Improved Methods of and Apparatus for Scouring or Decorticating Grain.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug.,
1889
COBILE DI MOTION.
Improved Methods of and Apparatus for Scouring or Decorticating
Grain.
I, WILSON AGER, of Bloomsburg, in the County of Columbia and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America Mechanical 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 :-
My invention relates to methods of, and machines for scouring and decorticating
cereals and the purpose thereof is to provide simple means whereby the heating of
the decorticating surfaces under the friction of a full load of and high speed shall be
prevented and the operation of the decorticator rendered more rapid and perfect,
and while the grain is thoroughly and perfectly cleansed, in such manner as to
disclose its golden colour, and produce flour of a much superior grade.
Heretofore an upright decorticator has been used, organized in accordance with a
previous invention of my own and consisting of an outer stationary drum having its
inner face provided with an imperforate abrading surface, provided at intervals with
openings covered with wire gauze, said drum being combined with an interior
revolving cylinder having bristles or tampico on its outer surface and provided with
blast openings in the cylindrical wall; said drum having air forcing devices at one
or both ends whereby air is, drawn into the interior revolving cylinder and forced
thence through its blast openings and through the gauze coverings in the outer
drum.
While this decorticator gives excellent results, experience has demonstrated that
when running at high speed and with a full load, the abraiding surface of the outer
cylinder is liable to heat under the friction produced, the air current induced by the
internally directed blast being insufficient to reduce this temperature to a proper
degree under the conditions named.
I have found, however, that by introducing air from the exterior of the outer
cylinder and forcing it between said cylinder and the outer face of the inner drum
in a direction opposite, or substantially so, to the direction of revolution whence it
escapes through the gauze covered openings in the drum, I am able not only to
reduce the temperature to a low point but to materially increase the internal induced
current whereby I effectually expel the dust while the mill may also run at a very
high speed and with a full load without over heating.
I have found, however, that these mills fail to remove all the impurities, or external
adhesions, of the wheat, and to give what I term a perfect cleansing whereby the
true golden colour and shining surface of the grain is made to appear. I have also
found, by careful experiment and long investigation, that there is but one way in
which a cleansing of the character described can be effected, and it is one object of
my present invention to provide a method whereby this result may be attained.
My invention consists in the novel mode of procedure hereinafter set forth and in
the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter
fully described and then definitely pointed out in the claims following this speci-
fication.
In the drawing which illustrates a form of apparatus suitable for practising my
invention.
Figure 1, is a central vertical section embodying my invention, and illustrating my
novel method of cleansing the grain.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of figure 1 on the line x, x.
Figure 3, is a detail section of the exterior cylinder showing the connection of one
of the external blast devices.
In the said drawing the the reference numeral 1 indicates any suitable supporting

page_text: frame by which the operative parts are supported, said frame having upper and
lower cross beams or braces 2 and 3 upon the latter of which is stepped a vertical
shaft 4, the hearing being protected by a hood 5. The upper end of the shaft is
supported in a suitable bearing in the cross beam 2, which is braced by a tie beam 3,
or in any suitable manner. A band pulley 7, is mounted on the shaft 4, between
the cross beams 2 and 6, and a similar support above.
Upon the shaft 4, is keyed or otherwise mounted a cylinder 8, which in general
outline is preferably a frustrum of a cone. This cylinder is provided with heads 9,
having circular flanges 10, to which is bolted the body of the cylinder, composed of
any suitable material and provided with openings 12, which are partly covered by
interior flaps 13 mounted on one edge of said openings and so placed as to leave
longitudinal apertures between the free edges of the Haps and the other edges of
said openings, said apertures being upon the side toward which the cylinder revolves.
The outer face of the cylinder is covered, with the exception of the openings 12,
with short closely set bristles 14, for which tampico or any equivalent material may
be substituted. In each cylinder head are formed openings 15, over which are
inclined plates 16, their free ends pointing in the direction of rotation. These
openings are placed as nearly as possible to the periphery of the drum in order that
the rotation of the latter may impart the greatest possible speed, whereby the air is
driven or drawn into the interior of said cylinder at one or both ends.
Surrounding the cylinder 8, and concentric therewith, is a drum 17, having its
wall parallel to that of the cylinder and separated therefrom by a short space. This
outer drum is supported upon the frame above and below and is composed of any
suitable material provided upon its interior face with an imperforate abrading surface
formed of emery, Derbyshire stone or other similar material. In the wall of this
drum are formed two, three or more openings 18, running vertically and covered
by wire gauze of suitable fineness, these openings extending preferably to a point not
far from the lower end of the drum, which is provided with a cone-shaped
receptacle 19, emptying into a chute 20, through which the grain after being
decorticated and scoured is conducted to suitable receptacles below.
The decorticator is supplied by means of a hopper trough 21, through which the
cereal is fed from a reservoir above from which it passes into the decorticator at the
upper end of the drum and cylinder as seen in Figure 1. The operation of the mill
may be regulated by simply adjusting the inner cylinder 8, vertically, by reason of
the set screw 22.
As the grain passes between the revolving cylinder and outer drum the rapid
rotation of the latter draws a strong current of air into its interior, whence it is
expelled through the openings 12 in said cylinder and thence through the gauze
covered openings in the drum, driving off the dust but allowing the scoured grain
to descend into the chute below.
Entering the outer drum at one, two, three or more points are fan shaped
conveyors 23, the longitudinal openings whereof extend vertically through the wall
of the drum at suitable intervals. These conveyors are preferably arranged to deliver
their blast in a direction nearly or quite tangent to the inner or revolving cylinder,
though this feature is capable of considerable variation. The direction of the air
blast delivered thereby is also contrary to the direction of rotation of said cylinder,
whereby the force of the internally induced current is increased while the surface of
the drum is cooled and retained at a low temperature and the dust and similar foreign
matter expelled through the screened openings with great force and rapidity.
I have shown in the drawing two of these conveyors only, but I wish it to be
understood that I may employ any desired number the usual construction being from
two to six, according to the size and capacity of the mill. I may also introduce the
auxiliary blast from the side through the edges of the screened openings, or through
openings in the solid wall of the drum between these apertures.
The form of the conveyors is also susceptible of considerable variation, as I by no
means confine myself to a fan shaped device, but may use any duct or even a series of
ducts, by which air may be introduced from the outside.

