METHOD Or AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING THE BLACK DUST, SEMOLINA, AND GERM FROM BROKEN WHEAT
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I JAMES WALWORTH of Albert Works Lister Hills, Bradford in the County of
York, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN
METHOD Or AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING THE BLACK DUST,
SEMOLINA, AND GERM FROM BROKEN WHEAT" to be as follows:-
IMPROVED
My invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for separating by
means of a suction fan, semolina, and the black dust which is contained within the
crease of wheat, from broken wheat which has passed between mill stones, rollers
or other similar apparatus. It is well known that wheat contains in the crease
of each grain a portion of black dust which it is desirable to remove in order to
preservo the whiteness and quality of the flour.
The apparatus hitherto in use for this purpose consists of fluted cutting rollors
between which the wheat is passed, by which process the grain is broken up into
combined black dust, middlings, and broken wheat, which mixture is afterwards
passed into a machine known as a "scalper" which generally consists of a six
sided reel covered with woven wire.
The scalper is supported by bearings in an inclined position and is caused to
revolve; the broken wheat is placed therein when the black dust and middlings
pass through the meshes of the wire and the broken wheat passes out at the end.
The black dust and middlings are then passed through a similarly shaped reel
covered with silk, through the meshes of which the black dust passes and the
middlings are carried through and out at the end. From this description it will be
observed that two separate machines are employed in the said process of separation
as hitherto practised. In carrying out my invention I pass the wheat between a
pair of smooth rollers which open the grain at the crease hereinbefore mentioned
and partially break up the same into middlings, black dust and broken wheat.
The broken grain consisting of the various parts before mentioned falls into a
vertical spout or spouts, through which a current of air is drawn by a suction fan
in an opposite direction to that in which the grain falls. By this means the
current of air will lift the black dust and middlings into a suitable receiving
chamber, but the black dust being lighter than the other portions is drawn still
further forward by the suction blast and is received in a dust chamber,

page_text: By this process the two hereinbefore described reels or scalpers hitherto in use
are dispensed with.
The great advantage of this improved process is that the black dust is removed
immediately the grain is broken up, whereby it is prevented from becoming mixed
with and adhering to the broken grain and thereby impairing the colour and
quality of the flour as has hitherto been the case.
TURNER & BAKER,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JAMES WALWORTH of Albert Works, Lister Hills, Bradford in the County of
York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN "IMPROVED
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING THE BLACK DUST, SEMOLINA AND
GERM FROM BROKEN WHEAT" 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 an improved method of and apparatus for separating by
means of a suction fan "semolina" or "middlings" and the black dust which is
contained within the crease of wheat, from broken wheat, which has passed between
mill stones, rollers or other similar apparatus.
It is well known that wheat contains in the crease of each grain a portion of
black dust which it is desirable to remove in order to preserve the whiteness and
quality of the flour.
The apparatus bitherto in use for this purpose consists of fluted cutting rollers,
between which the wheat is passed, by which process the grain is broken up into
combined black dust, middlings, and broken wheat, which mixed is afterwards
passed into a machine known as a "scalper" which generally consists of a six
sided reel covered with woven wire.
The scalper" is supported by bearings in an inclined position and is caused to
revolve, the broken wheat is placed therein when the black dust and middlings
pass through the meshes of the wire, and the broken wheat passes out at the
lower end-The black dust and middlings are then passed through a similarly
shaped reel covered with silk, through the meshes of which the black dust passes,
and the middlings are carried through and out at the end.
From this description it will be observed that two separate machines are
employed in the said process of separation, as hitherto practiced. In carrying out
my invention I pass the wheat between a pair of smooth rollers which open the

page_text: which a current of air is drawn by a suction fan, in an opposite direction to that
in which the grain falls. By this means the current of air will lift the black
dust and middlings into a suitable receiving chamber; but the black dust being
lighter than the other portion is drawn still further forward by the suction blast,
and is received in a dust chamber.
By this process the two hereinbefore mentioned reels or scalpers hitherto in use
are dispensed with.
The great advantage of this improved process is that the black dust is removed
immediately the grain is broken up, whereby it is prevented from becoming mixed
with, and adhering to the broken grain, and thereby impairing the colour and
quality of the flour as has hitherto been the case.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS,
Figure 1 represents an elevation of my improved apparatus as herein described.
Figure 2 represents a sectional elevation of the same.
Figure 3 a plan of the rollers used with the apparatus herein before mentioned
showing the method of adjustment of such rollers.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the drawings.
The wheat to be crushed is first placed in the hopper A. at the bottom of which
is a feed roller driven at the required speed by the pulley B. From the hopper A
the wheat passes between two smooth rollers in the enclosed box C, one roller is
upon the shaft G, actuated by the pulley E, and the other roller is upon the shaft H,
actuated by the pulley D. As the pulley D is smaller in diameter than the pulley E
and both pulleys are driven from similar sized drums upon the same countershaft,
the shaft H is caused to revolve at a greater speed than the shaft G, and
consequently one roller travels at a greater speed than the other, which difference
in speed is found to facilitate the crushing and opening out of the grains of wheat
in the manner required.
After passing between the rollers the broken wheat falls into the inclined
spout J which is contracted to a narrow flat passage at its lower extremity in order
to cause the broken grains to fall in a thin stream into the vertical spout K.
The broken grains of wheat fall direct into the hopper S from whence they pass
by the spout T to the millstones in the case U, and are ground. Mixed with the
broken grains of wheat that fall into the vertical spout K. are a certain proportion
of semolina or middlings, and a small quantity of flour, also the black dust, which
has been released by the opening out of the crease of the grains of wheat, which
opening has been effected by the crushing rollers. A strong current of air is drawn
upwards by means of an exhaust fan through the spout K. and takes with it the
semolina or middlings, a small portion of flour, and the black dust hereinbefore
referred to.
The semolina or middlings being the heaviest of these three substances is
deposited in the first Chamber L, the flour is deposited in the second Chamber N,
and the black dust, which is the lightest substance is carried on by means of the
current of air by the spout P into the fan Q, from whence it is discharged by a
suitable spout into a dust Chamber R.
It will be seen that by this process the black dust is removed from the crushed
wheat immediately after the wheat has been opened out by the crushing rollers,
and is taken away by the current of air as described, before it has an opportunity
of mixing with the broken wheat and thereby discolouring it.
The rollers S and T' are made with smooth polished surfaces, and one of them
is made to run at a greater speed than the other. The bearings of the roller S¹
are fixed to the flange of the box or chamber in which the rollers operate, but the
bearings V of the roller T¹ are supported upon slides, and are held in position so

page_text: as to bring the roller-T¹ as near as is required to the roller S' by the plate spring U,
and the pressure upon the bearings which carry the roller T can be regulated by
hand wheel Y and screw X. A valve is shewn at Z by opening or closing which
the current of air drawn through the apparatus may be regulated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction and arrangement of apparatus for removing the black dust
and semolina or middling, from crushed or broken wheat by means of a current of
air which is produced by an exhaust fan or its equivalent, and which current of 1
air passes up a vertical spout in the opposite direction to that in which the crushed
or broken wheat falls. The current of air produced as described takes with it the
semolina or middlings which is deposited in a chamber, and a small portion of flour
which is deposited in a second chamber, the black dust being lighter, is carried
further forward to the fan, and is discharged into a dust chamber, all substantially
in the manner described, or any mere modification thereof.
2. The combined action of the crushing rollers or their equivalent, and the
current of air produced and acting in the manner described, or any modification
thereof, for the purpose of separating black dust from crushed or broken wheat.