AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR WINNOWING, CLEANING, AND SORTING SEMOLINA. AND 'MID- DLINGS,' AND CORN AND OTHER SEEDS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hunter Henry Murdoch, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
MACHINE FOR WINNOWING, CLEANING, AND SORTING SEMOLINA. AND 'MID-
DLINGS,' AND CORN AND OTHER SEEDS." A communication from abroad by
Carl Haggenmacher, Director of the First Ofen-Pesth Steam Mills Company
at Pesth.
ealed the 3rd March 1876, and dated the 5th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hunter Henry Murdoch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, on the 5th January 1876.
HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR WINNOWING, CLEANING, AND
SORTING SEMOLINA AND MIDDLINGS, AND CORN AND OTHER SEEDS."
'
This Invention consists of an improved machine for separating the different
qualities of semolina and middlings, and corn and other seeds, the parts of which
machine are so constructed and arranged that the matters to be treated when fed
into it at the upper part pass downward by gravity, and are acted on during their
passage by a current of air drawn or forced through the machine, the said current
of air separating the semolina or other matters into different qualities, each of
which passes from the machine by a separate shoot. The parts of the machine
are capable of adjustment, according to the nature of the matter to be treated or
the result required.
The said machine consists of a cylindrical casing supported by hollow columns,
which communicate with the interior of the said casing by means of passages
furnished with valves. In the interior of the casing are annular shelves, to which
rings of metal are secured so as to be capable of being adjusted vertically, the
said rings being fixed as required by means of screws.
These shelevs are, for
convenience of description, herein-after termed the first, second, and third annular
shelves. The upper part of the cylindrical casing is closed by a cover, through
which passes a tube (herein-after termed the feeding tube) which is capable of
adjustment. In the said cover, below the lower part of the said casing, which is
open, a circular tray is supported by the hollow columns herein-before referred to.
In the axis of the said casing is mounted a vertical shaft, which is capable of
21

page_text: rotatory motion in bearings supported by girders bolted to the said columns. The
Baid vertical shaft passes through the tray herein-before referred to, and through
the feeding tube, and to it truncated cones are affixed one above another. These
cones are arranged base to base, and the upper cone of each pair being smaller
than the lower circular shelves or ledges, are formed at the junctions of the upper 5
and lower cones, the level of each of which shelves is rather higher than that of
the adjacent annular shelf. The topmost cone is also provided with a circular
shelf formed on or by its truncated end. 'These shelves are, for convenience of
description, herein-after termed the first, second, and third feeding shelves. The
upper cone of each pair of cones is surrounded by a stationary hopper. Affixed to 1
the lower cone of each pair are rods carrying brushes or scrapers, which, when the
vertical shaft is caused to rotate, travel over the aforesaid annular shelves and
circular tray for the purpose herein-after described.
The cylindrical casing is provided with doors or windows, through which the work
done by the machine may be inspected when it is in action, and access may be 1
gained for cleaning or adjusting the parts when necessary. Projecting from the
outside of the said casing, and communicating with the annular shelves, are shoots
or spouts, each of which is provided at the outer end with a flap valve capable
of yielding to pressure from within. The said circular tray is also provided with
a similar shoot or spout and valve.
The said machine is used, and acts as follows:-The hollow columns being
connected to the suction pipe of a fan, currents of air are caused to pass upward
through the machine, the force of the said currents varying in the different parts
of the machine, according as the sectional area of the air passages is greater or
less, the rotatory shaft is set in motion, and the semolina or other matters to be
treated (which have been sorted according to the size of the grains by means of an
ordinary grain sorter or cleansing sieve) passes or pass from an ordinary elevator
or from a hopper mounted above the machine through the feeding tube on to the
first circular shelf, thence into the current of air passing the second circular shelf,
the said current separating the heavier particles (the semolina) from the lighter
particles (the refuse semolina), the latter passing over the adjustable ring of the first
annular shelf, and the former falling into the hopper surrounding the cone next
below it and on to the third circular shelf, whence it again passes into the
ascending current of air, which being stronger at this part of the machine (owing
to the space being more contracted) again separates the lighter from the heavier
particles which pass in the same manner on to the second annular shelf and into
the hopper next below respectively. The heavier particles are again acted on in
like manner in passing from the fourth circular shelf, part falling on the third
annular shelf, and part on to the circular tray. The particles falling on the said
tray and on the annular shelves are swept round by the brushes or scrapers,
pass down the shoots, pushing open the flaps in their passage. The lighter
particles of bran or offal pass from the machine with the current. of air drawn
through it.
1. Ei
and
By increasing or decreasing the number of shelves the semolina or other
matters may be divided into as many different qualities as may be desired without
increasing the number of revolutions of the fan or the power required to
drive it.
