IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING, CLEANING, HULLING, WASHING, AND DRYING GRAIN AND SEEDS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No. 11, Wellington Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING, CLEANING,
HULLING, WASHING, AND DRYING GRAIN AND SEEDS." A communication from
abroad by Adolphe Vève, of Monieux (Vaucleuse), France.
Sealed the 11th October 1878, and dated the 18th April 1878..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1878.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
SEPARATING, CLEANING, HULLING, WASHING, AND DRYING GRAIN AND SEEDS." A.
communication from abroad by Adolphe Vève, of. Monieux (Vaucleuse), France.
This Invention relates to an improved machine which separates, removes the.
smut, sorts, washes, and drys grain, which will be found an advantageous substitute
for the ordinary washing and drying machines, and for the cleaners and dampers
hitherto used. It frees the grain from foreign bodies, larger or smaller, heavier
or lighter. Then by the beating which the grain undergoes in contact with water,-
it is freed from all the dust adhering to its epidermis, and the polish removed from
its shining and greasy surface, so that when the grain has after this washing
remained from 12 to 24 hours in sacks, and is then submitted to the action of the.
millstones, these latter yield the bran in the most complete manner without becoming
greasy..
This machine is composed of two distinct parts,-
The first part is formed of the sifter, the decorticator or huller, and the washing
trough or vat, the whole securely fixed upon a cast-iron frame, which joins to the.
second part.

page_text: WORKING.
It receives motion in its second part upon a pulley set in the right end of the
horizontal shaft, which traverses the drying cylinder. On the left end of the same
shaft is a second pulley, which by means of a band or belt communicates motion to
a small horizontal shaft placed above the decorticator, which shaft carries at the end
opposite to that where it receives the motion a small bevel wheel gearing with a
second wheel fixed on a vertical shaft, which rests on the bottom of the washing
trough or vat; the upper end of this vertical shaft possesses an excentric core sur-
rounded by a collar, the rod of which is connected with the sieve, and gives it a
come-and-go motion.
OPERATION.
The grain stored in a special receptacle, which the miller arranges in the most
convenient manner above the machine, runs through an outlet on to the upper end
of the sifter, where a first screen with round holes gives passage to the wheat or
. other grain, and returns all the larger foreign bodies. The grain received beneath
upon a second screen with smaller round holes is there held and separated from the
smaller seeds, which passing through it fall upon the solid bottom of the sifter.
The sifting motion given to the excentric insensibly conducts the wheat at the
same time as the waste to the lower part of the sifter, where two tubes arranged for
outlets lead, the one the residues into the waste box or bin, conveniently placed
within the framing, the other tube leading the wheat, freed from smut and sepa
rated, into the decorticator or huller, where it comes between the inner sides of a
conical hopper provided with a sheet-iron rasp, and a beater also with rasp of the
same shape as the hopper, and which may be brought nearer to or further from its
sides. The beater drives the wheat at a speed of, say, 200 revolutions a minute.
This operation frees the wheat from all the impurities still covering some of its grains,
after which it is driven with force to the centre of the trough or vat, where it
undergoes a first washing.
The washing trough or vat is fed with water by the bottom; about a tenth flows
out by an opening made near its top, carrying with it the chaff, thistles, and other
seeds lighter than the corn, and which are led by a pipe into the waste box. The
other nine-tenths of the water escape by an opening at the bottom of the trough on
the side facing the drying cylinder, carrying the grain with it as fast as it is brought
within its influence by an agitating rake, the continuous jerking motion of which,
given by a tappet on the shaft carrying the rake, is very suitable for submerging
the few grains which, notwithstanding the force with which they have been pro-
jected upon issuing from the decorticator, still remain on the surface of the
water.
The agitating rake is of wood, and floats between two waters in the washing vat;
it is of one piece, with a hole in the middle, in which passes the vertical shaft,
resting on the bottom of the vat, thus forming two arms. The agitating rake is
toothed on both sides; the upper teeth always coming out of the water, submerge
the few grains which remain on the surface, while continually pushing the bodies
lighter than the grain towards the upper part of the trough, from whence the water
carries them off to the waste chest. The lower teeth descend nearly to the bottom
of the trough, and their object is to bring to the surface of the water the few seeds
lighter than the grain, the immersion of which has been caused by the force with
which they have been projected by the beater; then to bring the grain, when the
heavier bodies have come to the bottom of the trough, near the outlet by which the
water carries it into the drying cylinder.
