Middlings Furifiers and Separators.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1898-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
Middlings Furifiers and Separators.
We, EDWARD HARDS, Miller, and DANIEL JAMES SPRINGER, Capitalist, of Fremont,
in the County of Dodge and State of Nebraska, United States of America, 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 has relation to an improvement in middlings purifiers for
grading, separating and dressing milling stock, and for cleaning and grading all
kinds of cereals.
Our invention consists further of a novel method of agitation and treatment
of the milling stock, so that the grain may be graded by means of a regulating
throwing mechanism, the separator proper is adjustably supported, there is
embodied a tension mechanism readily accessible for the proper adjustment of the
sieves; the vertical shaft may be entirely removed from the housing without
displacement of the remaining instrumentalities; the agitating brushes used are
adjustably secured; the capacity of the device may be regulated by the adjust-
ment of certain hangers; the vibrating causes used in our device may be used
either single or in batteries; a variable impact of the agitating brushes against
the sieves is provided preventing the clogging of the sieves and finally the milling
stock under treatment is carried and travelled in a spiral path, facilitating the
grading and treatment of the stock as will be described more fully hereinafter.
In referring to the accompanying drawings, we have shown in Figure 1 a
sectional view of our improved middlings purifier and separators.
Figure 2 shows a side view of our invention while,
Figures 3 and 4 show details of the sieve supporting brackets.
Our improvement consists primarily of a casing, A, which is suspended by a
plurality of depending bars 1, 1, which bars are preferably adjustably secured to
the casing A, and are also adjustably secured above. These bars, while fixed at
their upper ends, permit the casing A, being reciprocated a suitable distance
backward or forward about its center, against the tension of the bars, but in
addition to this circular movement, a second radial movement in a vertical plane
is provided by virtue of the bars, so as the casing is revolved, it is carried upward
and downward about its center in a line approximating the path of a screw thread,
about a fixed center and this compound movement is utilized in treating the
material which by virtue of this arrangement is carried in a spiral path as will
be described more fully hereinafter.
The material in entering the separator is fed through a chute 3, as is shown in
Figure 1, supported within a frame comprising the top 2, the vertical standards 4, 4,
and bottom sills 5. Extending from the chute 3, is a hopper 6, provided with
an opening 7, emptying centrally above the casing A, which casing embodies the
op B, the concave partition C, and the bottom D, the top being provided with
flange 9.
We prefer making the casing A, of a length so that but one partition C, is
required though it should be understood that this casing could be provided with

page_text: a plurality of partitions C. These partitions C, are provided with an escape
opening a, through which the finer material, which has passed through the upper
sieves F, passes to fall upon the lower sieve H.
These sieves comprise a preferably wooden ring 13, to which the sieves F and H,
proper, are secured by any suitable means. In order to readily assemble or dis-
semble the instrumentalities, we make the rings 13, of such a size that when the
bolting silk or netting F and H, is secured thereto, they are of a diameter to
snugly fit into the casing A. To provide a proper support for the upper rim, 13,
we provide the brackets 15, 15, shown in Figure 3, and secured by any suitable
means in such a manner that the upper bracket serves as a support from below
for the upper sieve F, and the lower 15, serve as a stop for the sieve H, as is
shown in Figure 4. In order to further provide a means to retain these sieves in
position, we provide the outer clamping bands, I, which are clamped about the
casing A, by means of the bolt 16, so that the casing is contracted sufficiently to
securely bind these sieves within.
The casing is further provided with the spout, 17, which extends from the
casing at a point in line with the top of the sieve, F, so that the material as it
reaches the spout is permitted to enter a suitable chute. A lower spout 19, is
provided leading from the sieve H.
In order to provide the sieves with a tension regulator and a means to properly
crown the same we provide each sieve with a hub 20, to which the sieve is secured
and above with a deflecting shield 21, between which the sieve is secured.
