IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING OR FOR REMOVING DIRT AND FOREIGN MATTERS FROM CURRANTS AND OTHER FRUIT
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Soans, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County
of Durham, Commercial Traveller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING OR FOR REMOVING DIRT AND FOREIGN MATTERS
FROM CURRANTS AND OTHER FRUIT."
Sealed the 15th January 1867, and dated the 16th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Soans at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
July 1866.
I, RICHARD SOANS, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Com-
mercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING OR FOR REMOVING DIRT AND FOREIGN
MATTERS FROM CURRANTS AND OTHER FRUIT," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the airangement or combination of parts of fruit-
dressing machines, as hereafter described; also in the construction and
arrangement of the funnel and of the sieve with sloping bottom, and with
openings in its rim, as hereafter described.
In bearings carried by the upper part of a convenient frame, which is
preferably composed of a foundation plate, two standards or uprights, and a
top connecting or cross piece, I mount a horizontal shaft, to which rotary
motion is imparted as required by a crank handle or otherwise. The end of

page_text: this shaft opposite the handle is continued into a funnel, and is fitted with one
or more brushes. An inclined hopper is placed above the funnel, and supplies
it with the fruit to be dressed, which falls upon a ledge in the funnel, from
which it is swept by the revolving brushes. A slide at the top of the funnel
regulates the supply from the hopper, and prevents the fiuit falling into the
funnel, except upon the ledge just mentioned. The fruit as it is swept from
the ledge falls down upon a seive, constructed and arranged as follows:-To
aim of sufficient depth supported by the foundation plate I fit a false
bottom of wirework or other suitable material, sloping downwards from its
outer edge towards the centre in a curve or right line, thus forming a sieve
which is depressed in the middle. I form one or more openings in the rim
for the discharge of the fruit; these openings may be provided with spouts.
Above the sieve, and parallel thereto, I fit brushes attached to the arms of a
fiame, the height of which is adjusted according to requirement by a set screw
or otherwise upon a vertical shaft. This shaft receives rotary motion by
means of a mitre wheel on its upper end gearing into a corresponding wheel
on the horizontal shaft before mentioned. The vertical shaft is preferably
made in two pieces or lengths connected by a socket or collar, and it is
supported at its lower end in a bearing or step on the foundation plate. The
fiuit falls from the throat of the funnel into the middle or lowest part of the
sieve, and being acted upon by the revolving brushes in the sieve it is cleaned
and carried by them to the higher part or rim of the sieve, from which it
passes through the opening or openings into any convenient receptacle, while
the dut aud foreign matters fall through the wirework or false bottoms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Soans in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th January 1867
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
SOANS, of Stockton-on-Tees, in the County of Durham, Commercial Traveller,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Пler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Richard Soans, Her special licence that I, the said Richard Soans, my
executois, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Richard

page_text: Soans, my exccutors, 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
MACHINES FOR DRESSING OR FOR REMOVING DIRT AND FOREIGN MATTERS FROM
CURRANTS AND OTHER FRUIT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Richard Soans, my executors or administrators, by an instrument i
waiting under my, or their, or one of the hands and seals, should pai-
ticularly 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Soans, do hereby declaio the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be pci-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Diawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say
―
My Invention consists in the arrangement or combination of parts of fruit-
dressing machines, as hereafter described, also in the construction and
arrangement of the funnel and of the sieve with sloping bottom, and with
openings in its rim, as hereafter described.
An
In bearings carried by the upper part of a convenient frame, which is
preferably composed of a foundation plate, two standards or upughts, and a
top connecting or cross piece, I mount a horizontal shaft, to which 10taly
motion is imparted as required by a crank handle or other wise The end of
this shaft opposite the handle is continued into a funnel, and is fitted with
one or more brushes composed of bustles, or of wires or metallic pins
inclined hopper is placed above the funnel, and supplies it with fiuit to bo
dressed, which falls upon a ledge in the funnel, from which it is swept by the
evolving brushes A slide at the top of the funnel regulates the supply from
the hopper, and prevents the fruit falling into the funnel, except upon the
ledge just mentioned. The fruit as it is swept from the ledge falls down upon
a sieve constructed and arranged as follows:-To a rim of sufficient depth
supported by the foundation plate I fit a false bottom of wirework on other
suitable material sloping downwards from its outer edge towards the centre in
a curve or right line, thus forming a sieve which is depressed in the middle.
I form one or more openings in the 1m for the discharge of the fiuit; these
openings may be provide with spouts. Above the sieve, and parallel thereto,

page_text: I fit brushes attached to the arms of a frame, the height of which is adjusted
according to requirement by a set screw or otherwise upon a vertical shaft;
this shaft receives rotary motion by means of a mitre wheel on its upper end
gearing into a corresponding wheel on the horizontal shaft before mentioned.
The vertical shaft is preferably made in two pieces or lengths connected by a
socket or collar, and it is supported at its lower end in a bearing or step in
the seive resting on the foundation plate.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2
an end elevation of a machine constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 3 is a section of the funnel.
The frame is composed of a foundation plate A, two standards B, C, and a
top cross piece D. In bearings on the cross piece D I mount a shaft O, to
which rotary motion is imparted by a handle X at one end. The opposite
end of the shaft O is continued into a funnel Q, and is fitted with brushes W, W.
An inclined hopper R supplies the funnel with the fruit to be dressed, which
falls upon a ledge 3 in the funnel, from whence it is swept by the revolving
brushes. T is a slide to regulate the supply from the hopper, and to prevent
the fruit falling, except upon the ledge S The fruit falls from the funnel Q
upon a sieve composed of a ring E supported by the plate A, and of a false-
bottom G sloping downwards towards the centre, as shewn; the rim has
openings provided with spouts II. Above and parallel to the bottom G
I fit brushes attached to the arms I of a frame, the height of which is
adjustable by a set screw J upon a shaft K. This shaft receives rotary
motion by means of a mitre wheel N in gear with a mitre wheel P on the
shaft O. The shaft K is in two pieces, connected by a socket or collar M,
and is supported at its lower end in a bearing or step, as shewn. The fruit
falls from the throat of the funnel Q into the middle or lowest part of the
sieve, and being acted upon by the revolving brushes I it is cleaned, and
carried by them to the higher part or iim E, from which it passes through
the opening or openings H into any convenient receptacle, while the dirt and
foreign matters fall through the wirework or false bottom G.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improve-
ments in Machines for Diessing or for Removing Dirt and Foreign Matters
from Currants and other Fiuit,"―
First, the arrangement or combination of parts of machines, as herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the construction and arrangement of the funnel, as herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Thud, the construction and arrangement of the sieve with sloping bottom,
and with one or more openings in its tim, as herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Soans, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
RICHARD SOANS. (L.s)