AN IMPROVED. MACHINE FOR DUSTING AND SEPARATING MIDDLINGS AND OFFAL
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to..William Houghton, of Great Grimsby, in the County of
Lincoln, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED. MACHINE FOR DUSTING AND
SEPARATING MIDDLINGS AND OFFAL."
Sealed the 27th October 1877, and dated the 9th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Houghton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th July 1877.
WILLIAM HOUGHTON, of Great Grimsby, in the County of Lincoln.
PROVED MACHINE FOR DUSTING AND SEPARATING MIDDLINGS AND OFFal."
"AN IM-
My Invention relates to a combined machine for dusting, i.c., separating the
adhering flour from middlings, in order to render them as sharp as possible, so as to
purify more freely, and afterwards purifying the middlings by separating the branny
particles and beard therefrom. The machine is also applicable for dusting offal, i.e.,
bran, pollards, and coarse sharps, and for separating them from one another, all as
hereafter described.
The machine consists chiefly of a dusting or brushing cylinder and a set of
vibrating sieves, all enclosed in a suitable casing and provided with feed and
discharge hoppers, conveyor, and an exhaust fan. The dusting apparatus is hori-
zontal, and consists of an outer stationary cylinder clothed with wire or silk cloth,
and an inner revolving brush or cylinder. The feed hopper and opening (provided
with feed roller and gauge) extend quite across the cylinder near the top, so that
the whole of the middlings, &c., must of necessity pass over the entire brushing
surface, and the operation is consequently rendered much more efficient. The brush
cylinder is composed of brushes of segmental form, with narrow openings between
the several segments, which thus form an almost complete cylinder of brushes. The
segments are fixed adjustably to radial arms and blades, so as to be readily set at
the proper distance from the circumference of the outer cylinder. The radial blades
within the cylinder of brushes act as a fan, drawing in air at the end of the cylinder
and discharging it through the narrow apertures between the segmental brushes,
driving the flour through the meshes of the outer cylinder, and also preventing any

page_text: of the middlings, &c., falling inside the brush cylinder as the apertures pass the
feed hopper. The middlings are discharged from the dusting cylinder through an
aperture into an adjacent compartment, and striking against a deflector, so as to
fall in a fine stream over louvre or other openings, through which currents of air
are being drawn by an exhaust fan to carry off the beard or fluffy matter from the
middlings, which then fall on a series of horizontal vibrating sieves clothed with
silk, and placed over hoppers leading to a screw conveyor. Air is also admitted
beneath, and drawn up through the sieves by the exhaust fan.
As applied for dusting and separating the offal, which has been separated from the
middlings and flour by the catch reel as usual, the operation is much the same as
for middlings, the adhering flour being removed in the brushing cylinder, as in the
former case, the offal then passing on to the vibrating sieves, which are in this case
clothed, some with wire cloth of different grades of fineness, and some with per-
forated metal. The coarse sharps fall through the first and second sieves of different
grades, the pollard and fine bran through the third sieve, and the coarse bran passes
out at the end, but the arrangement of the sieves may be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Houghton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th January
*1878.
WILLIAM HOUGHTON, of Great Grimsby, in the County of Lincoln.
PROVED MACHINE FOR DUSTING AND SEPARATING MIDDLINGS AND OFFAL."
"AN IM-
My Invention relates to a combined machine for dusting or separating the
adhering flour from middlings, and purifying the middlings by separating the
branny particles and beard therefrom; also for dusting offal, i.c., bran, pollards,
and coarse sharps, and for separating them from one another, all as hereafter
described.
