-ANS
Year: 1896

page_text: A communication by THE ACTIEN-MASCHINENBAU-ANSTALT, vorm. VENULETH
& ELLENBERGER, of Darmstadt, in the Empire of Germany, Engineers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a washing device for wheat or grain of all kinds,
by means of which the wheat may be thoroughly cleansed before other treatment.
This cleansing may take place in a single vessel, or two vessels may be connected
with one another, in such a way that the wheat to be cleaned passes alternately from
one to the other.
The improved washing device consists of a cylindrical vessel with a part tapering
towards the bottom where it is connected by means of a pipe with a water supply.
The surplus water passes through an overflow at the top into a strainer in which
coarser impurities such as chaff, husks, lighter grains, and the like, are deposited,
whilst the dirty water runs off through a down pipe. The lower part of the said
vessel is closed in such a manner as to be readily unfastened when required and the
thoroughly cleansed wheat removed from the washing device after the removal of
a perforated inclined bottom or slide. In order to prevent wheat getting into the
water supply pipe a perforated cylinder, or other suitable device is provided.
Above the inclined perforated slide a pipe branches off from the washing vessel
and connects the same with another suitable vessel. Another pipe connects this
latter vessel with an operating device. In order to prevent the pressure of the
water in the water vessel acting on the operating device a back pressure valve is
inserted in the pipe between the second vessel and the operating device.
The second vessel is divided into two parts by means of an inclined sieve, the
pipe from the water vessel opening into the upper part above the sieve. The end
of said pipe may be closed by means of a suitably operated valve. A further pipe
runs upwards from the second vessel and carries at its top end a bent exit pipe
connected therewith by means of a joint which permits the bent exit pipe to be
turned in such a way that the wheat to be washed may be either always conducted
back into the same vessel or subjected to the cleaning in the said vessel and in
another vessel alternately.
The bent or semi-circular shaped pipe may be replaced by the following
arrangement. This consists of a tank or trough through which a perforated pipe
passes diagonally. This tank or trough is connected with a pipe having a revoluble
joint by means of a pipe running from the upper end of the perforated pipe, whilst
the lower end of this pipe opens through the bottom of the trough. The trough
has also a discharge pipe for dirty water at one of its lowest points.
The valve on the pipe from the washing vessel is opened and closed intermittently
by means of a spindle suitably guided and a pivoted lever with a link attachment
or the like or in any other suitable manner. This adjustment of the valve is

page_text: effected contrary to the working of the operating mechanism connected to the
pipe which drives the washing vessel in such a way that the valve is closed when
the operating mechanism acts or forces and vice-versa.
For the operating device there may be employed a pump or injector, compressed
gas (air, sulphurous acid or the like) water under pressure or the like arranged to
act intermittently, or a combination of pump, water pressure, compressed air, or
gas, may be employed. The last named combination has the advantage that by
the use of a water pump through the injection of air into the suction pipe the
washing action is improved, and there is also the advantage of aërating the wheat
during the washing process.
The washing process is carried out in the following manner; The washing vessel
is filled with water and the wheat to be washed is inserted, the operating device
is then set in action and the movement regulated by the opening and closing of the
valve.
The dirty wheat on the opening of the valve passes by its weight into the
second vessel where the inclined sieve therein prevents the wheat reaching the
operating mechanism and the back pressure valve prevents the pressure from
the washing device being conveyed to the operating mechanism. The pipe from
the washing vessel is then closed by means of its valve and the wheat is conveyed
to the curved turn pipe back into the vessel or into another vessel. By this means
particles of dirt, light grains, chaff, and the like are separated from the wheat either
by means of compressed air, sulphurous acid, or water under pressure, from the
pump, injector, or the like; that is to say the wheat is cleaned. These impurities
run through a broad overflow into the strainers in which the larger pieces accumulate,
and the particles of dirt are carried off through the down pipe. In using the
modified arrangement the wheat passes through the turn pipe into the perforated
pipe in the trough where the dirty water flows off and runs away through the
discharge pipe, whilst the wheat travels down the pipe and is conveyed back into
the washing vessel or into another vessel. This process may be again and again
repeated until the wheat is thoroughly cleansed. When the washing is finished
the slide is drawn out of the bottom of the washer and the wheat removed from the
washing apparatus.
Dated this 28th day of July 1896
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.
A communication by THE ACTIEN-MASCHINENBAU-ANSTALT, vorm. VENULETH
& ELLENBERGER, of Darmstadt, in the Empire of Germany, Engineers.
1, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 has for its object a washing device for wheat or grain of all kinds,
by means of which the wheat may be thoroughly cleansed before other treatment.
This cleansing may take place in a single vessel, or two vessels may be connected

