US1737260A - Scalper and aspirator - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 26, 1929. H. MJoLsNEss SCALPER AND A'SPIRATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 9, 1928 duo: 1421 Nov. 26, 1929. H. MJOLSNESS 1,737,260

SCALPER AND ASPIRATOR Filed A rii 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/aakonwg'olmess w y-3 3% g p NOV. 26, 1929. MJQLSNESS 15737260.

SCALPER AND ASPIRA'TOR Filed April 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 26, I929. MJOLSNESS 1,737,260,

SCALPER AND ASPIRATOR Filed April 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNETEE gTATES I'IAAKON MJ'OLSNESS, OF MINNEAPDLIS, MINNESOTA SCALIPER AND ASPIRATOR Application filed April 9, 1928. Serial No. 268,437. I

A primary object of the invention is to provide a vertical screen which is adapted to rotate in operation. In so far as I know this is a new principle in SCELlPGl'S 0r" grain cleaners. The rotating screen operates to give the desired result and in conjunction with the aspirating means provides a scalper of a very eiiicient nature. In fact, my scalper accomplishes a result which has long been desired in thoroughly scalping the grain so that as it passes from the scalper to the separator where the different grains are separated, one from the other, the grain is so well cleaned of foreign matter and dust that the separator may function more readily in its operation to separate the grain.

It is also an object of my invention to provide an automatic means for regulating the flow of the grain around the cylindrical screen provided in my scalper. In this manner I provide automatic means for feeding $0 the grain into the scalper in a manner such as will be more fully hereinafter described. The automatic regulation of the flow of grain into the scalper prevents the choking of the same and permits its operation to effectively scalp the grain.

Heretofore scalpers have ordinarily been made of a nature to spread out the grain in a flat shaker or wide or broad rotary screens. These are usually quite large and require considerable power to operate them to say nothing of the vibration which accompanies their operation, particularly in the'shaking type of scalpers, and this vibration is undesir-v able. My scalper is comparatively smalland compact and may operate in conjunction with a rotary high speed grain separator which I have designed, and which is the subject matter of other patents and applications having no particular bearing on this scalper excepting that this rotary type of scalper is very desirable to be used with my rotary high speed separators, whereas a shaker type of separator is detrimental in the efficient operation of my high speed separators. The compact construction of my scalper is in keeping with the compact construction of my grain separator and thus I provide a scalping means which may be used with any grain separator. of a compact nature taking a small amount of room and not as much power as in the old types of separators to operate the same.

It is also an important feature of my invention to provide an aspirating, means in my scalper. By my method of scalping and aspirating of the grain I get virtually four times as much spread of the grain as is accomplished by the old methods and at the same time I am able to providethe necessary aeration of the grain by directing the air through the scalper in a manner so as to give a rotary action of the air over the grain. This seems to more thoroughly clean the grain and any lighter material which may consist of screenings, dust, light straw, 7 chaff, light oats and small seeds such as king heads, etc, are all removed in the aspiration which takes place in my scalper. Thus the grain is in much better condition to be separated after it passes through my scalper than I believe has been accomplished heretofore by other scalping means. In the action of my scalper and aspirator the air passes through the scalper and is directed into a cyclone which permits the particles of straw, etc., to be carried off independently of the air passingthrough the same.

These objects together with other details and features will be more fully and clearly set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of my scalper and aspirator blower and cyclone.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front detail.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side sectional view of my scalper and aspirator.

Figure 5 is a detail plan showing the grain gate from the feeding hopper to my scalper;

Figure 6 is a sectional detail of the grain gate and feeding hopper. I

Figure 7 is a detail along the line 77 of Figure 4, looking down on the grain cone in the lower part of my scalper.

My scalper and aspirator A is designed to scalp the grain and aerate the same in a manner so as to take out the foreign matter before it enters into the grain separator. Any suitable grain separator may be employed afterwards to separate the grainrand to more thoroughly clean the same if it is desired. I have not illustrated more than a slight portion of a' grain separator B in the drawings. My grain scalper and aspirator is particularly adapted for a high speed type of grain separator such as I have designed, and owing to the fact that the principles of the grain separator are not involved in this invention I have only shown 'a small portion of the separator. The illustration in Figures 1 and 2 show my grain scalper and aspirator r sting upon the top of the grain separator B.

My scalper A is of a small compact nature and" is adapted to be connected with the cyclone C by the pipe 10 extending from the top or cover 11 of the scalper A into the cyclone G and the cyclone O is adapted to be operated by the blower D. A suitable belt 12 operates the blower I) which is driven by the belt 13 on the opposite side of the scalper A which operates the shaft 14.

