Improvements in Apparatus for Sorting Ground Grain and Removing Dust therefrom.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Sorting Ground Grain and
Removing Dust therefrom.
I, REINHOLD STEINBACH, of 115 Schönebeckerstrasse, Magdeburg-Buckau,
in the Empire of Germany, Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 apparatus for sorting ground corn or grain and
removing or collecting the dust therefrom, and the said apparatus is arranged in
such a manner that a circulating air-current acts transversely to the direction in
which the ground corn or grain is discharged from a grinding machine or mill
and tends to force the particles of grain and dust out of the direction or path
in which they fall, whereby, owing to a gradual decrease in the speed of the air-
current the particles under treatment are caused to settle according to their
relative weight and size.
For this purpose the grinding machine or mill is so connected with the settling
chamber and au exhauster by means of pipes or tubes, that the air drawn by the
exhauster from the said chamber will pass across the discharge pipe or chute of the
mill, and will become mixed at this point with the meal or ground grain, then will
subsequently travel through the exhauster and finally return to the settling
chamber which is provided with several compartments or cells. The heavy parts
of the ground grain are, during this operation, separated out at the discharge
pipe or chute, or between the latter and the exhauster, while the next heaviest
parts are eliminated in the first cells of the said chamber and the lightest parts-
namely the flour and dust-are caused to settle in the last cells of the chamber,
near the point where the air current, freed from ground grain and dust,
recommences its circulation.
This invention, which is applicable to mills or grinding machines of various
kinds is shown in connection with a ball grinding mill in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a front elevation partly in section, and
Figure 2 an end elevation also partly in section, of the apparatus; a designates
the ball grinding mill, b the exhauster and c the settling chamber. In the
discharge pipe or chute d of the mill, oppositely inclined sheet metal plates e are
arranged alternately in two vertical rows; these plates serve to delay the fall of
the meal or ground grain in order to allow the current of air-drawn from the
chamber e through the pipe fand between the sheet metal plates-to pass through
the ground grain which falls down the chute in the form of a thin sheet and force
it out of its path while falling and conduct it through the pipe 9 and the
exhauster b into the chamber c.
The chamber c is, by means of a longitudinal wall divided into two com-
partments and each of these compartments is by means of transverse walls divided
into a number of cells as above set forth. The transverse walls are provided with
openings arranged alternately at the bottom and top of the chambers which
openings serve for the passage of the air.
The air-current in passing from the exhauster pipe into the first cell of the
chamber, undergoes, in proportion to the difference between the cross section of
this pipe and that of the cell, a decrease in speed and thus allows the heavy parts

page_text: of the ground grain to settle. The openings arranged in an alternating order as
above described in the cells, produce fresh deviations of the air-current, a decrease
in its speed and the separation of the particles according to their relative weight
and bulk. In the last cells, where the speed is reduced to a minimum, the smallest
particles viz. the flour and dust, are eliminated, whereupon the air, from which
all particles in suspension have fallen, enters the pipe f and then recommences its
circulation. Each of the cells is provided at its bottom with a tubular chute or
pipe, through which the separated product can be discharged. As above stated
the heaviest particles or grits, which are not forced out of their path by the air
current when falling, drop directly from the discharge opening or chute d of the
mill into a sack or other receptacle attached to the pipe or chute. If desired the
pipe o may be provided with collecting branches at g' similar to those at k so that
a still more complete classification of the heavier grits may be obtained. In order
that the air may be still longer detained in the chamber, laths or strips may be
inserted into the cell openings, as shown at i in the drawings. In the example
shown in the drawing, the top of the mill is, moreover, connected to the exhauster
by means of a pipe l, serving to directly discharge the dust set free in the mill
into the chamber c.
The number of cells may be larger or smaller as desired. The two longitudinal
compartments of the chamber may, according to circumstances, be arranged side
by side, one behind another, or one above another.
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:-
1. In an apparatus for sorting ground grain and removing dust therefrom, a
discharge pipe or chute so arranged that the material falling through it is
traversed or crossed by the air-current which circulates through the apparatus
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. The discharge pipe or chute provided with alternating oblique surfaces, upon
which the ground grain or corn drops successively and is delayed so that it is all
brought into intimate contact with the air-current traversing or crossing the chute
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The combination of the separating chamber constructed as described with
the air-exhauster and the discharge pipe or chute arranged in the air circulating
pipes or passage in such a manner that the different grades or sizes of the ground
grain will by the action of the air-current be separated from each other substan-
tially as set forth.
4. The apparatus for sorting ground grain and removing dust therefrom,
arranged in combination with a mill or grinding machine substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1896
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.