Improvements in Machines for Sorting Grain, Seeds, Powders, and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th May, 1896-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Sorting Grain, Seeds, Powders, and
the like.
CHARLES EDWARD MUMFORD St. Andrew's Iron Works Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the arrangement and construction of
machines for dressing & sorting grain, seed and other substances.
I use a frame made of wood or iron of usual construction (provided with feed
hopper or box) in which is supported a shoe or case containing riddles arranged as
usual in dressing machines, the grain being passed on to & sifted through these
riddles as in machines of well known construction.
After passing through the shoe or riddle case the grain falls on to a sifting bed
supported in frame which is made to reciprocate. The riddle or sieve in the said
frame being of the selfcleaning type commonly known as "Boby screen" (and also
mentioned in my Patent 9936 1888) & this selfcleaning is effected by the wire bed
moving backwards & forwards. The spaces between the wires (which are placed
in a longitudinal position) being kept clear by means of washers inserted between
the wire and which are held in position by transverse rods passing beneath the bed,
and resting in slots or grooves in bearings on each side of bed.
I sometimes use instead of this selfcleaning bed either wove wire or perforated
metal.
In the front part of the said frame containing the before described riddle shoe
& reciprocating screen I fix a blower which aspirates the grain or seed under
treatment as it falls from the selfcleaning screen.
The light substances drawn out by the aspirator are discharged in the front of
the apparatus as in machines of well known construction.
The air discharged by the aspirator instead of being blown at once into a stive
room as in machines of well known construction is utilized by being blown through
the riddle case or shoe of the dresser. The fan being thus made to effect a double
purpose that is, to act as an aspirator and also as a blower at one and the same
time, and I sometimes dispense with any riddles or sieves making the fan both to
blow & aspirate the grain in its passage through the framework of the machine.
Dated this 26th day of November 1895.
CHARLES EDWARD MUMFORD.
Improvements in Machines for Sorting Grain, Seeds, Powders, and
the like.
CHARLES EDWARD MUMFORD St. Andrew's Iron Works Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk Engineer 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 :-
c
My invention relates to improvements in machines for sorting, separating, and

page_text: cleaning gram, seeds, powder and the like, more particularly with reference to che
arrangement of the riddles and discharge of the air through them, and thence into
a hood at the back of the machine.
The said hood being relieved of the air by the same fan which blows the air in
to it, and the method and arrangement of certain valves directing the air currents
blown through the riddles by this fan as I shall describe referring to the accom-
panying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan.
The apparatus consists of a wood frame in which is suspended a shoe or riddle
case A. which is hung upon springs, and made to reciprocate by means of a dip or
eccentric, as in machines of well known construction.
The grain is fed in or on to the riddles of this shoe or riddle case from feed.
box B above it. The grain passing through the riddles fall on to a self-cleaning
screen or sieve such as described in the Patent of myself and David Hearn
No. 9936 '88 and manufactured by me for many years.
The said self-cleaning screen is caused to reciprocate by means of a dip or
eccentric.
The large substances are riddled away from the grain by means of the riddles in
the shoe or case A and fall out a spout D at side of the machine, and the grain is
further sifted and graded by means of the self-cleaning screen in the case or
frame C.
Light substances as will presently be explained are blown into the hood E which
is provided with doors for emptying at F F.
The method of air blast and control is as follows.
G represents an aspirating fan which is moved by means of a belt from the dip
shaft of the machine, and which sucks air from the two side ducts H H communi-
cating partly with the grain shoot M and partly with the two side trunks or
ducts N N which said trunks or ducts extend on either side of the casing of the
apparatus through into the hood E and this fan discharges through the trunk J
into the hood E.
In this trunk J is placed a valve controlled by the handle K. and immediately
above this trunk is a vertical discharge spout L. Thus the air is part of it
blown into the hood E and part of it finally discharged up this vertical trunk L
which should be connected with either a stive or dust chamber or the like
contrivance.
By means of the handle & valve K a certain quantity of air discharged from the
fan is blown along the air trunk which is a continuation of the spout J, this
volume of air, which is regulated by the valve and the handle K is thrown
direct through the riddles in the riddle case or box A. and so into the dust
hood E.
This trunk O is further provided at the top and bottom of the end nearest the
riddles with two other valves P. & Q and by these valves the blast can be either
depressed or lifted either beneath or upon the riddles.
The dust hood E. is relieved of the air thus thrown into it by means of the
suction of the fan through the two before mentioned side spouts or ducts N N.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1st. The aspirating fan operating substantially as described, provided with a
trunk blowing through riddles into a dust hood and having regulating valves as
described, & sucking back out of the said hood by means of one or more ducts the
volume of air that has been thrown in, so that there shall not be a back pressure
of wind upon the riddle, the said fan discharging ultimately at a relief spout as
shewn and described.

page_text: 2nd. I claim the above arrangement as described working in combination with a
self-cleaning screen substantially as described in the Patent of myself and David
Hearn dated July 9th No. 9936 '88.
Dated this 29th day of May 1896.
CHARLES EDWARD MUMFORD.