IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR Shelling, CLEANING, AND POLISHING RICE AND OTHER GRAINS AND SEEDS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hunter Henry Murdoch, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR Shelling, CLEANING, AND POLISHING RICE AND OTHER
GRAINS AND SEEDS." A communication from abroad by Emile Barrault, of
Paris, France, Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 31st May 1878, and dated the 9th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th March 1878.
HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SHELLING, CLEANING, AND
POLISHING RICE AND OTHER GRAINS AND SEEDS." [A communication from
abroad by Emile Barrault, of Paris, France, Civil Engineer.]
Rice shelling, cleaning, and polishing machines as ordinarily constructed consist
of a disc or discs of natural or artificial stone or emery composition mounted
on a shaft enclosed in a casing, which shaft is caused to revolve at a high speed so
as to cause the said disc or discs to rub and agitate the rice as it passes through the
machines. These machines do effectually shell, clean, and polish the rice, but by
the intense friction produced between the disc or discs and the rice the rice becomes
very much heated, and is thereby slightly damaged, and a considerable percentage
of it is broken and therefore has to be sold at a lower rate as damaged or broken
rice.
Now the object of this Invention is to remedy the foregoing defects, and for this
purpose fixed discs, constructed as herein-after described, are arranged in proximity
to the revolving disc or discs aforesaid.
It is preferred to use only one revolving disc of emery composition or natural
or artificial stone in each machine. In this case at each side of the said disc
is mounted a disc, preferably made of wood, of about the same diameter as the said

page_text: emery or stone disc, and upon the inner face (i.c., the face opposite to the emery
dise) of each of these wooden discs ribs of india-rubber, or india-rubber packing, or
other similar material are fixed in a direction radial or approximately radial to the
axis of the said disc. Or the said face of each wooden disc is covered with a disc of
india-rubber or other suitable material having radial or nearly radial ribs or cor-
rugations formed thereon. Or the said ribs or corrugations may be arranged
cycloidally, or in a circular or curvilinear form instead of radially. These fixed
wooden discs, with the india-rubber or other material so fixed upon them, are brought
by means of set screws into close proximity to the rotating emery or stone disc, and
are adjusted at such a distance from the latter that the grains of rice or other grains
or seeds to be treated shall be subjected to a certain amount of pressure and friction
in passing between the emery or natural or artificial stone disc and the india-rubber
or other ribs or corrugations, but that when the said rice, or grain, or seed has
passed over any one of the said ribs or corrugations the said rice, or grain, or seed
shall be free from any material pressure.
It is preferred to drive the said emery composition or natural or artificial stone
disc at a higher rate of speed than that of the emery disc in the ordinary rice
shelling machines. The machine is surmounted by a hopper.
The rice or other grain or seed which has passed through the machine is drawn
off by means of a suitable collector fixed in such a position that the rice or other
grain or seed only travels from 1/2 to 3/4 round the machine before being ejected
therefrom. The centrifugal force imparted by the rotation of the disc will be suffi-
cient to cause the free delivery of the rice, or other grain or seed.
To prevent the said rice or other grain or seed from being thrown out at any
other point than that at which the collector is placed, the circumference of the
aforesaid disc is enclosed in a casing fitting as closely as is compatible with the free
rotation of the emery or stone disc so as to prevent the rice, or grain, or seed from
escaping except through the said collector.
When these improvements are to be applied, to machinery having several emery
discs or stones mounted on the same shaft, wooden discs furnished on both sides
with the india-rubber or, other elastic ribs or corrugations, herein-before described,
are interposed between the said emery discs or stones, and at each end of the
machine are mounted other wooden discs, the inner faces of which are furnished
with the said ribs or corrugations.
In some cases it is preferred to leave a sogment of the face of the wooden disc
plain, i.e., without any india-rubber ribs or corrugations; and in some cases instead
of arranging the machines so as to cause the disc or discs of natural or artificial
stone or emery composition to revolve, the wooden discs furnished with elastic
ribs or corrugations being stationary, the said machines may be so arranged
and worked as to cause the said wooden discs to revolve, the stone or emery discs
being stationary, or to cause both kinds of discs to revolve in opposite directions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Hunter Henry Murdoch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
September 1878.
HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SHELLING, CLEANING, AND
POLISHING RICE AND OTHER GRAINS AND SEEDS." A communication from abroad
by Emile Barrault, of Paris, France, Civil Engineer.
