Improvements in the Process and Machinery for Washing, Shelling, and Drying Grain.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Process and Machinery for Washing, Shelling,
and Drying Grain.
I, JOHANN STEFAN STEINMETZ, Mill-Engineer, of 2^, Aeussere Halleschestrasse,
Leipzig-Gohlis, in the Empire of Germany, 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:—
Although hitherto the washing of grain has been effected in special apparatus,
especially in order to remove the specifically light and heavier parts and this new
process also obtains this result, the washing in this process principally effects the
purpose of softening the husk of the grain and then removing it."
The working of this new process is forcible and is effected so quickly, that it
is possible to keep the thus washed and then shelled grain as dry as is necessary
in milling.
But where it is not necessary to dry the grain as in the making of bread of
whole corn or in breweries, starch factories or the like, this new process is of great
value, because it is possible, by separating the water separating and polishing
compartments to have the grain, which is freed in the water, at the same time,
from stones, dirt and germs as well as from the husks, better prepared than has
hitherto been done.
According to the kind of grain or the purpose for which the grain is intended
and the use to be made of the shells, there can be used for this process either of
two forms of apparatus.
In apparatus
the removed shells are delivered from the ventilator substan-
tially free from water, but in apparatus II the shells will pass off in the current
with the light scum from the grain and they then may be separated from the
water.
In both apparatus the same working principles are used which consist in soak-
ing and rendering the shells loose by means of water and drawing them off the
grain by friction between themselves and displacement in a manner similar to
that in an almond apparatus.
The separation of the shell from the grain whether done by air or water is
similar, as the shelled grain is rolled in the turning direction from below upwards
over the middle axle of the separating device, whereby the shells are drawn off
the grains and can then be separated by suction ventilators or by flotation.
This movement over the middle axle of the separating device is compulsory
and is repeated each time the grain passes over or between specially provided
guiding plates.
Also the manner of the movement is in principle the same in both apparatus.
In the annexed drawings.
Fig. 1 is a cross section. Fig. 2 a longitudinal section and Fig. 3 a detail view
of apparatus I, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 a cross section of
apparatus II.
The apparatus I consists of a washing worm with separating device, rolling
drum, and shelling arrangement.

page_text: The apparatus II consists of washing and shelling device, separating device,
and polishing device.
In the apparatus I the raw grain falls through the stirring device a into the
vat of the washing apparatus A filled with water, where in consequence of the
direction of current of the water flowing in at b, the specifically light parts, chatt,
out grown grains and the like go upwards, and the specifically heavier parts,
iron, stones, and the like fall against the water current through the opening d
of the vat, whilst the good grain is kept swimming by the water current and is
seized by the rotating worm shaft and carried upwards into the channel e to the
water separator device.
This device consisting of a cylindrical siever having a rotary open agitator N
which separates the superfluous water and delivers the damp grain to the rolling
drum B.
The latter turns the grain in the hollow space between two drums f and g
placed one inside the other and provided with rough surfaces, to loosen the damp
shells by pressure and tossing movement and to make the grain more suitable for
shelling.
These drums can both turn, but the exterior drum can also be stationary.
The interior drum moves the corn by any number of inclined bars h or worms
for the purpose of effecting a continuous rolling of the grain under pressure
between the two drums.
The grain thus prepared by washing and loosening passes uninterruptedly to
the shelling, polishing, and drying machine; there it is seized by the rough
shelling disks E arranged on a shaft, and is rolled between fixed blocks F form-
ing between them grooves and having wedge like surfaces, and the grain is thus
shelled, and then thrown in the turning direction from below upwards into the
air, so that the ventilator V can carry off the loosened shells and also dry the
grain.
In consequence of the turning movement the process is repeated successively
between all the disks, the transport from one to the other being effected by the
wedge like surfaces of the interposed blocks F (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) so that the
grain leaves the machine in a dry and polished state, at the outlet W.
In apparatus II the washing and shelling device consists of a drum T pro-
vided on its outer face with wedge like or angular grooves which have a rough
surface. This drum turns in a trough M, which is equally provided with rough
projections or tooth shaped longitudinal grooves 2.
These longitudinal grooves of the drum and of the trough may be straight
or may cross one another or be of any other form, the best give to the drum and
trough a ratchet like cross section.
This shelling drum has at one end and near the entrance for the grain, wings k
in order to produce an eddy, by which the grains are attracted and conducted to
the working place, whilst the heavy particles mixed therewith are not carried
away, but fall down and are collected at o.
At the other end of this drum there is a small elevator or any other arrangement,
which lifts the grain out of the water and delivers it to the chute leading to the
water separating device.
The latter consists of a slowly turning perforated cylinder C with an interior
agitator S, which turns quickly and drives the water out.
The grain falls out at the opposite end from which it entered into the polishing
device.
The polishing device is similar to the shelling device. Here also a rough
drum G provided with large wedge shaped grooves m turns in a rough trough H,
whereby the grain is thrown into the air and is traversed by the current of air
produced by a suction ventilator X.
For the purpose of better polishing, the drum may be provided with brushes K
at its end.

