A SMUT MACHINE
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Warren Fisk Shattuck, of No. 373, Strand,
in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "A
SMUT MACHINE."-A communication from Leonard Smith, of Troy,
in the County of Rensselaer, in the State of New York, in the
United States of America.
Sealed the 9th March 1853, and lated the 25th January 1853.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Warren Fisk Shattuck,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 25th January 1858, pursuant to the
9th section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WARREN FISK SHATTUCK, of No. 373, Strand, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare that the nature of the Invention
for "A SMUT MACHINE," communicated to me by Leonard Smith, of
Troy, in the County of Rensselaer, in the State of New York, in the
United States of America, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, are particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
The Invention consists in combining blowers and scouring machinery
in one complete machine, for pulverising the smut, and scouring and
separating the smut, chaff, and other foreign matters from the grain,.as
herein-after described.
Figure 1, is a vertical section, taken through the centre of the whole
machine; Figure 2, the top view; Figure 3, a view of half the top
plate, taken from the under side, and grate attached thereto;, Figure 4,
a view of the top rubber, which has combined therewith blowers, and
also represents the manner of arranging the beaters; and Figure 5,
a view of one of the scourers, with an arrangement of draught floats
attached. The same letters indicate like parts in all the Figures.
The construction is as follows:-1 employ an outside casing of sheet
metal, perforated with elongated openings (a, a,) attached to framework.
The top contains two inclined scrolls (A, A,) which are hollow on the
inside, and have an opening (b) and a spout (c) leading therefrom for
the discharging of chaff, smut balls, &c., immediately after their entering
the machine through the grate B, which is placed under the hollow
scroll and on the same plane with the top of the machine. This top is
intended to discharge all light foreign matters that are loose and mixed
with the grain as it enters the top of the machine and is carried under
the grate, and at the same time takes--away-and discharges all the
smut that may be broken by the time it arrives at the edge of the
rubber immediately under the grate and scroll. The grate forms a
surface for the grain to operate against for the purpose of scouring,
while at the same time the filth passes through into the scroll and out
at the spout (c), and by this operation dispenses with a fanning mill
frequently used in mills for like purposes. (e, c',) are openings in the
top for the admission of the grain which 'falls on the circular metal
sheathed wooden rubber (D); the said rubber is attached permanently.
to the revolving shaft (E), and is filled with spikes (d, d) on tlie top
and edge. The centre of the top of the machine is left open for the space
of about ten inches, and admits a face wheel (F), the arms of which are
placed at an angle of about sixty degrees, more or less, from the per-
.

page_text: pendicular line, and constitute blowers. The arms (e, e,) of the rubber
D, are so arranged as to constitute the same manner of blower as (F),
the fans in the upper rubber standing in the same liue of angle and
direction as in (e, e). Below the rubber I employ scourers (f.f.fi)
constructed of sheet metal and punched full of holes, with the bur of
the holes on the upper side; the scourers are left open in the centre
to about the same diameter as the rubber, and are supported by arms
(9, 9,) secured permanently to the shaft (E); (h, h.) are draft floats
secured to the scourers when cleansing buck wheat or damp grain.
These floats may be used in any number that may be thought best
on one or all of the scourers. In the Drawing, Figure 1, I have
represented two, which is the usual number used on a scourer. The
floats (h) are to be set with more or less draught, thus carrying the
grain towards the centre, whence it is brought towards the outside
casing by the centrifugal impetus given at the same time that it is
scoured by passing over the scourers (ff,f); thus the grain passes
from the outside of the machine towards the centre and back again,
which causes it to traverse over more space and become more thoroughly
scoured, as it is retained in the machine longer thereby. The floats
may be set so as some of them to throw the grain inwardly, and
others to throw it outwardly, and thus causing a more severe action
upon the grain. I employ vertical beaters (i, i, i) secured upon the
Scourers (ff. f.) which assist in thoroughly beating the grain, and
dislodging particles of dust, &c.
The bottom of the machine (H) is of a concave bowl form, with an
opening in the bottom (,) and arms (m, m.) extending across the
same for the rest and support of the shaft. The said armis extend into
the interior of the concave bottom, and form winged projections on the "
edge of the opening of the same, and similar wings (i, j) Figure 6,
are placed between the arms. These distribute the grain and thus
allow a free circulation of air through it as it falls from the machine.
The upper edge of the concave bottom is surrounded by an air cham-
ber (I), which has one or more openings as at (n), for the discharge
of smut, chaff, &c. through the discharge spout (o), through which the
The inside wall of the
fans (J. J.) cause a current of air to flow.

