IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED FOR CLEANING, DRESSING, WINNOWING, SEPARATING, AND SIFTING GRAIN AND SEEDS, AND SUCH LIKE MATTERS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Mitton, of the City of Lincoln, Wireworker,
and John Penney, of the same Place, Agricultural Merchant, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED FOR CLEANING,
DRESSING, WINNOWING, SEPARATING, AND SIFTING GRAIN AND SEEDS, AND SUCH
LIKE MATTERS."
Sealed the 7th August 1860, and dated the 11th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Mitton and John
Penney at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 11th February 1860.
We, WILLIAM MITTON, of the City of Lincoln, Wireworker, and JOHN
PENNEY, of the same Place, Agricultural Merchant, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUSES EMPLOYED FOR
CLEANING, DRESSING, WINNOWING, SEPARATING, AND SIFTING GRAIN AND SEEDS, AND
SUCH LIKE MATTERS," to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is, firstly, to afford means of enlarging or
reducing the interstices of screens, riddles, sieves, or similar apparatuses, in
order that the same screen or apparatus may be adapted for grains, seeds, or
matters of different sizes. For this purpose we place or arrange springs
against the wirework or sides or surface of the screen, riddle, or apparatus,
that is to say, against and across the wires, bars, rods, or strips of metal or
other material composing the same, and to which the springs are attached, so

page_text: that by compressing and extending the springs the wires, bars, rods, or strips
will be brought nearer to or farther from each other, and the interstices or
openings between them reduced or enlarged accordingly. One mode of doing
this is by attaching one end of the springs to a ring plate, or frame piece,
forming one end of the apparatus, and connected to a screw worked by a nut
by turning which the ring or end piece will be worked up or down, and the
springs extended or compressed accordingly, their further extremities being
attached to a stationary end frame piece, or to a moveable one worked in like
manner by a nut and screw, or other arrangements may be adopted for
extending and compressing the springs. The springs are preferably coiled
round or strung upon rods, telescopic tubes, or rods with tubes sliding over
them, and the springs may be enclosed in and protected by slotted tubes or
tubular casings or beadings, preferably telescopic, slotted on the side next the
wires, bars, or strips of the screen.
An arrangement chiefly applicable to cylindrical screens may be adopted for
guiding and distributing the grains, seeds, and matters along the interior and
against the sides; this arrangement consists of a number of convex or conical
flanges, plates, or discs, arranged singly or in pairs with their edges or bases in
contact, and their rounded surfaces, convexities, or apices turned away from one
another, or in opposite directions. Or flat or other suitably shaped plates, with
guide, hollow, or shovel boards placed upon or transversely to their rims, may
be employed. These plates or discs may be mounted on the axis, so as to turn
with it, or may be arranged so as to turn in a contrary direction, or at an
accelerated speed; they may be kept apart by springs or otherwise. For
certain cleaning operations a brush may be fitted in cylindrical screens, so as
to turn in a direction the same as or contrary to that of the screen's rotation.
For clearing the interstices a spring or spiral may be attached to an axis
supported in the framework, parallel with the screen, and revolving by the
friction thereof or otherwise, & so placed as to enter between the wires, rods,
or strips of the screen, and clear and clean them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Mitton and John Penney in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 11th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
MITTON, of the City of Lincoln, Wireworker, and JOHN PENNEY, of the same 3
Place, Agricultural Merchant, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Mitton and John Penney, Her special licence that we, the
said William Mitton and John Penney, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Mitton and John
Penney, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUSES EMPLOYED FOR CLEANING, DRESSING, WINNOWING, SEPARATING, AND
SIFTING GRAIN AND SEEDS, AND SUCH LIKE MATTERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Mitton and John Penney, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 imme.
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Mitton and John Penney,
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 thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
The object of our Invention is to afford means of reducing and enlarging
the interstices of screens, riddles, and sieves, (that is to say, the spaces between
the rows or coils of wire, or bars, or rods composing the same,) so that the
same screen, riddlo, or sieve, may be adapted for operating on grains, seeds;.
or matters of different sizes. For this purpose we place or arrange springs.
against the wirework, sides or surface of the screen, riddle, or sieve, that is to
say, against and across the lines, rows, or coils of wire, or bars, rods, or strips-
of metal or other material composing the same, and to which wirework, bars,..
rods, or strips the springs are attached, so that by compressing and extending:
these springs the rows, lines, or coils of wire, or bars, rods, or strips will be
brought nearer to and farther from each other, and the interstices or openings.
between them reduced and enlarged accordingly. One mode of doing this is

