresponding parts.
In the Figures E E E E represents a casing covering the valve ring C which latter
consists of a deep heavy metal ring fitting loosely in the casing E and moving recip-
rocally in a vertical direction. When C is in its highest position the device is open
as shewn in the figure and it is then completely enclosed by the casing EEEE and so
protected from superincumbent pressure. A Å represents the lower part of a hopper
in which the grain is received. To this hopper are attached the supports K K which
support the above mentioned casing. The valve ring C is supported on and rigidly
attached to legs C₁ C¹ preferably formed of wrought iron passing through an opening
in the bottom of the hopper A. The legs C₁ Care themselves supported upon and
rigidly attached to the sustaining ring which serves to receive the impact of and
take its motion from the actuating ring D' hereinafter referred to. B represents the
top of a weighing bin into which the grain is delivered from the hopper A. B which
is operated by gravity, by a counterweight or by any other similar or equivalent known
device reciprocates in a vertical direction rising when empty and falling when full.
On its upper surface is the funnel shoot or conductor D through which it receives the
grain passing into it and on the top of this funnel D is the ring D¹ herein before
referred to which impinges upon the ring constituting the bearing device and
causes it to rise and fall in accord with the rise and fall of the weighing bin B thus
opening and closing the valve ring C. F F represent a pair of releasing devices
consisting of clutches for supporting and releasing the ring according as the weighing
bin has risen to its full height or sunk through a certain distance. These clutches
support the ring C by means of the steps or projections F¹ F¹ and release it by means
of the simple projections F F (figures 1 and 2) or roller projections (figures 3 and 4)
which are brought in contact with the ring D' when the latter sinks with the weighing
bin and thus causes the clutches to be pressed outwards so that the ring C will be
released from the steps F' F' and allowed to drop. The ring D¹ bears two slots to
admit of its free passage over the steps F¹ F¹ and the projections F* F* and F³ F* are
double the two parts being set sufficiently apart to avoid the slots in D¹ as represented
in figures 2 and 3. G is a bearing ring at the bottom of the hopper A on which C
rests when the valve is shut. This bearing ring is sometimes furnished with an annular
channel Gas shewn in figure 4.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-When the valve is open as shewn in
figure 1 the grain flows from the hopper A through between the legs C₁ C₁ into the
weighing bin B which as soon as it is full sinks downwards. In doing so the ring D
in its descent presses outwards the clutches F F so as to release the ring which
with the valve C immediately drops. C is now in contact with the bearing ring Gand
no more grain can now pass. When however B is empty-again it rises C is re-placed
in position upon F1 F1 and the valve is again open. The valve ring C being heavy
drops quickly down upon G when released. The casing E E E E which encloses the
valve ring when open protects it from superincumbent pressure whilst its circular

page_text: shape and the inclination of the sides of the hopper produce an equal distribution of
the flowing grain around it with the effect that when released it receives the downward
pressure of the grain being weighed with equal force on all sides and is thus assisted
in its descent to close the outlet at the bottom of the hopper. The course taken by
the grain is represented by the arrows in figure 4.
Of the two forms of releasing device shewn respectively in figures 1 and 4, I prefer
the latter, as the roller projections and the disposing of the linked parallel motion
horizontally instead of in an inclined position give greater smoothness of action.
It will be readily understood that my invention is equally applicable to other solid
divided matter besides grain.
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. The improvement in apparatus for controlling the passage or delivery of solid
divided matter consisting in the combination of the heavy cylindrical valve ring C
and the protecting covering E substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The improvement in apparatus for controlling the passage or delivery of solid
divided matter consisting in the combination of the valve ring C the protecting
covering E the hopper A and the bearing ring G all substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
3. The improvement in apparatus for controlling the passage or delivery of solid
divided matter consisting in the combination of the valve ring C the legs C¹ C' the
sustaining ring C and the actuating ring D¹ substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
4. The improvement in apparatus for controlling the passage or delivery of solid
divided matter consisting in the clutches F F having the steps F1 F1 and the simple
projections F F or the roller projections F³ F³ substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
5. The improvement in apparatus for controlling the passage or delivery of solid
divided matter consisting in the combination of the clutches F F having the steps F¹ F¹
and the simple projections F F or roller projections F F³ the actuating ring D' and
the sustaining ring C substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
J. G. LORRAIN,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street,
London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.