Improvements in or Appertaining to Centrifugal Separating or Dressing Machines, Especially Applicable to the Separating or Dressing of Flour, Middlings, Grain, Seeds, or the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th Feb. 1890- Accepted, 12th July, 1890
TRUVIDIONAD DI MOLTIVATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to Centrifugal Separating or
Dressing Machines, Especially Applicable to the Separating or
Dressing of Flour, Middlings, Grain, Seeds, or the like.
I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM of 32 Seel Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to centrifugal separating or dressing machines, and more
especially to the machines of this description such as are now commonly used for the
separating or dressing of flour, middlings, semolina, grain, seeds or other dry granular
or pulverulent material, the object of the invention being to so improve the construc-
tion of such machines, that the material under operation may be separatod or dressed
more rapidly and thoroughly than heretofore.
These machines as at present employed consist essentially of a cylindrical casing of
wire or silk gauze, or the like, generally placed horizontally and revolving at a slow
rate, and provided internally with a series of rapidly revolving beaters. These
beaters are usually flat blades fixed at an angle to the axis of the cylinder, and with
their beating surfaces set at an angle to a line drawn tangentially to the cylinder
for the purpose of driving the material to be dressed against the inside of the gauze
covering of the cylinder, in such manner that the small particles of material may
be driven through the meshes of the gauze, and the large particles completely denuded
of small particles, as is well understood by millers. The outer casing is also usually
rotated in the same direction as the beaters, but at a much slower speed, and it is usually
provided at one end with a suitable feed orifice, and at the other end with a suitable
discharge orifice to allow the largo particles to escape. Now have found with
beaters like the above, the dressing of the material is performed very unequally over
the different portions of the inside of the cylinder's periphery. Thus the amount of*
dressing performed at the bottom and sides of the cylinder is different to that performed
at those parts of the cylinder, where the particles bave a descending motion by the action
of gravity. This difference in dressing is mainly due to the fact that the material,
owing to gravity and the centrifugal force of the air in the cylinder, has a tendency to
form a layer against the bottom and sides of the cylinder surface, and the material at
some portions of these parts comes very little under the direct striking action of the
beaters. As the material, however, is carried round to the top of the cylinder, its
tendency is to fall inwards towards the beaters, and these latter throw it back again
against the cylinder, from which it again falls or rebounds, and is again thrown back,
and so on, in varying degree until the bottom of the cylinder is again reached.
increased beating action in the upper portion of the cylinder is thus due to the fact
that the particles are repeatedly thrown backwards and forwards between the beaters
and the cylinder by the combined action of gravity and the direct impact of the
beaters.
The
Now by my invention I purpose to increase this direct beating action and to
extend it to those parts of the cylinder in which it has heretofore been more or less
inoperative.
In carrying out my invention I mount a suitable deflecting strip or plate on the
front face of one or more or all of the beaters, and preferably extending the entire
length thereof. The forward edge of the deflecting plate is, by preference, so located
that it travels approximately in the same circular path, or a little outside of the
circular path, of the outer edge of the heater and the rear edge of the deflecting plate
is also, by preference, located at a greater distance from the cylinder surface than the
front edge of the plate and the outer edge of the beater.
The inner or forward face of the deflecting plate is thus inclined at an angle to the
forward face of the beater, and the rear edge of the plate is placed at a suitable

page_text: distance from the said forward face so that the narrow end of the trough shaped
space between the two forward faces, opens out towards the cylinder surface.
As the beaters revolve, particles, which would otherwise have been prevented
from coming into direct contact with the beaters, are caught up by the deflecting
plate (the forward narrow edge of which is some distance in front of the beater face
and offers little resistance in passing through the air), and are forced, by its rapid
motion through the air, to travel along its inner or forward face. On reaching the
opening at the rear edge of the plate, they are thrown by centrifugal force (being
also assisted, it may be, by gravity) towards the cylinder surface, but, before they
have time to get clear out of the path of the beater, they are caught by the latter and
hurled against the said surface, with greater force than would have been the case had
the deflecting plate not been used. The total quantity of the particles hurled against the
cylinder surface, is also greater than would have been the case had the deflecting plate
not been used.
