IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINES FOR HULLING OR HUSKING GRAINS OR SEEDS
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM VAN VLECK-LIDGERWOOD of the City of New York United States of
America Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR HULLING OR HUSKING GRAINS OR SEEDS
to be as
follows:-
»
My invention relates to machines for removing the hull or husk from coffee
grains or beans and other seeds, and comprises various improvements as hereinafter
described.
Arcording to the said invention I provide a cylinder of metal or other suitable
material the internal surface of which is serrated or roughened. The said cylinder,
hereinafter termed the outer cylinder, is provided with a suitable aperture through
which the grains or seeds are fed to the machine and has at its ends apertures
through which a shaft, carried in suitable bearings passes.
On the said shaft is mounted a cylinder, hereinafter termed the inner cylinder,
upon the external surface of which are arranged husking plates which are
adjustable towards and from the serrated surface of the outer cylinder. For this
purpose the said plates are suitably hinged to pieces of iron or other suitable metal
which I term base-plates extending throughout the whole length of the cylinder;
The husking plates have one end hook-shaped, and these hook shaped ends engage
(somewhat as though hinged thereon) with one edge of the said base-plates.
In combination with each husking plate is a screw which enters a lug on the
surface of the inner cylinder. Between the said lug and husking plate is an India-
rubber or other suitable spring or cushion through which the said screw passes.
The spring serves to keep the husking plates constantly pressed with a yielding or
elastic pressure towards the surface of the outer cylinder. The said screw, just
below the head, is square and -adapted to enter a square hole in the husking plate,
so that the screw is prevented from turning except when the plate is pressed down
against the spring.
At the feed end of the inner cylinder are arranged angular or inclined fixed
blades which conduct the grains or seeds to the husking surfaces.
In order. to move the grains or seeds forward uniformly or regularly at the
desired speed, the surface of the inner cylinder is provided with one or more rows
of vertical plates which are arranged angularly so as to form sections of a screw,

page_text: -
whereby, at each revolution of the inner cylinder, the grains or seeds are moved
forward a distance equal to the pitch or inclination to which the vertical plates
are set.
To permit the vertical plates to be readily set or adjusted to any required angle
one end of each of the said plates is pivoted to the inner cylinder the other end
being connected to a sliding bar arranged within, or upon, the said inner cylinder.
There are as many of these bars as there are longitudinal rows of vertical plates.
To the said sliding bar or bars is connected a cross bar which passes through an
elongated slot in the central shaft. This shaft is hollow and has passing through
it a rod or bar secured at one end to the cross bar, its other end being screw-
threaded and fitted to the boss of a hand-wheel, which is so held us to prevent its
longitudinal movement in the end of the said shaft.
It will be understood that by turning the said hand wheel the rod and cross bar
will be moved in one or the other direction and will correspondingly move the
aforesaid sliding bars, and with the same the vertical plates.
As it is important that the husking plates should be at a uniform distance from
the surface of the outer cylinder at all points of their revolution, the central shaft
is provided with a collar which is of exactly the same size as a second collar
surrounding the aperture in the outer cylinder through which the said shaft passes.
When the bearing of the central shaft wears, the second collar shows the amount
of wear by the extent which it is out of coincidence with the first collar.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM VAN VLECK LIDGERWOOD, of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR HULLING OR HUSKING GRAINS OR SEEDS" and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to machines for removing the hull or husk from coffee-
beaus or other grains or seeds, and comprises various improvements as hereinafter
described.
My said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my improved machine, with some of.
the parts removed.
Figure 2 is a section on the line x, x, Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a plan of part of the said machine.
Figures 4 to 10 inclusive are different views illustrating the husking plates
hereinafter described.
a indicates an outer cylinder, which is made of wood or other suitable material
with metal end-pieces as shewn at a¹. Each of theso metal end-pieces is formed
with a hollow boss a", whereby it is supported in suitable bearings. When the
said cylinder is made of wood, its interior surface is preferably provided with
a serrated or roughened metal lining. The end a¹ of the said cylinder is closed
by a metal plate a carried by a suitable support and provided with a spout or
passage as, through which tho grains or seeds are fed into the machine. bis a.
hollow shaft, which is passed through the bosses a* and is carried in suitable
bearings as at b. c is an inner cylinder mounted on the said shaft. d, d, are
busking plates which are secured upon the exterior of the cylinder c and which
are adjustable as hereinafter explained towards, or away from, the serrated surface
of the outer cylinder a. These plates are arranged at suitable intervals around the
cylinder c.
The husking plates & are adjustably connected, as hereinafter described, to
pieces e of iron or other suitable metal which I term base-plates, that is to say, the
said plates & have hook-shaped ends d' which engage (somewhat as though hinged
thereon) with the upwardly curved edges e¹ of the said base-plates, as shewn more
clearly in Figure 4 or Figure 8. Each husking plate d is held by a screw f which
passes through the base-plate e into the periphery of the inner cylinder c. Between
the said base-plate and the husking plate is a spring or cushion g, which may be
of india-rubber or other suitable material, and through which passes the screw f.
The springs or cushions g tend to press the husking plates constantly, with a
yielding or elastic pressure, towards the interior surface of the cylinder a. The
screw just below its head, is square, and this part is adapted to enter a squaro
hole in the husking plate, so that the said screw is prevented from turning except
when the spring or cushion g is compressed by forcing down the said plate
upon it.

