US1697875A - Grain washer and drier - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet /Ny/.e-Nro@ y@ C W rmPA/fys T. C. MANNING GRAIN WASHER AND DRIER Filed Feb. ll, 1927 .I an. 8, 1929.

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T. C. MANNING GRAIN WASHER AND DRIER Filed Feb. ll, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 o I 13 l a o O a o f6 -c "c5 o L77/ Lyy i o 3 o O O O O F |Q Q Q 2 Q vENToR JM@ 'l @ATTORNEYS Jan. 8, 1929.

' T. c. MANNING GRAIN WASHER AND DRIER- Filed Feb. ll, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet l I l ',Q Q 2 .P 9

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T. C. MANNING GRAIN WASHER AND DRIER Filed Feb. 11, 1927 4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTOF? Patent dan. l929.

TIMOTHY C. MANNING, OF OMAHA, NEBRAS.

GRAIN WASHER AND DRIER.

Application led February 11, 1927. lSerial No. 167,485.

This invention relates to a machine for cleaning and drying grain and more particularly to al machine adapted toremove dirt, smut spores, nematode gall dust. and other injurious substances from Wheat berries and thereby prepare the same for the subsequent operations of milling the grain into liour.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a machine of this character which will moisten, thoroughly clean and dry the wheat with a minimum addition to the water content of the wheat berries, and in which the percentage of water added can be accurately controlled.

A further object is to provide al simple, efiicient and inexpensive machine of this character which thoroughly cleans a continuous flow of grain passing through the same.

A further aim is to provide means for uniformly moisteninv the stream of wheat flowing into the mac line, and uniformly clean and dry the same, thereby providing wheat of uniform quality in these respects.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a machine embodying my invention showing'portions thereof broken away. Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the grain moistening chute. Figure 5 is an end View thereof showing a portion broken away. Figure 6 is an end View, on a reduced scale, of the grain cleaning and drying machine.

The moistening, cleaning and drying mechanism is supported on'a frame which may be of any well known and approved construction and as shown in the drawings comprises four upright legs or standards 7; upper end cross bars 8 preferably made of two angle bars riveted to opposite sides of fish plates 9 which connect the legs and these bars; a lower cross bar 10; upper longitudinal bars 11 and lower longitudinal bars 12 secured at their ends to the legs 7, and suitable bracing bars 13 between the legs and the lower longitudinal bars 12.

Within this frame are arranged a foraminous cleaning cylinder14 of relatively small diameter, and a coaxial foraminous drying cylinder 15 of relatively large diameter, these cylinders being supported on the lower longitudinal frame bars 12 by an intermediate head 16, an end head 17 arranged at the outer end of the smaller cleaning cylinder 14, and an. end head 18 supporting the outer end of the larger dryi cylinder 15. Each of these heads is preferal ly of circular form and is provided with integrally cast legs 19 which are bolted to the upper side of the lower lon-I gitudinal frame bars 12 in the case of the heads 16 and 18 and to the lower cross bar 10 in the case of the head 17.

The foraminous drying rcylinder 15 as shown in the drawings is'composed of ive sections or segments each of which comprises a curved perforated plate 20,- to the longitudinal edges of each of which angle irons 22 are secured, the corresponding angle irons of the section being adapted to be bolted together, and draw the several sections against annular beads 23 formed on the inner side of the end head 18 and the opposing side of the intermediate head 16. These two cylinder heads 16 and 18 are preferably rigidly secured together by tie rods 24 arranged exteriorly o f the cylinder sections.

The cleaning drum is composed of a Similar number of cylinder sections 25 similarly supported within a plurality of annularl disposed tie rods 26 upon annularl bea-ds 2 provided on the heads 16 and 17 These cyltheir entire extent, but vare perforatedonly at their inner` ends,the"outelrl ends forming an imperforate cylinder 28'` for a purpose which will presently appear,"a`n'd each ofthe angle bars 29 by 'which the several sections 85. inder'sections 25 are not, however, perforated desired portion of the inner erforated end of the section, and thereby a justably vary the effective area of' the cylinder.

