IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE CLEANING AND HULLING PROVISIONAL ING OR DRESSING OF RICE, WHEAT, AND OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustav Adolph Buchholz, of Gould Square,
Crutched Friars, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE CLEANING AND HULLING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustav Adolphi
Buchholz at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 24th December 1853.
I, GUSTAV ADOLPH BUCHHOLZ, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE CLEANING AND HULL-
ING OR DRESSING OF RICE, WHEAT, AND OTHER GRAIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of machinery, whereby
the husks or outer coating of rice, wheat, and other seeds may be removed
with great expedition. To this end I mount on a vertical axle a conical
stone or other grinding surface provided with a spiral channel on its
periphery, and this grinding or ruffing surface I surround with a stone
or other suitable casing of a conical form, and of such dimension>

page_text: will ensure the traverse of any seed or grain fed in between the conical
stone and its casing down the spiral groove in the conical stone when
that stone is rotated. The grain is fed into the space between these
surfaces by a hopper, and in passing down to a shute leading out from
the bottom of the case, it is subjected to considerable friction which is
intended to effect the removal of the husk or outer coating of the grain
under operation.
To increase this friction and to keep the rubbing or grinding sur-
faces clean and sharp, I propose to introduce into the machine with
the grain small stones about the size of pidgeon's eggs, which by their
weight will carry down the grain, and expedite the operation of the
machine.
In carrying on hulling or dressing of grain on a large scale, I propose
to set several of these machines at different elevations, and to conduct
the grain after it has been subjected to the rubbing action of one
machine into the next one, there to undergo a similar but more
searching operation, and so on until the hulling or dressing of the
grain or seed is completed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Gustav Adolph Buchholz in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1,
GUSTAV ADOLPH BUCHHOLZ, of Gould Square. Crutched Friars, in the
City of London, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Gustav Adolph Buchholz. Her
special license that I, the said Gustav Adolph Buchholz, my execu-
tors, adûiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Gustav Adolph
Buchholz, my executors. administrators, and assigns, should at any

page_text: time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR THE CLEANING AND HULLING OR
DRESSING OP RICE, WHEAT, AND OTHER GRAIN," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Gustav Adolph Buchholz, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Gustav Adolph Buchholz, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of machinery for
removing from rice, wheat, and other seeds the husk or outer coating
thereof. To effect this object I mount on a vertical axle (which is
capable of rotating in its bearings,) a conical stone or rubbing surface
provided with a thread or worm on its periphery, and this stone or other
rubbing surface I surround with a stone or other suitable casing, of
such dimensions and shape as will form a gradually contracting space
between the two friction surfaces, for the reception of the seed or
grain.
The grain is fed from a hopper into the space between these surfaces,
and it is there subjected to considerable friction, which will remove the
husk or outer coating from the grain. To increase this friction, and
to keep the rubbing or grinding surfaces clean and sharp, I propose
to introduce into the machine with the grain small stones or pebbles
about the size of pigeons' eggs, which by their weight will carry down
the grain, and expedite the operation of the machine.
The principal advantages of my Invention are, first, that no nu-

page_text: tritious portion of the grain is removed with the husk or covering.
Second, that after undergoing the cleaning and hulling operation, the
grinding of the wheat or other grain is more easily effected. Third,
that the yield of first flour from any given quantity of grain is largely
increased. Fourth, that the quality, appearance, and nutritiousness
of the flour are improved. Fifth, that in cleaning, dressing, and
hulling rice a greater weight of rice is obtained from the paddy, with
very few or no broken grains. Sixth, that the natural flavor of the
grain cleaned and hulled in the machine, and of the meal and flour
from it, are preserved, so that the flavor is much superior to that
cleaned and hulled by the machinery or process in common use.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in partial sectional
elevation one arrangement of my improved machinery; and Fig. 2 is
a sectional plan of the casing taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1. a is the
central rubbing surface, provided at its periphery with a worm or thread
which forms a continuous channel from end to end thereof (see the
detached view, Fig. 3). This rubbing surface, which may be made of
stone or other material applicable to the purpose of grinding, is fixed
on a vertical shaft b, which turns in suitable bearings, and is driven by
bevil gearing c, connected with the main driving shaft d. The stone
or runner, revolves within a box c, lined with a conical casing of
stone or other material suitable for imparting the required friction to
the grain or seed which is fed into the space f. The box e, and stone
a, may be of any convenient size, but I prefer to make the box fifteen
inches deep, and its internal diameter four feet. The stone may be of
the diameter of three feet, and of the thickness of one foot. The
channel on the periphery of the stone may be cut of any depth; I
prefer, however, between one inch and three inches; and in every case
I make the breadth of the worm or thread equal to the depth of the
channel and dependent on the diameter of the stone or other rubbing
surface, and for the sectional figure of the thread and channel, as well as
the pitch of the screw, I prefer that shewn in the Drawing. The lining
of the box may be fitted either in one or several pieces, but several
pieces will be found most convenient from facility of replacement.
Allixed to the bottom of the box is a disc or plate of metal g, with a

