A Method of and Apparatus for Separating Seeds and other Vegetable Substances from Mineral Impurities.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 10th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Apparatus for Separating Seeds and other
Vegetable Substances from Mineral Impurities.
1, ALFRED WILLIAM MACILWAINE, Managing Director of The Hull Oil-
manufacturing Company, Limited, of Stoneferry, Hull, in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention pertains to a method of and apparatus for treating the refuse from
rape and other seeds which have been cleaned by means such as those described in
the Specification to my Letters Patent No. 8,604, A.D. 1889; such means com-
prising a series of inclined surfaces upon which the seeds are allowed to fall, and
whence the perfect ones rebound and are caught in a receptacle. The present
invention is not, however, limited to the treatment of the refuse resulting from the
employment of the particular means referred to, but may be used for separating
any similar mixture of vegetable and mineral substances."
When wild rape seed or ravison has been cleaned in the way above stated, the
residue consists of a mixture of vegetable and mineral substances; the former
usually consisting chiefly of nonoleaginous and oleaginous seeds.
For manufacturing purposes, it is generally of importance to separate the
vegetable from the mineral matter.
In the method employ for effecting this, I allow the residue before referred to,
or other mixture under treatment, to flow steadily from a hopper and to fall from
a very slight elevation upon the surface of a stream of water. or other liquid.
The stream of water passes over the top of a well or catch-pit, which may be
covered in with perforated zinc or other metal. The vegetable substances are
carried upon the surface of the stream past the catch-pit, and are subsequently
collected, whilst the mineral substances sink and find their way into the catch-pit.
The perfection with which separation is effected is materially enhanced if a slight
curl be produced in the surface of the stream at some point in its passage subsequent
to that at which the solid matter is supplied.
Apparatus of the following description may be used for carrying out the method
described above-A water-tank kept supplied with water is placed at the higher
end of an inclined shallow trough. The water flows from the tank into the trough ;
the speed at which it flows being regulated by hinged boards or flaps, adjusted
by thumb-screws, or by any other suitable device. The floor of the trough is
furnished with a well or catch-pit, the top of the well being covered by a
perforated plate. Above that side of the well next the reservoir is fixed the
hopper for the refuse or mixture to be treated; this hopper being furnished with a
roller and slide for regulating the feed. Between the hopper and the reservoir a
board may be pivoted in the trough; this board serving to keep the surface of the
stream of water smooth. The water is kept at the desired depth in the trough by
a piece of board placed across its open end. About half way between the hopper
and the end of the trough, I place athwart the stream a barrier which may be of
wood; this barrier being slightly raised above the level of the end where the
liquid overflows. This produces a slight curl on the surface of the liquid. Almost
immediately the refuse falls upon the surface of the stream of water, the mineral
matter or the greater part thereof subsides and passes to the well; the vegetable
matter being carried with the stream past. the well. Any mineral matter which
may float over the well with the vegetable matter subsides, together with a few
seeds, directly it reaches the point at which the curl is produced by the barrier;
the greater part of the vegetable matter passing on until it falls over the board at
the end of the trough. The seeds and the mineral matter which subside in the

page_text: trough can be afterwards separated by washing through a fine wire gauze screen.
The mineral matter in the well can be discharged when desired through a
drain-cock.
Dated this 20th day of July 1892.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Apparatus for Separating Seeds and other
Vegetable Substances from Mineral Inipurities.
I, ALFRED WILLIAM MACILWAINE, Managing Director of The Hull Oil-
manufacturing Company, Limited, of Stoneferry, Hull, in the County of York,
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 pertains to a method of and apparatus for treating the refuse
from rape and other seeds which have been cleaned by means such as those
described in the Specification to my Letters Patent No. 8604, A.D. 1889; such
means comprising a series of inclined surfaces upon which the seeds are allowed
to fall, and whence the perfect ones rebound and are caught in a receptacle. The
present invention is not, however, limited to the treatment of refuse resulting from
the employment of the particular means referred to, but may be used for separating
any similar mixture of vegetable and mineral substances.
When wild rape seed or ravison has been cleaned in the way above stated,
the residue consists of a mixture of vegetable and mineral substances; the former
usually consisting chiefly of nonoleaginous and oleaginous seeds.
For manufacturing purposes, it is generally of importance to separate the
vegetable from the mineral matter.