Extending from the shield 21, are the bars 22, passing through the top B, and
being provided with suitable thumb nuts, so that these bars may be raised or
lowered to regulate the tension of the sieves. The lower bars 22, arc swivelled
within the funnel 21' and for the sake of convenience are provided midway with
nuts secured to the bars, such bars working above through nuts which are secured
to the partition.
The vertical shaft K, which passes through the upper bearing 25, removably
rests below within the bearing 26, and passes centrally through the casing and is
revolubly supported to rotate the brush arms N, which are provided with suitable
upwardly extending brushes m, and which brush arms by means of the tubes B
and B³, and adjusting screws 1 and 2 are adjustably secured to the shaft below
the sieves, as is shown in Figure 1.
In order to suspend the casing in such a way that it can be instantly removed,
we connect two clamping rings I, by means of the transverse connecting braces 27,
as is shown more clearly in Figure 2, and to these braces in turn are secured the
bars I, by means of the pins o. Above these hangers by means of a pin 30, are
fixed to an ordinary ring, 31, and this ring is supported within one or more
hangers 32, provided with the nuts 33, so that the ring 31, is adjustably supported.
At a suitable point, we provide the casing A, with a pin 35, passing through an
opening within the bar N, as is shown in Figure 2, and secured to a rocking
lever P, which lever below is pivotally secured to a pin 37, forming part of the
supporting frame work. Above the rocking lever is guided by means of a pin 38,
passing through the opening of the case.
The agitation mechanism we employ, embodies an ordinary shaft 41, provided
with two eccentrics working within the casing 42, from which extend the rods 51.
The shaft also has a worm 40, meshing with the pinion 43, secured to the
shaft 44, the shaft 41, which is the main drive shaft being provided with a drive
pulley 45. The shaft 44, however, is provided with a bevel gear, 46, meshing
with the bevel gear 50, secured to the shaft K, so as the main drive shaft 41, is
operated, the eccentrics actuate the arms 51, connected thereto, agitating the two
levers P, and these levers P' which are connected by means of the bars N to the
casing again impart a semi-rotary movement to the latter, while the shaft 41,
by means of the worm 40, revolves the shaft 44, to provide a circular motion to
the shaft K, to actuate the adjustable brushes M.
From this it will be seen that to the casing, is imparted a peculiar movement,

page_text: the first being a reciprocating circular movement from side to side in a horizontal
plane, and simultaneously a second pendulum movement in a vertical plane. The
supporting bracket is marked g and k.
The action of the machine is as follows:
The stock falls upon the upper deflector, 18, which is removably secured to the
shaft K, and is thrown outward scattering upon the upper sieve I, this sieve how-
ever, is being actuated in a circular movement in a horizontal plane
and also being carried upward and downward in an arc in a plane
at right angles to the upward and downward movement and so is intermittently fed
forward, the path of the milling stock being clearly defined and being the form
of a spiral, the mechanism being adjustable so that the milling stock will perform
one or more complete revolutions within the casing upon the sieve before it finds
an exit at the spout opening 17. This may be demonstrated in permitting
coloring material to feed upon the sieve and this coloring material will form a well
defined spiral path over the face of the sieve before finding an exit at the spout
opening.
A further important advantage gained by the peculiar movement imparted to
the casing, is that the adjustable brushes intermittently work against the sieve
from below but with a variable impact, the degree of impact being due of course
to the rise and fall of the netting in being carried upward and downward in its
pendulum movement and this movement is identical with the manual or hand
movement of forcing material through the sieve. The brushes do not rise or
fall. By this method clogging of the sieve is absolutely impossible.
The impact can further be nicely regulated in that the brushes are adjustable
upon the shaft K, and so also can the stroke of the bar N, be regulated.
The material that does not feed through the upper sieve, finds an exit at the
spout 17, while the finer material falls through upon the partition C, and from
thence through the central opening, a, falls upon the shield 21' and again takes
up its spiral path over the lower sieve H, where the coarser material will again
be graded in finding an exit to the spout 19, while the finer material passes through
the opening 11, into a suitable receptacle below.
