Improvements in Decorticating Machines for Wheat and other Grain.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Decorticating Machines for Wheat and other
Grain.
I ALFRED WICKS, of Chegworth Mill, Hollingbourne Maidstone, Kent,
Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
-
The chief object of the present invention is to provide inexpensive, efficient
apparatus for removing the husk or bran from wheat; the machine is, however,
available also for hulling or decorticating grain other than wheat.
The main difficulty in decorticating wheat arises from the peculiar shape of the
grain, in respect of the deep seam or line on the side thereof.
Hitherto very expensive machinery has been used for decorticating purposes,
without ensuring a satisfactory result.
According to my invention, I pass the grain, which may be previously damped,
and again dried on the outside; to the bite of a pair of discs, or their equivalent,
of peculiar construction.
The working faces of these discs are provided with numerous studs of metal, or
The discs
other hard material, set near together in a yielding or elastic substance.
are preferably arranged horizontally, and rotated in opposite directions at suitable
speeds. The grain, which may be fed between the discs through a hollow shaft
which drives the upper disc, is acted on by the projecting studs before mentioned,
so as to remove the skin or husk, without breaking the kernel. The elasticity of
the substance wherein the studs are embedded, is such, that it allows each stud to
yield before undue pressure, which would break the grain, but provides sufficient
resistance to support the studs in their work of decortication.
The yielding substance which supports the working studs of the discs, or their
equivalent, may be one of the preparations of india-rubber, or of the various
forms of substitute thereof. It will be understood that the elastic stud face is
carried by a suitable backing, which is connected with the driving shaft.
In addition to the rotary movement above mentioned, the discs will preferably
have imparted to them an excentric motion, caused by moving them in line at
right angles to one another during the rotation. Means for adjusting the distance
between the working surfaces is provided. From the discs, the decorticated grain
and bran fall into a sieve or other receptacle, where they may be separated, with
or without the aid of brushing machines, in the ordinary manner.
It will be found that by the aid of elastically mounted decorticating surfaces, as
described, the bran is very efficiently removed from the grain, without cracking or
otherwise damaging the latter.
Dated this 7th day of November 1895.
NEWTON & SUN,
Agents for the Applicant. -

page_text: Improvements in Decorticating Machines for Wheat and other
Grain.
I ALFRED WICKS of Chegworth Mill, Hollingbourne, Maidstone, Kent,
Miller, 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 :-
The chief object of the present invention is to provide inexpensive, efficient
apparatus for removing the husk or bran from wheat; the machine is, however,
available also for hulling or decorticating grain other than wheat.
The main difficulty in decorticating wheat, arises from the peculiar shape of the
grain, in respect of the deep seam or line on the side thereof.
Hitherto very expensive machinery has been used for decorticating purposes,
without ensuring a satisfactory_result.
According to my invention, I pass the grain, which may be previously damped,
and aftewards surface dried, to the bite of a pair of discs or their equivalent, the
working faces of which are composed of numerous studs of metal or other hard
material, set near together in a yielding or elastic substance. The discs are
preferably arranged horizontally, and rotated in opposite directions at suitable
relative speeds. The grain is preferably fed between the discs through a hollow
shaft, which carries the upper disc, and it is acted by the projecting studs before
mentioned, so as to remove the skin or husk without breaking the kernel.
In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is an elevation of the decorticating machine
fitted according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, taken at right
angles to Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine.
A is the upper disc, carried by the hollow shaft A', and B is the lower disc,
carried by the shaft B'.
C and D are vertical columns secured to a base plate E and serving to carry, the
one, the mechanism for transmitting motion to the shaft A¹, and the other, the
mechanism for actuating the shaft B¹.
The columns C and D are cast with lugs c, d, which form bearings from the hinge
pins or fulcrum pins f, g, of the disc frames F and G. These frames are free to
swing in their bearings, for the purpose of traversing the discs which they carry
past the respective centres of motion of the rotating discs.
The pin f, which is made fast to its frame, is threaded at its upper end to
receive a hand wheel f", which, bearing on the upper lug c, will, as it is turned,
raise or lower the frame F, and thus adjust the distance between the discs A
and B.
The shaft A¹ carries a band pulley a, which receives a band from a band pulley h
keyed to a vertical shaft H. This shaft is mounted in bearings in bracket arms o¹
cast with the column C. This shaft is fitted at its upper end with a supporting
collar, and at its lower end carries a bevil pinion ¹ for transmitting rotary motion
through a driving band from the pulley h to the pulley a on the disc shaft A.
Bolted to the column C, and further supported by a leg bolted to the bed plate E,
is a table I, the use of which will be presently explained.
C is a portion of the casting C, and designed to carry a bearing for a
longitudinal shaft, to be presently more particularly referred to. K is a shaft
which has its bearings in bracket arms d cast with the column D. Upon this
shaft is keyed a band pulley k, which, through a band passing to the pulley b,
serves to rotate the shaft B, and with it the disc B.
The shaft K is furnished at top with a collar which bears upon the upper
bracket arm d', and at its lower end it carries a mitre wheel k¹, through which
rotary motion is transmitted to the disc B.

