IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEAN- PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION CLEAN- ING GRAIN AND SEEDS FROM SMUT AND OTHER EXTRANEOUS, MATTER
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Bryant Childs and Lemuel Dow Owen, of
:
192, Tottenham Court Road, London, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEAN-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus Bryant Childs and
Lemuel Dow Owen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 6th August 1859.
We, AUGUSTUS BRYANT CHILDS and LEMUEL Dow OWEN, of 192, Tottenham
Court Road, London, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, do. hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEAN-
ING GRAIN AND SEEDS FROM SMUT AND OTHER EXTRANEOUS, MATTER," to be as
follows:-
By means of a revolving shaft placed in suitable bearings, with a series of
circular convex plates of iron attached thereto; these plates are grooved or
fluted on the upper surface, on which are also small projections or cones, and
the centre is left open round the shaft to allow a free passage of air from the
top to the bottom of the machine. The arms of these plates are so arranged
as to secure them to the shaft and at the same time act as wings or blowers.
There are also three sets of iron rods or beaters extending through these plates
from top to bottom.

page_text: The concave or cylinder which encloses the revolving shaft and plates is
constructed in the following manner :-First, a cast-iron circular head, with an
opening round the shaft for the free admission of air, and also one through
which the grain to be dressed enters the machine. The under side is
made concave and is fluted or grooved to correspond with the revolving plates
heretofore described. The lower edge of the head is cast with a groove
extending around the circle, the object of, which will hereafter be described.
Secondly, we uso iron rings concave on the inside, and which are also grooved
or fluted, having on both edges a groove extending round the entire circle
about ths of an inch in depth, corresponding to the groove in the lower edge
of the upper bead; in these grooves we place wrought-iron rods flattened at
each end, and from 8 to 12 inches in length. When placed in the groove they
give an open space between each rod sufficient to allow the free passage out of
dust and other substances smaller than the grain. On the inside of these
rings, and near its lower. edge, is a projection or ledge extending inwards and
downwards about two inches towards the centre of the machine, at an angle of
about 45 degrees. This ledge conducts the grain as it falls from between the
revolving plates and the stationary ring towards the centre of the machine,
where it comes in contact with the beaters and fans, by means of which the
grain is again thrown to the outer surface and passes over the second revolving
plate and between that and the ring; this may be repeated any number of
times desired. The upper and lower heads and intermediate rings are held in
their place by four cast-iron columns. On the upper end of the revolving shaft
is a driving pulley, the arms of which are similar to the blades of a screw,
which being placed over the opening in the top head forces a constant current
of air into the centro of the machine, which is thrown off by the wings and
beaters, and which, in escaping through between the rods, carries off with it
the dust and other impurities separated from the grain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augustus Bryant Childs and Lemuel Dow Owen in the 3
Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, AUGUSTUS
BRYANT CHILDS and LEMUEL Dow OWEN, of 192, Tottenham Court Road,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Augustus Bryant Childs and Lemuel Dow Owen, Her special licence that we,
the said Augustus Bryant Childs and Lemuel Dow Owen, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Augustus Bryant
Childs and Lemuel Dow Owen, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully night
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING GRAIN AND SEEDS PROM SMUT AND OTHER
EXTRANEOUS MATTER," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Augustus Bryant Childs and Lemuel Dow Owen, our executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 we, the said Augustus Bryant Childs and Lemuel
Dow Owen, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, and by reference to the Sheot
of Drawings filed herewith, and the letters and figures marked thereon, and
which form part of this our Specification..
Our said Invention has a revolving shaft placed in suitable bearings, with a
series of circular, convex, or hemispherical plates, of iron or other suitablo
material, attached thereto, and which plates are corrugated, grooved, or fluted
towards the edge on the upper surface, and on such surface, from about the
part where such corrugations, grooves, or flutes terminate, there are a number
of small conical projections or nipples, and the centre of such plates are open
round the shaft, to allow a free passage of air through the centre of the
machine from the top to the bottom.
The above-mentioned plates are supported by arms so arranged as to secure
them to the shaft and to act as wings or blowers. There are also three sets
of iron rods or beaters extending through these plates from the top to the
bottom of the machine.
The circular or cylindrical cover which encloses the revolving shaft and
plates is constructed in the following manner :-There is a cast-iron circular

