Improvements relating to the Hulling or Decortication and Reduction of Grain, and to Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1890-Accepted 13th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Hulling or Decortication and Reduction
of Grain, and to Apparatus therefor.
I JULES SLOAN, of 3 Rue du Louvre Paris, in the Republic of France Mill
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the hulling or decortication of corn or other grain, and to
apparatus therefor.
The improved apparatus comprises two cylinders which are fluted similarly to those
generally employed in mills for the gradual reduction of grain but these cylinders,
instead of turning in the same direction at differential velocities for obtaining a
decorticating action, turn in opposite directions.
The grain on being fed between the aforesaid two cylinders, one of which tends to
move it upwards and the other to move it downwards, is caused to turn during the
time which it remains between the two cylinders.
The cylinder tending to move the grain downwards is rotated at a great velocity
whilst the cylinder which has the tendency to move it upwards is turned more slowly
so that after a certain number of turns the former cylinder causes the grain to pass
through the space between it and the centre or the nearest point of contact, whereupon
the grain falls down that is to say after it has passed through all the phases of the
hulling or decortication.
When the grain passes between the cylinders and performs its first turn it will be
slightly cracked, whereupon it is hulled and on passing the centre the grains still
attached to the bran are detached.
It is not intended to effect the hulling or decortication of the grain according to my
invention in a single operation, but in two, three, or more successive reducing
operations one of which serves for the extraction of the middlings and the other for
completing the cleansing of the bran.
I proceed to describe by way of example an apparatus for hulling or decorticating
corn or other grain, according to my invention, but it will be understood that the
construction of this apparatus can be greatly varied without departing from the nature
of the said invention.
The grain to be hulled or decorticated is placed in a hopper whereby it is distributed
to the cylinders.
This distribution is effected automatically according to the quantity of grain in the
hopper.
A spring placed on the outside of the hopper, yields each time when the quantity of
the material is increased in the hopper and allows the excess to pass, accordingly the
distribution takes place in direct proportion to the quantity of the material which is in
the hopper. This distributing device may be of any suitable construction.
The grain thus distributed falls between the two cylinders, one of which is held in
fixed bearings and is revolved at a high velocity whilst the other which revolves at a
small velocity is mounted in two sleeves formed on levers which are adapted to oscillate
upon their axis.
At the lower end of the aforesaid levers is arranged an engaging and disengaging
rod carrying a spring which enables one of the said cylinders to recede from the other
in case pieces of iron or the like should pass between them.
The engaging and disengaging rod is fixed upon an eccentric which can be actuated
by an operating lever. This lever is secured upon the shaft of the said eccentric,
which shaft extends through the entire width of the apparatus and serves to connect
the two levers hereinbefore referred to.
The flutes on the surface of the cylinders can be made straight but it is preferable to

page_text: arrange them spirally, left-handed threads being formed on one of the cylinders, and
right-handed threads on the other. The threads of the helices must not be equal, but
in inverse ratio to the velocity of the cylinders. For example, if the cylinder which
tends to move the grain upwards makes 50 revolutions and the cylinder which tends
to throw the grain downwards makes 150 revolutions, the first is provided with a left-
handed thread extending at an inclination of 75 millimetres in 350 millimetres and the
second with a right-handed thread extending at an inclination of 25 millimetres in
350 millimetres.
For converting grit into flour I can make use of the same apparatus as herein-
before described, in which case smooth cylinders are however substituted for the fluted
cylinders.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co..
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Hulling or Decortication and Reduction
of Grain, and to Apparatus therefor.
1, JULES SLOAN, of 3 Rue du Louvre Paris, in the Republic of France, Mill
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 the hulling or decortication of corn or other grain, and to
apparatus therefor.
The improved apparatus comprises two cylinders or rollers which are fluted similarly
to those generally employed in mills for the gradual reduction of grain but these
cylinders or rollers instead of turning in the same direction at different velocities for
obtaining a decorticating action turn in opposite directions.
They are moreover distinguished from the ordinary reducing cylinders or rollers by
the arrangement of flutes upon their peripheries which cannot extend in the same
direction upon the two cylinders or rollers, because in this case the greatest quantity
of the grain would be forced to one extremity of the cylinders or rollers without being
subjected to the desired crushing operation. In order to obviate this inconvenience
it is necessary that under any circumstances the flutes on the two cylinders or rollers
shall cross each other at a definite angle corresponding to the most favourable action,
but this angle of crossing cannot be constant, it must on the contrary vary with the
velocity at which the cylinders or rollers turn. In fact the action upon the grain
passing between the cylinders or rollers depends in part on the time which the crossed
ribs take for causing it to pass, so that the quicker the cylinders or rollers turn the
smaller must be the inclination of the flutes. For enabling this to be understood it
may be said that, if an inclination of 10 degrees of the flutes, correspond a rotary
velocity of 100 revolutions it would be necessary that this inclination should be about
5 degrees for a velocity of 200 revolutions. The degree of opening of the angle of
crossing is therefore inversely proportional to the number of revolutions of the
cylinders or rollers or at least one of the cylinders. Without rigorously observing this
law for the system of cylinders or rollers turning in the same direction and at
different velocities it is impossible to obtain a good and practical result by means of
this method of grinding.
The grain on being fed between the aforesaid two cylinders or rollers one of which
tends to throw it upwards and the other to take it downwards, is caused to turn
during the time which it remains between the two cylinders or rollers.
i
The cylinder or roller tending to carry the grain downwards is rotated at a great
velocity whilst the cylinder or roller which has the tendency to throw it upwards is
turned more slowly so that after a certain number of turns, the former cylinder or

