IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HULLING, DECORTICATING AND POLISHING RICE OR OTHER GRAIN و
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rankine Russell of Glasgow in the County of
Lanark North Britain Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR HULLING, DECORTICATING AND POLISHING RICE OR OTHER
GRAIN
و"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rankine Russell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th September 1882.
JOHN RANKINE RUSSELL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North-Britain,
Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HULLING, DECORTICATING, AND
POLISHING RICE OR OTHER GRAIN,"
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery for hulling, decorticating
and polishing rice or other grain.
The hulling or decorticating of rice or other grain, is effected according to this
Invention by means of a long endless band, fitted with blocks of cement or other
material, which is caused to travel rapidly over a second band of wire-cloth
or other fabric on which the rice or grain is slowly carried along in either
direction, while subjected to the frictional rubbing action of the more rapidly
traversing band above. The polishing of the grain is effected by means of similar
bands, but the upper band is for this purpose covered or clothed with woolly
sheepskin manilla fibre, coir matting, or other similar rubbing surface.
In a modification of the improved machine, adapted for hulling or decorticating
rice or other grain, the upper endless band, which is made of leather, wire-cloth,
or other fabric, and fitted by preference with blocks of cement or stone, to form a
continuous rubbing surface, is carried by large drums or rollers, one of which is
driven by a belt and pulley to give a rapid travelling motion to the band. The
lower endless band is by preference made of wire-cloth or other fabric of open
texture but of a size of inesh through which the whole rice will not pass, and is
carried on large drums or rollers which are fitted, not directly under the upper set,
but a little to one side, so that the lower band extends beyond the upper one, at
the end where the rice is fed on to it. One of the lower drums is driven from the
upper rotating drum by a belt, either direct or through speed-reducing gearing,

page_text: so that the lower band may travel either in the same or in the opposite direction,
and at a much slower speed than the upper one. The shafts carrying the drums at
the opposite ends of both bands, are fitted in adjustable bearing brackets or frames,
so that the bands can be tightened as they become slack by wear, and the bearing
bushes of the upper drum spindles are adjustable vertically, so that the upper band
can be brought down close to, or be raised off the lower band, and more or less
pressure applied to the rice or grain being hulled or decorticated by the action of
the blocks on the upper band. To provide for simultaneous vertical adjustment of
the spindles of the upper drums, their bearing bushes are carried by screws on
which bevil pinions are fitted to gear into pinions on a common shaft fitted with a
hand wheel. The same arrangement and construction of machine is used for
polishing rice or other grain, excepting that the upper band is covered with a
clothing of coir matting.
The rice or grain to be hulled, decorticated, or polished is fed in a continuous
stream on to the upper surface of the lower band at one end, by a hopper or spout
which may be provided with regulating appliances, and to which an exhaust fan is
connected to remove husks and flour or dust from the grain. When the bands
travel in opposite directions, the lower band is carried up at an angle so that the
grain flows down between the bands, and when the bands travel in the same
direction the slow travelling motion of the lower band carries the grain under the
rubbing surface of the more rapidly moving upper band, by which the grain is
rubbed and rolled and hulled, decorticated or polished as it passes between the
bands to the opposite end of the machine where it is delivered into a shoot or
hopper.
While passing between the bands, the grain is also freed from husks or dust and
flour, which are caused to pass through the meshes of the lower band, by means
of an exhaust fan connected to the space between the upper and lower lengths of
the band, which is enclosed. A number of revolving brushes are fitted below the
surface of the lower band, to free the meshes of any small or broken rice or husks,
and keep the band clean, and similar brushes are fitted over the upper band to
clean or free it from husks or dust and flour, the brushes being fitted in chambers
to which an exhaust fan is connected. Bearing rollers are provided to retain the
rubbing surfaces of the bands in contact; and sieves, riddles, or other receptacles
are fitted in the space enclosed by the lower band, to retain any broken rice that
may fall through it. The bearings of the drums, rollers, and brushes are carried in
strong side frames, which also carry or support the driving gear and the various
parts of the machine,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Rankine Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th March 1883.
JOHN RANKINE RUSSELL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North-Britain,
Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HULLING, DECORTICATING, AND
POLISHING RICE OR OTHER GRAIN
"
My said Invention relates to improvements in machinery for hulling, decorti-
cating, and polishing rice or other grain.
The hulling or decorticating of rice or other grain, is effected according to this
Invention by means of a long endless band, fitted with blocks of cement or other
material, which is caused to travel rapidly over a second band of wire cloth or
other fabric on which the rice or grain is slowly carried along in either direction,
while subjected to the frictional rubbing action of the more rapidly traversing
band above.
The polishing of the grain is effected by means of similar bands, but the upper
band is for this purpose covered or clothed with woolly sheepskin, manilla fibre,
coir matting, or other similar rubbing surface.
My Invention is illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1
is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of a modification of the improved
machine.
In this modification of the improved machine, as adapted for hulling or
decorticating or for polishing rice or other grain, the upper endless band A which
is made of leather, wire-cloth, or other fabric, is carried by large drums or
rollers A', A2, on spindles a', a², one of which is driven by a belt C and pulley C¹
from a pulley C on a rotating shaft C³ to give a rapid travelling motion to the
band A. The lower endless band B is by preference made of wire-cloth or other
fabric of open texture, but of a size of mesh through which the whole rice will not
pass, and is carried on large drums or rollers B¹, B², on spindles b, b', which are fitted
not directly under the upper set A1, A2, but a little to one side, so that the lower
band B, extends beyond the upper one A at the end where the rice is fed on to it.
One of the lower drums B¹ is driven from the upper rotating drum A¹ by a belt D
and pulleys D1, D2, either direct, or as shown through speed reducing toothed
gearing E, E', on the shafts e, b¹, so that the lower band B may travel in the same
direction (or it might be in the opposite direction) and at a much slower speed
than the upper one A. The shafts a¹, a², b', b², carrying the drums A¹, A², B', B², at
the ends of both bands A, B, are fitted in bearing brackets or frames A³, B³, which
may be adjusted by means of screws a³, b³, so that the bands can be tightened as
they become slack by wear; and the bearing bushes A4, A4, of the upper drum
spindles a¹, a², are similarly made adjustable vertically, so that the upper band A can
be brought down close to, or be raised off the lower band B, and more or less
pressure may be applied to the rice or grain being hulled or decorticated by the action
of the blocks on the upper band A. To provide for simultaneous vertical adjust-
ment of the spindles of the upper drums, their bearing bushes A, A* are carried by
screws as, a on which bevil pinions F, F, are fitted to gear into pinions F¹, F¹, on a
common shaft F2 fitted with a hand wheel F³.
The rice or grain to be hulled, decorticated, or polished, is fed in a continuous
stream on to the upper surface of the lower band B at one end, by a hopper or
spout G which may be provided with regulating appliances, and to which an
exhaust fan H is connected by a close duct H' for the purpose of removing husks
and flour or dust from the grain. When the bands A, B are arranged to travel in

