IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR JIGGING, SIFTING, SEPARATING, AND CLEANING GRASS AND OTHER SEEDS OR GRAIN, AND ALSO FOR ADJUSTING THE WEIGHTS THEREOF.” SP
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stuart Bruce, of Dublin, Ireland, Seed Merchant, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR JIGGING,
SIFTING, SEPARATING, AND CLEANING GRASS AND OTHER SEEDS OR GRAIN,
AND ALSO FOR ADJUSTING THE WEIGHTS THEREOF.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stuart Bruce at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd August 1881.
STUART BRUCE, of Dublin, Ireland, Seed Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR JIGGING, SIFTING, SEPARATING, AND CLEANING
GRASS AND OTHER SEEDS OR GRAIN, AND ALSO FOR ADJUSTING THE WEIGHTS
THEREOF."
This Invention relates to a simple, economical, and efficient construction of
machine or apparatus to be employed for jigging, sifting, separating; and cleaning
from impurities grass and other seeds or grain, also arranging the different specific
weights per bushel, or any other given measure.
In carrying out this Invention I place inside a frame, formed by preference of
four uprights or standards connected at the top by cross bars, and of any suitable
material, an inclined box or case containing one or more sieves or riddles also
inclined, the box being held in position in the said frame by four guides, admitting
of the box being jigged or moved in a perpendicular or somewhat inclined or
diagonal direction. This jigging motion is obtained from a driving shaft placed
at one end of the machine below the box by cranks on the shaft, connected to the
sides of the box by means of connecting rods or links, a second crank shaft, also
similarly connected to the box, being employed at the opposite end in order to give
a uniform jigging motion to the box throughout its length. The first shaft is
driven by a band and pulley or spur & pinion from any suitable prime mover, and
the second shaft receives motion from the first by any convenient arrangement of
driving belt and pulley, or chain and chain wheels, or connecting rods, so as to

page_text: move uniformly therewith. If desired the machine can be driven by hand. Any
convenient means can be employed for lessening the weight on the cranks during
their upward movement of the box, such, for example, as india rubber or steel
springs, or chains running over pulleys connected from the sides of the box to the
cross bars above, and provided with balance weights.
In using my improved machine the seeds are first placed in a hopper or receiver
connected to the main framing at that part where the box is. highest from the floor,
and from thence they are caused to pass through a regulating feeder into the box
or jigger, which contains one or more sieves or riddles as. required, the uppermost
sieve being the widest in mesh, and each succeeding sieve downwards being
smaller in mesh than the one next above it.. The upward motion of the cranks
causes a corresponding movement of the box, and with it the seeds to be thrown
upwards. The heavier portion of same falling first passes through the sieves or
riddles, leaving the lighter seeds and seeds too large to pass through the sieves to
find their way by gravity along the declivity of the series to the lower end, where
they enter a box or receptacle, and by a simple arrangement of separate channels
each quality of seed is brought into a position to be handled by the attendant
separately. The seeds or grain falling through the bottom sieve or riddle (which
is used principally for extracting small grass and weed seeds) may either be
allowed to fall onto the floor or onto the closed inclined bottom of the box, leading
them to a shoot to be collected like the other seed.
Grass seeds are usually sold to weigh up to certain weights per imperial bushel,
ranging from about 6 lbs. to about 30 lbs. When the seeds are purchased from the
growers there is often (in fact, nearly always) a mixture of light and heavy seeds,
and it will be seen that by means of my machine, if the riddles or sieves be set
more or less on a slant or incline, they can be made to throw off more or less of
the light seed, according to the time the seed remains jigging on the riddle, and so
the seed falling through is adjusted so as to supply any required weight per bushel
that the original sample is capable of producing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Stuart Bruce in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th February
1882.
STUART BRUCE, of Dublin, Ireland, Seed Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR JIGGING, SIFTING, SEPARATING, AND CLEANING
GRASS AND OTHER SEEDS OR GRAIN, AND ALSO FOR ADJUSTING THE WEIGHTS
THEREOF.
"
My said Invention relates to a simple, economical, and efficient construction of
machine or apparatus to be employed for jigging, sifting, separating, and cleaning
from impurities grass and other seeds or grain, also arranging the different specific
weights per bushel, or any other given measure.
In carrying out my Invention I place inside a frame, formed by preference of
four uprights or standards, connected at the top by cross bars, and of any suitable
material, an inclined box or case containing one or more sieves or riddles also
inclined, the box being held in position in the said frame by four guides, admitting
of the box being jigged or moved up and down in a vertical or somewhat inclined
or diagonal direction. This jigging motion is obtained from a driving shaft placed
at one end of the machine, either above or below the box, by cranks on the shaft
connected to the sides of the box by means of connecting rods or links, a second
crank shaft, also similarly connected to the box, being employed at the opposite end
in order to give a uniform vertical jigging motion to the box throughout its length.
The first shaft is driven by a band and pulley or spur and pinion from any suitable
prime mover, or if desired by hand, and the second shaft receives motion from the
first by any suitable and well known mechanical arrangement. Any convenient
means can be employed for reducing the dead weight of the box on the cranks
during their upward movement, such, for example, as india rubber or steel springs,
or chains running over pulleys connected from the sides of the box to the cross
bars above, and provided with balance weights.
In using my improved machine the seeds are first placed in a hopper or receiver
connected to the main framing at that part where the box is highest from the
floor, and from thence they are caused to pass through a regulating feeder into the
box or jigger, which contains one or more sieves or riddles as required, the upper-
most sieve being the widest in mesh, and each succeeding sieve downwards being
smaller in mesh than the one next above it.
The upward motion of the cranks causes a corresponding upward movement of
the box, and with it the seeds which are to be thrown upwards. The heavier
portion of the seeds falling first passes through the sieves or riddles, leaving the
lighter seeds and seeds too large to pass through the sieves to find their way by
gravity along the declivity of the sieves to the lower end, where they enter a box
or receptacle, and by a simple arrangement of separate channels each quality of
seed is brought into a position to be handled by the attendant separately. The
seeds or grain falling through the bottom sieve or riddle (which is used principally
for extracting small grass and weed seeds) may either be allowed to fall onto the
floor or onto the closed inclined bottom of the box, leading them to a shoot to be
collected like the other seed.
Grass seeds are usually sold to weigh up to certain weights per imperial bushel,
ranging from about 6 lbs. to about 30 lbs. When the seeds are purchased from the
growers there is often (in fact nearly always) a mixture of light and heavy seeds,
and it will be seen that by means of my machine, if the riddles or sieves be set
more or less on a slant or incline, they can be made to throw off more or less of the
light seed, according to the time the seed remains jigging on the riddles, and so the

