NZ206326A - Grain cleaner - Google Patents

Description

206326 Patents Form No. 5 PATENTS ACT 195 3 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No. 206326 dated 21 December 1983 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SCREENING FINES FROM GRAIN SAMPLES WE, D.H. BROWN & SON LIMITED of 38 Moorhouse Avenue, Christ-church, New Zealand being a New Zealand company, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement 2 0 fc> o 2 b' This invention relates to testing grain and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for, in a laboratory, separating or screening fines and other waste products from grain samples.

At present in industries which utilize grain, for example, in the flour milling industry, it is normal to test the quality of the grain and to measure the quantity of waste product in the grain. In the past this has been effected by taking samples of the grain and shaking the sample in a sieve to remove dockages, screenings, fines etc so that an accurate measure of the whole grain, generally measured by weight, is obtained. From this sample it is possible to calculate the overall percentage of screenings etc which exists in the bulk grain.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for screening fines and other waste products from grain samples.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in a laboratory for grain testing, the apparatus including a support frame dimensioned to be mounted on a laboratory bench, the support frame having mounted at one end an input feeding means, the support frame having a driven cylindrical screen mounted "ri" 2 0 U 3 2 fcj thereon with its longitudinal axis generally horizontal, the cylindrical screen having a scroll on its inner surface for directing a flow of grain from the input feed end to an outlet end beneath which is a grain collecting tray, the support frame including a space beneath the cylindrical screen in which a fines collecting means is manually inserted, the apparatus being used as follows: feeding a sample of grain into the input feeding means; rotating the sample in the driven cylindrical screen to allow fines to pass through the periphery of the screen into the collection means; removing the fines in the collecting means; comparing the weight of the grain collected in the grain collecting tray and the weight of the fines collected in the collecting means to thereby enable a calcuation to be made of the percentage of fines to grain by weight in the sample.

The support frame can have on either side of the screen inwardly angled front and rear panels forming a trough which is spaced above a base and extending between end plates so 2063 that the fines collecting tray can be positioned on the base to collect fines dropping from the screen which are guided by the angled front and rear panels into the tray.

One of the end plates can support the feeding means and the opposite end plate can support a grain collection tray.

The screen can include on the inner periphery thereof a scroll which passes the grain from the one end plate to the opposite end plate and into the grain collecting tray.

The apparatus can alternatively and additionally include an indented cylinder, a collecting means and an auger which are mounted on the support frame with the indented cylinder forming an extension to the cylindrical screen, the collecting means with the auger in the base thereof being positioned within the indented cylinder so that grain is collected by the rotating indented cylinder and raised before dropping into a collecting means from which it is removed by the auger.

Further aspects of the present invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following examples which are given by way of example only.

Examples of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification in which: Figure 1: shows a section through an example of apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2: shows a cross-section on the lines 2-2 206326 through the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3: shows an end view in the direction of arrows 3-3 of the apparatus shown in Figure 1? and in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 4: shows an exploded view from above of a preferred example of apparatus according to the invention; Figure 5: shows a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 4; Figure 6: shows an end view of the discharge and of the apparatus; Figure 7: shows an end view of the feed end of the apparatus in which part of the interior is ghosted thereon; Figure 8: shows a plan on the lines B-B of the apparatus shown in Figure 5; and Figure 9: shows a schematic wiring diagram for the apparatus shown in Figures 4 to 8.

The examples of the invention will be described with reference to the invention being used to test wheat samples. It is to be appreciated that the invention can be used with other grain to remove fines or other deleterious material from samples thereof.

In the first example described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 accompanying the provisional specification the apparatus includes a support frame 1 on which a cylindrical screen 2 is mounted with its longitudinal axis horizontal. The screen 2 is driven by a drive means (not shown) so that it rotates about its longitudinal axis. The mesh of the 206326 screen can vary depending on the degree of screening required, for example, the screen can be constructed of 2mm mesh.

The support frame 1 also supports a feeding means 3 the position of which may be varied relative to the screen 2 in the direction of arrows 4 (Figure 2). The feeding means 3 has an inlet chute 5 which leads to an outlet 6 positioned in association with one end of the screen 2. The gap 7 between the outlet 6 and the base 8 of the screen 2 can be varied to allow different rates or volumes of sample to be supplied to the screen 2. The screen 2 has positioned therebeneath a tray or hopper 9 for collecting fines.

In use the above apparatus is used to remove fines from a sample of grain so that the percentage of fines can be calculated.

In addition the apparatus can include, if desired, an extension to the screen 2. The extension being an indented cylinder 10. The periphery of the cylinder 10 having a plurality of indentations the size of which are selected so that coarse wheat or other grain is collected in the indentations and carried therein as the cylinder 10 rotates.

The cylinder 10 has positioned therein collecting means 11 which extends along the length thereof. The collecting means 11 can be a V or U shaped channel 12 which extends across most of the width of the cylinder 10. The means 11 having in the base thereof an auger or the like feeding means 13 adapted to feed material dropped into the collecting means 206326 at the end 14 of the apparatus for collection. Other wheat which is passed from the indented cylinder 10 is collected on a tray 15.

