US1328872A - Corn-cleaner - Google Patents

Description

J. W. HARRIS. comv CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED IULY H,'l9l8.

1,328,872. Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

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H Mom JAMES WALTON HARRIS, OF TURBEVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

CORN-CLEANER.

Snecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27. 1920.

Application filed July 11, 1918. Serial No. 244,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES lWALToN HARRIS,-

a citizen. of the United States, residing at Turbeville, in the county of Clarendon, State of South Carolina, have invented a new and useful Corn-Cleaner; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a corn and grain cleaner, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby all dirt, silk, shucks, cobs, worm dust and the like can be quickly and thoroughly removed from the corn at a minimum expense, leaving a high grade product which will bring the best market prices.

Further objects of the ..invention are to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction which occupies a c0mparatively small amount of'floor space, which can be economically operated, and which can be usedby small mills that are unable to buy a large expensive machine.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being point-' ed out in the appended claims.

For afull understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corn and grain cleaner constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the device and associated parts.

Fig. 4: is a similar view through the upper hopper.

Fig. 5 is an end view of one of the rotary screens.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the numerals 1 designate a pair of spaced upright standards between which reversely in-- clined upper and lower rotating screens A and B, respectively, are mounted. Each of these rotary screens is provided with a fine mesh screen2 extending from the upper end thereof to a point toward the lower end, and

a coarse mesh screen 3 at the lower end there- 7 of.. The corn or other grain to be cleaned 1S discharged into theupper end of the upper screen A from the spout 4: of a hopper 5, the feeding of the grain being controlled by a suitable valve 6 which is arranged to be manipulated by a handle 7 The dirt and fine particles will drop through the fine screen 2 as the corn gravitates through the inclined rotary screen A, the perfect grains of corn finally dropping through the coarse screen 3 of the upper rotary screen A into a second hopper 8 which is arranged under the same. The spout 9 of this hopper 8 dis charges the corn into the upper end of the lower reversely inclined screen B where the same operation is again repeated, any fine particles which may still remain with the grain dropping through the fine screen 2 of .the rotary screen B, while the perfect grains of corn finally drop through the coarse screen B into the receptacle 10. The use of the two superposed and reversely inclined rotary screens insures thoroughness in the cleaning of the corn or grain, and the arrangement is such that the corn or grain passes through the two screens by gravitation, thereby avoiding any necessity for handling the grain after it is once deposited in the upper hopper 5. The dust and fine particles dropping through the fine screen 2 of the two rotary screens A and B are deflected by suitable chutes 11 into a convenient receptacle 12 at one side of the cleaner.

A centrifugal fan blower F is mounted adjacent the upper end of the upper screen A and the discharge nozzle 13 of the fan projects into the upper end of the screen A so that all light'particles such as corn silk and small pieces of corn cob will be blown through the end of the screen. This fan blower may be mounted in any suitable man ner, although it is preferably arranged to be driven directly from the shaft of one of the are journaled in the said end standard andbearing brackets 18 applied thereto; One

of the, shafts 17 is provided with a drive pulley 19 by'means of'which power can be i applied to the machine for driving the same, and the two shafts 17 are provided with pulleys'20 which are connected by a belt 21 so that both of the shafts and rotary screens will. be operated in unison.- In mounting the fan F the casing 22 thereof is preferably secured by suitable fastening members 23 to the end standards 1 with the upper horizontal sh'aft17 extending'centrally through the same. ried by a sleeve 25-which is- 'looseupon the shaft 17 said sleeve extending beyond the fan easing where it is provided with a pinion 26 which meshes 'witha gear 27 on a counter-shaft 28, said counter-shaft being in turn provided with a pinion 29 which meshes with a gear 30 on the shaft 17. The fan blower is thus driven directly'from the upper shaft 17" and a rapid rotation of the fan is produced by a comparatively slow rotation of the'shaft and screen. The blast ofair from this fan passes longitudinally through the upper rotary screen A and serves to blow any corn silk or the like light material through the end of the screen. This corn and grain cleaner occupies but a small amount of floor space, can be operated with a small amount of power, and thoroughly cleans the corn or grain which is passedthrough the same.

loose on thehorizontal' shaftfa fan carried by the sleeve andarranged within the fan casing adapted-to deliver a blast of air in theupper end-of said screen, a counter-shaft gearedto both the sleeve and the horizontal shaft," and means for the horizontal a t r The fan 24 of the blower is car- 2. A grain cleaner including a pair of spaced standards, an inclined shaft extending between the standards and journaled upon one of the standards, a U-shaped bracket projecting from the opposite standard,.a horizontal shaft journaled in the said bracket and opposite standard and loosely connected to the inclined shaft, a rotary screen carried by the inclined shaft, means for conveying grain to the upper end of the screen and collecting it at the lower end thereof, a fan casing arranged within the U-shaped bracket and secured to the standard, the horizontal shaft extending through the fan casing, a sleeve loose on the horizontal shaft, a fan arranged within the casing adapted to deliver a blast of air in the upper end of said screen and carried by the sleeve, a counter-shaft extending between the fan casing and the outer side of the U-shaped bracket and geared to both the horizontal shaft and the sleeve, and means for driving the horizontal shaft.

3. A grain cleaner including an inclined rotary screen, a correspondingly inclined shaft carrying the screen, a short horizontal shaft connected to the inclined shaft by a universal joint, a centrifugal fan casing supported adjacent the upper end of the inclined screen and provided at one side thereof with a nozzle projecting into the rotary screen, the horizontal shaft extending through the center of the fan Casing, a sleeve loose on the horizontal shaft, a centrifugal fan carried by the sleeve and arranged within the casing, a counter-shaft geared to both the horizontal shaft and the sleeve, and means for applying power to the horizontal shaft.

4;. A grain cleaner including an inclined shaft, a rotary cylindrical screen carried thereby, a horizontal shaft, a universal joint connecting the horizontal shaft to the in clined shaft, a centrifugal fan casing 1nounted to discharge into the screen, a sleeve loose on the horizontal shaft, a centrifugal fan rigid with the sleeve and arranged within the casing, a counter-shaft geared to both the horizontal shaft and the sleeve, and means for applying power to the horizontal shaft.

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

JAMES WVALTON HARRIS.

Witnesses:

H. M. DENNIS, J. H. EVANS.

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