IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHUTTING AND SCREENING GRAIN AND DISTRIBUTING OTHER GRANULAR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Thursfield Smith, and Thomas Suckley, both
of Whitchurch, in the County of Salop, Agricultural Implement Makers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SHUTTING AND SCREENING
GRAIN AND DISTRIBUTING OTHER GRANULAR SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 22nd January 1861, and dated the 25th July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Thursfield Smith
and Thomas Suckley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 25th July 1860.'
We, ROBERT THURSFIELD SMITH and THOMAS SUCKLEY, both of Whitchurch,
in the County of Salop, Agricultural Implement Makers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SMUTTING AND
SCREENING GRAIN AND DISTRIBUTING OTHER GRANULAR SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to facilitate the separation of extraneous
matters from grain and seeds, and also to separate different qualities of grain
from each other. The Invention likewise applies to the separation and distri-
bution of other granular substances, such as artificial manures.
The improved apparatus which we employ for this purpose consists of a fixed
horizontal cylindrical riddle or screen, in which a rotating beater is mounted.
Into this screen the substances to be separated are fed from a shute or hopper,

page_text: and by means of the beater they are traversed forward from end to end thereof.
The upper half of the cylinder is formed of wirework to allow of the escape of
dust from the seed under operation, and the lower half is formed of a double
thickness of sheet metal pierced with holes, by preference of an elongated
form, for the seeds to pass through. The holes in these semicylinders of pierced
metal are made to correspond, so that by the shifting laterally of one of the
semicylinders, which is made adjustable for the purpose, while the other is
fixed to the screen frame, the gauge of the holes may be regulated to suit
varieties of produce. In making apparatus for screening corn, for example,
(when it is desirable to separate the inferior from the best quality) we propose
to employ two gauges of holes, but the same gauge may be used throughout,
or any required number may be set in the length of the cylinder according to
the purpose to which the screen is to be applied. The rotary beater is formed
of a pair of bosses keyed to a spindle which passes through the cylinder, and is
provided with radial arms to carry bars extending from end to end of the
cylinder. Arranged alternately on these bars are straight-edged beaters for
keeping the perforations in the screen clean or open, and others formed of a
series of iron plates set at an angle and parallel to each other so as to act like
a screw and propel the grain forward until it escapes through the perforations
in the lower part of the screen. The chaff is discharged at the end of the
screen while the seeds fall according to their size through the holes in the
periphery of the screen, and are received into proper receptacles. By the
rotation of the beaters a slight blast is created, which will drive off the chaff
and other light particles, and in addition thereto, if thought desirable, a blast
of air obtained from a fan or blower may be applied to assist in the
operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Thursfield Smith and Thomas Suckley in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 25th January 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
THORSFIELD SMITH and THOMAS SUCKLEY, both of Whitchurch, in the County of
Salop, Agricultural Implement Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, IIer heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said

page_text: Robert Thursfield Smith and Thomas Suckley. Her special license that we, the.
said Robert Thursfield Smith and Thomas Suckley, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Thursfield Smith and
Thomas Suckley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any 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 Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR SMUTTING AND SCREENING GRAIN AND DISTRIBUTING OTHER GRANULAR SUB-
STANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert Thursfield
Smith and Thomas Suckley, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 tho
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Suckley, on behalf of myself
and of the said Robert Thursfield Smith, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained 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):-
The chief object of this Invention of " Improved Apparatus for Smutting and
Screening Grain, and Distributing other Granular Substances," is to facilitate the
separation of extraneous matters and defective seeds from good grain and seeds,
and also to separate different qualities of grain from each other and deposit
them in distant receptacles. The Invention likewise applies to the separation
and distribution of other granular substances, such as artificial manures.
The improved apparatus which we employ for this purpose is shewn in the
accompanying Drawing, and consists of a fixed horizontal cylindrical riddle or
screen in which a rotating beater is mounted.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of the screen and rotary beater or agitator;
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same; and Fig. 3 is an
external side elevation of the screen. Into this screen a, a', the substances to bo
separated are fed from a shute or hopper b, which, if desired, may be provided
with a slide, as at c, for regulating the quantity supplied to the screen. The
grain or seed is carried forward from end to end of the cylinder by means of a
rotating beater or agitator. The upper half of the cylinder or screen is formed
of wirework as at a', to allow of the escape of dust from the seed under