page_text: opposite directions, the lower band B is carried up at an angle so that the grain
flows down between the bands, and when the bands A, B, travel in the same
direction as in the modification shown, the slow travelling notion of the lower
band B carries the grain under the rubbing surface of the more rapidly moving
upper band A by which the grain is rubbed or rolled and hulled, decorticated or
polished as it passes between the bands A. B to the opposite end of the machine
where it is delivered from the bands into a shoot or hopper I.
While passing between the bands A, B, the grain is also freed from husks or dust
and flour, which are caused to pass through the meshes of the lower band B, by
means of an exhaust fan or fans connected to an enclosed space or box J open above
and fitted between the upper and lower lengths of the band B, and close to the
inner surface of the band. A similar box J¹ fitted with an eduction pipe J* leading
to an exhaust fan is fitted immediately over the surface of the upper hand A to
remove dust or husks carried round on that band. A number of revolving
brushes K K are fitted below the upper surface of the lower band B to free the
meshes of any small or broken rice or husks, and keep the band clean, and similar
bi ushes K¹, K, are fitted over the upper band A to clean or free it from husks or
dust and flour, the brushes being fitted in the chambers J and J to which the
exhaust fans are connected. The lower set of brushes K K are driven by belts k, ²,
and pulleys, ², from pulleys 3 on a shaft C driven by gearing c³, c', from the
main shaft C3; and the upper set of brushes K¹, K¹, are driven by belts k³, k, and
pulleys,, from the shaft C³. The spindles of the revolving brushes K, K¹ are
carried in adjustable bush bearings outside the exhaust chambers J and J¹.
Bearing rollers L, L, are provided and fitted at intervals under the upper length
of the lower band B, to retain the rubbing surfaces of the bands A, B, in contact.
Sieves, riddles, or other receptacles M, M, are fitted in the space enclosed by the
lower band, to retain any broken rice that may fall through it, and these
receptacles are carried on supporting spring bars or brackets m at each side, so
that they may be caused to vibrate by means of a crank and connecting rods m', m³,
from a rotating shaft m². The bearings of the drums, rollers, and brushes, are
carried in strong side frames N, N, of any suitable construction, which also carry or
support the driving gear and the various parts of the machine.
When the machine is designed for hulling or decorticating the rice or grain, the
upper band A is fitted with blocks of cement or stone to form a continuous
rubbing surface, but when intended for polishing, the upper band is covered with
a clothing of coir matting, woolly sheepskin, manilla fibre, or similar material.
Otherwise the machines may be of similar construction.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The arrangement or combination of parts of machines for hulling or
decorticating and polishing rice or other grain substantially as herein described
and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Second. A machine for hulling or decorticating and polishing rice or other grain,
consisting of two endless bands whose surfaces act on the rice or grain passed
between them, and of operating gearing for traversing such bands, substantially as
herein described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In machines for hulling or decorticating and polishing rice or other grain,
the combination of a lower carrying endless traversing band with an upper
traversing band, clothed or formed with a rubbing or polishing surface to act on
the grain, substantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
:
Fourth. In a machine for hulling or decorticating rice or other grain, an endless
traversing band formed or clothed with a rubbing or rolling surface of blocks of
stone or cement to act on the grain substantially as herein set forth,

page_text: Fifth. In a machine for polishing rice or other grain an endless traversing band
formed or clothed with a polishing surface of coir matting, manilla fibre, woolly
sheepskin, or similar material to act on the grain, substantially as herein set forth.
Sixth. The combination for the purpose set forth of brushing and air exhausting
apparatus with the endless traversing bands of machines for hulling or decorticating
and polishing rice or other grain, substantially as herein described and illustrated
by the accompanying Drawings.
In Witness whereof, I the said John Rankine Russell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth Day of March, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
Witness
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER C.E. Fel. Inst, P. A.
Of the firm of
W. R. M. Thomson & Co
Patent Agents
Glasgow
J. R. RUSSELL (L.S.)