IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCREENING BARLEY AND OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Stokes Cressey, of Burton-on-Trent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCREENING BARLEY AND
OTHER GRAIN."
Sealed the 29th July 1864, and dated the 9th February 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Stokes Cressey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1864.
I, THOMAS STOKES CRESSEY, of Burton-on Trent, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCREENING BARLEY
AND OTHER GRAIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for screening
barley and other grain. In thrashing barley and other corn some portion of
the grains are broken, by which such grains are injured, particularly for the
purpose of malting, and my Invention is directed to the separation of the broken
grains from the whole or unbroken grains. For these purposes perforated screens
are employed (by preference made of perforated sheet metal) in combination
with parallel plates or surfaces so arranged as to prevent the grains from
assuming an upright position as they pass over the perforated plates and under
the other plates or surfaces used therewith. Two perforated plates are by
preference used in constructing a screen, which are set parallel to and at a
distance apart from each other somewhat less than the length of the whole or
unbroken grains. The perforated plates have distance pieces between them, and

page_text: are thereby adjusted to the proper distance from each other, and they are also so
adjusted lengthwise that the holes of the lower perforated plate do not come
directly under the holes of the upper plate. The perforations in the plates
are of a size to admit of the passage of the unbroken grains through them
when they assume a somewhat upright position, but are not large enough to
allow the grains to pass through when they come longitudinally across the
holes. Over the upper of the two perforated plates which form a screen there
is a plate or surface, between which and the upper perforated plate the grains
are fed from a hopper or otherwise, and this plate or surface is at such a
distance from the upper perforated plate that the whole or unbroken grains
cannot stand on end between them. Below the lower perforated plate there
is an unperforated plate, or it may be a finer sieve or perforated surface, on to
which the grains which have passed through the perforated plates fall. A
screen thus formed when in use is inclined so that the grain supplied from a
hopper as above stated will descend from the upper to the lower end, and the
screen is shaken to and fro in a direction transversely of its length. The whole
or unbroken and full size grains which have not descended to the lowest plate
are delivered at the lower end of the screen, whilst the broken and other
grains which have passed through on to the lowest plate descend and pass
into one, two, or more similar screens in succession, by which any sound and
whole grains which may have passed through the first screen will be separated
from the broken grains..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Stokes Cressey in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th August 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
STOKES CRESSEY, of Burton-on-Trent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Stokes Cressey, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Stokes Cressey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said 'Thomas Stokes Cressey, my 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,

page_text: use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain. and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
NENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SCREENING BARLEY AND OTHER GRAIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Stokes Cressey, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Thomas Stokes Cressey, 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 thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for screening
barley and other grain. In thrashing barley and other corn some portion of
the grains are broken, by which such grains are injured, particularly for the
purpose of malting, and my Invention is directed to the separation of the
broken grains from the whole or unbroken grains. For these purposes
perforated screens are employed (by preference made of perforated sheet metal)
in combination with parallel plates or surfaces so arranged as to prevent the
grains from assuming an upright position as they pass over the perforated
plates and under the other plates or surfaces used therewith. Two perforated
plates are by preference used in constructing a screen, which are set parallel
to and at a distance apart from each other somewhat less than the length of
the whole or unbroken grains. The perforated plates have distance pieces
between them, and are thereby adjusted to the proper distance from each other,
and they are also so adjusted lengthwise that the holes of the lower perforated
plate do not come directly under the holes of the upper plate. The per-
forations in the plates are of a size to admit of the passage of the unbroken
grains through them when they assume a somewhat upright position, but are
not large enough to allow the grains to pass through when they come longi-
tudinally across the holes. Over the upper of the two perforated plates which
form a screen there is a plate or surface, between which and the upper
perforated plate the grains are fed from a hopper or otherwise, and this plate
or surface is at such a distance from the upper perforated plate that the whole
or unbroken grains cannot stand on end between them. Below the lower
perforated plate there is an unperforated plate, or it may be a finer sieve or
perforated surface, on to which the grains which have passed through the

page_text: passed through the first perforated plate on to the second perforated plate will
fall into the same receptacle as those which have not even passed through the
first perforated plate; the grains or portions of grains however that have passed
through the second perforated plate will be received on to a plate below, and
the grains and portions of grains so separated will pass in succession to each
of the three sieves, so as to be again and again screened. The whole grains
which have not passed through the perforations of the sieves D, D¹, D³, are
in the machine shewn in the Drawing all conducted on to the floor in front of
the machine at L, the whole grains coming from each one of the sieves might
however, if desired, be delivered into a separate receiver. When the machine
is to be constructed for screening beans, wheat, and other grain, then the size
of the holes in the perforated plates and the distance the plates are set from
each other will be regulated accordingly. In place of each of the screens
being composed of two perforated plates with an unperforated plate above
the upper plate in the manner above described, perforated screens may be
otherwise employed in combination with parallel plates; as, for example, each
screen may be composed of a single perforated plate only, with an unperforated
plate above it, the upper plate being at such a distance from the lower one
that the whole grains would not be able to descend through the perforations
in it.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Stokes Cressey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 6th day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
THOMAS STOKES CRESSEY. (L.S.)