IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SORTING OR SEPARATING SEEDS OR GRAIN
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Karl Hermann Sander, of Zweinaundorf, near the City of
Leipzig, in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SORTING OR SEPARATING SEEDS OR
GRAIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Karl Hermann Sander at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th February 1881.
KARL HERMANN SANDER, of Zweinaundorf, near the City of Leipzig, in the
Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SORTING OR SEPARATING SEEDS OR GRAIN."
According to my present Invention a rectangular framing situated in a trans-
versely inclined position upon rocking supports carries in adjustable bearings at
each end a roller, over which is stretched an endless band or apron of paper or other
suitable material, which is caused to travel along slowly by imparting rotary
motion to one of the rollers. At the same time the framing, together with the
rollers and travelling apron, have a rapid transverse reciprocating motion imparted
to them in the direction of their inclination upon the rocking supports by means
of a crank shaft and connecting rods, the crank shaft being rotated either by power
through a pulley and strap or by hand through a crank handle. By thus imparting
a quick lateral and a slow longitudinal motion to the travelling apron while in the
described inclined position, the seed to be sorted, which is delivered on to it from a
hopper at the upper corner of that end from which the apron advances, is spread
over and conveyed along with the same in such a manner that the rounder and
more compact seeds descend rapidly to the lower edge of the apron, arriving there
at a comparatively short distance from the point of departure, while the flatter and
less dense seeds are carried along a greater distance before arriving at the lower
edge, and so on, the finest description of seeds (generally those of weeds) that
adhere to the surface of the apron being carried right to the other end of the apron,
where they are removed by a brush or scraper at the underside of the second
roller. The seeds thus sorted or separated are delivered from the lower edge of the
apron either on to screening surfaces connected to the rocking framing, whereby

page_text: each separated quantity is again divided by the screening action into two different
kinds of seed, or, by preference, each quantity is received into one of a series of
shoots, leading it into a revolving cylindrical screen below the frame, such screen
being provided with holes or meshes of two, three, or more degrees of fineness, so
as to deliver a corresponding number of different descriptions of seed into receptacles
below, the largest seeds being delivered at the open lower end.
The supports on which the frame rocks rest with their lower ends in open cups
or sockets, and they are themselves provided with similar cups at their upper ends,
in which studs on the underside of the frame rest, which cups can be easily
supplied with lubricating material, so that very little friction is caused by the
before described rocking motion, and the frame can be readily lifted off its supports
when desired.
In order to vary the degree of inclination of the framing and travelling apron
when required, the lower cups in which the supports rest are carried by slides upon
inclines, the inclines for the supports to the lower side of the frame being at a
steeper angle than the others. Each slide has a rod with a toothed rack in gear
with one and the same pinion, so that by rotating the pinion both slides are
simultaneously moved on their inclines for varying the angle of the frame.
The slow rotary motion is imparted to the one roller of the travelling apron from
the crank shaft as follows:-A pulley on the latter imparts rotary motion to a
larger pulley on an axis at the lower part of the machine, to which pulley is
attached a second pulley of smaller diameter geared by a strap to a larger pulley
on the roller of the travelling apron. The said lower axis is carried by an arm
swinging on the crank shaft, so as to be capable of being moved relatively to the
latter as on a centre. It is also connected by a looped end to a pin on one of the
before described slides of the rocking supports, so that when this slide is raised or
Jowered upon its incline it raises or lowers the said axis with its pullies in a
corresponding manner, and thus keeps the strap to the driving roller of the apron
uniformly stretched, while the strap to the pulley on the crank shaft is also kept
uniformly stretched by reason of the before described radial connection of the
crank shaft and axis. The connecting arm carries a slotted segment, through
which passes a set screw on the framing for securing the arm and its pullies in the
position to which they are adjusted. When the crank shaft is rotated by hand the
above described mechanism for varying the incline of the apron can be dispensed
with, and the one side of the framing be simply raised or lowered more or less by
means of adjusting screws.
The lateral reciprocating motion of the frame and travelling apron is rendered
free from shocks by the application of spring blades to the underside of the
frame.
The trunnions of the lower ends of the rollers to the travelling apron run with
a hollow upon fixed pins, so that the seed can pass over them without obstruction.
The apron is kept tightly stretched by means of an adjustable stretching roller
applied to the underside thereof.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Karl Hermann Sander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August 1881.
KARL HERMANN SANDER, of Zweinaundorf, near the City of Leipzig, in the
Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SORTING OR SEPARATING SEEDS OR GRAIN."
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for sorting or separating
grain or seeds, the construction of which is shewn on the accompanying Drawings,
in which Fig. 1 shews an end view; Fig. 2, a cross section; Fig. 3, a side elevation ;
and Fig. 4, a plan.
The machine consists mainly of a framing A, above which, carried by four
rocking supports S', S₁, is a table or frame B placed at an inclination of about 12°
that receives a rocking motion in the direction of its inclination by means of the
double cranked shaft C and connecting rods D: On the frame B are mounted in
four bearings, of which two are fixed and two adjustable, two rollers E and F, over
which is stretched an endless apron G of paper, oil cloth, or the like, the apron
being made to travel by the rotary motion imparted to the rollers.