page_text: I may also use the outside air blast alone and in place of the internally induced
current produced by the rotation of the cylinder 8.
In place of the wire gauze covering the openings in the outer drum, I may use
zinc, or steel plates having slotted openings, as these are less liable to choke and
become clogged.
While I have shown two decorticators arranged one above the other, it should be
understood that either mill may be used separately, and that my invention contemplates
the use of such single decorticator separately, as well as in the manner hereinafter
set forth.
When the single mill is operated, the outer drum is linet with Derbyshire
gray, or any other suitable abrading material.
The reference numeral 24, denotes a second mill organized like the one described
in all substantial particulars save that the stationary or outer drum instead of being
provided with an inner abrading surface formed of Derbyshire gray, is faced with a
species of fine-grained, brown or reddish lime-stone, deriving its colour from the
presence of a small quantity of iron. This stone is extensively quarried near
Rochester, New York, for building and other purposes and is sometimes known under
the name of Medina brown stone, but I have discovered that it will retain the
necessary abrading surface in the second decorticator and will neither gum when an
externally introduced blast is introduced, nor wear smooth, like most other
substances.
In practising this part of my invention, the grain is first cleansed in mill No. 1, in
the usual manner, the abrading surface of Derbyshire stone removing the adhering
foreign matter to such a degree as to leave the grain in a condition that, to the
unpracticed eye, might well appear thoroughly clean.
From the first decorticator I transfer the grain, by any suitable means, to the
second mill where it.undergoes a supplemental cleaning process, the Medina brown
stone facing removing from the surface of each berry an amount of woody fibre, and
other foreign matter, which, although wholly invisible to the eye, constitutes never-
theless, nearly one per cent., of the bulk, or volume of the grain. By this second
process of decorticating the last atoms of the foreign matter are removed and the
golden coloured, shining surface of the grain is exhibited. Flour ground from this
grain is far whiter than any flour that can be produced by any other process of
cleaning, and bread made from such flour has a brilliant and pure colour which it has
bitherto been impossible to attain without the use of chemicals, or other adulterations,
and even then only imperfectly.
This part of my invention depends for its success upon first subjecting the cereal
to decortication in a mill having the Derbyshire stone facing, and then passing it
through a second mill, in which the decorticating or abrading surface of the outer
drum is formed of the finer grained Medina brown-stone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that
I claim:
1. The art, method or process herein set forth for cleansing and decorticating
wheat and other cereals, consisting in first subjecting the grain to the action of a
decorticator having an abrading surface of Derbyshire stone, and then to a similar
process in a mill having a facing of Medina brown stone, of the character specified,
substantially as described.
2. In a decorticating apparatus, the combination with an outer drum and an inner
revolving cylinder both provided with suitable abrading surfaces, of air blast conductors
entering the wall of the outer drum for delivering air currents in a direction opposite
to the revolution of the inner cylinder, substantially at a tangent to said cylinder,
substantially as described.
3. In a decorticating apparatus the combination with an outer drum and an inner
revolving cylinder, both provided with abrading surfaces, of means for inducing an
ir-current within the cylinder, which is provided with openings in its cylindrical

page_text: wall and air blast conductors entering the wall of the outer drum, in a direction
substantially tangential to the cylinder and opposite to the direction of its revolution,
substantially as described.
.
4. In a grain decorticating apparatus, the combination with an outer drum having
an inner, imperforate abrading surface, provided at intervals with foraminous openings,
of an inner revolving cylinder, having blast openings, in its walls, and provided with
means for inducing an air-current within the cylinder, and air blast conductors
passing through the outer drum for delivering air blasts in a direction substantially
tangential to the cylinder and opposite to its direction of revolution, substantially as
described.
5. In a grain decorticating apparatus the combination with an outer drum having
an inner abrading surface provided with foraminous openings at intervals, of an inner
revolving cylinder having blast openings in its wall, and provided at its ends with
hooded air-forcing openings, and air blast conductors entering the outer drum in a
direction contrary to the direction of revolution of the inner cylinder, substantially as
described.
6. The improvement in the method, art or process of decorticating grain, which
consists in feeding the cereal between a stationary abrading surface and a rotating
drum clothed with bristles or tampico and forcing one or more currents of air between
the abrading surfaces in a direction opposite to the revolution of the drum, substantially
as.described.
Dated this 25th dox of June 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.