AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DECORTICATING AND CLEANING GRAIN AND SEEDS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Antoine Edmond Guironnet de Massas,
of Gerrard Street, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DECORTICATING AND CLEANING
GRAIN AND SEEDS."
Sealed the 8th March 1859, and dated the 10th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Antoine Edmond
Guironnet de Massas at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 10th September 1858.
I, FRANÇOIS ANTOINE EDMOND GUIRONNET DE MASSAS, of Gerrard Street,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DECORTICATING AND CLEANING
GRAIN AND SEEDS," to be as follows:-
On an axis free to revolve and inclined to a certain extent is fixed a drum
of wood or other suitable material (forming a smooth surface, without per-
forations), covered with punched iron (similar to that used in cleaning
operations in mills, but preferably galvanized), which extends over a portion
of the length of the axis; and immediately beyond it, on the same axis, is
fitted an arrangement of brushes, forming a screw. On the punched iron-
covered drum are fixed blades or arms so arranged as to form an interrupted.
screw for conducting the grain.
These arrangements are enclosed in a fixed casing formed of punched iron
at the upper part, opposite the drum, and of wire cloth (as used in grain.

page_text: cleaning machines). At the lower part, or opposite the brushes, the upper or
punched iron part of the casing may preferably be itself enclosed in a suitable
outer casing.
On rotary motion being communicated to the apparatus, the grain or seed
fed in is conducted along regularly and continuously from the upper to the
lower end by means of the inclination of the axis, the interrupted screw on
the drum, and the screw form of the brushes; all choking or reciprocal
pressing of the grains among themselves being thereby prevented, while the
action of the punched iron and brushes effect the decortication and cleaning,
the punched iron tearing the outer skins, the interrupted screw guiding the
grains or seeds to the brushes, and the brushes conducting them to the outlet,
the decortication and cleaning being thus performed on them during the whole
of their progress along the apparatus.
For certain cleaning operations the grain may be so fed in as to be subjected
to the brushes only.
To regulate the supply of water for wetting the grain, a contrivance similar
to a steam engine governor may be fitted on the apparatus and so combined
with the inflow tap or valve as to partially close it when the machine slackens,
and entirely shut the inflow or supply pipe when the machine stops.
Sieves and fans are added as is usual in machines for the purpose of
cleaning grain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said François Antoine Edmond Guironnet de Massas in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANÇOIS
ANTOINE EDMOND GUIRONNET DE MASSAS, of Gerrard Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said François Antoine Edmond Guironnet de Massas, Her special licence
that I, the said François Antoine Edmond Guironnet de Massas, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said François
Antoine Edmond Guironnet de Massas, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from. time to time

page_text: and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DECORTICATING AND CLEANING GRAIN
AND SEEDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said François
Antoine Edmond Guironnet de Massas, 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 François Antoine Edmond Guironnet
de Massas, 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, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to an improved machine for decorticating and
cleaning grain and seeds, which I construct in the following manner :-
On an axis free to revolve and inclined to a certain extent is fixed a drum
of wood or other suitable material, forming a smooth surface without per-
forations, but covered with punched iron similar to that used in cleaning
operations in mills (preferably galvanized), which drum extends over a portion
of the length of the axis, and immediately beyond it on the same axis is fitted
an arrangement of brushes forming a screw. On the punched iron covered
drum are fixed blades or arms so arranged as to form an interrupted screw for
conducting the grain. These arrangements are enclosed in a fixed casing
formed of punched iron at the upper part opposite the drum, and of wire cloth
(as used in grain cleaning machines) at the lower part or opposite the brushes.
The upper or punched iron part of this casing may be enclosed in an outer
casing. On rotatory motion being communicated to the apparatus, the grain or
seed fed in is conducted along regularly and continuously from the upper to
the lower end by means of the inclination of the axis, the interrupted screw
on the drum, and the screw form of the brushes, all choking or reciprocal
pressing of the grains among themselves being thereby prevented; while the
action of the punched iron and brushes effects the decortication and cleaning,
the punched iron tearing the outer skins, the interrupted screw guiding the
grain or seeds to the brushes, and the brushes conducting them to the
outlet; decortication and cleaning being thus performed on them during the
whole of their progress along the apparatus.

