IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Offico for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING RICE AND OTHER
GRAIN." A communication from abroad by Amasa Howe, of New
York City, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 16th February 1864, and dated the 1st October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st October 1863.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CLEANING RICE
AND OTHER GRAIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery or apparatus
for cleaning rice and other grain whereby that operation may be expeditiously
and economically effected.
The apparatus consists of a vertical cylindrical case open at top and bottom and
mounted upon a hollow frame. This cylinder is cast in the form of two semi-
cylinders with flanges to facilitate the coupling of the parts together. The
cylinder is formed with annular recesses at equal distances apart (say twelve
inches) throughout its length to receive horizontal discs, which are smaller in

page_text: diameter than the recesses, and are free to move up and down in the recesses.
These discs are each carried by a cross bar, the ends of which project through
vertical slots made in the cylinder, and rest upon coiled springs outside the cylinder.
These springs give the discs a tendency to retain their highest position in the
annular recesses and to regain that position when forced down by the down-
ward pressure of the grain under treatment. In the cylinder, and concentric
therewith, a vertical shaft is mounted (central holes being made in the discs
for it to pass through), and to it is keyed above each disc an archimedean
screw or propeller. The shaft rests in a footstep, and it is prevented from
rising in its bearing by a regulating screw pressing on its upper end. Rotary
motion is given to the screw shaft by any suitable gearing, and as it rotates
the grain to be operated upon is let into the cylinder from an elevated hopper.
When starting the apparatus the discs are all at their highest position, and thus
divide the cylinder into a series of chambers. As the grain accumulates in the
uppermost chamber the screw passes down the grain, thereby causing the disc
to yield, and allow it to escape over its periphery into the chamber below. In
like manner the grain gradually accumulates in the second chamber, and
forcing down the second disc escapes into the chamber below, and so on through-
out the series until it is discharged at the bottom of the apparatus. While
tbus passing through the apparatus the grain is subjected to considerable
friction, which can be regulated by adjusting the pressure of the springs
that carry the discs, and by this friction of grain against grain the cuticle is
ground off the seed, and falls out of the apparatus in the form of dust with the
cleaned seed. This seed or grain when screened of the dust is ready to be
passed through a polishing machine, which fits it for the market..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 31st March 1864.
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 most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her reign
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said a
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward

page_text: Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should, and lawfully might make, use,
5. exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
.the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS FOR CLEANING RICE AND OTHER GRAIN," being a communication from
abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William. Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being bad to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of machinery or apparatus
for cleaning rice and other grain whereby that operation may be expeditiously
. and economically effected.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1, shews the improved apparatus in
partial sectional elevation, one half of the case being removed to exhibit the
internal construction of the working parts.
The apparatus may be described as consisting of a vertical cylindrical case A,
closed at top by a cover but open at bottom, and divided transversely into
chambers by yielding dises, which through the action of screws on a central
propeller shaft yield to the downward pressure of the grain fed into the
machine, and thus allow the grain to pass out at the bottom of the cylinder
after undergoing sufficient abrasion (regulated by the upward pressure of
springs) to remove the cuticle therefrom. This cylinder is cast in the form
of two semi-cylinders, the one being the counterpart of the other, and it is
mounted upon a hollow frame or standard B. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of
these semi-cylinders shewing its inner face; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken in
the line 1, 2, and Fig. 4 a sectional plan taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 2. These
semi-cylinders are cast with flanges at their edges to facilitate the coupling of
the parts together, bolts and nuts being used for the purpose, as shewn at
Fig. 5, which is an outside view of the cylindrical case A complete. This
cylindrical case is formed with annular recesses a, a, at equal distances apart

page_text: (say twelve inches) throughout its length to receive horizontal discs C which
are somewhat smaller in diameter than the recesses, and are free to move up
and down in the recesses. These discs are each carried by a horizontal cross
bar D (see the detached views, Figs. 6. and 7) the ends of which project.through
vertical slots made in the cylinder A, and are formed with vertical arms.d which
fit into vertical recesses a¹ in the flanges of the cylinder. These recesses form
guides for steadying the movements of the cross bars D and their discs C. The
cross bars rest upon pairs of (springs E, E, which are coiled around vertical
rods F outside the cylinder. These rods. rest in bearings in the frame B, and
are supported at their upper ends by lugs attached to the cylinder; they are
provided with slots for receiving the projecting ends of the cross bars D. The
springs E give the discs a tendency to retain their highest position in the
annular recesses a (as shewn at Fig. 1), being for that purpose confined
between keys on the rods F, E, or other fixed points and the extremities of the
cross bars D. When the discs are depressed by the means to be presently
explained, the upward pressure of the springs will give them a tendency to
regain their elevated position.
In the cylinder A, and concentric therewith, a vertical shaft G is mounted
(central: holes being made in the discs for it to pass freely through); to this
shaft is keyed above each disc an archimedean screw or propeller H of such
diameter as will allow of its rotating freely in the cylinder. The shaft G rests
in a footstep.g, and it works in a stuffing box in the cover of the cylinder.; it
is prevented from rising in its bearings by a regulating screw g¹ (which is
carried by an arched cross piece 92) pressing on the upper end of the shaft.
Rotary motion is transmitted to the screw shaft from any suitable motive-power
engine through a bevil wheel g³ keyed on the screw shaft. I is an elevated
hopper, the shute of which guides down into the cylinder the grain to be
operated upon in a continuous stream, which may be regulated by a slide or
otherwise to adapt the amount of feed to the capacity of the apparatus.
When starting the apparatus the discs are all at their highest position, as
shewn at Fig. 1, and they thus divide the cylinder into a series of separate
and disconnected chambers. As soon however as the grain supplied from the
hopper I accumulates in the uppermost chamber sufficiently for the screw in
that chamber to act upon it, the screw will by its continued rotation press
down the grain, thereby causing the disc forming the floor of the upper
chamber to yield, and by descending allow the grain to escape over the
periphery of the disc and fall through the annular recess a into the chamber
below. By this means the grain will quickly accumulate below the rotating
screw in the second chamber, when it will in like manner cause the second disc

page_text: to yield to the downward pressure put upon it. The grain will then escape
into the chamber below, and in like manner be forced into the next lowest, and
so on throughout the series of chambers until it is discharged at the bottom of
the apparatus. While thus passing through the apparatus the compact masses
of grain are subjected to considerable friction, grain rubbing against grain, as
well as against the sides of the stationary cylinder and the moving surfaces of
the propelling screws. The effect of this friction will be the abrasion or
grinding off of the cuticle of the grain or seed, which cuticle falls out of the
apparatus in the form of dust together with the cleaned seed. This seed or
grain when screened of the dust is ready to be passed through a polishing
machine, whereby it is fitted for the market. The amount of friction thus put
upon the grain may be regulated by adjusting the pressure of the springs that
carry the discs.
Having now explained the nature of the Invention of improved apparatus
for cleaning rice and other grain, and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim the improved apparatus for cleaning rice or other
grain constructed and operating as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)