IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING FROM IMPURITIES, WASHING, AND DRYING GRAIN AND OTHER SEEDS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Higginbottom and Edward Hutchinson, both of
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEPARATING FROM IMPURITIES, WASHING, AND DRYING GRAIN AND OTHER
SEEDS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 23rd July 1878, and dated the 24th January 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Higginbottom and
Edward Hutchinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th
January 1878.
JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM and EDWARD HUTCHINSON, both of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEPARATING FROM IMPURITIES, WASHING,
AND DRYING GRAIN AND OTHER SEEDS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
THEREFOR."
I. Grain imported from the East is contaminated with dirt and small stones. These
latter injure the mill stones. It is to separate these extraneous matters that this
our Invention is designed.
It consists, first, in a machine for washing and separating the grain from the dirt
and stones. As at present constructed the following is a description :-The grain
falls through water on to a revolving disc; round the edge of this disc is an opening
into a surrounding vertical annular chamber. The part of this chamber below the
disc is parallel sided, that above can have the sides inclined. A current of water
due to a uniform head is continually ascending through this chamber and over-
flowing a sill or a series of short sills at the top. As the current meets the wheat
and its included rubbish thrust out centrifugally by the revolving disc the wheat is
carried upward but the stones fall downward, and in their passage through the
ascending current of water get freed from the wheat and fall down below, and can
be removed by an archimedean screw, or otherwise. The top edge or sill of the
upward current chamber is made with a series of short sills, placed all round on the
same level; through these the water and wheat pour into the surrounding trough,
whence they are carried to the settling chamber. From the overflow of this
Price Tel

page_text: chamber the water is pumped or raised by a paddle wheel, or otherwise, into the
original reservoir, from which the head of water is obtained. This reservoir is kept
at a uniform level by an overflow sill or other suitable means.
From the settling chamber the wheat or other seed is lifted by archimedcan
screw, or otherwise, and is placed in the drying apparatus.
II. This latter consists, preferably, of a conical and vertical centrifugal machine.
The wet wheat is poured down a spout surrounding or near the shaft to the bottom of
the wirecloth cone. This cone supported on suitable iron framework, keyed, bolted,
or otherwise fixed to the shaft, is rotated at a high speed. The water flies out
through the meshes of the cloth into a surrounding casing, and falls into a tank
below, while the grain is driven up the cone to the top. Thus far the drying
apparatus is in many respects old.
In the old plan when the wheat reached the top it was projected with great force
against a surrounding plate. Instead of this however we construct a broad plane
flange on the top of the cone, pointing outward, and concentrically over this flange
we place a preferably cast-iron annular casting, a little larger in internal diameter
than the top of the cone. This casting as it rises above the cone is gradually curved
inward, and at one point in its circumference is an aperture for the wheat to escape.
The casting does not rest on the planed flange, but is supported on stationary
adjustable supports about a sixteenth of an inch above it. The mode of action of
this part of the apparatus is as follows:-The wheat gradually ascending the cone
by centrifugal force loses its water, which flies off through the wire cloth. From
the top its upward motion and centrifugal force combined cause it to rush up and
around the curved annular casting (partially filling the hollow of the casting) till it
arrives at the aperture, out of which it escapes with much diminished force.
•
It will be seen at once that various parts of our apparatus can be materially
altered without departing from the principles of our Invention.
The washing apparatus is not necessarily annular but could be rectilinear, and
feed rollers, reciprocating pushers, or other well-known means of feeding could be
used to continuously or intermittently feed the grain into the ascending current
chamber; or it would probably work by gravity alone without any regulating feed
motion but not give quite so good results.
Similarly, instead of archimedean screws or of the paddle wheel mechanical
equivalents could be used, and a regulating or reducing valve, or other apparatus of
great delicacy of adjustment, could, if desirable, replace the sill as a means of
obtaining a uniform head of water.
Similarly, the outer curved ring may be applied to a drying machine whether the
cone is horizontal, vertical, or inclined.

page_text: we place a preferably cast-iron annular casting Q, a little larger in internal diameter
than the top of the cone N. This casting as it rises above the cone is gradually
curved inward, and at one point in its circumference is an aperture R for the wheat
to escape.
The casting does not rest on the planed flange but is supported on
stationary adjustable supports Q', about a sixteenth of an inch above it. "The mode
of action of this part of the apparatus is as follows:-The wheat gradually ascending
the cone by centrifugal force loses its water, which flies off through the wire cloth.
From the top its upward motion and centrifugal force combined cause it to rush up
and around the curved annular casting (partially filling the hollow of the casting)
till it arrives at the aperture, out of which it escapes with much diminished force.
It will be seen at once that various parts of our apparatus can be materially
altered without departing from the principles of our Invention.
The washing apparatus is not necessarily annular but could be rectilinear, and
feed rollers, reciprocating pushers, or other well-known means of feeding could be
used to continuously or intermittently feed the grain into the ascending current
chamber; or it would probably work by gravity alone without any regulating feed
motion, but not give quite so good results.
Similarly, instead of archimedean screws or of the paddle wheel mechanical
equivalents could be used, and a regulating or reducing valve, or other apparatus of
great delicacy of adjustment, could, if desirable, replace the sill as a means of
obtaining a uniform head of water.
Similarly, the outer curved ring may be applied to a drying machine whether the
cone or cylinder is horizontal, vertical, or inclined.
Having now described our Invention, and the best mode known to us of carrying
it into effect, we wish it to be understood that what we believe to be new and
desire to protect under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The separation of substances of a different specific gravity from wheat and
other seeds by means of a upward current of water due to a uniform or adjustable
head.
2. Constructing the channel through which the upward current of water flows
below the point at which the material to be separated is introduced into the current
of uniform sectional area for a considerable distance so as to allow time for the
stones or heavier material in descending through the current at its maximum force
to separate from the grain, seeds, or lighter material.
3. The arrangement of contracted overflow in a wheat-washing machine in such
manner that the variations of head may be reduced to a minimum, for the purposes
.described.
4. In a wheat-washing machine, substantially as and for the purposes described,
the mode of saving water without injuring the action of the machinery by pumping
or lifting the overflow water back into the original reservoir or tank.
5. The mode of feeding a machine for separating substances from grain or seeds
of a different specific gravity by letting the materials fall on to a revolving disc,
that in turn projects them out into an ascending current at or beyond its periphery.
6. In a machine for separating wheat or other seeds from stones or other substances
of a different specific gravity, so arranging the apparatus that the valuable material
shall settle into one tank and the refuse into another, and each shall be continuously
or intermittently extracted by archimedean screws, or their mechanical equivalents,
for the purposes described.
7. The general arrangement of machinery for washing grain, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
8. In a centrifugal machine for drying grain and other like substances the ring or
guard Q, for the purposes described.
9. The centrifugal machine arranged with a stationary continuation of the

page_text: revolving cone or drum in which the grain or other substance can gradually lose
its velocity before being discharged therefrom.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Higginbottom and Edward Hutchinson,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third day of July, in
the year of our Lord 1878.
JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM. (L.S.)
EDWARD
HUTCHINSON. (L.S.)