IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND SEPARATING CORN, GRAIN, AND OTHER SEEDS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gillam, of Woodstock, in the County
of Oxford, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND SEPARATING CORN, GRAIN, AND OTHER
SEEDS."
Sealed the 21st January 1854, and dated the 22nd July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gillam at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd July 1853.
I, JOHN GILLAM, of Woodstock, in the County of Oxford, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND SEPARATING CORN, GRAIN, AND
SEEDS" to be as follows:-
The Invention consists in additions to and improvements on
seed cleanser and separator registered by me under the Designs
Registrations Acts on the Second day of December 1851, and num-
bered 3037. In the hopper, at some convenient point, so as to act on
the seed prior to its passing into the separating sieves, I mount a pair
of rollers, and cause them to revolve in contrary directions, whereby
such seeds as have them will be deprived of the beards or tails. And

page_text: I fix a blower so as to produce a current of air upon the seeds in
their passage from the hopper to the sieves, whereby the beards or
tails and the lighter portions of the impurities mixed with the grain will
be driven off. I affix springs to the sides of the frames so as to impart
a jogging or transverse motion to the sieves. And, lastly, I employ a
third sieve, placed between the two shewn by ine in my said Registered
Design, whereby the grain will be caused to traverse a more extensive
surface, and whereby the cleansing and separating will be more efficiently
performed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Gillam in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 21st January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN GILLAM, of Woodstock, in the County of Oxford, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Gillam, Fler special licence that
I, the said John Gillam, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Gillam, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR CLEANSING AND SEPARATING CORN, GRAIN, AND OTHER SEEDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Gillam, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: 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 John Gillan, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Drawings here-
unto annexed, that is to say:
My Invention consists in additions to and improvements on a seed
cleanser and separator registered by me under the Designs Registration
Act on the Second day of December 1851, and numbered 3C37. In
the hopper, at some convenient point, so as to act on the seed prior
to its passing into the separating sieves, I mount a pair of rollers, and
cause them to revolve in contrary directions, whereby such seeds as
laave them will be deprived of the beards or tails. I also fix a blower
so as to produce a current of air upon the seeds in their passage from
the hopper to the sieves, whereby the beards or tails and the lighter
portions of the impurities mixed with the grain will be driven off.
I affix springs to the sides of the framework of the machine so as to
impart a jogging or transverse motion to the sieves. And I employ
a third sieve, either placed inmediately beneath the upper sieve and in
the same frame, or I place it between the two sieves shewn by me
in my said Registered Design, whereby the grain will be caused
to traverse a more extensive surface, and thereby the cleansing and
separating will be more efficiently performed. And, lastly, where it is
desired to cleanse and separate such seeds as have a husk sinilar
to lentils, clover, &c., I make use of a circular brush, caused to revolve
either vertically or horizontally, or at any convenient angle within an
iron or steel portion of a cylinder, the interior surface of which is
roughened or cut with grooves, whereby, when the seed is brought
in contact therewith by the action of the brush, the outer shell is
broken and the seed separated therefrom.
.
Figure 1, of the Drawings hereunto annexed represents a side
elevation of a machine constructed according to my said several im-
provements; and Figure 2, a longitudinal section of the same. A, A, is
the framework, and B, the hopper. C, C, are the feed rollers, which

page_text: are placed at the lower portion of the hopper, and caused to revolve in
opposite directions. D, D', are the sieves, each of which is composed
of perforated zinc or woven wire, and divided into different degrees of
fineness. D³, is an additional sieve placed beneath the sieve D, and
formed of a similar perforated material, but of a finer mesh. E, E, are
spouts in connection with the sieves D, D¹, D³, from the mouths of
which the different varieties of seed are collected. The sieves D, D¹,
are suspended from the framework and in the inclined position shewn
by means of the links or chains a, a. b, b, are connecting rods, one
end of each of which is attached to a pin or centre upon the side
of the sieves D, D¹, while the other ends are connected to a double
crank c, which is caused to revolve by means of the winch handle d,
the action of which is to give to the sieves a to and fro movement,
and thereby facilitate the passage of the seeds from end to end of the
sieves. Figure 3, represents a detached view of the crank c, and
connecting rods b, b. Figure 4, is a plan of one of the sieves, shewing
the method which I adopt for giving to the sieves a jogging or trans-
verse motion combined with the to and fro movement. e, e, are springs
attached to the framework and projecting therefrom at opposite corners
of the sieves, so that as they are caused to move to and fro they alter-
nately come in contact with the springs which impart the jogging
or transverse motion. F, is a fan blower revolving upon the
spindle F and within the case G, the front of which has an opening
or mouth G¹. H, is a cord pulley upon the spindle of the fan, and
by which it is driven through the intervention of the pulley H¹, and
toothed wheel I, which has motion imparted to it by the winch handle.
The purpose of this fan is for causing by its rapid revolution a
stream of air to be passed through the seed as it falls from the feed.
rollers on to the first sieve, and thereby to winnow or cleanse it from
any dust or impurities that may be mixed with it, such lighter particles
being carried over the back board L, and received into a box or other
convenient receptacle, while the lighter seeds fall down between the
back board L, and the framework, from whence they pass down the
shoot M, and are received at bottom. This back board L, is capable
of being adjusted to any required height by the pinching screw f.

page_text: Figure 5, represents the method which I adopt when it is desired
to cleanse and separate such seeds as have a husk similar to lentils,
clover, &c. N, is a circular brush, which may be formed of either
bristles, wires, or other suitable material; this brush is caused to revolve
within the circular portion O, of the hopper, which is inade of iron or
steel, the inner surface of which is roughened, so that the husk
is broken by the action of the brush. This brush and hopper occupy
the position of the ordinary hopper and feed roller, as represented
in Figures 1, and 2, when it is required to make use of them for
cleansing and separating such seeds, for which this particular arrange-
ment is adapted.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
The several improvements in apparatus for cleansing and separating
corn, grain, and other seeds, in so far as regards the employment of
the pair of feed rollers caused to revolve in contrary directions; the
addition of the fan blowers for producing a current of air; the employ-
ment of springs for imparting a jogging or transverse motion to the
sieves; the introduction of the third sieve, placed either immediately
beneath the upper sieve and in the same frame, or between the two
sieves D, D¹, all as herein-before described and represented in the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gillam, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
I CILLAM