IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR DRESSING GRAIN
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Wilson Murray of the Town and County of Banff,
North Britain, Engineer and Iron Founder for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
TAT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Wilson Murray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th August 1882.
GEORGE WILSON MURRAY of the Town and County of Banff, North Britain
Engineer and Iron Founder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR
DRESSING GRAIN
"
My invention relates to improvements in machines or apparatus for dressing
grain and for separating it from the chaff and straw after it has been trodden
out by animals or where the corn is reaped by what is known as stripping
machines
One modification of my Invention is as follows
The machine is framed in the ordinary way-An inclined hopper is fitted to the
machine into which is fed the grain to be dressed-In combination with this hopper
is fitted a spiked roller for regulating the feed
Immediately below the lower end of the hopper is placed a board fitted with
notched ribs on to which the grain falls and which assits the feeding. This Board
is attached to the case of the riddle after mentioned and receives from it the same
reciprocating motion as the riddle itself-A revolving fan is so placed that the wind
therefrom strikes the grain as it falls from the said board and blows the chaff and
light straw away while the grain and any heavier materials among it fall against a
regulating tail board and slip down such tail board on to a board fixed to the end
of the riddle case whence they slide on to the riddle itself. I prefer that the
revolving fan before mentioned be made very broad of the full width or nearly the
full width of the machine. It may single headed or double headed but I prefer
the double headed form. The riddle case is supported by hangers and a recipro-
cating motion is imparted to it from a crank shaft by means of a connecting rod.
A second fan is fitted under the before mentioned revolving fan the blast from

page_text: which second fan is made to play up through the riddle which is fitted with a spout
into which spout pens, unthreshed heads, light corn, stones and rubbish fall over
the end of the riddle on to an incline board beneath it Another spout is fitted
at the end of the board under which is placed a finner riddle (having an incline to
one side) for taking any rubbish the other riddle may have passed while the dressed
corn falls through the latter riddle on to a perforated zinc plate which sifts out any
sand that may remain among the corn while the dressed grain is led out at the
other side of the machine.
Another modification of my said invention relates more particularly to my caving
riddle after mentioned.
My said caving riddle-is supported and driven and the grain fed on to it in the
ordinary way. The said caving riddle is made with a wooden bottom with
countersunk holes and having notched ribs of wood or other suitable material
running horizontally along the riddle. These notched ribs at each motion of the
riddle push the straw and refuse towards the end of the riddle and materially assist
in clearing it I also direct the blast from the revolving fan first before mentioned
up through the caving riddle to help to clear away the light chaff and straw-In
order further to promote the draught of wind through the caving riddle I fix two
or more venetian ribs or Louvre boards on the under side of it. The fans and
other operating parts of the machine are driven in the usual way, but I so arrange
the cranks for driving the riddle cases that they reciprocate or swing in reverse
.ways so as to minimise the shake or strain on the machine

