IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HULLING AND POLISHING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN OR SEEDS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 Thirteenth day of February, in the twelfth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors, adñors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR HULLING AND POLISHING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN OR SEEDS," being a com-
munication from abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
obliging me, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Edward Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
The Invention of improvements in machinery for hulling and polishing
rice and other grain or seeds is described by my foreign correspondent as
follows, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, in which I have
shewn various views of the improved machine, and have used similar letters of
reference on the several Figures to denote corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is an end view; Fig. 3 is
a longitudinal elevation with the outer casing removed; and Fig. 4 is a
transverse section, shewing the internal arrangement or construction of parts.
The outer case of the improved machine consists of a cylinder, lined inside with
gauze, and rotates in one direction, while the inside rubber revolves in the
opposite direction. The rice is fed into the machine between the rubber
and outer cylinder fröm a hopper through the end of the outer case, which
is in the form of the hollow frustrum of a cone with the smaller end out-
wards. The rubber consists of rows of brushes, which are so made as in their
rotation nearly to touch the wire gauze cylinder, the space between the brushes
and the wire gauze being as near as possible one-fourth less than the average
diameter of the grains of rice or other seed. The outer periphery of the
brushes is slightly excentric, so as to leave sufficient space between the ends of
the brushes and the wire gauze cylinder for the free entrance of the rice
between 'the brushes and wire gauze cylinder; or the edges of the brushes may
be made concentric, with a portion along the forward edge, which may be cut
off to form an inclination or space to admit the rice or grain. The rice or
other grain is carried through the machine by means of what the Inventor
denominates "inclined feeders," that is, one or more rows of paddles interposed
between the rows of brushes, and projecting radially from the core stock or
axle of the rubber. The face of these paddles is inclined to the line of the
axis of the feeder, so as to act on the grain like the threads of a screw. At
the forward end, that is, the feeding-in end, some or all of the rows of brushes
are preceded by a plate of india-rubber, the outer periphery of which is of
little less diameter than the concentric part of the brushes, their diameter

page_text: being just so much less than the inner periphery of the wire gauze as to make
a very slight pressure on the rice as it passes between them, the object of this
being to remove any portion of the hull that may remain on the grains, but if
these be made of sufficient length, the rice may be hulled and polished by the
same machine, and at the rear end, that is, the delivery end, instead of
extending the rows of brushes to the end of the rubber, they are cut off, and
strips of lambs' wool, or the skin, are attached to the core of the rubber, so
that the fibres of the wool shall in their rotation rub and press on the grains
of rice, and thus polish the surface. The plates forming the feeder are each
jointed to the core or stock of the rubber, and also to a bar that slides
longitudinally in a groove, so that by moving the bar the inclination of the
feeders can be increased or decreased to regulate the passage of the grain
through the machine, and thus regulate the amount of cleaning and polishing.
to which the grain is is be subjected, some qualities requiring more and some
less rubbing than others. As it is important that the relative diameter of the
wire gauze cylinder and the brushes or rubbers should be well adjusted, the
brushes are attached to strips or blocks connected with the core or stock by
means of hinges and set screws, or by wedges, to admit of adjustment.
In the accompanying Drawings, a, a, represents a frame properly adapted
to the purpose, but which can be altered at pleasure; and b, b, is a wire gauze
cylinder, the meshes of which must be large enough to permit the free escape
of all the impurities, but not the grains of rice. This wire gauze is properly
secured to a frame consisting of hoops c, c, (see Fig. 1) and longitudinal
bars d, d, with heads or end pieces e and f, so as to constitute a hollow
cylinder, the frame being made in two parts, divided by a plane passing
through the axis, and hinged together on one side, as at 9, 9, (Fig. 1), and
connected together at the other by screws or other means, so as to admit
of opening the case to give access to the inside. The head e, at the
feeding-in end of the cylinder, consists of a ring, to the inner periphery of
which is secured the base of a hollow frustrum of a cone h, into which the
grain is fed from a hopper in any convenient manner; the other head or end f
extends down to and turns on the shaft of the rubber, to be described. The
wire gauze cylinder does not, however, extend to this end, but only to the ring
next to it, thus leaving a space i between the two of sufficient capacity for
the discharge of the polished rice into a delivery case j, from whence it can be
removed at pleasure, the bran, husks, and other impurities that pass through
the meshes of the wire gauze cylinder being deposited in the part k of this
case.
The outer periphery of the head e is fitted to run in a collar 1, provided with.

