IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH APPARATUS USED FOR HULLING, POLISHING, AND CLEANING GRAIN AND GRAIN PRODUCE, PART OF WHICH IM- PROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE FOR DRIVING MILLSTONES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John August Arnold Buchholz, of Ravenscourt Square,
Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH APPARATUS USED FOR HULLING,
POLISHING, AND CLEANING GRAIN AND GRAIN PRODUCE, PART OF WHICH IM-
PROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE FOR DRIVING MILLSTONES."
Sealed the 20th April 1877, and dated the 24th October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John August Arnold Buchholz
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1876.
JOHN AUGUST ARNOLD BUCHHOLZ, of Ravenscourt Square, Hammersmith, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH
APPARATUS USED FOR HULLING, POLISHING, AND CLEANING GRAIN AND GRAIN
PRODUCE, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE FOR DRIVING MILL-
STONES."
The first part of my Invention relates to improved method of hulling wheat, rice,
and other grain, and in apparatus for that purpose, so modified as to suit the
requirements of large or small mills.
The larger sized huller consists of a coned drum armed with steel blades, and
intermediate card or other packing, fitted on a vertical spindle and revolving within
a similarly coned stationary chamber. This chamber is built up of a number of
segmental blocks which I term "bran exhausts" made up of thin steel strips held
apart by small strips of card or other suitable packing, so as to leave apertures
between the steel strips for the escape of bran and dust which are drawn off by a
suction fan placed underneath the chamber. To form the connection between the
"bran exhaust" and the exhaust fan, the chamber is cased round with sheet iron
or other suitable material having narrow slots or openings cut opposite cach row of
apertures in the "bran exhausts." Outside the first is another but narrower casing
with similar slots, and suspended by means of bolts and thumbscrews for the
purpose of regulating the width of opening in the slots.
The grain is fed through the eye of the drum, and worked upwards between the
drumn and chamber which is sufficiently high to allow the grain to accumulate over

page_text: the drum to any convenient height, the exit and amount of accumulations being
regulated by a slide running on a screw rod. During its passage upwards, the grain
rolls on its axis at a considerable velocity, while the steel strips on the drum and
chamber between which it rotates act like knives and [peel it, the pressure with
which the grain is held up against the knives being regulated by the amount of
accumulation over the drum.
For smaller mills I prefer rotating the chamber in opposite directions to the drum
in order to avoid high angular velocities. In this case the spindle is a fixture and
made hollow to feed the grain underneath the drum. The drum is so framed that
there are two bearings and a pulley above, while the chamber has two bearings and
a pulley below. These bearings are so constructed that a hollow space is provided
between the steps and cast iron filled with oil, into which dips a woollen or cotton
coil emerging from a lateral opening in the step.
"
One peculiar feature of this apparatus is that the "bran exhausts are simply
bolted together to form the chamber, a ring at the top and a disc below holding
them in a rigidly centered position. The grain as it leaves the chamber falls into a
cast iron case, which contains at the same time the fan, and serves as a frame to the
whole machine. A rim fitted to the revolving chamber conveys the grain to the
outlet. The drum and chamber may be both driven by one endless belt from a
horizontal shaft carrying two corresponding "live" pullies, and a friction clutch
between them to seize one or the other as required, and thus serving to reverse the
huller or to throw it out of gear.
This arrangement of endless belt mechanism which is an important feature in
this Invention, both for driving hullers and for millstones, may be used also to drive
two separate large sized hullers, or to drive millstones from a horizontal shaft
without resorting to half crossed belting or intermediate vertical spindles. In some
cases, instead of using tempered steel for blades and wires in grain hulling machines,
it is desirable to use "case hardened" wrought iron having a soft core, and giving
harder, sharper, and more perfectly defined edges.
