Method of and Apparatus for Separating Foreign Matter from Grain and similar Granular Materials.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 14th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 15th Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Separating Foreign Matter from Grain
and similar Granular Materials.
I, HEINRICH SCHOLLENBERGER, of Wuelflingen, in the Republic of Switzerland,
Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for separating foreign matter
such as earth, stones, nails and the like from grain and similar granular materials.
The said method is based on the fact that such granular material when placed
carefully upon water and not permeated with water is capable of floating perfectly
whilst the foreign matter sinks to the bottom and thereby separates itself from
the granular material. For the said separation by preference flowing water is
used or an artificial. stream produced which serves to float the grain to an apparatus
which removes it therefrom.
Annexed drawing represents a machine suitable for carrying into practice the
aforesaid method, Fig. 1 being a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 a plan.
To produce the said stream in the apparatus two water basins a & b are arranged
one inside the other, in such a manner that the various levels of water obtained
artificially have a tendency of, equalizing themselves as is the case in communi-
cating pipes, whereby the flow of water is established. The inner basin a and
the outer basin b have preferably joint sides but separate.ends and bottoms.
In order to permit of varying the level of water in the inner basin a water may be
constantly run from the end a', which is a little higher than a², into the outer basin b
(for instance by such as a scoop wheel c) which has for its consequence the flow of
an equal quantity of water over the other end a² and thereby a flow from 'the
surface of the latter to the former.
The grain to be treated is fed upon a platforme at the end from which the water
flows by means of a hopper d from whence it is conveyed by means of a slowly
rotating feed roller f upon the face of a drum g which fitting tangentially upon the
said platform, is almost immersed in the water and rotating slowly lays the grain
upon the water of the inner basin a.
The feed roller f by preference is perforated to allow the water of passing through
and to facilitate the running off of the water raised thereby.
The flow of the water causes the grain to move towards the periphery of a second
drum which is also almost immersed in the water and rotating slowly picks up the
grain from the surface of the water by adhesion.
In the apparatus illustrated this drum is shown as composed of thin discs
positioned apart from each other and thus formed with a grid like periphery, which
facilitates the running off of the water lifted by the grain and at the same time
permits it to operate in conjunction with a combi, the teeth of which are positioned
between the discs of the roller so that the latter strips onto the comb i the
grain taken up; from the comb the grain is conveyed to a quick rotating carrier
worm by means of a rotary brush k.
The drum g may also be furnished with a grid like surface similar to the drum /
and the latter be simply perforated on its periphery in which case the combi would
be dispensed with and the grain which has been lifted out of the water brushed
directly off the top of the said roller.

page_text: In order to facilitate the drawing off of the water from the inner basin a for the
purpose of removing the foreign matter accumulated at the bottom thereof, a tap m
is employed at the lowest part of this basin in the water passage between the bottom
of the inner and the outer basin, which when turned 90 degrees from its normal
position, shown in the drawing, runs off the water from the inner basin owing
to its port then communicating with a corresponding opening in the bottom of the
inner basin.
When the apparatus is supplied with a constant flow of fresh water the intro-
duction of which may take place through a short pipe n, the inner basin must be
formed with an overflow o to prevent the drums g & h from becoming entirely
immersed or that the water level in the inner basin a does not reach the top edge of
the higher end a¹.
DL: 19th den of Wahnuary 190.1
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Separating Foreign Matter from Grain
and similar Granular Materials.
I, HEINRICH SCHOLLENBERGER, of Wuelflingen, in the Republic of Switzerland;
Miller, 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 a method of and apparatus for separating foreign matter
such as earth, stones, nails and the like from grain and similar granular materials.
The said method is based on the fact that such granular material when placed
carefully upon water and not permeated with water is capable of floating perfectly
whilst the foreign matter sinks to the bottom and thereby separates itself from the
granular material. For the said separation by preference flowing water is used or
an artificial stream produced which serves to float the grain to a device which
removes it therefrom.
The drawings filed with the Provisional Specification and annexed sheet represent
two forms of apparatus suitable for carrying into practice the aforesaid method,
Figs. 1 & 2, Sheet I, being respectively a longitudinal section and a plan of the
one form, and Fig. 3, Sheet 11, a longitudinal section of the other form of the said
apparatus.
To produce the said stream in the apparatus, Figs. 1 & 2, two water basins a & b
are arranged one inside the other, in such a manner that the various levels of water
obtained artificially have a tendency of equalizing themselves as is the case in
communicating pipes, whereby the flow of water is established. The inner basin a
and the outer basin 6 have preferably joint sides but separate ends and bottoms.
In order to permit of varying the level of water in the inner basin a, water may
be constantly run from the end a¹ which is a little higher than a², into the outer
basin b (for instance by such as a scoop wheel c) which has for its consequence the
flow of an equal quantity of water over the other end a² and thereby a flow from the
surface of the latter to the former.
The grain to be treated is fed upon a platform e at the end from which the water
flows by means of a hopper d from whence it is conveyed by means of a slowly
rotating feed roller fupon the face of a drum g which fitting tangentially upon the
said platform, is almost immersed in the water and rotating slowly lays the grain
upon the water of the inner basin a.
The drum g by preference is perforated to allow the water of passing through
and to facilitate the running off of the water raised thereby.
The flow of the water causes the grain to move towards the periphery of a

page_text: second drum which is also almost immersed in the water and rotating slowly picks.
up the grain from the surface of the water by adhesión.
In the apparatus illustrated this drum is shown as composed of thin discs
positioned apart from each other and thus formed with a gridlike periphery,
which facilitates the running off of the water lifted by the grain and at the
same time permits it to operate in conjunction with a comb i, the teeth of which
are positioned between the discs of the roller, so that the latter-strips onto the
combi the grain taken up; from the comb the grain is conveyed to a quick
rotating carrier worm by means of a rotary brush k.
The drum g may also be furnished with a gridlike surface similar to the drum h
and the latter be simply perforated on its periphery in which case the combi
would be dispensed with and the grain which has been lifted out of the water
brushed directly off the top of the said roller.
In order to facilitate the drawing off of the water from the inner basin a for
the purpose of removing the foreign matter accumulated at the bottom thereof,.
a tap m is employed at the lowest part of this basin in the water passage between
the bottom of the inner and the outer basin, which when turned 90 degrees.
from its normal position, shown in the drawing, runs off the water from the inner
basin owing to its port then communicating with a corresponding opening in the
bottom of the inner basin.
°
When the apparatus is supplied with a constant flow of fresh water, the intro-
duction of which may take place through a short pipe n, the inner basin must
be formed with an overflow to prevent the drums 9 & 1 from becoming entirely
immersed or that the water level in the inner basin a does not reach the top.
edge of the higher end a¹.
In the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, a partition q is employed in the basin 6 in front
of the drum which forms an overflow so as to separate the drum from the bulk of
water, but permit it being washed over by the overflowing water. The overflow
itself creates the flow of the water providing a constant supply takes place.
The form shown in Figs. 1 & 2 differs from that shown in Fig. 3 inasmuch that
the water therein circulates, whilst in the latter there is a constant supply. In the
latter form the means necessary to create a circulation of water are thus dispensed
with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is-
1st. The method of separating foreign matter such as earth, stones, nails and the
like from grain and similar granular materials consisting in laying the grain upon a
flowing body of water in such a manner that the grain will not be entirely immersed
and the body of water will float it to a lifting device employed at the end of the
channel containing the said flowing body of water, the said foreign matter settling
to the bottom, all substantially as set forth.
2nd. An apparatus for carrying out the method, specified in the preceding claim,
having a water basin a employed within another 6 so arranged that the different
water levels retained artificially, equalize themselves and form a current for the
flow of the water in the inner basin a, all substantially as set forth.
3rd. An apparatus for carrying out the method specified in Claim I, having a
water overflow formed by a partition (q. Fig. 3) employed in the water basin in
front of the grain lifting device and adapted to create a flow of water in the said
basin a, substantially as set forth.
4th. An apparatus for carrying out the method specified in Claim I, having a
perforated drum 9 upon the periphery of which the grain is fed and which is
adapted to lay the grain upon a flowing body of water, all substantially as set
forth.
5th. An apparatus for carrying out the method specified in Claim I, in which
the grain floats to a drum h (Figs. 1 & 2) having a perforated periphery which

page_text: lifts the grain out of the water owing to its adhesion and facilitates the draining
of the water from the grain, all substantially as set forth.
Dated this 13th day of November 1894.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.