page_text: For certain cleaning operations the grain may be so fed in as to be sub-
jected to the brushes only. To regulate the supply of water for wetting the
grain, a contrivance similar to a steam engine governor may be fitted on the
apparatus and so combined with the inflow tap or valve as to partially close
it when the machine slackens, and entirely shut the inflow or supply pipe when
the machine stops. Sieves and fans are added as is usual in machines for
cleaning.
The mode in which my Invention may be carried into effect is exemplified
in the Drawings. Figure 1 being an elevation of a machine constructed
according to my Invention, and Figure 2 an elevation showing the decortica-
ting drum and brushes with their outer casing removed. A, A, is the frame-
work; B, an inclined shaft free to revolve in its bearings when driven by a
pulley C worked by a band from a steam engine or otherwise. On a portion
of its length this shaft carries a hollow wooden drum D, having its outer
surface covered with punched iron or equivalent similarly punched metal.
The drum is screwed to the shaft by internal arms, and has on its outer
surface blades a, a, so arranged as to form an interrupted screw; E, E, are
brushes fitted spirally on the shaft B next to the drum and screwed to the
shaft so that they may be brought nearer thereto or further therefrom; G is
a casing enclosing the drum and brushes, composed, where it surrounds, the
former, of punched iron, and, where it encloses the latter, of wire guaze; b is a
feed hopper with sieve bottom wherein the grain or seed is separated from
stones, dirt, and impurities, and through which it passes into a shoot d, and
thence into a feed passage H, in which is an archimedean screw driving it
through another shoot e on to the drum D; I is a pipe for admitting water
to moisten the grain, having taps or valves i, j, the latter of which is opened
and closed by a pin or key k, attached to an arm / connected to a collar m
on the stem. n of a regulating apparatus K, which is similar in its construction
and method of action to an ordinary steam engine governor, and is worked by
connections with the shaft B or its pulley, so that when the machine is at work
the pink may open the tap j, and allow water to reach the grain, while when
the machine stops, the pink will close the tap and shut off the supply of
water, (which will also be thus regulated according to the speed with which the
machine may be working). The grain passes from the hopper into H
moistened by the water from I, and is conveyed on to the upper end of the
drum D, and by the tearing action of the punched iron surface thereof, the
outer skin or pellicle of the grain is torn off without injury to the interior, and
the grain is progressively fed forward by the interrupted screw 'a, a, and by gravi-
tation down the inclined shaft B to the brushes E, without choking, jamming,

page_text: or pressure taking place among the grains, and the decortication is completed
and the cleaning effected by the action of the brushes, which by their spiral
arrangement carry the grain progressively onward to the end of the shaft, and
so to a blower L, whence it drops completely decorticated, the waste escaping
by the exit o; a second brushing apparatus E may be added, if desired. The
revolving spiral brush arrangement alone forms a good cleaning apparatus.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, arranging and combining the parts of grain and seed decorticating
and cleaning machinery in the manner described, so that the grain or seed fed
in may be carried progressively along the apparatus by the interrupted screw,
the shaft's inclination, and the spiral brush arrangement, without choking, or
mutual squeezing or pressure of the grains or seeds taking place, while they
undergo decortication and cleaning by the tearing action of the drum's punched
iron surface and the operation of the brushes.
Second, the combination on one and the same inclined revolving shaft for
purposes of decorticating and cleaning grain and seeds of the punched iron
tearing drum with its interrupted screw and a set of spiral brushes, operating
and arranged as herein-before described.
Third, the particular arrangement and combination herein-before described
with reference to the Drawings.
Fourth, the combination and adaptation of the apparatus K, resembling a
steam engine governor in construction and method of action, with and to the
water inflow pipe, in such manner as and in order to regulate and shut off the
supply of water which moistens the grain or seeds.
In witness whereof, I, the said François Antoine Edmond Guironnet de
Massas have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
JAS ADDINGTON.
F. A. E. G. DE MASSAS. (L.S.)