At the bottom of the trough or vat there is a dip or recess of about eight centi-
metres in depth by six in length in the two-thirds nearest the outlet for the grain,
in which recess stones lodge, and are afterwards extracted by an opening beneath,
emptying into the waste box or chest.

page_text: In order to prevent this sunken part of the bottom of the vat or receiver for
stones and heavy bodies from remaining filled with grain in the absence of stones at
the beginning of the washing, or after this receiver has been emptied, the water feed
by the bottom of the vat is arranged as follows:-The water, led through a pipe,
first strikes against the solid bottom of the vat, then, following the bottom hori-
zontally to the inner edge of the stone receiver, it falls into its bottom on all sides
through small holes in a projection of the bottom of the vat over the stone receiver.
This projection of water to the bottom of the stone receiver as it arrives in the vat
drives out the grain which by its weight seeks to lodge there, and forces it to rise
again to the outlet, where the water carries it off. The heavy bodies thus always
remain the sole occupants of the bottom.
The grain as it issues from the washing vat is carried by the water to a horizontal
cylinder of a uniform diameter throughout its length. This cylinder is of perforated
sheet iron, and has within it a beater with the blades driven at a speed of, say, 300
revolutions a minute, which continues the washing to such part of the cylinder as
may be deemed necessary, after which, the water escaping through the perforated
sheet iron, the washing is completed, leaving nothing to desire.
When the water has drained from it, the grain continues to move forward,
impelled by the beater, the blades of which are curved like a screw, and in traversing
this latter part of the cylinder the grain is so thoroughly freed from the small
quantity of water which still adheres to it that when it issues therefrom there is
only left a slight humidity, and this soon penetrating to the interior of the grain
prepares it for a good grinding.
I have stated above that the washing is continued in the cylinder up to any part
of it which may be deemed suitable, because this point may be lengthened or
shortened by means of bands of india-rubber, zinc, or other material surrounding the
cylinder to intercept the outflow of water at the points where the band is applied ;
thus the water may run from end to end of the cylinder, if desired, to extend the
washing and to leave the grain wetter, if harder.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing shows in elevation and section a machine
embodying this Invention, A indicating the sifter; B, the decorticator or huller ; C,
beater of the decorticator with rasp; D, washing trough or vat; E, rake for keeping
grain in motion; F, receiver or recess for stones and heavy bodies; G, waste box or
chest; H, drying cylinder; I, beater with blades; J, india-rubber band encircling
the drying cylinder.

page_text: The washing trough or vat is fed with water by the bottom; about a tenth flows
out by an opening made near its top; carrying with it the chaff, smut, and seed
lighter than the corn, which are led by a pipe into the waste box. The other
nine-tenths of the water escape by an opening at the bottom of the trough on the
side facing the drying cylinder, carrying the grain with it as fast as it is brought
within its influence by an agitating rake, the continuous jerking motion of which,
given by a tappet on the shaft carrying the rake, is very suitable for submerging
the few grains which, notwithstanding the force with which they have been
projected upon issuing from the decorticator, still remain on the surface of the
water.
The agitating rake is of wood, and floats between two waters in the washing vat;
it is of one piece, with a hole in the middle, in which passes the vertical shaft,
resting on the bottom of the vat, thus forming two arms; the agitating rake is
toothed on both sides; the upper teeth always coming out of the water, submerge
the few grains which remain on the surface, while continually pushing the bodies
lighter than the grain towards the upper part of the trough, from whence the water
carries them off to the waste chest. The lower teeth descend nearly to the bottom
of the trough, and their object is to bring to the surface of the water the few seeds
lighter than the grain, the immersion of which has been caused by the force with
which they have been projected by the beater; then to bring the grain when the
heavier bodies have come to the bottom of the trough, near the outlet by which the
water carries it into the drying cylinder.