page_text: An antifriction roller g¹, fitted to the swinging frame G, bears upon the table I
before mentioned, and thus carries the weight of its swinging frame.
From this description it will be seen that the two discs A and B are each
provided with a like arrangement of driving mechanism.
I will now explain the manner in which these driving mechanisms are set in
action. L is the main driving shaft of the machine, one end being carried by a
bearing in the casting C¹, and the other end in a plummer block standing up from
the base plate E. This driving shaft is fitted with a speed pulley L₁, and to its
opposite ends are keyed a bevil wheel l, in gear with the bevil pinion ¹ and (at its
other end) a mitre wheel I.
M is a similar shaft mounted in plummer blocks on the bed plate E, and fitted
with mitre wheels at its opposite ends, the wheel m gearing into the mitre wheel l¹,
and the wheel m³ gearing into the mitre wheel k¹.
It will now be understood that, when motion is applied to the driving shaft L,
the discs A and B will be caused to rotate in opposite directions, but, to ensure an
efficient action, a different speed will be given to the two discs; thus, through the
action of the bevil wheel on the pinion h¹, the disc A will be driven at double
the speed, or thereabouts, of the disc B.
In order, further, to ensure an efficient action of the rotating surfaces, the
centres of motion of the discs will cross each other as before mentioned, and
thereby impart an excentric motion to the discs.
It is for the purpose of securing this reciprocating motion of the discs, that they
are mounted in swinging frames. The means of transmitting the requisite motion
to the frames is as follows:
Keyed to the shaft K is a spur wheel, which gears into a spur wheel n, keyed
on the upper end of a short vertical shaft N, working in lugs projecting from the
column D. This wheel n is fitted with an adjustable crank pin n', which, through
a rod n³, connects directly with the swinging frame F.
As, therefore, the crank wheel n rotates, the frame F will swing on its fulcrum
to the extent of the throw of the crank pin. To transmit the like motion to the
frame G, a second connecting rod n³ is fitted to the crank pin n', and to this rod n
is attached a short lever arm o on the upper end of a short vertical rock shatt O,
carried by lugs on the column C.
A second short lever arm o¹ on the shaft O connects through a rod o³, with the
swinging frame G; thus, a simultaneous traverse motion is imparted to the two
discs A, B, all the time they are rotating.
I will now explain the construction of the discs which are designed to impart
friction on the partially moistened grain, for the purpose of clearing it of the bran
cuticle.
Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the friction surface of the upper disc, on au
enlarged scale.
and
Fig. 5 is a cross section of the two discs, set in the proper relation to each other;
Fig. 6 is a partial section, on a still larger scale, of a disc illustrating the.
construction of the friction surface.
I have said that the friction surface is composed of an elastic material; that
which I employ by preference is known in the market as ❝ woodite." This
material I mould by pressure to produce therein furrows disposed like those to be
found in the ordinary millstone..
This moulded elastic substance I cement into a case of cast irou, as shown at
Fig. 5, and I then drive into the woodite, lines of metal studs disposed as shewn in
Fig. 4, aud of the form illustrated at Fig. 6.
The woodite, which may be obtained of various degrees of hardness, must have
the character of yielding to any undue pressure put upon the studs, while at the
same time providing sufficient resistance to support the studs in their work of
decortication.

page_text: Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it will be seen that a hopper P is set above
the hollow shaft A', to supply the grain thereto. The grain thus enters through
the eye of the upper disc to the rotating surfaces, over which it is diffused by
centrifugal action."
The discs will be enclosed in a casing, as is usual in this class of machinery, and
a spout leading from the casing will deliver the decorticated wheat, and the
displaced skins or bran; into a sieve or other receptacle, where the grain and bran
may be separated, with or without the aid of brushing machines, in any well known
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The application to decorticating machines, of elastic or yielding friction
surfaces constructed as and for the purpose above set forth.
2. In disc decorticating machines furnished with friction surfaces constructed as
above set forth, the means above described for imparting a traverse or reciprocating
motion to the rotating discs.
Dated this 28th day of August 1896.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.