US27171A - Gbaibt-sepabatob - Google Patents

Description

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

B. T. TRIMMER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW' YORK.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

l Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,171, dated February 14, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, B. T. TRIMMER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- Separators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a Jfull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved machine; Fig. 2 a horizontal section on the plane of the screen box or shoe; Fig. 3 is a plan of one of the screens detached.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The nature of my invention will be understood from the description of its construction and operation.

As representen in the drawings A A indicate the frame, B, is the fan, C, D, the blast tubes and E the shoe or shaker, containing the screens. The blast created by the fan is driven up the tubes O D, with equal or unequal force as may be required, that point being regulated by the adjust-able terminating partition F. The blast tubes diverge at their termination in the first eX- panded division G, of the separating apartment, at which point the grain is admitted through the spout a. It immediately cncounters the blast through C, carrying oft the oats and lighter grain, when it drops on the short incline and passes through the throat c where it is subjected to blastbD, before reaching the screens f. At the termi nation of the blast tube D, a sliding partition u is introduced separating division Gr from the great chamber H. This partition forms an important feature of the machine, as its position regulates the separation of the light grain from the heavy. It' raised to its greatest eXtreme it causes the current of air to ascend so high as to drop all the heavy kernels, while the very lightest only are carried over, but if placed low the force of the combined blast of the two tubes will be sufficient to carry the greater part of the grain into division H. On the judicious regulation of this depends the success of the operation, especially the separating of oats Jfrom wheat. Its ,position mustbe so arranged as to carry over all the oats and with them some of the lighter grains of wheat into division H, where, from the blast being weakened by the enlarged area,

they fall, and are carried through a throat d on to the screens. The valve c serves to turn the course of the current downward and prevent any good grain being carried into the last division I, where the chaff and dust are separated, the former dropping down by the passage z', the latter escaping by` the mouth j. The heaviest and best portion of the grain having passed directly through the blasts in division G, falls readily through the screen f on to the fine cockle screen g, which carries it ott' from the shoe by the passages 7L h through the two blasts C D, till it discharges at 7c. The cockle which passes with the lighter grains through division H, and through the rear part of the several screens, is iinally separated by screen g, the meshes of which allow .it to pass through, though fine enough to retain the Yheat. It falls on the inclined board Q and descends into the spout Z which carries it off at the side of the machine.

The screens consist of plates of zinc or other sheet metal perforated, the upper or larger screens with two sets of orifices, corresponding with divisions G H of the blast chambers, the coarser portion, receiving the grain which passes from division Gr, and that with smaller perforations, m, receiving the grain from division H. As this portion contains the oats and light materials the screens allow the good grain to pass them but retain the oats the kernels of which are more bulky. The vibration of the screen with its slight inclinationtends t-o carry them off, and is greatly aided in so doing by an under blast which is taken from tube D through the branch p the force of which is regulated by opening more or less the valve r. The effect of this is that the air in finding egress through the' perforated screens gently raises the oat kernals and keeps them dancing lightly on the surtace until carried oi by the action of the screen. The hinged partition fu is adjustable to strengthen or diminish the blast as it issues from the mouth y', and regulates the amount of refuse carried otf through that avenue. A series of shorter screens 'n is placed below the upper screens to eiectually prevent any bad grain or foreign substances from passing through and descending with the perfectly cleaned grain.

The screen boX E, is suspended on four spiral springs indicated at r r in Fig. 2. Upon each side of the box is attached a slotted curved arm L, the curves being in opposite directions. A crank o from a spindles set vertically in the frame A, is connected with either arm by a bolt or set-screw passing through the slot. Another crank, t, from the same spindle on one side of the machine is connected by means of the pitman N with the crank wheel P, which is driven by a band from the fan shaft. This imparts a rocking motion to the spindle s which is conveyed to the screen box by means of the crank 0 and segmental arm L. The motion given to the screen boX in this manner is curvilinear, the spindle s being the center, but the spindle s on the opposite side, being on a line with it, and the arm L being curved in the opposite direction produces on the screen a compound circular or cymaform motion represented by the line an, on the drawing. This motion is very effective in distributing the grain fully over the screening surface, and in preventing its clogging; and the device described admits of changing the direction of the vibratory waves of motion so as to bepmore or less lengthwise or across the machine, the object being to adapt it to different kinds of grain, some of which require to be passed more rapidl off the screens, and others longer retained. The more longitudinal the direction of the motion the faster the grain is passed over the surface, and vice versa. The change isV ef- Y fected by moving the cranks 0 in the slots in L, (which form a quarter circle) so as to be at right angles to, or longitudinally with the screens. Intermediate positions produce a like effect and thus we obtain a most perfeet means of governing one of the most important processes in separating grains.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. lInducting the grain to the screens f m through the concentrated currents of two blasts, by the small throats a c of division Gr, and d of division H; the blast through a having an upward or convex, and that through c a concave direction to the falling grain, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

2. I also claim the combination and arrangement of the perforated sheet metal screens having a section of larger orifices f in communication with division G, and of smaller orifices m with division H, of the chamber of separation above,- substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. I further claim the arrangement andv combination of the opposing segmental arms L, crank o and spindles s s, with the screen box E, for giving the described direction to the vibrations of the screens, and regulating the same, substantially as herein set forth.

B. T. TRIMMER. Vitnesses:

J. FRASER, S. J. ALLIs.

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