Rice shelling, cleaning, and polishing machines as ordinarily constructed consist
of a disc or discs of natural or artificial stone or emery composition mounted on a
shaft enclosed in a casing, which shaft is caused to revolve at a high speed so as to
cause the said disc or discs to rub and agitate the rice as it passes through the
machines. These machines do effectually clean and polish the rice, but by the
intense friction produced between the disc or dises and the rice the rice becomes
very much heated, and is thereby slightly damaged, and a considerable proportion
of it is broken and therefore has to be sold at a lower rate as damaged or broken
rice.
Now the object of this Invention is to remedy the foregoing defects, and for this
purpose fixed discs constructed as herein-after described are arranged in proximity
to the revolving disc or discs aforesaid.
It is preferred to use only one revolving disc of emery composition, or natural or
artificial stone in each machine. In this case at each side of the said disc is mounted
a disc, preferably made of wood, of about the same diameter as the said emery or
stone disc, and upon the inner face (that is the face opposite to the emery disc) of
each of these wooden discs ribs of india-rubber, or india-rubber packing, or other
suitable material are fixed in a direction radial or approximately radial to the axis
of the said disc, or the said face of each wooden disc is covered with a disc of india-
rubber or other suitable material having radial or nearly radial ribs or corrugations
formed thereon, or the said ribs or corrugations may be arranged cycloidally, or in
a circular or curvilinear form instead of radially. These fixed wooden discs with
the india-rubber or other material so fixed upon them are brought by means of set
screws into close proximity to the rotating emery or stone disc, and are adjusted at
such a distance from the latter that the grains of rice or other grains or seeds to be
treated shall be subjected to a certain amount of pressure and friction in passing
between the emery or natural or artificial stone disc and the india-rubber or other
ribs or corrugations, but that when the said rice, or grain, or seed has passed over
any one of the said ribs or corrugations the said rice, or grain, or seed shall be free
from any material pressure.
It is preferred to drive the said emery composition or natural or artificial stone
disc at a higher rate of speed than that of the emery disc in the ordinary rice
shelling machines. The machine is provided with a hopper.
The rice or other grain or seed which has passed through the machine is drawn
off by means of a suitable collector fixed in such a position that the rice or other
grain or seed travels only from half to three-quarters round the machine before
being ejected therefrom. The centrifugal force imparted by the rotation of the disc
will be sufficient to cause the free delivery of the rice or other grain or seed.
To prevent the said rice or other grain or seed from being thrown out at any
other point than that at which the collector is placed the circumference of the afore-.
said disc is enclosed in a casing fitting as closely as is compatible with the free
rotation of the emery or stone disc, so as to prevent the rice, or grain, or seed from
escaping except through the said collector.
When these improvements are to be applied to machines having several emery
discs or stones mounted on the same shaft, wooden discs furnished on both sides
with the india-rubber, or other elastic ribs or corrugations herein-before described,
are interposed between the said emery disc or stones, and at each end of the:

page_text: machine are mounted other wooden discs the inner faces of which are furnished
with the said ribs or corrugations.
In some cases it is preferred to leave a sector of the face of the wooden disc plain,
that is, without any india-rubber ribs or corrugations, and in some cases instead of
arranging the machines so as to cause the said disc or discs of natural or artificial
stone or emery composition to revolve, the wooden discs furnished with the elastic
ribs or corrugations being stationary, the said machines may be so arranged and
worked as to cause the said wooden discs to revolve, the stone or emery discs being
stationary, or to cause both kinds of discs to revolve in the same direction, or in
opposite directions.
When both kinds of discs are caused to revolve in the same direction they should
be driven at different speeds.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of one of the improved machines in which the
emery composition or natural or artificial stone disc is arranged to revolve in a
vertical plane, a portion of the said disc being broken away in order to shew the
ribs or corrugations of india-rubber or other suitable material affixed to the wooden
or other fixed disc. The said section is taken on the line A, Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the said machine taken on the central line thereof,
and in a plane at right angles to that of the section, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of one of the said improved machines arranged so
that the emery or stone disc shall revolve in a horizontal plane.
The same letters and figures of reference denote the same parts in Figures 1 and 2.
