IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR CUTTING OR SLICING GRAINS OF CORN SUCH AS OATS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, GEORGE HALL CORMACK of the City of Rockford in the County of
Winnebago, State of Illinois, America, at present at Liverpool in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR CUTTING OR
SLICING GRAINS OF CORN SUCH AS OATS," to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of machinery or apparatus employed for
splitting or cutting into sections grains of corn (that have previously had
the hulls or outer shells removed) such as oats for the manufacture of oatmeal.
In a machine according to my invention say for the manufacture of oatmeal,
I provide a cylindrical casing somewhat resembling a strap driving pulley having
one end formed with it, I will call it the perforated cylinder. The rim is per-
forated with suitable holes (of a somewhat tapering or countersunk form). This
perforated cylinder is secured to a-horizontal shaft. Within the perforated cylinder
is. another cylindrical casing which I will call the inner cylinder; it is fixed to the
before mentioned end of the perforated cylinder thus leaving an annular space
between the two cylinders which is at the outer end closed by an annular plate or
flange. Through the central hole of this plate the end of a spout projects so as
to feed grain to be treated into the inner cylinder. The inner cylinder has a
number of slot holes formed in it for the grains to pass into the annular space also
a few ribs at its outer circumference.
•
.
Concentric with the perforated cylinder and at its closed end, a face plate or as
I call it, a knife plate is provided, it has a long boss formed in which the before
mentioned horizontal shaft rotates.
The knife plate is made somewhat larger in diameter than the perforated cylinder,
so as to allow of a number of knives or cutters being secured thereto by means
of screw bolts and nuts capable of adjustment so as to set the knives in to the
required angles or positions with regard to the perforated cylinder.
This knife plate carries or has connected to it the axis of a pin wheel or roller
studded with pitched pins or teeth which gear or take into the holes formed in the
rim of the perforated cylinder, so that as the two rotate the pins pass into the
before mentioned holes and clear out or force inward any grains that may have
become fast therein.

page_text: The boss on the knife plate is of sufficient length to revolve in a suitable
pedestal or support, placed on the machine frame, also to have a pulley or toothed
wheel secured to its end for rotating it.
i
The before mentioned horizontal shaft passes through and rotates in the long
boss of the knife plate, and is of sufficient length beyond the end of the boss to
allow of another driving pulley or toothed wheel being secured thereto for
rotating it also.
The cutting knives are suitably formed for bolting to or being secured to the
knife plate, and have two cutting edges so arranged that when one set of cutting
edges have been worn by the machine running in one direction, the angle of
the knives may be changed and the machine may be rotated in the opposite
direction.
The angle of the knives with the perforated cylinder may be varied so as
to cut the grains into slightly different sections or parts for fine or coarse
meal.
The machine or apparatus may be mounted on a suitable frame and may be
driven by strap pulleys or toothed gearing according to requirement.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
The perforated cylinder and inner cylinder are made to rotate at a given speed
in one direction. The knife plate carrying the pin wheel is also made to rotate
in the same direction but at a lower velocity thus the perforated cylinder is
caused to pass the knives and cut the grain into sections and the pins of the
pin wheel to engage with the perforations of the cylinder thereby keeping them
clear and open.
50
When the machine is in motion oat grains are supplied to the before mentioned
spout which guides or delivers them into the inner cylinder, they then pass through
the before mentioned slot holes into the annular space between the two cylinders
and by the action of centrifugal force are thrown against the inner surface of
perforated cylinder and caused to pass partially through the holes or perforations
whereupon they are cut or divided by the rotating knives thus forming oatmeal. I
On each side of and as; close as practicable to, the pin-wheel, guide, plates are
fixed so as to prevent grains from escaping between the first knives on each side
of the pin wheel.
si
い
An outer casing may be provided to collect the cut or divided grains and prevent
them from spreading about the room!!
I
I would have it understood that apparatus above referred to may be constructed
in modified forms to suit different requirements without departure from the
essential features of my invention..

