IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING AND POLISHING GRAIN
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING AND POLISHING GRAIN."
A communication from abroad by John Martin Galt, of Sterling, Illinois,
United States of America, Manufacturer.
Sealed the 17th May 1878, and dated the 21st November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st November 1877.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING
AND POLISHING GRAIN." [A communication from abroad by John Martin Galt, of
Sterling, Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
This Invention relates to a machine in which grain in passing through is scoured
and polished, and separated from the impurities that are rubbed from it; and the
Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts of the
imechanism, as will be herein-after described.
A machine constructed according to this Invention is provided with a frame,
which supports the working parts, and upon this frame is placed a base plate. This
base plate is cast with an opening through its centre, beyond which there is a trough,
and outside of the trough an annular passage, with which a series of air openings
communicate, and an exit passage. The said annular passage does not extend
entirely around the base plate, being interrupted by passages leading from the said
trough through to an exit passage or discharge opening, whence the grain passes from
the scourer and polisher into the air blast; and, finally, this base plate is furnished
with a concentric flange, for a purpose to be herein-after explained. There is a top
plate smaller in diameter than the bottom one, and which is also furnished with a
concentric flange, which acts in connection with the first-named concentric flange
on the bottom-plate for holding a conical screen, and in this top plate are openings,
into which the grain is fed to the machine.

page_text: I provide an outer shell or case of conical form, which is held between the top
and base plates in the usual way. The said screen is made in sections, and it is held
by the said concentric flanges on the top and bottom plates, and so as to leave a
space between itself and the outer case. This screen is also conical, and its upper
portion is made of woven wire for forming a scouring surface, and its under portion
is made of perforated metal (sheets or plates) for forming a polishing surface. In-
side the said conical screen is arranged a conical brush, which is made in sections
by preference, and this brush is hollow, and held to heads which have bearings in
them, by which they and the brush are secured to, so as to revolve with a shaft.
The bristles of the brush run near the interior surface of the screen, and are
subject to wear, and must, of necessity, to be efficient be capable of being brought and
kept in contact with the screen. To this end, in addition to the ordinary adjustment
through or by means of a bridge tree, which is limited, I provide the following
device, that is to say, at or near the centre of the brush there is a disc or ring, to
which the brush staves or sections are united. In the centre or hub of this disc or
ring there is cut a screw thread, and upon the aforesaid shaft there is also cut a
screw that will run into the one on or in the hub of the disc or ring, so that by first
backing or loosening the set screws that hold the brush to the shaft, and then
turning the said shaft, the brush may be moved up until the bristles are again in
contact with the screen.
I am aware that a cylindrical brush has been used in connection with a cylin-
drical screen; but this arrangement, in addition to that of not admitting of the
brush, as herein stated, is objectionable, as the grain drops through too fast for a
thorough cleaning; whereas, by a conical brush, the grain is held against the
screening and polishing surfaces for a longer period, and cannot drop to any extent
between the screen and brush, as the latter catches it, and moves it against the
screen. By making the said screen conical, and of two different kinds or qualities
of rubbing surface, namely, woven wire above, and punched plate metal below, the
scouring by the upper surface is immediately followed by the polishing of the grain
against the smoother sheet or plate metal, and with this additional advantage, that
the diameter of the brush is greater opposite the sheet or plate part of the screen,
and the polishing requires a quicker motion of the brush than the scouring does
Both conditions are found in making the brush conical, and the screen of the
different material herein-before mentioned, so as to scour and polish the grain as it
passes through once.
The shaft may be revolved by a belt passing around a pulley, and upon the top
of the shaft is arranged a fan, which revolves in a fan case. The blades, and some-
times the arms of the fan, are curved, so that they must run in a particular direction;
and it often happens, when the machine is to be connected with the driving power,
that the latter turns in a wrong direction for the vanes of the fan. To avoid this
difficulty I make my fan case with its heads and eyes exactly alike, and separate or
separable from an air trunk, so that if the driving power runs in the wrong
direction for the curvature of the fan blades, the fan and case may be disconnected,
turned upside down, and refastened to the shaft, and both will then correspond.