In Figures 1 and 2, A is the horizontal axis or driving shaft, on which is
mounted the emnery discs C; B is a rigger, by which the said horizontal shaft or
axis is caused to rotate, power being communicated from an engine or other suit-
able motor. A spur wheel may be substituted for the said rigger. The disc C may
be either a solid disc of the emery composition or stone, or it may be a disc of wood
or other suitable material faced with the emery composition or stone; D, D, are the
wooden discs, to which are affixed ribs or corrugations E, E, of india-rubber or india-
rubber packing, or other suitable material. These ribs or corrugations are shewn as
arranged in directions approximately radial to the machine. The said ribs or cor-
rugations may however be arranged cycloidally, or in a circular or curvilinear form,
or in any other suitable direction instead of radially. The form in which the
ribs or corrugations are fixed will alter the length of time during which the
rice or other grain or seed is retained within the machine, and consequently
this form must be arranged so as to retain the rice, or grain, or seed for a
sufficiently long time to give the necessary amount of friction. D' is the sector
of the disc D, which it is preferred to leave without ribs or corrugations, so as
to facilitate the delivery of the shelled, cleaned, and polished grain or seed
through the collector or spout F by which it is taken out from the machine;
G, G, are the adjusting screws by which the wooden discs D, D, are adjusted,
so as to bring them to the right distance from the disc C; H, H, is the casing,
forined of wood or other suitable material, enclosing both the revolving disc
and the fixed discs; I is the hopper through which the rice or other grain or
seed to be shelled, cleaned, or polished is fed into the machine; I' is the slide
or regulator by which the feed of rice or other grain is regulated so as not
to allow more to pass in than the machine is capable of cleaning. A guard is
or may be fixed at 1* to prevent the grain from falling on to the periphery of
the emery wheel. J, J, are joists which support the casing H.
Figure 3 represents that form of the machine in which the emery or stone disc is
caused to revolve in a horizontal plane.
A is the axis or shaft, on which is mounted the emery composition or natural or
artificial stone disc C, which is caused to rotate by a driving strap acting on the
rigger B, or in any other suitable way. a³ is an adjustable footstep by which the

page_text: emery or stone disc C can be raised or lowered while rotating so as to adjust it to
the most suitable distance from the ribs or corrugations D', D', on the disc D which
is screwed to the upper part h of the casing H. In this form of machine the rice, or
grain, or seed to be shelled, or cleaned, or polished is fed in through a hopper I
which is at the centre or eye d² of the disc D; I is the regulating slide. The grain
passes in between the discs through the eye d³, and escapes at the circumference of
the disc D.
In this form of machine it is preferable to arrange the ribs or corrugations in a
circular or nearly circular form, the circles being nearly or quite concentric with the
rotating emery or stone disc. F is the collector or shoot by which the shelled, or
cleaned, or polished rice or other grain or seed is taken from the machine; J, J, are
suitable joists or supports to carry the casing H, H.
The action of the machine, whichever form is used, is as follows:-The rice or
other grain or seed to be shelled, or cleaned, or polished is fed into the machine
through the hopper I, the amount of the feed being regulated by the slide I', so that
it shall not pass in faster than the machine can effectually treat it. The emery com-
position or natural or artificial stone disc is caused to revolve rapidly, so that as
the rice or other grain or seed to be shelled, or cleaned, or polished passes between
the discs it is subjected to intermittent friction and rubbing between the emery or
stone disc and the ribs or corrugations on the wooden disc or discs. As each grain
or seed which is being treated passes into one of the grooves or channels between
the ribs or corrugations the friction or pressure is diminished or entirely removed.
The rotation of the disc causes the finished grain or seed to be delivered from the
machine into the collector F. In the case of the vertical machine this delivery is
facilitated by leaving the sector D¹ (Figure 1) without any ribs or corrugations,
but in the case of the horizontal machine, which is fed at the eye, the ribs or corru-
gations are continued through the entire circle.
Although the ribs or corrugations have been hitherto described specially with
reference to india-rubber there are other suitable materials which may be used, the
essential point being that the material used must be an elastic one; thus, for instance,
brushes or rubbers formed of bristles, hair, fibre, or elastic wire or leather, may in
some cases be used with advantage, but it must be remembered that these brushes
or rubbers must be formed in the shape of ribs or corrugations so as to subject the
rice or other grain or seed to intermittent friction or rubbing, as herein-before
described.
Having thus described the foregoing Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the general
forin of the inachines, which is similar to that of the rice shelling machines now in
use, neither do I claim the use of any particular emery composition or substitute
therefor, and I do not limit myself to the precise details herein-before described, as
they may be varied without departing from the nature of the said Invention, but I
claim as the said Invention of improvements in machines for shelling, cleaning, and
polishing rice and other grains and seeds, the use in such machines of a disc or discs
having ribs or corrugations formed of suitable material, the said discs being arranged
and acting essentially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
L 1
Witness,
J. BIANCHI,
his Olerk.
H. H. MURDOCH. (Ls.)