Improvements in Machines for Hulling or Shelling Maize.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Hulling or Shelling Maize.
We, WILLIAM FOSTER & COMPANY, LIMITED, of Wellington Foundry, in
the City of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention,
which has been communicated to us from abroad by Louis Pfaff, of Buenos Ayres,
in the Argentine Republic, Engineer, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of machines for hulling or
shelling maize which consist of a cylinder or cage formed by a number of bars
or rods held in position with suitable spaces between them by means of several
rings arranged at intervals in the length of the cylinder or cage and formed with
holes to receive the bars or rods and within which cylinder is arranged with
capability of revolution, a beater consisting of a central boss or spindle provided
with two longitudinal wings or blades and which class of machines is well known
and commonly used in maize growing countries.
In machines of the character above described it is necessary to remove the husks
from the maize cobs prior to feeding the latter to the machine, and the object
of the present invention is to so construct such machines that the entire heads
may be fed thereto, and the husks cobs and grain separated at one operation.
For this purpose, we form the blades or wings of the beater in such a manner
that they are first, for a short distance, disposed spirally around, or diverging at an
angle from the axis of the boss or spindle they then traverse the boss or spindle
for a short distance, with a reduced spirality or divergence, or even parallel with
the axis of the boss or spindle; and then again, for a short distance their spirality or
divergence is increased to the maximum, and so on, and the blades or wings may,.in
this manner, each be caused to more or less completely circumscribe the boss or
spindle. The blades or wings may, however, with good effect, be so disposed,
that those portions of one blade with maximum spirality or divergence may be
opposed to those portions of the other blade with minimum spirality. We find it
advantageous to employ in connection with the cage and the beater so constructed,
a number of fingers formed on, or attached to, the blades or wings of the beater,
and also a strong cross blast, or current of air near the delivery end of the cage,
as fully described in the Specification of an Application for Letters Patent filed by
us and dated the 9th of July 1889 No. 11061.
The husks, (or such of them as have not been blown away and separated by the
cross blast) the cobs and shelled corn on issuing from the cage, fall on to a vibrating
riddle or series of riddles, which separate the corn in the manner well understood.
The husks and cobs then pass over an apparatus vibrating with, or independently
of, the said riddle, or series of riddles, and consisting of a number of longitudinal
rods or laths disposed sufficiently far apart to allow the cobs to fall between them,
whilst retaining the husks on their upper surface, thus effecting a separation. We
find it advantageous, in connection with this separating apparatus to divert a
portion of the current of air created by the main blower of the machine so as to
pass underneath the rods or laths, thus facilitating the separation of the husks
and cobs.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1890.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Hulling or Shelling Maize.
We, WILLIAM FOSTER & COMPANY, LIMITED, of Wellington Foundry,
in the City and County of Lincoln, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, which has been communicated to us from abroad by Louis Pfaff,
of Buenos Ayres, in the Argentine Republic, Engineer, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of machines for hulling or
shelling maize which consist of a cylinder or cage formed by a number of bars
or rods held in position with suitable spaces between them by means of several
rings arranged. at intervals in the length of the cylinder or cage, and formed with
holes to receive the bars or rods and within which cylinder is arranged, with
capability of revolution, a beater consisting of a central boss or spindle provided
with two longitudinal wings or blades, and which class of machines is well known
and commonly used in maize growing countries.
In machines of the character above described, it is necessary to remove the
husks from the maize cobs prior to feeding the latter to the machine, and the
object of the present invention is, to so construct such machines, that the entire
heads may be fed thereto, and the husks, cobs and grain separated at the one
operation.
For this purpose, according to one arrangement, we form the blades or wings
of the beater in such a manner, that they are first, for a short distance, dis-
posed spirally around, or diverging at an angle from, the axis of the boss or
spindle they then traverse the boss or spindle for a short distance, with a reduced
spirality or divergence, or even parallel with the axis of the boss or spindle,
and then again, for a short distance, their spirality or divergence is increased
to the maximum, and so on; or, they may first traverse the boss or spindle
with the maximum spirality, then with a reduced spirality, and then at the
delivery end parallel therewith, and the blades or wings may, in this manner,
each be caused to more or less completely circumscribe the boss or spindle.
