Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Grass Seed.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Sept., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Grass Seed.
I, WILLIAM MCCAUSLAND of 38 Victoria Street, Belfast, Sced Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention has reference to a machine for cleaning grass seed.
The machine consists of preferably three sieves mounted on one frame. The
first or top sieve is or may be supported by, four or other suitable number of,
preferably, wooden hanger springs, the top ends of the springs being attached to
the frame and the lower ends to the sieve. By this arrangement the sieve is free
to swing or reciprocate without the aid of joints and without making a noise.
The sieve is reciprocated by a double crank shaft and two preferably wooden
driving arms. One end of each arm is attached to one of the cranks and the other
end is firmly fastened to the side of the sieve. The wooden springs and arms bend
to the required angle of the crank and thereby give a continuous and easy
oscillating motion to the sieve.
The two lower sieves are built in a frame for themselves and are supported on
two shafts having two cranks on each. Bearings attached to the frame and fitted
on the four cranks join the two shafts together, so that, when motion is applied, the
entire frame rises and falls simultaneously in circles and gives a hopping motion
to the seed running over the surface of the two sieves.
By this invention a silent and uniform motion is given to the top sieve and the
bottom sieves are so actuated as to give one uniform pitch or jumping motion
throughout the surface of the sieves. The pitching up of the seed and letting it
fall again on the sieves in rapid and regular succession as it travels from end to end
is a great advantage.
Dated this 21st day of June 1892.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Grass Seed.
1,. WILLIAM MCCAUSLAND, of 38 Victoria Street, Belfast, Seed Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention has reference to a machine for cleaning grass seed.
The machine consists of, preferably, three sieves mounted in one frame. The
first or top sieve is or may be supported by four or other suitable number of,
preferably, wooden hanger springs, the top ends of the springs being attached to
the frame and the lower ends to the sieve. By this arrangement the sieve is free
to swing or reciprocate without the aid of joints and without making a noise. The
sieve is reciprocated by a double crank shaft and two, preferably, wooden driving
arms. One end of each arm is attached to one of the cranks and the other end is
firmly fastened to the side of the sieve. The wooden springs and arms bend to the
required angle of the crank and thereby give a continuous and easy oscillating
motion to the sieve.
The two lower sieves are built in a frame for themselves and are supported on
two shafts having two cranks on each. Bearings attached to the frame and fitted
on the four cranks join the two shafts together; so that, when motion is applied, the

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entire frame rises and falls simultaneously in circles and gives a hopping motion to
the seed running over the surface of the two sieves.
By this invention a silent, and uniform motion is given to the top sieve and the
bottom sieves are so actuated as to give one uniform pitch or jumping motion
throughout the surface of the sieves. The pitching up of the seed and letting it
fall again on the sieyes in rapid and regular succession as it travels from end to end
is a great advantage.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings; whereon:-
Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine.
Fig. 2 is an end view.
Fig. 3 is a section, on the line x-x, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4. is an enlarged detail view.
On the drawings, the same reference numerals, wherever repeated; indicate
similar parts..
Referring to the drawings:-
The grass-sced cleaning machine consists of three wire sieves 1, 2 and 3, as
shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1. The upper sieve 1 is fitted in a wooden frame 4,
which is suspended from the cross beams 6 by means of four preferably wooden
although they may be steel or other metal, hanger springs.9. The cross beams 6
are secured to vertical supports 5, which latter are, or may be, secured to the
joists 7, and the flooring 8 of the room. The hanger springs 9 are attached, at
their upper ends, to the cross beams 6, as shown, and, at their lower ends, to the
frame 4. When the sieve 1 is thus suspended, it can be swung backwards and
forwards, without jar or noise.
The sieve is reciprocated by means of two, preferably, wood or thin metal con-
necting rods or arms 10, which are, at one end, attached to the frame 4 and, at the
other end, to two cranks 11, on a cross shaft 12, having pulleys 16 and 17 on it,
and which is driven by means of the belt 13 from the pulley 14, which, latter is
carried on a second cross shaft 15. The shaft 12 is carried in bearings, fitted on
the vertical supports 5. The revolutions of the shaft 12, cause the connecting
rods 10 (which are sufficiently thin to bend, so as to suit the different positions of
the cranks) to give the sieve 1 and its frame 4, a continuous and easy oscillating
motion.*
18 is a light wooden sheeting, fitted to the underside of the sieve.
The seed, after being reciprocated in the upper sieve 1, falls through on to the
sheeting, and, from thence, it passes through an opening at 19, down on to the next
sieve 2. The sieyes 2 and 3 are fitted in a frame 20. The frame 20 is made in
two parts, connected together by vertical stays 21. The upper part carries the
wire or other sieve 2, whilst the lower part carries the lower sieve 3. The
frame 20 is connected to and carried by two cross shafts 15 and 22. The
shaft 15, which is higher than the shaft 22, is carried in bearings on the two end
supports, whilst the shaft 22 is carried in bearings on the longitudinal beams 24.
The shafts 15 and 22 have each two cranks on them, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2).
The cranks pass through bearings, secured to the frame 20, in the manner shown
at Fig. 4, so that the frame is supported on the shafts, and is raised and lowered in a
circular path, as the crauks revolve. This motion causes the seed, as it travels
down the inclined sieves, to hop or jump, every time the sieves are raised and
lowered.
The shaft 15 has fast and loose pulleys 26°, 26 on it, and is, or may be, driven
by a belt 27.
The clean seed, after passing through, the several sieves, is delivered at the
lower end 29 of the frame 20.
The pulleys 17 and 25 on the left hand side of the machine, serve as fly
wheels. They may be connected by a belt if so desired.
28 is the hopper, through which the seed is delivered on to the top sieve.
In this machine, the use of the spring hangers .9 and spring arms or rods 10,

page_text: enable the top sieve I to be reciprocated regularly and silently, whilst the regular
hopping or pitching motion, given to the seed as it travels along the inclined
sieves 2, 3, is found of great advantage in thoroughly cleaning the seed.
Instead of having two sieves 2, 3, in the frame 20, only one sieve may
be used.
The details of construction of the machine may be altered, without departing
from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The general arrangement or combination of parts of the improved grass-
seed cleaning machine, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the
drawings annexed.
2. In a grass-seed cleaning machine, a sieve suspended by spring hangers, and
which is reciprocated by means of spring rods, or equivalent, driven by crank or
equivalent mechanism, substantially as herein before described, with reference to
the drawings annexed.
3. In a grass-seed cleaning machine, a sieve or sieves, supported on crank
shafts, which revolve and give the sieve or sieves a uniform rise and fall, so as to
impart a hopping or pitching motion to the seed, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the drawings annexed.
4. The combination with the reciprocating sieve 1, of the hopping or pitching
sieves 2, 3, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown on the annexed
drawings.
Dated this 30th day of August 1800
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.