The machine consists chiefly of a dusting or brushing cylinder and a set of
vibrating sieves, all enclosed in a suitable casing, and provided with feed and
discharge conveyor and exhaust apparatus. The dusting apparatus is horizontal,
and consists of an outer stationary cylinder or cylindrical concave clothed with
silk, gauze, or wire cloth, and an inner revolving cylinder. The feed hopper and
.opening (provided with feed roller and gauge) extend quite across from end to end
of the stationary cylinder near the top, and the delivery aperture is immediately
behind the feed opening, so that the whole of the middlings, &c., must necessarily
pass entirely round the cylinder, and the operation is consequently rendered much
more efficient. The rotating cylinder is composed of radial blades, and in certain
cases is provided with brushes of segmental form, with narrow openings between,
forming an almost complete cylinder of brushes. The segments are fixed adjustably,
and the radial blades form a fan, which draws in air at the ends of the cylinder
and discharges it through the narrow apertures between the segmental brushes,
driving the flour through the meshes of the outer cylinder, and also preventing any
of the middlings, &c., falling inside the cylinder as the apertures pass the feed
hopper. The middlings are discharged from the dusting cylinder through the

page_text: delivery aperture into an adjacent compartment and pass under a deflector, so as
to fall on a series of horizontal vibrating sieves clothed with silk, air being at same
time admitted beneath, and drawn up through the sieves by the exhaust apparatus,
to carry off the fluff or beard to any convenient place.
Figure 1 is an external side elevation of the machine; Figure 2 is a longitudinal
section; and Figure 3, a transverse section of the same on line 1, 1, Figure 2, the
two latter Figures being drawn to a larger scale.
I will first describe the machine as arranged for dusting and purifying middlings.
A, framing; B, casing; C, the dusting or brushing cylinder or cylindrical concave,
clothed with silk gauze of two grades of fineness, say, No. 9 from c to c', and No. 12
from c¹ to c. It is enclosed in a casing B with openings at the end for the
admission of air, and a spout b' at bottom, at which the dustings or flour that has
passed through the meshes of cylinder C are discharged. D are the end frames of
a revolving cylinder, which works within the fixed cylinder or concave C, and is
carried on a horizontal shaft & mounted in suitable bearings, and driven at a velocity
of about 300 revolutions per minute. This cylinder has radial vanes or blades E
fixed to the end frames D, which draw in a current of air at the end openings b,
that drives the dust or flour through the meshes of the cylinder or concave C, and
carries the middlings, &c., that have passed right round the cylinder or concave out
at the delivery aperture F.
Some of the vanes or blades are made in two parts, sliding the one on the other,
as at c, and connected by studs or bolts, so as to admit either of being drawn out to
the circumference of the cylinder D, as would be the case when middlings alone are
being operated on, or of being moved inwards, as shown. In that case the valves
alone would be used, as it is desirable to avoid grinding or breaking the middlings,
which should be delivered as sharp as possible to the shakers or vibrating sieves;
but when middlings and offal mixed together or offal alone is operated on, the
portions e of the vanes would be moved inwards to admit brushes G being fixed on
the cylinder D. These brushes are in the form of segments of a cylinder, preferably
four in number, with V shaped spaces between, to afford a narrow passage through
which the air is driven by the vanes to prevent the material operated on falling
inside the cylinder. The two sides g, g, of each brush are preferably parallel to one
another, to admit of a slight adjustment of the brush for wear, and they are attached
to and protected by metal strips or cross bars g¹ connected to the backs of the
brushes, and having flanges at the ends bolted to the ends D of the cylinder. His
the feed hopper, placed over an aperture near the top of the cylinder or cylindrical
concave C.
This aperture and the delivery aperture immediately adjoin one
another, and may in fact be one opening, separated only by a partition or by the
back of the hopper, as shown; both extend completely across the cylinder or
concave C from end to end, so that the latter is not an entire cylinder. The feed
being at or near the top by an opening extending completely across the cylinder,
and the feed and delivery being at adjoining openings, as above described, the
material being operated on goes directly on to the rotating cylinder, and is by it
carried up at once to the upper side of the stationary cylinder or concave C, and is
necessarily carried entirely round the same before it can escape at the delivery
aperture, so that it is impossible for any particle to escape without being acted on.