In the method I employ for effecting this, I allow the residue before referred
to, or other mixture under treatment, to flow steadily from a hopper and to fall
from a very slight elevation upon the surface of a stream of water or other
liquid. The stream of water passes over the top of a well or catch-pit, which
may be covered in with perforated zinc or other metal. The vegetable substances
are carried upon the surface of the stream past the catch-pit, and are subse-
quently collected, whilst the mineral substances sink and find their way into the
catch-pit. The perfection with which separation is effected is materially enhanced
if a slight curl be produced in the surface of the stream at some point in its
passage subsequent to that at which the solid matter is supplied.
The accompanying diagram represents, partly in vertical section and partly in
elevation, apparatus adapted for carrying out my improved method of separating
the mineral from the vegetable matter.
A tank A, kept supplied with water, is placed at the higher end of an inclined
shallow trough B. The water flows from the tank into the trough; the speed
at which it flows being regulated by hinged boards or flaps C, adjusted by thumb-
screws C, or by any other suitable device. The floor of the trough is furnished
with a well or catch-pit D, the top of the well being covered by a perforated
plate D. Above that side of the well next the reservoir is fixed the hopper E
for the refuse or mixture to be treated; this hopper being furnished with a
1oller E' and slide or slides for regulating the feed. Between the hopper and
the reservoir a board F may be pivoted in the trough B; this board serving
to keep the surface of the stream of water smooth. The board F may be
furnished with a regulating thumb-screw. The water is kept at the desired
depth in the trough by a piece of board G across the open end of the trough.
About half way between the hopper E and the end of the trough, I place
athwart the stream a barrier H, which may be of wood; this barrier being

page_text: slightly raised above the level of the board G. A second well or catch-pit D²,
covered by a perforated plate D³, may be arranged near the said barrier, as illus-
trated. The barrier produces a slight curl on the surface of the liquid. Almost
immediately the refuse falls upon the surface of the stream of water, the mineral
matter or the greater part thereof subsides and passes through the perforated plate
or screen-like cover D¹ to the well D; the vegetable matter being carried with the
stream past the well. Any mineral matter which may float over the well D with
the vegetable matter subsides and passes through the plate or cover D³ to the
well D directly it reaches the point at which the curl is produced by the barrier H.
The second well or catch-pit is, however, not essential, as the mineral matter may
be allowed to subside in the trough. A few seeds also subside, but the greater
part of the vegetable matter passes on until it falls over the board G and is caught
by a perforated plate or screen L at the end of the trough. In case any consider-
able quantity of vegetable matter subsides in the well D2 along with the mineral
matter, the supply from the hopper E may be cut off and the mixture in the well D²
stirred up and allowed to flow along the trough over the hoard G; the vegetable
matter remaining on the surface of the screen L and the mineral matter passing
with the water through the screen. The mineral matter in the well D can be
discharged when desired through a drain-pipe K furnished with a stop-cock. The
well D is also provided with a similar drain-pipe K'. The water falling over the
board G, after passing through the screen L, is caught in a funnel M, and conveyed
thence by a pipe N to the drain-pipe K¹.
The apparatus described with reference to the accompanying diagram is given by
way of example only, and may be modified in various ways without departing from
the principle of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :—
1. In separating seeds and other vegetable substances from mineral impurities,
permitting the mixture to flow steadily from a hopper and to fall upon a stream of
water or other liquid passing over a well or catch-pit in which the mineral impurities
subside, the vegetable substances being carried along on the surface of the water
and ultimately collected.
2. In separating seeds and other vegetable substances from mineral impurities,
the employment of apparatus arranged or operating substantially as described with
reference to the accompanying diagram.
3. The improved apparatus for separating seeds and other vegetable substances
from mineral impurities arranged substantially as herein described, and comprising
a tank A kept supplied with water, a trough B through which the water flows from
the tank, a regulating flap or flaps C, a well or catch-pit D, and a hopper E.
4. The improved apparatus for separating seeds and other vegetable substances
from mineral impurities arranged substantially as herein described, and comprising
a tank A kept supplied with water, a trough B through which the water flows from
the tank, a regulating flap or flaps C, a well or catch-pit D, a hopper E, and a
barrier H for producing a curl on the surface of the liquid between the hopper E
and the end of the trough.
Dated the 20th day of April 1893.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.