A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS AND MEANS FOR ASCERTAINING THE QUALITY AND CONDITION OF GRAIN AND SEED
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Bünger at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th March
1865. A communication from abroad by Christian Joseph Schmitz, of
Raeren, near Aix la Chapelle, in the Kingdom of Prussia.
I, WILLIAM BÜNGER, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS AND MEANS FOR
ASCERTAINING THE QUALITY AND CONDITION OF GRAIN AND SEED," to be as
follows:-
The first part of the Invention has for its object the arrangement of
apparatus for testing the fruit contents of grain and seeds of various kinds, to
determine their relative value by ascertaining the amount of gluten and starch
contained in a given quantity of wheat, rye, and other similar kinds of grain,
and to ascertain the amount of oil contained in a given quantity of rape,.
poppy, flax, or other kinds of seed.
The nature of this apparatus will be readily understood by the following.
description, aided by reference to the accompanying Drawings..
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
. The apparatus consists of a cylinder A (Figures 1 and 2), which serves as
a support for the steelyard or scale B, C, D, E, and F, consisting of the
vessel F and the arc or lever B, the weight C, the adjustable disc D; the
pointer E, and the vessel F to contain the grain or seed to be tested. a, a,
are fixed bearings on each side of the vessel F to support the arc and lever B.

page_text: The lever arm has a divided scale thereon to indicate the weight of the
contents of the vessel F, which is supported at the other end of the lever arm
on knife edges d, d, the vessel being correctly balanced on the lever F by the
moveable disc or weight D indicated by the pointer E and fixed point a', and
recorded on the graduated scale. By means of this apparatus the fruit contents
of the grain and seed may be gauged, as hereafter described.
g
The gauge for ascertaining the degree of humidity or dryness of the grain
or seed consists of the rod G and conical-shaped instrument J (see Figure 3).
The rod G rises from the centre of the bottom of the vessel F, and is, by
preference, formed in two parts screwed together at or near the level of the
upper rim of the vessel. At the upper end of the rod G are two springs and
a nut g, which can be fixed on the rod by a set screw r.
The nut carries
the instruments with the disc t upon the rod G, the cone J moves up and
down freely, there being a groove 9 on the upper end of the boss, into which
the ends of the springs on the nut 9 enter and support the cone at the upper
end of the rod G. By pressing upon the nut or instrument f the springs are
withdrawn from the groove g, thus releasing the cone J, which slides quickly
down the rod G, the distance to which it falls being indicated by a divided
scale upon the rod G.
The apparatus is used in the following manner: - After placing the
cylinder A and vessel F upon a perfectly level surface, the grain or seed to be
tested is put into the funnel H, which is taken by the upper rim and is gently
lifted out of the vessel F, the grain then runs out of the opening at the
bottom of the funnel H into the vessel F. The surplus lying above the level
of the vessel F is then struck off by passing a levelling rod over the upper
surface of the vessel. The vessel F thus filled is placed within the vessel A
and weighed, the scale indicating the weight in ounces or half ounces, and in
20th parts of the same. After ascertaining in this manner the weight of the
grain or seed, its external quality or condition is tested as follows:-The
vessel F containing the grain is gently raised out of the cylinder or vessel A
and placed upon a level surface, the rod G with the cone J.thereon is then
screwed together, the cone J being supported at the upper end thereof by the
springs taking into the groove g as previously described. By a slight pressure
upon the nut f the spring claws are withdrawn from the groove g, thus
releasing the cone J, and allowing it to fall down the guide rod G into the
grain in the vessel F, the divided scale on the rod G indicating the depth to
which the cone has entered the grain.
Having thus ascertained the weight and the depth to which the cone J enters
into the sample of grain or seed thus tested, it is compared with the results

page_text: obtained by experiment from a standard quality of grain or seed of similar
character tested in the same manner. The standard sample of grain is
weighed and tested under certain degrees of humidity and dryness, and by
this means rules and tables are laid down by which the results of the tests
upon other qualities of grain or seed are ascertained by comparison. The tables
of the results given by various qualities of grain and seed in good or bad
condition affords the necessary information for guiding the operator in testing
the quality and condition of other samples of grain or seed tested by the
apparatus previously described, by which means he can judge with great
accuracy how much oil or farinaceous matter is contained in any sample of
grain or seed submitted to this testing apparatus.