page_text: by attaching one end of the springs to a ring plate, or frame-piece forming
one end of the screen, riddle, or sieve, and against which bears a nut working
on a screw, by turning which nut the ring or end piece will be worked up or
down, and the springs extended or compressed accordingly, their farther
extremities being attached to a stationary end piece, or to a moveable one
worked in like manner by a nut and screw.
Other mechanical arrangements
may be adopted for extending and compressing the springs. The springs are
preferably coiled round or strung upon rods, telescopic tubes, or rods with
tubes sliding over them, and they may be enclosed in, and protected by,
telescopic slotted tubes, or tubular casings or beadings slotted on the side next
the wirework, bars, or strips of the screen.
An arrangement applicable to cylindrical screens may be adopted for
guiding and distributing the grains, seeds, or matters along the interior and
against the sides; this arrangement consists of a number of convex or conical
flanges, plates, or discs, arranged singly or in pairs, with their edges or bases
in contact, and their convexities or apices turned away or in opposite directions
from one another, or flat or other shaped plates, with guide shovel or hollow
boards fitted upon or transversely to their rims, may be employed. These
plates or discs may be mounted on the screen axis to turn with it, or may be
arranged to turn in a contrary direction or at accelerated speed, and they may
be kept apart by springs or otherwise. For certain cleaning operations a
brush may be fitted in cylindrical screens turning in a direction the same as or
contrary to that of the screen's rotation.
We now proceed to exemplify with reference to the accompanying Drawings
the best method with which we are acquainted for carrying our Invention into
practical effect.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cylindrial screen arranged according to our
Invention, shewing the frame and hopper in longitudinal section; Figure 2,
end view (at the feed end) representing the driving gear; Figure 3 is a side
elevation of the shaft; Figure 4, longitudinal section, and Figure 4*, transverse
section of screen and shaft; Figure 5, plan of a fragment of the wirework and
springs Figure 6, transverse section of a spring and wire. (Figures 5 and 6
are on a larger scale than the five preceding Figures).
A is the frame of the screen; B, the hopper, and B', delivery shoot; C is a
cylindrical screen which we prefer to construct of a continuous length of wire
(or of two or three lengths united into a continuous length) coiled or wound
into the form of a cylindrical screen; c, c, are the coils, rows, or turns of the
wire, and d the interstices between them. The extremities of the wire are
attached to rings D, D, of which there is one at each end of the screen,

page_text: connected by arms E, E, to bosses F, F; G, G, are springs, which we prefer
to construct of lengths of wire coiled so as to form a spring; there are as
many coils or turus 9 in each spring G as there are coils or turns c in the
wire C. The springs G extend from end to end of the screen against and
running in a direction across the coils of wire c, to which they are soldered or
otherwise attached at the parts at which they come in contact with them. In
some cases we propose to use for the wire c composing the screen wire recessed
or grooved on its outer side, as shewn in Figures 7 and 7ª, (transverse section)
instead of cylindrical or flat wire, in order that the wire of the springs G may
drop into the groove and be soldered therein. And we prefer to use for the
construction of the cylindrical screen, tinned iron wire, and for the springs G
well tempered and well tinned iron or steel wire, though, of course, we do not
confine ourselves to these materials. We prefer to form the wire into a cylinder
by winding or coiling it round a barrel or cylindrical block, and then soldering
the springs G to its coil c before removing it from the block. The extremities
of the springs G are inserted into orifices in and soldered or otherwise attached
to the rings D, D. H, H, are tubes of equal number with the springs G,
fixed to one of the rings and I, I, are rods equal in number to the tubes H
fixed to the opposite ring D and sliding in the tubes H. These tubes and
rods pass within the springs G to guide and steady them; the tubes H do not
extend the whole length of the screen, neither do the rods I, but only to a
sufficient length to have a "telescopic" action, and allow the rods the necessary
play in the tubes for. the proper operation of the springs in extending and
contracting the interstices d to their maximum and minimum. J is a hollow
shaft supported in plummer blocks j, j, on the frame A and passing through
the bosses F, F, but not being fast thereto, where, as in the arrangement
represented, the shaft revolves in an opposite direction to the screen. This
shaft has four slots i, i, in it, two near each end, those of each end being
opposite to each other. k, k, are nuts inserted in the shaft j at the part where
it passes through the bosses F, but they are longer than the bosses; to these
nuts are fixed pins m, m³, passing through and travelling in the slots i, i, one
pin of each nut being on one side of the corresponding boss F, and the other
pin of the same nut on the other side thereof. M is a screw rod passing
through the shaft J, and tapped with a right-hand thread at one end, and a
left-hand thread at the other, which threads correspond to those of the nuts k, k,
in such manner that by turning the rod it works the nuts k, k, in such
direction that they either advance simultaneously towards or recede simul-
taneously from each other according to the direction in which the rod M is
turned, and the pins m, m', pressing against the bosses F, F, move them up or

