IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCREENS EMPLOYED FOR CLEANING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hoyle, of Marsden, in the Parish of
Almondbury, in the County of York, Corn Miller, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCREENS EMPLOYED FOR CLEANING
WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN."
Sealed the 17th August 1860, and dated the 20th February 1860..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hoyle at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th February
.1860.
I, THOMAS HOYLE, of Marsden, in the Parish of Almondbury, in the County
of York, Corn Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention.
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCREENS EMPLOYED FOR CLEANING
WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN," to be as follows:-
According to the methods heretofore adopted in the construction of screens
intended to be used for cleaning wheat and other grain, it has been found
difficult to obtain a material capable of retaining for any length of time a
uniformly rough surface for the grain to rub against, for although at first they:
answered well, in a short time the material.became smooth, and ceased to
possess the necessary rubbing or abrading properties so essential in screens for
removing extraneous matters from the husks of the grain. Now it is proposed
by this Invention to attain this object by the employment of a substance or a
composition, such as gritstone, or other calcarcous substance, either alone or

page_text: mixed with silicious granulated substances not capable of becoming smooth by
abrasion. I propose to arrange and dispose several slabs of such said material
or composition extending from the top to the bottom of the screen, interposing
ordinary wirework between each of such said slabs for the escape of dust and
other extraneous matters from the interior of the screen, which accumulates
therein during the operation of cleaning wheat or other grain. I propose, if
desirable, to work the screen in a vertical position, and to adjust a vertical
revolving shaft or fan in the centre thereof, upon which said shaft I affix a
series of horizontal trays or ledges at distances apart throughout the length of
said shaft, taking care not to place them immediately over one another, so that,
supposing the grain intended to be cleaned to be fed into the screen at the top
thereof, and the aforesaid shaft to have rotary motion imparted thereto, the grain
will fall on to the first ledge or ledges on the shaft, and will be thrown therefrom
by centrifugal force against the aforesaid slabs in the screen, by which the grain
will be rubbed and again thrown back and caught by the next ledges below,
from which they will be thrown off as before mentioned, and in this manner the
grain will be successively rubbed until it reaches the bottom of the screen,
from which it passes by a hopper as usual; a screen and fan thus constructed
are capable of performing as much work as two screens and two fans of the
ordinary kind, with this advantage, that grain cleaned by this improved screen,
when ground into flour, has been found to produce a better quality of flour
from the same quality of grain than when cleansd in a screen of the ordinary
kind. The aforesaid slabs may be readily and easily dressed or replaced by
others, or even turned about so as to present new rubbing surfaces, said slabs
being securely held in proper position about the screen by any convenient and
suitable means. I also propose, if desirable, to convert the iron brushes of
screens into grinding surfaces by applying thereto or combining therewith
calcareous or siliceous substances or materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Hoyle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3
20th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HOYLE, of Marsden, in the Parish of Almondbury, in the County of York,
Corn Miller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date. the Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Hoyle, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Hoyle, my exc-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Hoyle,
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 make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCREENS EMPLOYED FOR CLEANING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Hoyle, my exocu-
tors 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 Thomas Hoyle, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
Now it
According to the methods heretofore adopted in the construction of screens
intended to be used for cleaning wheat and other grain, it has been found
difficult to obtain a material capable of retaining for any length of time a
uniformly rough surface for the grain to rub against, for although at first the
material employed was found to answer well, in a short time it became smooth
and ceased to possess the necessary rubbing or abrading property so essential
in screens for removing extraneous matters from the husks of grains.
is proposed by this Invention to attain this object by the employment of a
material or composition, such as gritstone or other calculous substance, either
alone or combined with any calcareous or siliceous granulated substances or
materials not capable of becoming smooth by abrasion. I propose to arrange
and dispose several slabs of such said material or composition extending from
the top to the bottom of the screen, interposing ordinary wirework alternately
between such said slabs for the escape of dust and other extraneous matters
from the interior of the screen, which accumulates therein during the operation
of cleaning wheat or other grain. I propose to work the screen in a vertical
position, and to adjust a vertical revolving shaft or fan in the centre thereof,
and to affix upon such said shaft a series of beaters or drivers the length of

page_text: such said screen, and to feed or supply the screen at the top thereof with the
grain intended. to be cleaned, so that, by imparting rotary motion to the
aforesaid shaft, the grain will be successively rubbed until it reaches the bottom
of the screen, from which it passes by a fan as usual. A screen four feet long
thus constructed is capable of performing as much work as two ordinary screens,
each six feet long, with this advantage, that grain cleaned by this improved
screen, when ground into flour, I have found to produce a better quality
of flour from the same quality of grain than when cleaned in two screens
of the ordinary kind, each six feet long, as before stated. The aforesaid slabs
may be readily and easily dressed or replaced by others, or even turned about
so as to present new rubbing surfaces, the said slabs being securely held in proper
position by any suitable means. I also propose, if desirable, to convert the
iron brushes or beaters of screens into grinding surfaces by applying thereto or
combining therewith the aforesaid calculous, calcareous, or siliceous substances
or materials, that is to say, either upon the iron brushes themselves or upon
pieces of wood fastened thereto or substituted in the place of such said brushes,
and attached to the horizontal arms of the revolving shaft or axis of motion
thereof, to apply a lamina or coating of the before-mentioned calculous,
calcareous, or siliceous substance or material, whether stone in its natural state
or a factitious composition, partaking of the nature of stone or other granulated s
substance, for example, emery, the aforesaid lamina or coating being attached
to the brushes or pieces of wood by glue or other suitable adhesive
substance.
And in order to explain my said Invention more completely, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved screen; Figure 2, a horizontal
section thereof through the line A, B, at Figure 1; Figure 3, an elevation of
the shaft and beaters or drivers. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ
similar letters of reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as
such parts appear or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A, A, denotes the main framework of the screen; B, B, slabs of gritstone,
calculous, calcareous, or siliceous substance, material, or composition before
described inserted into the said framework, as exhibited at Figure 2, and firmly
fixed therein aca-hibited as his any athan cuitable warne Ccnicase of wire

page_text: work of the ordinary kind for the escape of dust and other extraneous matters
from the interior of the screen; D, a revolving shaft carrying the drivers or beaters
E, and also brushes or pieces of wood (used when desirable, but not shewn by
the Drawing), covered or coated with calculous material, as before stated. The
shaft D revolves in bearings at top and bottom of the screen, and has a pulley G
affixed to the upper end thereof, over which a band may be passed for imparting
rotatory motion to the said shaft and parts affixed thereto. I is a hopper for
the escape of the grain after it has been cleaned. A fan is employed with
this screen as with ordinary screens.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "Improvements in the Construction of Screens employed for
Cleaning Wheat and other Grain," together with the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in
conclusion that what I claim as my Invention, intended to be secured to me by
the above in part recited Letters Patent, is as follows:-I claim the use of grit-
stone or other calculous substance, either in its natural state or pulverized and
combined with calcareous or siliceous substances, or any factitious composition
partaking of the permanent abrading nature or character thereof, and not
capable of becoming smooth by abrasion, and the adaptation thereof to screens
in the form of slabs, as above described and represented by the accompanying
Drawings, and also to the brushes of screens as above stated for the purposes
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hoyle, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
THOMAS HOYLE. (L.S.)