US419238A - Wheat-separator - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

G. E. D. BALDWIN.

WHEAT SEPARATOR.

110419.238. Patented Jan. 14,1890.

N. PETERS, Fhololdhographar. Wmhinglnn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. D. BALDIVIN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TIVO-THIRDS TO ARTHUR l3. CROPLEY AND AUSTIN HERR, OF \VASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND CIIARLES IV. BALDIVIN', OF LAUREL, MARYLAND.

WH EAT-SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,238, dated January 14, 1890.

Application filed February 4, 1888. Serial No. 268,022. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: through the bottom of the vessel a for the pur- Beit known thatI, GEORGE E. D. BALDWIN, pose of discharging the water and wheat. of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have The bottom opening of the hopper remains invented certain Improvements in iVheatconstantly open during the operation of the 5 Separators, of which the-following is a speciapparatus. At its upper end the hopper is fication. of a diameter somewhat less than that of the The aim of my invention is to speedily and vessel a and is joined to the latter by an anwholly separate the sound and heavy wheat nular perforated plate or screen 0. A supfrom garlic, light wheat, and other like imply-pipe (Z delivers water into the annular 1o purities, and this by a uniform and continuspace a surrounding the hopper. From this ous operation, without the employment of space the water flows upward through the moving or power-driven devices, and without perforated screen around the outside of the Ge subjecting the wheat to a prolonged soaking hopper, which is constantly filled therewith. or scouring action. An overflow-pipe e is connected with one side 7 15 To this end my apparatus embraces as its of the vessel a above the hopper, and serves for essential elements a hopper having an overthe discharge of a portion of the water bearflow-opening near the top and a constantlying the garlic and other light impurities on open discharge-throat at the bottom,co1nbi ned its surface, the remaining portion of the wawith means for delivering into the hopper a ter escaping with the wheat through the cen- 2o constant stream of water sufficient to maintral orifice at the bottom of the hopper. The

tain an overflow at the top in addition to the second separator a is arranged immediately constant discharge at the bottom and a conbelow the first and in position to receive the 7 ductor by which the grain is delivered conwheat from its outlet f. It is, like the upper stantly into the hopper from above, so that separator, provided with a water-inlet pipe cl 2 5 the heavy grain will pass down rapidly and with the water-overflow pipe e. A rethrough the water and escape therewith in a turning-pipe g is connected to the under side continuous stream at the bottom, where it is of the overflow-pipe of the upper separator mechanically separated from the water, while and leads thence downward to the hopper of the garlic and light impurities escape with the lower separator for the purpose of deliv- 0 the overflow at the top of the hopper. ering to the latter the wheat which may I am aware that grain has been delivered chance to be carried over by the water-curinto vessels containing water, the light materent in which the pipe ends.

rials escaping through an overflow, while the A feed-spout h is arranged in any suitable heavy grain precipitated to the bottom of the position above the upper separator to deliver 3 5 vessel was mechanically removed therefrom. the wheat into its hopper. This spout should To such constructions I lay no claim. be so arranged and the grain should descend Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sepafrom such height that it will enter the seprator proper. Fig. 2 is a vertical central secarator with considerable velocity and thus be tion through the complete apparatus, includcertain to sink beneath the surface of the 40 ing two of the separators, a conveyer, and a water.

drying mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view The water-supply pipes are each provided illustrating the form of the wheat-discharge with a regulating-valve (1 the overflow-pipes opening. provided with regulatingvalves c and the Referring to the drawings, A and A repdischarge openings or throats of the hoppers 45 resent the separator, which consists of a cyprovided with regulating-valves f. It is to.

lindrical water-tight vessel a, containing a be understood that these valves are to be central conical hopper Z). At its lower end used during the operationof the apparatus the hopper is joined closely to and opens solely as a means of regulating the size of the outlet openings or throats, and not as a means of closing said openings.

Below the outlet f of the lower separator I arrange on suitable supporting-rolls B, or otherwise, an endless traveling apron C, driven from any suitable motor. This apron, which may be arranged in an inclined or a horizontal position, as preferred, serves to convey the grain to the upper end of a vertical drying trunk or chamber D, containing a series of reversely-inclined shelves 71, over which the grain descends in a zigzag course.

A steam-coil E or other equivalent apparatus serves to heat the air and insure the rapid drying of the grain as it-descends. If desired, a blower F of any suitable form may be arranged to maintain a blast of air in an upward direction through the trunk. In place of this drying apparatus, which is not separately claimed, a drying apparatus of any ordinary or approved form may be employed.

