Foreign Matters and Refuse from Grain and seeds.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 30th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 3rd June, 1887.
Foreign Matters and Refuse from Grain and seeds.
I EDMUNDSON SCHOLES of the Victoria Mills, Hollinwood in the County of
Lancaster Corn Miller do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
manner.
My said Invention has reference to apparatus for use in the separation of stones and
other foreign matters and refuse from grain and seeds. The apparatus is primarily
intended to be used in conjunction with an arrangement of mechanisin for washing
and drying grain and other substances, for which I obtained Her Majesty's Letters
Patent on the 14th day of September 1885 No. 10,853, but the present stone separating
arrangement may if desired be used alone. When used in conjunction with the aforesaid
mechanism already patented, the stone separator may be applied in the following
At the point where the grain is fed into the washing cylinder I place the
stone trap or separator which consists of a trough or tank arranged either horizontally
or on a slope and divided by transverse partitions into a series of settling chambers or
stone traps, each successive partition being slightly lower than its predecessor so that
when the partitioned trough is placed so as to have one end projecting into, over or
toward the washing apparatus, water poured into the outer end of the trough will
over-flow the tops of the successively lower partitions in the trough and escape thence
into the washing apparatus. A current is thus set up throughout the length of the
trough, the fall of the water over each partition causing the current to tend downward
while the succeeding partition causes an upward flow and so on, the current thus
performing a zig-zig or wavy course from one end of the trough to the other. The
grain to be purified is fed through a shute so as to commingle with the water flowing
into the trough. As the current carries the grain through the respective chambers or
traps, stones and other foreign bodies of greater specific gravity than the grain are
deposited in the successive settling chambers or traps, while the grain is carried by the
current over the successive partitions and finally delivered to the washing apparatus
without the stones and heavier refuse. The stones and deposit may be removed from

page_text: the chambers at intervals and to effect this without stopping the action of the apparatus
I may provide spare troughs or settling chambers so as to be able to reinove the trough
in use and replace it by another or I fit removable trays into the partitioned chambers
or I might construct the shutes or conduits through which the grain and water are led
to the separator, in such a manner that the said shutes or conduits can be swivelled so
as to divert the grain and water into another separator or stone trap lying parallel
with or in juxtaposition to the first. To obtain the requisite current of water in an
economical and convenient manner I may lead the water through a pipe or conduit
fitted with a suitable regulating throttle, wing or sluice valve from the mud trap or
settling chamber at the foot of the archimedean screw olevator used in my aforesaid
former invention the water being raised to the required height by a centrifugal or
other pump or by a fan or worm or other suitable means or if desired the water may
be fed to the separator from an independent source. Although I have described the
foregoing stone trap or separator as used in conjunction with my previously patented
washing and drying apparatus it is to be understood that I may use the stone trap or
separator apart from such apparatus.
Daalit: 001 1
1000
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Stones and other
Foreign Matters and Refuse from Grain and Seeds.
I EDMUNDSON SCHOLES of the Victoria Mills, Hollinwood in the County of
Lancaster, Corn Miller, 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 and accompanying drawings:-
My said Invention has reference to apparatus for use in the separation of stones
and other foreign matters and refuse from grain and seeds. The apparatus is primarily
intended to be used in conjunction with an arrangement of mechanism for washing
and drying grain and other substances, for which I obtained Her Majesty's Letters
Patent on the 14th day of September, 1885 No. 10853, but the present stone separating
arrangement may if desired be used alone. When used in conjunction with the
aforesaid mechanism already patented, the stone separator may be applied in the
following manner. At the point where the grain is fed into the washing cylinder I

