Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for Purifying Middlings, Semolina, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar. 1893-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for Purifying Middlings,
Semolina, and the like.
HENRY CLARKE, 78 Stanley Street, Burslem, Staffs. Flour Miller, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in, and which are applicable to
that class of apparatus or machinery known in the trade as "purifiers," and used
for separating the middlings from the fluff or impurities, and the object of my said
invention is to construct such purifiers that when in use they will be more efficient
than the purifiers at present used.
In order to carry my said invention into practice, to the front end of such
machines and beneath the outlet end of the hopper or hoppers of such machines I
attach or fasten by any suitable means a framing of metal or wood in which framing
I fix or fasten slanting wooden shelves at suitable distances apart, each alternate
shelf slanting in the same direction, to which framing and shelves I cause a
reciprocating motion to be imparted by means of an excentric or excentrics fixed
at or near to the end or ends of a metal shaft running transversely across the body
of the purifier, such shaft being supported by and caused to revolve in bearings
attached to the outside of such purifiers. An air screen or conductor in the same
framing as the slanting shelves, or in a separate framing is fitted or fixed to the
purifier by any suitable means contiguous to the said slanting shelves, the inner
ends of each pair of pivotted shutters or shelves of the draught conductor being
pulled towards each other by means of suitable springs fitted or fixed between such
shutters, which said shutters can be forced apart any suitable distance by means of
triangular shaped pieces of wood or metal attached to an upright, or to the framing
adjacent to the outer end or side of the said draught regulator, the apex of each
triangular shaped piece pointing towards the body of the purifier.
It will be understood that when the middlings or crushed grain falls from the
hopper on to the top slanting shelf of the inner framing it will be caused to slide
from one shelf on to the succeeding or following shelves by means of reciprocating
motion imparted to such framing and shelves as herein before stated, and during its
descent from one shelf to another the middlings or crushed cereal is drawn into the
interior of the purifier by means of a suitable revolving fan or fans fitted to the top
back portion of the body of the purifier, instead of as at present permitting the
middlings to fall from the outlet end of the hopper or hoppers directly on to the
sieve below.
Dated this 21st day of May 1892
JOHN NEWTON,
Longport, Staffs., Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Machinery for Purifying Middlings,
Semolina, and the like.
1, HENRY CLARKE 78 Stanley Street Burslem, Staffs. Flour 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:—
This my invention has reference to improvements in, and which are applic-
able to that class of apparatus or machinery known in the trade as purifiers,

page_text: and used for separating the middlings from the fluff or impurities, the
object of my said invention being to construct such purifiers so that when in use
they will be more efficient than the purifiers at present used of equal size.
In order that my said invention may be more readily understood and explained
in detail I have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings on which letters of
reference are marked on corresponding parts on all the figures alike.
via my said invention may be more readily understood and explained
in detail I have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings on which letters of
reference are marked on corresponding parts on all the figures alike.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a purifier made according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a front end elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of one form of hook or fastening used at each side of
the inner end of the frame of the sieve of such purifier, for connecting such sieve
to the framework fitted with slanting shelves, so that a reciprocating motion can be
transmitted thereto.
Figure 5 is a modification of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is an end elevation of a part of the inner end of the frame of the sieve,
shewing a rod or bar of wood or metal attached to the sides of the framing fitted
with slanting shelves.
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a form of bearing which I prefer to use for sup-
porting the revolving shafts of the sieve brush, as it enables the distance between
the bottom of the sieve and the said brush shafts to be readily regulated.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a side elevation of the lower part of one side of the frame in which
the slanting shelves are fixed, and a part of one side of the inner end of the sieve
frame, shewing one method of connecting such frames by means of a rod or bar of
suitable material pivotted at one of its ends to the shelf framing, and connected at
its other end by a pin, bolt and nut or the like passing through a slot formed in
the side of the said sieve frame, so that the slant or inclination of the sieve can be
readily adjusted.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 being drawn about one-twelfth of their full size.
On the drawings hereunto annexed A represents the wood framing of a purifier
made according to my invention, B the fan box or compartment, C the feed hopper
of such mchine, a rotary motion being transmitted from a main driving pulley by
means of a suitable endless band or belt passing around such main pulley and a
pulley 1 fixed near to one end of the main driving shaft X extending transversely
across the framing A, and supported in suitable bearings outside the said framing A,
by means of a suitable band or belt passing around pullies 2 and 3 rotary motion is
transmitted to the fan-shaft W, a band or belt passing around pulley 4 fixed on the
shaft W and pulley 5 on shaft R transmitting rotary motion to the feed roll or
shaft R in the feed hopper C, a belt passing around pulley 6 on the said shaft R
and pulley 7 on brush shaft S. transmitting motion to the said transverse brush
shafts S and U beneath the sieve, a band 10 passing around pulley 8 on shaft U and
pulley 9 on shaft T transmitting rotary motion to shafts T. V. and pullies 11
and 12.
As the machine or purifier is worked by means of the aforesaid several bands or
straps passing around the drums or pullies on the several metallic shafts revolving
in suitable bearings attached to the framing of the machine, the cereals to be
purified are conducted by shoots, pipes or the like.into the feed-hopper C having
internally one fixed or stationary inclined side a its upper end near to the top of
the hopper, and its lower end over the centre line as shewn of the roll or shaft R
revolving in bearings fixed at each side of the said hopper C, the opposite inclined
side a² being hinged or pivotted near to the upper end of the said hopper, its lower
end being connected with a spindle 6 and hand-wheel so that the distance
between the roll or shaft R and the lower edge of the said hinged inclined side a³
can be increased or diminished, so that the quantity of middlings passing or

