IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING AND SEPARATING GRAIN AND OTHER SEEDS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MOSES
POOLE, of the Patent Office, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date-at
Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the ninth year of Her-reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Moses Poole, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial license, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, adññors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, admors, or
assigns; should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of."IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING AND
SEPARATING GRAIN AND OTHER SEEDS," communicated to me from abroad;; in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Moses Poole,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my, said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the 'said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear:
3
NOW KNOW- YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I; the said
Moses Poole, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention; and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say :-
This Invention consists of an arrangement of apparatus for the purpose of
separating and cleaning wheat and other grain and seeds, and clearing it of
the stones and other matters generally mixed with it, and which injure the
quality of the flour. But the Invention may be more clearly understood by
examining the Drawing No. 1, at Figures 1 and 2 in which will be seen a
number of holes a, a, near to each other, of a certain depth, of the thickness
of the plate A, which may be of metal or other suitable material. These holes
are of a size corresponding to the section of the grain, but as their depth is
less than the length of the grain, it will be easily perceived that all the grains
of the size, and smaller, will lodge in the cavities of these holes, and will come
even with their outer surface, so that the good grain will not be exposed on
the surface of the plate. And if a plate thus formed with holes were placed
in a slightly inclined position, and a quantity of grain caused to pass over it,
the grain would tend to fill the holes or cavities a; but being constantly acted
upon by the continual falling grain, the good grain will be easily released and
forced to pass away over the surface of the plate, and it will soon be seen that
the holes will be filled with round or small grain, which are not of the size of
good grain, and in moving the plate these grains will be found to have been
separated from the others. This separation is made perfectly well, very
rapidly, and with the greatest nicety. Before giving a description of these
Drawings I would observe that in the Drawings, Figures 1 and 2, I have
shewn these holes of a round form of the one that is preferred to be used, but
that the Invention is not confined to that form, as other forms are shewn at
Figures 1 and 4, which forms will be found applicable when operating upon
wheat which is broken. The same remark may be made with regard to the
dimensions of the holes. The triangle or curvilinear form will be found
advantageous when operating upon wheat and some other matters; the size
and depth of these holes will have to be regulated according to the nature of
the grain or seeds being operated upon; thus, for example, in diminishing the
dimensions of the holes, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2, the apparatus is
rendered capable to act as a sifter, and in separating the bad grains to obtain,
according to the nature of the sifters, fifty or sixty per cent. of good grains, or
even more, when by the system at present in use a great quantity of grain is
not sufficently well cleared to be saleable, and consequently has to be taken as
food for animals. An apparatus for operating upon grain intended for culture

page_text: may be constructed very simply, having plates perforated and well propor-
tioned, and the advantages from its use will be found advantageous, as by the
use of it the bad grains contained in the seed may be easily withdrawn, which
by the present mode of working is done by hand. The Invention may be also
applied to some other seeds, the only point being the arrangement and form of
the cavities. In order to facilitate the construction of these plates, the holes
are pierced through the metal plate, and one side is covered with a thin sheet
of metal or any other suitable material, so as to close one side of the hole, by
which small recesses or compartments are formed, and from whence it will be
seen that the metal plate intended for this purpose should be of the depth
required for the compartment. The holes are cut by a punch, or may be
formed in any convenient manner. Figures 5 and 6 show a transversal and
longitudinal section of a cylindrical apparatus arranged in such manner as to
operate upon the grain for cleaning it or for separating it from the matters
mixed with it in a continuous manner. This cylinder is composed of two or
three frames B, upon the surface of which is placed the case A which is
formed of plates of metal cut or perforated in holes, as before described; the
holes on the surface of the cylinder are open, and closed at the under sides.
Thus the grain plates in a hopper C above will fall over the surface of the
cylinder, which is supposed to be turning in the direction indicated by the
arrows, and the grain will fall into the cavities on the surface of the cylinders;
but, as has been before explained, the good grains being larger than the holes,
do not remain in the holes, but are constantly driven on by those grains which
come after them to take their place. To assist in removing them, a brush D,
or a roller covered with felted cloth, which is placed in such manner as to come
against the surface of the outer case A¹, and by pressing upon the surface
removes those which are outside the holes. The grain is received upon the
inclined plane E, and the bad grains fall into and are retained in the recesses
in the cylinder until it has turned round a portion of its circumference, when it
will fall out apart from the other; and to facilitate the removal of the bad
grain from the cavities, a slight vibratory motion may be given to the cylinder.
Besides the rotary
by a blow with a hammer or any other convenient means.
movement given to the cylinder, there is also a to-and fro movement given
to it by connecting with the axis G either an excentric or worm, or by other
convenient means.
Instead of the cylinder, we have shown here, for receiving the corn on the
surface to be separated, prisms or forms having many surfaces perforated. In.
the Drawing, No. 2, I have shewn another arrangement of machine which has
been found to produce good results. Figure 1 is a lateral elevation, and