page_text: raised edge; and a similar plate h, sufficiently large to enclose the plate
y, and revolve around it, is fastened to the under side of the stone a, as
shewn best at Figures 4. Between the stone a, and the plate h, to
which it is screwed, is an arm of iron i, carrying an elastic steel
scraper (see Figs. 3 and 4), shaped so as to form a continuation of
the thread on the stone a. By this means the grain is prevented from
settling on the bottom of the box e, and is kept constantly revolving
round the stone. k, is the hopper for containing the seed to be
operated upon; 7, is the shaker; and m, the funnel through which the
Sinall stones or pebbles and grain pass to the rubbing surfaces.
The grain and pebbles are passed at the same time into the box e,
and in whatever proportion may be desired until the space f is nearly
filled. The machine is then ready to commence working. The pro-
portions of grain and stones which I have found most useful are one-
third or one-fourth by measure of pebbles or small stones to two-thirds
or three-fourths of grain. I make use of these small stones or pebbles
for the purpose of increasing the friction upon the grain, and keeping
both the screw a and the stone lining of the box clean and rough.
For cleaning and hulling I cause the screw stone a to make from
thirty-five to forty-five revolutions in the minute. I make use of this
slow motion to avoid the action of centrifugal force, by which the grain
would be impelled against the sides and top of the box e, and instead
of the dirt and husks alone being removed, a considerable proportion of
the grain itself would be ground off' and wasted.
The time required to complete the operation of cleaning and hulling
must depend upon the condition and quality of the grain, and can be
determined only by actual trial in each case. If the grain be hard
and dry, a comparatively short time is required; if soft and damp, it
will require a longer time.
When the grain has been sufficiently cleaned and hulled, it is, toge-
ther with the small stones or pebbles, discharged at the openings p
which are kept closed during the operation, and the grain may then be
separated from the stones and dust by any ordinary mode of sifting,
which may be found most convenient.
Fig. 5 represents in partial sectional elevation a machine wherein

page_text: the hulling operation is made continuous, and the grain is supplied in
a continuous stream.
In this arrangement I employ a series of three screw stones a, which
are set in separate boxes e', e, e³, one above the other. The under sides
of the boxes have each three openings 9, 9, 9, of about nine inches in
length by two and a half inches in breadth, furnished severally with a
sliding cover r, grated so as to permit of the free passage of the grain,
while the stones are prevented from falling through.
Between the several boxes c', e, and e', is a distance of one foot, and
under each opening q, are two inclined sieves or trays (see the cross
section, Fig. 6), the upper one of which receives the grain from the
box above it. The grain thence falls on to the second tray, which dis-
charges it into the space f, of the box below. In passing along these
trays the grain is subjected to a blast of air from a blast pipe t, and
thus the loose portions of husk, dirt, and other extraneous matters are
driven off. Before starting the machine the slides r are drawn back
to admit of the passage of a certain portion of the small stones or
pebbles from the upper box to the two lower ones. When the boxes
,, are thus supplied with the proper proportion of pebbles, the slides
are closed. The machine is now set in action, the grain being sup-
plied continuously from the hopper k, through the funnel m, to the
box e. After being acted upon by the concentric friction surfaces and
small stones the grain passes through the gratings of this box to the
lower one e, where in like manner it is subjected to friction. It then
passes out and falls on to inclined trays, where it is winnowed by the
rush of air from the blast pipe to. The grain then falls into the box e³,
where the hulling operation is completed, and it is then discharged
from the machine through the channels u.
Fig. 7 shews in sectional elevation an arrangement, wherein the box
e is driven as well as, but in an opposite direction to, the stone a; and
Fig. 8 is a sectional plan of the same, taken in the line a, a, of Fig. 7.
The case e is carried by hollow trunnions vand, the lower one of
which is supported in a foot step w, while the upper one works in a
bearing in the frame x. Keyed to the upper trunnion is a bevil wheel y,
which gears into a wheel, on the driving shaft 1, and on the same

page_text: shaft is a wheel 2, which gears into a wheel 3, keyed to the shaft 4.
This shaft passes through the trunnion v, and rests upon a brass in the
lower one, and forms the axle of the stone a. In this arrangement
the lining of the case is grooved on its working face to correspond with
the thread on the stone.
Having now described the nature and object of my Invention of "Im-
proved Machinery for the Cleaning and Hulling or Dressing of Rice,
Wheat, and other Grain," I wish it to be understood that, under the
above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim constructing and arranging
machinery, in the manner and for the purpose above set forth, whereby
through the aid of pebbles or their equivalent the cleaning and hull-
ing, or dressing of the grain or seed submitted to the operation of the
machine may be carried on with great expedition, and without any
deposit being formed on the friction surfaces detrimental to their
action.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gustav Adolph Buchholz, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
four.
20
Witness,
GUSTAV ADOLPH BUCHHOLZ. (L.B.)
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.