page_text: friction rollers m, and the other end f is provided with a pulley n, to receive a
belt from some first mover, by which it is caused to rotate in the direction
indicated by the arrow.
The shaft o of the rubber passes entirely through the cylinder, and has its
bearings in the end sof the frame, and is provided with a pulley p, which is
driven by a belt from some first mover in a direction the reverse of the
cylinder, as indicated by the arrows, although the two can be driven in the
same direction, one faster than the other, but this will not be found so advan-
tageous as causing them to rotate in opposite directions.
On the shaft o there is a stock q, which is made of wood or other material, and
of the length of the wire gauze cylinder, and to the periphery of this stock are
secured in a longitudinal direction rows of brushes r, the bristles being inserted
in blocks of wood s, with one edge connected by hinges t to the stock, and the
other edge by screws u, as shewn best in Fig. 4. By this it will be seen that
by the insertion of wedges under the blocks the diameter of the brushes can be
adjusted to the wire gauze cylinder to regulate the distance between them, as
this is highly important to the successful operation of the machine, particularly
as the ends of the bristles wear away. The forward edge of these brushes, that
is, the edge towards the direction of rotation, should be cut off in a bevil, or
the entire periphery of each segment of brushes should be excentric, as at w,
that the rice may freely enter between the brushes and the wire gauze
cylinder.
Two segments a, a, of the stock are not covered with brushes, and to these
are fitted wings or paddles y, formed of sheet metal (or other substance), and
projecting radially from the surface of the stock, with their planes inclined to
the axis, and their outer periphery running nearly in contact with the wire
gauze cylinder. As the brushes or rubbers rotate, it will be obvious that theso
inclined wings, which are denominated "feeders," will catch the rice delivered
by one set of brushes and push it on towards the delivery end of the machine
before it is acted upon by the next set of brushes, and so on, until it is delivered
at the end in a polished state.
For the purpose of regulating the passage of the grain through the machine,
as indicated above, the wings or paddles are made with a flanch a, Fig. 3, at
right angles to their plane, and this is secured to the stock by a screw that
passes through the middle thereof, and one end of each of these is connected
by a joint link c¹ with a longitudinal bar d that slides in a groove in the
stock, so that by moving this bar towards one end or the other of the stock
the inclination of the wings will be increased or decreased, and thus regulate
the passage of the rice through the machine. As some kinds of grain require

page_text: more rubbing than others some means of regulating the passage of the grain
is necessary. The brushes or some of them do not extend the whole length of
the stock. At the forward, that is, the feeding end, blocks of india-rubber e¹
(Fig: 3) of the width of the brushes are secured to the stock, their outer
periphery corresponding in form with the periphery of the brushes but of less
diameter. When this machine is only used for cleaning and polishing, only
one or two of these pieces of india-rubber are adapted, as shewn in the
Drawing, for the purpose of removing small quantities of hull which sometimes
adhere to the grains after they have passed through the hulling machine pre-
paratory to the cleansing and polishing operation, but by making these sections
of india-rubber of greater length than is represented in the Drawings, say,
double the length, the rice may be hulled in the same machine, although it may
be sometimes found desirable to hull it in a separate machine.
At the delivery end the sections s, s, are not provided with brushes, but are
covered, as shewn at f¹ (Fig. 3), with lamb's wool prepared on the hide for the
purpose of securing them on to the stock. The fibres, from their yielding
quality, should project beyond the brushes, so as to slightly press on the rice
when passing through that part of the machine. The effect of this is that a
finishing polish is given to the surface of the rice. Instead of lamb's wool
other fibrous substances may be substituted, but lambs' wool has been upon
experiment found to give the best results.
The upper part of the machine should be enclosed within a hood or cover,
to prevent the escape of dust and other impurities into the room. Instead of
bristles for the brushes, finely split whalebone or other substance may be sub-
stituted. The number of rows of brushes and feeders or conveyers may be
increased or diminished without changing the principle of the Invention.
Instead of making the surface of the brushes with a bevil or excentric to
permit the rice to enter between the brushes and the wire gauze cylinder, the
stock may be made with a solid inclined plane along the forward edge of the
rows of brushes.
The brush blocks, instead of being hinged to the stock at one edge, may be
secured entirely by means of screws, with wedges under the blocks, so that by
loosening the screws and driving in the wedges, the diameter of the brushes
can be adjusted, and any other means of adjustment can be substituted without
changing the principle of this part of the Invention.
It will be obvious from the foregoing that parts of this Invention may be
used to advantage without others; as, for instance, the adjustment of the
brushes may be dispensed with by making the brushes of the required diameter,

page_text: .
but so soon as they are worn the machine will not operate well. The same
remark may be made in reference to the adjustment of the feeders or con-
veyers, for if properly made they will operate without being made adjustable,
but the machine will not be so well adapted to the varieties of rice and grain
to be cleaned and polished; in fact, the conveyers may be altogether dispensed
with by arranging the rows of brushes on the stock in a helical line, but with-
out the conveyers it will be found that the machine in its operations will not
work so advantageously as with them.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I claim as new in the said machine,-
First, the employment of rows of brushes on a rotating stock in combination
with a surrounding wire gauze cylinder, when such rows of brushes or rubbers
are made with their forward edges bevelled, or are made adjustable so as to
produce a like effect as described, whereby the entrance of the rice or other
grain between the brushes and the interior surface of the surrounding cylinder
is facilitated.
Second, the rows of feeders or conductors in combination with and interposed
between the rows of brushes or rubbers for the purpose of conveying the rico
or other grain through the machine, and this is claimed in contradistinction to
inclined feeders or conveyors used at the end of the brushes. I also claim
making the feeders or conveyors adjustable, in order to regulate the inclination
of the faces thereof relatively to the main axis, for the purpose of regulating
the
passage of the grain through the machine.
Third, the rubbers made of india-rubber at the feeding-in end of the
machine in combination with the brushes, for the purpose of hulling the grain
preparatory to the operation of the brushes.
Fourth, the polishers made of lambs' wool, or other equivalent substance, at
the delivery end of the machine, in combination with the brushes, for the
purpose of polishing the grain preparatory to its delivery.
Fifth, connecting the brushes with the stock by adjustable means substan-
tially as herein described, for the purpose of adjusting the periphery of the
brushes to the wire gauze cylinder.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
W. E. (L.s.) NEWTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Third day of August, in the
year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid William Edward Newton came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, 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.