Improvements in Machines for Separating Granular and similar Substances.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ORVILLE MARION MORSE, of Jackson, Michigan,
United Sates of America, Millwright.]
Improvements in Machines for Separating Granular and similar
Substances.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to a separating machine for separating pulverulent, granular
and similar substances into different grades according to fineness or weight and in
which such separation is effected by the rotative movement of a body of air in which
the material to be separated is suspended.
The improved machine is particularly useful for separating the light impurities from
middlings, and dust from grain, but may be used for a variety of other purposes. The
object of my invention is to produce a simple and effective machine which is
practically enclosed except where the products of the separation are discharged there-
from and which does not blow dust out into the room or other enclosure in which it is
located.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved separating machine.
Figure 2 is a vertical section thereof.
Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on lines x and y y, respectively of
Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the upper part of the casing at right angles to
Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a vertical section of the lower part of the machine showing the revolving
cone and its wings in elevation.
Figures 7 8 and 9 are sectional elevations of modified constructions of my improved
separating machine.
Figure 10 is a horizontal section in the line zz Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a vertical section, showing a modified construction of the lower part of
the machine.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
A represents the peripheral wall of an upwardly tapering separating chamber
secured with its large lower end to a bottom plate B which rests upon a framework C.
D is a vertical shaft arranged axially in the separating chamber and supported at its
lower end in a step bearing d while its upper end carries a driving pulley №¹ by which
the shaft is rotated. E is an annular plate which is arranged above the bottom
plate B and secured to the shaft D by arms e. This plate is slightly inclined from its
central opening el to its periphery and is provided on its upper side with one or more
wings or blades F which rotate in the chamber and impart a whirling motion to the
air contained in the same. These blades are preferably hinged or pivoted to the
annular supporting plate E so that they can be inclined to a greater or less angle
whereby the effect of the blades in throwing the solid matter and air upwardly in the
chamber is regulated. The blades are supported in position by adjustable braces f
which are provided with curved and slotted lower ends g through which pass thumb
screw gl by which they are secured to the supporting plate E.
Grepresents the feed pipe which enters the upper portion of the separating
chamber and is arranged with its lower portion axially in the same above a feed
saucer or disc H which latter is secured to the central shaft. g' represents an
adjustable sleeve on the feed pipe by which the feed can be regulated.
4
The upper portion of the tapering case is closed by a cylindrical top I which

page_text: surrounds the feed pipe and is provided on one side with a vertical opening i. The
latter extends downwardly into the side of the tapering peripheral wall A and its
lower portion is provided with a slide J attached to said wall, whereby the opening in
the case can be opened or closed by moving the slide up or down. K represents the
spout which covers the opening i and conducts the material escaping therefrom to a
suitable receptacle. L is a discharge spout secured to the bottom plate around the
central shaft and provided with an automatic discharge valve 1. M is a discharge
spout arranged in the bottom plate near the peripheral wall of the tapering case and
provided with an automatic discharge valve m.
When unpurified middlings are fed into the machine through the feed pipe G the
middlings are scattered in the separating chamber by the revolving saucer H and in
falling in the chamber they become suspended in the whirling body of air and rotate
with the same.
The heaviest particles of middlings are driven to the large end of the
tapering chamber by centrifugal force and escape through the peripheral discharge
spout M. The lighter particles of middlings escape through the central discharge
spout L at the bottom of the chamber and the dust and fluffy or light impurities rise
in the case and escape through the opening i and spout K. The separation of the
light dust from the heavier material is due in part to centrifugal force and in part to
the circulation of air within the separating chamber, in which the air moves outwardly
over the revolving annular plate to the large end of the tapering chamber, thence
upwardly toward the small end thereof along the peripheral wall of the chamber and
thence downwardly in the axial portion of the chamber toward the bottom. The
upward movement of the air along the inner surface of the tapering wall is strong
nough to carry the dust and other light impurities to the discharge opening i which
lies near the axis of rotation but is incapable of moving the heavier particles of
middlings which possess greater ponderosity and are therefore more influenced by
centrifugal force. By raising or lowering the gate or slide K in the dust outlet i the
point of overflow of the dust can be placed bigher or lower and nearer to the axis of
rotation or further therefrom, whereby the quality of material which escapes from the
dust outlet can be regulated.
When the blades are inclined in the direction in which they rotate they deflect the
air and the solid particles contained therein outwardly and upwardly. By changing
the angle of the blades the height to which the heavier particles are caused to rise in
the separating chamber may be increased or reduced and the separation be accordingly
regulated. It is desirable that the outlets for the heavy matter should be provided
with traps or valves to prevent as much as possible the escape of air with the material
but when these outlets are comparatively small they may be left unprotected.
A rotating brush N may be arranged to sweep the inner side of the separating
chamber and keep the same free from deposits of fine adhesive dust. This brush may
be connected with the shaft by an arm n or it may be caused to rotate by any other
suitable means. The side of the separating case is preferably provided with a
removable section or panel O or with a door by which means access can be had to the
interior.
In the modified construction represented in Figure 7, the separating chamber is
composed of an upper section P and a lower section P₁ having different bevels. The
annular plate B is made flat or plane instead of raised in the centre and the shaft is
provided with a stirrer p over the bottom of the central discharge spout.
In the modified construction represented in Figure 8, the annular space E2 has no
opening around the shaft and the central discharge spout is omitted so that the
machine makes but two separations, the heavy material which escapes through the
periphery discharge spout and the light material which escapes through the spout
near the apex.
In the modified construction represented in Figures 9 and 10 the discharge of the
light material takes place by overflowing over the edge of a circular opening qat
the small end of the separating chamber into a conical casing which surrounds the
separating chamber and delivers the dust to a hopper Q below the separating
chamber.

