Sorting Plates for Separating the Seeds of Weeds from Cereals.
Year: 1896

page_text: ROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Sorting Plates for Separating the Seeds of Weeds from Cereals.
I, NICOLAUS HEID, of Stockerau, near Vienna, Austria, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Sorting plates for separating the globular seeds of weeds from cereals are for this
purpose made with recesses or cells which have the object of taking up the globular
weed seeds from among the grain passing over the plates and to conduct the same
separately to a discharge channel without letting them fall back among the grain.
This function of retaining the seeds has heretofore only been imperfectly fulfilled,
both as regards yield and efficacy of action, by the sorting plates of present con-
struction, the cells of which are formed either by punching or by drilling, or, in the
case of thin plates, by pressing.
The cause of these defects lies in that, with the present form of the openings, or
cells, there is no action in a radial direction relatively to the sorting cylinder, tending
to prevent the falling out of the seeds.
The ordinary cells are, namely, in the form of hemispherical recesses, the axis of.
which is at right angles to the surface of the plate, therefore radial relatively to the
sorting cylinder.
These cells, which, on account of their form, are called cup-shaped cells, can
consequently not retain the seeds when raised by the upward rotary motion beyond
the horizontal centre line of the cylinder, as there is no resistance in a radial
direction to the falling out of the seed, which falling out takes place all the more.
readily because the edge of the opening is rounded off in consequence of the mode in
which the cells are produced.
In addition, these cells have the farther defect that they easily get choked by
broken seeds and by seeds having exactly the same size as the cells, so that special
means have to be employed for keeping them clear.
The attempt to form the cells so that they will retain the seeds when raised above
the horizontal centre line, by hollowing or deepening them on one side, could not
have a beneficial result, because the edge of the cell opposite such enlargement
would be perpendicular to the surface of the plate, and consequently also radial, so
that on the rotation of the cylinder, it could not retain the globular weed seed in
the cell.
With plates having cells constructed according to my present invention, the
globular weed seeds are prevented from falling out even when raised considerably
above the horizontal centre line of the sorting cylinder, by so under cutting one part
of the side of the cell as to form a pocket-like recess, the side wall of which,
covering the undercut portion, effectually holds the seed in the cell, so that it can
only fall out when raised up to the required point of discharge.
On the accompanying drawing Figs. 1 and 2 shewn in section and plan to an
exaggerated scale, part of a sorting plate with cells formed according to my said
invention. Fig. 3 shews to the same scale part of a cylinder provided with such
cells.

page_text: As shewn, the pocket-like cells are bounded on each side in longitudinal section
by two lines that are placed slanting to the corresponding cylinder radius, which
lines are connected by a curve at the bottom of the cell. The under cut hollow thus
produced, is partly covered by the face of the plate at one side, and this surface
forms all round the cell a sharp edge which, at one part, is undercut.
Such pocket-shaped cells are produced by rotary cutters, placed in the correspond-
ingly inclined position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1.
By this mode of manufacture the cells are enabled to be placed so close together
(even to the extent of having their edges in contact with each other) that an
essentially increased yield is obtained, to the extent of exceeding by more than one
third the yield of existing sorting plates. In consequence hereof considerably
smaller sorting cylinders can be employed while the plates themselves can be made
of thicker and consequently more durable material.
Dated this 4th day of December 1896.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, NICOLAUS HEID, of Stockerau, near Vienna, Austria, 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:-
Sorting plates for separating the globular seeds of weeds from cereals are for this
purpose made with recesses or cells which have the object of taking up the globular
weed seeds from among the grain passing over the plates and to conduct the same
separately to a discharge channel without letting them fall back among the
grain.
This function of retaining the seeds has heretofore only been imperfectly fulfilled,
both as regards yield and efficacy of action, by the sorting plates of present construc-
tion, the cells of which are formed either by punching or by drilling, or in the case of
thin plates, by pressing.
The cause of these defects lies in that, with the present form of the openings, or
cells, there is no action in a radial direction relatively to the sorting cylinder, tending
to prevent the falling out of the seeds.
The ordinary cells are, namely, in the form of hemispherical recesses, the axis of
which is at right angles to the surface of the plate, therefore radial relatively to the
sorting cylinder.
These cells, which, on account of their form, are called cup-shaped cells, can
consequently not retain the seeds when raised by the upward rotary motion beyond
the horizontal centre line of the cylinder, as there is no resistance in a radial direction
to the falling out of the seed, which falling out takes place all the more readily
because the edge of the opening is rounded off in consequence of the mode in which
the cells are produced.
In addition, these cells have the farther defect that they easily get choked by broken
seeds and by seeds having exactly the same size as the cells, so that special means
have to be employed for keeping them clear.
The attempt to form the cells so that they will retain the seeds when raised above
the horizontal centre line, by hollowing or deepening them on one side, could not
have a beneficial result, because the edge of the cell opposite such enlargement would
be perpendicular to the surface of the plate, and consequently also radial, so that on
the rotation of the cylinder, it could not retain the globular weed seed in the
cell.

page_text: With plates having cells constructed according to my present invention, the globular
weed seeds are prevented from falling out even when raised considerably above the
horizontal centre line of the sorting cylinder, by so under cutting one part of the side
of the cell as to form a pocket-like recess, the side wall of which, covering the under-
cut portion, effectually holds the seed in the cell, so that it can only fall out when
raised up to the required point of discharge.
On the drawing accompanying my Provisional Specification, Figs. 1 and 2. shewn
in section and plan to an exaggerated scale, part of a sorting plate with cells formed
according to my said invention, Fig. 3 shews to the same scale part of a cylinder
provided with such cells.
As shewn, the pocket-like cells are bounded on each side in longitudinal section by
two lines that are placed slanting to the corresponding cylinder radius, which lines
are connected by a curve at the bottom of the cell. The under cut hollow thus
produced, is partly covered by the face of the plate at one side, and this surface forms
all round the cell a sharp edge which, at one part, is undercut.
Such pocket-shaped cells are produced by rotary cutters, placed in the correspond-
ingly inclined position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1.
By this mode of manufacture the cells are enabled to be placed so close together
(even to the extent of having their edges in contact with each other) that an essen-
tially increased yield is obtained, to the extent of exceeding by more than one third
the yield of existing sorting plates. In consequence hereof considerably smaller
sorting cylinders can be employed while the plates themselves can be made of thicker
and consequently more durable material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
Sorting plates of the kind herein referred to, wherein the recesses or cells for
retaining the weed seeds are undercut so as to form pockets which will more or less
prevent the seeds from falling out in a radial direction, and thus enable the plates to
retain the seeds as long as possible, substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of August 1897.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.