At suitable points, the casings are provided with doors so that the upper and
lower sieve can be readily adjusted. These purifiers may be single or in batteries.
If desirable, the shaft K, can be thrown out of mesh by simply supporting it above
the pinion 46. The shaft K, can further be instantly removed even without
stopping the working of the purifier proper, in releasing the set screws 61 and 62,
so that the brush arms will become disengaged when the shaft can be readily
with-drawn. The sieve H, is provided with a rib 52, so that the material will feed
through the openings 19.
What we hold of great advantage is the operation of the brushes which are
carried against and away from the sieve so that the brushes come in contact with
the same in a variable degree of impact. The movement of the brushes further can
be adjusted to a nicety by virtue of the brush arms being adjustably held upon
the main shaft. The grain in passing over the sieves is thrown by the jerky
reciprocating movement imparted to the sieves, and this throwing of the milling
stock brings about the grading of the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination with a suspended casing, of mechanism to alternately rotate
said casing in opposite directions.
2. The combination with a suitable support, of hangers adjustably depending
from said support, and a casing removably secured to said hangers.
3. The combination with a suitable support, of a plurality of hangers adjustably
depending from said support, a casing removably secured to said hangers, and
mechanism to alternately partly rotate said casing in opposite directions so as to

page_text: impart an intermittent alternate rotary movement about its axis and simultaneously
a pendulum movement about its axis.
4. The combination with a supporting ring, of a plurality of hangers fixed to
and depending from said ring, and a clamping ring at the lower end of said
hangers.
5. The combination with a suitable ring, of mechanism to adjustably secure
said ring to a suitable support, a plurality of hangers fixed to and depending from
said ring, brackets at the lower end of said hangers, and superposed clamping rings
secured to said brackets.
6. The combination with a suitable support, of a frame adjustably secured to
said support, a plurality of hangers fixed to and depending from said frame, a
clamping ring fixed to said hangers, and a casing held suspended by means of said
clamping ring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The combination with a casing, of a sieve within said casing, and a clamping
ring upon the exterior of said casing to bind said casing upon said sieve.
8. The combination with a casing, of a sieve held and positioned within said
casing, rods secured to said sieve and extending outward, and screws so that these
sieve connected rods may be raised or lowered in crowning the sieve.
9. The combination with a plurality of adjustably supported hangers, of a
casing supported by and secured to said hangers, a sieve within said casing,
mechanism to partially rotate said casing in opposite directions about its own axis,
said hangers imparting a rising and falling movement to said casing about its
own axis, a shaft passing through said casing, and supported independently of said
casing, and a brush adjustably secured to said shaft and working against said
sieve.
10. The combination with a suitable support, of a frame adjustably held by
said support, hangers depending from and secured to said frame, a casing sus-
pended and adjustably secured to said hangers, mechanism to partially rotate
said casing in opposite directions about its own axis, a sieve within said casing,
a shaft independently supported and passing through said casing, means to rotate
said shaft, and a brush adjustably secured to said shaft and working against said
sieve in such a manner that said rotating brush is intermittently carried against
said sieve with a variable impact.
11. In a middlings purifier, the combination of a sieve casing, of mechanism
to oscillate said sieve about its center.
12. The combination with a suitable supporting structure, of a frame adjustably
secured to said structure, hangers secured to and depending from said frame, a
casing secured to and suspended from said hangers, a sieve within said casing,
an intake within said casing above said sieve, an escape spout extending from said
casing in a line with said sieve, mechanism to partially rotate said suspended
casing in opposite directions, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
13. The combination with a suspended casing of mechanism to oscillate said
casing about its axis.
14. The combination with a suspended casing, of a hanger supporting said
casing, said hanger permitting a pendulum movement of said casing, and
mechanism to alternately rotate said casing in opposite directions.
15. The combination with a main supporting shaft of a tube, surrounding said
shaft, a set screw by means of which said tube can be secured to said shaft and a
brush secured to said tube, as and for the purpose set forth.
Unto this 17:1
T
1000
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicants.