Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Washing Cereals.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1894-Accepted, 18th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Washing Cereals.
I, STEFAN STEINMETZ, Milling Engineer, of Hauptstrasse, Leipzig-Gohlis, in
the Kingdom of Saxony, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention possesses the distinctive feature, that the grain is agitated and
turned in open water, that the water flows through the machine in a direction
opposite to the travel of the grain, the grain being conducted against the water,
and that before leaving the machine the grain is again rinsed by water.
In this manner, the grain is conducted first through dirty water and then through
clean water, and only a small quantity of water is used.
The machine chiefly comprises an inclined transporting screw or rapidly
revolving screw conveyor placed in an inclined trough to which the grain is
admitted at the lower end, and which has a sieve bottom situated between the
screw and the real bottom, the sieve forming with the latter a triangular space,
through which stones and other heavy impurities descend into a discharge
opening which delivers them to a small auxiliary conveyor, called stone screw.
The latter is situated underneath the main screw, parallel with the same and
receives the stones from the latter at the bottom and discharges them at the top
through a shoot.
The trough of the main screw communicates at the upper end with a nearly
vertical canal leading down to another screw which is horizontal and situated below
the stone screw. The trough of the ejecting screw is surrounded with a conical
sieve mounted on the axle of the ejecting screw and surrounded with a jacket.
The grain which drops from the trough of the main screw into one end of the
trough of the ejecting screw, is transported by the latter to the opposite end and
then allowed to drop upon the narrow end of the conical sieve. The water
passing through the sieve is caught by the conical jacket and escapes through an
opening at the bottom of the same.
In order to agitate the grain lying in the conical sieve, a series of adjustable
blades are mounted on a stationary rail situated inside the sieve, so that the
blades touch the sieve. The blades are connected with a rod extending outside
the front wall of the ejecting apparatus, so that the angle of the blades may be
varied, while the apparatus is in motion.
Behind the hopper, through which the grain drops into the lowest part of the
main trough, there is a vertically moveable slide serving as overflow, so that the
level of the water in the said trough may be regulated by raising or lowering
the said slide. Impurities floating on the water will also escape over the slide.
The washing water is admitted to the main screw partly through the bottom of
the trough (preferably near the middle of its length) and partly through a spray
producer or nozzle mounted on the edge of the trough and adjustable along
the same.
The screw in the main trough is either annular or perforated, for allowing the
water and dirt to pass downward.
The grain delivered from the hopper at the lower end of the main trough below
the water level is conducted by the revolving screw to the upper end of the trough,
whence it drops down to the ejecting screw. After having passed from one end

page_text: of the screw to the other, the grain drops upon the conical sieve, descends along
the same and is discharged through an outlet near the lower end.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1893.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus for Washing Cereals.
I, STEFAN STEINMETZ, Milling Engineer, of Hauptstrasse, Leipzig-Gohlis, in
the Kingdom of Saxony, 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 :-
The apparatus hereinafter described and claimed possesses in comparison with
other grain washing appliances the distinctive features, that the water receptacle is
provided with two inclined helical surfaces or transporting screws and accessories
arranged in such a manner, that the dirty grain is agitated in the water by turning,
the lighter and also the heavier admixtures of the grain are automatically removed,
that the water flows in a direction opposite to the travel of the grain, and the latter
is again rinsed by fresh water on leaving the washing trough, also that the quantity
of water contained in the grain may be regulated by means of an adjustable
supply valve, stepped cones, and by variation of the water level with a slide.
In the accompanying drawings:
"
Fig. 1 is a plan of a grain washing apparatus embodying my invention,
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section along line M-M of Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 a cross section along line N-N of Fig. 2,
Fig. 4 a section along line 0-0 of Fig. 2.
The machine chiefly comprises an inclined transporting screw or rapidly revolving
screw conveyor D placed in an inclined trough A, to which the grain is admitted
at the lower end through a shoot A, and which has a sieve bottom F situated
between the screw and the real bottom G; the sieve forming with the latter a
narrow space, through which stones and other heavy impurities descend into a
discharge opening a which delivers them to a small auxiliary conveyor H,
called stone screw. The latter is situated underneath the main screw and parallel
with the same; it receives the stones from the washing trough A' at the bottom
and discharges them at the top through a shoot g.
The trough A' of the main screw communicates at the upper end with a canal ƒ
leading down to another screw 6 (ejecting screw), which is horizontal and situated
below the stone screw. The trough of the ejecting screw is surrounded with a
conical strainer J, mounted on the axle K of the ejecting screw and surrounded
with a jacket L. The grain which drops from the trough of the main screw D into
the trough of the ejecting screw, is transported by the latter towards the narrow
end g of the said conical strainer J. The water passing through the sieve is caught
by the conical jacket L and escapes through an opening g' at the bottom of the
same, while the grain is discharged through the outlet .
In order to promote the separation of the water contained in the grain, ample
opportunity is afforded for the air to enter the ejecting apparatus through the
canal with the grain, and as the outer jacket L has a suitable opening, the air
may escape through it, together with the moisture absorbed by the same. In this
manuer I provide for natural ventilation and improve the separation of the water.
The washing screw and the ejecting screw are driven by means of stepped cones,
to render the speed of the screws variable while in motion, and thereby also to
regulate the quantity of water contained in the grain or other cereal.