page_text: .
.
h, h indicate angular or inclined blados fixed on the periphery of the inner
cylinder c at the feed end thereof. These blades convey the grains or sceds, as
they are fed in through the spout a³, to the husking surfaces.
To provide for moving forward the grains or seeds uniformly or regularly at any
desired speed, the exterior surface of the cylinder c is provided with two longi-
tudinal rows or series of adjustable plates or blades k, which project radially from
the surface of the said cylinder, and can be set to any desired angle or pitch so as
to form sections or segments of a screw or helix. By these means, at each revolu-
tion of the cylinder c, the grains or seeds are moved forward a distance equal to
the pitch or inclination to which the said plates or blades are set.
To permit the adjustment of the plates or blades k, one end of each of the said
plates is pivotted to the cylinder c as at ¹, Figure 3, the other end of the said plate
being connected to a bar l arranged to slide to and fro in a longitudinal groove or
channel in the cylinder c. A cross-bar m is connected to the two sliding bars l.
This cross-bar is passed through an elongated slut b in the hollow shaft b, and is
firmly secured to one end of a rod or barn, which is arranged centrally within the
said shaft. The other end of the rod or bar n is screw-threaded to receive a hand-
wheel or nut o. This nut is made with a groove of and is prevented from moving
longitudinally by set-screws o inserted in the shaft b and extending into the
groove o'. By turning the said hand-wheel or nut o in either direction, the rod n
and cross-bar m will be moved longitudinally to increase, or diminish, the inclina-
tion or pitch, of the plates or blades . Another hand-wheel or lock-nut o³ is
provided for securing the nut o in the desired position.
It is important that the busking plates should be at a uniform distance from the
interior surface of the outer cylinder at all points of their revolution. Therefore,
in order to ensure the proper adjustment of the inner and outer cylinders relatively
to each other, when the journals or bearings become worn, the shaft b is provided
with two rings or collars p one at each end of the said cylinders. Each of these
rings or collars is of the same diameter as the journals as of the outer cylinder a,
and the said ring or collar is fitted loosely upon the shaft band so arranged that,
when the cylinders a, c, are in their proper relative position it will exactly coincide
with the end of the said journal a. If, by reason of the wear of either of the
journals or bearings, ono of the said cylinders should become excentric relatively to
the other cylinder, the ring or collar p will indicate, by its projection above or
below the journal a, the degree of adjustment necessary to ensure the concen-
tricity of the two cylinders. I, therefore, term the said rings or collars "index-
- collars."
The husking plates are preferably formed in two parts d, d², as shown in
Figure 4 or Figure 8 of the drawing, for the purpose of permitting their wearing
parts or surfaces to be renewed or replaced with facility. Upon the under side of
the part of each husking plate is secured a transverse bar q. The wearing
part of the husking plate is secured to this bar by screws or bolts r having
countersunk heads. The ends of these bolts which project through the said bar
are made square as at r¹, and a strong spring s is secured to the under side of the
said bar, and formed with slots s. which fit over the square ends of the said screws
or bolts, and serve to lock the same or prevent their turning when the machine
is in operation. The transverse bar q may, if desired, be firmly rivetted to the
underside of the part d* of the husking plate and the movable or renewable part d²
of the said plate be secured thereto by bolts and nuts as shewn in Figure 7. When
the springs & are used, they are rivetted to the underside of the transverse bar q
and must be bent downward into the position shown in dotted lines, when it is
desired to turn the screw or bolt in either direction. When released, the spring
will return to its original position against the lower or under surface of the
transverse-bar q.
Instead of making the hooked end of the husking plate as above described,
I sometimes curve this end of the plate upwards so as to adapt it to engage with
a metal rod secured to the base-plate. In both cases, it will be seen that the

page_text: busking plate, although hinged or pivotted on the base-plate, can be very readily
removed therefrom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The employment of the husking plates formed with curved or hooked ends
whereby they are binged or pivotted to the base-plates attached to the inner
cylinder, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Second. A husking plate formed in two parts which are so united that the
wearing part can be readily renewed or replaced, substantially as set forth.
Tbird. The combination of parts comprising the rows or series. of plates or
blades carried by the sliding bars, and means for adjusting the same to increase
or diminish their inclination or pitch, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
Fourth. The employment of the index-collars in combination with the central
shaft and the journals of the outer cylinder, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
Fifth. The combination, with the inner cylinder, of the screw-blades firmly
secured to the feed-end thereof, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Sixth. The improved machine consisting of the parts constructed and combined
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing, for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 07th dow of Fehr 1885
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.