By means of gears 15 the scalper operating shaft 16 is adaptedto be rotated. The shaft 16 drives the gear 17 positioned within the scalper A and the shaft 17 is adapted to operate the vertically extending shaft 18 which extends up axially into the scalper A.

The shaft 16 is carried in the bearings 19' and 20 while the shaft 18 is supported in the bearings 21 and 22. The gear 17 is driven by the pinion so as to re .:e the shaft 18 when the shaft 16 is operated, 81"."1 a grain cone 24 is adapted to cover the rs 1? and 23 so as to keep the grain passing through the scalper away from these ears in operation. The grain cone is provided with A1: arcuated openings 25 about the same to permit thegrain to pass over the grain cone 24 and into the bottom 26 of the scalper and aspirator A. From this lower portion 26 the grain passes on into the separator B.

The shaft 18 supports a spider frame 27 which is adapted to carry the screen 28 oz:- tending vertically in a cylindrical form supported by the upper ring member 29 and the lower ring member 30, while suitable arms 31 connect the upper and lower rings 29 with the spider frame 27. The spider frame 27 is keyed to the shaft 18 so as to rotate with e same in the operation of my scalper A. The screen 28 canebe of any screen mesh formation such as is illustrated in the drawings, either of a square mesh,or any other suitable mesh as may be desired to permit the grain to pass through the same in the operation of the scalpel.

l/Vithin the screen 28 and spaced therefrom I provide a cylinder 33 which is supported by the spider frame 24 on the sleeve 35 carried by the shaft 16. This sleeve 35 is supported upon the upper end of the grain cone 24 and by means of a cam shaped lower edge 36 the cylinder 33 may be operated to raise in the operation of the scalper A. The amount of raising of the cylinder 33 is governed by the cam 36 which is adapted to cause the cylinder to raise up in accordance with the pitch of the cam. The cam is of a helical nature and is adapted to engage against the stationary complemental portion 37 carried by the upper end of the grain cone 24. The sleeve 35 provides a long bearing on the shaft 18, permitting the cylinder 33 to run true on the shaft.

The upper end 38 of the cylindrical sleeve 33 extends into the collar of the frame forming part of the spider 27 and is freely positioned therein. The lower end of the cylinder 33 is adapted to support a conical collar 39, the lower edge 40 of which normally extends in close proximity to the flange 41 formed on the collar 42 which is supported. by the ring 30 and depends therefrom. A small opening 43 which is just large enough for the grain to pass in a thin stream through the same is provided annularly between the edge 40 and the edge of the flange 41, so that as grain is carried through the screen 28 against the conical collar 39 it may pass through the opening 43 to the grain collar 24. When the grain passes through the opening 43 it is carried by the grain cone to the openings 25 and on into the bottom 26 of the scalper A.

The cylinder 33 with the collar 39 automatically regulates the flow of the grain through the opening 43. This is accon1- plished'by means of the tongue or shoulder member 44 which is carried by the cylinder 33 and when the grain banks up against this tongue shoulder, as illustrated in Figure 3, on the cone collar 39 and the conical collar flange 41, the cylinder 33 which is normally stationary within the sca'lper A is adapted to be caused to rotate slightly or in proportion with the banking of the grain 45 against the tongue shoulder 44, causing the cylinder to move sufficiently to enlarge the opening 43, as illustrated in Figure 3, permitting the grain to fall through more rapidly, yet dropping the grain in a cylindrical sheet-like formation through the scalper A on to the grain receiving cone 24 and out through the openings 25. Thusas the grain enters the scalpel. through the screen-28 and on to the conical collar -39,the flow of the same through the opening 43 is regulated automatically by the amount of grain passing into the scalper;

The rotation of the screen 28 carries the grain circularly around the conical chamber 46 which is formed by the casing member 47 supported in the lower collar portion 48 and the upper collar portion 49. This casing 47 may be made of sheet metal and extends conically about the screen 28. When the grain 45 enters the conical chamber 46 in the operation of my scalper A, the grain is carried around in the conical chamber 46 at the bottom of the same by the rotation of the screen 28, the grain banking itself up along the screen slightly as the screen rotates, and all the sticks, straw and other foreign matter of a larger nature are carried around and out through the opening 50 on one side of the scalper A which is formed with a discharging trough 51, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Thus as the grain passes into the conical chamber 46 it is carried around by the rotation of the screen 28 in the chamber 46 and all of the-large foreign matter is readily discharged out through the opening 50. The grain is fed into the scalper by the hopper l illustrated in detail in Figures 5 and 6, and by means of a gate 53 which is operated by the rack 54 and the pinions 55, so as to raise and lower the gate 53 by means of the handle 56, I feed grain from the hopper E into the side of the chamber 46. The position of the hopper E is illustrated more clearly in the plan view in Figure 2, together with the operating handle 56 for the grain gate 53.