page_text: air chamber (p) is fluted next to the fans to give the grain a final
beating as it is repelled from the fans. The air chamber may be formed
in different ways, and have as many openings for the discharge of dirt
as may be deemed necessary, according to the size of the machine and
the quantity of grain to be cleaned per hour. (g) is a tube leading into
the oil cup (7), which receives the lower end of and constitutes the
bearing of the shaft. (s) is the screw in the bottom coming in contact
with the oil cup for the purpose of raising and lowering the inside
works of the machine, and lessening the space between the rubber and
the grate or upper part of the machine, for the purpose of obtaining
the most proper action upon the grain, as some parcels are more filthy
than others, and require closer rubbing. The operation being as
follows: The cylinder is driven at the speed of about five bundred
revolutions per minute. The grain is let in at the openings (c', c',)
Figure 2, in the top, and drops upon the rubber D. This first opera-
tion is connected with the grates B, B, gives it the first scouring, and
separates the chaft, smut, smut balls, and other light substances from
the grain, which has its escape through the grates, and is led off by the
spiral scrolls through the spouts (c, c,) Fig. 2.) The grain next falls
below the rubber, where it is caught by the beaters and thrown
against the outside casing, and on its reaction falls upon the scourers
(f). In this operation the grain is kept constantly turning by
means of the beaters, as they strike in different angles in consequence
of their relative positions. Thus it is beat and scoured successively in
its descent to the lower part of the machine; meantime all the smut
and fine dirt which is separated from the grain is blown off through
openings (a, a,) in the outside casing by the vertical fans (G, G), the
machine being supplied with air through the top and bottom by the
fans, as described. The grain, in passing from the lower scourer to the
bottom of the machine, is operated upon by the beaters and fans (J, J),
and is beat against the flutes (p, p.) on the air chamber, and receives
its last scouring, all smut balls, &c. being destroyed that may remain
unbroken. The fans (J, J,) receive their supply of air through the
bottom of the concave bowl where the grain has its discharge from
the machine, and the smut, chaft, &c., which is latterly disengaged

page_text: from the grain, is blown into the air chamber (1), carried around and
discharged through the openings in the air chamber (n), to the dis-
charge spout (o). It will be readily seen that the light substances
which are capable of being blown out by the current cannot escape
with the grain, as the current of air which supplies the fans (J, J.) is
taken in at the bottom where the grain is discharged, thus securing a
current of air through the grain as it is discharged from the machine
in an opposite course, i. c. the air passes in through the grain while the
grain passes out, and then passes through the grain the second time to
the air chamber. The space between the fans and bottom immediately
under the air chamber (I) gives room for the grain to scatter after
being latterly met and thrashed against the plates of the air chamber,
and consequently allows the free circulation of the current of air
through it, thus perfectly separating all substances capable of being
blown out by the fans. The concave bottom gathers the grain, and also
gives proper direction to the dirt which is blown out through the
chamber I, and the projections separate the grain as it leaves the
bottom, allowing the blast to pass through it.
Figure 7, is a vertical section of a modification of the smut machine.
In this Figure the fans J, J, are at the top of the machine, in lieu of
being placed at the bottom, as in Figure 1, and the air is blown in
through a hollow cylinder S, surrounding the central shaft E. Several
holes are made in the cylinder S, just above each of the scourers
(fff) to allow of the passage of the air. ,,, are hollow
inverted cones which are fixed to the case; an opening is made in
the centre of the cone to allow the grain to pass between it and the
cylinder. The grain passes in at the top of the machine, and is conveyed
by the first cone towards the centre of the first scourer, which flings it
out by centrifugal force against the casing, and at the same time the
current of air which is driven in by the fans J, J, carries the smut and
other foreign matters through the casing, which is either perforated with
holes, or made of wire cloth. The grain falls on the second cone, which
conducts it towards the centre of the second scourer, and so on until
the grain reaches the bottom of the machine and passes out at the
spout; a portion of the air escapes there, and blows away the remaining

page_text: smut or other light foreign matters: The cones a, a, may also be used
in connection with the scourers, when the fans J, J, are placed at the
bottom of the machine.
the
:
Another modification of the machine is obtained by fixing fans' ón
upper
surfaces of the scourers (f.f.f.) in Figure 7, and removing
the fans J, J, with their casing. The fans on the scourers will then
draw in the air through the cylinder S, and drive it through the grain
and through the perforations in the casing. These fans, or some of
them, may also carry brushes, which brush the surface of the case,
and clear the perforations from smut and other matters, besides
brushing the grain which is flung against the case by the action of the
machine.
.
Having thus described and represented the construction and operation.
of my new and improved smut machine for cleansing grain, what I
claim therein as new, and I desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First, the grates (B, B,) on the top of the machine in combination
with the scrolls or spiral chambers (A, A,) and spouts (C, C,) for dis-
charging smut and other light materials carried up by the blast, as
set forth.
Second, I claim the chamber (I) at the bottom of the cylinder, which
concentrates and gives free discharge to all foreign matter to be separated
from the grain by the blast in the last stage of operation of the machine.
as described and represented.
Third, I claim in combination with the concave bottom which gathers
the grain for its discharge from the machine the distributors (j. j.)
Figure 6, which give direction in the discharge of the grain separated
from the foreign matter by the blast.
'
Fourth, I claim the draft floats (h, h, h,) in combination with the
Scourers (ff) for cleansing grain, as set forth.
Fifth, I claim the scourers (fif. f) perforated from beneath, with
or without beaters and floats.
Sixth, I claim the ventilators (F and J) for taking in air at top and
bottom of machine.
Seventh, I claim the rubber (D), constructed of wood, covered with
sheet iron, and filled with spikes.

page_text: Eighth, I claim the combination of the scourers with the cones and
fans, as shown in Figure 7, and the modifications thereof, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Warren Fisk Shattuck, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
W. F. SHATTUCK (L.S.)