IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND SEPARATING WHEAT, RICE, MALT, BARLEY, AND OTHER SEEDS, AND IN CLEANING AND SEPARATING ORES AND OTHER LIKE GRANULAR MATERIAL, AND IN MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SUCH LIKE APPARATUS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Davies, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR
CLEANING AND SEPARATING WHEAT, RICE, MALT, BARLEY, AND OTHER
SEEDS, AND IN CLEANING AND SEPARATING ORES AND OTHER LIKE
GRANULAR MATERIAL, AND IN MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRIVING
SUCH LIKE APPARATUS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1881.
EDWARD DAVIES, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND SEPARATING WHEAT, RICE,
MALT, BARLEY, AND OTHER SEEDS, AND IN CLEANING AND SEPARATING ORES
AND OTHER LIKE GRANULAR MATERIAL, AND IN MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
DRIVING SUCH LIKE APPARATUS."
My Invention consists essentially in making the weight and descent of the
material operated upon produce the motive power that works the machine and
cleans the material, also in the apparatus that is used in effecting the cleaning,
and is applicable in all cases where granular non adhesive material is used, though,
of course, for each variety of material or use the details may be varied, and for
some purposes and materials it is obviously better adapted than for others. In
carrying out my Invention I cause the granular material to fall onto a bucket or
other wheel, such wheel, in fact, as would be used to utilize a water power on the
overshot or breast wheel principle. Onto this wheel in any convenient manner
the material is fed by spout feed-hopper or otherwise. The feed is preferably
regulated by a slide and feed roller or other regulator, and if a hopper be used it
is, if necessary, fitted with a grating and box to separate larger impurities should
these not have been already separated. This applies more especially for grain
separating and cleaning. I will speak of ores afterwards. The weight of the grain
causes the wheel to turn. As the grain arrives near the bottom it is allowed to fall
onto a series of inclined sieves fixed in one or more inclined frames, which, if

page_text: desirable, can be shaken by tappets or other mechanism on the wheel. The sieves
are made interchangeable when different qualities of material have at times to be
cleaned on the same machine. At certain distances below where the grain is
delivered onto the inclined sieves I place one or more brushes or other circular
scrubbers, washers, or polishing rotary apparatus, under or between which the
grain has to pass. These brushes or scrubbing apparatus are driven from the axis
of the main wheel by gearing pulleys or otherwise. The first brush or pair of
brushes are preferably stiff and coarse like those made of whale-bone, cane, or wire;
succeeding ones can be finer. Below the inclined sieves, and if. desirable, after the
wheat has gone through the brushing apparatus, I impinge on to the descending
stream a fan or suction current of air, so as to carry off the dust and light particles.
In some cases I may use both a blowing and suction fan combined. These fans are
also driven from the main wheel or from a brush spindle, and can be used, if
desirable, in the sieving opperation, where the various sizes of grain and other
material above and below the standard mesh are separated one from the other, only
the standard material as regards size going to the brushes; when my Invention is.
applied to separating small ores of course very different details are required, but
the wheel, forming at the same time the motive power and delivering apparatus, is
the same. For some ores circular or cylindrical revolving riddles are better than
ordinary sieves and can be used with or without other beaters or cleaners, and this
form of sieve can be used for grain. If the wheat, grain, ore, or other material,
be not sufficiently manipulated by once passing through the machine it can pass on
to a similar wheel and machine on the floor below and so on until completed, while,
if the weight of the ore or grain be not quite sufficient in all cases, a heavy weight
and clock work can be added to the shaft of the main wheel to cause additional
force, so as to assist the wheel and can be connected by a strap or otherwise, the
weight being wound up or raised every hour or when required as it runs down, or
other auxiliary power could be applied. My wheels can be used in many cases
where granular non adhesive material is in an upper floor and has to descend to be
manipulated in a machine below. In some cases a second wheel receiving the
wheat below can be used to assist in driving the fan or cleaning arrangement. I
usually make the angle of the inclined sieves and of the buckets, adjustable by
setscrew or otherwise.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st September 1881.
