AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GRAIN
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GRAIN."- A
communication from abroad by Henry Francis Hart, of Cook County,
in the State of Illinois, United States of America.
Sealed the 23rd June 1865, and dated the 7th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th February 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING
GRAIN," to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention consists in picking the kernels of one kind of
grain from a mass composed of two or more kinds, and removing and deliver-.
ing them in a suitable place by themselves, while the remainder of the mass
is delivered separately in another suitable place or receptacle.
The main feature of the Invention consists in providing the exterior surface
of a moving body, whether the same be cylindrical or plane, with cells or cups

page_text: of such a size that when brought in contact with the mass of the mixed grain,
the said cells shall receive the grains or kernels of one kind of grain, wheat,
for instance, and remove them from the mass while the kernels of the other
kind of grain, oats, for instance, being too long to lie down in and be taken
up by said cells, will be rejected and left behind as the cells move forward,
the separation of the two different kinds of grain being effected by the variation
in the size and shape of their respective kernels.
The machine consists of a frame constructed in any suitable way, and in
which two cylinders are mounted, the exterior surfaces of the latter being
covered with or composed of small shallow cells formed in any desirable way,
and of any proper material; they may be cut into the surface of the roller, or
they may be formed in a covering of proper thickness to give the cells the
requisite depth attached to the surface of the roller, such as leather, zinc,
cast iron, and similar substances. But the method which has been found to
work best in practice is as follows:-On a smooth wooden cylinder are con-
structed cells of small flattened wire similar to that used in hoop skirts and
bent, so that when two of the bent portions are placed opposite each other in
reversed positions they shall constitute a cell, it being understood that the wire
is made to rest upon its edge, one half the circumferences or walls of said cell
being formed by the bend in one wire and the other half by the bend in the
corresponding wire. These wires thus bent are attached to the smooth
cylinder so as to form similar cells over its entire surface. Two of these
cylinders are mounted side by side in the frame in close proximity so as to
cause their peripheries to come in contact, and the cylinders are geared
together and driven in opposite directions. Directly over these cylinders
there are placed two revolving circular brushes one over each cylinder, and of
equal length therewith; these brushes revolve in opposite directions to the
cylinder, so that they will constantly sweep the surface of the cylinders as
they revolve.
In case the cylinders are mounted in an inclined position a suitable hopper
is located at the upper end thereof by which the grain is fed in between the
cylinders from above; or the cylinders may be located in a horizontal plane,
in which case the hopper may be placed at the centre longitudinally.
In the frame beneath the cylinders is mounted a shoe provided with return
or shute boards and screens for delivering the grain, and is kept in motion by
means of cross shafts and oscillating arms. A fan may also be located at one
end of the machine, but as these devices form no essential part of this
Invention, no further description is deemed necessary.
The fan is not required when the machine is used by millers, or in any

page_text: other case in which the grain has been already cleaned of its dust by having
been passed through a smutter or duster. The machine may be operated by
any suitable mechanisın, care being taken to give the cylinders and brushes
motions in opposite directions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Edward Newton, executors, administrators, and 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 "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING GRAIN," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under iny, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 William Edward Newton, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
+
This Invention consists in separating the kernels of one kind of grain from
a mass composed of two or more kinds, and removing and delivering them in

page_text: a suitable place by themselves, while the remainder of the mass is delivered
separately in another suitable place or receptacle.
The main feature of the Invention consists in providing the exterior surface
of a moving body, whether the same be cylindrical or plane, with cells or cups
of such a size that when brought in contact with the mass of the mixed grain
such cells shall receive the grains or kernels of one kind of grain (wheat, for
instance) and remove them from the mass, while the kernels of the other
kinds of grain, oats, for instance, being too long to lie down in and be taken
up by the cells will be rejected and left behind as the cells move forward, the
separation of the two different kinds of grain being effected by the variation in
the size and shape of their respective kernels.
To apply this idea in the most practical manner, a machine is constructed,
as shewn in the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation,
Fig. 2 a vertical transverse section taken in the line x, x, of Fig. 1; I, I,
represents a frame which may be constructed in any suitable way, and in
which two cylinders A, A, are mounted, the exterior surfaces of the latter
being covered with or composed of small shallow cells, which may be formed
in any desirable way and of any suitable material. The cells may be cut into
the surface of the roller, or they may be formed in a covering of proper thick-
ness to give the cells the requisite depth, and attached to the surface of the
roller such as leather, zinc, cast iron, and similar substances. But the method
which has been found to work best in practice is as follows:-On a smooth
wooden cylinder are constructed cells of small flattened wire similar to that
used in hoop skirts, and bent so that when two of the bent portions are
placed opposite each other in reversed positions they shall constitute a cell, it
being understood that the wire is made to rest upon its edge. One half the
circumferences or walls of the cell are formed by the bend in one wire and
the other half by the bend in the corresponding wire, as shewn in the detached
view, Fig. 3; these wires thus bent are attached to the smooth cylinder in
such a way as to form similar cells over its entire surface.
Two of these cylinders are mounted side by side in the frame in close
proximity so as to cause their peripheries to come in contact, as shewn at b,
in Fig. 2, and the cylinders are geared together and driven in opposite
directions, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.
Directly over these cylinders A, A, there are placed two revolving circular
brushes B, B, one over each cylinder, and of equal length therewith; these
brushes revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows marked thereon
respectively, as shewn in Fig. 2, and are so located that they will constantly
sweep the surface of the cylinders as they revolve.

