Improvements in Cockle Cylinders or Apparatus for Separating Cockle and other Seeds or Grain.
Year: 1888

page_text: ate of Application, 23rd May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 1889
⚫omplete Specification Accepted, 30th Mar., 1889
Improvements in Cockle Cylinders or Apparatus for Separating
Cockle and other Seeds or Grain.
.
I, PIETER VAN GELDER of Sowerby Bridge in the County of York, Milling.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In cockle machines at the present time, that is machines for separating cockle and
other small seeds from wheat barley and other grain, long pitted cylinders are used,
mill furnisher requires to have a very large stock of these cylinders as there
are about forty different varieties and a large number of different lengths of each
variety.
and
Now by my invention I construct these cylinders in a cheaper manner than usnal,
make them quite as strong and durable and at the same time require to keep very
much less stock and in a very much more convenient form. I am also enabled to use
an internal brush to clean the cylinders and extract from the pockets grains that get
wedged.
I form my cylinder of a series of shorter cylinders instead of one single long
cylinder, these shorter cylinders being made by turning off pieces of longer tubes.
Between these short cylinders I place Tiron rings having perforated lugs at intervals,
the shank of the T pointing inwards. The short cylinders of pocket metal that is
pitted with small pockets all over the interior are placed against the web or shank of
the T fitting it closely and the T is so constructed that the shank shall project only to
the internal surface plane of the cylinders. The ends of the cylinders are fixed on
in the usual manner but are also provided with lugs and bolts passing through the lugs
of all the rings tie the whole together.
Inside the cylinder I place above the ordinary tray a revolving brush or series of
radial whisks on a shaft extending through the cylinder. These brush the internal
surface at the top and knock off any wedged seed into either a separate trough
provided with a screw or into a main tray.

page_text: In this specification I have simply shown the best mode known to me of carrying
my invention into effect but it is obvious that the details can be altered very consider-
ably and yet the main principle be followed out.
2000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cockle Cylinders or Apparatus for Separating
Cockle and other Seeds or Grain.
I, PIETER VAN GELDER of Sowerby Bridge in the County of York, Milling
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:-
In cockle machines at the present time, that is machines for separating cockle and
other small seeds from wheat barley and other grain, long pitted cylinders are used,
and a mill furnisher requires to have a very large stock of these cylinders as there are
about forty different varieties and a large number of different lengths of each variety.
Now by my invention, I construct these cylinders in a cheaper manner than usual,
I make them quite as strong and durable, and at the same time I require to keep very
much less stock and am enabled to keep it in a very much more convenient form than
heretofore. I am also enabled to use one long internal brush to clean the cylinders
and to extract from the pockets grains that get wedged.
The mode of carrying my invention into effect may be understood from the accom-
panying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my improved machine.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on line xa, Figure 1, looking towards the left.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar sections on lines y y and zz Figure 1, respectively
looking towards the right.
Figure 5 is a detail view hereinafter more fully described.
Instead of forming my cockle cylinder of one long tube I form it of a series of
shorter cylinders A A, which may be made separately or by turning off short lengths
from long tubes. The cylinders are pitted on the interior, that is, they are provided
with a series of small pockets all over their inner surface. Between the short

