IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING GRAIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING GRAIN."-A
,communication from abroad by Simon Howes and Alphus Babcock,
of Silver Creek, State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 28th October 1868, and dated the 17th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th August 1868.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING
GRAIN," a communication to me from abroad by Simon Howes and
Alphus Babcock, of Silver Creek, State of New York, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to what are commonly known as "smut"
machines for removing dust, "smut" balls, and other refuse or forcign
bodies from grain.

page_text: According to this Invention the "smut" machine is provided with
two stationary vertical hollow cylinders placed concentrically, in the
inner one of which revolve a set of scouring beaters attached to a vertical
shaft, which shaft carries near its upper end a revolving suction fan
working in a fan chamber situate above the two cylinders aforesaid, and
communicating therewith by a central mouth or opening. This chamber
is provided with a discharge spout on its circumference for the discharge
of the currents of air produced by the fan along with the impurities
removed from the grain by the scouring beaters. On rotating the main
vertical shaft a central draught of air from the bottom of the stationary
cylinders is forced or drawn upwards through the inner casing or cylinder
enclosing the scouring beaters, and also between such casing and the
outer casing or cylinder of the machine or mill. Both these upward
currents of air unite in the fan chamber before referred to, entering by
the central mouth or opening in the bottom of such chamber, and passing
out by the lateral spout or mouth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th February 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her
special license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING GRAIN," a

page_text: communication from abroad by Simon Howes and Alphus Babcock, of
Silver Creek, State of New York, United States of America, upon the.
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked. thercon, that
is to say:-
The said Invention relates to what are commonly known as "smut"
machines for removing dust, "smut" balls, and other refuse or foreign.
bodies from grain..
According to this Invention the "smut" machine is provided with
two stationary vertical hollow cylinders placed concentrically, in the
inner one of which revobes a set of scouring beaters attached to a vertical
shaft, which shaft carries near its upper end a revolving suction fan
working in a chamber situate above the two cylinders aforesaid, and.
communicating therewith by a central mouth or opening. This chamber-
is provided with a discharge spout at its circumference for the discharge
of the currents of air produced by the fan along with the impurities.
removed from the grain by the scouring beaters. On rotating the main
vertical shaft a central draught of air from the bottom of the stationary
cylinders is forced or drawn upwards through the inner casing or cylinder-
enclosing the scouring beaters, and also between such casing and the
outer casing or cylinder of the machine or mill. Both these upward
currents of air unite in the chamber containing the fan before referred to
entering by the central mouth or opening in the bottom of such chamber-
and passing out by the lateral spout or mouth.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,,

page_text: the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the
Figures.
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the improved machine for
cleaning grain, and Figure 2 is a horizontal section thereof taken along
the line x, x.
A represents an upright rectangular frame, supported within the top
of which is a horizontal fan box or chamber B provided with a spout B¹
for discharging the currents of air generated by the suction fan C. This
fan is secured to a vertical spindle C', which extends down through the
centre of the frame A, and is supported at its lower end in a step a as
shewn in Figure I. A short distance below the fan box B is a horizontal
floor b, and below this floor 6 is the perforated cylindrical case E which
contains the rotating beaters F. This case or cylinder is confined between
two stationary heads c, d, the upper one of which is about equal in
diameter to the case, but the lower one d is of sufficient area to form also
the floor of an outside solid casing or jacket G, between which latter
and the circumference of the perforated cylinder E is a space g which is
open at its base, as shewn at i, i, i. The upper head c of the cylinder E
has a central opening through it, and directly above this opening there
is an enlarged throat H communicating with and forming an extension
of the fan box B, as shewn in Figure I., which throat is a common exit
for the chaff, smut, balls, and dust which are carried upwards from the
interior of the casing E and through the space g surrounding this casing,
as indicated by the arrows in Figure I., which arrows indicate the
direction of the currents of air through the machine. The space g is
continued over the casing head c, where it is contracted by the throat H;
hence it will be seen that the rotation of the suction fan will cause the
air to rush into the openings i, i, and also through the central opening j
in the plate d, and ascend towards and through throat H into the fan
box. The beaters or scourers F consist of narrow strips secured tan-
gentially to the circumference of two circular heads k, k¹, the lower one
of which is keyed to the spindle C¹ as shewn in Figure I. The plates F
are bolted at their extreme ends to projections formed on their respective
heads k, l, and these heads are constructed so as to allow the air
rushing in through the central opening j to pass freely through them and
escape through a like opening p at the upper end of the casing. The
upper head k has a central flanch projection from its upper surface,
which surrounds the opening p through the head; and that part of this

page_text: head which surrounds this flanch is solid for the purpose of receiving the
grain falling through the hopper or spout indicated in Figure I. in dotted
red lines upon the upper surface of the head, to be ejected therefrom
against the sides of the perforated casing, where the grain will be sub-
jected to the beating and blast action of the rotating scouring plates.
The operation of the scouring plates upon the grain, together with the
central upward blast through. the scouring cylinder, will separate the
smut balls, chaff, and other light substances from the grain, which latter
will fall by its superior gravity and escape from the machine through the
opening n in the base plate d, whilst the lighter substances will be partly
carried directly upwards into the fan box B by the central draught, and
partly ejected through the casing E into the space g, to be similarly
acted upon by the currents of air rushing up through the space. The
scouring plates themselves generate currents of air indicated by the
arrows pointing through the perforations in the casing E, and thus the
dust and large quantities of the foreign substances will be thrown directly
off into the space g, where they will be carried directly off through the
fan box. By this arrangement a free unobstructed passage is obtained for
the air directly through the centre of the scouring cylinder, and com-
municating at the top thereof with the fan case, and a free passage is
also obtained for the air surrounding the scouring cylinder to ascend into
the fan box, both of which passages unite in one common exit throat
which constitutes a portion of the fan box above the scouring apparatus.
In other words the fan case is so constructed and applied in the machine
that the conflux of air will be at a point directly within the body of this
case, or within a contracted central extension thereof; and by this means
an eddy will be prevented from taking place in consequence of the
following together of the two currents over the central opening p of the
Scouring apparatus, and hence the heavier refuse substances will be
prevented from falling back into the casing E. By this arrangement it
will also be seen that no smut, balls, dust, or any portion of the refuse
from the grain can find a lodgement or get intermixed with the grain
after once separating from it, the fans are brought in a more direct
relation to the scouring apparatus than hitherto, and the refuse is wafted
off by the fans immediately it is separated from the grain.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would obscrve in conclusion that what I consider to

page_text: be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to.
me by the, herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, so constructing
machines for cleaning grain wherein two stationary cylinders are used as
that a central draught of air from the bottom thereof shall be forced or
drawn upwards through the casing of the scouring beaters, and also that
a simultaneous draught shall be created between the said casing and the
outer casing of the machine, both draughts uniting in a fan chamber placed:
directly at the top of the scouring apparatus and concentric thereto,,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
Specification set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of February
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine..
J. HENRY JOHNSON.. (L.S.)