page_text: seed falling through is adjusted so as to supply any required weight per bushel
that the original sample is capable of producing.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my said improved
apparatus; Figure 2 is a corresponding end elevation of the same, showing the
delivery end thereof; Figure 3 is a plan corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 4 is a
longitudinal central vertical section of the apparatus, showing the middle sieve
partly withdrawn; and Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section thereof taken along
the line 1-2 in Figure 4. The working parts of the apparatus may be supported
in any suitable frame or standard, as is well understood, and of which I have given
an example in the Drawings.
A is the feed hopper, from which the mixed seed to be operated upon escapes by
the aperture a, provided with the usual regulating slide B, into the sieve holder Ĕ,
which consists of two side pieces held together at the top and bottom by cross
bars, and left open along the bottom. Between these two side pieces there are
disposed two or more inclined sieves c, their degree of inclination being by preference
adjustable, as will be readily understood although not so shown in my Drawings.
Three of these sieves are shown in my Drawings placed one over the other, and
contained on suitable side supports or ledges so as to be capable by preference of
being withdrawn or removed separately if required. These sieves are of different
degrees of fineness, the top one being the coarsest and the bottom one the finest.
Fixed in any convenient manner to the standards or supports are guides D, D, four
being shown in my Drawings, which guides are disposed vertically or nearly so,
and against them work projections or lugs D', D', secured to the two sides of the
sieve holder, so that the said holder with its sieves shall only be permitted to
reciprocate or vibrate in a vertical or nearly vertical direction, it being restrained
and guided by the aforesaid guides D. E, E, are connecting rods jointed at their
upper ends to the side of sieve holder, and coupled to cranks or eccentrics or their
equivalent F, two of which are fitted to or formed on each of the two hori-
zontal shafts G and H, which work in suitable bearings in the main standards or
supports of the apparatus. The dead weight of the sieve holder with its sieves on
the cranks may be more or less neutralised if desired by suspending the same from
suitable springs or from cords and counterweights, which I have not considered it
necessary to illustrate in my Drawings as being readily understood without a
Drawing. The apparatus may be driven by belting and the usual fast and loose
driving pullies I mounted on either of the said shafts or by spur gearing, or by
hand if preferred, as will be readily understood. The rotary motion of the first
motion shaft G is transmitted at the same rate to the second shaft H in any well
known manner, I have shown as an example in my Drawings two pulleys K
and L connected by an endless belt M, the two shafts being further coupled by
coupling rods N in order to maintain the two sets of cranks or eccentrics F in
their fixed relative positions. If desired a single crank shaft may be used acting
upon a double set of levers connected to both ends of the sieve holder guided
vertically or nearly vertically, as already described. The lower end of each sieve
communicates with a stationary delivering spout of its own, the three delivery
spouts being shown at O, P, Q.
The up and down motion which is imparted equally and simultaneously to both
ends of the sieves in the sieve holder by the cranks or eccentrics on the coupled
shafts G. H, causes the seeds on the said sieves to be shaken vertically, whilst at
the same time they are caused by reason of the inclination of the sieves to travel
slowly down towards the lower or delivery ends thereof, and to enter their
respective delivery spouts. The coarsest quality which is unable to pass through
the first or top sieve is delivered by the spout O, the next quality which has passed
through the top sieve, but-is-too large to pass the second sieve, is delivered at P,

page_text: the third quality, which has passed through the second sieve, but is too large to
pass through the bottom sieve, is delivered at Q, and the finest quality after
passing through the whole of the sieves descends direct onto the floor beneath the
sieve holder or into any convenient separate receptacle placed there to receive it.
By the vertical or up-and-down jigging motion communicated to the sieves the
light portion of the seed is kept floating over the heavier portions, and thus is
passed off the lower end of the upper sieve, sufficient feed being maintained to
ensure a stream of heavy seed covering the sieve from end to end. By adjusting
the inclination of the sieves it is obvious that the seeds may be kept thereon any
desired length of time, or until they have been thoroughly sifted or separated.
A similar arrangement of machine may, if desired, be applied to the sizing of seeds,
and to the separating and sizing of tea.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that I am aware that inclined sieves receiving
a lateral or a longitudinal reciprocating motion have been proposed for separating
grain or seeds into different sizes, and therefore I do not claim such an arrange-
ment, but what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The construction and use of machinery or apparatus for jigging, sifting,
separating, and cleaning grass and other seeds or grain, and for supplying samples
of any required weight per bushel that the original sample is capable of producing,
when such apparatus is arranged and caused to operate, substantially in the
manner herein before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Secondly. Imparting a vertical or nearly vertical jigging or up-and-down motion
to the sieves at both ends thereof simultaneously by the aid of cranks, eccentrics,
or cams, the sieves being guided by fixed vertical or nearly vertical guides, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stuart Bruce, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-two.
STUART BRUCE. (L.S.)