The blades or wings are, however, with good effect and preferably, so disposed,
that those portions of one blade with maximum spirality or divergence, are opposed
to those portions of the other blade with minimum spirality. We find it
advantageous to employ in connection with the cage and the beater so constructed,
a number of fingers formed on, or attached to, the blades or wings of the beater,
and also a strong cross blast, or current of air near the delivery end of the
cage, as fully described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to
Edward Foster Sandon and Thomas Watson, and dated the 9th of July 1889,
No. 11061.
The husks, (or such of them as have not been blown away and separated by the
cross blast), the cobs and shelled corn on issuing from the cage, fall on to a
vibrating riddle or series of riddles, which separate the corn in the manner well
understood. The husks and cobs then pass over an apparatus, vibrating with, or
independently of, the said riddle, or series of riddles, and consisting of a number of
longitudinal rods or laths disposed sufficiently far apart to allow the cobs to fall
between them, whilst retaining the husks on their upper surface, thus effecting a
separation. We find it advantageous in connection with this separating apparatus,
to divert a portion of the current of air created by the main blower of the machine
so as to pass underneath the rods or laths, thus facilitating the separation of the
husks and cobs.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully
to describe the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1. is a longitudinal elevation, representing the cylinder or cage portion of
a machine constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2. is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 1.-1. of Figure 1.
Figure 3. is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 2.-2. of Figure 1. and.
showing also the relation of the supplemental blower to the cylinder or cage.
Figure 4. is an end view of the beater separately looking from the feed end of
the machine.
Figure 5. is a longitudinal view thereof looking in the direction of the arrow A
indicated in Figure 4.
Figure 6. is a similar view looking in the direction of the arrow B.
Figure 7. is a similar view looking in the direction of the arrow C.
Figure 8. is a similar view looking in the direction of the arrow D. and
Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12 are transverse sections thereof taken respectively on the
lines 3.-3., 4.-4., 5.-5., and 6.-6. of Figure 8.
Figure 13. is a longitudinal section of the vibrating riddle and connected vibrating
apparatus for separating the cobs from the husks, and showing the relation of the
cylinder or cage thereto, and,
Figure 14 is a plan of the vibrating apparatus or cob separator separately.
In the several figures, like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
a. represents a number of rings which are formed with holes therethrough to
receive a number of rods or bars a¹; a represents an opening at the upper part
of, and near to, one end of the cylinder or cage through which the heads are fed in
any suitable direction; and a represents an opening at the side of, and near to,
the opposite end of the cylinder through which the cobs and husks are delivered.
Within the cage or cylinder is located a beater, consisting of a central boss or.
spindle b. provided with two approximately longitudinal blades or wings b', '*, which
are formed and arranged in such manner, that one of them is, first, for a short
distance, as indicated at *, disposed spirally around, or divergent at an angle from,
the axis of the boss or spindle b. at the feed end thereof; it then, as indicated
at ***, traverses the boss or spindle b. for a short distance, parallel, or it might
be with a reduced spirality or divergence; it then, for a short distance, as indicated
by *, traverses the boss or spindle b. with maximum spirality, then again, as
indicated at *** for a short distance parallel, it then is formed with a short sharp
connecting spiral 6*1, and then, at the delivery end of the beater, for a short distance,
it traverses the boss or spindle b, parallel with the axis thereof, whilst the other
blade *, the feed end of which commences with a slight spirality or divergence **,
is so formed, that the portion ** thereof, at that end, with minimum spirality or
divergence, is opposed to that portion &* of the first blade having maximum spirality
or divergence, whilst, farther on, towards the delivery end, parallel portions 6*** are
employed to connect two parts * having maximum spirality, as described with
respect to the first blade, the rule being observed of opposing those parts b*
having maximum spirality, to those parts *** of the other blade, which are parallel,
except at the extreme delivery end where both blades are formed parallel, and
the blades or wings in this manner, may be caused to more or less completely
circumscribe the boss or spindle b.
