IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATING AND CLEANING GRATH "
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Towlson, of Norwich, in the County of
Norfolk, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATING AND CLEANING GRATH "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Towlson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st March 1873.
I, JOHN TOWLSON, of Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATING AND CLEANING GRAIN," to bo
as follows:-
My Invention has for its object the construction and use of machinery
or apparatus by means of which grain is more effectually decorticated
and cleaned than heretofore, and with a diminished expenditure of
mechanical power.
And my Invention consists of a vertical cone of wood, metal, or other
suitable material, revolving within a correspondingly formed hollow
cone which is fixed or stationary. On the peripheries of each of these
cones are fixed plates or bands of steel or other hard metal with surfaces
cut or serrated in such a manner as to present numerous projecting or

page_text: operating points, so as to be capable of oporating on the grain fed into
the top of the machine as it falls by its own gravity through the space
between the two cones. The distance between the said two operating
surfaces can be adjusted by raising or lowering the inner or revolving
cone with its bearings to the extent required to suit the size or kind of b
grain under operation. Below the said two cones is fixed a dished
circular plate with its sides converging to a central hole, on to which
plate the grain falls from the space between the cones, and passes
through the central hole on to a revolving disc which is parallel with
the said dished plate, the grain passing between two serratod surfaces
more finely cut than those on the cones, and into a chamber which
is surrounded with wire gauze perforations or gratings where it is acted
upon by a strong blast from a fan revolving in the chamber.
By means of the above described machinery or apparatus the grain
when fed by a hopper into the top of the machine is admitted into the
space between the cones down which space as it falls by its own gravity
it is decorticated and cleaned by the operation of the serrated or pointed
surfaces of the two cones, and it is further cleaned by the action of the
revolving disc, and after having the husks and cleanings separated and
blown through the wire gauze perforations or gratings the decorticated
and cleaned grain is discharged in a finished stato from the machine
through a spout at the bottom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions. of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Towlson in the Great Seal Patent Office on j
the 19th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
TOWLSON, of Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year 3
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Towlson, Her special licence
that I, the said John Towlson, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Towlson, my executors, 3

page_text: administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DECORTICATING AND CLEANING GRAIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Towlson, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Towlson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of "Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for
Decorticating and Cleaning Grain," has for its object the construction
and use of machinery or apparatus by means of which grain is more
effectually decorticated and cleaned than heretofore, and with a
diminished expenditure of mechanical power.
And my Invention consists of a vertical cone of wood, metal, or other
; suitable material revolving within a correspondingly formed hollow
cone which is fixed or stationary. On the peripherics of each of theso
cones are fixed plates or bands of steel or other hard metal, with surfaces
cut or serrated in such a manner as to present numerous projecting or
operating points, so as to be capable of operating on the grain fed into
the top of the machine as it falls by its own gravity through the space
between the two cones. The distance between the said two operating
surfaces can be adjusted by raising or lowering the inner or revolving
conc with its bearings to the extent required to suit the size or kind of
grain under operation. Below the said two cones is fixed a dished
3 circular plate with its sides converging to a central hole, on to which
plate the grain falls from the space between the cones and passes
through the central hole on to a revolving disc which is parallel with
the said dished plate, the grain passing between two serrated surfaces

page_text: serrated plates R on its outer surface, and F is a revolving disc
furnished with hard metal serrated plates P parallel to the plates R.
The plates R are represented in projection at Fig. 7, and the plates P at
Fig. 8. K is a step brass, and La neck brass; M, M, are columns
for supporting the machine; N is the inlet for the grain at the top of
the machine; and O is the outlet for the same at the bottom; S,
shews a nut and screw on the spindle G for holding down the disos;
T, T, are gratings for blowing the dust through; H is the driving
pulley. On grain being fed in at the inlet N it enters the space between
the revolving plates b, b, and the fixed plates c, c, and passing
downwards by its own gravity is operated upon by the hard metal
serrated plates b, b, and c, c, by which it is decorticated and cleaned;
thence on its passing to the fixed dished plate and revolving disc F it is
further cleaned by the operation of the plates P, P, and R, R, after
which the husks and cleanings are separated from it and blown through
the gratings T, T, and the finished grain is discharged from the machine
at the outlet O.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim
as of my Invention is, the combination of partsconsisting of a re-
volving and a stationary vertical cone furnished with hard metal serrated
plates, also a revolving disc and stationary dished plate furnished
with similar serrated plates and a chamber with gratings through
which the husks are separated from the cleaned grain as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Towlson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
30
Witness,
EDWARD TOWLSON,
St. Miles, Norwich,
Engineer.
JOHN TOWLSON. (L.S.)