US702212A - Wheat-cleaning mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 702,2!2. Patented June 10,1902. J. HIGGINBUTTOM. WHEAT CLEANING MECHANISM.

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No. 702,212. Patented lune I0, I902.

J. HIGGINBDTTOM.

WHEAT CLEANING MECHANISM.

' (Applicicion filed Dec. 30, 1897.)

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UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

WHEAT-CLEANING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,212, dated J une 10, 1902.

Application filed December 30,1897. Serial No. 664,702. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheat-Oleaning-Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements are intended to be applied to machines for the purpose of separatiug stones and the like from wheat by means of currents of water; also, for washing and scouring mud and dirt from wheat while immersed in water-and for rinsing and for draining the wheat. 1

The invention is illustrated-by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section; Fig. 2, a plan of my machine. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged Views of rinsing-jets, and Figs. 5 and 6 similar views of heaters.

In carrying out my invention I form an upper Water-chamber A, having one or more of its sides or walls formed with perforations for the passage of water, and I also form a lower water-chamber B, from which water passes through the said perforations into the upper water-chamber. The water is supplied to the lower water-chamber by the pipe B. I place one or more hanging valves 0 between the upper and lower water-chambers and below the grain-admission pipe, and I balance the valve or valves by means ofweight D in such manner that any stones or heavy material which become deposited in the upper chamber are permitted to fall automatically into the lower chamber by means of the said balanced valves. In some cases I make the valve or valves with perforations of sufficiently small size to prevent the passage of wheat, so that the water from the lower chamber may also flow through the perforated valve or valves into the upper water-chamber. The mode of operation of this part of my invention is as follows: A stream of water is passed into and through the lower water-chamber and from thence through the perforated walls or sides or valves into the upper chamber also. Such Water thenpasses in a stream over a sill or lip E, arranged at the top of the hopper-shaped bottom of the upper waterchamber A--that is, at the side of chamber Aor through an aperture in the walls of the upper water-chamber into the second portion of the apparatus, where the softening of mud and the scouring and washingof the Wheat are performed in an annular washing-chamber F. The wheat containing stones and mud is fed by spout G into the stream of water flowing through the upper Water-chamber A. The stones by means of gravity sink to the bottom of the upper chamber and are automatically discharged therefrom by the balanced hanging valves into the lower waterchamber B. The stones which pass into the lower water-chamber are removed automatically therefrom by means of an elevator or worm or screw, (not shown,) as is'well understood by millers. The wheat and the mud are carried by the current of water over the sill or through the aperture, as above described, into the second portion of the machine.

The second portion of the machine is con-' structed with a vertical stationary perforated cylinder H, having revolving heaters I in its interior, with flights set at an angle for the purpose of causing the wheat being treated to become scoured and washed and to rise in side the cylinder from the bottom to the top and to be discharged therefrom through an aperture in the top of the cylinder. Such beaters are set out in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. I make such stationary cylinder with either parallel or conical sides. I also make the lower portion H of the cylinder H impervious, and it may have ribs or corrugations J on its interior surface. The upper portion H of the cylinder is formed of woven gauze or perforated metal. I make one or more apertures K in the perforated cylinder above the lower impervious part for the admission of jets of water to the interior of thecylinder for the purpose of rinsing the washed and secured and uprising wheat with clean water. These jets are shown on a larger scale in Figs. 3 and 4, in which Mis a half-inch pipe.

.111 some cases I may introduce clean water through the shaft L, which in such cases would be made hollow and fitted with tubes to form jets by rinsing in the interior of the machine. I use the perforated portion of the cylinder above the rinsing-jet apertures for the purpose of draining the wheat by means of the centrifugal force imparted to the uprising wheat by the revolving heaters and flights. In some cases I may use these rinsing-jets upon a washing-cylinder in which the wheat is descending instead of uprising.

The action of the second part of the apparatus is as follows: The wheat, mud, and water enter F at the lower impervious part H of the cylinder and are driven by the revolving heaters and flights I around the interior of the cylinder. Thereby the mud becomes softened, broken up, and dissolved in the Water. The wheat and the muddy water rise up the interior of the cylinder until they reach the perforationsin the cylinder. The muddy water then passes through the perforations. The wheat continues to rise, and as it is passing the jets K of clean Water it becomes rinsed. Also I form the impervious portion H of the cylinder with an interior flange or rim L to prevent the water and wheat from flowing out at the center of the cylinder.

The water adhering to the wheat after passing the water-jets is drained off by centrifugal force through the perforations in the up- I per part of the cylinder, the heaters traveling at a speed of about two thousand five hundred feet a minute.

'I declare that what I claim is 1. In a grain-scouring machinethe combination of the upper water-chamber A, having a perforated hopper-shaped bottom, and an aperture at its side, the lower water-chamber B, pipe B for admission of water under pressure to chamber B, the grain-admission pipe G at top of chamber A, and weighted valve 0 at the lower part of chamber A, whereby the grain, mud and stones are caused to fall through the water to the bottom of chamber A where mud and stones are automatically delivered through the weighted valve to the chamber B, while the grain flows with the water over the aperture at the side of chamber A.

2. The combination with a stoning device, of a vertical cylinder H and H, the lower portion H being imperforate, the upper portion H being perforate, heaters I, all set at an angle, adapted to rotate at high speed within this cylinder, and jet-pipes K placed in the perforate portion of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES HIGGINBOTTOM.

\Vitnesses: V

W. H. BELSTON,

J. MCLACHLAN.

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