In use samples of wheat e.g. about 200 grams are tested 5 periodically. The wheat is fed into the chute 5 to pass the gap 7 into the base 8 of the rotating screen 2. The fines pass directly to the tray 9. The wheat in the screen 2 is either removed for weighing or testing or passes to the indented cylinder 10 for further screening. In the indented 10 cylinder 10 the coarse wheat is removed and passed to the O collecting means 11 and the remainder passes to tray 15 for subsequent analysis.

In the preferred example shown in Figures 4 to 8 the apparatus is designed as a desk or bench top laboratory 15 testing mechanism for grain/wheat samples. The apparatus has a support frame consisting of a pair of end plates 16 and 17 which are joined together by a base 18 and front and rear side panels 19 and 20. The support frame can be mounted on rubber feet 21.

The delivery end plate 16 supports a delivery hopper 22 beneath which leads to a delivery chute 23 which leads to an opening 24 in the plate. The other or discharge end plate 17 can support a holding frame 25 on which a discharge tray 26 is situated and on which the grain is collected. 25 The end plates 16 and 17 each support a pair of slave pulleys 27 adapted to support and at one end to drive a collar 28 or flange 29 at the ends of a cylindrical screen 30.

O 206 The screen 30 can be powder coated stainless steel the periphery of which has a mesh of 2mm spacing. The inner periphery of the screen 30 has a scroll 31 positioned to move grain from the chute 23 to the discharge tray 26.

The slave pulleys 27 on the plate 16 are driven via belts by drive pulleys 32 driven by an electric motor 33 mounted in the cavity beneath the base 18. The drive mechanism is covered by a drive cover 34. The speed of the motor 33 can be controlled by a rheostat 35 which is preset and sealed to produce a preselected speed of rotation for the screen 30.

The base 18 has in use positioned in the space thereabove and below the panels 19 and 20 a screens collection tray 36. The plates 19 and 20 angle inwardly toward the bottom thereof to form a trough so that the space 37 therebetween is less than the width of the tray 36. The base 18 can include a stop 38 positioned to centralize the position of the tray 36 on the base 18.

The end plates 16 and 17 have extending inwardly from openings 24 to adjacent the front and rear plates 19 and 20 a pair of plates 39.

The control of the apparatus may include a wiring circuit (Figure 9) with an on-off switch 40 which controls power from supply source 41 to the speed controller 35 to vary the speed of the motor 30.

In use a sample of grain is fed into the hopper 22 through which it passes into the chute 23 to fall into an 206326 aperture 42 in the input end flange 29. The grain is tumbled in the screen 30 and any fines therein drop through the screen to be collected in the tray 36. The grain itself passes to the tray 26 in which it is collected.

In the tray 26 any large items of deleterious matter are obvious as the screening operation is being effected.

These large items, for example, dockages which do not because of their size pass through the screen can be removed by hand from the tray.

The weights of the respective collections in the trays 36 and 26 can be measured and a fines percentage calculated. The respective parts of the apparatus can be treated with a plastics or powder coating if desired and the tray 36 and/or 26 may be manufactured in an injection moulding machine.

Thus by this invention there is provided a method and apparatus for screening fines and the like from grain samples.

Particular examples of the present invention have been described herein by way of example and it is envisaged that improvements and modifications can take place without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 2 0 6 8 2 (J

Claims (8)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. An apparatus for use in a laboratory for grain testing, the apparatus including a support frame dimensioned to be mounted on a laboratory bench, the support frame 5 having mounted at one end an input feeding means, the support frame having a driven cylindrical screen mounted thereon with its longitudinal axis generally horizontal, the cylindrical screen having a scroll on its inner surface for directing a flow of grain from the input feed end to an 10 outlet end beneath which is a grain collecting tray, the support frame including a space beneath the cylindrical screen in which a fines collecting means is manually inserted, the apparatus being used as follows: feeding a sample of grain into the input feeding means; rotating the 15 sample in the driven cylindrical screen to allow fines to pass through the periphery of the screen into the collection means; removing the fines in the collecting means; comparing the weight of the grain collected in the grain collecting tray and the weight of the fines collected in the 20 collecting means to thereby enable a calcuation to be made of the percentage of fines to grain by weight in the sample.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support frame has on either side of the longitudinal axis of the screen inwardly angled panels forming a trough which is 25 spaced above a base and extending between end plates so that the fines collecting means positioned on the base collects fines dropping from the screen to be guided by the angled front and rear panels into the collecting means. - 10 -

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein one of the end plates supports the feeding means and the opposite end plate supports a grain collection tray.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the cylindrical screen is driven via a belt drive from an electric motor controlled electronically to rotate the screen at a preset number of revolutions per minute.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims which additionally includes an indented cylinder, a collecting means and an auger which are mounted on the support frame with the indented cylinder forming an extension to the cylindrical screen, the collecting means with the auger in the base thereof being positioned within the indented cylinder so that grain is collected by the rotating indented cylinder and raised before dropping into a collecting means for which it is removed by the auger.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the parts thereof are treated with a plastics or powder coating material.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the fines collecting means and the grain collecting tray are injection moulded from a plastics material.

8. An apparatus for use in a laboratory for grain testing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification. D H BROWN & SON LIMITED By Their Attorneys BALDWIN. SON & CAREY