IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANSING OR DUSZING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Beaufort Sears, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANSING OR
DUSZING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE."
Sealed the 10th June 1864, and dated the 15th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Beaufort Sears
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th December 1863.
I, HENRY BEAUFORT SEARS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CLEANSING OR DUSTING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
-
In apparatus heretofore, employed for dusting or cleansing rice and other
grain, after the husk and pellicle have been removed, such rice or other grain
has been made to pass between two surfaces variously arranged in contact
with each other, and having a relative motion the one against the other, such
surfaces consisting, the one of sheepskin with the wool on, and the other
either of a wire screen or sieve, or of wood, stone, india-rubber, or other
material not having a fibrous pile on its working surface, it being intended to
polish the surface of the grain whilst the sheepskin surface removed the dust
therefrom.

page_text: Now my Invention consists, firstly, in cleansing or dusting rice and other
grain by passing the same between two surfaces of sheepskin with the wool
on, or other material or fabric having analogous properties in contact with
each other, motion being imparted to the one surface or to both, so as to
cleanse or dust the rice or other grain, and at the same time to pass it through
from between the surfaces, as it becomes cleansed.
Secondly, my Invention consists in employing for the above purpose an
apparatus of the following arrangement:-A revolving drum covered with
sheepskin with the wool on, or other material or fabric having analogous
properties, is placed in contact with a board or other surface, also covered with
sheepskin with the wool on, or other material or fabric having analogous
properties, the degree of contact between the board and the drum being
regulated by means of screws or other suitable contrivances. The revolving
drum and fixed surface are placed inside a closed casing, and the rice or other
grain is conducted between them through a hopper attached to the upper part
of the casing; after having passed between the two surfaces, and having
thereby been effectually.cleansed from dust, the rice or other grain passes
from the casing through a spout. The dust as it is removed from the
rice or other grain is drawn. from the casing by means of an exhaust
fan communicating with the casing by means of a passage or pipe. This
removal of the dust is greatly assisted by the centrifugal action of the drum,
the pile surface of which, after taking up the dust from the grain, throws the
former off in the direction of the exhaust. In some cases instead of the fixed
surface I employ an endless band. of sheepskin with the wool on, or other
material or fabric having analogous properties, to which band motion is
imparted in the reverse direction to that of the drum, or it may have a
comparatively slow motion imparted to it in the same direction as that of the
drum

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Beaufort Sears, Her special licence that I, the said
Henry Beaufort Sears, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Henry Beaufort Sears, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANSING OR DUSTING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR THAT PURPOSE," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Beaufort Sears, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their bands and seals, 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 the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Beaufort Sears, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
In apparatus heretofore employed for dusting or cleansing rice and other.
grain after the husk and pellicle have been removed, such rice or other grain
has been made to pass between two surfaces variously arranged in contact
with each other, and having a relative motion the one against the other, such
surfaces consisting the one of sheepskin with the wool on, and the other either
of a wire screen or sieve, or of wood, stone, india-rubber, or other material
not having a fibrous pile on its working surface, it being intended to polish
the surface of the grain whilst the sheepskin surface removed the dust
therefrom.
Now my Invention consists, firstly, in cleansing or dusting rice and other
grain by passing the same between two surfaces of sheepskin with the wool
on or other material or fabric having analogous properties, in contact with
each other, motion being imparted to the one surface or to both, so as to

page_text: cleanse or dust the rice or other grain, and at the same time to pass it
through from between the surfaces as it becomes cleansed.
Secondly, my Invention consists in employing for the above purpose
apparatus of the following arrangement:-A revolving drum covered with
sheepskin with the wool on, or other material or fabric having analogous
properties, is placed in contact with a board or other surface also covered with
sheepskin with the wool on, or other material, or fabric having analogous
properties, the degree of contact between the board and the drum being
regulated by means of screws or other suitable contrivances. The revolving
drum and fixed surface are placed inside a closed casing, and the rice or other
grain is conducted between them through a hopper attached to the upper
part of the casing, after having passed between the two surfaces, and having
thereby been effectually cleansed from dust, the rice or other grain passes
from the casing through a spout. The dust as it is removed from the rice or
other grain is drawn from the casing by means of an exhaust fan com-
municating with the casing by means of a passage or pipe. This removal of
the dust is greatly assisted by the centrifugal action of the drum, the pile
surface of which, after taking up the dust from the grain, throws the former
off in the direction of the exhaust. In some cases instead of the fixed surface
I employ an endless band of sheepskin with the wool on, or other material or
fabric having analogous properties, to which band motion is imparted in the
reverse direction to that of the drum, or it may have a comparatively slow
motion imparted to it in the same direction as that of the drum. Or instead.
of the endless band a second drum covered with sheepskin may be employed
which may be made to revolve at a greater or less speed than the other one,
or an endless band may be made to travel against either a fixed board or a
second endless band moving with a greater or less velocity.
Figures 1 and 2 on the accompanying Drawing shew one arrangement of
my improved apparatus; Figure 1 shews a sectional elevation of the same,
and Figure 2 shews a sectional plan on line X, X, Figure 1.
A is a casing of wrought or cast iron or other suitable material, containing,
firstly, a drum B covered with sheepskin with the wool on, or other material
or fabric having analogous properties, and made to revolve in the direction of
the arrow by means of the pulley C; and, secondly, a board D, also covered
with sheepskin with the wool on, which board is hinged to a fixed rod E at
bottom, and may be brought more or less intimately in contact with the drum
B by means of the adjusting screws F, F; H is a hopper provided with a
suitable regulating slide I, through which the rice or other grain required to