In other machines, fed at the end only, the tendency of the material is to fall at
once to the bottom, unless the machine be driven at an excessively high speed, but
by my Invention these evils are avoided.
h is a plain feed roller placed in and nearly filling the feed opening, the passage
being regulated by a sliding gauge fitted inside the hopper, and adjusted by a
screw rod working through a nut h³ fixed to the gauge, and passing through a
slot in the front of the hopper. The journal bearings of the roller are arranged to

page_text: admit of a fluted roller being substituted for a plain one when offal is being operated
on. The roller is rotated slowly in the direction of the arrow by a belt from
shaft d. The feed roller serves to convey the middlings, &c., from the hopper to the
cylinder, notwithstanding the centrifugal motion of the air, in a perfectly regular
manner, and to prevent the air blowing out at the feed opening, the hopper above
it being always full. is a deflector above the delivery to direct the middlings, &c.,
downwards on to the vibrating sieves or shakers I, I¹, 1².
For purifying middlings there are preferably three sets of sieves arranged as
shown, but one, two, or three may be used, as preferred, and they are clothed with
silk of progressive grades, as indicated by their numbers. Sieves I, I', are fixed on
the lower sieve, which is supported by the ordinary springs K at the ends, and has
a rapid to-and-fro movement imparted, as usual, by cranks or eccentrics on a shaft L
driven by a belt from shaft d. In the case of middlings the No. 1 middlings pass
through the sieves into hoppers M, M¹; the No. 2, into a hopper M²; and the tailings
pass out at a spout N. The sides of the hoppers M, M1, M2, are formed of louvres m
to admit a current of air beneath the sieves, which is drawn up the exhaust
through the sieves for the purpose of carrying off the fluff or branny particles;
n are louvres for the same purpose. P is a screw conveyor at the bottom of
hoppers M, M1, M2, by which the contents of the hoppers are discharged at
openings provided with sliding shutters o. R, R', are exhaust fans mounted in a
casing S above compartment B, and communicating with the interior, as shown in
Figure 3.
For dusting and separating offal which has been separated from the middlings
and flour by the catch reel, as usual, a fluted roller his substituted for the plain one,
the brushes are applied to the cylinder D, the cylinder C is clothed with wire cloth,
say, Nos. 48 and 54, or perforated sheet metal of corresponding gauge, and the
sieves I, I, are removed altogether, and the sieves 12 only are replaced by others
clothed with wire cloth of different grades, say, Nos. 14, 12, and 10, or of wire cloth
for the finer and perforated metal for the coarser sieves. The coarse sharps fall into
hopper M, the pollard into M', fine bran into M2, and the coarse bran or tailings
pass out at spout N. In this case only one exhaust fan need be used, merely to
prevent the dust blowing outside the machine.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. In a machine for dusting middlings and offal, consisting of a horizontal
dusting cylinder or concave, enclosing a rotary blowing or blowing and brushing
cylinder, as above described, I claim the arrangement of the feed aperture at or near
the upper side, and extending across from end to end of the cylinder, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. In a machine for dusting middlings, as above specified, I claim the arrange-
ment of delivery aperture immediately behind the feed aperture (having regard to
the direction in which the rotary cylinder is revolving), both apertures being located
near the upper side, and extending from end to end of the cylinder, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. In a machine for dusting middlings and offal, as above specified, the com-.
bination with a horizontal dusting cylinder or concave enclosing a rotary blowing
or blowing and brushing cylinder, and having a feed aperture surmounted by a
hopper, as above specified, of a rotating feed roller in said aperture, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
4th. In a machine for dusting offal, as above specified, the combination with a
rotary blowing cylinder of brushes of segmental form with narrow apertures between,
the whole enclosed in a stationary cylinder or concave, substantially as shown and
described.
5th. The combination in one machine for dusting and purifying middlings and
offal of a dusting apparatus, composed of a rotary blowing or blowing and brushing
cylinder, enclosed in a stationary cylinder or concave, constructed and having the

page_text: feed and delivery arrangements as specified, and purifying or separating apparatus
consisting of vibrating sieves and exhaust, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Houghton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
W. HOUGHTON. (L.S.)