IM- PROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Silas Leas, of the Firm of "The Barnard and Leas
Manufacturing Company," of Moline, United States of America, at present of
123, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN."
A communication from abroad by The Barnard and Leas Manufacturing
Company, of Molino, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Silas Leas at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1878.
JOSEPH SILAS LEAS, of the Firm of "The Barnard and Leas Manufacturing
Company," of Moline, United States of America, at present of 123, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEAN-
ING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN." A communication from abroad by The Barnard
and Leas Manufacturing Company, of Moline, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus for more perfectly
cleaning wheat or other grain by separating and removing the cockle therefrom.
In carrying out this Invention, the wheat is received into a hopper mounted on
the top framework of the machine, and through the bottom of this hopper it passes
by means of a reciprocating shoe which causes it to be spread evenly over the sur-
face of a series of plates underneath, mounted in a reciprocating inclined frame in
such a manner as to form an endless travelling table or platform, the upper surface
of which is continuously moving up the incline in the direction of the head of the
machine, having at the same time a lateral reciprocating motion which forces the
wheat down the incline and over its lower end into a spout, while the cockle sceds
are separated from the wheat and safely lodged in little pits or pockets prepared
for their reception, and being carried up to the turning point of the endless travelling
table or platform, are dropped on to the upper or blank surface of the lower section
thereof and deposited into another spout at the lower end of the machine.

page_text: The endless inclined table or platform is driven by belt or other suitable gearing.
The advantage of this machine is its simplicity, there being nothing to get out of
order and no shaker to divide the wheat, which is always liable to fill up and carry
the cockle over the tail with the wheat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Silas Leas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
September 1878.
JOSEPH SILAS LEAS, of the Firm of The Barnard and Leas Manufacturing
Company, of Moline, United States of America, at present of 123, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEAN-
ING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN." A. communication from abroad by The Barnard
and Leas Manufacturing Company, of Moline, United States of America.
.
This Invention relates to improved machinery or apparatus for more perfectly
cleaning wheat or other grain by separating and removing the cockle therefrom.
In carrying out this Invention, the wheat is received into a hopper mounted on
the top framework of the machine, and through the bottom of this hopper it passes
by means of a reciprocating shoe which causes it to be spread evenly over the
surface of a series of plates underneath, mounted in a reciprocating inclined frame
in such a manner as to form an endless travelling table or platform, the upper
surface of which is continuously moving up the incline in the direction of the head
of the machine, having at the same time a lateral reciprocating motion which forces
the wheat down the incline and over its lower end into a spout, while the cockle
seeds are separated from the wheat and safely lodged in little pits or pockets pre-
pared for their reception, and, being carried up to the turning point of the endless
travelling table or platform, are dropped on to the upper or blank surface of the
lower section thereof and deposited into another spout at the lower end of the
machine.
The endless inclined table or platform is driven by belt or other suitable gearing.
The advantage of this machine is its simplicity, there being nothing to get out of
order and no shaker to divide the wheat, which is always liable to fill up and carry
the cockle over the tail with the wheat.
And in order that my said Invention may be well understood, I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing and to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of any machine; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical
section of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical cross section of the same; Fig. 4, a section
through one of the lengths or sections of the screen; and Fig. 5, a section of a single-
plate screen.
A represents a rigid rectangular main frame, and B, an internal inclined frame
suspended by pendant rods a, and provided at one end with a yoke 6 embracing an

page_text: eccentric C, which imparts to the frame a rapid longitudinal reciprocation. In the
ends of the reciprocating frame B there are mounted two transverse drums E which
sustain a long endless screen F, composed of two endless belts & and a series of
transverse metal plates or sections e attached thereto.
Each screen section e is composed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, of two metal plates,
one with and the other without perforations, arranged one upon the other. The
imperforate plate, being placed under the other, closes its porforations at the bottom
and converts them into cells or pockets, which are of such sizo as to admit the
cockle and small impurities and exclude the wheat.
The bottom plate is made of larger size than the other, and is folded over one
edge and the two ends of the same in the manner represented in Fig. 5, whereby
the plates are secured together and the flanges or guards also formed at the ends of
the sections to retain the grain thercon.
A rivet g passed through each end of the section serves the double purpose of
preventing the two plates from sliding apart, and of securing the end of the section
to the carrying belt. It will be noticed that along one edge the plates are not
fastoned together. This admits of their vibrating and separating to a limited extent,
the effect of which is to secure more effectually the discharge of the foreign matters
from the cells at the proper time, tho solid plate rapping against the other and
driving the seeds from the cells.
In order to prevent the lodgement of seeds in the cells with such firmness as to
prevent their discharge, the cells are made with tapering walls or sides and of
smaller diameter at the bottom than at the top, this form of cell being produced by
making the holes through the top plate of a conical or tapering form instead of
making them of uniform diameter from one side of the plate to the other.
Instead of giving them a regular or straight taper their sides may be rounded, if
preferred.
Referring to Fig. 4, the tapering cells or holes will be clearly soen, holes of a regular
taper being shewn on the right, and those with rounding sides on the left.
While it is preferred to make the screen sections in two thicknesses, as above
described, plates consisting of a single sheet with cells or pockets indented therein
may be employed, a plate of this character being represented in Fig. 5. Plates or
sections of this construction will operate in connection with the other devices and
parts of the machine as well as those made as in Fig. 4.
For the purpose of discharging the seeds from the cells, a knocker H is mounted
on a rock shaft V, as shewn in Fig. 2, to strike upon the backs of the sections as
they pass under it, face downward. A spring I bearing on an arm on one end of
the knocker shaft causes the knocker to descend, while a cam J mounted on one of
the drum shafts acts against the knocker to raise it and permit it to fall.
In the top of the main frame there is mounted a hopper K to receive the grain
to be cleaned, and below said screen there is mounted an inclined reciprocating shoe
or screen L, sustained by rigid standards on the frame B. An inclined conducting
board M directs all grain and other matters which pass through the shoe or screen L
into the main screen F.
On the frame B, at its lower end, there is mounted an upright guard or rim O
which serves to direct the matters falling over the lower ends of the two screens
into a transverse delivery spout P arranged below, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. Below
the main screen F and extending the entire length of the same, there is an inclined
conducting board Q, the lower end of which terminates directly above a transverse
delivery spout R, as shewn. Below the upper shoe or screen L there is mounted
in contact therewith a longitudinal scraper S, having on its under side a metal block
T which is mounted on and sustained by a transverse screw shaft U which has its
ends mounted in fixed bearings on the main frame.
The screw shaft has, as shewn, a double or right and left hand thread, and
the block a spline bearing therein, so that the rotation of the shaft causes the
scraper to move slowly to and fro over the under surface of the screen from side to
side.