page_text: with one another, in such a way that the wheat to be cleaned passes alternately
from one to the other.
This improved washing device is shown in the accompanying drawings, in
which,
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section;
Figure 2 a diagrammatic plan view of two washing vessels.
Figures 3 and 4 longitudinal and cross sections of a modified form of the
apparatus.
The improved washing device consists of a cylindrical vessel with a part A
tapering towards the bottom where it is connected by means of a pipe 6 with a
water supply. The surplus water passes through an overflow at the top into
a strainer d in which coarser impurities such as chaff, husks, lighter grains and the
like, are deposited, whilst the dirty water runs off through a down pipe e. The
lower part of the said vessel A is closed at f in such a manner as to be readily
unfastened when required and the thoroughly cleansed wheat removed from the
washing device after the removal of a perforated inclined bottom or slide g. In
order to prevent wheat getting into the water supply pipe b, a perforated cylinder,
or other suitable device, is provided..
Above the inclined perforated slide, 9, a pipe branches off from the washing
vessel A and connects the same with another suitable vessel C. Another pipe h
connects this latter vessel with an operating device. In order to prevent the
pressure of the water in the water vessel acting on the operating device, a back
pressure valve p is inserted in the pipe between the second vessel and the
operating device.
The second, vessel C is divided into two parts by means of an inclined sieve q,
the pipe h from the water vessel A opening into the upper part above the sievo.
The end of the pipe h may be closed by means of a suitably operated valve r.
A further pipe s runs upwards from the second vessel C and carries at its top end
a bent exit pipe t connected therewith by means of a joint s which permits the
bent exit pipe to be turned in such a way that the wheat to be washed may be
either always conducted back into the same vessel, or subjected to the cleaning in
the said vessel and in another vessel alternately, see Figure 2.
The bent or semi-circular shaped pipe t, shown in Figure 1, may be replaced by
the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4. This consists of a tank or trough a
through which a perforated pipe d' passes diagonally. This tank or trough a is
connected with a pipe s having a revoluble joints by means of a pipe t' running
from the upper end of the perforated pipe d' whilst the lower end of this pipe
opens through the bottom of the trough. The trough has also a discharge pipe e¹
for dirty water at one of its lowest points.
This
The valve r on the pipe from the washing vessel is opened and closed inter-
mittently by means of a spindle k¹ suitably guided at and a lever a pivoted at ¹
with a link attachment y or the like or in any other suitable manner.
adjustment of the valve is effected contrary to the working of the operating
mechanism connected to the pipe / which drives the washing vessel in such a way
that the valve is closed when the operating mechanism acts or forces and
vice-versa.
For the operating device there may be employed a pump or injector, compressed
gas (air, sulphurous acid or the like) water under pressure or the like arranged to
act intermittently, or a combination of pump, water pressure, compressed air, or
gas, may be employed. The last named combination has the advantage that by
the use of a water pump through the injection of air into the suction pipe the
washing action is improved, and there is also the advantage of aërating the wheat
during the washing process.
The washing process is carried out in the following manuer; The washing
vessel A is filled with water and the wheat to be washed is inserted, the operating
device is then set in action and the movement regulated by the opening and
closing of the valve r.

page_text: The dirty wheat on the opening of the valve passes by its weight into the second
vessel C where the inclined sieve q therein prevents the wheat reaching the
operating mechanism, and the back pressure valve p prevents the pressure from
the washing device being conveyed to the operating mechanism. The pipe / from
the washing vessel is then closed by means of its valve r and the wheat is con-
veyed by the pipe s to the curved turn pipe t back into the vessel or into another
vessel. By this means, particles of dirt, light grains, chaff and the like are
separated from the wheat either by means of compressed air, sulphurous. acid or
water under pressure, from the pump, injector or the like; that is to say the wheat
is cleaned. These impurities run through a broad overflow c into the strainer d in
which the larger pieces accumulate, and the particles of dirt are carried off
through the down pipe e. In using the modified arrangement shown in Figures 3
and 4, the wheat passes through the turn pipe t' into the perforated pipe in the
trough a where the dirty water flows off and runs away through the discharge
pipe e, whilst the wheat travels down the pipe and is conveyed back into the
washing vessel or into another vessel. This process may be again and again
repeated until the wheat is thoroughly cleansed. When the washing is finished,
the slide g is drawn out of the bottom of the washer and the wheat removed from
the washing apparatus at the part f.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is,-
1. A grain washing apparatus characterised by two washing vessels (A) each
having a second vessel (C) connected with them, from which latter vessels
pipes (s, t) proceed, and in which vessels and pipes the wheat or other grain
which is to be cleaned is maintained in constant circulation by means of suitable
intermittently acting devices operated by water, air, gas (principally sulphurous
acid) or the like under pressure or a combination of the same, in order to separate
out the particles of dirt, said circulation being capable of being limited to one
vessel, or the wheat or the like being caused to circulate alternately in the two
vessels, an aëration of the wheat or grain during the washing process being
produced by the combination of compressed gas and water under pressure,
substantially as herein before set forth.
2. In a grain washing apparatus such as described, a trough for returning the
wheat or grain to one of the washing vessels, characterised by a perforated
pipe (d) passing diagonally through the same, through which pipe the grain is
conveyed to the washing vessel whilst the dirty water runs off and is carried away
by a separate pipe (el) substantially as described.
3. The general construction and combination of parts taken as a whole forming
the improved grain washing apparatus, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated.
Dated this 1st day of Anvil 1907
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.