4
At the bottom of the trough or vat there is a dip or recess of about eight centi-
metres in depth by six in length in the two-thirds nearest the outlet for the grain,
in which recess stones lodge, and are afterwards extracted by an opening beneath,
empytying into the waste box or chest.
In order to prevent this sunken part of the bottom of the vat or receiver for
stones and heavy bodies from remaining filled with grain in the absence of stones at
the beginning of the washing, or after this receiver has been emptied, the water feed
by the bottom of the vat is arranged as follows:-The water, led through a pipe,
first strikes against the solid bottom of the vat, then, following the bottom hori-
zontally to the inner edge of the stone receiver, it falls into its bottom on all sides
through small holes in a projection of the bottom of the vat over the stone receiver.
This projection of water to the bottom of the stone receiver as it arrives in the vat
drives out the grain which by its weight seeks to lodge there, and forces it to rise
again to the outlet, where the water carries it off. The heavy bodies thus always
remain the sole occupants of the bottom.
The grain as it issues from the washing vat is carried by the water to a horizontal
cylinder of a uniform diameter throughout its length. This cylinder is of perforated
sheet iron, and has within it a beater with blades driven at a speed of, say, 300
revolutions a minute, which continues the washing to such part of the cylinder as
may be deemed necessary, after which, the water escaping through the perforated
sheet iron, the washing is completed, leaving nothing to desire.
When the water has drained from it, the grain continues to move forward,.
impelled by the beater, the blades of which are curved like a screw, and in traversing
this latter part of the cylinder the grain is so thoroughly freed from the small
quantity of water which still adheres to it that when it issues therefrom there is
only left a slight humidity, and this soon penetrating to the interior of the grain
prepares it for a good grinding.
I have stated above that the washing is continued in the cylinder up to any part
of it which may be deemed suitable, because this point may be lengthened or
shortened by means of bands of india-rubber, zinc, or other material surrounding the
cylinder to intercept the outflow of water at the points where the band is applied;
thus the water may run from and to the end of the cylinder, if desired, to extend
the washing and to leave the grain wetter if harder.
L
I may modify the machine above described as follows:-
By placing a fun in the body of the hopper of. the decorticator, working at the

page_text: •
same speed as this latter, with the object of establishing a current of air which will
drive out all very light bodies before the introduction of the grain into the washing
trough or vat; for this purpose the air is led through a pipe running along the out-
side of the hopper of the decorticator vertically to its base, where the current of air
passes through the hopper, carrying with it all the husks and chaff which the decor-
ticator has detached from the grain, as well as the broken smut; this light waste
escapes by a shifting conduit, and is received in a bag.
The fan or current of air to carry off this light waste before it reaches the washing
trough, where it previously floated on the top of the water, has been applied to the
machinery or apparatus above described because, when the light bodies floated in
too great a quantity in the trough or vat, the agitating rake could not bring them
with sufficient rapidity towards the outlet; they remained too long upon the surface
of the water, and then grains of wheat borne as upon a raft were carried away with
this waste, a loss being thereby occasioned, so that the machine might be deemed
imperfect; whereas with the addition of the fan, the wheat being freed from
husk, chaff, and smut before it reached the trough or vat, there will then float upon
the surface of the water absolutely nothing but the light seeds foreign to the wheat,
which do not present the obstacle above mentioned, and are then alone carried away
by the overflow of water.
I may also use for the decorticator a beater with longitudinal blades. The beater
with rasp, above described, is liable to become choked when operating upon corn
badly threshed out from the sheaves, and it becomes necessary to bring the beater
nearer to the sides of the hopper, and preference is therefore given to the use of a
beater with, say, about 12 blades set around it at equal distances apart, and each
projecting about 2 centimetres or %, of an inch.
This new arrangement, while permitting the blades of the beater to be brought
very close against the grating or rasping plate of the hopper, is not liable to become
choked, because there is an open space between each blade where the wheat lodges
after the blow or shock given by each of them, and thus descends little by little by
its own weight to the bottom of the decorticator, from whence it issues quite freely:
to enter into the washing trough, and there free itself from the light seeds which it
still possesses, and of the heavier foreign bodies.
I may also use a counter agitator. The agitator in its circular motion transmits
this movement to the water in the washing trough, in the middle of which it floats.
The motion of the water not being arrested by any obstacle carries with it all the
light seeds which float on the surface, but these passing by their acquired speed
before the outlet for the waste are not always carried off by the current, and
becoming eventually soaked with water, are then carried away with the wheat.
The counter agitator, formed by a rod or stem projecting towards the centre of
the trough, and fixed upon one of its edges by a screw, carries beneath it teeth.
which reach the surface of the water, and slightly touching it, breaks the circular
current, and form a barrier or bar to the light waste, which by this momentary
stoppage are easily caught and carried away by the draught of the water which is
pouring out.
The teeth of the counter agitator are so placed that they do not in any way
impede the movement of the agitator while working, as the teeth of this latter pass
between those of the counter agitator, and the effect of this crossing is that all
the grains of corn which may still be floating on the surface of the water become.
immersed.
Two, three, or even four counter agitators may be used if one is found insufficient,
and they may be fixed to such parts of the vat as may be found best to ensure the
desired results.
I may also use a brusher with continuous circular motion. The object of this
brush is to free the exterior of the second part of the drying cylinder from the
pellicles of grain which obstruct its holes, an obstruction which does not take place
in the first part, because these pellicules are carried away by the water in its escape.
This brusher may be of iron wire, of animal or vegetable matter, or simply a thin

page_text: sheet of metal scraping the sheet metal of the cylinder instead of brushing it, the
same results being obtained in either case. Its circular movement is given to it by
toothed gearing placed around the air cylinder.
I may also place a fan at the end of the drying cylinder. The object of this fan
is to produce air to complete the drying of
; it is fixed at the right
end of the drying cylinder. An air tube fixed to the casing of the fan enters the
air cylinder conjointly with the grain conduit.
end of the drying cylinder. An air tuve nxed
air cylinder conjointly with the grain conduit.
to the casing or the ran enters the
AIR CYLINDER.
The air cylinder is intended to complete the drying of
; it is superposed
on the drying cylinder; it has a uniform diameter of, say, 0m, 30 cents, or 12 inches;
it is of plain sheet iron, and receives its movement of, say, 35 revolutions a minute
from a small pulley placed between the driving pulley and the bearing of the shaft
of the beater.
The wheat entering the air chamber is kept in constant motion until its exit,
which may be made more or less rapid, according to the inclination given to the
cylinder. During this movement the air which penetrates at the same time acts
powerfully upon each grain, and completes the drying of
When the water has drained from the corn in the drying cylinder it is requisite
to cease the beating and to employ air for the grain not yet sufficiently freed from
humidity to be ground, for too long continued a beating will then only result in
serious waste by the separation of bran from the grain.
If a single air cylinder should not suffice, a second, a third, or more may be added,
necessarily causing the corn and the air to pass from one to the other until it is
ascertained that the grain is sufficiently dried.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing shows a machine embodying these improve-
ments, A indicating the sifter; B, the decorticator or huller; C, the washing vat or
trough; D, the drying cylinder; E, the air cylinder; a, a, smutting and sorting screens
or sieves; b, conduit for waste from the sifter; c, eccentric giving motion to the sifter;
d, shaft of decorticator; e, horizontal shaft communicating motion; f, fan of decor-
ticator; g, beater with blades of the decorticator; h, rasping plate of decorticator;
i, air conduit; j, conduit for issue of waste from decorticator; %, tappet working
the agitating rake; 1, agitating rake; m, counter agitator; n, conduit for waste
from the washing vat; o, conduit for grain issuing from the vat; p, small trap or
valve permitting the grain to pass out; g, bottom plate of vat; r, water chamber;
8, box or recess for stoves; t, box for waste; u, beater with blades of the drying
cylinder; v, fan of air cylinder; x, air cylinder; y, brush with circular action.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
T
W.
E. GEDGE. (L.D.)