By this invention I obviate, to a great extent, the tendency of the ordinary beaters
(combined with gravity) to cause the material to accumulate on the sides and lower
portions of the cylinder surface, as the improved boater will pick up any particles
hovering at a short distance from the cylinder surface, and having picked them up, it
will hurl them with an accelerated velocity towards the cylinder surface. The greater
number of the direct impacts between the beaters and the particles will also have the
effect of producing a more rapid dressing or separation of the material under treat-
ment all over the cylinder surface. I shall thus be enabled to use a finer gauze
covering on the the cylinder surface, while dressing a given amount of material in the
same time as heretofore, or to use the same covering and to dress a greater amount in
the same time.
The beaters and deflecting plates may be of any suitable material according to
circumstances. Their exact proportions will in any case depend very much upon the
character of the work which they are to perform, and can only be determined by
actual experiment.
Dated this 19th day of April 1880
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to Centrifugal Separating or
Dressing Machines, Especially Applicable to the Separating or
Dressing of Flour, Middlings, Grain, Seeds, or the like.
I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM, of 32, Seel Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to centrifugal separating or dressing machines, and more
especially to the machines of this description such as are now commonly used for the
separating or dressing of flour, middlings, semolina, grain, seeds or other dry
granular or pulverulent material, the object of the invention being to so improve the
construction of such machines, that the material under operation may be separated or
dressed more rapidly and thoroughly than heretofore.
The drawing, which is a transverse section of a portion of an ordinary dressing
machine, shows how my invention may be applied to machines of this description.
These machines, as at present employed, consist essentially of a cylindrical or
polygonal casing A of wire or silk gauze, or the like, which is generally placed
horizontally and revolves at a comparatively slow rate, being provided internally with
a series of rapidly revolving beaters B. The latter are attached, as by lugs c, to
suitable carriers which are mounted on a shaft D, whose axis is concentric with
that of the casing. The carriers and their shaft revolve in the direction shown by the
large arrow, while the casing may revolve in either direction, but preferably in the

page_text: *same direction as that of the carriers but at a much slower speed. The beaters B are
nsually flat blades, as shown, fixed preferably at an angle to the axis of the cylinder,
and with their beating surfaces b set at an anglo to a line drawn tangentially to the
casing for the purpose of driving the material to be dressed against the inside of
the gauze covering of the casing, in such manner that the smali particles of material
may be driven through the meshes of the gauze, and the large particles completely
denuded of small adhering particles, as is well understood by millers. The casing is
usually provided at one end with a suitable feed orifice, and at the other end with a
suitable discharge orifice to allow the large particles to escape. Now I have found
that with beaters like those above described, the dressing of the material is performed
very unequally over the different portions of the inside of the casing's periphery.
Thus the amount of dressing performed at the bottom and sides of the casing is
different from that performed at those parts of the casing where the particles tend to
descend or fall away from the inner surface of the casing by the action of gravity.
This difference in dressing is mainly due to the fact that the material, owing to
gravity and the centrifugal force of the air in the casing, has a tendency to form a
layer against the bottom and sides of the casing, and, at some portions of these parts,
the material comes very little under the direct striking action of the beaters.
material, however, is carried round to the top of the casing, its tendency is to fall
inwards towards the beaters, and those latter throw it back again against the casing,
from which it again falls or rebounds, and is again thrown back, and so on, in varying
degree until the bottom of the casing is again reached. The increased beating action
in the upper portion of the casing is thus due to the fact that the particles are
repeatedly thrown backwards and forwards between the beaters and the casing by the
combined action of gravity and the direct impact of the beaters.
As the
Now, by my invention, I purpose to increase this direct beating action, and to
extend it to those parts of the casing in which it has heretofore been more or less
inoperative.
