An Improved Machine for Decorticating Grain.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1891-Accepted, .14th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Decorticating Grain.
I, EUGEN REVERDY, of Am Markt 14, Bremen, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, 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 :-
In decorticating various kinds of grain, especially rice and millet which do not
require very great rubbing action to remove the skin-like covering on them, in a
machine in which such grain is brought upon a rapidly revolving table with a
raised rim, it is unnecessary to cause this rotary table to throw the grain of this
kind against a stationary enclosing wall of material of more or less roughness to
decorticate the grain. The decorticating can be produced without use of the said
mantle, that is to say, by the flanged table alone giving the latter a velocity of at
least 2150 yards peripheral movement per minute.
If the grain is dropped centrally upon this revolving table after it has attained
the velocity stated, the so called centrifugal force will throw the grains outward
and cause them to strike suddenly and forcibly against the base of the flange or
rim surrounding the table, where their motion is converted into a spiral more
nearly approaching a circle. This causes a rubbing of the grain either on the
surface of the rim itself or on other grains moving on said surface. This sudden
striking and subsequent rubbing is sufficient to decorticate such kinds of grain, as
rice and millet, which have a comparatively easily broken cortex. The decorticated
grains and the refuse pass continually over the edge of the rim so that the
operation may be continuous.
In this manner a large output may be had from a small machine with little
power since the passage of the grain occupies but a fraction of a second.
The inner face of the rim of the rotary table may be smooth or rough or may be
covered with rough material.
The height of the rim is proportional to the hardness of the cortex of the grain
and the difficulty of removing it, the height of the rim is also dependent upon the
diameter of the table. For rice a good result is obtained for instance by making
the diameter about 24 inches and the height of rim 4 inches.
The accompanying drawing shows the part of the machine to which this inven-
tion relates.
Fig. 1 is a vertical central section and Fig. 2 is a plan of the rotary table and
hopper. A is the table with the inclined circular upstanding rim r.
The grain
dropping on the table from the hopper m is thrown outward against the rim and
upward circularly thereon as shown by the dotted lines.
The rim need not incline outwards, it may be vertical or may even bend
inwards.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
An improved machine for decorticating certain grain produce, consisting of a
rotary table with rising rim, said table being adapted to be rotated with speed
sufficient to cause the grain dropped thereon to be thrown with force against the

page_text: base of the rim and there to be decorticated by rubbing or moving circularly on
said rim or on the grains lodging or moving thereon.
Dated this 15th day of September 1891.
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.