Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Cleaning Wheat and other Grain.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Cleaning Wheat
and other Grain.
I, HENRY SIMON of 20 Mount Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, 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:—
This invention relates to improvements in the method of and apparatus for
cleaning wheat and other grain described in and by the Specification of Letters
Patent No. 19388 of 1892, and in and by the Specifications of Letters Patent
Nos. 15769 and 15770 of 1893. In the apparatus and according to the methods
described in the said specifications, strong currents of air are produced and
circulated by a fan and pass through the wheat or grain as it descends from a
hopper or shoot. By the action of this current of air, light wheat or grain, dust,
and other foreign substances are separated and carried off: the heavier matters
such as the light wheat or grain being deposited in suitable chambers, and the dust
in a dust collector. A small amount of air is continuously blown out from the top
of the dust collector and to make up for this discharge, fresh air is continuously
admitted at the point where the cleaned grain is delivered. Hitherto, in the use of
apparatus of the type set forth, the wheat or grain is blown through or aspirated
once in the circuit.
My present invention relates to the construction and arrangement of such
apparatus whereby I can introduce and arrange for two, three, or more aspirations
of the wheat or grain in one circuit, the points of aspiration being arranged
vertically one over the other, and thus facilitate the separation of light wheat, dust
and other impurities from the wheat or grain.
I will describe my improvements with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section, and Figure 2, a transverse
section.
From the balanced hopper H, the wheat or grain is delivered in regulated
quantity, by the feed roll R, whence it falls directly into the vertical trunk W.
Below the hopper outlet there is arranged in the trunk, an inclined and preferably
curved plate P, upon which the wheat or grain falls and by which it is guided into
the hopper T. From the bottom of this hopper, and by means of the swing
valve V, the grain or wheat is allowed to pass again into the trunk W. This
method of treatment may be followed out for two aspirations of the wheat or grain
as indicated by the drawings, or for three or more aspirations. In the latter case,
the number of curved plates P, and hoppers T, will be correspondingly increased
in vertical arrangement.
The current of air generated by the fan G, passes along the air trunk A, and
sweeping into the trunk W, passes through the stream of wheat or grain issuing
from the hopper T, and blows out of it the dust and light impurities left in it from
the aspiration it has already undergone above the plate P. The air current is
then deflected by the curved under surface of the plate P, into the chamber C¹, in
which the velocity of the air current is so reduced that the heavier impurities
therein are deposited. These deposited impurities can be taken away by means of
au inclined spout provided with suitable valves, to prevent ingress of air, or by
means of a rotating screw conveyor S¹, as shewn by the drawing Figure 1,

page_text: •
From the upper part of the chamber C¹ the air current passes by the opening O,
to the trunk W, where it meets with and passes through the stream of wheat or
grain issuing from the hopper H, removing light grain and other impurities which
are carried by the current into the chamber C, where the heavier matters are
deposited and can be removed as hereinbefore described with reference to the
chamber C. The air containing dust, returns by the channel U to the fan.
I may provide a valve at X, by the opening of which, dust-laden air can be
drawn from the reel chamber I., as well as through the wheat,. to make up for the
air expelled through the dust collector B. The wheat is delivered at D and can
be conveyed away as in the existing machines. The peripheral chamber of the
fan is connected as at present, with the dust collector B, through the pipe E.
The return wind trunk U is made of considerable width and extends below the
eye of the fan G, being hoppered or provided with a door such as Y, at the bottom.
A considerable deposit of grit and dust takes place in this wind trunk, and only
the lighter dust with the air enters the fan. The construction and operation of the
apparatus is in all other respects similar to that of the apparatus described in and
by the specifications of the Letters Patent hereinbefore set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for cleaning wheat and other grain, the construction and
arrangement of one or more deflectors such as P, in the path of the grain, and a
corresponding number of side hoppers or chambers T, substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2. The hereinbefore described improvements in the method of cleaning wheat
and other grain, which consists in subjecting the falling material to two or more
aspirations by a current of air, substantially as and by the means set forth.
Dated this 5th day of March A.D. 1897.