Improved Means for Assorting Semolina and other Mixed Substances.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1889-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Assorting Semolina and other Mixed
Substances.
I, JOHN AUGUSTE ARNOLD BUCHHOLZ of 8 Park Street Viaduct in the City of
Bristol, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of utilising air currents for sorting
more effectually than hitherto, semolina, grain, and other mixed substances (herein-
after termed the feed) according to their specific gravity.
It has been the practice hitherto to cause the stream of feed in a semolina purifier
or similar apparatus, to traverse successively an air current or currents in a chamber,
the space of which is broken up variously by a series of vertically arranged slanting
boards or shelves placed alternatingly for the said feed to fall upon, so as to form a
succession of "falls" in zigzag.-At each fall, the stream of feed is made to traverse
the said air current drawn either horizontally or up vertically through the chamber.―
This arrangement has the following defects:-
(1) The various compartments of the sorting chamber formed by the slanting boards
being in atmospheric communication, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to
control the currents at each traverse or "fall" of the feed, whether the air be drawn
in horizontally from air slots facing each "fall," or drawn up vertically throughout
from the foot of the chamber.
(2) The air laden with the light substances sorted out of the feed in the lower
falls," has generally to meet the stream of feed in the upper "falls," of which the
heavy particles impinge upon the light particles so carried up. These light particles
are thereby precipitated down again, and the efficiency of the apparatus is seriously
neutralised.
To avoid the foregoing defects, I first insure that the air current, at each traverse
or "fall," shall be controllable independently of the air current or currents traversing
the adjoining "fall" or "falls," and that the air at each traverse shall be fresh air
drawn from outside the apparatus, and not foul air from the adjoining "fall" or
"falls."
To this end, I provide those slanting boards in the sorting chamber which are
placed next to the back or the side adjoining the fan, and which 1 term the valve
shelves, with a hinged valve made to flap against the bottom edge of the opposite
slanting board next in succession, i.e., placed near the front or air admission side.
The hinged valve causing a slight accumulation of the feed before it can open to
permit escape downwards, forms a good air seal, while simultaneously equalising
the stream of the feed.-Facing each "fall" of feed as it drops from the respective
hinged, valve, I place two adjustable air valves; one I term admission valve,. to
adjust the air slot which has to admit fresh air to the apparatus at this point;. the
other, 1 term transmission valve to adjust the opposite opening communicating with
the fan.
.
When it is desired to subdivide or sort the light particles withdrawn from the
heavy left in the said sorting chamber, one or more deposit chambers must be inter-
posed between the back of the sorting chamber and the fan. For the more effectual
separation of the heavy from the light deposits, separate deposit troughs must be
placed behind each of the valves communicating with the sorting chamber aforesaid,
and a separate valve or set of valves placed in the deposit chamber or chambers to
adjust the air currents therein, both to facilitate the precipitation or deposit, and to
prevent interference or the neutralizing of one air current by another, according to the
degree of intensity or the number of separations it is sought to effect.

page_text: In some cases, when extreme sensitiveness is required, I hinge the valve shelves at the
bottom each upon an adjustable spindle to adjust their slope, and I fit the upper end of
each valve shelf with two hinged valves, instead of with only one, one of which, acting
in conjunction with the other of the next succeeding valve shelf, forms a pair for
adjusting the air passage to the fan.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1888.
'
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Assorting Semolina and other Mixed
Substances.
I, JOHN AUGUSTE ARNOLD BUCHHOLZ, of 8 Park Street Viaduct, in the City of
Bristol, Engineer, 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 invention relates to an improved method of utilising air currents for assorting
more effectually than hitherto, semolina, grain, and other mixed substances (herein-
after termed the feed), according to their Specific Gravity.
It has been the practice hitherto to cause the stream of feed, in a semolina purifier
or grain assorter or separator, to traverse successively air currents in a chamber, the
space of which is broken up by a series of slanting boards or shelves placed one above
the other, and designed to receive in succession the feed as it falls from a hopper. The
feed thus took a zigzag course in its descent to the bottom of the assorting apparatus,
and at each fall it passed through the said air current, drawn either horizontally or
up vertically through the chamber. This arrangement has the following defects
1st. The various compartments of the assorting chamber formed by the slanting
boards, being in atmospheric communication, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible,
by the means hitherto in use, to control the currents at each traverse or "fall" of the
feed, whether the air be drawn in horizontally from air slots facing each "fall," or
drawn up vertically throughout, from the foot of the chamber.
2nd. The air laden with the light substances sorted out of the feed in the lower
"falls" has generally to meet the stream of feed in the upper
* falls," of which the
heavy particles impinge upon the light particles so carried up. These light particles
are thereby precipitated down again, and the efficiency of the apparatus is seriously
interfered with.
"
To avoid the foregoing defects, I first ensure that the air current, at each traverse or
fall," shall be controllablo independently of the air current or currents traversing
the adjoining "fall" or "falls," and that the air traversing each fall of the feed shall
be fresh air drawn from outside the apparatus, and not air fouled by the adjacent
"fall" or "falls."
These advantages I secure by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of an assorting apparatus of the class
above indicated, fitted up according to my invention; and
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
In these figures, AA is the outer casing of the assorting apparatus, and B, C are a
series of inclined boards for receiving the feed from the hopper D, and directing it, as
it falls, in a zigzag course.
The inclined boards B are preferably fixtures slanting towards the boards C. The
boards Care adjustable, being hinged to permit of their being set severally to the work
in hand. Below each adjustable board C, and connected therewith by links, is a
board C, pivotted or hinged, like the boards C, to the ends of the casing A, and
capable of moving with their respective boards C.
Care filling pieces for preventing the passage of air between the connected