The moistened grain is introduced intothe the cleaning', cylinder through a grain Inlet opening 35 provided in the end head 17, and is thence carried through the cleaning cylinder and through a triangular opening 36 dprovided in the upper part of the interme ate o linder head 16 into the drying cylinder 15.

he cleaned grain is carried through the drying cylinder, and when completely dried 1s discharged through a dischar e'opening. 37

rovided in the end head 18, t e gram being directed into a suitable chute or conveyer (not shown) by a spout 38. y

The mechanism within thevforammous cylinders for cleaning, drying and conveying the moistened rain is carried by a longitudinal shaft 40 w ich is journaled in ball bearlngs 41, which bearings are bolted to the upper sides of the upper transverse frame bars 8. This shaft may be driven in any suitable manner as by a pulley 42. On this shaft within the cleaning cylinder is arranged a drum' 43 composed of end heads 39 having a plurality of radially outwardly projecting spaced lugs 44, and a sheet meta cylinder secured between these heads. On this drum are obliquely mounted a plurality of vanes or blades 46 which extend the entire length of the drum and are adapted to engage the moist grain at the bottom of the cylinder, and carry it around the inner surface of the cleaning cylinder and also move it toward the intermediate head 16 and into the drying cylinder. For this purpose the blades 46 are'S-shaped and are formed to conform to the curvature of the drum, and are secured at their ends in any suitable manner to the spaced lugs 43 provided on each of the drum heads. These blades are preferably given substantial pitch ing additional blades should this become necessary or desirable in operating on any particular kind of grain. The outer edge of each of the blades is arranged close to the inner surface of the cylinder, and the moist grain is forced around the perforated surface thereby loosening the dirt, smut, gall 'dust and other impurities which are forced out through the erforations and drop from the cylinder. he grain, while being carried around the cylinder, is also shifted lengthwise thereof toward the intermediate head 16, where it is elevated by the inner extremities of the blades and passes through the triangular opening 36 in the upper part of the intermediatefhead 16 and into the inner end of the drying cylinder 15. i

Within -the drying cylinder a drum is mounted onthe shaft 40, this drum being reason of larger than the drum 47 in the cleaning der and being composed of similar en heads 48 having outwardl extending spaced lugs 49 and a central cylin rical section 50 secured to the end heads. To these lugs 49 are suitably secured bars 51 which extend lon 'tudinally of the drum and preferabl extend eyond the ends of the same. Eac of these bars is formed with a plurality of outwardly projecting beaters or wings 52 which are arranged obliquely relative to the line of travel and the outer ed es of these beaters are arranged close to t e inner ksurface of the foraminous cleaning cylinder. By reason of lthe greater diameter of this drum, the beaters travel at a higher speed than the blades or vanes of the cleaning drum and consequently upon engaging the grain, throw the rain forcibly a ainst the inner surface of the rum, and rapid y carry it around the inner surface of the same thereby beating and forcing any remainin moisture out of the grain and through t e lperforations in the cylinder. By t e oblique arrangement of the beaters, the grain is also shifted longitudinally along the cylinder and finally discharged through the discharge spout 38.

Means are provided for uniformly moistening the ain before it passes into the cleaning cyllnder, which mea s permit of accylin-I curately controlling the amount of water added and are preferably constructed as folows:

At the inlet end of the machine is mounte a Vertical chute 53 having an open upper end 54 adapted to receive uncleaned grain from any suitable source and an inclined lower end 55 which dischargesvinto the grain inlet opening 35 in the end head 17 of the cleaning cylinder. This Chute is preferably square in cross section and alternately on opposite sides are mounted a plurality of inwardly extending, inclined bailles or shelves 56 .which force the stream of grain to take a staggered path through the chute, the grain being alternately deflected from side to side by the alternating baiiles. Immediately below the lower or inner end lof the uppermost bafe 56, a water pipe 57 passes through the chute, and this water pipe is connected to a similar horizontal water pipe 58 passing through the chute immediately below the next lower baille by a vertical pipe 59. The lower water pipe is capped and water under pressure is supplied to these pipes from a main 60, the amount of water supplied being controlled by a valve 61. v

Each of these pi'pesis provided with a longitudinal upper row or series of ports 62 which extend upwardly at an angle` and are ladapted to.. direct sprays of water against the underside of the stream of wheat flowing over the lower end of the ballie,'and a lower row of ports 63 which direct sprays of water against the upper side of the stream of wheat mener@ iiowing over the next lower bae. By this means the grain is thoroughly moistened on all sides two successive times and the Wheat is uniformly moistened throughout.