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
I GEORGE HALL CORMACK, of the City of Rockford in the County of Winnebago,
States of Illinois, America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED FOR CUTTING OR
SLICING GRAINS.OF CORN SUCH AS OATS," 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 that class of machinery or apparatus employd for
slicing or cutting into sections grains of corn (that have previously had the hulls
or outer shell removed) such as oats for the manufacture of oat meal.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings.
יד
Fig. 1. is a front elevation of the machine shewing the knives or cutters and
clearing pulley bolted to the knife plate; one half of the perforated and inner
cylinder is shewn in section for the sake of clearness.
Fig. 2. is a back elevation shewing one form of driving gear.
Fig. 3. is a sectional plan of the machine.
Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the machine shewing the feeding spout. etc.
3.
Fig. 5. is an enlarged view shewing the knives and cutters bolted to the knife
plate, also one of the knife guards placed in position with the clearing or pin
roller.
In a machine according to my invention say for the manufacture of oat meal
I provide a cylindrical casing A. Figs. 1. and 3. somewhat resembling a strap
driving pulley, having one end formed with it and which I call the perforated
cylinder.
The rim is perforated with small holes B. B. countersunk from the inner side as
shewn, and is turned up true so as to have a clean and even face, so that the
knives or cutters C. C. C. may be placed quite close thereto but so as not to touch
whilst revolving.
The perforated cylinder A. is secured to the short horizontal, shaft D. by a nut
and washer or other convenient means, and revolves in the long boss E. formed
with the knife plate F as shewn in Fig. 3.
Within the perforated cylinder A. another cylindrical casing G. which I call the
inner cylinder is fixed by means of screw bolts and nuts to the before mentioned
end of the perforated cylinder A. thus leaving an annular space between the two
cylinders which is at the outer end closed by a circular plate or flange H. which
may be either formed with the inner cylinder G or may be a' loose plate secured
thereto.
Through the central hole of this plate or flange H. the end of a spout J. projects
so as to feed grain to be treated into the inner cylinder G. which has a number
of slot holes, g. formed in it for the grain to pass through and into the annular
space.
It may also be provided with ribs and be flanged for strengthening and securing
it to the perforated cylinder A. which is faced up true to receive it,
f

page_text: Concentric with the perforated cylinder A. and at its closed end a face plate or
as I call it a knife plate F. is provided, it has a long boss E. formed with it which
is bored out or may be chambered out the greater part of its length, leaving only
short portions to bore out.
+
The annular space may be filled with a soft antifriction metal such as "Babbit"
metal cast in so as to allow the before mentioned horizontal shaft D. to rotate.
freely.
The knife plate F. is made somewhat larger in diameter than the perforated
cylinder A. so as to allow of the knives or cutters C. C. C. being secured thereto
by means of screw bolts and nuts K.
The heads of these screw bolts take into a T-shaped recessed slot hole L formed
partially around, and on the face of the knife plate as shewn in Figs. 1. 3. and 5.
At each end holes are provided for inserting the bolt heads K. and sliding them
into the before mentioned recessed slot hole L.
The cutters or knives C. C. C. may thus be set to the required angle or position
with regard to the perforated cylinder A whichever way it and the knife plate F
be intended to rotate.
The knife plate F is also formed so as to carry or have attached to it a pin or
stud M. Figs 1. 3. 4 and 5. which may take in a slot hole, or be attached to a short
link held in working position by a spring or other convenient means so as to allow
of a slight adjustment should any cut grains come between the perforated cylinder
and a pin or clearing roller N.
On the pin or stud M a pin wheel or clearing roller N. rotates. This pin wheel
or clearing roller N. is studded with tapered pins or teeth P. P. Figs. 1. 3. 4. and 5.
pitched at such a distance apart as to take into or gear with the holes B. B. formed
in the rim of the perforated cylinder so that as the knife plate F. and perforated
cylinder A. rotates in the same direction but at different velocities, the piñs or
teeth P. P. will pass into the before mentioned holes B. B. and clear out, or force
inwards any grains or portions of grains that may have become fast therein.
The holes B. B. may be set out in lines at right angles to the knife plate F. or
may be set at an angle so that the full length of the cutting edges of the knives
shall not be acting together.
→
The long boss E. on the before mentioned knife plate F is made. of sufficient
length to work or revolve in a suitable pedestal or support Q. which is bolted on
the machine frame sides R. R. as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4. also to have a toothed
bevel wheel S. secured as shewn in Fig. 3. for rotating it.
I
The horizontal shaft D. passes through and rotates in the long boss E. of the
knife plate, and is of sufficient length beyond the end of the boss to allow of
. another bevelled, toothed driving wheel T being secured thereto as shewn in
Figs and 3. for rotating it also.
The toothed wheels S. and T. are driven by other toothed wheels S¹ and T¹
respectively shewn in Figs. 2 and 4. which are secured to a short cross shaft U.
rotating in pedestals V. V. Figs. 2. 3. and 4. fixed to the machine frame sides R. R.
The cross shaft U. may be provided with a fast and loose strap pulley W and W¹
and with an ordinary strap guide not shewn.
.
The different diameters of the toothed bevel wheels S. T. and S¹ T¹ are such
as to rotate the perforated cylinder at a quicker speed than the knife plate for
different classes of grain and for the purpose hereinafter specified.
In some cases instead of using the toothed wheels, strap driving pulleys of
varying diameters may be substituted.
The cutting knives C. C. C. are of close hard cast iron or steel made L shaped or
suitably formed for bolting or being secured to the knife plate F. by bolts K. K. as
shewn in Figs. 1. 3 and 5. and are provided with slot holes so that they may be set
in such a position as to allow the cut or sliced grains to pass away..
The knives as shewn in the drawings are formed with double 'cutting edges, so
that when one edge gets worn by the machine rotating in one direction, the angle