page_text: descending between the lower end of the inclined side a² and the revolving shaft R
can be readily regulated. The middlings after passing between the said roll and
shaft R and the lower end of the inclined side a descend in succession on to a series
of inclined wood or other suitable shelves fixed at suitable distances apart in a
framing of wood or other suitable material c, each alternate shelf slanting in the
same direction, to which framing and shelves a reciprocating or jigging motion is
imparted by means of excentrics c³ having strokes of of an inch, fixed one at or
near to each end of the shaft X outside the framing A of the purifier.
The pulley 1 on shaft X is shewn on the drawing Figure 2 Sheet 1 of a suitable
size for driving at a speed of five hundred revolutions per minute, as the middlings
reach the lowest shelf of the series of inclined shelves they are caused by the
jigging or reciprocating motion imparted to the framing c and inclined shelves to
fall on to the inner end of an inclined sieve e situated a suitable distance below the
said shaft d, the inner ends of the said sieve framing f being attached or connected
by a bar or rod 9 of metal or other suitable material to the sides of the wood
framing c to which the inclined shelves are fitted or fixed, so that the said sieve c
and its framing have the same amount of jigging or reciprocating motion imparted
to them at the same time as the said inclined shelves and their framing c.
side framing of the sieve e being made of or from wood or other suitable material,
and the sifting or screening part of the sieve of silk of any suitable colour and
coarseness of mesh according to the quality of the middlings to be purified or
sifted.
The
1
The "throughs" or that portion of the middlings which has passed through the
sieve e first, falling on to an endless leather band or bands caused to revolve
around pullies 8 and 9, fixed to shafts revolving in bearings a suitable distance
below the sieve e, and then to fall on to endless bands h, and from such bands into
and through a suitable passage or passages i, below, fitted with a suitably
hinged valve or valves, by which such throughs" are conducted to rolls or other-
purifiers for further treatment. A suitable brush ; or its equivalent attached to an
endless band or chain being caused to revolve around pullies 8 and 9 on the brush
shafts S and U situated a suitable distance beneath the inclined sieve e and parallel
or nearly parallel thereto, for the purpose of keeping the mesh or sifting part of
the said sieve e clean or clear. The "overtails" which fall from the lowest or
outer end of the framing of the sieve e on to an inclined board or its equivalent /
having a smooth upper surface, in a separate division or compartment A³ at the
front end of the framework of the purifier and slide or fall through an aperture or
passage m to rolls or other purifiers for further treatment.
As the middlings fall from the top inclined shelf on to the succeeding or following
shelves below same air is drawn through a screen or air door consisting of a number
of fixed and pivotted inclined wood shelves n, d fitted or fixed at the front end A'
of the framework of the purifier by means of a revolving fan o fixed on a shaft W.
supported in suitable bearings at each side of the fan box B, the coarse part or
stives" of the middlings falling into an inclined sided hopper p near to the front
end of the machine, the finer "stives" falling into the inclined sided hopper q, a
pivotted board or baffle which extends from one side of the machine to the
other side can be externally regulated by the pointer or fingers for the purpose of
causing more of the "stives" to fall into one of the said hoppers p, q than the other.
The finest "stives" being drawn by the air-current or suction in the direction
indicated by the arrows towards the back end of the purifier, against and between
the several vertical or nearly vertical deflecting boards t, t, t and t* which extend
internally from side to side of the machine at suitable distances apart, the "stives"
in their passage between such deflecting boards falling on to a slope or incline u at
the lower ends of the said boards, and fall or slide through apertures or slots v
formed a part of or the whole width of the said boards into the hopper y, the said
apertures v being covered by suitable flaps or boards w which are hinged by means
of parchment or other suitable material or materials so as to only open inwardly
that is towards the front end of the machine.
"

page_text: A slot or aperture of suitable shape and size in the lower part of the fan
chamber B being provided with a hinged or pivotted flap or board which can be
externally regulated by the finger y, the hand-wheel at the front end of the
machine when screwed upwards lifts the several pivotted shelves or flaps d' by
means of the fingers d formed on or attached to a metallic plate d' which is secured
in any suitable manner, one to each side of the front end A of the framework A,
when the said handwheel z is unscrewed the inner ends of the said pivotted flaps d³
fall towards the inner ends of the fixed inclined boards n thus decreasing the
quantity of the inflowing air.
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 ;-
The combination with machinery or apparatus for use in purifying middlings or
the like of a framing c fitting with slanting shelves, each alternate shelf slanting in
the same direction, to the lower ends of which framing e the inner end or ends of
the adjustably inclined framing ƒ of a sieve are connected by any suitable means,
to which framing and its shelves and the sieve and its framing a jigging or recipro-
cating motion is imparted by means of excentrics. c3 or their equivalent one at or
near to each end of the main driving or other shaft of the machine or purifier.
The air door or frame at the front end of the machine fitted with any suitable
number of fixed and pivotted inclined shelves n, d³ the inner ends of which shelves
are moved apart from the inner ends of the fixed shelves by means of a hand wheel =
or its equivalent and the fingers d' on metallic or other plates d³. The deflecting
boards t, t, and with apertures or slots v covered by suitable flaps or boards w
hinged to the lower parts of such deflecting boards by parchment or other suitable
means, and arranged so as to open or vibrate towards the front end of such machines,
such several parts being operated as herein substantially described and set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1893.
JOHN NEWTON,
Longport, Staffs., Agent for Applicant.