The amount of air passing through the machine is regulated by means of the
valves in the passages which from the communication between the casing and the
hollow columns, and the strength of the current passing the circular shelves is
regulated by raising or lowering the adjustable rings carried by the flanges or
rims of the annular shelves, to which access may be gained by opening the doors
or windows of the casing. The said parts being once adjusted for a particular
kind of semolina or other matter, it is only necessary to alter them when another
kind has to be treated.
The following are the advantages attending the use of this machine,-
1. By one operation the semolina is cleaned and the refuse divided into as many

page_text: different qualities as may be required free from the lightest and worthless offals,
thus greatly simplifying the process as ordinarily performed.
2. Very little power and skilled labour are required to work the machine.
3. The machines occupy but little space. Instead of drawing air through the
machine as herein-before described air may be forced through it. In this case the
pipe of a blast fan is connected to the lower part of the machine, and the upper
part instead of being connected to the hollow columns, as herein-before described,
is open to the external atmosphere. The regulating valves in this arrangement
being situated in the blast pipe.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Hunter Henry Murdoch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
June 1876.
'
HUNTER HENRY MURDOCH, of No. 7, Staple Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR WINNOWING, CLEANING, AND
SORTING SEMOLINA AND MIDDLINGS,' AND CORN AND OTHER SEEDS." A com-
munication to me from abroad by Carl Haggenmacher, Director of the First Ofen-
Pesth Steam Mills Company at Pesth).
This Invention consists of an improved machine for separating the different
qualities of semolina and middlings, and corn and other seeds, the parts of which
machine are so constructed and arranged that the matters to be treated when fed
into it at the upper part pass downward by gravity, and are acted on during their
passage by a current of air drawn or forced through the machine, the said current
of air separating the semolina or other matters into different qualities, each of
which passes from the machine by a separate shoot. The parts of the machine are
capable of adjustment according to the nature of the matter to be treated or the
result required.
The said machine consists of a cylindrical casing supported by hollow columns,
which communicate with the interior of the said casing by means of passages
furnished with valves. In the interior of the casing are annular shelves, to which
rings of metal are secured so as to be capable of being adjusted vertically, the said
rings being fixed as required by means of screws. These shelves are, for con-
venience of description, herein-after termed the first, second, and third annular
shelves. The upper part of the cylindrical casing is closed by a cover, through
which passes a tube (herein-after termed the feeding tube) which is capable of
adjustment in the said cover. Below the lower part of the said casing (which is
open) a circular tray is supported by the hollow columns herein-before referred to.
In the axis of the said casing is mounted a vertical shaft, which is capable of
rotatory motion in bearings supported by girders bolted to the said columns. The
said vertical shaft passes through the tray, herein-before referred to, and through
the feeding tube, and to it truncated cones are affixed one above another. These
cones are arranged base to base, and the upper cone of each pair being smaller than
the lower cone, circular shelves or ledges are formed at the junctions of the upper
and lower cones, the level of each of which shelves is rather higher than that of the
adjacent annular shelf. The topmost cone is also provided with a circular shelf
formed on or by its truncated end. These shelves are, for convenience of descrip-
tion, herein-after termed the first, second, and third feeding shelves.
The upper
cone of each pair of cones is surrounded by a stationary hopper. Affixed to the
lower cone of each pair are rods carrying brushes or scrapers, which when the
vertical shaft is caused to rotate travel over the aforesaid annular shelves and
circular tray for the purpose herein-after described.
The cylindrical casing is provided with doors or windows, through which the
work done by the machine may be inspected when it is in action, and access may

page_text: be gained for cleaning or adjusting the parts when necessary. Projecting from the
outside of 'the said casing and communicating with the annular shelves aro shoots
or spouts, each of which is provided at the outer end with a flap valve capable of
yielding to pressure from within. The said circular tray is also provided with a
similar shoot or spout and valve.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, I will proceed to describe the
manner in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation; Figure 2 is a plan; Figure 3 is a vertical section taken
on the line 1, Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a sectional plan of the aforesaid machine.
Figures 5 and 6 represent details of the machine, as herein-after described.
The same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in the several
Figures.
A is the cylindrical casing, supported by hollow collumns B, B; b¹, 61, are the
passages which form the communications between the interior of the casing A and
the columns B, B; 62, 62, are the valves furnished with handles outside the casing A,
one of which handles is shown at 63, Figure 1; by means of the valves 62, 62, the
said passages 61, 61, may be closed or partly closed; D1, D2, D3, are the annular
shelves; d, d, are flanges or rims formed thereon; and d¹, d³, ds, are the metal rings
which are secured to the rims d of the shelves D¹, D³, D³, by means of the
screws d', d, which pass through inclined slots do, do, formed in the rings d¹, d, d³.