page_text: cylinders A A, I place Tiron rings B B, having perforated lugs or their equivalent
at intervals round their circumference, as seen in Figure 2, where four lugs are shown
to each ring, as being a convenient number. The shank or web of each T-iron ring
points inwards, and the ends of the adjacent cylinders are placed close against the
sides of such web with their outer surfaces bearing against the inner faces of the
flanges of the ring. The T iron ring is so constructed that its web only projects
inwards to the level of the internal surface of the cylinders.
The end pieces CD of the cockle cylinder may be fixed on to the short cylinders
in the ordinary manner, but I prefer the following more convenient method: The end
piece C is mounted loosely upon an adjustable bearing collar C¹ fixed upon the lower
end of the non-rotating shaft E which passes centrally through the entire cockle cylinder.
The end piece C is provided with a series of radial arms (four being shown in
the drawing) which are bent over so as to lie parallel to the axis of the cylinder and
are provided at their outer ends with cover pieces C adapted to fit over the end of the
adjacent cylinder A and hold the latter in position.
The upper end piece D fits into the end Ṭ iron piece B which is provided with
arms B, Figure 2, and is also mounted loosely upon an adjustable bearing collar B
similar to the collar C at the lower end of the cylinder. The end piece D serves as a
driving pulley for rotating the cylinder, and the flange D¹ thereon serves to retain the
produce introduced by the hopper F into the cylinder during the rotation of the
same.
The end pieces C and D are also provided with perforated lugs d or their
equivalent; long bolts G are passed through them and through the lugs on the T
pieces B, the whole being thus tied firmly together so as to form one rigid cylinder
capable of rotating about the axis of the shaft and without any internal arms except
the arms C and B at each end of the cylinder.
With a cylinder constructed as above, I am enabled to take the entire cylinder to
pieces, to change or renew the lengths A and to put it together again in a few minutes.
Also I can readily build up cylinders of various total lengths, and with one or more
varieties of pitted surfaces, out of a comparatively small stock of cylinders.
The above construction of cylinder having no intermediate internal arms also enables
me to place a revolving brush or a series of radial whisks within the cylinder and
running the whole or nearly the whole length of the same, and also to simplify
and improve the ordinary arrangement of tray and discharge screw in a similar
direction.
The brush or series of whisks H is supported above the ordinary tray J upon a
shaft H' which is journalled in bearings in the frames E' secured upon the shaft E
at each end of the cylinder. The brush H is revolved in contact with the upper side
of the cylinder, by means of a pinion upon the shaft H' and gearing with a spur
wheel carried by the end piece C. Or the gearing hh may be replaced by pullies
provided with a belt. The brush cleans the internal surface of the cylinder and knocks
off any cockle seed, which may have become wedged in the pockets, into the tray J
or other convenient receptacle provided with suitable discharge apparatus.
J is the ordinary tray of a cockle cylinder which is in this instance extended the
entire length of the cylinder and is also supported upon the frames E' aforesaid.
The cylinder rotating in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2 carries round with
it any cockle seeds which have been able to enter its pockets. A doctor K preferably
of indiarubber fingers as shown in plan in Figure 5 prevents the grain from passing
beyond it, and also dislodges any material which projects much beyond the outer
edges of the pockets. The cockle seed is thus carried beyond the doctor and falls, or
is brushed out upon the tray J. The material which cannot pass the doctor, instead
of being allowed to fall back upon the heap below it, falls upon a plate or series of
flexible fingers L Figure 2, placed in proximity to the interior surface of the
cylinder and rolls down the same on to the lower and comparatively unoccupied
portion of the cylinder, where any cockle seeds it may contain will have a better chance
of entering the pockets.

page_text: The tray is provided with a worm J¹ also journalled in the frames E', and by
means of which the cockle seed is discharged from the tray and escapes between
the arms C² of the cylinder. The worm is driven from the cylinder by the gear j.
The grain is discharged through the openings a near the lower end of the cylinder
and is prevented from passing beyond the openings by an annular plate A', which is
secured to the end of the cylinder by being slipped over the projecting tongues a
thereof, the said tongues corresponding in their positions to the arms C³.
The inclination of the tray J and doctor K may be adjusted as required by turning
the shaft E in its end bearings M. N. This may be conveniently done by means of a
hand lever n, Figures 1 and 4, attached to the shaft. The lever is provided with
a suitable bolt or pin n which passes through a fixed slotted quadrant n² and by means
of which the shaft, and the parts carried by it, may be clamped in any required
position. The axial inclination of the entire apparatus may be also adjusted as
required, by means of the screws m placed beneath the upper bearing the sole of the
lower bearing being preferably so constructed as to allow of the small amount of
movement consequent upon such adjustment. The bearings are of such a construction
that one or both may he readily removed when it is necessary to change or renew the
cylinders A.
It is obvious that the details of construction may be varied considerably without
departing from the main principles of the invention.
Throughout this specification the words "cockle" or "cockle seed
are not to be
understood in their literal or specific sense, but they must be held to mean-the seeil or
other matter to be extracted from the general mass of material. In a similar
manner, the word "grain" means generally the material which it is desired to obtain
in a purified condition.
. Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is:
-
1. A "cockle" cylinder constructed of a series of shorter interchangeable
cylinders jointed at their adjacent ends by external T shaped rings having their
inturned webs inserted as described between the ends of the cylinders, and held
together as a rigid whole by means of long holts passing through projections on the
extreme end pieces and through corresponding projections on the exterior of the
Tpieces, substantially as and for the purposes described.
"
2. In combination with cockle" cylinder constructed substantially as set forth,
a rotatable brush or series of whisks extending approximately the entire length of the
cylinder and adapted to work against the upper portion of tho interior thereof, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. The herein described improvements in "cockle" cylinders, which consist in
forming the cylinder of a series of shorter interchangeable cylinders placed end to end
without intermediate internal supporting arins, whereby their cost is diminished
without sacrificing their durability and strength, they are rendered more portable, a
less stock is required to be kept on hand and their internal arrangements may be
simplified and improved.
Dated this 20th day of February 1889.