page_text: As the screw shaft is sustained in fixed bearings, the screen plays lengthwise
upon the scraper at the same time that the latter moves sideways, and thus the two
have in relation to each other a compound motion, by which the efficiency of tho
scraper is greatly increased.
The rotation of the screw shaft is produced by means of a pulley attached to its
end and driven by a belt from a pulley h on the end of a transverse shaft i, which
is also provided with a second pulley k which drives a belt passing to a pulley
attached to the shaft of one of the drums by which the main screen is carried.
The shaft i is provided with and driven by a spur wheel driven by a worm m
on a horizontal shaft n, which is driven by means of a pulley and belt from the
driving shaft.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The grain to be purified is placed
in the hopper and passes down on to the top shoo or screen L. The large wheat
passes down over the tail of said screen and falls into the trough or spout P. The
smaller wheat and impurities fall through the shoe or screen L on to the endless
screen F, from which the good wheat rolls down into the spout P, while the cockle,
small seeds, and other small impurities are retained in the cells in the screen F and
carried at its upper end, where, as the plates pass around under the cylinder, they
are discharged and fall upon the conveyor board Q, down which they pass to the
delivery spout R.
Were the sections of the screen fastened firmly or at both edges to the carrying
belts, there would be danger of the seed being caught between the overlapping
edges as they pass down over the upper carrying drum. To avoid trouble from
this source, the sections of the screen are connected to the belts in such a manner
that their edges can rise therefrom when passing around the drums in the manner
shewn in Fig. 2. This arrangement admits of the seed which may pass between
the edges of the plates at the head of the machine falling through between the
sections to the inside of the screen upon the back of the descending sections, down
which they roll to the foot of the machine, where they escape between the sections
and fall into the delivery spout.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner and which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, T.
would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1. An endless longitudinally inclined screen having seed cells or pockets in its
surface, arranged to reciprocate longitudinally, substantially as herein-before described
and illustrated.
2. The longitudinally reciprocating frame having the endless longitudinally
inclined revolving screen provided with the cells or pockets, and the inclined
shoe or screen L both mounted theroin, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated.
3. In a cockle separator, the inclined endless pocketed screen P, inclined per-
forated shoe or screen L, both arranged to reciprocate longitudinally, and intermediate
returning board M, combined and arranged for joint operation in the manner shewn,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
4. The endless screen having its sections composed each of two plates, one per-
forated and the other imperforate, said plates being connected in such manner that
they may separate and vibrate independently to a limited extent, substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated.
5. The endless screen, composed of a series of sections, each section composed of a
perforate and an imperforate plate, united by folding the edge of one over and upon
that of the other, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
6. In combination with the endless sectional pitted screen, the knocker H, arranged
to act upon the backs of the sections as they pass thereunder, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.
7. In combination with the reciprocating shoe or screen L, the wiper S, mounted

page_text: upon and sustained wholly by the right and left screw, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated.
8. In combination with the inclined longitudinally reciprocating shoe or screen L
the longitudinal transversely reciprocating wiper S, sustained by and pivoted upon
the operating screw, substantially as horoin-before described and illustrated.
9. In a cockle-separating machine, the combination and arrangement for joint
operation of the following members:-The perforated shoe or screen L and endless
pitted screen F, both arranged to reciprocate endwise, hopper K, conveyor boards
M, Q, and spouts P, R, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Silas Leas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord 1878.
J SILAS LEAS
(T.α)