page_text: place the stone trap or separator which consists of a trough or tank arranged either
horizontally or on a slope and divided by transverse partitions into a series of settling
chambers or stone traps, each successive partition being slightly lower than its prede-
cessor so that when the partitioned trough is placed so as to have one end projecting
into over or toward the washing apparatus, water entering at the outer end of the
trough will overflow the tops of the successively lower partitions in the trough and
escape thence into the washing apparatus. A current is thus set up throughout the
length of the trough, the fall of the water over each partition causing the current to
tend downward while the succeeding partition causes an upward flow and so on the
current thus performing a zig-zig or wavy course from one end of the trough to
the other. The grain to be purified is fed through a shute so as to commingle with the
water flowing into the trough. As the current carries the grain through the respec-
tive chambers or traps the stones and other foreign bodies of greater specific gravity
than the grain are deposited in the successive settling chambers or traps, while the
grain is carried by the current over the successive partitions and finally delivered to
the washing apparatus without the stones and heavier refuse. To obtain the requisite
current of water in an economical and convenient manner I may lead the water
through a pipe or conduit fitted with a suitable throttle wing or sluice valve from the
archimedean screw elevator used in my aforesaid former invention the water being
raised to the required height by a centrifugal or other pump or by a fan or worm or
other suitable means or if desired the water may be fed to the separator from an
independent source.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I will now proceed
more particularly to describe the same with reference to the figure on the annexed
sheet of drawings which is a sectional view of my improved stone separator applied in
conjunction with the washing portion of my patented grain treating apparatus herein-
before referred to.
In the said Fig. A is the improved stone separator, B is the washing vessel and
c is the archimedian screw elevator for lifting the grain from the foot of the washer to
the centrifugal dryer which latter does not appear in the present figure. The separator A
is constructed of metal plates or of any other suitable material and consists of a trough
set in an inclined position and having perpendicular partitions 6 of which six are shown
in the drawing. The trough A is supported at its highest end on the casing of the
water elevator c and at the other end by the washing vessel B. As was explained in
the specification of the former patent already referred to the clean water is preferably
admitted in the first instance at the point where the grain emerges from the water,
that is to say at the point marked X. The water to the separator A is drawn from a
receiver or chamber C placed in communication with the interior of the elevator screw
casing C the water being thus tolerably pure. The chamber c is connected by a
pipe & with the centrifugal pump e which is or may be driven from the same shaft
which drives the beaters of the washer B whereby the water is raised to the elevator
end of the separator A through a distributing flap k and fills the spaces between
the partitions the excess flowing over the tops of the successive partitions b
until it reaches the washer B. This flow of water is continuous as long as
the pumpe is kept at work. The grain is fed to the separator through the shute f
the grain entering the first chamber in the manner shown. In this chamber the
greater part of the stones and other foreign bodies of greater specific gravity than
grain sink to the bottom. The grain is carried by the flow of water over the top of
the first partition 6 into the second chamber where further stones and impurities are
deposited and so on the grain being thus washed over the successive partitions until it
finally enters the washer B where it is subjected to the action of the beaters g and
carried down to the foot of the elevator casing C through which it is lifted by the screw h
to the centrifugal dryer. The washer and elevator are however by themselves no part
of my present invention these having been fully described in connection with my
aforesaid former patent. In traversing through the separator A the grain with the
impurities is carried downward by the fall over the first partition. The stones and
heavy impurities proceed directly to the bottom of the chamber where they

page_text: remain, while the grain is carried forward by the flow of water over the succeeding
partition this operation being repeated until the grain has traversed the entire length
of the separator, the grain thus performing a rolling or zig-zag journey through the
separator which conduces to the more perfect separation of the indicated impurities.
It is preferred that the chambers between the partitions 6 should increase in width
from partition to partition towards the foot of the trough while the relative height of
the partitions is also increased in a progressive ratio so as to give the water a less fall
toward the foot of the trough. The object of thus widening the spaces and decreasing
the fall over the partitions is to subject the grain to a progressively gentler treatment
by the water, the coarser stones and impurities being precipitated in the first or upper
chambers and the finer silt and sand being deposited in the lower chambers where
the flow and agitation of the water is less. It will be evident that by widening the
chambers transversely across the trough a similar effect of progressive decrease in the
rapidity of the flow might be obtained. It will also be apparent that any suitable
water lifting apparatus other than a centrifugal pump might be used to raise the water
to the separator. When it is desired to make provision for removing the deposit from
the settling chambers without stopping the action of the apparatus I might in such a
case provide a double trough and pivot the shute and place a diverting valve say in
the position marked i on the water conduit so that the grain and water could be
directed into either trough leaving the other at liberty to be cleaned out at leisure.
Instead of this arrangement I could make the trough with removable settling chambers
or trays which could be quickly lifted out and replaced. My improved apparatus will
remove not only stones but also the metallic bodies usually removed by magnatized
plates and rollers, with the additional advantage that the metallic bodies which.
magnetism cannot eliminate are removed by my separator.
Although I have described the foregoing stone trap or separator as used in conjunc-
tion with my previously patented washing and drying apparatus it is to be understood
that I may use the separator apart from such apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :
The improved means for separating stones and other foreign bodies from grain and
consisting of a trough having successive partitions of different heights over which the
grain is carried by a flow of water in the manner described the heavier foreign bodies
such as stones falling to the bottom of the settling chambers between the partitions,
while the grain is carried over all of the partitions in succession until it is delivered
either to the washing apparatus or to a suitable receptacle, substantially as herein-
before described and shown.
Dated this 29th day of April 1887.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester
Agents.