The blower D is adapted to draw the air up through the openings 25 over the grain cone 24, up through the cylindrical sleeve 33, over the spider frame 2. and out through the pipe 10 into the cyclone C. In operation the grain gate 53 is opened sufficiently to direct grain into the conical chamber 46 and the rotation of the screen 28 carries the grain virtually around the chamber 46, screening it through the screen 28 and carrying the large foreign matter out through the opening 50. When the grain passes through the screen 28 in the operation of the scalper A it is aerated by the operation of the blower l) and'as the grain passes on to the conical collar 39 the collar is operated to regulate the size of the opening 43 and permit the grain to pass through the aspirating process by the draft of air passing over the cone 24 and up through the sleeve This provides the aspirator of my scalper and carries out the dust and light material which may consist of screenings, light straw, chaff, light oats, small seeds, king heads and other material of a similar nature. The rotation of the screen 28 with the rotat-. ing lower collar 42 has a tendency to whirl the grain around in the lower chamber 56 formed by the sleeve 57 extending around the cone 24. The grain is thus passed through a whirling spray of air and so thoroughly cleansed of foreign matter that my scalper operates to perform a very desirable means of primarily scalping the grain before it passes into a grain separator. This takes. a heavy burden ofl'of the grain separator and with my rotary scalper and aspirator I provide a means permitting the grain to be scalped more rapidly and much more efficient ly than I have ever known it to be before. The rotary operation overcomes the undesirable shalr'ng and vibration which is true of the shal-iing type of scalpers and which is highly detrimental to a rotary grain separator if the scalper is connected with the grain separator as l have illustrated mine to be in the drawings, and the simple compact nature of my scalper and aspirator together with its rapid operation provides a means of scalping grain very rapidly. l-leretofore the scalping has been accomplished by flat shaking means and rotary scalpers of a horizontal 'ype and I believe my vertical scalping means accomplishes an entirely new principle wherein more efliciency is obtained at a less expense operation, more thoroughly compet' ig the scalping and of an extremely desirable nature.

lily scalper and aspirator may be provided with a series of holes 60 which permit the operation of the aspirating means without forming an unnecessary vacuum to disturb the flow of the grain through the ring-like opening 43. The aspirating action through the scalper of the draft air extending through the same by reason of the blower D causes the grain to assume a whirling action as it falls through the opening 43. p

In accordance'with the patent statutes. 1 have described the operation of my scalper and aspirator and while I have illustrated the same in a particular formation and of a design which I believe to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that. the same is only suggestive of a means of carrying out my invention and that other uses and adaptations, together with such changes as are obvious 'may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A, grain scalpel including, a vertical hopper, a cylindrical vertical rotary screen positioned within said hopper, means for feeding grain into said hopper, a cylindrical grain regulator positioned coaxially within said screen in a'manner to automatically operate to regulate the flow of grain through said scalper, and means for aspirating the grain as it passes through said scalper in a circular thin stream.

2. A grain scalper including, a grain receiving chamber, a vertical rotatable screen positioned within said chamber in a manner to rotate therein to carry the grain about the same by the rotation of said screen, larger straw. and sticks being screened out by said through said screen to said regulator means. '3. A grain scalper including, a grain receiving chamber, means for feeding grain into said chamber, a rack and gear means for closing said grain feeding means into said chamber, a rotatable scalping screen within said chamber, a cone-like lower end formed on said screen, a grain discharge opening in said cone-like portion, and means operable by the grain banking thereagainstfor increasin or decreasin the size of said rain CD D C) discharge openingby the proportion of the grain passing through said scalping screen and engaging said means for regulating said opening.

' 4-. A rotary grain scalper including, a vertical rotating scalping screen member, a grain discharge opening within the bottom of said scalping screen, a concentric rotatable member positioned normally stationary within said screen, means for automatically rotating and simultaneously liftingsaid member to enlarge or decreasethe size of said grain opening in said scalper whereby grain is discharged from said scalping screen in arcuated sheet-like formationinto the lower portion of said scalper. I

5. A grain scalper andaspirator including, a grain receiving chamber, rotatable means within said chamber adapted to carry the v grain in a circular manner as it is fed into said chamber, said means including a scalping screen through which the grain is adapted to pass, a grain discharge opening within said rotatable means, means for automatically regulating the size of said opening in proportion to the flow of grain through said scalping screen, and means for extending a draft of air over the grain as it falls from said opening in an arcuated whirling sheet-like formation to thoroughly aspirate the grain, thereby separating the dust and lighter material from the grain and permitting the scalpedgrain to pass out through the bottom of said scalper.

