AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING MIDDLINGS, SEMO- LINA, AND OTHER CORN FLOUR, AND OTHER POWDER
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Alfred Barlow, of the Firm of H. B. Barlow, of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING MIDDLINGS, SEMO-
LINA, AND OTHER CORN FLOUR, AND OTHER POWDER." A communication from
abroad by William Seck, of Bockenheim, in Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Alfred Barlow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd April 1879.
CHARLES ALFRED BARLOW, of the Firm of H. B. Barlow, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS
FOR PURIFYING MIDDLINGS, SEMOLINA, AND OTHER CORN FLOUR, AND OTHER
POWDER." A communication from abroad by William Seck, of Bockenheim, in
Germany.
This improved mode of and apparatus for purifying flour and other powder
consists of a chest, at one end of which is a hopper for supplying the middlings or
other flour to a sieve which is moved rapidly to and fro by a cam or other equiva-
lent; under the sieve is a series of air tubes through which air is forced by a fan;
the current of air blows the lighter particles of flour and bran upwards against two
flannel bags, the upper parts of which are provided with sliding valves in communi-
cation with the fan. These bags are shaken alternately by cams, and the particles
adhering to them fall into troughs in which archimedean screws revolve to traverse
them to the end of the chest.
The heavier particles of flour, such as middlings or semolina, pass through the
sieve and drop into a trough in which is another archimedean scrow.
By means of this improved apparatus a continual action is kept up and the wind
acts in a circuit, being used over again when purified by passing through the flannel
bags. The quantity of air admitted into the chest is regulated by a damper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Alfred Barlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
October 1879.
CHARLES ALFRED BARLOW, of the Firm of H. B. Barlow, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS
FOR PURIFYING MIDDLINGS, SEMOLINA, AND OTHER CORN FLOUR, AND OTHER
POWDER." A communication from abroad by William Seck, of Bockenheim, in
Germany.
This improved mode of and apparatus for purifying flour and other powder
consists of a chest, at one end of which is a hopper for supplying the middlings or
other flour to a sieve which is moved rapidly to and fro by a cam or other equiva-
lent under the sieve is a series of air tubes through which air is forced by a fan;
the current of air blows the lighter particles of flour and bran upwards against two
flannel bags, the upper parts of which are provided with sliding valves in communi-
cation with the fan. These bags are shaken alternately by cams, and the particles
adhering to them fall into troughs in which archimedean screws revolve to traverse
then to the end of the chest. The heavier particles of flour, such as middlings or
semolina, pass through the sieve and drop into a trough in which is another
archimedean screw.
By means of this improved apparatus a continual action is kept up and the
current of air acts in a circuit, being used over again when purified by passing
through the flannel bags. The quantity of air admitted into the chest is regulated
by a damper.
And in order that this Invention inay be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the two accompanying Sheets of
Drawings.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a transverse section; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 3
is an end view; and Fig. 4, a plan partly in section of the improved apparatus for
purifying middlings, semolina, and other flour or powder. a is the hopper through
which the flour is supplied to the sieve b, which is moved rapidly to and fro by the
cam bor other equivalent; c is a fan which in revolving forces the air down the
channel d and through the side openings e, e¹, into the air passages f, f, which are
open towards the underside of the sieve b; these air passages are provided with
adjustable dampers or shutters; g, g', are two flannel bags placed above the sieve b,
and the insides of these bags are in communication with the fan c by the sliding
valves i, i'. When the fan revolves the current of air withdrawn from either of
the bags y, g¹, is forced down the channel d through the openings e, e¹, and
passages to the under side of the sieve; by this means the lighter particles of
Hour and bran are drawn upwards and adhere to the outside of the filter bags g, g',
while the heavier portions of flour, such as the cleaned middlings or semolina, pass
through the sieve band drop into the trough , in which is the archimedean screw ;
this screw in revolving discharges the contents of the trough into any suitable
receptacle.
In order to prevent the bags g, g', from becoming too thickly coated with fine
flour or bran each bag is provided above with a bar h, h, to which are attached the
slide valves i, i'. The bars h, ', are moved to and fro by a self acting mechanism
in such a manner that when the valves of the bag g are closed the valves of the
bag g' are open, and vice versa. When the valves of the bag g are closed the
inside of the bag is cut off from the action of the fan c, and consequently no air is
drawn through it; and during this time the bag itself is rapidly raised and lowered

page_text: several times (by a self acting shaking apparatus to be described hereafter) to
loosen the light flour and bran adhering to the outside of the bag; this flour and
bran falls into the trough m, from which it is discharged by the archimedean
screw n.
The bag g is in like manner shut off from the fan c and shaken to deposit the
light flour and bran into the trough m', in which is the screw n³. While one of
the bags is being shaken it is evident that the light particles of flour and bran that
are suspended in the air will adhere to the other bag.
The self acting shaking apparatus above referred to is shewn best in Sheet 1,
Fig. 2, and in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of Sheet 2. The bottoms of the bags g, g', are
connected by rods g³ and elbow levers to the horizontal rods g³, and these rods are
moved to and fro alternately in the following manner :-Each rod g³ is connected
to the upper end of one of the levers o, o, which are mounted on fulcrum studs
fixed to the outside of the chest containing the machinery above described. The
lower ends of the levers o, o, are acted upon by the cams p, p, which are fixed on
the revolving shaft p¹, to which is also fixed the worm p³ gearing into the wheel
keyed on the upright shaft q¹. On the face of the worm wheel q is a rim with
elevations and depressions acting on the catches r. When one of these catches is
held up by the elevation of the rim the corresponding lever o is held out of reach
of its cam p by the link 8, and the other catch being now in the depression of the
rim allows the corresponding lever o to raise and lower rapidly the bottom of one
of the bags g or g' seven or eight times in succession. By altering the shape of
the rim projecting from the worm wheel q it is evident that the bags can be lifted
any convenient number of times to shake the fine flour and bran off the bags.
At the bottom of the shaft q' is a crank connected by the rod f, see Fig. 2, to
the under sides of the air passages f; by this means the positions of the air
passages are varied to direct the currents of air to different parts of the sieve b to
ensure uniform action.
The requisite quantity of air can be admitted to the chest containing the
improved machinery above described by dampers, and the current of air after
having been purified by passing through the flannel bags may either be used over
and over again, as described, or it may be discharged into the mill or into the
open air.
Figs. 8 and 9 represent a mode of separating the bran from the coarse flour by
means of currents of air passing between different ranges of the funnel or hopper t.
As the flour falls from one range to the other the currents of air cause the light
particles to adhere to the bags g, while the middlings or semolina fall on the sieve b,
as before described.
Having thus stated the nature and particulars of the Invention communicated to
me by the within named William Seck, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the details given as the same may be varied or modified, and that
I claim,-
First. Purifying the air immediately after it has passed through the flour or
other powder to be purified, whereby the same air may be used over and over again
or discharged into the atmosphere, as described.
Secondly. The general combination and arrangement of the parts forming an
improved apparatus for purifying middlings, semolina, and other corn flour and
other powder, as shewn and described.
Thirdly. The improved mode of constructing and actuating the filter bags, and
the self acting apparatus for causing the draught of air to pass through them
alternately, as shewn and described.
Fourthly. Imparting a traversing motion to the air passages f. f, in order to
distribute the currents of air evenly through the sieve, as shewn and described;
and

page_text: Fifthly. The apparatus shewn in Figs. 8 and 9 for separating the bran from the
coarse flour.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Alfred Barlow, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy nine.
C. A. BARLOW. (LS.)