The upper eye is closed by a plate, which is applicable to either eye when it is
uppermost.
To a collar upon the aforesaid shaft, below the base of the brush, there are
attached one, two, or more stirrers or movers, which sweep around through the
trough where the treated grain falls, and move the grain around to the outlet,
whence it passes into the fan blast to divest it of all impurities. The dust and
hulls scoured and rubbed off the grains by the brush rolling them against the
screen, pass through the said screen, and are drawn down through the space between
the screen and the outer case, and through the air openings into the annular
chamber by the exhaust blast created by the fan, and passing out of the exit go
directly into a wind trunk, and thence up and through the other air trunk into the
fan case, and out at an opening.
The grain which passes out at the discharge opening drops into a blast, which passes

page_text: up through a trunk, the light impurities going up with the blast to the fan case, while
the cleaned wheat drops out below. The ascending current through a passage is
deflected, and passes down under a board, which so slackens its force as to cause it
to drop anything heavier than the light impurities into an eddy chamber, whence it
can be taken out through an opening covered by a valve or slide. Also with
regard to the blast through the aforesaid wind trunk, any grain that may have
passed out through the exit, or anything heavier than the light impurities, will
drop into an eddy chamber, whence it can be removed through an opening, which is
commanded by a door or slide. The fine impurities are all drawn into the fan case
by the exhaust blast, and thence out of the building, if necessary.
I am aware that a conical brush, in which the bristles are secured in a solid block
of wood, said block of wood having a vertical hollow screw shaft extending entirely
through it, within which works a screw shaft for adjusting the brush, is old, and
therefore is not a part of this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
May 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING
AND POLISHING GRAIN." A communication from abroad by John Martin Galt, of
Sterling, Illinois, United States of America, Manufacturer.
This Invention relates to a machine in which grain is scoured and polished and
separated from the impurities that are rubbed from it; and the said Invention
consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts of the
mechanism, as herein-after described.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the said machine with a portion of the outer
case broken away to expose the screen within it.
Figure 2 represents on an enlarged scale a vertical section through the said
machine.
Figure 3 represents the conical screen separated from the machine.
Figure 4 is a plan or top view of the bottom plate; and Figure 5 is a horizontal
section through the conical brush and the screen around it.
The frame which supports the operative parts of the machine is shown at A, and
upon this frame is placed the base plate B, separately shown in Figure 4. This base
plate is cast with an opening a through its centre, beyond which there is a trough b,
and outside of the trough an annular passage c, with which a series of air openings d
communicate, and an exit passage c. The annular passage c does not extend
entirely around, the base plate being interrupted at f by passages leading from the
trough b to an exit passage or discharge opening g, whence the grain passes from
the scourer and polisher into the air blast; and, finally, this base plate is furnished
with a concentric flange h, for a purpose herein-after explained. The top plate C is

page_text: smaller in diameter than the bottom plate, and it is also furnished with a concentric
flange i, which acts in connection with the flange. h on the said bottom plate for
holding the conical screen D. In this top plate C are the openings j through which
the grain is fed to the machine.
The outer shell or case E is of conical form, and is held between the top and base
plates in the usual manner. The screen D is made in sections, and is held by the
concentric flanges h and i on the top and bottom plates, and a space k is left
between itself and the outer case. This screen is also conical; its upper portion is
made of woven wire to form a scouring surface, and its under portion m is made of
perforated metal (sheets or plates) to form a polishing surface. Inside of the
conical screen D is arranged the conical brush F, made in sections by preference.