In carrying my invention into effect, I mount a suitable deflecting strip or plate E
on the forward face of one or more or all of the beaters B, preferably extending the
entire length thereof. The plates E may be supported upon the beaters by suitable
brackets or angle cleats F placed at convenient intervals, say about 18 inches apart,
when dressing flour. The forward edge e¹ of each deflecting plate is, by preference,
so located that it travels approximatoly in the same circular path as, or a little outside
of the circular path of the outer edge b', of the beater. The rear edge 6 of each
deflecting plate is also, by preference, located at a greater distance from the surface
of the casing than the front edge e¹ of the said plate and the outer edge of its
respective beater. The forward edge of each plate E is, by preference, bevelled as
shown.
The inner or forward face e of each deflecting plate E is thus inclined at an angle
to the forward face b of its beater, and the rear edge of the deflecting plate is
placed at a suitable distance from the said forward face 6 so that the narrow end of
the trough shaped space between the two forward faces e and b opens out towards the
surface of the casing A as shown.
As the beaters B revolve, particles, which would otherwise have been prevented
from coming into direct contact with the beaters, are caught up by one or more of
the deflecting plates E, the forward narrow edges of which are some distance in
front of the faces 6 of their respective beaters, and offer little resistance in passing
through the air-and the said particles are forced, by the rapid motion of the
deflecting plates, through the air to travel along their inner or forward faces e.
On reaching the openings at the rear edge of each plate, such particles are thrown
by centrifugal force (being also assisted, it may be, by gravity) towards the surface
of the casing, but, before they have time to get clear out of the path of the
corresponding beater, they are caught by the latter and hurled against the said
surface, with greater force than would have been the case had the deflecting plate E
not been used. The above action will be readily understood by means of the small
arrows. This action is continually repeated and the total quantity of the particles

page_text: hurled against the surface of the casing is also greater than would have been the.
case had a deflecting plate or plates not been used.
By this invention, I obviate, to a. great extent, the tendency which the action of
the ordinary beaters (combined with that of gravity) has to cause the inaterial to
accumulate on the sides and lower portions of the casing, as the improved beater B E
will pick up any particles hovering at a short distance from the surface of the casing,
and, having picked them up, it will hurl them with an accelerated velocity towards
said surface. The increased number of the direct impacts between the beaters B and
the particles will also have the effect of producing a more rapid dressing or separation
of the material under treatment all over the casing surface. I shall thus be enabled
to use a finer gauze covering on the casing surface, while dressing a given amount of
material in the same time as heretofore, or to use the same covering and to dress a
greater amount in the same time.
The beaters B and deflecting plates E may be of any suitable material according to
circumstances. When separating flour I prefer however to make them of steel plate.
about of an inch thick, and of a width and length suitable to the diameter and
length of the casing. Their exact proportions will depend very much upon the
character of the work which they are to perform, and can only be accurately
determined by actual experiment. When applying this invention to the treating of
grain or seeds, such as wheat, barley, oats, rice or clover for the purpose of separating
small refuse and thereby more effectually cleaning the grain or seeds, I make the
casing of coarser and stronger, mesh and the beaters of stronger material to suit the
grain or seeds under treatment. The heaters B, are, by preference, placed at such an
angle that the material is thrown off them in lines approximately perpendicular to
the surface of the casing. Both the beaters B and deflecting plates E inay be formed,
either in single lengths extending the entire length of the casing, or in two or more
lengths placed end to end. These successive lengths may be in line one with the
other, or they may lie at different angles to the axis of the casing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a centrifugal separating or dressing machine of the kind described, a deflecting
plate or plates placed at a suitable distance in advance of and moving with the beater
or beaters, and so arranged with respect to the same and to the outer perforated
casing that part of the material which is located in proximity to the said casing is
caught up by the advancing deflecting plate, is led inwards along its inner face, is
discharged therefrom on to the face of the adjacent beater, and is thrown outwards
by the latter against the casing, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The improved beater device for centrifugal separating or dressing machines
whereby material which would otherwise have accumulated, by the combined action
of centrifugal force and gravity, upon parts of the inner wall of the casing, is caught
up and hurled against the casing by the direct impact of the beaters, substantially as
described and shown.
Dated this 11th day of February 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.