page_text: In case the cylinders are mounted in an inclined position, as shewn in
Fig. 1, a suitable hopper H is located at the upper end thereof, by which the
grain is fed in between the cylinders from above; or the cylinders may be
located in a horizontal plane, in which case the hopper may be placed at the
centre longitudinally.
In the frame beneath the cylinders is mounted a shoe E provided with
return or shute boards and screens, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2. A fan F may
also be located at one end of the machine, as shewn in Fig. 1, but as these
devices form no essential part of this Invention, & further description is deemed
unnecessary. The fan is not required when the machine is used by millers, or
in any other case in which the grain has been already cleaned of its dust by
baving been passed through a smutter or duster. The machine may be
operated by any suitable mechanism, care being taken to give the cylinders
and brushes motion in the direction indicated by the arrows. *
The shoe E is hung and operated as follows:-Through the shoe trans-
versely at each end shafts c, c', pass loosely, and these shafts have arms
A*, A**, firmly keyed on their ends. The lower parts of these arms are each
provided with two prongs a*, a*, as shewn in Fig. 1, and these prongs rest
on or are fitted to the frame I, I. The arms A* have an oscillating motion
communicated to them by means of connecting rods C* which are attached to
the ends of the fan shaft G near its periphery, and the arms A*, A**, at both
ends of the shoe are connected by rods D*. By this arrangement it will.be
seen that a reciprocating curvilinear oblique motion will be given to the
oscillations of the arms A", A**, as the latter work alternately from their
prongs a, a, as centres, and a jarring motion is at the same time given the
shoe which prevents the screens from filling or choking up; the rods D*
which connect the arms A*, A**, ensure a simultaneous movement of the
latter.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The mixed grain is placed in
the hopper H, from whence it is fed in between the cylinders A, A, when the
kernels of wheat fall into the cells a and are carried up towards the brushes
as the cylinders revolve, while the oats being too long to lie down in the cells
are left behind, or if by any means they become attached to the surface of the
cylinder, and are carried up therewith, they are immediately brushed off and
thrown back when they come in contact with the brushes B, B. The
kernels of wheat being held secure within the cells are carried past the
brushes, and are thrown out on the downward movement of the outer side of
the cylinder, as shewn at d, d, Fig. 2, when it falls upon the return or chute
board e, by which it is delivered on to the upper end of a screen f, from the

page_text: lower end of which the first quality of wheat is delivered, as shewn at g, Fig. 1.
The smaller grains of wheat pass through the screen f on to the screen h
laying underneath and parallel therewith, and is delivered from the lower end
of the same, as shewn at i. All grass, seed, and other foul stuff pass through
the screen h on to the return board j, which delivers it at k, Fig. 1. The oats
in the meantime are kept in motion by the revolution of the cylinders, and
are moved longitudinally towards the lower ends thereof, where they are dis-
charged outside of the machine into a proper receptacle, as shewn at I, in
Fig. 1. By these means not only are the wheat and oats completely separated,
but the wheat itself is also divided into two qualities, and entirely cleaned of
all impurities.
It is obvious that an endless belt or other plane surface provided with the
cells may be substituted for the cylinders, and made to produce the same or
similar results when properly arranged for that purpose, but that would be a
mere modification of this Invention.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me,
as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim, as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, as
aforesaid,―
First, the separation of mixed grains by means of the cells a applied to the
exterior surface of cylinders or their equivalents.
Second, forming the cells a upon the surfaces of the cylinders A, or their
equivalents, by means of the narrow strips of metal bent as shewn and
described, or by any equivalent means.
Third, the use of the brushes B, one or more, in combination with a surface
or surfaces provided with cells a, for the purpose set forth.
Fourth, the operating of the shoe E through the medium of the shafts c, c¹,
oscillating arms A*, A**, and the fixed steps B, as described.
of
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
year
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)