This brush is hollow, and held to the heads n, which have bearings in them,
whereby they and the brush are secured to and revolve with the shaft G. The
bristles of the brush run near the interior surface of the screen D, and are subject
to wear, and must, to be efficient, be capable of being brought and kept in contact
with the screen. For this purpose, in addition to the ordinary adjustment through
or by means of the bridge tree H, which is limited, I have contrived the following
devices, that is to say, at or near the centre of the brush there is a disc or ring I, to
which the brush staves or sections are united. In the centre or hub of this disc or
ring I is cut a screw thread, and upon the shaft G is also cut a screw that will run
into the thread in the hub of the disc or ring, so that by first backing or loosening
the set screws that hold the brush to the shaft, and then turning the shaft G, the
brush can be moved up until the bristles are again in contact with the screen. By
making the screen D conical and of two different kinds or qualities of rubbing surface,
namely, woven wire above and punched plate metal below, the scouring by the upper
surface is immediately followed by the polishing of the grain against the smoother
sheet or plate metal, and with this additional advantage that the diameter of the
brush is greater opposite the sheet or plate part of the screen, and the polishing
requires a quicker motion of the brush than the scouring. Both conditions are
obtained by making the brush conical, and the screen of the different materials
herein-before specified, so as to scour and polish the grain in one passage through
the machine.
The shaft G may be revolved by a belt passing around the pulley J; upon the
top of this shaft is arranged the fan K, which revolves in a fan case L. The blades
and sometimes the arms of the fan are curved, so that they must run in a particular
direction; and it often happens when the machine is to be connected with the
driving power that the latter turns in the wrong direction for the vanes of the fan.
To avoid this difficulty I make my fan case K with its heads and eyes exactly alike,
and separate or separable from the air trunk M, so that if the driving power cannot
be applied to drive the machine with the fan, as originally set on the shaft, the fan
and case are disconnected, turned upside down, and refastened to the shaft. The
upper eye is closed by a plate q, which is applicable to either eye when it is upper-
most.
To a collar upon the shaft G below the base of the brush F there are attached
one, two, or more stirrers or movers 7, which sweep around through the trough b,
where the treated grain falls and moves the grain around to the outlet f, whence it
passes into the fan blast to divest it of all impurities. The dust and hulls scoured
and rubbed from the grains by the brush rolling them against the screen pass through
said screen, and are drawn down through the space k and through the openings
d into the annular chamber c by the exhaust blast created by the fan, and passing
out of the exit at e go directly into the wind trunk N, and thence up and through
M into the fan case, and out at O.
The grain which passes out at g drops into a blast, which passes up through
the trunk P, the light impurities going up with the blast to the fan case, while the
cleaned wheat drops out at s. The ascending current through the passage P is
deflected at t, and passes down under a board u, which so slackens its force as to
cause it to drop anything heavier than the light impurities into the eddy chamber v,

page_text: whence it can be taken out through an opening covered by a valve or slide. And
by reason of the blast through the trunk N, any grain that may have passed out
through e, or anything heavier than the light impurities, will drop into the eddy
chamber w, whence it can be removed through the opening x, which is commanded
by a door or slide. The fine impurities are all drawn into the fan case by the
exhaust blast, and thence out of the building if necessary.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I am aware of there having been already in use a cylindrical brush in con-
nection with a cylindrical screen; but this arrangement, in addition to that of not
admitting the brush, as herein stated, is objectionable, as the grain drops through
too fast for a thorough cleaning; whereas, by a conical brush, the grain is held
against the screening and polishing surfaces for a longer period, and cannot drop to
any extent between the screen and brush, as the latter catches it and moves it
against the screen; I am also aware that a conical brush, in which the bristles are
secured in a solid block of wood, having a vertical hollow screw shaft extending
entirely through it, within which works a screw shaft for adjusting the brush, is old,
and I do not claim as my Invention these parts or devices, but I claim,―
First. An exterior screen, the upper part of which is made of woven wire, and
the lower part of perforated sheet or plate metal, as and for the purpose specified.
Second. In combination with a conical brush, an exterior conical screen, the
upper part of which is made of woven wire, and the lower part of perforated sheet
or plate metal, as and for the purpose described.
Third. The combination with the brush of the ring or disc I, to which the brush
staves are secured, the shaft G, having a screw thereon working within the screw
hub of the said disc, and set screws that hold the brush to the shaft, in the manner
herein shewn and described, and for the purposes specified.
Fourth. In combination with the base plate B, the trough b, and its outlet, and
the annular passage c, and its inlets and outlets, all in one piece, as and for the
purpose described.
Fifth. In combination with the air or wind trunk M and the shaft G, the re-
versible fan case, provided with two eyes, the fan and the cap or cover q, as and for
the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.