page_text: head, with an opening round the shaft for the free admission of air, and also
an opening through which the grain to be dressed enters from the shute into
the machine. The under side of the head is made concave, and is corrugated,
grooved, or fluted, to correspond with the revolving plates herein-before
described. The lower edge of the head has a groove extending around its
circle, and there are rings or ribs of iron or other suitable material, made in
two parts, with flanges, and are concave on the inside, with a projecting flange,
and on both edges of the rings or ribs there is a groove extending round its
entire circle, about three-eighths of an inch in depth, to correspond with the
groove in the lower edge of the upper head, and in these grooves are fixed
wrought-iron rods, flattened at each end to keep a space between the circular
parts of the rods; and such rods are from about eight to twelve inches in
length, so that when placed in the groove there is an open space between each
rod sufficient to allow the free passage out of dust and other substances
smaller than the grain which are thrown against them by the centrifugal force
of the revolving plates. On the inside of each of those rings or ribs, and near
its lower edge, is the projecting or sloping flange or ledge, extending inwards
and downwards about two inches towards the centre of the machine, at an
angle of about forty-five degrees. That sloping flange or ledge conducts the
grain as it falls from between the revolving plates and the stationary ring and
flange on to the nippled circular plate towards the centre of the machine,
.where it is acted on by the beaters and fans, by means of which the grain is
again thrown to the outer edge, and passes down another projecting flange to
the next revolving plate, and thence between that and the next ring and
flange, and so on until the grain reaches the bottom of the machine. We
.prefer to have the lowest.circular convex plate of greater diameter than the
others. The upper head and lower plate and intermediate rings are held in
their places by four or more cast-iron columns, which are supported by the
.circular ribs or rings bolted through the flanges thereon, and on the upper end
of the revolving shaft is a pulley, open at the top and driven by a band from the
motive power, and the arms of such pulley are similar to the blades of a screw,
which being placed over the opening in the top head, forces a constant current
of air into the centre of the machine, which is thrown off by the wings and
beaters, and which in escaping through the interstices of the rods carries off
with it the lighter dust and other impurities separated from the grain or blades
for the like purpose may be attached to the shaft.
Figure 1. is an elevation of the machine, with part of the cover removed,
and partly in section; Figure II. is an elevation thereof; Figure III., a
sectional plan through the line A, B; Figure IV., a plan of top, with driving

page_text: pulley removed; Figure V., a plan of bridge tree; Figure VI., an elevation
of one-half of circular ring or rib, with flanges for bolts; Figure VI*, a plan
thereof; Figure VII., a plan of bottom circular plate or disk, broken.
Our Invention, as herein described, is used thus:-The machino is driven by
a band over the drum head or driving pulley a, and the corn or other grain to
be dressed or cleaned is shot into or enters the machine through an aperture
in the drum head or driving pulley, which is attached to the shaft b, or through
an opening for the purpose in the top plate c. The grain falls or is driven on
to the outside surface of the upper revolving circular plate d, whence it is
thrown by the centrifugal force of such revolving plate to the outer edge
against the inside of the ring d I, and thence is driven down the projecting
flange or sloping ledge k into the beaters fand fans e to the outer surface of
the next corrugated, grooved, or fluted and nippled revolving plate, whence it is
again thrown against the inside of the cylindrical cover of vertical cast-iron
rods, and so forced through the several stages until it reaches the bottom,
where it passes through a door or opening.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that we
do not claim any of the parts thereof separately, but that what we claim as
our Invention is the combination of the parts herein-before described, or their
equivalents, into machinery for cleaning grain and seeds from smut and other
extraneous matter, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Sixth
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Augustus Bryant Childs and
Lemuel Dow Owen in the presence of
H. WICKENS, Solicitor,
4, Tokenhouse Yard, Bank,
London.
A. B. CHILDS. (L.8.)
L. D. OWEN. (L.B.)