A MACHINE FOR BREAKING OR PARTIALLY SPLITTING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1884

page_text: Grain.
I, JAMES MILNE, of the firm of Milne Brothers, of the City and County of
Aberdeen, North Britain, Miller, Grain and Produce Merchant do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "A MACHINE FOR BREAKING OR PARTIALLY
SPLITTING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN" to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to a machine for breaking or partially splitting
wheat or other grain, bas for its objects the first breaking of wheat or other grain
preparatory to its gradual reduction by rolls, millstones or other apparatus and
maintaining the bran husk or outer shell of the said grain in one part, while
exposing the kernel or inner part thereof ready for the grinding stage.
In carrying out this Invention a roller composed of two end discs or rings and
a series of radial bars arranged somewhat after the manner of the staves of a
barrel, is secured between the two ends of hollow horizontal shafts. Within
these hollow shafts a second shaft is arranged eccentrically. This shaft at the part
within the roller has secured to it a series of radial blades which pass at their
outer ends into the slots formed between the bars of which the said roller or barrel
is composed. The outer roller or barrel is driven by any outside motor and the
radial blades secured to the inner shaft are driven by the said roller or barrel.
The action of these two parts when rotated is such that the outer extremities of
the radial blades at one part of the outer roller or barrel are level with its outer
surface, while at its opposite part they are at a small distance inwards from
the surface thereof, such distance being sufficient to accommodate wheat or other
grain resting longitudinally in the grooves so formed between two adjacent bars.
At the side of the herein before described roller and at or near the part thereof
where the radial blades are level with the surface a second roller preferably of hard
steel or chilled iron or a tangential plate is arranged so that any wheat or grain
carried round by the roller or barrel is broken or partially split between the surface
of the said second roller or plate and the end of the radial blades. At the upper
part of the roller or barrel a further roller, preferably with a covering or surface of
India rubber or equivalent elastic material, is guided at its ends in forked or
quivalent bearings, which admit of a vertical motion being imparted to the said
oller. To this roller an endwise reciprocating motion is imparted by means of
Price Rd1

page_text: cams or their equivalents arranged at one or at both ends thereof. Between the
rubber or equivalently covered roller and the steel or chilled iron roller there is
arranged a sheath or cover close upon the surface of the roller or barrel for the
purpose of preventing the wheat or other grain from falling out of the grooves
formed within the said roller or barrel. The hopper by which the wheat or other
grain is charged into the machine is formed with two branches one on either side
of the rubber covered roller so that the said grain is charged down direct upon the
roller or barrel at the two parts, the intervention of the roller between and by the
reciprocating motion thereof causing the grain to rest in the required longitudinal
position. The broken or partially split grain is collected and delivered by a hopper
or spout, into other rolls or apparatus or into any other receptacle.
It is to be understood, the apparatus hereinbefore described as employed for
breaking or partially splitting wheat or other grain, that it may be employed in
the manufacture of oatmeal of a similar coarse nature, by having slits formed
in the outer extremities of the radial blades.

page_text: Grain.
I, JAMES MILNE, of the firm of Milne Brothers, of the City and County of
Aberdeen, North Britain, Miller, Grain and Produce Merchant do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention for A MACHINE FOR BREAKING OR PARTIALLY
SPLITTING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My Invention, which relates to a machine for breaking or partially splitting
wheat or other grain, has for its object the first breaking of wheat or other grain
preparatory to its gradual reduction by rolls, millstones or other apparatus and
maintaining the bran, husk or outer shell of the said grain in one part, while
exposing the kernel or inner part thereof ready for the grinding stage.
In carrying out this Invention a roller composed of two end discs or rings and
a series of radial bars arranged somewhat after the manner of the staves of
a barrel, is secured between the two ends of hollow horizontal shafts. Within
these hollow shafts a second shaft is arranged eccentrically. This shaft at the
part within the roller has secured to it a series of radial blades which pass at
their outer ends into the slots formed between the bars of which the said roller or
barrel is composed. The outer roller or barrel is driven by any outside motor and
the radial blades secured to the inner shaft are driven by the said roller or barrel.
The action of these two parts when rotated is such that the outer extremities
of the radial blades at one part of the outer roller or barrel are level with its outer
surface, while at its opposite part they are at a small distance inwards from the
surface thereof, such distance being sufficient to accommodate wheat or other grain
resting longitudinally in the grooves so formed between two adjacent bars. At
the side of the hereinbefore described roller and at or near that part thereof where
the radial blades are level with the surface, a second roller preferably of hard steel
or chilled iron or a tangential plate is arranged so that any wheat or grain carried
round by the roller or barrel is broken or partially split between the surface of the
said second roller or plate and the end of the radial blades. At the upper part of
the roller or barrel a further roller, preferably with a covering or surface of India-
rubber or equivalent elastic material, is guided at, its ends in forked or equivalent
bearings, which admit of a vertical motion being imparted to the said roller. To
this roller an end wise reciprocating motion is imparted by means of cams or their
equivalents arranged at one or at both ends thereof. Between the rubber or
equivalently covered roller and the steel or chilled iron roller there is arranged
a sheath or cover close upon the surface of the roller or barrel for the purpose of
preventing the wheat or other grain from falling out of the grooves formed within
the said roller or barrel. The hopper by which the wheat or other grain is charged
into the machine is formed with two branches one on either side of the rubber
covered roller so that the said grain is charged down direct upon the roller or
barrel at the two parts, the intervention of the roller between and by the recipro-
cating motion thereof causing the grain to rest in the required longitudinal

