IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA- RATUS FOR SCREENING AND CLEANING GRAIN AND SEEDS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Francis, of Whitefriars, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR SCREENING AND CLEANING GRAIN AND SEEDS."
Sealed the 10th January 1865, and dated the 13th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Francis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
July 1864.
I, JOSEPH FRANCI, of Whitefriars, in the City of London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR SCREENING AND CLEANING GRAIN AND SEEDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
screens for screening and cleaning grain and seeds of all descriptions, whereby
a great saving of labour and rapidity of work will be effected, the machine
requiring only to be fed with the grain or seeds, since the cleaning and
screening is rendered self-acting.
I construct the wirework of the screen of suitable dimensions of meshes or
spaces according to the grain or seed to be treated, and fix the same in a
wooden frame, which is to be set and supported at the desired oblique or
slanting position for the descent of the grain or seed by means of a slope or
stay hinged to the back and upper part of the frame, and by a chain or chains
to the lower part of the frame and stays: The top of the frame is provided
with a hopper for the reception of the grain or seeds, which may be poured
in from sacks or measures, or by means of a canvas or wooden conductor from
an upper floor. On the surface of the riddle or screen, and set in bearings
Price 8d1

page_text: hereafter described, are any desired number of rotary brushes; in an ordi-
nary sized machine, three or four brushes would suffice, but as I propose in
some cases to lengthen the frame and screen to such an extent as to cause it to
pass through a floor or floors of a granary or warehouse so as to pass the grain
or seeds through such machine from floor to floor, I should in such instances
increase the number of rotary brushes. This lengthened description of screen
would be especially applicable to those seeds or grain which require an extra
amount of cleaning than ordinary samples. The bearings of the rotating
brushes consist of bars of flat iron extending across the frame and over the
brushes, the bars being turned down at each end to a right angle, such
parts being set on pins in the frame so as to swing or be moveable, the
axes of the brushes are then set in bearings below these pins. Each bar
has a lever or counterweight placed on its centre, such lever being hinged
by a horizontal joint so as to be capable of being turned outwards to a right
angle to the bar to effect its maximum bearing-down power on the brush,
or to be turned obliquely inwards to lessen such pressure according to the
nature of the grain or seeds to be cleaned or brushed.
Over one or more of the brushes, I fix when it is desired to oil the seeds,
as is the case with turnip seeds, a narrow trough or wedge-formed receptacle
extending the length of the brush, and fixed to the frame. Several small
openings or outlets at the bottom of the receptacle serve to convey the oil
with which the trough is filled on to the brush or brushes on which the oil
drops, and so causes the brush to oil the seeds during the operation of
cleaning and screening. The second brush is preferred to be so treated
with oil. The action of the machine will be obvious.
When the hopper is fed with grain or seed it passes through an opening
regulated by a slide and screw, and acts upon the series of brushes, causing
them to rotate with great rapidity; and the passage of the grain and ssed
down the screen and against the brushes results in the complete screening
and cleaning of such grain and seed. By this Invention I remove the web
off peas, I rub and clean and oil turnip seed, or any description of seeds, I
take the mites off turnip seed, the smut off wheat, I polish beans, and dress
seeds generally.
An ordinary sized machine fed by one man, will operate on 80 bushels
of seed per hour. A sack of seed or grain can be passed from one floor
of a warehouse through the screen direct into another sack ready to receive
it in its cleansed condition.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Francis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
FRANCIS, of Whitefriars, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Francis, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Francis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Joseph Francis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
nake, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCREENING AND CLEANING GRAIN
AND SEEDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Francis, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Francis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 certain improvements in the construction of
screens for screening and cleaning grain and seeds of all descriptions, whereby
a great saving of labour and rapidity of work will be effected, the machine
requiring only to be fed with the grain or seeds, since the cleaning and
screening is rendered self-acting.
I construct the wirework of the screen of suitable dimensions of meshes or
spaces according to the grain or seed to be treated, and fix the same in a
wooden frame, which is to be set and supported at the desired oblique or
slanting position for the descent of the grain or seed by means of a slope or
stay hinged to the back and upper part of the frame, and by a chain or chains

page_text: to the lower part of the frame and stays. The top of the frame is provided
with a hopper for the reception of the grain or seeds which may be poured
in from sacks or measures, or by means of a canvas or wooden conductor
from an upper floor. On the surface of the riddle or screen, and set in
bearings hereafter described, are any desired number of rotary brushes; in an
ordinary sized machine three or four brushes would suffice, but as I propose
in some cases to lengthen the frame and screen to such an extent as to cause
it to pass through a floor or floors of a granary or warehouse so as to pass
the grain or seeds through such machine from floor to floor, I should in
such instances increase the number of rotary brushes; this lengthened
description of screen would be specially applicable to those sceds or grain
which require an extra amount of cleaning than ordinary samples. The
bearings of the rotating brushes consist of bars of flat iron extending across
the frame and over the brushes, the bars being turned down at each end to a
right angle, such parts being set on pins in the frame so as to swing or be
moveable, the axes of the brushes are then set in bearings below these pins,
each bar has a lever or counterweight placed on its centre, such lever being
hinged by a horizontal joint so as to be capable of being turned outwards
to a right angle to the bar to effect its maximum bearing down power on the
brush, or to be turned obliquely inwards to lessen such pressure according
to the nature of the grain or seeds to be cleaned or brushed.
Over one or more of the brushes I fix, when it is desired to oil the seeds,
as is the case with turnip seeds, a narrow trough or wedge-formed receptacle
extending the length of the brush and fixed to the frame, several small
openings or outlets at the bottom of the receptacle servo to convey the oil
with which the trough is filled on to the brush or brushes on which the oil
drops,and the brush is thus caused to oil the seeds during the operation of
cleaning and screening. The second brush is preferred to be so treated
with oil. The action of the machine will be obvious.
When the hopper is fed with grain or seed it passes through an opening
regulated by a slide and screw, and acts upon the series of brushes causing
them to rotate with great rapidity, and the passage of the grain and seed
down the screen and against the brushes results in the complete screening
and cleaning of such grain and seed. By my Invention I remove the web
off
I rub and clean and oil turnip seed or any description of seeds, I
take the mites off turnip seed, the smut off wheat, I polish beans, and dress
seeds.generally.
peas,
An ordinary sized machine fed by one man will operate on 80 bushels of
seed
per hour. A sack of seed or grain can be passed from one floor of a

page_text: warehouse through the screen direct into another sack ready to receive it in
its cleansed condition.
From the foregoing description my Invention will be understood by those
conversant with the subject. I annex a Sheet of Drawings in which Fig. 1
is a transverse section, and Fig. 2 a plan of the screen.
a is the hopper, and 6 the opening through which the seed passes to the
screen; c, c', c, are the brushes; and d, d', d, the counterweights and levers,
d, shewing the lever turned outwards to press the brush down on the screen;
e, e, e, are the moveable arms holding the brushes at their lower extremities,
and swung to the side frames by screws or rivets. The other portions of
the apparatus require no further explanation. In the plan view f shews the
wire screen which slides under the frame, or may be attached thereto by
thumb-screws in order to apply screens of different meshes according to the
description of seed to be cleaned
I claim the general arrangement and combination of parts substantially
as herein specified and shewn, constituting "Improvements in Machinery
or Apparatus for Screening and Cleaning Grain and Seeds," according to
the title hereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Fraucis, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
ALEXR. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
JOSEPH FRANCIS. (L.S.)

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