The addition of water can be accurately regulated by the valve 61, and the amount of water taken out can be regulated by shifting the slides 33 so as to cover a greater or lesser extent of the perforated area of the cleaning cylinder and thereby decrease or increase its ei'ective draining capacity, the effective extent of the perforated area being, in all positions of the slides or shutter,.sulicient to remove all of the smut, gall dust, dirt and other impurities from the grain. rIhis control of both the addition and the removal of the water permits of interregulation at both ends of the process and consequently securing the optimum result. In actual practice this machine will meisten, clean and dry smutty and dirty grain with the addition of less than one-half of one per cent to the water content thereof.

To completely enclose and guard the washing and drying mechanism, a sectional sheet metal casing is provided which includes end walls suitably secured to the end frame bars and reinforced by suitable angle irons, two upper curved sections 66 connected by hinges67 and resting von the upper side of the reinforced end walls 65, removable curved panels 68 resting on the upper longitudinal frame bars 11 and the end walls 65 and held by latches 69 against the upper hinged sections 66, and vertical panels 70y removably secured to and closing the spaces between the upper and lower longitudinal frame bars 11 and 12.

The under side of the mechanism is enclosed by a pairl of horizontal troughs 71 which receive the water and impurities which fall from the foraminous drying and cleaning cylinders. Preferably two of such troughs are provided and each comprises inclined sheet metal side walls 72 which are connected at their lower ends to a bottom portion 73 which is semi-circular in cross4 section and contains a conveying screw 7 4. The corresponding upper ends of the troughs are joined together to form a central apex, and the outer edges thereof are suitably secured to the longitudinal frame bars 11, and the ends of each trough are closed by the end walls 65 and braced by a cross bar 75. The conveying screws 74 are adapted to move the impurities lengthwise of the trough and as shown comprise longitudinal shafts 76 journaled in suitable bearings at the ends of the troughs and carrying the usual convolute screw blades 77. Each of these, shafts is turned by a sprocket 78 arranged at the intake end of the machine which is driven from other suitable driving means may be provi ed. Each of the screws is adapted to convey the impurities toward the discharge end of the machine where the same pass through discharge outlets 82.

As a whole this invention is very simple in construction and operation considering the function which it performs and it operates to thoroughly and uniformly moisten, clean and dry the grain with a mlnimum addition to the water content thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the character described, a foraminous cleaning cylinder receiving the ranged coaxially of said cleaning c linder, a shaft eirtending through said cylin er, a plurality of obliquely dis osed vanes carried by said shaft and, extending substantially the full length of said drying cylinder, said vanes being adapted to carry the grain around the inner surface of said cylinder and also move it longitudinally into said .drying cylinder, aplurality of obliquely disposed beaters carried by said shaft, said beaters being adapted to engage the grain and shift it longitudinally along the drying cylinder, and means for discharging the cleaned and dried grain from said drying cylinder.

2. In a machine of the character described, a foraminous cleaning cylinder provided wit-.h

a suitable belt tight/ener 81, although an grain, a foraminous drying cylinder ara grain intake o ening, a coaxially disposed foraminous drying cylinder, a `head lnterposed between the corresponding ends of said cylinders, said headhaving an opening in its upper part, a shaft extending through said cylinders, a plurality of obliquely disposed vanes carried b said shaft and extending substantially the' ull length of said cleaning cylinder, said vanes being adapted to carry the grain around the inner surface of said cleaning cylinder and also move it longitudinally through said opening into said drying cylinder, a plurality of obliquely disposed beaters carried by said shaft, said beaters being adapted to engage the grain and shift it longitudinally along the drying cylinder, and means for discharging the cleaned and dried grain from said drying cylinder.

3. In a machine of the character described, a foraminous cleaning cylinder, a foraminous drying cylinder, a head interposed between the corresponding ends of said cylinders, said head having an opening in its upper part, a head arranged at the outer end of said cleaning cylinder and provided with a grain intake opening, a head arranged at the outer end of said drying cylinder and provided with a grain discharge opening, a drum rotatably mounted in said grain cleaning cylinder, a plurality of obliquely disposed vanes carried' by said drum and extending substantially the full length thereof, said vanes being adapted to carry the grain around the i11- llO ner surfaceof said cleaning cylinder and also move it longitudinally through the o ening of said intermediate head into said rying cylinder, a second drum rotatabl mounted in said drying cylinder, and a p urality of obliquely disposed beaters mounted on said last named drum, said beaters being adapted to engage the grain and shift it longitudinally along said drying cylinder through said discharge opening.

