Improvements in or appertaining to Machines for Drying Washed Grain and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Machines for Drying Washed
Grain and the like.
I, WILLIAM ROWLANDSON, of 132, Boundary Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
This invention is best explained by describing my actual apparatus.
It consists of a centrifugal cage carried by a vertical shaft, which cage is
clothed inside by a perforated steel plate. The cage revolves at a high speed.
Inside and coming close up to its interior is a hollow drum which is bolted by
a Hange or bracket to the upper stationary surface of the machine. This drum
has on its outer periphery a worm which may be single or double threaded,
and which runs from the bottom to the top of the drum. The worm is cut away
at the bottom to allow the wet wheat and water to enter. The spout or other
conveyer feeds the wet wheat into the inside of the fixed hollow drum and falls
on the bottom plate of the centrifugal cage and by centrifugal force the wheat
is carried into the worm through the opening or openings described above. By
the worm and the friction of the revolving cage it is carried to the top and
delivered over into an outer concentric casing. Connected with this outer con-
centric wheat chamber or casing is an inner water chamber or casing the two
being rigidly fixed together by circular studs or bosses at the top and V pieces
at the bottom and bolts uniting these together. These parts are formed circular
or V shaped with the apex upward so as to prevent the grain lodging on them,
and to allow a free exit for the grain. Cleaning doors are provided in the wheat
chamber for the purpose of cleaning it out at intervals without disturbing any
other portion of the machine. The water delivered by centrifugal force through
the cage passes into the concentric water chamber or inner casing and from
there runs down into a bottom concave chamber or dish having a pipe at its
lower part to carry off the ejected water from the wheat. In this concave bottom
is a deep boss fitted with gun metal bushes to guide the upper spindle, and a
steel toe piece to carry the weight of the main spindle and cage. The boss being
made deep also prevents the ejected water getting into the spindle bearing. In
thus describing my present apparatus, I would point out the great advantage
of having a stationary worm, as by this means the exit of the grain is automati-
cally effected without moving machinery other than the cage itself. The inner
casing with the delivery pipe at the bottom prevents the splashing usually found.
with this kind of machinery, while the annular casing outside also delivers the
wheat without it being scattered about, and thus lost or trodden on, as is the
case with ordinary wheat cleaning machines. The advantage of the cleaning
doors in the outer casing enable it to be cleaned out at frequent intervals without
trouble, and thus sprouting of grain is avoided.

page_text: Improvements in or appertaining to Machines for Drying Washed
Grain and the like.
I, WILLIAM ROWLANDSON, of 132, Boundary Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
This invention has for its object a machine which might be considered an
improvement on my l'atent No. 24395 of 1897, and has for its object a machine
for drying washed grain and the like.
It is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings which set forth the
apparatus as now manufactured by me.
in these,
:
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section, and
Figure 2 a plan also partly in section.
A is a vertical shaft, B an annular dise having a sleeve keyed on shaft A.
C a centrifugal cage attached to plate B and covered on its inner circumference
with perforated steel c. Zinc or other metal, or even wire gauze, can be used,
instead of the perforated steel. D) is a stationary casing imperforate at the sides,
but having an opening d and a pipe D¹ for the escape of liquid and a flange d
extending upwards and carrying the step or deep bearing of the shaft A. E is
a second outer casing having doors e at intervals for cleaning purposes. F is a
spiral drum inside the cage C. It may be made in skeleton manner as shown.
f one or more spiral or inclined ribs cast on the drum F and of such exterior
diameter as to almost but not quite touch the perforated steel lining of cage C.
It is not absolutely necessary that these flanges should extend all round the drum.
In order however that there should not be an undue strain on one side of the
drum, and not on the other, it is desirable to have these flanges on the drum at
two or more opposite points, and these flanges are then preferably so arranged
that the flange on one side carries the grain up half the distance between it and
the next flange on that side. The flange on the opposite side then carries it the
remaining distance and soon to the top of cage. G is a delivery spout for dis-
charging the solid material. H is a driving pulley for central shaft. A and the
cage C. I is a triangular connecting piece joining the frames D and E. There
are preferably four of these in the circle as shown. They are made sharp at
the top, so as to prevent any grain falling on them. & are other and some-
what similar spacing blocks for uniting together the casings D and E above,
and having bolts not shown passing through them and the casings to hold them
firmly together. K upper bearing for shaft A supported in the stationary lid or
cover L of the central chamber. The skeleton drum F, the cover L and the
casing E are all firmly attached together by bolts not shown. M is the spout
for the purpose of feeding the wet material into the drum.
The mode of action is as follows;
The cage being set in rapid motion by means of a band on the pulley H or
other suitable driving device, wet material is admitted by spout M and falls on
the plate B. By centrifugal force the material thus inserted passes under the
lower edge of the stationary drum F and is thrown against the perforated casing c,
the liquid portion flies out into the casing. 1) and escapes through the hole d.
The solid portion comes in contact with the flanges and rides up them succes-
sively till it passes away centrifugally over the casing D and escapes at G. The

page_text: water which falls into the casing D is prevented from splashing into the bearings
of the shaft A, being stopped by the protecting flange d.
In thus describing my drum F, it is obvious that it can be either a solid drum
with a continuous flange all round, or a skeleton drum, or could be simply brackets
arranged in drum form, also that it is not absolutely necessary that the flanges
shall balance, they not being moving parts, but it is preferable that there should
be flanges on both sides, otherwise à single bracket forming a segment of a
drum would suffice.
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. In a centrifugal machine, the combination with the cage of an internal
stationary drum or one or more parts of a drum F hung rigidly from a stationary
support above and dipping into the cage and having an external oblique spiral
flange or flanges f thereon, terminating in close proximity to the cage whereby
the material is continuously elevated and thrown over the top of the cage, substan-
tially as described.
2. The combination of the revolving cage, self acting discharging device and
stationary casings D and E outside the revolving casing having doors E and
means whereby the automatic discharge can discharge into the space between
these casings, substantially as described, whereby the liquid is separately
delivered from the solid matter and the latter is delivered all round the drum
without flying about and through an annular passage that can be easily cleaned.
3. The special design and construction of machine for drying washed grain
and the like.
Dated this 24th day of Anril 1900
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
.Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London.