EDWARD DAVIES, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND SEPARATING WHEAT, RICE,
MALT, BARLEY, AND. OTHER SEEDS, AND IN CLEANING AND SEPARATING ORES
AND OTHER LIKE GRANULAR MATERIAL, AND IN MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
DRIVING SUCH LIKE APPARATUS."
My Invention consists essentially in making the weight and descent of the
material operated upon produce the motive power to work the machine and clean
the material; also in the apparatus that is used in effecting the cleaning, and is
applicable in all cases where granular non-adhesive material is used, though of
course for each variety of material or use the details may be varied, and for some
purposes and materials it is obviously better adapted than for others.
It will be best understood by aid of the accompanying Drawings of a grain
cleaning and separating machine, in which Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation of a
machine constructed according to my Invention, with the sieves over which the
grain is passed all inclined in the same direction; Fig. 2 is a plan view of same;
Fig. 3, part section of wheel, shewing the shape of the buckets; Fig. 4, a sectional
elevation of machine with the sieves inclined in opposite directions, showing a
second bucket or driving wheel.
In carrying out my Invention, I cause the granular material to fall onto a
bucket or other wheel A. Onto this wheel in any convenient manner the material
is fed by spout or feed hopper B or otherwise.
The feed is preferably regulated by a slide 6 or feed roller or other regulator,
and if a hopper be used it is, when necessary, fitted with a grating and box to
separate larger impurities should these not have been already separated. The
weight of the grain causes the wheel to turn. As the grain arrives near the bottom
it is allowed to fall onto a series of inclined sieves C fixed in one or more inclined
frames, which if desirable can be shaken by tappets D or other mechanism from
the wheel. The sieves are made interchangeable when different qualities of
material have at times to be cleaned on the same machine, and each sieve has,
when necessary, two bottoms of perforated zinc, wire, or other material. At certain
distances below where the grain is delivered onto the inclined sieves I place one or
more brushes E, E, or other circular_scrubbers, washers, or polishing rotary
apparatus. The brushes or scrubbers E are fitted with semi-cylindrical casing f
the grain passing laterally between the brushes and the casing in a broad stream,
allowing of almost every particle being cleaned. The casing fis moveable, and can
be adjusted to the requirements of the material passing between it and the brush E.
Instead of a single brush and casing I may use two or more brushes, between which
the grain passes laterally in a broad stream as described. These brushes or
scrubbing apparatus are driven from the axis of the main wheel by belt pulleys or
otherwise. The first brush or pair of brushes are preferably stiff and coarse like
those made of whalebone, cane, or wire, or other suitable material; succeeding ones
can be finer, and can be made of Mexican fibre, esparto grass, bristles or other
suitable material. Below the inclined sieves, and if desirable after the wheat has
gone through the brushing apparatus, I impinge onto the descending stream a
current of air from a fan F so as to carry off the dust and light particles. In some
cases I may use a suction fan, or both blowing and suction fan combined. These
fans are also driven from the main wheel or from a brush spindle, and can be used,
if desirable, in the sieving operation where the various sizes of grain and other
material above and below the standard mesh are separated from the other; only the
standard material as regards size going to the brushes.

