US108541A - Improvement in machines for cleaning and separating grain - Google Patents

Description

F. WEGMANN. MACHINE FOR CLEANING AND SEPARATING GRAIN.

Patented Oct. 18, 1870.

FREDERIO WEGrMANN, OF NAPLES, ITALY,

Letters Patent NO. 108,541, dated October 18,1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING AND SEPARATING GRAIN.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same I Fannnnrc WEeMAnN, of Naples, in the King'- dom of Italy, have invented an Improvement in the Washing and Cleaning of Grains, and in the appara tus relating thereto, of which the following is a specification.

Naturc and Object 0] me I ncention.

My invention relates -to certain improvements in what is known as the wetprocess of washing and cleaning grain; and

My invention consists in submitting the grain for an .instant only to the action of water, instead of for a longer time, as usual, the grain thus treated being eflectually cleansed and deprived of small stones, particles ofearthy matter, &c., without being soaked and swelled by the water.

Myinvention also consists of certain apparatus for carrying out the above process, and also-of devices for conducting the grain to and fi'om the said apparatus,

and for sitting and drying the grain, &c., all of which will be fully described hereafter.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section,of the complete cleaning apparatus;

Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, enlarged sectional plan views of parts of the apparatus, on the lines 1 2, 3 4, 5 6, and 7 8, fig. 1; and

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section oi another portion of the apparatus.

General Description.

in all the cleaning apparatus heretofore known, the grain has been cleaned by either a dry or wetprocess.

When this operation is accomplished by the dry process, it has the disadvantage, despite of all the accessories that may be employed, of not thoroughly separating the light or damaged grains, the flour obtained from grain thus treated being consequently unsound audot' poor quality.

The dry process fans also to separate small stones and particles of earthy matter from the grain, so that in grinding the latter the millstones become constantly blunted, and imperfect in their operation.

The wet process consists mainly'in submitting. the grain to the action of water, which dissolves the earthy portions, removes light and damaged grains, and also separates the stones.

, Such apparatus, however, have been used to a very limited extent, owing to their imperfect construction, the foreign matters being but partially separaterhand the grain so soaked and softened by the water as to render the grinding of it unprofitable, even after it has been dried by the usual methods, since the too great dampness causes a considerable quantity of flour to adhere to, and to consequently be removed with, the bran. The flour, also, although of exceeding whiteness, is unfit for exportation or preservation, especially if made from grain with very thin hulls.

Notwithstanding the above objections, the washingprocess has appeared to be indispensable for certain grains of inferior quality, and I have therefore attempted to disembarrass this process of its inconveniences, as will be seenfrom the-following descriptiona I have succeeded, by submitting the grain to the action of water for an inst-ant only, in removing all the stones and foreign matter without injuring the grain, and by adding certain other accessories employed in most mills, have formed a complete system of cleansing, by means of which, not only inferior grains, but those of the most delicate kinds, may he treated, and stones, earth, light and imperfect grains,

the, be thoroughly separated from the same.

0n reference tothe drawing- A represents a case, whi '11 serves to receive the grain to be cleaned, and the exit of which is regulated by means of a register, a.

A chain of buckets, B, conveys horizontal revolving screen, 0.

The dust and sittings fall at 0, into a case or nopper, 1), and are removed therefrom by the bagging apparatus E. The partc'of the screen 0 is 01 sheet metal, pierced with holes sufiicientl y large for the passthe grain into at age of the gram into thehopper F, whilst larger parts are thrown outside at e, and then removed.

From the hopper F the grain falls into a vertical cylinder, G, which has an outer casing of perforated sheet metal, and whose principal obj ectis the removal of the strawy envelope remaining around some grains. This result is obtained by causing the apparatus to make two hundred revolutions a minute. From the cylinder G the grain falls into the vspout or funnel g, and thence into the receptacle H, into which is also forced by the fan I a strong current of air, which removes the straw, dust, and all the lighter parts of the 7 grain, and expels them through the orifice H.

The light grains fall through the opening it, which may be regulated by means of a movable plate, and are receivedinto any suitable receptacle, J.

