IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY FOR CLEANING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ritchie of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO MACHINERY FOR
CLEANING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ritchie at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th September 1883.
JOHN RITCHIE of Liverpool in the county of Lancaster "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND RE[L]ATING TO MACHINERY FOR CLEANING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN."
This invention consists in a machine having a cylindrical perforated or wire
gauze casing revolving on a horizontal or nearly horizontal axis. This casing has
revolving within it a series of emery wheels or stones and a series of brushes or
disks with the bristles studding their side surfaces and in some cases their
peripheries as well. A series of valves are so placed, (preferably on two sleeves)
at entrance and exit respectively that they can be regulated at will, from outside
by means of handles on the sleeves, without stopping the machine and so regulate
both feed and discharge. A similar set of valves can be fixed in the casing,
intermediate between the emery wheels and the brushes, so that the load in each
part can be regulated independently of the other. Between each emery wheel and
the next, I clothe the shaft with a drum covered with perforated sheet iron like a
rasp with the projections or jags outward. The valves are preferably cylindrical
disks with corresponding openings and blank spaces so that by revolving one on
the other a short distance, they can be changed from entirely open to any degree
of closing up to entire closure. The shaft carrying the abraders passes through
the centre of the valves and on this shaft I place the fan for aspirating, and also
the driving pulley. The material is fed in at one end of the casing by means of a
hopper bebind the valve in the stationary end, and passes out through the exit
valve, into a spout in the other stationary end, and from thence into an aspirator
worked by the fan already mentioned. The revolving casing is worked by a
circular rack round it and a spur pinion, or by frictional gear or other convenient
apparatus. In some cases I omit either the brushes or the emery wheels according
to the work to be performed. When the grain is rough and requires cleaning up
to a bright smooth surface, then emery wheels are specially required; when it is
contaminated with very adhesive mud or dust, then brushes are desirable. In
some cases I find it necessary to make the casing with reversable motion so that
I can if necessary run it in the same direction-for a short time as that in which
the drums brushes or emery wheels run. This clears the meshes and also takes the
ends of the wheat off,
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Ritchie in the Patent Office on the 12th March 1884.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
"
JOHN RITCHIE, of Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster
AND RELATING TO MACHINERY FOR CLEANING WHEAT OR OTHER GRAIN
This invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig 1 is a longitudinal section, and Fig 2 end view of the machine. Fig 3 and 4
enlarged section and end elevations shewing details of valves In these A is a
cylindrical perforated or wire gauze casing revolving on a horizontal or nearly
horizontal axis B. This casing has revolving within it a series of emery wheels C C
or stones, and a brush D or a series of brushes or discs with the bristles studding
their side surfaces and in some cases their peripheries as well. A series of
valves E E' are so placed (preferably on two sleeves F F¹) at entrance and exit
respectively that they can be regulated at will from outside by means of
handles G G on the sleeves without stopping the machine, and so regulate both
feed and discharge. A similar set of valves can be fixed in the casing intermediate
between the emery wheels and the brushes so that the load in each part can be
regulated independently of the other.
In the drawing the entrance valve E and its sleeve F are shown in batchings,
and the exit valve E¹ and sleeve F in black lines. The valves are discs perforated
at intervals shown at E Fig 2, and placed opposite similar perforated parts in the
outside casing; by changing the position of the valve openings relatively to that
of the case. openings the actual orifices for entrance and exit of grain can be
regulated as required. This is done by a handle at G and G' respectively. Other
forms of valves could be used but these are very convenient in practice. Between
each emery wheel and the next, I clothe the shaft with a drum I covered with
perforated sheet iron like a rasp, with the projections or jags outward. The shaft
carrying the abraders passes through the centre of the valves, and from this shaft
I drive the fan J for aspirating. This shaft also carries the driving pulley O. The
material is fed in at one end of the casing by means of a hopper K behind the
valve E fixed on the stationary framing of the machine, and passes out through
the exit valve El into spouts L M in the other stationary end, and from thence the
dust passes into an aspirator N worked by the fan J already mentioned. The
revolving casing is worked by a circular rack P round it and a spur pinion Q, or
by frictional gear or other convenient apparatus. In some cases I omit either the
brushes or the emery wheels according to the work to be performed. When the
grain is rough and requires cleaning up to a bright smooth surface, then emery
wheels are specially required, and are in greater number than the brushes as shown
in the drawing; when it is contaminated with very adhesive mud or dust, then
brushes are desirable. In some cases I find it necessary to make the casing with
reversible motion so that I can if necessary run it in the same direction for a short
time as that in which the drums, brushes, or emery wheels run. This clears the
meshes and also takes the ends of the wheat off. R is the outside casing to prevent
the dust which passes through the perforated casing from escaping into the air of
the mill. S is a hopper to collect it in below, and T is the ordinary worm carrying
it off to a spout.
Having now described my invention and the best mode known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and desire
to protect under the letters patents is
:
1st. The manufacture and use of machines for cleaning wheat or other grain
having a horizontal or nearly horizontal shaft carrying cleaning discs, stones, or

page_text: brushes, and working in a casing the entrance to which and exit from which are
regulated by valves or other equivalent.
2nd. The manufacture of grain cleaning machines with abrading discs and
brushes on the same horizontal shaft, and working in the same casing,
3rd. The special arrangement of disc brush for whoat brushing machines having
bristles or their equivalent covering both sides and revolving freely on a horizontal
shaft, and immersed in grain and not in close juxta position with a surface
stationary or moving in the reverse direction.
In witness whereof I the said John Ritchie have hereunto set my hand and
seal this
day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four.
JOHN RITCHIE (L.S.)