page_text: The grain is fed into the hopper B, and from it passes through the front b into
the buckets a of the driving wheel A, causing the wheel to rotate in the direction
of the arrows. The shaft of the wheel A is mounted in friction bearings. It then
passes from the buckets of the wheel through a shoot G onto the topmost of a
series of inclined sieves C, where any refuse or waste matter larger than the grain
passes off at the back at g, and the grain falling through the meshes continues its
course under the brushes E, where it is scrubbed or cleaned, and over the various
sized sieves, where it is sorted, the larger grains only falling to the spout P, the small
sized grains falling into the pockets p, p, and the dust collecting under the lower
sieve in the spaces e and e¹ can from there be conveyed into a bag or bags, or down
a spout, or onto the bottom of machine at M, or may be taken before the fan and
blown into a dust room or out of doors. The grain from the pockets p may either
be removed while the machine is at rest, or allowed to pass down spouts provided
for the purpose at either side of the machine into bags. The grain after passing
over the various sets of sieves passes down the spout P, and across the descending
grain a current of air is blown by the fan F, thus removing any remaining light
particles of dust which fall down the spout Q. In Fig. 1 the top sieve of the last
series is made with meshes larger than the grains which fall through it, only larger
impurities, such as straws, etcetera, passing over it and into the spout Q, where the
tailings and dust are blown. The sieve may be stationary or made to move in
slides in the framework of the machine, and moved by tappet wheel, as shown at
K; it may be suspended by hangers or otherwise. In Fig. 4 I illustrate the
method of obtaining more power from the same falling wheat by means of a
second wheel placed so as to come in contact with the grain as it leaves the
spout P.
When my Invention is applied to separating small ores of course very different
details are required, but the wheel forming at the same time the motive power and
delivering apparatus is the same. For some ores circular or cylindrical revolving
riddles are better than ordinary sieves, and can be used with or without other
beaters or cleaners, and this form of sieve can be used for grain. If the wheat,
grain, ore or other material be not sufficiently manipulated by once passing through
the machine it can pass on to a similar wheel and machine on the floor below, and
so on until completed, while if the weight of the ore or grain be not quite sufficient
in all cases a heavy weight and clockwork can be connected to the shaft of the
main wheel to cause additional force, so as to assist the wheel by a strap or
otherwise, the weight being wound up or raised when required as it runs down,
or other auxiliary power could be applied; or where there is a superabundance of
power the motive power wheel may be dispensed with and the grain cleaning
machine proper can be driven. by a belt from any convenient shafting in a mill,
warehouse, or other place.
My wheels can be used in many cases where granular non-adhesive material
is in an upper floor, and has to descend to be manipulated in a machine below.
In some cases a second, third, or fourth wheel receiving the wheat or other
material below can be used to assist in driving the fan or cleaning arrangement.
Having now described my Invention, and the best mode known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not bind myself to the
exact details herein shewn and described, as the Invention can be considerably
varied and yet work in substantially the same manner, and for different materials
different varieties of cleaning apparatus will be required as already mentioned,
.but that what I believe to be new and desire to claim under Letters Patent
is,―
1st. The combination with apparatus for cleaning or separating granular
materials of a motor driven by the fall or descent of the granular material itself,
substantially as described.
2nd. The manufacture of motor wheels for use in driving apparatus for mani-
pulating granular materials, consisting of a wheel with buckets so arranged as to
receive the granular material at a high level and deliver it onto the apparatus for

page_text: manipulating it at a low level, and by the power obtained by the descent of the
material drive or assist materially in driving the said apparatus.
3rd. The manufacture of machines for cleaning wheat or other granular material
with brushes set horizontally in segment of cylindrical casing, so that the brush
receives the material along almost its entire length, and acts laterally on the grain
as it passes under or behind it, substantially as described.
4th. The apparatus substantially as herein described for cleaning grain, con-
sisting of sieves and brushes with or without fan, no claim being here made for
any one part. taken separately or used for a different purpose but only when
combined with the other parts necessary to make an apparatus with or without
self contained or coupled driving power, substantially as described.
5th. The combination when desirable of two or more motors, substantially as
described, driven by the granulating material to drive one set of manipulating
apparatus, or of two or more sets of motors and apparatus combined to operate
upon the same stream of material in its course through the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Davies, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
I. OWDEN O'BRIEN,
Clerk to
W. P. Thompson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Liverpool & London.
EDWARD DAVIES. (LS.)