page_text: boards C, C. This arrangement of the boards C, C* forms a series of air passages
in the assorting apparatus, and it is the main object of the present invention to cut off
all communication between these passages, so that the assorting action set up by the
inflow of the several streams of air may not be interfered with.
Between the slanting boards B, B, inlet valves E, E, are fitted, which are capable
of adjustment to regulate the admission of the indraught, which indraught is obtained
by means of an exhaust fan in communication with the opening F of the case A.
G, G are a series of double inclined transverse shutes, set adjacent to the slanting
boards C, and intended to intercept and deliver out of the apparatus, in the case of
semolina, particles of branny semolina (that is, semolina with bran attached), or, in the.
case of grain, light or inferior grains carried forward by the indraught.
In advance of the inclined shutes G, are receptacles H, H', into which the light
particles of dust, chaff, or bran, or the like, floated off the inclined boards C, are
deposited in an assorted condition, while the dust or stive, too light for deposit, passes
away through the opening F.
To the slanting boards C I hinge, at their lower edges, valves I, I, which are free to
flap against the lower edges of the slanting boards B. A tendency is given to these.
valves to bear against the adjacent edges of the boards B, and thereby to cause an
accumulation of the feed upon the boards, before they yield to the pressure of the
feed, and allow it to escape downwards. The valves thus form a good air seal, while
at the same time equalizing the stream of the feed.
Supposing, now, that it is desired to operate upon semolina for the purpose of
removing from it particles of semolina with bran attached, and the light bran and dust
which it contains, the feed is delivered into the hopper D, and the fan being set in
action, indraughts of air are created, which, severally passing over the respective
slanting boards on their way to the exhaust fan, will strike through the descending
feed, carry up the slanting boards particles lighter than pure semolina, and deposit
branny semolina into the shutes G, and lighter impurities into the receptacles H H¹,
according to their Specific Gravity.
As the valves I, by discharging the accumulated feed, are relieved of the pressure
on their face, they will close upon the edges of the adjacent boards B, and thereby
effectually stop the spreading upwards of the streams of air admitted by the valves E. .
The shutes G are fitted at their extremities with flap valves I', to act as air seals,
and they discharge into vertical trunks K, K', which lead down to a common receiver.
Similarly, the receptacles H, H', discharge their contents into suitable receivers,
and are fitted with valves for closing their openings against the ingress of air.
The uppermost slanting board, it will be seen, forms part of the hopper bottom, but
it may, like the others, be hinged to provide for the adjustment of the board (which
it carries; the inclination of the boards C, I adjust to suit the nature of the feed
under treatment.
To the hinge spindle of each board, an arm is keyed, which may be provided
with a clamping bolt for fixing it to a sector carried by the side of the casing A.
A modification of this apparatus is illustrated by the sectional view Fig. 3, which
shews the air passages separated the one from the other, as already explained, by
means of flap valves I, hinged to the inclined boards C.
For regulating the strength of the current passing over these boards, adjustable
valves 1, 1, are provided, which serve also to check the travel of the particles carried
forward by the suction of the fan, and permit only of the deposit of the lighter particles
in the receptacles H, H¹, not shewn in the figure.
In this arrangement, which is specially designed for removing, from grain or
semolina, dust and chaff, or similar light impurities, the shutes G are dispensed with,
the grain falling through the bottom of the casing A to a suitable receptacle, and the
chaff &c., being carried by the indraught beyond the valves I, and deposited, according
to density, in the receptacles H or H¹.
The valves I, shewn in Fig. 3, may be adapted to the arrangement shewn in Fig. 1,
when thought desirable.

page_text: It will be understood that'in my apparatus, the slanting 'boards will be faced with
sheet iron, to protect them from, the cutting action of the feed.
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
1st. The means above described.for separating the currents which are caused to play
upon the descending feed, as and for the purpose abovo set forth.
2nd. The use of the interposing shutes G for removing the heavier particles carried
forward by the air currents, and thereby facilitating the deposit of the finer particles
in the assorting receptacles, as set forth:
3rd. The means for regulating the air currents, as described, with reference to
Fig. 3.