page_text: In the modified construction represented in Figure 11, the dust casing Q connects
at its bottom with a flat bottomed receptacle R which is provided at its periphery
with a spout r to which the dust is moved by a sweep S attached to the shaft.
The bottom of the separating chamber is provided with a central opening through
which the material of medium gravity drops into a receptacle T from which it is
removed by a sweep t¹ attached to the shaft.
My improved separating machine is very simple and compact in construction, takes
up little room and requires little power for its operation, has a steady rotative motion
which does away with the jarring caused by machines having reciprocating parts
and discharges practically no air, so that no dust is blown out into the inill.
The bottom plate rotating with the shaft will cause a rotative movement of the
body of air in the separating chamber in the absence of any wings or plates but
I prefer to employ the latter because they are more reliable and when adjustable
permit a better regulation of the separation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :--
First. The combination with a closed tapering separating chamber provided at its
large end with an outlet for the heavy material and at its small end with an outlet for
the light material, of a feeder which delivers the material to be separated into the
chamber, and a rotating air propelling device arranged within the chamber, whereby
the air contained in the chamber is caused to circulate from the axial portion of
the chamber to the peripheral wall at the large end, thence along the peripheral
wall to the small end and thence back to the large end through the axial portion
of the chamber, thereby separating the heavy from the light material and discharging
the products of the separation respectively from the large and small ends of the
separating chamber, substantially as set forth.
Second. The combination with a closed chamber tapering upwardly and provided
with an outlet for the light material at its upper end and an outlet for the heavy
material at its lower end, of a feeder delivering the material to be separated into
the upper portion of the separating chamber, and a rotating air propelling device
arranged within the separating chamber whereby the air contained therein is caused
to circulate in the same along the peripheral wall to the upper end and through
the axial portion back to the lower end, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with a closed tapering separating chainber provided with
an outlet for the light material at its small end and an outlet for the heavy
material at its large end, of a feeder whereby the material to be separated is
delivered into the separating chamber, a rotating shaft arranged axially in the
separating chamber, and an air propelling device mounted on said shaft in the
large portion of the separating chamber, whereby the air is caused to circulate within
the chamber along the peripheral wall to the small end and through the axial portion
back to the large end, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with a tapering separating chamber provided with means
whereby the body of air in the chamber is caused to rotate therein, of a feeder
whereby the material to be separated is delivered into the chamber, and outlets for
the heavy and light material arranged at different distances from the axis of rotation,
substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination with an upwardly tapering separating chamber provided
with means whereby the body of air in the chamber is caused to rotate therein, of a
feeder whereby the material to be separated is delivered into the chamber, an outlet
for the heaviest material arranged at the bottom of the chamber near its periphery
and an outlet for lighter material arranged in the bottom of the chamber near its
centre substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination with an upwardly tapering separating chamber provided
with means whereby the body of air in the chamber is caused to rotate therein, of a
feeder whereby the material to be separated is delivered into the chamber, an outlet

page_text: for the heaviest material arranged at the bottom of the chamber near its periphery an
outlet for lighter material arranged in the bottom of the chamber near its contre,
and an outlet for the lightest material at the top of the chamber, substantially as
set forth.
Seventh. The combination with a circular separating chamber provided with a
feeder whereby the material to be separated is delivered into the chamber and with an
outlet for the heavy material at its bottom and an outlet for the light material at its
top, of rotating blades arranged obliquely in the separating chamber whereby the
material is deflected upwardly, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination with a tapering separating chamber provided with a
feeder whereby the material to be separated is delivered into the chamber and with an
outlet for light material near its small end and an outlet for heavy material near its
large end, of a rotating shaft arranged axially in the chamber, and oblique blades
connected with said shaft whereby the material is deflected toward the small end of
the chamber, substantially as set forth.
Ninth. The combination with an upwardly tapering separating chamber with a
feeder whereby the material to be separated is delivered into the chamber and with
outlets for the heavy and light material at different distances from the axis of the
chamber, of a rotating shaft arranged centrally in the chamber, a circular plate
secured to said shaft and wings or blades secured to said plate, substantially as set
forth.
Tenth. The combination with a tapering separating chamber, of a feeder whereby
the material to be separated is delivered into the chamber, means whereby the body
of air in the chamber is caused to rotate therein, and outlet for solid matter and an
adjustable gate applied to said outlet, substantially as set forth.
Eleventh. The combination with a closed tapering separating chamber provided
with outlets for the heavy and light material located respectively at the large and
small ends of a feeder whereby the material to be, separated is delivered into the
chamber a rotating air propelling device arranged within the chamber and causing
the air contained therein to circulate along the peripheral wall to the small end of
the chamber and through the axial portion back to the large end, and a rotating
cleaner sweeping the inner surface of the separating chamber, substantially as set
forth.
D
: 9511
Novation 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.