The arrangement lastly hereinbefore described is the one that we prefer, but we
do not confine ourselves thereto, as the blades ', * may be correspondingly
disposed from end to end of the boss or spindle b, that is to say, with that
part of one blade opposed to the corresponding part * of the other blade,
and so on; and the degree and arrangement of spirality may be varied to suit
different requirements.
The object of the peculiar shape and arrangement of the blades ', *, is, that
they shall at first feed, or carry forward the material under treatment somewhat
rapidly into the cage from the feed end a³, then, to carry it forward at a somewhat
slower rate in order to subject it for a sufficient time to the necessary beating

page_text: and rubbing influence, after which, to eject it from the cage by the delivery
opening a³ thereof.
The cage or cylinder is held stationary, whilst the beater through its boss or
spindle . which is mounted in bearings c. c* carried by the frame d. receives rotary.
motion from any suitable source of power, thereby separating the corn from the
cobs and husks, which latter are continuously delivered from the cylinder or cage
through the side opening a³ therein.
We find it advantageous to employ in connection with the cylinder or cage, and
the beater hereinbefore described, a number of fingers or projections 62 formed on,
or they might be attached to, the blades or wings 1, *, of the beater, and also a
strong cross blast or current of air from a supplemental fan or blower e. as fully
described in the Specification of Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to, in order
to clear away, and partially or entirely separate the lighter husks from the heavier
shelled cobs.
The husks (or such of them as have not been blown away and separated by the
cross blast) the cobs, and the shelled corn, on issuing from the cylinder or cage,
fall on to a vibrating riddle, or series of riddles f. of an ordinary separator g. which
separate the corn in the manner well understood, aided by the main blower h
The husks and cobs then pass from the riddle f. over an apparatus i. fixed to,
and vibrating with, the riddle, or; it might be separate therefrom and independently
vibrated, and consisting of a number of longitudinal rods or fingers, or they might
be laths or slats at one end secured to a beam, and disposed sufficiently far apart
to allow the cobs to fall between them on the inner side of the separating board j.
whilst retaining the husks on their upper surface until they fall over the outer ends
of the rods or fingers on the outer side of the separating board j.
We find it advantageous in connection with this separating apparatus, to employ.
a current of air in order to facilitate the separation of husks and cobs, and for this
purpose, we employ a funnel shaped guide which diverts a portion of the current
of air created by the main blower h. of the machine in such manner as to pass
beneath, and partially through, the rods or fingers it, thus facilitating the separation
of the husks and cobs.
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. In a machine for hulling or shelling maize, a beater formed with blades or
wings at some portions of their length disposed spirally around, or divergent at an
angle from, the axis thereof, and at other portions with a reduced spirality or
divergence or parallel to the said axis, substantially as herein described.
2. In a machine for hulling or shelling maize, a beater formed with several
blades or wings arranged in the manner referred to in the preceding claim, such
blades being so disposed that those portions of one blade with maximum spirality
or divergence are opposed to those portions of another blade with minimum spirality
or divergence, substantially as herein shown. and described.
3. In a machine for hulling or shelling maize, the combination of a separating
riddle or riddles, a supplemental vibratory separating apparatus for the husks
and cobs, and means for directing a current of air beneath such apparatus, substan-
tially as herein shown and described.
4. In a machine for hulling or shelling maize, the combination of the cylinder
or cage, the peculiarly formed beater, the supplemental blower inducing a cross
current at the end of the cylinder, the riddle or riddles comprising an ordinary
separator, the supplemental separating apparatus and means for directing a current
of air beneath such apparatus, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 7th day of February 1891.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.