An Improvement in Cellular Grain Cleaning and Sorting Cylinders.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 26th Jan., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Cellular Grain Cleaning and Sorting
Cylinders.
1, CHARLES EDWARD MUMFORD of St. Andrews Works, Bury St. Edmunds
in the County of Suffolk, Engineer 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 :-
My invention relates to the apparatus for cleaning and sorting grain, wherein a
cylindrical shell having in its inner surface cells or pockets revolves, while grain
occupying its lower part is tumbled over and over, and thus small or broken grains,
seeds, granules and other impurities become collected in the cells and being carried
up above the level of the grain, fall out of the cells on to a tray from which they
are discharged at the end of the machine. The object of iny invention is to
prevent as much as possible the retention in the cells of their contents, which are
sometimes apt to remain in them and thus render the cells useless. For this purpose
I provide an elastic scraper which acts on such matters as may be contained in the
cells when the cells are approaching the highest part of their revolution, and
the matters in them are then presented almost directly downwards and free
to fall.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section and Fig. 2 is a part longitudinal section of a
cellular cylinder of the kind above referred to with my invention applied to it.
Fig. 3 is a section of part of the circumference of the cylinder shewing the
forms of the cells, each of which has its one side somewhat more sloped than its
other side.
A is the cylinder which revolves in the direction of the arrow. From the axis B
is supported by brackets C the tray D in which is mounted a worm conveyor E.
A hinged scraper F clears the cells as they pass of large grains which project
beyond the surface of the cylinder. The smaller matters gathered in the cells are
apt to remain in them and to be carried round, and as they pass under the grain
again, become pressed more firmly in the cells. In order to prevent this I pivot
on a bracket G, a blade H loaded at its lower edge or pressed by a spring, and
having fixed on its upper edge a strip J of leather, caoutchouc or the like forming
a yielding scraper, or it might be a brush. As cells containing seeds, granules or
other matters pass this brush or rubber they are disturbed by it, and, the mouths
of the cells being then presented downwards, they readily fall out leaving the cells
empty. The grain moves slowly from end to end of the cylinder finally issuing by
openings K, while the seeds and impurities discharged from the cells into the tray D
are conveyed to the end and are delivered through end openings L. Sometimes
the cylinder instead of being on an axis B is arranged to revolve on external
rollers in such case the bracket C carrying the tray is secured to external supports
at the ends of the cylinder.
In some cases the bracket G may be mounted loosely on the spindle B with an
extension below it forming a counterweight so as to keep this bracket in a vertical
position and consequently the blade H and the brush J at the highest vertical
point of the cylinder.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
'claim is :
In combination with the cellular cylinder of a grain cleaning and sorting machine,
and its internal tray, the pivotted plate H with scraper or brush J arranged and
operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 8th day of December 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.