page_text: may be changed as shewn by the four knives C. C. on the left hand side of Fig. 5.
when in this position the machine is rotated in the opposite direction.
The arrows shew the direction in which the rotating parts travel.
The angle of the knives with the perforated cylinder A. may be varied so as to
cut the grains into slightly different sections or parts for fine or coarse meal.
The distance the back edges of the knives are from the perforated cylinder.A.
regulates the length of the grain to be cut, as they allow the grains only to
protrude through the holes.to that extent.
The machine or apparatus may be mounted on suitable side frames R. R. and
stays X. X. and may be provided with suitable holes for securing it to a floor or
platform.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
The perforated cylinder A. and inner cylinder G. are made to rotate at a given -
speed say about 60 revolutions per minute in one direction.
The knife plate F carrying the knives C. C. C. and pin wheel or clearing roller N
is also made to rotate in the same direction but at a lower velocity say about forty
revolutions, per minute, thus the perforated cylinder A. is caused to pass the knives
and cut the grain into sections at a low cutting velocity, and the pin wheel or
clearing roller N. to engage with the perforations or holes B. B. B. thereby keeping
them clear and open.
By the application of different velocities of the perforated cylinder, and knife
plate centrifugal force is brought into action, thereby utilising the whole or nearly
the whole of the perforations simultaneously without causing an excessive speed of
the cutting knives.
When the machine is set in motion oat grains are supplied to the spout J which.
guides or delivers them into the inner cylinder G. whence they pass through the
slot holes g. into the annular space formed between the two cylinders A. and G
and by the action of centrifugal force are thrown against the inner surface of the
perforated cylinder A. and caused to pass through the holes or perforations B. B. B.
where they are cut or divided by the rotating knives.
It will be understood that the velocity and therefore the centrifugal force must
not be so great as to cause the grains of corn to remain stationary against the
inside of perforated cylinder A. but that the vibration of the machine itself is to
cause them to slightly alter their position until they pass into the countersunk
holes.
The ribs G¹ G are not only for strengthening the inner cylinder G. but also have
a tendency to act as a fan for forcing the dust or light particles of grain through
the perforations.
On each side and as close as practicable to the pin wheel or clearing roller N.
guide plates Y. Figs. 1 and 5. are bolted or fixed to the knife plate F so as to
prevent grains from escaping between the first knives on each side of pin wheel
or clearing roller N.
An outer casing (not shewn) may be provided for collecting the cut or divided
grains and to prevent their spreading about the room.
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
1. In a machine for cutting or slicing grain the use of a perforated rim or
cylinder and a knife plate mounted on independent axes rotated in the same
direction for the purpose herein before described.
2. In a grain cutting or slicing machine the application of a perforated cylinder
or rim with an inner casing having slot holes formed therein cutting or slicing
knives a pin wheel or clearing roller having teeth to take into the perforations
oach rotating simultaneously substantially as described.
3. In a machine for cutting or slicing grains of corn the application of toothed ⚫
wheel to rotate the perforated cylinder and knife plate at such velocities as to

page_text: .
cause the grains by centrifugal force to pass into all the perforations for the
purpose specified substantially as described.
f
4. In a machine for cutting or slicing grains of corn causing the perforated
cylinder and knife plate. to be driven at different velocities in such a manner as
not to produce excessive cutting speed of the knives substantially as described.
}
5. In a grain cutting or slicing machine the combination of a revolving knife
plate perforated cylinder knives, and a pin wheel or clearing roller all substantially
as described with reference to and shewn in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the
drawings.
6. The combination of parts constituting the grain cutting or slicing, machine
constructed arranged and operating as shewn in and described with reference to
the drawings.
: