IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OR CLEANING AND GRADING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fyfo Stewart, of the City of London, for the
Invention of " IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OR
CLEANING AND GRADING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN." A communication from
abroad by the Barnard and Leas Manufacturing Company, of Moline, State of
Illinois, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th December 1878, and dated the 27th June 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fyfe Stewart at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1878.
JOHN FYFE STEWART, of the City of London. "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OR CLEANING AND CRADING WHEAT OR OTHER
GRAIN." A communication from abroad by the Barnard and Leas Manufacturing
Company, of Moline, State of Illinois, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
machines for thoroughly separating or cleaning and grading wheat or other grain,
and consists of a double trunk separator and grader adapted to mills, warehouses,
malthouses, and breweries.
In this arrangement the wheat or other grain to be acted upon is received into a
hopper or "conveyor" mounted over the top part of the machine, whence it falls,
and is distributed ovenly over the inclined shaker underneath. This shaker may be
arranged with sieves adapted to the work required, whether for mill, warehouse, or
brewery.
If a shaker is not used the "conveyor " is placed directly over the centre of the
separating trunk, where the wheat or other grain is discharged into the dividing
space between the double trunks, and flows from near the bottom of the said space
into each trunk equally.
The currents of air entering at the bottom outlets of each trunk grade the grain
into such proportions as the operator may wish, the first grade falling through the
said outlets of the trunks, whilst the second grade with the screenings is carried up
D. All

page_text: and deposited in an intermediate pocket or chamber, from the bottom of which it
flows into another separating trunk extending upwards, and in this separating
trunk the screenings are separated by the currents of air from the second grade,
* making it equally as clean as the first grade, but of course of inferior quality. The
screenings are carried up this separating trunk, and fall into a larger screening
pocket or chamber, from the bottom of which they flow out, the dust going into
the fan, and being blown away at the outlet thereto.
The great advantages of this Invention consist in its great capacity, and its
arrangement for re-cleaning the second grade when used as a grader, or re-cleaning
the screenings as a separator.
The double trunk gives double the capacity, as in a machine four feet wide there
is obtained a trunk which spreads the grain into a thin stream eight feet wide,
thereby enabling the air currents to thoroughly act upon the grain, taking out all
imperfect grain and other matter, and enabling the operator to separate and grade
to suit the quality of the grain, making two grades if desired, and both grades being
thoroughly cleaned without waste among the screenings.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Fyfe Stewart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
December 1878.
JOHN FYFE STEWART, of the City of London. " IMPROVED MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING OR CLEANING AND GRADING WHEAT OR OTHER
GRAIN." A communication from abroad by the Barnard and Leas Manufacturing
Company, of Moline, State of Illinois, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
machines for thoroughly separating or cleaning and grading wheat or other grain
and consists of a double trunk separator and grader adapted to mills, warehouses,
malthouses, and breweries.
In this arrangement the wheat or other grain to be acted upon is received into
a hopper or "conveyor" mounted over the top part of the machine, whence it falls
and is distributed evenly over the inclined shaker underneath. This shaker may
be arranged with sieves adapted to the work required, whether for mill, warehousö,
or brewery.
If a shaker is not used the "conveyor" is placed directly over the centre of the
separating trunk, where the wheat or other grain is discharged into the dividing
space between the double trunks, and flows from near the bottom of the said space
into each trunk equally.
The currents of air entering at the bottom outlets of eacli trunk grade the grain
into such proportions as the operator may wish, the first grade falling through the
said outlets of the trunks, whilst the second grade with the screenings is carried
up and deposited in an intermediate pocket or chamber, from the bottom of which
it flows into another separating trunk, extending upwards, and in this separating
trunk the screenings are separated by the currents of air from the second grade,
making it equally as clean as the first grade, but of course of inferior quality. The
screenings are carried up this separating trunk, and fall into a larger screening
pocket or chamber, from the bottom of which they flow out, the dust going into the
fan, and being blown away at the outlet thereto.
The great advantages of this Invention consists in its great capacity and its
arrangement for re-cleaning the second grade when used as a grader, or re-cleaning
the screenings as a separator.
The double trunk gives double the capacity, as in a machine four feet wide there
is obtained a trunk which spreads the grain into a thin stream eight feet wide,
thereby enabling the air currents to thoroughly act upon the grain, taking out all
imperfect grain and other matter, and enabling the operator to separate and grade
to suit the quality of the grain, making two grades if desired, and both grades being
thoroughly cleaned without waste among the screenings.
And in order that the said Invention may be well understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the accompanying Drawing, like letters of reference indicating corre-
sponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved separator; Fig. 2, a longitudinal
vertical section of the same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed views of parts thereof.
A represents the frame of the machine, at one end of which is the fan chamber B
with revolving fan C therein. The inner portion of the fan case B opens into a
Screenings chamber D, which terminates at a point where it is provided with a
hinged valve a, as shown.
E is a suction chamber, and F a separating trunk; b is a passage from the bottom
of the chamber E into the trunk F; d is a passage above the trunk F from the
chamber E to the chamber D; e is a passage from near the top of the trunk F into
the chamber D. In the passages d and e are valves I, I, for regulating the suction,

