AN IMPROVEMENT IN MIDDLINGS PURIFIERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, OLIVER IMRAY, of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN MIDDLINGS PURIFIERS " to
be as follows:-
Machines for purifying middlings produced in the manufacture of flour have an
oscillating sieve through which a current of air, is blown or drawn, this current
raising from the sieve the lighter particles. In some cases these particles are
carried by the air current to a stive room, in some cases they are arrested by a
travelling filter cloth through the pores of which the air passes leaving the lighter
particles deposited on it, to be afterwards cleared off by shakers or otherwise. In
some cases, in addition to the travelling filter, there has been applied immediately
above the sieve a grid of trough like channels with spaces between them, these
troughs receiving those of the particles which are carried up between the troughs
but fall back before reaching the filter cloth.
This invention relates to a construction and arrangement of these channels or
equivalents for them so as to relieve the rapidly oscillating sieve from their weight,
to make them act independently thereof, and to render them more effective for the
reception and removal of the heavier particles that are raised by the air current,
and also to means of clearing the filter from the lighter particles that adhere to it.
The grid of channels when separated from the sieve may be made to slope towards
a receiving channel, their contents being caused to move towards that channel by
a to and fro rocking movement imparted to the grid. Otherwise the grid of
channels may be stationary the particles being caused to travel along them to the
receiving channel. This may be done by means of bands, straps, cords or wires
continuously travelling along the channels or by worms revolving in them. But,
instead of employing separate fixed channels a flexible grid or chain of channels
or parallel chains of cups may move continuously over the sieve, receiving the
heavier particles and delivering them at one side of the machine. Or a number of
flat bands arranged parallel to one another may be made to travel continuously by
Drie 031

page_text: rollers at each end or side of the machine, the surfaces of these bands receiving the
particles that drop on them and conveying them to the one side or end of the
machine where they fall or are scraped or brushed off into a receiver. As
the upper part of each band travels in the one direction, the lower part travels in
the opposite direction. Each of those parts receives a different character of
particles, the lighter settling on the upper part and the heavier on the lower part
of the band. Thus two characters of deposit may be cleared off the bands at
opposite sides or ends of the machine besides those still lighter particles which are
caught by the filter cloth. For removing these from the cloth, a portion of the
space within it is partitioned off so as to form a channel along which air admitted
from the the exterior of the machine is caused to pass by the partial vacuum
maintained within the machine; this air passing through the filter cloth from
within outwards, aided by beaters striking this part of the cloth clears off the
adhering particles. Such of these as are still carried by the air current become
deposited on another part of the filter cloth like those that are raised directly from
the material on the sieve.

page_text: An Improvement in Middlings Purifiers.
I, OLIVER IMRAY of No 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents 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 :-
Machines for purifying middlings produced in the manufacture of flour have an
oscillating sieve through which a current of air is blown or drawn, this current
raising from the sieve the lighter particles. In some cases, these particles are
carried by the air current to a stive room, in some cases they are arrested by a
travelling or stationary filter cloth through the pores of which the air passes,
leaving the lighter particles deposited on it, to be afterwards cleared off by shakers
or otherwise. In some cases, in addition to the travelling filter, there has been
applied immediately above the sieve a grid of trough-like channels with spaces
between them, these troughs receiving those of the particles which are carried up
between the troughs but fall back before reaching the filter cloth.
This invention relates to a construction and arrangement of these channels or
equivalents for them so as to relieve the rapidly oscillating sieve from their weight,
to make them act independently thereof, and to render them more effective for the
reception and removal of the heavier particles that are raised by the air current,
and also to means of clearing the filter from the lighter particles that adhere to it.
The grid of channels, when separated from the sieve, may be made to slope towards
a receiving channel, their contents being caused to move towards that channel by.
a to and fro rocking movement imparted to the grid. Otherwise, the grid of
channels may be stationary, the particles being caused to travel along them to the
receiving channel or channels which may be situated at either side or in the centre.
This may be done by means of bands, straps, cords, or wires continuously travelling
along the channels or by worms revolving in them. But instead of employing
separate fixed channels a flexible grid or chain of channels or parallel chains of cups
may move continuously over the sieve, receiving the heavier particles and delivering
them at one side of the machine. Or a number of flat bands arranged parallel to
one another may be made to travel continuously by rollers at each end or side of
the machine, the surfaces of these bands receiving the particles that drop on them
and conveying them to the one side or end of the machine where they fall or
are scraped or brushed off into a receiver. As the upper part of each band travels
in the one direction, the lower part travels in the opposite direction. Each of
those parts receives a different character of particles, the lighter settling on the
upper part and the heavier on the lower part of the band. Thus two characters
of deposit may be cleared. off the bands at. opposite sides or ends of the machine, *
besides those still lighter particles which are caught by the filter-cloth. For
removing these from the cloth, a portion of the space within it is partitioned off so
as to form a channel along which air admitted from the exterior of the machine is