The apron
thus receives a double motion, namely, a rapid one in the direction of its width,
and a slower one in the direction of its length. The roller E carries, for imparting
the latter motion, a grooved pulley H, which receives motion by an endless band
or gut from the axis I at the bottom of the machine, having two pullies K and L,
of which K receives motion from the pulley M of the shaft C. If now the shaft C
be rotated at a speed of about 80 revolutions per minute the apron G will make
the same number of to and fro motions, and according to the proportions of the
gearing it will receive a comparatively slower longitudinal motion. By means of
this combined motion of the apron the seed or grain that is supplied from a hopper
at the upper left hand corner is distributed in such a manner that the dense round
seed will roll down the apron rapidly, while the lighter and flatter seed will not
descend so rapidly, and will consequently be carried a farther distance. by the apron.
The frame B carries beneath the roller E a brush R for removing the seeds of weeds
and dust that adhere to the paper, the brush being so arranged as to continue to
act when the rollers and apron are adjusted to different angles, this being effected
by adjusting the bearings of the rollers E, F, by the screws t.
The frame B also carries beneath the apron near the roller F an adjustable
roller W for regulating the tightness of the apron. It also serves to prevent the
apron G from running off the roller at the lower end, for which purpose it is caused
to stretch the apron somewhat tighter at the lower than at the upper side. In
order to enable the frame B to be adjusted to a greater or less inclination the
supports S₁, S., rest in step bearings 9, 9, that are adjustable upon inclined planes.
The bearings are connected by toothed racks Z₁, Z, that are moved by means of
the toothed wheel Z so as to shift the bearings up or down upon the inclined planes,
each toothed rack being separately guided in a suitable manner for this purpose.
The bearing g, has fixed to it a plate h having a pin t' at its end that enters a slot
on the axis I, so that if the bearing g, is moved forwards the axis I is caused to
follow, and with it the whole system of pullies, turning round the shaft C as a
centre, so so that the gut I shall always remain stretched. The arm n connects
the axis I with the shaft C, so that the former can move round the latter; it has a
slotted bar ke in which works a setting screw 1 for fixing the axis I at any point
into which it is moved. In thus simultaneously adjusting the supports S₁, S., and
the axis I, which is mainly applicable when driving the machine by the pulley N,
the inclined plane for the front support S has such an inclination that the gut or
strap 2 always remains stretched. If instead of the driving pulley N a crank
handle for driving by hand be used, the adjustment of the frame B can be simply
effected by screwing up the framing A at the back by means of two adjusting
screws not shewn.

page_text: m, m, are two flat wood springs which equalise by their elasticity the jolting
action of the motion. The driving shaft C is mounted on two bearers b, b, that
are strengthened by the board c. d, d, are two guides that guide the frame
between the bearers b, b. The supports S₁, S., carry the frame B in open cups, so
arranged as to produce the least possible friction, and to maintain the lubricating
material readily in the cups, as also to enable the frame to be readily lifted off
them. The axis of the roller E is hollow at its end and runs with such hollow
upon a piny, so that any seed falling over it shall not be impeded thereby; v, v, are
struts for stiffening the framing of the machine; w are supporting bars for the
apron G.
The framing is shewn constructed of wood in the Drawing, but it may be con-
structed of iron if desired, the above described construction being suitably
modified in detail, but without altering the general principle of action of the
machine.
By so extending the frame or table B as to make the extension constitute a
screening surface on to which the seeds fall from the apron, a simple means of
effecting a further sorting of the seeds into different sizes may be obtained; it is,
however, preferable to apply a screening cylinder S as indicated in dotted lines,
which receives rotary motion from the crank shaft, and that receives the seed from
one or other of the seed hoppers a₁, aq The seed passes from the hoppers a through
tubes 61, 62, 68, and a common tube into the screening cylinder S, Figs. 1 and 3.
The division I. has
The screening cylinder has three divisions I., II., and III.
the smallest holes, and allows, for instance, in cleaning clover, the passage of sand,
small grains, and silk seed to pass through, that are led off through the hopper
c¹. Division II. allows the passage of the clover, and the seed that does not
pass through division II. passes over the non perforated division III. out of the
cylinder. Beneath the screening cylinder is a receptacle divided into three corre-
sponding compartments.
The screening cylinder A is also driven from the axis I by the gut pulley m³, and
is enclosed by a casing E¹, the lower part of which is formed into the
hoppers c¹, c
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim in respect of grain separating or sorting
machinery,―
First. Effecting the separation of the seed by means of an inclined travelling
apron, receiving simultaneously a longitudinal continuous motion and a transverse
to and fro or shaking motion, substantially as herein described.
Second. The herein described arrangement for simultaneously adjusting the
inclined apron g and the axis I by means of toothed wheel Z, and gearing when
driving by machinery; also the adjustment by means of adjusting screws when
the machine is driven by hand, substantially as herein described.
Third. In combination with the separating or sorting machine with travelling
apron having a transverse shaking motion, the use of a screening surface for
further sorting the seed as it falls from the apron, substantially as herein
described.
Fourth. The use in combination with the separating or sorting machine with
travelling apron having a transverse shaking motion, of a screening cylinder
arranged below the receiving hoppers.
In witness whereof, I, the said Karl Hermann Sander, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
CARL HERMANN SANDER.
(TA.N.)