page_text: The water admission is arranged opposite one side of the washing drum T in
such a manner that the grain passes finally through clean water.
Also the grain coming from the elevator can be washed with clean water
supplied by a small water pipe.
The apparatus works as follows:-
The grain entering at n is seized in the water by the eddy which the propellor k
produces, and carried in the turning direction between the drum T and the
trough M, whilst stones, iron, and the like fall into the trough o, which is
emptied from time to time.
In the water the grain is rubbed through the longitudinal groove c, pressed,
rolled and loosened, so that the grains with repeated movement between the rough
surfaces are detached from their shells and pass in the turning direction upwards,
where the shells then swim off with the light scum at p.
This process is frequently repeated while the grains are carried by the guiding
plates. or surfaces L to the end of the drum, where a small elevator with buckets
of perforated plate lifts the grain out of the water and conducts it to the water
separating device.
Here the dampness, also the fresh water added by the washing tap is removed
as much as possible.
There may be round the sieve covering C a steam or hot air pipe for the purpose
of better drying for softer varieties of grain.
Then the grain passes into the polishing device, which works like the shelling
device in apparatus I with shelling disks or shelling drum. At the end there may
he provided a brush in order to remove the fine hairs, pieces of husk, or the like.
It is indifferent for the effect of apparatus I or II whether the shelling device
works with shelling disks and interposed blocks or with a grooved shelling drum
in a rough trough.
The working principles are the same, that is to say, the rubbing of the grains
between themselves and between groove like rough surfaces which loosen and
remove the shells like the movement of the finger when shelling almonds
Only the successive action of the various working parts even if they are locally
distant from one another, can effect the process of washing and drying in one
working.
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:-
1. The process of washing, shelling, and drying grain of any kind in one work-
ing, whereby the grain immediately after or during the washing is loosened in
uninterrupted working by the friction of the grains between themselves and
between rough wedge shaped surfaces and freed from the shells in such a manner,
that the grain is delivered clean and dry polished.
2. For the process as in Claim 1, the device for washing the grain consisting
of a rising worm with adjacent water separating device in immediate connection
with a rough double drum B which is provided with worm passages or bars for
rolling loosening and moving the wet grain, an adjacent shelling device consisting
of rough shelling disks E, turning on a longitudinal axle and which are provided
with bosses for moving between groove like roughened fixed blocks F in order
that the exterior shells are drawn off, so that they are thrown with the grain into
the air and drawn off continuously by a ventilator V which also dries the grain.
3. For the process as in Claim 1, an apparatus wherein the grain enters at n
into a water containing trough M, containing at the same time the shelling and
washing arrangement consisting of a drum T with an angular grooved roughened
surface and provided with wings k said drum operating in conjunction with the
rough projections or grooves i of the trough M, the stones dirt etc. being
collected at o, the grain after shelling being first lifted out of the water, then
submitted to a water separator C, S and finally to the action of a polishing drum G

page_text: working with friction between wedge shaped rough surfaces and throwing the
grain over its middle axle whereby it is polished, ventilated, and dried, the pro-
cess according to requirements being assisted by use of artificially warmed air or
by steam heating of the trough H.
Dated this 15th dow of Nonomber 1907
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London.