4. In a machine of the character described, a foraminous cleaning` cylinder of relatively small diameter, a foraminous drying cylinder of relatively large diameter,a shaft extending through said cylinders, a relatively small drum mounted on said shaft Within said cleaning cylinder, a relatively large drum mounted on said shaft within said drying cylinder, means for feeding moistened grain into said cleaning cylinder, vanes carried by said small cylinder, said vanes being adapted to carry ,the grain around the inner surface of said cleaning cylinder and also Y l means for moistening the shift it-longitudinally into said drying cylinder, beaters carried by vsaid large drum, an

means for discharging thegrain from the drying cylinder.

5. In a machine of the character described, ain, a foraminous cleaning cylinder receiving the moistened grain, rotatable means arranged in said cylinder for carrying said grain around the inner surface of said cylinder, and means for adjustably covering a' portion of sald cylinder for varying its effective extent.

6. In a machine of the character described, means for moistening the grain, a cylinder receiving the moistened grain, one end of said cylinder being foraminous andthe other end imperforate, rotatable meansv arranged in said cylinder for carrying thev grain around the inner surface of said cylinder, and means for varying the effective extent of the foraminous portion comprising a shutter longitudinally movable over said imperforate and foraminous portions.

7. In a machine of the character described, means for moistening the grain, a cylinder receiving the moistened grain and including a number of sections one end'of each of which sections is foraminous at one end and imperforate at the other and is formed at its edges to provide channels, rotatable means arranged in said cylinder for carrying the grain around the inner surfaces of said sections, and means for 'varying the effective extent of the foraminous portions of said sections including shutters having their opposite edges arranged in said channels, and said shutters being Alongitudinally movable over said imperforate and foraminous portions.

' 8. A machine of the character described, in-

cluding a foraminou's cleaning cylinder receiving the grain to be cleaned, a foraminous drying cylinder, said cylinders being arranged end to end and being coaxially disposed, a shaft extending longitudlnally ithrough said cylinders, a lurality of obliqueder, said .beaters being adapted to shift the Orain longitudinally along said drying c lnder and discharge it therefrom. y

9. A machine of the character described,

including a foraminous cleaning cylinder resoA ceiving the grain to be cleaned, said cleaning cylinder being of relatively small diameter, a fora-minous drying cylinder of relatively lail'ge diameter, said cylinders bein arranl ed en agi to end and being coaxially spose a shaft extending longitudinally through said cylinders, av (plrality of obliquely `disposed y vanes carrie' said shaft and extending substantially the full length of said cleaning cylinder, said vanes cooperating with said cleaning cylinder to shift the grain longitudinally into said dryin cylinder, and a plurality of beaters carrie by said shaft and arranged within said drying cylinder, said beaters cooperating with said drying cylinder to shift the grain longitudinally ltherefrom. l

10. A machine of the character described, including a foramincus cleaning cylinder, a foraminous dr ing cylinder, said cylinders being arran e end to end and being coaxially dispose an end head for each of said cylinders, an intermediate head between said cylinders, a shaft extending longitudinally through said cylinders, a grain inlet in the end head of said cleaning cy1inder,a transfer opening in the upper part of the intermediate head and a grain outlet in the end head of said drying cylinder, obliquel disposed vanes carried by said shaft an extending substantially the full length of said cleanin` cylinder, said vanes being adapted to shift the grain longitudinally along said cleaningcylinder and throu h said transfer opening, and a plurality o beaters carried by said shaft and `cooperating to shift said grain along said drying cylinder and through said` outlet. 1

11. In a machine of the character described, a foraminous cleaning cylinder, a foraminousdrying cylinder, a head interposed between the corresponding ends'of said cylinders, said head having an opening, a head arranged at the outer end of said cleanin cylinder and provided with a grain inta e opening, a head arranged at the outer end of said drying cylinder and provided with a grain 'scharge opening, rotatable conveying means arranged in said cleaning ing cylinder, said beating means cooperating cylinder and cooperating to carry the grain to engage the grain and shift it longitudiaround the inner surfacel of said cleaning nally along said drying cylinder through said 10 cylinder and also to move it longitudinally discharge opening.

through the opening in said intermediate In testimony whereof I hereby aliiX my head into said drying cylinder, and rotatable signature. l

beating means'rotatably'mounted in said dry- TIMOTHY C. MANNTNG.

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