page_text: Figure 2 is a plan; Figure 3 is a section, taken through the middle of the
-plan, through the line 1, 2. It will be seen that it consists of a series of
plates A, having holes or cavities a; the plates are connected together by
hinges b, and form an endless chain, which is passed over rollers; the form
of these plates may be varied, as shewn at H; movement will have to be
given to one of the rollers slowly, whilst the alternate rectilinear movement is
given to the other parts, as will be described; across these plates are rods K,
adapted to the chain which supports the whole of the endless chain; they are
formed of four sides, through two of the sides passes an axis, which supports
it, and also a block I, which gives to the whole system a to-and-fro movement
in a perpendicular direction, following the movement of the endless chain.
This block is connected by one of its ends by a ball and socket joint to the
rod J, or by any other suitable means which will allow of movement of
the pieces without destroying their rectilinear movement. This rod J is
affixed on the middle to one of the sides of the framing on one side, and
the other to the spring L, so that the action of the spring shall alone tend
to bring back the framing to its position; the block which is attached to
the other end by a button i affixed upon the plate M will cause it to move;
the apparatus applied to the machinery will be found of great importance in
working, as it imparts a lateral movement to the framing, which will be of
great benefit in working the endless chain, as the grain, which from their
size, would not fall in the holes, and those which do would remain there. The
spring could play freely, guided at its ends with small rollers. The plate or
disc M, by which movement is transmitted to the block, is so arranged as to
allow of its course being varied, and consequently of the framing; thus the
button i, which is joined to the head of the block, is adjusted so as to be
capable of movement to or from the centre, as may be required, and it may
be kept in its position by a screw. The axis of this plate carries the pulley N,
which may be moved in any convenient way; the power required is very small
to give motion to the whole of the machinery. O is a fly wheel to regulate
the motion..
It will be seen that the apparatus is so arranged as to be suspended by
rods, by which means the to-and-fro movement may be given to it without
interfering with the perpendicular action of the endless chain This movement
is readily given by means of an arrangement shewn in the Drawings in the
Sheets 2 and 3, by which it will readily be understood.
In the Drawing,
No. 3, it will be seen that the axis of the plate projects beyond the frame, and
on to which is adapted a bevilled wheel f, which takes into a pinion g, the
axis of which moves in bearings against the outer side of the framings, in

page_text: order that the whole of this part may follow the rectilinear movement given
to it. Upon this axis is a pulley p, to which movement is given by a strap
passing over another pulley placed upon an axis above, on which axis there is
another pulley, which by another strap gives motion to a pulley g, which
is adjusted upon the moving axis of the apparatus, so that when that is
in motion the bevelled wheels and the pullies transmit the motion to the
cylinder H, and to the endless chain. Near the ends of these cylinders are
two toothed wheels Q, which take into the same sides of the plates which are
hollowed out for that purpose. The grain falls upon the endless chain from
the hopper F in the direction of the arrow, whilst the chain moves in the
contrary direction. The inclination of the chain may be regulated by means
of screws or bolts U, from which are suspended the rods c. From what has
been before explained, it will be evident that the stones and other matters will
more easily fall into the cavities in the plates than the good grain, and that the
good grain being forced along the chain to a proper receiver; m are raised sides
to the chain, to prevent the grain from falling over on its passage; these are
shewn in the Drawing, No. 2, at Figures 1 and 2, and at Figure 3 in the Drawing
3, and the impurities contained in the cavities will be deposited underneath the
chain as it passes over the prism H', and by a slight blow their deliverance will
be more readily effected. It will be easily understood that.the brush or covered
roller spoken of in the cylindrical machine may be applied with advantage to
this. By examining the Drawing, No. 4, the simplicity of the construction
of the machine, and also ease with which it may be worked, will at once be
seen in Figure 1. A is a metal plate, having series of holes or cavities
formed on the surface; this plate is slightly inclined. The grain falls from
the sifter B, and it passes on when the to-and-fro movement is given to the
apparatus; at this time the grain and the other matters pass down slowly, and
as those which are smaller come opposite to the holes, are precipitated therein,
whilst the good grain is carried on to the lower part of the plate, and from
thence on to the inclined plane c into the mouth of a sack.
fixed in a rectangular framing D, and supported by a cross rod E, to the ends
of which are adjusted the pullies F. These pullies work on the rods G, which
are kept in sliding supports H. The framing D is connected in the middle of
it to a wooden spring I by a hook a, which takes into the catch b, and by
pressing the plate against this spring, the necessary to-and-fro movement will
be given to the plate by the action of the spring, which will force it back to
its place. The sifter B is moveable, and is also attached to a framing D;
it is composed of a plate of metal perforated with a series of curvilinear holes;
The plate A is

page_text: the form of the holes should be as nearly as possible of the form of the grain.
When the holes become filled with the grain or other matters which fall into
them, the sifter should be turned over; this is effected by releasing the hook a
from the ring B, when the framing will be disengaged, and the plate will turn
upon the axes E of the pullies at each end of the frame, as shewn in the
Drawings, and all the bad grains and other impurities contained in the cavities
will fall over on to the inclined plane J, and will be turned away from the
apparatus. If any of the grains or other materials should, from being exactly
of the same size as the holes, then, in order to release them, the frame will
require a slight blow of a hammer. To regulate the quantity of grain to be
supplied on to the plate there is a regulator K, which is regulated by means
of screws, by which it may be brought nearer to or kept further away, as may
be required. The inclination of the plate may be regulated by causing the
rods or rails G, G, which carry the pulleys F, F, to rise or fall in the vertical
slides formed in the metal supports H.
I would remark that in order to facilitate the process I sometimes submit
the grain to a sifting process in a sieve with the holes smaller than the holes
of the plate.
In operating upon wheat, the form of holes that I have found most
advantageous is the curvilinear form, as shewn in the Drawings, No. 1, at
Figures 3 and 4. After this process has been carried on, the grain will be
found free from stones and bad grains, except that which is larger than the
size of the cavities or holes on the plane; these must be again submitted to a
further separation by using another plate on which the holes are made and of
a larger diameter.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details herein, nor to the materials or forms of which the parts
may be made, so long as the character of the Invention be retained; but what
I claim is, the cleaning and separating grain and other seeds by the employ-
ment of moving surfaces having recesses for receiving the bad grain of
impurities, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-six.
MOSES (L.B.)
POOLE

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of August, in
the year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid Moses Poole came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
Enrolled the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.