page_text: operation, and the lower balf a of the screen is formed of a double thickness of
sheet metal pierced with holes (by preference) of an elongated form, for the
seeds to pass through. The holes in these semicylinders of pierced metal are
made to correspond so that by the shifting of one of the semicylinders either
laterally or longitudinally, the gauge of the holes may be regulated to suit the
size of varieties of produce. To this end one of the semicylinders is made
adjustable or moveable while the other is fixed to the screen frame. In
making apparatus for screening corn (for example) when it is desirable to
separate the inferior from the best quality we propose to employ two gauges or
sizes of holes as shewn at Fig. 3, but, if desired, the same gauge or size may
be used throughout, or any required number may be set in the length of the
cylinder according to the purpose to which the screen is to be applied. The
rotary beater is formed of a pair of bosses d', d', keyed to a spindle or shaft e
which passes through the cylinder a, and is provided with radial arms d, d, to
carry bars f, f, extending from end to end of the cylinder. Arranged alter-
nately on these bars are straight-edged beaters f, which, by their action on
the grain keep the perforations in the screen clean or open. Other beaters
formed of a series of iron plates are secured to the other arms as at f,
Figures 1 and 2. These iron plates fa are set at an angle and parallel to each
other so as to act like a screw, and propel the grain forward along the per-
forated semicylinder until it escapes through the perforations in the lower part
of the screen.
A pulley 9 is keyed on to one end of the beater shaft e, and by
passing round the same a band actuated by any prime mover, the shaft and
beaters f¹ and may be driven at considerable speed. The chaff is discharged
at the end of the screen while the seeds fall according to their size through the
holes in the screen, and are received into proper receptacles placed beneath the
same, the smaller and imperfect seeds falling through the small perforations at
the forward end of the screen, and the larger and perfect seeds through full-size
perforations at the other end of the screen; or, if desired, the perfect grains after
being properly winnowed and separated may be discharged out at the rear end
of the screen and deposited in a suitable receptacle. By the rotation of the
beaters fand a slight blast is created in the cylinder, and the chaff and other
light particles will be driven off. In addition, however, to the slight blast thus
created a stronger blast of air may, if thought desirable, be obtained from a fan or
blower, and employed to assist in the operation of driving off light extraneous
particles. Instead of constructing the screen of two semicylinders of perforated
metal as above described we sometimes find it convenient to form it of bars of
iron of about one quarter of an inch square sectional area, and arranged
longitudinally from end to end of the cylinder and covered internally with a
0

page_text: semicylinder formed of sheet iron or hoop iron in which perforations about half
an inch long by a quarter of an inch broad are made. This internal semi-
cylinder is made moveable so that its perforations may be made more or less to
cover the longitudinal bars, and thereby be reduced in size precisely as in
the former instance. Figures 4, 4, 5, and 5*, represent a portion of a screen
constructed in this manner and drawn upon an enlarged scale; h, h, are the
longitudinal square bars which are secured at each end to the end frames of
the screen, and are supported, when required, at one or more places throughout
their length by surrounding hoops. The bands of hoop iron which form the
inside of the screen are seen at i, i. The perforations 1, 3, in these bands may,
of course vary in size, according to the purpose for which the screen is to
be employed. In Figures 4 and 4", which are plan and sectional views, the
perforations are represented as being entirely uncovered, and therefore open to
their full extent, but in Figures 5 and 5*, the bands i, i, have been moved
laterally so as to bring the holes i, i, partially over the bars h, h, and the
perforations or holes i, , will be thereby diminished in size.
Having now described our Invention of "Improved Apparatus for Smutting
and Screening Grain, and Distributing other Granular Substances," and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we claim as the Inven-
tion secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid the mode herein set forth of
constructing and working screens or riddles, and their accessories for the
purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Suckley, have hereunto my hand
and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
T. NOLAN,
66, Chancery Lane.
THOMAS SUCKLEY. (LS.)