page_text: down accordingly, that is to say, supposing the rod M turned in such direction
as to work the nuts away from each other, then the pins m² on the inner side
of the bosses pressing against such inner side will impel the bosses, and hence
the rings D (attached to them) in a direction away from each other, and the
springs G being attached to the rings D, will thereby be extended or elongated,
and consequently the coils or rows of wire c, c, attached to those springs will
be moved farther apart from each other, and will thus extend or enlarge the
spaces or interstices d between them throughout the whole cylindrical periphery
of the screen; on the other hand if the screw rod M be turned in the contrary
direction so as to work the nuts k, k, towards each other, the pins m, m, at the
outer side of the bosses F will press against those bosses, and move them, and
thence the rings D, towards each other, consequently compressing the springs
G and bringing the coils or rows c, c, nearer together, thereby reducing or
contracting the spaces or interstices between the coils uniformly throughout
the whole screen. The whole screen being thus elongated or shortened,
the position of the feed end will, of course, vary in the frame, and
the hopper is therefore shifted (to suit the position of the screen end)
which can be done by sliding it in the required direction in grooves in the
top edges of the sides of the frame A. The extent to which the screen may
be elongated or shortened will Decessarily be regulated according to the
length of travel of the pins m, m', that is to say, the length of the slots i.
The rod M terminates in a square head n, on which is fitted a handle o
when the shaft is driven by hand; on the same end of the rod is a shoulder n',
which abuts against the end of the shaft J. p is a collar screw-threaded on
part of its inner surface, which screws on the shaft end, and also fits over the
shoulder n', and it has through it orifices opposite each other, and also
opposite an orifice in the shoulder n¹. After the rod M has been turned to
adjust the interstices to the proper gauge, a pin or screw s is passed through
these three orifices, and so binds the rod M, collar p, and shaft J together, so
that as long as the pin s is in these orifices, it prevents the rod from acting on
the nuts and disturbing the gauge of the interstices d, and causes the shaft,
when rotation is imparted to the rod, to turn with it. To vary the gauge of
interstice, the pin s must first be removed. To drive the machine, the following
ordinary arrangements may be adopted:-P is a toothed flange or wheel on
one of the rings D; Q, a pulley keyed on the shaft J; R, driving shaft sup-
ported in the frame A at one side of the screen, and carrying a pulley T
driven from the pulley Q by the driving band t. The shaft also carries a
toothed wheel or pinion U in gear with the flange P; when shaft J is
rotated, the pulleys Q and T will be driven thereby, and also the wheel U,

page_text: which will turn the flange P and screen C in a different direction to that of
the shaft. Other well known arrangements for communicating motion to the
screen and shaft may be used either to turn them at the same or different
speeds and in the same or different directions.
In Figure 1 a portion of the wirework and a corresponding portion of the
springs have been broken away to shew the telescopic tube and rod arrange-
ment more clearly; also in Figure 4 only just a few of the wires c are shewn.
Cane or other brushes V may be connected to the shaft J by pins and slotted
arms (which adjust their distance from the wires) also adjustable wire
brushes nearer the periphery, the former serving to break the smuts and
cleanse the grain, the latter to enter between the wires and clean them. The
brushes may be disposed spirally around the shaft. The brushes may be
removed, and a set of plates may be attached to the shaft either conical or
convex, as at W, Figure 8, with their broader parts towards each other, or
flat or otherwise shaped plates with shovel boards or plates on their rims, as
at Figure 9, may be used.
A mode of applying our Invention to flat screens, sieves, or riddles is
exemplified in Figure 10; here the wires c composing the sieve may be
attached at each side to strong springs G formed like those at Figure 5, and
placed on telescopic tubes and rods H, I, other similar springs G being attached
to, and extending across the wires c from end to end of the sieve. The
extremities of all the springs G are connected to bars or blocks D at the
ends of the sieve, having nuts Z fixed to them, in which a screw rod M works,
threaded as the rod M, described before, so that by turning this rod, the bars
or blocks will be brought nearer to or farther from each other, and the
springs G compressed or distended accordingly, moving the wires c, nearer
to or farther from each other, and varying the interstices or distances between
them accordingly uniformly throughout the surface of the screen. In Fig. 10
part of the wirework is broken away to shew the tubes and rods.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and set forth
the manner in which the same may be practically carried into effect, we
declare that our Invention relates to screens, riddles, and sieves used for
clearing, dressing, winnowing, separating, and sifting grain and seeds and such
like matters, and that we do not confine ourselves to the precise arrangements
herein described and shewn for working the springs, nor to the precise details
herein described and represented in the Drawings, as the same may be varied,
provided that the general character of the Invention as herein set forth be
retained; and we declare that, though we have described and shewn an
arrangement of brushes and of convex, conical, or other shaped flanges and

page_text: plates attached to the shaft, and acting on the grain or matters treated in the
screen, we do not claim the same as of our Invention, though, considering
them as a convenient arrangement for the purposes for which they are used,
also we are aware that another means has been adopted for varying the
gauge of screens, consisting of a combination of two screens, one within
and eccentric to the other, but to these means we lay no claim, the same
differing materially from those which we employ, but we declare that what we
do claim as new, and as constituting our said Invention, is the application to
screens, riddles, and sieves (for the purpose of contracting and enlarging their
interstices) of springs attached to and arranged against (and taking a direction
across that of) the rows or coils of wire or bars, rods or strips of material
composing the screen, riddle, or sieve is such manner, that on extending and
compressing the springs, the said rows, coils, rods, or bars will be thereby
brought nearer to or farther from each other, and thus contract or enlarge the
interstices or openings between them accordingly.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Penney, for myself and on behalf
of the said William Mitton, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
M. HENRY, Patent Agent,
84, Fleet Street,
London.
JOHN PENNEY. (L.S.)