GB302353A - Improvements in seed separating method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

302,353. Warrenteed Seed Co., (Assignees of Warren, H. R.). Dec. 15, 1927, [Convention date]. Separating; treatment by damping; treating with solid substances.-Seeds are separated in a gravity liquid wherein the seeds stratify, the resulting strata being removed successively and the seeds therein freed from adhering gravity liquid. Before separation, the seeds may be treated to change the relative buoyancy of different constituents of the mixture. This may be effected by soaking the seeds in water, for example at 80-165‹ F. for 15-25 minutes, or, in the case of seeds which have a coating which becomes sticky when wetted, by wetting the mixture and treating it with a material such as sand which will form a coating on certain of the seeds but not on others. The seeds may be washed before treatment with the gravity liquid, which may be water, alcohol, or preferably salt or sugar solutions. Seeds are admitted to the separating tank A through a funnel 14, Fig. 3, and pass into a basket 20 and thence past a vertically adjustable member 31 to the space between a partition 41 and a basket 46 closed by a valve 55. In this space the seeds may be first treated with warm water from the tank 10 and afterwards with gravity liquid. With the aid of the adjoining tanks and pipe connections, the liquids may be caused to surge up and down through the seeds, and agitation may also be effected by a rotary stirrer 29 surrounding a central pipe 21 having gauze-covered holes 43. Spray pipes for liquid are provided at 56, 58, and for air at 60, and a side pipe 62 open to the air at the top communicates with the tank at 62<1>, 62". After stratification has been completed the valve 55 is raised and the stratum of heaviest seeds is discharged through the pipe 66 into a basket 67 in a chamber 68, Fig. 10, a valve 75 at the bottom thereof being closed. Liquid in the pipe 66 and manifold F is drained through a pipe 73 to a funnel 83, from which, a swinging pipe 84 returns it to the tank 1 - - 8 from which it was taken. The contents of the chamber 67 is then passed through a pipe 76 to a centrifugal drier 78, the liquid from which flows to the funnel 83. The seeds are then washed in the centrifugal by water, the washings being sent to settling and storage tanks 96, 98, and the washed seeds being finally delivered through a swinging pipe 89 to any desired point. The remaining strata of seeds in the separating tanks A are similarly dealt with successively.