I prefer to construct the conveyer-apron C of wire-gauze or other pervious material, that the water may the more readily escape from the grain; but if placed in an inclined position, so that the water will fall from its lower end or edge, it may be made of impervious material.

In place of the endless apron, a conveyer of any other ordinary type which will permit the escape of the water from the grain may be employed-such, for example, as the familiar conveyer-screw arranged in a trough.

In operating my apparatus water is constantly delivered through the conductor-pipes (1 into the chambers a of the separator in such quantity that its surface will at all times stand slightly above the upper ends of the hoppers b. The grain, being supplied in an uninterrupted stream through the spout h, descends forcibly into the water. The wheatberries, by reason of their gravity,sink through the water and escape through the constantlyopen throat f, together with a portion of the water, while the garlic floats upon the surface of and is carried with the overflowing water through the pipe E. The grain discharged from the upper separator falls into the second or lower separator, and, being treated as before, is finally delivered upon the conveyerapron C, whence it is delivered into the drier, from which it emerges thoroughly dried and in proper condition to be immediately used or to be stored without danger of its heating. Those grains of wheat, if any, which may pass into the overflow-pipe e will enter the return-pipe g and be delivered thereby into the lower separator. It is to be understood that the lower separator may be omitted and the grain delivered directly from the first separator to the conveyer. The second separator is necessary only in the treatment of wheat in which light berries constitute a considerable proportion of the grain.

Vhile my apparatus is intended primarily for the removal of garlic, it also serves incidentally to remove much of the dirt adhering to the berries and 'also to carry off the chait and other light impurities.

In practice I prefer to construct the orifice f of an elliptical form in its horizontal section, as shown in Fig. 3; but this is not a necessary feature of my construction.

It will be perceived that the essence of my invention resides in the combination of a receiving-vessel having top and bottom outlets for the delivery of the garlic and the wheat, respectively, with means for constantly supplying this vessel with water, and with means for constantly delivering the wheat into the water; and it will be manifest to the skilled mechanic that these elements may be variously modified as to the form and arrangement without departing from the limits of the invention.

It will be observed that in my apparatus the hopper has a permanently-open outlet at the bottom, that it receives a constant supply of water suitably graduated with reference to the supply of grain and the size of the discharge-openings, and that the heavy grain is constantly supplied and flows in an unceasing stream with the water through the bottom opening, after which 'it is arrested and the water permitted to escape. It will be perceived that in this manner I am enabled to carry on a continuous V and uniform separation without the employment of elevators, agitators, or other moving parts to handle the grain and without subjecting the grain to either prolonged soaking or rubbing, both of which are very objectionable.

In my apparatus the escaping heavy grain assists in choking or obstructing the outlet, so as to retard the flow of water, and thus I am enabled to employ a large outlet and secure a free delivery of the grain without using an excessive quantity of water.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In an apparatus for separating wheat from garlic, &c., a hopper having an overflow near the top and a constantly-open outlet of suitably-restricted size at the bottom, a pipe through which water is constantly delivered to the hopper to maintain an overflow, and a spout through which grain is constantly delivered to the hopper from above, whereby the heavy grain and water are caused to flow through the hopper in an unceasing stream and the light matters separated and floated away at the top.

2. In a wheat and garlic separator, an open hopper having an overflow near the top for the escape of garlic and water and a constantly-open bottom outlet for the heavy grain and water, a pipe through which water is constantly supplied to maintain the bottom discharge and the overflow, means for constantly delivering grain to the hopper, and a receiver beneath the bottom opening to retain the grain and allow the water to flow therefrom.

3. The vessel A, provided with a water- .supply pipe (Z, the hopper seated within the vessel and opening through its bottom, the perforated plate encircling the upper edge of the hopper that the water may flow through the outer vessel into the top of the hopper, the overflow above said plate, and the grainspout delivering into the hopper from above, said elements combined substantially as described and shown, whereby the heavy grain and Water may be delivered in a continuous stream downward through the hopper, while the garlic and other light impurities are floated away at the top through the overflow, subject to the retarding effect of the water flowing inward over the top of the hopper.

4. The hopper having the bottom outletand top overflow, in combination with the watersupply to the top of the hopper, the wheatspout delivering to the top of the hopper, the conveyer arranged below the bottom outlet to receive the water and wheat and effect their separation, and the drier to which the conveyer delivers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 28th day of January, 1888, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

GEORGE E. D. BALDXVIN.

\Vitnesses:

J NO. T. MADDoX, ALEX. SLAYSMAN,

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