page_text: position. The broken or partially split grain is collected and delivered by a hopper
or spout, into other rolls or apparatus or into any other receptacles.
It is to be understood, the apparatus hereinbefore described as employed for
breaking or partially splitting wheat or other grain, that it may be employed in
the manufacture of oatmeal of a similar coarse nature, by having slits formed
in the outer extremities of the radial blades,
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation and an end elevation of a
machine constructed according to my present Invention.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively transverse and longitudinal sections of the
same.
In carrying my present Invention into practice a roller composed of two end
discs or rings a, and a series of radial bars b, arranged somewhat after the manner
of the staves of a barrel, is secured between the two ends of the hollow horizontal
shafts c.
These being preferably formed in part with the discs a, as shewn at
Figure 4 of the annexed drawings. The radial bars b, are secured down upon the
discs a, by means of the rings c', which are placed, whilst hot, over the ends d, of
the said bars b, and on being cooled shrink tightly down upon and bind them
securely upon the outer edge of the said discs a. The ends d, as shown at Figure 4,
are preferably formed with projections which correspond to and fit into annular
grooves or recesses on the discs and thereby secure the whole structure against
longitudinal strains. Within the hollow shafts o, the shaft e, is arranged eccen-
trically. This shaft e, at the part within the before described roller has the roller f,
secured to it, and to the two ends of this said roller f, the discs y, are secured.
These discs g, are constructed with annular projections h, which fit into recesses
formed in the two ends of the radial blades i, which are thereby held down upon
the periphery of the roller f, and secured against radial movement. The blades ¿,
as shewn more particularly at Figure 3 pass into the radial slots formed between
the bars b, and are sharpened to an angle at their outer edges. The outer roller
which is composed of the discs a, and bars b, and which for brevity I refer to
hereinafter as the "barrel A," is driven by the toothed wheels j, which are secured
to the two discs a, and which are geared with the toothed pinions k, secured to the
shaft. The inner roller f, and the blades i, are rotated by means of their con-
nection with the barrel A. The hollow shafts o, and the shaft e, are supported
upon bearings secured to the table m, and the shaft 1, is supported in the bearing
blocks n, which are capable of vertical motion in the gables o, of the machine.
The shaft, carries the roller q, which may be secured as shewn, or run loose
thereon, and the periphery of which rotates in contact with the outer edges of
the radial bars b, and blades i. The roller q, is preferably constructed of hard steel
or chilled iron and is pressed down upon the surface of the barrel A, by means
These
of the springs 7, the pressure of which is transmitted through the levers 8.
levers 8, are pivoted to the links t, which in their turn are pivoted to snugs formed
on the gables o. The screwed rods u, engage with the outer ends of the levers 8,
and pass at their lower ends through the brackets v, which brackets also support
the lower ends of the springs r. By screwing the wheels w, upon the rods u,
in the required direction the roller q, may be caused to bear upon the surface of
the barrel A with more or less pressure. Near the chilled iron or equivalent
roller q, there is arranged the roller a, which is preferably constructed with a
covering or surface of India-rubber or equivalent elastic material, and which may
be carried in forked bearings provided in the gables o, and admitting of a vertical
motion being imparted to the said roller To this roller x, which is rotated by
means of the gear wheels y, and z, an endwise reciprocating motion is or may be
imparted by means of cams or their equivalents arranged at one or both ends
thereof, such a cam for example as that described in my Complete Specification
No. 15944 A.D. 1884 and marked p, on the sheet of Drawings annexed thereto.
Between the rollers q, and x, there is arranged the sheath or. cover a¹, (Figure 3).

page_text: close down upon the surface of the barrel A for the purpose of preventing the
wheat or other grain from falling out of the grooves formed by any two adjacent
sides of the bars b, and the outer edges of the blades i. The hopper b¹, by which
the wheat or other grain is charged into the machine is formed with two branches c³,
and d, one on either side of the rubber covered roller a, the lower part of the
branch c³, may discharge the grain into a vibrating hopper such as that referred to
in my Provisional Specification No. 1595 A.D. 1885. The V-pulley l¹, is secured
to the shaft l, and the rope m', passing around the said pulley rotates the brush n¹,
which is carried on a shaft supported in the table m, and the bristles of which
clean out from the grooves of the barrel A, any small particles of grain which may
have remained therein. The broken or partially split grain is collected and
delivered by a hopper or spout situated below the machine, into other rolls or
apparatus or into any other receptacle.
It is to be understood, the apparatus herein before described as employed for
breaking or partially splitting wheat or other grain, that it may be employed in
the manufacture of oatmeal of a similar coarse nature, by having transverse slits d³
formed in the outer edges or extremities of the radial blades i, that is to say in the
manner indicated on an enlarged scale at Figure 5, of the annexed drawings,
the edges e' under this construction dividing the grain longitudinally into two or
more parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First, The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
machine for breaking or partially splitting wheat or other grain all substantially
as and operating in the manner herein before set forth with reference to the
annexed drawings.
Second. In a machine for breaking or partially splitting wheat or other grain,
the roller or barrel A composed of the discs a, and the radial bars b, or their
equivalents having spaces between them for the working therein of the blades i,
all operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth with
reference to the annexed drawings.
Third. In a machine for breaking or partially splitting wheat or other grain, the
roller f, or its equivalent having the radial blades i, secured to it by means of the
projections h, of the discs g, all substantially as and operating in the manner
hereinbefore set forth with reference to the annexed drawings.
Fourth. The arrangement of the roller f, eccentrically within the outer roll or
barrel A so that the outer edges of the blades i, are moved inwards in order to
receive the grain in the grooves and are forced outwards so that the said grain is
broken or partially split against the surface of the upper roller q, all operating
substantially as hereinbefore set forth with reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated this third day of September 1885.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Applicant's Agents.