page_text: caused to pass by the partial vacuum maintained within the machine, this air
passing through the filter cloth from within outwards, aided. by beaters striking
this part of the cloth, clears off the adhering particles. Such of these as are still
carried by the air current become deposited on another part of the filter cloth like
those that are raised directly from the material on the sieve.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings shew various arrangements for
carrying the above described invention into practice Fig. 1 shews a construction
in which two grids of channels A A¹ are arranged above the sieve shewn in cross
section at D, the bottoms of the channels of the lower grid A being made to slope
towards the receiving channel or conveyor B, while those of the upper grid A¹ are
made to slope towards the receiving channel B¹. The two grids are carried by a
frame E suspended by rods F, and receiving a to and fro rocking motion from the
crank C and connecting rod C¹...
Fig. 2 shews an arrangement in which there are two stationary grids A. A¹, along
which passes a travelling brush G by means of which the particles deposited in the
lower troughs A are caused to pass into the receiving channel or conveyor B, while
those deposited in A¹ are caused to pass into the receiving channel B¹. The brush G
may be carried by endless chains or cord H, passing over revolving pullies I, or it
may be actuated by any other suitable known means.
In the arrangement at Fig. 3, a number of flat bars or laths are fixed on endless
bands passing over revolving pullies J, thus forming an upper and lower grid A¹ A
the bars of which extend in a longitudinal direction of the sieve D. The one end
of the travelling bands extends over the receiving channel B, so that as the bars
travel in the direction of the arrows, those in the lower grid A deliver their
deposit into the channel B, while those of the upper grid A' deliver into the
channel B.
Fig: 4 shews an arrangement in which there are three stationary grids A A¹ A³
of angular form, situated, one above the other, the angular position of the troughs
being such as to cause the deposited material to slide down by gravity to either
side, respectively into the receiving channels or conveyors B B1 B2 B³ B* B*.
It will be evident that both in this arrangement and in that at Fig. 1, the
troughs or channels may be made to incline downwards from each side towards
receiving channels situated in the middle, instead of inclining towards side
channels.
Fig. 5 shews a longitudinal section and Fig. 6 a cross section of a middlings
purifier with my improvements applied thereto. D is the sieve, A A¹ are the grids
of troughs which are arranged as at Fig. 2, B B¹ are the receiving channels or
conveyers, G the travelling brushes, K is is the travelling filter cloth, L is the
exhaust fan by means of which the outer air is first drawn through the sieve D
and then between the grids A A' and through the filter cloth K; M is a valve
arrangement for regulating the exhaust. N is a space within the filter cloth that
is cut off from the exhaust, and into which a portion of the air discharged from the
fan L is caused to pass through openings O, so as, by passing through the filter
cloth in the direction from the inside to the outside, to detach the accumulated
dust therefrom and cause it to fall into the conveyor P. Q is the feed hopper for
supplying the material on to the sieve. R are travelling brushes for clearing the
underside of the sieve from deposit, and S are the conveyors for collecting such
deposit.
In many cases it is found desirable to be able to lift up the troughs or
channels A A¹, in order to enable the mill attendant to brush the top of the silk
with a hand brush. In such cases these channels can be made moveable either
singly or in pairs, or a number of them may be framed together, and be arranged
to swing on hinges at one end, or be taken out bodily.

page_text: 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. The improved middlings purifier constructed and arranged as herein described
with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.
2. In middlings purifiers with travelling filter cloth, arranging a grid or grids of
channels above the reciprocating sieve for receiving the heavier particles raised
therefrom by the air currents, such channels being formed with inclined surfaces
and receiving a to and fro motion so as to cause the deposited particles to piss
into receiving channels or conveyors at the sides or in the middle, substantially as
herein described with reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings.
3. In middlings purifiers with travelling filter cloth, arranging a grid or grids of
channels above the reciprocating sieve, such channels being stationary and provided
with travelling brushes for conveying the particles deposited thereon into receiving
channels at the sides substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 2 of
the drawings.
4. In middlings purifiers with travelling filter cloth, arranging a series of bars,
channels or other surfaces upon endless bands travelling transversely above the
reciprocating sieve, so that as the material raised from the latter by the air current
is deposited upon the bars, one set thereof discharges such deposit into a receiving
channel on one side of the machine, while another set discharges the deposit into
a receiving channel on the other side of the machine, substantially as herein
described with reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings.
5. In middlings purifiers with travelling filter cloth, arranging a fixed grid or
grids of channels above the reciprocating sieve and inclined to the horizontal at
such an angle that the material deposited therein will descend by gravity into
receiving channels situated either at the sides or in the middle of the machine,
substantially as herein described with reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings.
Dated this 12th day of Anril 1886