6. A grain scalper including, grain receiving means, means for regulating the flow of grain into the grain receiving means, grain scalping means positioned Within said grain receiving means adapted to rotate vertically within said grain receiving means, and means for automatically regulating the flow of grain from said scalping means in proportion to the grain banked up in said rotatable means in said scalper.

7. A grain scalper and aspirator including, a hopper, means for feeding grain into said hopper, a rotatable scalping screen operable within said hopper to draw the grain around from said feeding means in said hopper, spreading the grain against said screen, a

cylindrical regulator within said screen, an opening adapted to be varied in size by said regulator, and means for causing said regulator to raise and lower to increase or decrease the discharge opening for the grain from said scalping screen.

8. A grain scalper and aspirator including, a grain receiving chamber, means for feeding grain into said chamber, a cylindrical scalping screen rotatable within said chamber, an aspirating passageway extending through said scalper, a hopper bottom formed in said scalping screen and rotatable therewith, an opening in said hopper for permitting grain to discharge therefrom, and means for automatically increasing and decreasing the size of said opening in said hopper to provide an opening of an arcuated slot-like nature in said hopper causing the grain to be discharged out of said scalping hopper in a spread out sheetlike whirling format-ion, and means for passing air over the whirling sheet-like formation of grain and up through said tubular opening extending out of said scalper.

9. A grain scalper and aspirator comprising, a rotatable scalping means, a cyclone means associated with said scalping means, a tubular passage connecting said scalping means with said cyclone means, means for causing a draft of air to be extended through said scalping and cyclone means, and means within said scalper adapted to spread the grain passingitherethrough out into a whirling cylindrical sheet-like formation at the point Where the air passes over the same to thoroughly aspirate the grain in said scalper.

10. A grain aspirator and scalper including, scalping means for causing the grain to whirl in a virtually cylindrical like formation in space after it is scalped of the larger foreign matter, and means for passing air over the grain while in the whirling cylindrical like formation to thoroughly aspirate the same.

11. A grain scalper and aspirator including, a scalping member for larger foreign matter, means for whirling the grain in space from said scalping means, and means for passing air over the grain as it whirls and I falls to the bottom of said scalper to thoroughly aspirate the same removing the dust and small foreign matter therefrom.

12. A scalper including, a vertically rotatable scalping screen, a grain hopper about said scalping screen, means for rotating said screen, a skirt formed on the lower portion of said screen having an annular lip extending inwardly toward the axis of said scalper, and a member co-axially mounted in said scalper with said screen having means for automatically operating by the flow of grain through said scalper to regulate the opening through which the grain falls as itis passed through said scalping screen.

13. A scalper comprising, a vertical rotatable scalping screen, a skirt depending from said screen having an inwardly annularly extending lip, an automatic regulator for the flow of grain throughsaid scalper having a cylindrical body portion co-axially positioned with said screen, a conical flange extending in close proximity with said annular lip on said skirt, means for rotating said screen, and means for automatically arranging said regulator with said conical flange to increase the space of the periphery of said conical flange from said flange on said skirt to pro- Vide an opening in proportion to tne grain passing into and through said scalper.

14. A scalper including, a vertically positioned rotatable scalping screen, an axial shaft for operating said screen, a spider frame for supporting said screen in the top and bottom thereof, a skirt portion depending from said screen, a grain channel formed about said screen, an automatic regulator having a cylindrical body supported upon sait shaft in a manner to permit the same to be rotated independent of the rotation of said screen, a collar carried by said cylindrical body adapted to extend through said skirt, and means for causing said collar and cylindrical body to rotate by the banking of grain on said cylindrical member and collar, and means for raising said cylindrical body and collar to Vary the outer peripheral edge of said collar from said skirt of said screen to provide a wide or narrow opening of an an nular nature for the passage of grain from said scalping screen which is regulated by the proportion of grain passing through said screen and scalper.