The next part of my Invention is for the purpose of cleaning or sorting grain or
grain produce, especially for purifying middlings. The material to be operated
upon falls upon a shallow fan disc, the bed of which is made of fine wire or other
gauze to allow the passage of air to the interior, and assist the action of this fan
to raise the lighter particles to the top. Another larger fan above and encircling
the first receives and sucks up the blast and whatever that carries, while the heavier
particles fall into a funnel below, to be again treated in a similar manner as often
as may appear necessary. The whole apparatus is cased in with canvas or other
suitable fabric to form a "stive room and receive the discharge from the fans.
Owing to the direct and thorough action of the fans, the current need not be as
violent as that used in the ordinary machines, while the action need not be spread
over nearly so large a surface.
"
The fan blades are made adjustable; they slide on a rod and carry a pin, which,
fitting into an excentrically curved slot of disc at the top of the inner fan, is pulled
in or pushed out by simply turning the disc. By this arrangement the power of the
fan is regulated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John August Arnold Buchbolz in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th April 1877.
JOHN AUGUST ARNOLD BUCHHOLZ, of Ravenscourt Square, Hammersmith, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH 5
APPARATUS USED FOR HULLING, POLISHING, AND CLEANING GRAIN AND GRAIN
PRODUCE, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE FOR DRIVING MILL-
STONES."

page_text: The first part of my Invention relates to improved method of hulling wheat, rice,
and other like grain, and in apparatus for that purpose, so modified as to suit the
requirements of large or small mills.
The larger sized huller consists, as in Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings,
of a coned dram A armed with steel blades B, and intermediate card or other
packing fitted on a vertical spindle D, and revolving within a similar coned
stationary chamber E. This chamber E is built up of a number of segmental
blocks F, shown in detached views, Figures 3 and 4, which blocks I term bran
exhausts, made up of thin steel strips G held apart by small strips of card H or
other suitable packing, as clearly shown in Figure 5, so as to leave apertures or
spaces I between them and the steel strips for the escape of the bran and the dust,
which are drawn off by the suction fan J placed underneath the chamber to form
an open connection between the "bran exhaust" and the exhaust fan. The chamber E
is cased round with sheet iron K or other suitable material, having narrow slits or
openings L cut opposite each row of apertures I in the "bran exhausts." Outside
the first is another casing M, but of less depth, with similar slots L' to the slots L,
as in Figure 6. This casing M is suspended by means of bolts N and thumbscrews,
for the purpose of regulating the width of the exposed openings or slots in the two
casings.
The grain is fed through the top cover P to the eye or centre of the drum A,
from which it is worked upwards at the periphery between the drum A. and the
blocks F into a chamber E, which is sufficiently high to allow the grain to
accumulate over the drum A to any convenient height, the amount of accumulations
and the exit of the grain from the apparatus being regulated by a slide shutter or
door, as in my previous Patent, working on a screw rod. During the upward
passage of the grain each seed rolls on its axis at a considerable velocity, while the
steel strips B and G on the drum and chamber between which it rotates act like
knives and peel it, the pressure with which the grain is acted upon by the knives,
coupled with the length of time it is travelling upwards, being regulated by the
amount of accumulated grain over the drum.
For small mills I prefer to rotate the ring or blocks F in opposite direction to
the drum A. in order to avoid high angular velocities. In this case, as shown in
Figures 7 and 8, the spindle D is a fixture, and is made hollow to feed the grain
underneath the druin A. The drum A is so framed that there are two bearings Q
and R, and a pulley S above, while the circle of blocks has two bearings T, U, and
a pulley V below. These bearings T, U, are so constructed that a space W is
provided between the steps V and the cast iron for holding oil, into which dips a
woollen or cotton coil emerging from a lateral opening in the step.
One peculiar feature of this apparatus is that the bran exhausts or blocks E
are simply bolted together by a ring X at the top, and a disc Y below, between
which the blocks are held rigidly centered in position. The grain as it leaves the
chamber E falls from the slide into another chamber Z formed in the cast-iron
exterior case, and from thence into the outlet. The fan J for exhausting the
bran is in the lower frame of the machine. A rim a is fitted to the revolving
chamber E to convey the grain to the outlet. The drum and circle of blocks F are
preferably driven by one endless belt b from a horizontal shaft C carrying two
corresponding live pullies d, e, and a friction clutch f between them to seize one
or the other as required, a plan serving to reverse the huller or to throw it out of
gear.
This arrangement of endless belt mechanism may be used also to drive two
separate large sized hullers, as in Figures 9 and 10, or to drive separate millstones,
runners, or both runner and bed stone, as in Cullen's system, from a horizontal
shaft without resorting to half crossed belting or intermediate vertical spindles.
The clutch mechanism being applicable for use on the driving or on the driven
pullies, as desired.
The next part of my Invention, shown in Figures 11 and 12, is for the purpose

page_text: of cleaning or sorting grain or grain produce, especially for purifying middlings.
The material to be operated upon falls from the hopper g on to a shallow fan disc h
of solid material, or of fine wire or other gauze, to allow the passage of air, and
also to assist the action of this disc which acts as a fan to raise the lighter particles
to the top of the chamber E; another larger fan J being above receives and sucks up
the blast and whatever that may carry, while the heavier particles fall into a funnel
below, to be again treated in a similar manner by a similar apparatus, and again as
often as may appear necessary. The whole apparatus is cased in with canvas or other
suitable fabric to form a "stive room " and receive the discharge from the fans.
Owing to the direct and thorough action of the fans the current need not be as
violent as that used in the ordinary machine, while the action is more confined,
and caused to act in a more efficient manner.
The fan blades J are made adjustable by sliding on a rod k and carry a pin l,
which fitting into an excentrically curved slot m of the disc n at the top of the
support p is pulled in or pushed out by simply turning the disc n.
By this
arrangement the power of the fan can be regulated, which is an important feature
in this Invention, both for driving hullers and for millstones.
The steel strips B forming the blades of the drum, and those of the blocks Gare
preferably made of soft iron with the outer faces casehardened in order to produce
more sharp and defined edges which act upon the grain with great efficiency, and
maintain the cutting or peeling properties throughout their full length without
becoming rounded.
Figure 13 represents in cross section on an exaggerated scale a portion of a blade
or strip with its working edges worn off by the action of the grain, whereby the
body of the metal is of projecting rounded form, and wholly unfit for hulling
purposes, the metal of the strip being of the same temper of softness or hardness
throughout.
Figure 14 shows a portion of a blade in cross section in which the centre only is
of soft temper, the exterior surface on both sides being casehardened, so that from
the hulling operation it has become worn in the centre of its thickness between the
two edges by the action of the grain, whereby the edges are left prominent and
sharply defined.
Instead of making the blades or strips up in frames as blocks, a series of blades
and packing can be rivetted together, as in Figures 15, 16, and 17, these being held
in ring form by bands or straps q, as is shown more particularly in Figure 8.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
Firstly. The special arrangement of parts forming a huller, as described and
substantially as shown at Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. The special arrangement of hullers described with reference to Figures 7
and 8 of the annexed Drawings.
Thirdly. The application and use of my endless belt and its described mechanism
to driving two millstones as runners, as shown in Figures 9 and 10 of the annexed
Drawings, for driving two stones as a bed stone and a runner in the same framing,
in a similar manner as described for actuating the drum and the bran exhaust of
my huller shown in Figures 7 and 8 of the annexed Drawings.
Fourthly. The general employment of iron strips with case-hardened exterior in
hulling machines or mills, either as drum blades, or as casing blades, or as both drum
and casing blades, as described; and especially I claim their employment in the
hullers shown in the annexed Drawings.
Fifthly. The employment of openwork discs on to which middlings can fall in a
a middlings dressing machine, and by which ventilation is ensured to the substance
from which the fluffs or light particles have to be removed, as described with reference
to Figure 11 of the annexed Drawings.
Sixthly. The means and appliances, described with reference to Figures 11 and 12
of the annexed Drawings, by which the blades of a fan in a middlings dressing

page_text: machine can be regulated or adjusted to suit the draught required for purifying the
class of grain under treatment.
In witness whereof, I, the said John August Arnold Buchholz, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.
J. A. ARNOLD BUCHHOLZ. (L.S.)