page_text: said valves being adjusted from the outside of the machine by means of lovers H, H,
held to curved guides or racks J, J, by set screws f. f, or other suitable means.
. In front of the chamber E are two separating trunks L, L, which are separated
by means of a passage M; this passage is provided on opposite sides with alternating
'inclined cant boards h, h, below which is a narrow passage i. Directly below the
passage i is a dividing peak or cone m, with passages n, n, at the sides leading into
the trunks L, L.
"
:
Above the frame A is a series of sieves N, N, arranged in a frame O, which frame
is supported at both ends by spring arms P. At the front end, on each side of the
frame O, is an ear p, through which passes a rod k, said rod being secured in 'a
standard R on the main frame A. Surrounding the rod k is a spiral spring 8, the
tension of which is regulated by a nut t on the rod, and all arranged, as shewn, to
throw the sieve from O rearward.
Under the frame O, in suitable hangers attached thereto, is placed a shaft v, and
on the same are secured pulleys S, S, which are acted upon by means of eccentrics
V, V, on a shaft w, having suitable bearings on the main' frame. As the shaft w
rotates the eccentrics V moves the sieves forward, and the springs & throw them
rearward again.
Over the upper rear end of the sieves is a conveyor W of any ordinary construc-
tion, into which the grain is received and deposited on the sieves N; these sieves
remove the coarse matter, such as weeds, sticks, straws, and oats, which are dis-
charged through suitable side spouts, while the grain. is discharged into feeding
tubes x, and drop into the chamber M between the double separating trunks L, L,
and passes over the cant boards h which spread the grain into the narrow passagei,
when it falls on the dividing peak or cone m. This divides the grain into equal
parts, one half falling into each trunk L, and discharging at the bottom thereof.
There being two distinct separating trunks L, L, a single narrow passage into the
chamber would not answer, and hence I have provided the series of feed tubes
x, x, to allow the draft from the outer separating trunk to pass between them, and
carry the screenings into the chamber E.
The screenings and light or second quality of grain required to be separated are
drawn by the air suction into the chamber E, from whence it flows into the trunk F,
where all the light and worthless screenings are drawn up by the air suction, the
heavy part or second quality of grain being discharged at the bottom of the said
trunk F.
The light worthless screenings are drawn into the large chamber D, where they
settle and fall out through the valve a, the dust going to the fan.
It will be seen that by my construction of the parts, as above described, the
grain as it passes down through the seed chamber M is by the cant boards h so
distributed as to reach the passage i in a steady stream or sheet, and this passage i
being vertical, narrow, and elongated, the grain is discharged uniformly in a vertical
stream upon the peak m, and by the same evenly divided, so that one half passes
into each of the air or separating trunks L,. L; these trunks are entirely open at
the bottom, so that the air can be drawn in and the grain discharged freely.
By the use of the two separating trunks L, L, one on. each side of the seed-
chamber M, I obtain double the amount of separating surface in a machine of a
given Bize.
The first quality of grain is discharged at the bottom of the: trunks L, L;
while the second quality is discharged at the bottom of the trunk F, and
the screenings are discharged from the bottom of the chamber D. The screenings
and second quality of grain which pass into the chamber E are thus sub-
jected to another current of air in the separating trunk F to be re-cleaned, and the-
second quality of grain and screenings entirely separated.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature, of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is. or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and therefore

page_text: claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1. In a grain separator a shaft v running in bearings connected to the shaker
frame O, and provided with friction pulleys S, S, in combination with the eccentrics
V and the springs a, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing.
2. The two open-bottomed air trunks L, L, in combination with the central seed
chamber M, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated on the accom
panying Drawing.
3. The combination of the two air trunks L, L, with upward draft through the
saine, and the central seed chamber M, having a single outlet near the bottom on
each side into the air trunks, substantially as herein-before described, and illus-
trated on the accompanying Drawing.
4. A series of feed tubes a, a, in combination with the seed chamber M and the
two separating trunks L, L, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated
on the accompanying Drawing.
5. The seed chamber M, provided at or near its lower end with the narrow
vertical elongated passage i in combination with the peak m below said passage,
and the outlets n, n, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing.
6. The combination of the two open-bottomed air or separating trunks L, L, with
a central seed chamber M and the screenings chamber E, substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
7. The screenings chamber E, in combination with the open-bottomed trunk F,
for the purpose of re-cleaning the screenings, substantially as herein-before described,
and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
8. The trunk F located between and in combination with the screenings chambers
E and D, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated on the accom-
panying Drawing.
9. The combination of the passage M, double opon-bottomed trunks L, L, chamber
E, separating trunk F, and screenings chamber D, substantially as herein-before
described, and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fyfe Stewart, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
1878.
JOHN FYFE STEWART. (L.S.)