IMPROVEMENTS IN SIEVE PURIFIERS AND SEPARATORS USED IN CORN MILLS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Hopkinson, of South Retford, in the County of
Nottingham, Millwright and Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SIEVE PURIFIERS AND SEPARATORS USED IN CORN MILLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Hopkinsou at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th July 1878.
CHARLES HOPKINSON, of South Retford, in the County of Nottingham; Mill-
wright and Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIEVE PURIFIERS AND SEPARATORS
USED IN CORN MILLS."
The object of this Invention is to provide more easy and effectual means to be
used for purification and separation in the manufacture of flour, especially that kind
known as "
middlings." This I effect by means of mechanism, the construction of
which mainly comprises the following arrangements:-In a suitable case or frame
are provided the arrangements of sieve purifier or separator, which are in many
respects of the ordinary character, but differ from the arrangements of the ordinary
sieve purifiers or separators, inasmuch as by my improvements same include the
adoption of a fan for introducing air to an air blast passage, at the other end of
which is an exhaust fan, such air passage being provided with air blast valves (eight
being preferred), in order to keep the sieve perfectly clean, suitable appliances being
arranged to act therewith.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Hopkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
January 1879.
CHARLES HOPKINSON, of South Retford, in the County of Nottingham, Mill-
wright and Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SIEVE PURIFIERS AND SEPARATORS
USED IN CORN MILLS."
The object of my Invention is to provide more easy and effectual means to be
used for purification and separation in the manufacture of flour, especially that kind
known as "middlings." This I effect by means of mechanism, which substantially
comprises the following arrangements :-In a suitable case or frame are provided the 1
arrangements of sieve middlings purifier or separator, which are in many respects
of the ordinary character, but differ from the arrangements of the ordinary sieve
purifier or separator, inasmuch as by my improvements same include the adoption of
a fan for introducing air to an air blast passage, at the other end of which is an ex-
haust fan, such air passage being provided with air blast valves (eight being
preferred), and in order to keep the sieve perfectly clean, suitable appliances are
arranged therewith.
Having thus far described the nature of the said Invention, and incidentally
intimated in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in practice, I
will now proceed (aided by the accompanying Drawings) to further and particularly
describe and ascertain in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in
practice, that is to say :-
A is the hopper.
B, case or frame of iron or other suitable material.
C, case or frame of wood, placed and secured on frame B.
D, glass in frame C, said glass being inserted free to swing on hinges.
E, sieve covered with silk of different meshes, said sieve being worked by two
throw cranks F, to which same is connected, and also to spring rod or rods G, by
rod or spindles H, the sieve E being worked by cranked or eccentric arrangements
from J.
L, feed roller or rollers, placed at the lower part of hopper A, said rollers being
worked from the shaft K.
M, air chamber M³, air passages or chambers, such air passages or chambers being
fitted with air blast valves N to admit air underneath the sieve E.
3
3
O, blast fan by which the air is blown into the chamber M, said fan being worked 4
by strap or suitable arrangements.
P, shaft from which the machine as a whole is worked by straps working on
pulleys, as shown in the Drawings.
J
Q, exhaust fan fitted at the tail or end of the machine. The air issuing into the
chamber M, and thence into M¹, after passing through the valves N, passes up and
through the sieve, carrying with it the light brown "fluff," and issues through the
exhaust by way of the valve R, which is regulated by well-known means to allow
the issue into the exhaust to be small or great, as the case may be.
S, worm fitted underneath the machine, to convey the various qualities of the
" middlings as purified into the different spouts or shoots T.
"
U is the light brown fluff passing from the exhaust fan Q.
The action is as follows:-The machine being set in motion from suitable power,
and worked from shaft P. The "middlings to be purified are placed in the

page_text: hopper A, same passing over the feed rollers I, on to the sieve E, which is kept in
agitation by the rocking motion imparted from F by means of eccentrics or other-
wise from shaft J. At the same time the blast of air issues into the air chamber M,
thence by air passages M and through the valve N, and passes up through the
sieve, the blast keeping the brown fluff up, and same is drawn through the valve R
by the exhaust Q, and passes away by U. In the meantime the "middlings" as
purified pass on to the worm S, and same carries the " middlings" to their respec-
tive spouts T.
It will be noted from the Drawings that the machine is worked from a low
position, thus rendering it more firm, and from the said main shaft P the whole of
the parts of the machine work by the system of straps working over pulleys or
riggers, as shown.
M are air passages extending the width of the machine. The air from the
chamber M before it passes to the sieve passes through these passages, said passages
being controlled by the blast valves N, which are regulated to the amount of blast
required to pass through the sieve E to keep the fluff up, the exhaust fan Q drawing
the fluff away, as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried out in practice,
I hereby declare that I claim the Invention of "Improvements in Sieve Purifiers
and Separators used in Corn Mills," substantially as herein-before set forth and
described, and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, wherein the peculiar and
important feature is the mode of supplying the blast to the chamber and passages,
which are regulated by the blast valves before described, the machine being covered
in, so that no dust can escape except by the exhaust.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Hopkinson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
▸ Witness,
T. MORGAN,
Secretary,
Inventors' Patent-right Association, Limited,
21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross.
C. HOPKINSON. (L.S.)