15. A scalper and aspirator including, a circular grain receiving trough, a cylindrical scalping screen Vertically disposed in said trough, a skirt formed on said screen depending from below said trough, means for supporting said screen in a manner to rotate and cause grain to be carried around the surface thereof in said trough, said screen carrying away to a discharge opening from said trough larger foreign matter, an automatic regulator freely mounted upon said shaft supporting said screen, said regulator extending in close proximity to said skirt to provice a slot-like annular grain discharge opening to permit the grain to fall from the screen through said annular slot into the lower portion of said scalper, a shoulder formed on said automatic regulator, a cam for raising said regulator when the same is rotated, said regulator being operated by the banking of grain against said shoulder to widen the opening for the discharge of grain thereby.

16. A scalper and aspirator comprising a grain trough, a cylindrical scalping screen rotatably positioned in said grain trough adapted to carry grain around said trough, an axial shaft for operating said screen, a discharge opening for large foreign matter not passing through said screen to discharge the same out of said trough in the rotation of said screen, a cylindrical tubular core member, skirt members depending from said screen and from said core member having their peripheral edges spaced apart to normally form a narrow annular grain discharge opening within said scalping scree a spiral cam carried by said axial shaft adapted to operate said core member to elevate the same in the rotation thereof, and a shoulder carried by said core member against which grain is adapted to bank, causing said core member to rotate and simultaneously be elevatedin a manner to increase the width of said annular discharge opening between the peripheral edges of said depending skirt member, means for directing air through said core member from below said skirt member to aspirate the grain as it falls through said annular discharge opening, a grain receiving cone below said skirt member, an arcuate grain discharge opening thercabout through which air is passed to aspiratethe grain falling upon said grain cone in the operation of said scalper and aspirator.

17 A scalper and aspirator including,

means for scalping the grain by a vertically rotatable scalpi'ng screen, a ring-like grain discharge opening from said scalping screen, and means for automatically regulating the size of said ring-like opening in proportion to the grain passing" through said scalping screen, said means being operable by the grain in said scalper, and means for aspirating the grain as it passes through said opening while the rain is whirling in mid-air in a cylindri-- cal sheet-like formation from said ring-like opening.

18. 1% scalper and aspirator including, a circular grain trough, a cylindrical scalping screen rotatably positioned within said grain trough, a spider frame for supporting the ends of said screen, a tubular core member extending co-axially with said screen, spiral cam means for raising and lowering said core member, means carried bysaid core member adapted to permit the grain to operate said core member to raise and lower the same for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the space between the lower edge of said core member and the lower edge of said scalping screen to form a ring-like opening for the discharge of grain therethrough, air suction means connected to said tubular core member, and an air passage leading frombelow said scalper and aspirator and through said core member to aspirate the grain passing therethrough. V

19. A scalper and aspirator including, a circular grain receiving trough, a scalping screen Vertically positioned and rotatably mounted in said trough adapted to form the inner wall of said trough, means for rotating said screen,

a grain cone covering said rotating means in the lower end of said scalper, air and grain openings formed about said cone, a skirt formed on the lower end of said screen, a collar and cylinder co-axially positioned with said screen, the peripheral edge of said col-'- scalper, and air suction means connected with 1 rotatable vertically said cylinder at the top of said scalper to aspirate the grainas it passes from said scalping screen through the variable ring-like passageway between said collar and said skirt formed on said screen.

20. A scalper having means for scalping the grain against a vertically rotatable cylinder, and means for aspirating the grain as it drops in a whirling cylindrical-like formation, the aspirating of the grain carrying away the light dust and small foreign matter lighter than the grain itself.

21. The method of scalping and aspirating grain consisting in discharging the grain into a circular grain trough, the inner wall of which is formed by a rotatablescalping screen extending vertically in said trough and passing the grain from said scalping screen through a ring-hke openlng causing the grain to whirl in a cylindrical sheet-like spread out formation and passing a draft of air over the whirling grain when in mid-air to draw off the material lighter than the grain being scalped.

22. Ihe method of scalping and aspirating grain consisting in scalping the grain by a disposed cylindrical screen which permits the grain to pass therethrough to the center 01' the screen, then passing the grain through a narrow opening of a ring-like nature to whirl the grain from this opening into a space below the scalping screen, and while the grain is in mid-air passing a draft of air over the same which is adapted to draw off undesirable seeds and light substance to separate the same from the grain proper in the aspiration process.

23. The method of scalping and aspirating grain consisting in depositing the grain into a trough having one side formed by a scalping screen through which the grain is adapted:

to pass, the larger material being scalped out by the screen, then passing the grain through an opening one side of which moves relatively slow compared to the other side of the opening, causing the grain to assume a whirling state and while the grain is in the whirling state in the air, causing a draft of air to pass over the same in a manner to draw away from the grain undesirable sub- HAAKON MJOLSNESS.

. .nwn

Images