page_text: be cleansed passes on to the drum B. The rotary motion of the drum draws
the grain between its surface and that of the board D, and the rubbing action
that takes place between these surfaces effectually frees the grain from dust
before it falls from the under side of the drum and out of the casing through
the spout J. The dust thus removed from the grain is drawn out of the
casing by means of the fan K through passages leading to the centre of
the latter, and is conducted to wherever required. The casing A is provided
with a door at a, through which access may be gained to the drum B and
board D. The board D may in some cases be formed with a concave surface
corresponding with the curvature of the drum so as to bring a greater portion
of the two surfaces in close contact..
Figure 3 shows a transverse section and Figure 4 shows a sectional plan on
line Y, Y, Figure 8, of an arrangement, the only difference between which
and the first-described one consists in the substitution of a travelling endless
band D of sheepskin with the wool on, or other material having analogous
properties, in place of the fixed board. The endless band D is stretched over
two rollers L, M, of which the upper one L receives rotary motion from an
external pulley in one direction or the other, and is thereby made to impart
motion in one direction or the other to the endless band. If the endless band
moves in the same direction as that of the drum A its speed must either be
greater or less than the surface speed of the latter, in order that the rubbing
action may take place between them. The lower roller M may be made to
approach or recede from the drum B to a certain extent, so as to bring the
band D more or less intimately in contact with the same by means of the
5 regulating screw F and rods N, N'. For this purpose the spindle of the
roller passes through slightly slotted holes in the casing A and between the
forked ends of the rods N, N¹. The other parts of the apparatus are designated
with the same letters of reference as the corresponding parts of the previous
arrangement, and need not be again described.
0
Figure 5 shows a sectional elevation, and Figure 6 shews a sectional plan
on line Z, Z, Figure 5, of an arrangement in which the rice or other grain is
made to pass between two drums B, B', covered with sheepskin with the wool
on, or other material having analogous properties, which drums are made to
revolve in the direction of the arrows, but with different surface speed, so that
5. a rubbing action takes place between them. The drum B' is brought more
or less intimately in contact with the drum B by means of the regulating
screw F and rods N, N¹. The rotary fan shewn in the previous arrangements
for drawing off the dust that is removed from the grain is in this case dispensed

page_text: with, and a grating is provided at 6 in the casing A, through which the dust is
thrown by the centrifugal action of the drum B.
Figure 7 shows a sectional elevation of an arrangement in which a travelling
endless band of sheepskin with the wool on, B, is made to pass in the
direction of the arrow against the fixed board D, also covered with sheepskin
with the wool on. The band is kept in contact with the board by means of
the rollers M, M¹, and is kept stretched by means of the roller o and adjusting
screw P; or, in place of the fixed board D a second endless band may be
employed, as shown in the sectional elevation at Figure 8, such second endless
band B' having imparted to it either a slight motion in the reverse direction
to that of the band B or a quicker or slower motion than that of the band B
in the same direction with the latter. The roller M³ is here shown adjustable
by means of the regulating screw F and external rods N, so as to bring the
rubbing surfaces more or less intimately in contact.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that
I do not limit myself to the precise arrangements for carrying my Invention
into effect, as herein-before described with reference to the accompanying
Drawing, as these may be variously modified without departing from the
nature of my Invention, but what I claim under the before in part recited
Letters Patent is,--
First, cleansing or dusting rice and other grain by passing the same between
two surfaces of sheepskin with the wool on, or other material or fabric
having analogous properties, such surfaces being more or less in contact and
having such a relative motion imparted to them as both to cleanse or dust the
rice or other grain and at the same time to pass it through from between the
surfaces as it becomes cleansed.
Second, constructing apparatus for cleansing or dusting rice or other grain
in which the rice or other grain is made to pass between and is cleansed by
two rubbing surfaces of sheepskin with the wool on, or other material or fabric
baving analogous properties, situated inside a closed casing, whilst the dust
that is removed from the grain is drawn from the casing by means of a fan or
pump.
Third, constructing apparatus for cleansing or dusting rice or other grain
in which the rice or other grain is made to pass between two surfaces of sheep-
skin with the wool on, or other material or fabric having analogous properties,
the one such surface being situated upon a revolving drum or an endless
travelling band whilst the other is situated upon either a fixed board or a

page_text: travelling band or revolving drum having such motion imparted to it as to
cause a rubbing action to take place between the two surfaces and at the
same time to pass the grain from between them, the said fixed board or
travelling band or drum being made either adjustable or not, substantially as
herein-before described with reference to the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Beaufort Sears, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witnesses,
JAMES MAXWELL,
DRYSDALE CARSTAIRS.
HENRY BEAUFORT SEARS. (L.S.)