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Wilson Murray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th February 1883.
GEORGE WILSON MURRAY of the Town and County of Banff, North Britain
Engineer and Iron Founder." IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR
DRESSING GRAIN"
My Invention relates to Improvements in Machines or apparatus for dressing
grain and for separating it from the chaff and straw after it has been trodden
out by animals or where the corn is reaped by what is known as stripping
machines
I now proceed to describe one modification of my invention as shewn on the four
drawings No 1.
The Machine is framed in the ordinary way. An inclined hopper marked A. is
fitted to the machine, into which is fed the grain to be dressed. In combination
with this hopper is fitted a spiked roller marked B for regulating the feed.-
Immediately below the lower end of hopper placed a board C. which is attached
to the case of the riddle G. and receives from G. the same reciprocating motion
as G. itself receives.-This board C (on to which the grain falls) is fitted with
notched ribs similar to those on the caving riddle hereinafter described and assists
the feeding on to the caving riddle marked G., which is supported by hangers and
driven in the ordinary way. A reciprocating motion is imparted to it from the
crank shaft I. by means of the connecting rod H. 1. The cranks for driving the
riddle cases are so arranged that these cases reciprocate or swing in reverse ways so
as to minimise the shake or strain on the machine.
The form of caving riddle recommended here is formed as shewn on Plan with a
wooden bottom with countersunk holes, the bottom being stepped as shewn in the
Section, every step giving the stuff to be dressed an impetus forward and assisting
in keeping the riddle clear. The bottom of the caving riddle and of all the other
riddles in the machine is made so that the outer end can be raised. or lowered. for
the purpose of giving the riddles more or less pitch or incline to suit the nature of
the stuff being dressed i.c. damp or dry. I direct the wind or blast from the
fan D. 1. to play up through the caving riddle, thus helping to clear away the light
chaff and straw In order to regulate the draught or wind through the caving
riddle G. I attach a hinged tail board marked G. 1. at the outer end of the caving
riddle case which tail board can be raised or lowered as may be desired or shut up
altogether if found desirable, so that the whole wind is forced up through the
holes in the bottom of the caving riddle and blows the chaff and light straw away
while the grain and any heavy materials which may be among the grain fall
through and on to the shuffling boards marked E. and E. and slip down the shuffling
boards on to a board F. fixed to the end of the case of the lower riddle marked G 2.
from which they slide on to the riddle itself.-I prefer that the fan marked D. 1.
before referred to be made very broad of the full width or nearly the full width of
the machine This fan D 1. may be single headed or double headed as desired but
I prefer the double headed form.-The riddle case of the lower riddle G 2. is also
supported by hangers and a reciprocating motion is imparted to it from the crank
shaft I. by means of the connecting rod H. 2. A second fan D. 2 is fitted under the
fan D. 1. the wind or blast from which is made to play up through the riddle G. 2.
This riddle G. 2. is fitted with a spout K. for carrying off pens unthreshed heads, light
corn stones and other rubbish which will fall over the end of the riddle into tho
spout K. while the corn falls through the riddle on to the incline board beneath.

page_text: Another spout marked J. is fitted at the end of this board in which is placed a finer
riddle L. for taking out any heads stones and any rubbish which the other riddle may
have passed. This riddle L. has an incline to one side of the machine carrying away
the refuse while the dressed corn falls through on to a perforated zinc plate M. which
sifts out any sand which may remain among the corn while the dressed grain is
led out at the other end of the machine-Instead of employing two fans as before
described the machine could also be made to work with one large fan giving off the
wind at two places in the fan head and guiding it (the wind) so as to strike the
two riddles in the same way as if two fans were used.
Another modification of my invention is shewn on the two drawings No. 2. Here
the grain to be operated on is fed from the hopper on to a caving riddle marked R.
supported and driven in the ordinary way The form of caving riddle which I
recommend and the one I claim as part of my invention is shewn in detail in the
two drawings No. 3. and is made with a wooden bottom with counter sunk holes N.
having notched ribs of wood or other suitable material O. running horizontally
along the riddle. These notched ribs at each motion of the riddle give the straw
and refuse a push towards the end of the riddle and inaterially assist in clearing
-the riddle. I direct the wind or blast from the fan D. 1. to play up through the
riddle thus helping to clear away the light chaff and straw.
In order further to promote the draught of wind through the riddle R. I fix two
or more Venetian ribs or Louvre boards S. on the under side of the riddle. The
fans and other operating parts of the machine are driven in the usual way but I so
arrange the cranks for driving the riddle cases that they reciprocate or swing in
reverse ways so as to minimise the shake or strain on the machine.
Having described my invention and in what way the same is to be performed I
would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-
before described, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
my invention, but what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as
my invention is
First A straw and grain separating and winnowing machine substantially as
hereinbefore described or any mere modification thereof
Second The arrangement in a separating and winnowing machine of one or
two or more fans working as hereinbefore described or any mere modification
thereof
Third The form of caving riddle as herein before described and shewn on
drawings No. 3. and also the hinged tail board as hereinbefore described or any mere
modification thereof
In witness whereof I the said George Wilson Murray have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Sixth day of Feb" One thousand eight hundred and
GEORGE WILSON MURRAY (L.S.)