The said screws and slots are illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, Figure 5 being a plan
of one of the annular shelves and of the ring screwed thereto, and Figure 6 a
section of the same parts, the section being taken on the line 2, Figure 5. When
it is wished to adjust the height of the rings d¹, d², d, the screws d', d*, are
loosened and the rings partly turned, the said rings being raised or lowered
according to the direction in which they are turned; they are then secured in the
positions to which they have been brought by tightening the screws d'. F is the
cover of the casing A; f¹ is the feeding tube which passes through and is capable
of vertical adjustment in the cover F; f2 is a short branch tube through which and
the tube f¹the matters to be treated enter the machine; C is the circular tray
supported by the columns B, B; G is the vertical rotatory shaft mounted in the axis
of the casing A; g', g², are the bearings in which the said shaft G works, and g³, I',
are the girders which support the bearings g¹, g²; g³ is a band pulley keyed to the
shaft G, by means of which pulley motion is communicated to the said shaft:
h¹, h1, h2, h3, h³, h³, are the pairs of truncated cones affixed to the shaft G; H is the
shelf formed on the topmost cone h¹, and H¹, H2, H³, are the circular feeding
shelves formed by the junctions of the said pairs of cones; h, ht, are the brushes
or scrapers, and ho, ho, are the rods to which the said brushes or scrapers are affixed,
one of which rods is carried by the lower cone of each pair; as, a³, are the doors or
windows which cover openings in the casing A, through which the working of the
machine may be inspected or access gained to the interior when it is required to
clean or adjust the parts thereof; a, a, are the exit spouts or shoots, and a³, a³, are
the valves by which the ends of the said spouts or shoots are closed.
The said machine is used and acts as follows:-The hollow columns B, B, being
connected to the suction pipe of a fan, currents of air are caused to pass through
the machine in the directions indicated by the arrows, the force of the said currents
varying in the different parts of the machine according as the sectional area of the
air passages is greater or less. The rotatory shaft G is set in motion and the
semolina or other matters to be treated, which have been sorted according to the
size of the grains by means of an ordinary grain sorter or cleansing sieve passes
or pass from an ordinary elevator or from a hopper mounted above the machine
through the feeding tubes f, f1, on to the first circular shelf H, thence into the
current of air passing the second circular shelf H', the said current separating the
heavier particles (the semolina) from the lighter particles (the refuse semolina), the
latter passing over the adjustable ring d¹ and the former falling into the hopper E,
and on to the third circular shelf H*, whence it again passes into the ascending

page_text: current of air, which being stronger at this part of the machine owing to the space
between the ring d² and shelf H2 being smaller than that between the ring d¹ and
shelf H', again separates the lighter from the heavier particles which pass in the
same manner on to the second annular shelf D2 and into the hopper E¹ respectively,
the heavier particles being again acted on in like manner in passing from the fourth
circular shelf H³, part falling on the third annular shelf D³ and part on to the
circular tray C. The particles falling on the said tray and on the annular shelves
D1, D2, D3, are swept round by the brushes or scrapers h, h, and pass down the
shoots a¹, a¹, pushing open the flaps a², a³, in their passage. The lightest particles
of bran or offal pass from the machine with the current of air drawn through it.
By increasing or decreasing the number of shelves, the semolina or other matters
may be divided into as many different qualities as may be desired without
increasing the number of revolutions of the fan or the power required to drive it.
The amount of air passing through the machine is regulated by means of the
valves 62, 63, in the passages 61, 61, and the strength of the current passing the
circular shelves H1, H2, H³, is regulated by raising or lowering the adjustable
rings d', d³, d³, to which access may be gained by opening the doors or windows
as, as, of the casing A. The said parts being once adjusted for a particular kind
of semolina, or other matter, it is only necessary to alter them when another kind
has to be treated.
The following are the advantages attending the use of this machine:-
1. By one operation, the semolina is cleaned and the refuse divided into as many
different qualities as may be required, free from the lightest and most worthless
offals, thus greatly simplifying the process as ordinarily performed.
2. Very little power and skilled labour are required to work the machine.
3. The machines occupy but little space.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details described, as such details may be varied without
departing from the nature of the said Invention; and I do not claim the principle
of causing one and the same current of air to act on the same semolina, or
middlings, or other matters, that principle having been already applied by me to a
winnowing machine, for which I obtained Letters Patent, bearing date 26th July,
A.D. 1873, No. 2547; but I claim as the said Invention,--
Firstly. The general construction, combination, and arrangement of parts con-
stituting the improved machine, herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings, for winnowing, cleaning, and sorting semolina and
middlings, and corn and other seeds, that is to say, a cylindrical casing furnished
with conical hoppers, exit shoots, a receiving tray, and annular shelves, having
adjustable rims in which casing revolves a vertical shaft, carrying guide cones
and shelves, and brushes or scrapers, the various parts operating essentially as and
for the purposes described.
Secondly. The construction or arrangement of the annular shelves furnished with
adjustable rings, as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hunter Henry Murdoch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Witness,
W. T. WHITEMAN.
H. H. MURDOCH. (L.S.)