page_text: roller conveys through the space between it and the centre or the nearest point of
contact with the second cylinder or roller whereupon this grain falls down that
is to say after it has passed through all the phases of the hulling or decorticating
operation.
When the grain passes between the cylinders or rollers and performs its first turn
it will be slightly cracked after which it is hulled and on passing the centre the
granules still attached to the bran are detached.
It is not intended to effect the hulling or decortication of the grain according to my
invention in a single operation but in two, three or more successive operations one of
which serves for the removal of the outer parts farine noire and the other for
completing the cleansing of the bran.
The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example an apparatus for hulling or
decorticating corn or other grain according to my invention, but it will be understood
that the construction of this apparatus can be greatly varied without departing from
the nature of the said invention.
This apparatus comprises a hopper A through which the grain to be hulled or
decorticated is distributed to the cylinders. This distribution is effected automatically
according to the quantity of grain in the said hopper which is an indispensable
condition in automatic hulling operations. A spring arranged on the outside of the
hopper yields each time when the quantity of the material is increased in the hopper
and allows the excess to pass, accordingly the distribution takes place in direct
proportion to the quantity of the material which is in the hopper. This distributing
device may be of any suitable construction.
The grain thus distributed falls between the two cylinders or rollers B C one of
which, B, is held in fixed bearings and is revolved at a high velocity whilst the other C,
which revolves at a reduced velocity on an axis D is mounted in two bearings E¹
formed on levers E which are adapted to oscillate upon their axis F.
Through the lower end of the aforesaid levers E extends a rod G surrounded by a
spring H which enables one of the said cylinders or rollers to recede from the other
in case pieces of iron or the like should pass between them.
The aforesaid rod G is at one end fixed upon an eccentric I which can be actuated
by an operating lever J. This lever is secured upon the shaft of the said eccentric
which shaft extends through the entire width of the apparatus and serves to establish
a connection between the two levers E.
The flutes on the surface of the cylinders or rollers can be made straight in the
direction of the axes of the latter but it is preferable to arrange them spirally, left-
handed threads being formed on one of the cylinders or rollers and right-handed
threads on the other. The inclinations of the threads on the two cylinders or rollers
must not be equal but in inverse ratio to the velocity imparted to the said cylinders or
rollers. For example if the cylinder or roller which tends to throw the grain upwards
makes 50 revolutions and the cylinder or roller which tends to carry the grain down-
wards makes 150 revolutions, the first is provided with left-handed threads extending
at an inclination of 75 millimetres in 350 millimetres and the second with right-
handed threads extending at an inclination of 25 millimetres in 350 millimetres.
For converting grit into flour I can make use of the same apparatus as hereinbefore
described, in which case smooth cylinders or rollers are however substituted for the
fluted cylinders or rollers.
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 :-
The hulling or decortication of grain by means of fluted cylinders or rollers in such
a manner that the ribs on the two cylinders or rollers will cross each other at a given
angle the degree of opening of which is inversely proportional to the velocity at
which the cylinders or rollers turn or at which one of then turns, the said cylinders or
rollers rotating at different velocities in opposite directions, the reduction of grit into
flour through the cedium of smooth cylinders or rollers actuated in a similar manner,

page_text: the above mentioned operations being carried out by the apparatus represented in the
accompanying drawing, or by any other suitable apparatus constructed upon the
principle herein before specified.
Dated this 25th dose of October 1890
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.