AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR KUSKING, HULLING, OR SHelling, AND FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter McKinlay, of Charleston, in the State of
South Carolina, Citizen of the United States of America, and now
residing at No. 26, New Broad Street (John Gordon & Co.) in
London, in the County of Middlesex, England, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR KUSKING, HULLING, OR SHelling,
AND FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter McKinlay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th August 1872.
I, PETER MCKINLAY, of Charleston, in the State of South Caroliṇa,
Citizen of the United States of America, and now residing at No. 26,
New Broad Street, in London (John Gordon & Co.), in the County of
Middlesex, England, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HUSKING, HULLING, OR SHELLING, AND FOR
CLEANING AND PREPARING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN," to be as follows:—
My Invention consists of a machine by means of which the processes
of husking, hulling, or shelling rice and other grain, and the removal of

page_text: the pellicle from the same, and also the separation or removal of the
refuse produced in the vessel containing the rice or other grain, whilo
being operated upon, are all performed at one operation. And these
combined effects are produced by means of a mortar or vessel of an
entirely new form, and made of iron or other metal or material con-
taining the rice or grain to be treated. In this mortar or vessel I place
what I call a rocker or rockers formed of wood or iron, or of both,
and sheathed, or partially sheathed, with wood, india-rubber, or such
other material as I find best adapted, and by means of a motion applied
from above or otherwise, and actuated by hand, steam, water, or other
power, I cause the aforesaid rocker to move alternately from end to
end (or nearly so) of the mortar or vessel, describing in its transit an
are or segment of a circle, more or less perfect, thereby causing a
constant movement and rubbing of the grains one against another, and
removing the chaff and pellicle. For the separation of the chaff, mcal,
and refuse I provide and secure on the sides (over or under apertures
provided near the bottom of the mortar or vessel) perforated plates of
steel or other metal, and I provide an outlet for clearing the mortar of
the grain when sufficiently cleaned by my process.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 2
filed by the said Peter McKinlay in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 30th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
MCKINLAY, of Charleston, in the State of South Carolina, Citizen of
the United States of America, and now residing at No. 26, New Broad 2
Street (John Gordon & Co.) in London, in the County of Middlesex,
England, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty- 3
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Peter McKinlay, Her special licence
that I, the said Peter McKinlay, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter M'Kinlay, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no 3

page_text: others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR HUSKING, HULLING, OR SHELLING, AND FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING
RICE AND OTHER GRAIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Peter McKinlay, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter McKinlay, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention consists of a machine by means of which the
processes of husking, hulling, or shelling rice and other grain, and the
removal of the pellicle from the same, and also the separation and
removal of the refuse produced in the vessel containing the rice or other
grain, while being operated upon, are all performed at one operation.
And these combined effects are produced by means of a mortar or vessel
of an oblong or trough shape with curved sides, and made of iron or
other metal or material containing the rice or grain to be treated. In
the mortar or vessel I place what I call a rocker or rockers formed of
wood or iron, or of both, and shcathed, or partially sheathed, with wood,
india-rubber, or such other material as I find best adapted, and by
means of a motion applied from above or otherwise, and actuated by
hand, steam, water, or other power, I cause the aforesaid rocker to rock
or move alternately from end to end (or nearly so) of the mortar or
vessel, thereby causing a constant movement and rubbing of the grains
one against another, and removing the chaff and pellicle. For the
separation of the chaff, meal, and refuse I provide and secure on the
sides (over or under apertures provided near the bottom of the mortar or
vessel) perforated plates of steel or other metal, and I provide an
outlet for clearing the mortar of the grain when sufficiently cleaned by
my process.

page_text: And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in
all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings is a side elevation of my rocker machine for
cleaning rice from the rough or paddy state; Figure 2 is an end view of
the same; and Figure 3 is a transverse sectional detail of the mortar,
and lower part of the rocker.
A, A, is the fixed framing with the uprights slotted at a, in which the
rocker shafts & work, and are guided; B is the oblong vessel or mortar
resting on the frame A, A, into which the rough rice or paddy is put,
in order to take off the outer husk, and the dark pellicle that intervenes
between the outer husk and the grain. In the bottom of this vessel or
mortar is a groove or channel about two and a half inches wide by about
two inches deep (see Figure 3), running lengthwise of the mortar, into
which india-rubber, wood, with its grain endwise, or any other suitable
substance, is fitted, so as to produce the greatest amount of friction, and
made capable of being renewed as required; C, C, is the rocker that
operates on the rice in the mortar or vessel B by the motion given to the
rocker by the crank c working in the slot d in the upper part of the
rocker, causing it to oscillate on the rice until the rice is properly
cleaned. The lower part of the rocker forms a segment of a circle of
about five feet diameter; on this circular part of the rocker, which may
be called the face of the rocker, there is formed a groove or channel
corresponding to the groove in the bottom of the mortar (see Figure 3);
the said groove is about two inches wide by about one inch and a half
deep, into which india-rubber, wood, with its grain endwise, or any
other suitable substance, is inserted, so as to be capable of being renewed
as required. In the lower part of the vessel or mortar, and running
parallel with the before-mentioned groove in the bottom of the mortar,
there are formed openings D, D, on each side of the mortar, such
openings being about three inches wide; into these openings perforated
thin sheet iron or steel plates are inserted to allow the offal to come
through. The plates are kept in position while working by the thumb
screws F, F, which allow them to be removed and renewed when worn
out; G, G, are the outlets by which the rice is discharged or drawn out
from the vessels when cleaned; H, HI, is the crank shaft, on which are

page_text: fitted the crank e that drive the rockers by working in the slots d in the
upper part of the rocker; I, I, are the loose and fast pulleys by which
motion is given to the crank shaft; J, J, are moveable or hinged covers
attached to the oblong vessels or mortars at each end by a hinge, they
being shut down when in operation, and thrown back to allow the hand
to force the cleaned rice out of the mortar, as shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1; K, K, is a continuation of the inner stationary uprights, in which
the crank shaft works, and on the top of which the transverse bearer L, L,
rests. Attached to this transverse bearer are bearings carrying two
small shafts e, e, at each end, which shafts carry the hand wheels M, M,
and have attached to them a strap N, N, with a hook at the lower end
which engages with an eye fon the upper part of the rocker, so that by
turning either of the wheels round the corresponding rocker will be
lifted up out of the rice to allow the latter to be discharged. A bolt or
catch a serves to keep the rockers suspended when cleansed.
The operation of this machine is as follows:-Into the oblong vessels
or mortars rough or unhusked rice or paddy is introduced, so as to fill
them to about half their capacity; the rockers are then lowered on to
the rice, and put in motion, and the process continues until the rice is
divested of the husk and pellicle, and is considered sufficiently cleaned,
whereupon it is discharged from the mortars, and passed through screens
and fans, as is common with other grain, to remove any dust and chaff
that may remain in it.
I have found that the same arrangement of apparatus is cqually
applicable for removing the pulp from the bean of the coffee berry.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, 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 to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The peculiar combination and arrangement of machinery or
apparatus, by means of which the combined operations of husking,
hulling, or shelling rice and other grain, and the removal of the pellicle
therefrom, is performed at one operation, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second. The application and use of an oblong vessel or mortar, as

page_text: india-rubber, or other suitable material, and operating together, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter McKinlay, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of
January, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.