The good grain falls through the opening It into the case K, which is of such capacity that in case of any derangement in the subsequent apparatus, it will receive the whole supply of grain from above, while the trap K at its lower end is being closed and the more ment of the several parts arrested.

From the case K the grainfalls into the hopper 11, and thence through a comparatively small opening into the compartment or of a case, M, which is filled with water. The quantity of water flowing-through ,the pipe m fixed to the case-M,and'which penetrates into the compartmentm, is about two hundred and twenty litres a minute.

The compartment m, and the plate m, are solely for the purpose of preventing a strong current from being produced at the surface of the water. The

specific gravity is then the sole cause through which the light current of water carries the grain into the mpartment m.

As to the earth and stones, even the smallest, they fall upon the movable plate a, and thence onto the bottom a, whence they areallowed to pass into the water.

If, however, the ,grainto be cleansed is intended for finer flours, the valve 0 is closed sufliciently to allow the water to rise into thecase mfl-so as to overflow by the opening 11, through which all the light and defective grains pass,whilst all the good remain.

An inclined partition, as, situated at a short distance from'the wall 0, can at will be removed, or prolonged toward its lower extremity, and serves to guide the grain and water to the bottom of the compartment m. The cylinder Q is provided with a perlbrated outer casing, and serves to rapidly remove ti'om the moistened grain the dampness which it contains, and to 'raise it to the height necessary to flow through the pipe q intoa cylinder, B. This cylinder is constructed in the same manner as the cylinder Q, andhoth are caused to make about four hundred revolutions per minute. This speed is sufiicient to remove from the grain by centrifugal'force all the dampness which it contains, so that when elevated by the chain of buckcts 1: into the reservoir V, jt can be permitted to remain in the latter withoutundergoing any further drying. n 7

'1 is a fan, or ventilator, in front of which the grain may be caused to pass before reaching the reservoir W This ventilator,however, is notimlispensable, as

it only removes'the hulls detached from some grains in consequence of the swelling produced by the dam pness, and which are separated by theetiect of friction in the cylinders.

The advantages of my invention may be enumerated as follows: f

First, all the grains, by being subjected for an instant to the-action of water within the vessel M, may be cleaned, and, despite their immersion, they do not retain more dampness than when they aresprinkled, as is frequently done in order to obtain" a pure, lightcolored flour. v

Second, .by the immersion of the grain, all the heavier bodies, such as stones, nails, earthy particles, &c., must be entirely separated from the same, and fali'to the ottom of the compartment m, it being impossible for such heavy bodies to be carried with the grain into the compartment 122.

Third, the waste, or sittings, which in other grainwashing machines are entirely lost,'may, if desired, be wholly or in part saved with the grain, by a. proper adjustment of the valve 0 and plates and :c of the vessel M.

Fourth, vby varying the opening h of the receptacle H, more or less light grains may be obtained, so that the grain, when once dried, may be easily improved by a-sccond time.

Fifth, in consequence of the absolute separation of all the stones and other foreign matter from the grain, there will be a considerable saving in the dressing of millstones, and they may be dressed finer than usual, and thus a whiter obtained.

Sixth, in consequence of the saving of stones, they mood, which will effect considerable economy of time and material,

As a further advantage of myinvention, may be also mentioned the fact that buttwo men are required to attend the apparatus, one to pour the grain into the hopper, and the other to super-intend the cleaning.

I wish itto be understood that I do not limit myand drying the same.

with a constant stream of water, and arranged. beneath a chamber for the passage of grain,in combination with a drying apparatus communicating with the said coi'npartment m, and provided with a perforated screen, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The said case M provided vwith a plate 7:, arranged in the compartment m, as set forth.

partition x, arranged as specified.

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

W'ituesscs: FEEDER-to WEGMANN.

E. Rrsusno, BISSOX.

being run through the upper portion of the apparatus and a superior product of flour be may be dressed for all kinds of grains with the diaself to the above-described arrangement of apparatus,

2. The case M, having conmartmeuts m m supplied 4. Thecase M, its compartments in m, and inclined-

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