IMPROVEMENTS IN PURIFYING GRAIN AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1886

page_text: I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of the firm of W Brookes & Son of 55 & 56
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
PURIFYING GRAIN AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR to be as
follows:-
:-
The invention relates to improvements in purifying grain by means of a current
of water, and in the apparatus employed therefor; and the objects of these
improvements are first to clean the grains from impurities as sand, earth et cetera
attached thereto; and second to separate the good, full grains from the blighted,
smutty grain and from hulls and tailings and other undesirable admixtures or
impurities.
The grain after being moistened is passed between rotary brushes, which brush
off the sandy and earthen matters attached thereto and then falls within a receiver,
hopper, or funnel thence with the impurities into a trough divided by suitable
partitions into several compartments. Into one of these-say-the hindmost
compartment flows a current of water with considerable velocity, which current
flowing over these partitions enters into the several compartments.
The grains descending within the receptacle or funnel are submerged in con-
sequence of their fall into the water, and the heavier particles such as earth, sand,
stones et cetera descend in the one compartment. But the grains and the lighter
parts are carried away by the current over the partition of that compartment and
into the next one, the good and full grains slide down an incline to the lower part
of the compartment into which they are let fall and are drawn off through a
suitable opening at the lower part thereof. The hulls, tailings and the smutty,
blighted grains rest about the surface of the water and by the flow are carried
through an opening, at about the surface level of the water, into a box or receiver
arranged conveniently to the trough.

page_text: This receiver is provided at its upper part with a spout or conduit and at the
lower part with an incline, whereon any full grains, which may have been carried
into this box, slide down and may be removed by means of a suitable outlet there
provided while the tailings, hulls, smutty grains et cetera are removed from the
apparatus by the spout. All outlets are to be adjusted in such a manner, that a
uniform water-level is maintained continually as required by the situation of the
outlet at the water level and the spout.
The funnel or hopper wherein the grains drop down after being brushed is
pivoted or carried adjustably in vertically sliding bearings or in such a manner;
that it may be raised or lowered, as it may be required to regulate the height of
fall of the grain according to its specific gravity in such a manner as to submerge
it sufficiently deeply into the water to separate it from earth, sand and other
impurities of greater specific gravity but not too deep, that it may not be drawn
into the current towards the bottom outlet. Such regulating of the funnel may
easily be obtained by suitable inclination and suitable adjustment of the height of
its bearings.

page_text: Improvements in Purifying Grain and in the Apparatus
Employed therefor.
I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of the firm of Wm Brookes & Son of 55 &
56 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
abroad by Georg Traugott Arnold Niederer, of Heidelberg Germany Millwright
and Johann Heinrich Amandus Kahl, of Hamburg Germany Merchant) and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to improvements in purifying grain by means of a current
of water, and in the apparatus employed therefor; and the objects of these
improvements are first to clean the grains from impurities as sand, earth et cetera
attached thereto; and second to separate the good, full grains from the blighted,
smutty grain and from hulls and tailings and other undesirable admixtures or
impurities.
I attain these objects by the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings
in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section; figure 2.is a front elevation; and
figure 3 is a horizontal section. Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout
the several views.
The grain filled into the hopper b, after being moistened, passes between the
rotary brushes a a¹, which brush off the sandy and earthen parts attached to it.
Within the funnel d. the grain, with all the impurities, falls into the trough C.
The latter is divided by suitable partitions into several compartments co² c³.
Through the pipe c enters continually into the hindmost compartment c a current
of water of considerable velocity, which floating over the partitions, enters into the
compartments c¹ and c³.
The grains, descending within the funnel d, are submerged, in consequence of
the fall, in the water in the compartment c¹, whereat the heaviest parts such as
earth, sand, stones etcetera-descend towards the opening e; but the grains and
the lightest parts are washed away by the current over the partition between c¹
and c², into the compartment c where the good and full grains slide downwards at
the incline c to the lower part of the compartment c³, wherefrom they are drawn
off through the opening c³. The hulls, tailings and the smutty blighted grains rest
at the surface of the water and flow through an opening co, in the height of the
level of the water, into a box or case E.
This box E is provided at the upper part with a spoute and at the lower part
with an incline e¹, whereon any full grains, which are drawn accidentally into the
box E slide down to the opening e' while the tailings, hulls, the smutty grains
etcetera leave the apparatus at the spout e. All outlets are to be adjusted in such
a manner that a uniformn water-lovel is maintained continually as required by the
situation of the outlet c6 and the spout e.
The funnel d is pivoted in bearings in the standards fin such a manner, that
it may be raised or lowered as it is required to regulate the height of fall of the

page_text: grain, according to its specific gravity in such a manner as to submerge it
sufficiently deep into the water of compartment o¹ to separate it from earth, sand
and other impurities of greater specific gravity, but not too deep, that it may not
be drawn into the current toward the outlet c. Such regulating of the funnel d
may easily be obtained by suitable inclination and suitable height of its bearings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The method of purifying grain, which consists of immersing the grain into
water within a trough flowing at its surface horizontally with considerable velocity
and being quiet or nearly quiet a little below its surface, and of drawing off the
heavier impurities as sand, stones etcetera as well as the full and good grains
through separated outlets near the bottom of the trough, while the lighter
impurities and the smutty grains remain at the surface of the water and flow away
therewith through openings near to the water level, substantially as set forth.
2. In apparatus for purifying grain by means of a current of water the
combination of the rotary brushes a a¹ and the funnel d with the trough C,
substantially as set forth.
3. In apparatus for purifying grain by means of a current of water the
combination of the funnel d pivoted in vertically adjustable bearings with the
trough C, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
WM BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.