page_text: The shape of the water trough is important for the advantageous working-of
the apparatus, and the shape shown by the drawings has been found by experience-
to be specially suitable for this purpose.
By turning the screw D, in the trough A', the water and with it the grain is
caused to travel in the direction of its axis; and where the screw emerges from the
water level, the grain continues its forward motion, while the water remains
behind, and flows back, together with that supplied by the spray producer or water
nozzle, and the greatest part of the dirt, being of low specific gravity, escapes over
the overflow E.
The heavier particles, on the other hand, are carried away by the water-
constantly flowing at 1, and are thereby prevented from escaping at E.
Owing to the rotary motion, water enters constantly also at 2, and through:
the false bottom, a part of which escaping afterwards again through the false-
bottom at 3.
The stone pocket or shoot R is an enlargement of the conveyor trough and
serves for the automatic removal of the admixtures heavier than the grain.
By thus separating the said particles at R contrary to the flow of water, loss of
grain is avoided, and even when the machine is at rest, no grain will get into the
stone screw.
Behind the feed hopper A. there is placed an overflow slide m, which may be
adjusted according to the desired level of the water, and over which floating
impurities pass away with the water.
Water is admitted through the conduit O provided with a stopcock P, (Figs. 1, 2,.
and 3,) which also feeds the spray apparatus d capable of sliding on the edge of
the washing trough as may be required.
The machine works as follows;-
The grain fed through A and discharged below the water level is set in motion.
by the transporting screw, which revolves at considerable speed and propels the
grain towards the upper outlet B.
That part of the said screw or conveyor which lies in the water, should form a
broken line, for instance by composing it of blades, as shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 4,.
while the upper part should consist of an annular helical surface D or a screw cut.
out along its axis, in order that the water and dirt may escape backward,.
while the grain is kept in suspension, at the same time stirred and transported.
towards the outlet.
The major portion of the water supplied to the machine enters the lower part of
the trough at C, another portion enters at the top through a spriy producer d
adjustable along the edge of the trough as described above, and the discharge takes
place at E.
While the good grain at the lower end of the conveyor travels forward, partly
owing to its suspension in the water and partly owing to its contact with the surlace
of the conveyor, the heavy admixtures, such as iron, stones, clots of earth drop upon
the concave strainer or false bottom, where they slide downward partly by gravity
and partly owing to the motion of the water, in a direction opposite to the motion
of the grain and finally drop through the opening a upon the stone screw, and the
light admixtures, such as dust and chaff, ascend through the water and are discharged
with the same at the overflow E.
The stones and other heavy admixtures are automatically raised out of the water
by the stone screw and discharged at 9.
The quantity of water contained in the grain at the discharge from the washing
machine may be regulated by the following methods;
1. By varying the level of water in the trough by means of the moveable
alide m.
2. By adjusting the tap of the spray producer d, which may be secured on the
edge of the trough anywhere between the points and 1.
3. By varying the speed of the washing screw and of the ejecting apparatus.

page_text: 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 ;-
1. A machine for washing cereals, chiefly comprising a water trough of the
shape described, two revolving helical surfaces or transporting screws with fixed
axes, and means for regulating the moisture of the grain, the whole being adapted
to transport the grain against the current of water, while keeping it suspended,
and to separate the heavy as well as the light admixtures by conducting the former
to a stone pocket and discharging the latter through an overflow, substantially as
described.
2. In a grain washing machine with inclined water trough and double transporting
helix adapted to operate as described, the means for varying the moisture of the
grain, substantially as described.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents.