IMPROVEMENTS IN Firstly. Of a new method of forming constructing the screen.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rainforth, senior, and William Rain-
forth, junior, of Brayford Head, Lincoln, in the County of Lincoln,
Wireworkers and Weavers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Firstly. Of a new method of forming or constructing the screen.

page_text: screen.
And, Thirdly. Of improved means of rendering the screen self-
cleaning.
The said improved method of forming or constructing the screen
consists in arranging side by side and upon or around eight or any other
suitable number of longitudinal stay rods (held in position by and
between two end discs or rims) a series of circular wire rings in lieu
of the usual method of forming or constructing the screen of one con-
tinuous wire helically wound.
The said improved means of regulating the gauge or mesh of the
(said circular rings forming the) screen and adjusting it at any time and
whenever required consists in interweaving the said circular wire rings
and the said longitudinal stay rods together at the parts where they are
in contact by continuous longitudinal helical wire springs.
(This part of'
our Invention is equally applicable to screens of this
character, formed or constructed as above referred to, of one continuous
wire helically wound.)
We obtain the lessening of the gauge or mesh of the circular wire
rings (or the compression or shortening of the screen) preferably by the
means described in the Specification of certain Letters Patent granted
to us for "Improvements in Rotary Corn Screens for Dressing and
Separating Grain”
on the 16th day of March, A.D. 1870, No. 776, or
by a simple modification thereof, in which we dispense with one or more
of the rims or discs between those (above mentioned) at the ends, or
again by any well known means of effecting this object, the increasing
of the said gauge or mesh (or the expansion or lengthening. of the
screen) being obtained by the action of the said interwoven springs.
And the said improved mean of rendering the screen self-cleaning
consists in arranging a longitudinal rod (held in the end frames of the
screen) by preference along and near to the top outer part of the screen,
and in placing upon such rod adjustable circular washers capable of
rotary motion or adjustable depending projections or spikes not capable
of such motion in such à manner that each one shall be between two of
the said circular wire rings, and on each rotation of the screen will

page_text: consequently clean the spaces between the said rings of any grain or
other substance caught therein.
Upon the said end dises or rings, and at the parts to or through
which the said longitudinal stay rods are affixed or passed, we cast or
otherwise form projections or lugs which when they come opposite or
immediately under the said longitudinal bear against and lift it and the
washers or projections thereon clear of the stay rods so that the rotation
of the screen is not stopped. The said rod and washers or projections
immediately when clear of the said lugs and longitudinal rods are
brought back to the cleaning position by means of springs placed at the
ends of the said rod and exerting a downward pressure thereupon. The
said washers or projections are kept centrally in the spaces between the
said circular wire rings by means of small spiral or other springs placed
between each two of them, and they are adjusted to correspond with the
lessening of the said gauge or mesh by means of the adjustable one of
the said end discs or rims which bears against the outermost washer or
projection, and consequently adjusts the scries thereof correspondingly
to the adjustment of the said gauge or mesh.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Rainforth, senior, and William Rainfortu,
junior, in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 28th November
1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
RAINFORTU, senior, and WILLIAM RAINFORTII, junior, of Brayford Head,
Lincoln, in the County of Lincoln, Wireworkers and Weavers, send
greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for. Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said William Rainforth, senior,
and William Rainforth, junior, Her special licence that we, the said
William Rainforth, senior, and William Rainforth, junior, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Rain-

page_text: figures of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof, that is to say :-
Firstly. The said improved method of forming or constructing the
screen consists in arranging side by side and upon or around eight or.
any other suitable number of longitudinal stay rods 1 a series of circular
wire rings 2, Figure 1, in lieu of the usual method of forming or con-
structing the screen of one continuous wire 3 helically wound (Figure 2).
The rods 1 are held in position by two end discs 4, the left-hand one of
which is made fast to a central shaft 5 (which may be arranged hori
zontally or inclined), and to this disc the rods are secured by screw nuts
6; their other ends are left free and pass through holes near the rim of
the right-hand end disc.
In constructing screens according to this method, but so as to allow
of different parts thereof at the same time having differently sized
meshes, the rods 1 are also passed through double flanged discs 7 placed
between the end discs, as described in the Specification of certain Letters
Patent granted to us for Improvements in Rotary Corn Screens for
Dressing and Separating Grain on the 16th day of March, A.D. 1870,
No. 776. The right-hand disc 4 and the discs 7 are capable of sliding
along the shaft 5 and also along the rods 1.
"
"
The rods 1 are formed in halves of a semicircular cross section, and
between which the wires 2 are placed. The left-hand ends of the rods
are held together by the nuts 6, whilst the holes of the discs 7 and of
the right hand disc 4, through which the rods pass, serve to keep tho
other parts thereof together so as to grip the wires 2.
Secondly. The said improved means of regulating and adjusting the
gauge or mesh of the wires 2 forming the screen consists in interweaving
the wires 2 and the rods 1 together at the parts where they are in contact
by continuous helical wire springs 8 (Figure 1); or these springs 8 may
be coiled simply around the rods 1 without being interwoven with the
wires 2 (Figure 3), so that upon the withdrawal of the rods 1 the said
springs 8 and wires 2 can be removed from each other.
We also apply the rods 1 and the springs 8 to screens of this character,
formed or constructed as hitherto and as above referred to, of one .con.
tinuous wing 2 holically wound (Figure 2).

page_text: The lessening of the gauge or mesh of the wires 2 (or the compression
or shortening of the screen) we obtain preferably by the means described
in the Specification of our above referred to Letters Patent, No. 776,
A.D. 1870 (see Figure 1 of the annexed Drawing, which is partly a
section and partly an exterior view); or by a simple modification thereof,
consisting in omitting the discs (7) between those (4) at the ends and the
corresponding parts of the inner screwed rod or shaft (9) within the
tubular shaft (5) in cases where the graduating meshes are not so much
a requirement, or by any well known means of effecting this object, the
increasing of the said gauge or mesh (or the expansion or lengthening
of the screen) being obtained by the action of the springs 8.
The above parts of our Invention are also illustrated in the transverse
section, Figure 4.
And, Thirdly. The said improved means of rendering the screen self-
cleaning consist in arranging a longitudinal rod 10 by preference along
and near to the top outer part of the screen, and in placing upon such
rod adjustable circular washers 11 (Figures 1 and 5) capable of rotary
motion, or adjustable depending projections or spikes 12 (Figure 1, not
capable of such motion, so that each one shall be between two of the
wires 2, and on each rotation of the screeen will consequently clean the
spaces between the said wires of any grain or other substance caught
therein.
Upon the discs 4 at the parts through which the rods 1 pass we cast
or otherwise form projecting lugs 13, Figures 1 and 5, which as they
come under the rod 10 lift it and the washers 11 or projections 12 thereon
clear of the rods 1 and springs 8 (see Figure 1) so that the rotation of
the screen is not stopped, but immediately the lugs 13 get clear of the
rod 10 it and the washers 11 or projections 12 are brought back to the
cleaning position (Figure 5) by means of springs 14 (Figures 1, 6, 7, and
8) attached to the end frames 15 of the screen through apertures 16, in
which the ends of the rod 10 project, and which springs exert a downward
pressure thereupon. The said washers or projections are kept centrally
in the spaces between the wires 2 by means of small spiral or other
springs 17 or washers 18 of rubber placed between each two of them,
and they are adjusted to correspond with the lessening of the gauge or
mesh of the wires 2 by means of the adjustable right-hand disc 4 (and
the discs 7 when used), which bears against the outermost washer or

page_text: projection and adjusts the series thereof correspondingly to the adjust-
ment of the said gauge or mesh, the springs 17 or washers 18 producing
the contrary effect when the gauge or mesh is increased.
In applying this part of our Invention to screens made as illustrated in
Figure 2 we prefer to use a continuous helical spring washer 19 (Figure 7)
loosely mounted on the rod 10, and if required having springs 17 (or
washers 18) between its folds. In this case as the rotation of the screen
tends to wind the spring washer 19 to one end each time the rod 10 and
washer 19 is lifted clear of the rods 1 and springs 8, or once more or less
each revolution, it is moved sideways a little by a spring 20 (see Figure 7,
the spring 20 being there shown in the position ready to move the rod
10), and properly readjusted between the folds of the wire 3.
We can similarly use the circular washers 11 or projections 12 in this
construction of screens, and we can also use the helical washer 19 in
our improved construction of screen.
In lieu of using this part of our Invention in combination with the
first and second parts thereof, we can use and combine with the two
latter the usual brush arrangement for effecting the cleaning.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
objects of our said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, we
would remark in conclusion that we claim as our Invention,―
Firstly. The above described method of constructing or forming the
screen.
Secondly. The above described improved means of regulating the
gauge or mesh of the screen.
And, Thirdly. The improved means of rendering the screen self-
cleaning.
We also claim, Fourthly. The combination of the firstly and secondly
described improvements with the ordinary brush arrangement or means
of cleaning, or with the third described improvement.
And, Lastly. The adaptation and application of the rods 1 and springs.
8 and helical cleaning washers 19 to a screen of the character described,
constructed as usually of one continuous wire 3 helically wound, all
being for the purposes respectively as above set forth and substantially

page_text: as herein-before specified and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Rainforth, senior, and
William Rainforth, junior, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.