US2129452A

US2129452A - Grain separator

Info

Publication number: US2129452A
Application number: US103265A
Authority: US
Inventors: Myra V Van Sickle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-09-30
Filing date: 1936-09-30
Publication date: 1938-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1955-09-06

Description

Sept 6, 35.938. c. s. VAN SXCKLE GRAIN SEPARATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept 30, 1936 p 6, 1938- c. s. VAN -SICKLE 2,129,452

GRAIN SEPARATOR Filedsept. 50, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ilor ney W 1938. c. s. VAN SICKLE v 2,129,452

GRAIN SEPARATOR Filed Sept. 30, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 In ventor Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAIN SEPABATOR Application September 30, 1936, Serial No. 103,265

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in grain separators forming part of the well known type of combined harvester and thresher, and by means of which the grain is separated from chaff and other debris'while being treated for ultimate discharge from the machine to sacks or into a bin.

The grain separator of my invention is of the rotary drum-Sifter type having interior agitators for both lifting and conveying the grain, and also utilizing pneumatic treatment of the grain, whereby a continuous movement of the material is effected, to insure a maximum degree of separation of'the wheat from the chaff. An auxiliary drum-Sifter of substantially duplicate construction may'also be employed in connection with the main or primary separator, if desired or necessary; for re-treating the sifted grain to insure complete separation of "the chaff and debris therefrom. Means are also provided for returning the tailings from the primary separator or drum-'sifter to the cylinder and concave of the thresher, whereby the separation step is repeated on the tailings to insure against waste. The invention consists essentially in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawings I have illustratedone complete example of the physical A embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to one mode I have thus far devised for the practical I application of the principles of my invention, but it will be understood that various changes .1135 and alterations may be made in these exemplifying structures, within the scope of my appending claim, without departing from the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional sifter. U55 Figure 4 is a detail sectional view extending longitudinally of the drum-sifter, and showing also part of one of the exterior supporting rollers for the rotary drum-sifter or separator.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View, transversely of the drum-sifter, showing the means for ad- 5 justing one of the exterior shells on the inner perforated cylinder of the drum to vary the size of the openings through the drum-sift-er.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view, as at line 66 of Figure 1, 0f the drum-Sifter, showing 10 the supporting frame and the supporting rollers journaled therein for the drum-sitter.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail perspective View showing the tiltable and extensible blades at the discharge end of the drum-sifter, together with 15 one of the adjustable braces therefor.

In order that the relation of parts, and the functions of the parts may readily be understood, I have shown in the general assembly View of Figure 1, the usual housing H of a harvester 20 or thresher, which housing is supported in suitable manner as by three transversely extending channel beams I, and the rear end of an endless feed belt or chain F is also shown. The material is fed as usual to the concave C and its a; rotary, toothed, cylinder C where the straw is chopped into short lengths, and from where some of the grain passes through a fixed screen I and falls upon the plane, inclined, longitudinally extending feed-table 2, which is suspended in the housing in suitable manner and has imparted thereto by suitable mechanism a horizontal shaking motion to feed the material into the open end of the rotary drum sifter, indicated as a whole by the numeral 3. 33

The straw, passing over the screen I, is conveyed by the rotary beater B and pickers PP to the endless chain Sifter or belt 4, and from there the straw is conveyed and disposed of in suitable manner. I O

The grain, chaff, and fine debris falling through the endless straw conveyer 4, fall upon another inclined shakingtable as 5 supported beneath the straw conveyer and operated in suitable'manher, and from the lower end of this table the material conveyed thereby falls upon the main feed table 2, which latter table feeds all of the material into the open end of the horizontally disposed rotary drum-sifter 3.

Beneath the feed table 2 is located a fan casing it supported in the housing H, and the fan 1 in the housing forces a blast of air through the nozzle 8', and the open end of this nozzle terminates at the open intake or feed end of the drum-sifter, just beneath the end of the inclined :35

feed table. The end of the feed table projects slightly into the open end of the drum-sifter, and the open end of the nozzle is located in position to direct a blast of air into the interior of the drum for pneumatic treatment of the material in the drum in the separation of undesired material from the grain.

The horizontally disposed rotary drum-sifter, which is located in the lower part of the housing H, is fashioned with a number of annular grooved tracks 9, spaced longitudinally at intervals, and

a series of rollers H2 is provided for each track for the purpose of supporting and guiding the drum-sifter in its rotary movement. The rollers II] in each series are spaced about the periphery of the drum, and they are journaled in bearings of an open frame H, which is preferably supported in suitable manner within the housing.

For revolving or rotating the drum-sifter on its axis, I preferably utilize a sprocket-chain drive best shown. in Figure 2, wherein it will be seen that the drum is provided with an exterior annular series of sprocket-teeth I2, some of which are engaged by a Working flight of an endless sprocket chain 93, which flight is guided over the upper toothed periphery of the drum-sifter by properly spaced idle pulleys l5 and driven from the drive wheel l4, the latter being supplied with power from a suitable source.

The drum-sifter 3 comprises an inner metallic cylinder made up of sections as l6 and I! that are rigidly joined together, as by means of an annular sleeve l8 to which they are riveted at IS, in Figure 4, and one of the annular rollertracks, as 9' for the rollers Ill, may be fashioned by the use of spaced annular flanges on this sleeve l8.

The inner cylindrical wall or cylinder [6-41 of the drum-sifter is perforated over approximately its entire area, and the perforations 243 are preferably arranged in spaced annular series; the holes or perforations being of a size adapted to permit passage therethrough of the grain from the interior of the drum-sifter to its exterior. The size of these openings or' perforations may be varied to suit different conditions in the process of separation or sifting, and this variation in the size of the openings is accomplished by the use of two or more split, cylindrical, perforated shells as 2! and 22 which are mounted on the exterior periphery of the inner cylinder and adapted to be adjusted circumferentially of the inner cylinder. The shells are fashioned with annular rows or series of holes 23 complementary to the holes 25 of the inner cylinder lfi-l1, and the two sets of holes are adapted to register for a full capacity in passing the grain, or sifting the grain from the sifter-drum. The size of the available space of the openings may be varied by adjusting the adjustable split shells 2!, 22 on the inner cylinder. This adjustment of the split shells may be made by the use of a device for each shell that includes a screw bar or threaded bolt shown at 24 in Figure 5. This screw bar is journaled to turn in its bearings in flanges 25 and 25 that are riveted to the complementary ends of a split shell, as 2| in Figure 5. The screw bar or bolt is also journaled at its center in a bearing in the bracketflange 2'! which is riveted at 28 to the inner cylinder of the drum-sifter and located between the ends of the split shell. By means of the head 29 of the screw bar or bolt, and the adjusting

nuts

30, 3!, and 32, it will be apparent that the split shell may be turned circumferentially on the exterior of the inner cylinder to vary the size of the openings in the sifter, and then by means of the nuts and bolt head, the shell is locked in adjusted position. A suitable number of these adjusting devices are utilized as required for properly adjusting and locking the shells in proper position.

Within the interior of the drum-sifter are mounted a series of spirally arranged vanes 33, which are fixed tothe inner cylinder of the drum and they extend from the front or feed end of the drum, longitudinally thereof, for approximately two-thirds of the length of the drum. These vanes are designed to rotate with the drum and agitate the material by lifting it and tumbling the material within the drum-sifter, and at the same time, due to their spiral arrangement, the vanes convey the material toward the discharge end of the drum-sifter. In addition, the pneumatic treatment of the material, by means of the air blast issuing from the nozzle 8, assists in separating the chaff and debris from the grain. The heavier grains thus separated pass through the perforations of the drum-sifter, at the bottom thereof, and fall into a transversely extending bin 36 beneath the drum-sifter. The falling grain passes down the inclined walls of the bin to a transversely extending trough 35, and a spiral or screw-conveyor 36, suitably operated. in the trough, carries the grain to an elevator indicated by dotted lines at 31 in Figure 1.

Any material which might fail to pass through the bottom of the drum-sifter is conveyed toward the tail or discharge end thereof, and this material also is subjected to further treatment for separation of the grain from the chaff. For this purpose I utilize in. approximately the rear third of the drum-sifter a second annular series of agitator blades as 38, which extend in straight parallel lines longitudinally of the drum, and are spaced apart at suitable intervals, as best seen in Figure 7 and Figure 5 for lifting and tumbling the material within the sifter. These blades, which extend radially of the drum-sifter, are tiltable and extensible, in order to adapt them for the best performance of their functions under varying conditions.

The blades 38 are supported on the inner face of the inner cylinder by means of hinged straps, each having one end, as 39 adjustably fixed, as by a bolt 40 and slot 4| to the cylinder. The metal strap is hinged at 42, and the section 43 of the strap is secured to the tiltable blade 38. Another section 44 of the metal strap is hinged at 45 to form a diagonal brace for the tiltable blade, and at 46 the brace is hinged to the attaching plate 4! that is slotted at 48 and secured by bolt 49 to the cylinder.

To vary the width and lifting capacity of the blade, I employ an auxiliary blade-section 50 which is fashioned with attaching slots 5| and atl taching bolts 52 by means of which the auxiliary section 50 may be adjusted on the tiltable blade to extend or contract the width of the tiltable blade.

These blades tumble and agitate the material at the rear end of the drum-sifter and the pneumatic treatment from the air blast carries the straw and lighter debris out of the drum-sifter through the discharge opening 53.

Some of the material reaching the rear end of the drum-sifter may contain a small percentage of grain, and therefore the unthreshed heads passing through the walls of the sifter near its rear or tail end, are returned to the cylinder and concave for another separating step. Thus, the 7 material falling through the bottom of the drum is collected in an auxiliary bin 54 supported beneath the drum and fashioned with a bottom trough 55 in which a transversely arranged spiral conveyer 56 operates. The conveyer discharges the' material at the lower end of an elevator 51, shown by dotted lines in Figure lat the exterior of the housing, and the elevated material is then returned to the interior of the housing through inlet port 59 for passage through the concave C and eventual feed to the drum sitter, as heretofore described.

In some instances, to insure a thorough and complete separation and recovery of the grain, I may employ an auxiliary drum-sitter 3 located above the housing, as indicated in Figure 1, and constructed as a substantial duplication of the main drum-sifter. The drum-sifter 3' is supplied with material from the shaker feed-table 59 which receives the material from the elevator 31, and an air blast for pneumatic treatment of the material in the drum-Sifter 3' is provided through the nozzle 60 from the fan 6|. The grain, as finally separated from the chaff in drumsifter 3' is collected in a bin 62 beneath the drum-sifter, and in the trough 63 of the bin a spiral conveyer 64 operates to convey the grain to sacks or to a storage bin.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

In a grain separator, the combination with a rotary drum-sifter, of a series of tiltable blades arranged within one open end of the drum-sitter, ontheinner surface of the drum and extending substantially longitudinally thereof an adjustable blade-section forming an edge-extension on each blade, and means for securing said blade-sections in adjusted position, comprising hinged metallic straps attached to said blades, said straps each having hinged ends and an intermediate diagonal brace, and adjustable means for attaching said ends to the drum sitter.

CHARLES S. VAN SICKLE.