US718741A - Seed-cleaner for grain-separators. - Google Patents

Description

No. 718,741. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903'.

.L. THORTVEDT.

SEED CLEANER FOR GRAIN SEPARATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1902. N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? No. 718,741. PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903.

L. THORTVEDT.

SEED CLEANER FOR GRAIN SEPARATORS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1902.

NO MODEL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/ TNE SSE S Q m VENTOH A ys UNTED TATES PATENT DFFICE.

LEVI THORTVEDT, OF GLYNDON, MINNESOTA.

SEED-CLEANER FOR GRAIN-SEPARATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,741, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed January 8, 1902- Serial No. 88,848. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEV-I THORTVEDT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Glyndon, in the county of Clay and State of Minnesota,have invented a new and Improved Seed-Cleaner for Grain-Separators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de-' scription.

My invention is an improvement in seedcleaners; and the primary object is the provision of an improved cleaner applicable to the spout or chute of any threshing-machine or grain-separator for the purpose of cleaning the grain from seed and other foreign matter as the load is discharged from the machine, whereby the refuse may be bagged or collected in vessels instead of accumulating beneath the separator. It may be used on the farm as feed for stock, and the farmer is saved the expense and labor of transporting with the wheat a lot of refuse, which must subsequently be separated at a loss to the farmer.

A further object is the provision of a cleaner which may be adjusted to clean different kinds of seeds from the grain and, furthermore,to provide means for leveling the cleaner in the spout or chute, so as to secure maximum efficiency in operation.

With these ends in view the'invention consists in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, which Will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a threshing-machine and the delivery spout or chute thereof, the latter being equipped with a seed-cleaner of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the spout or chute partly broken away and illustrating the improved cleaner partly in section and partly in side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end view of a part of the spout or chute and the cleaner adapted thereto, and Fig. 4

is a transverse section in the plane indicated 'of the cylinder. tend the full length of the cylinder, and to by the dotted line 4 40f Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

A designates a portion of a grain-separator or threshing-machine.

B is the elevator, and O the delivery spout or chute, which may be adapted to deliver the load into a suitable receptacle D. The spout or chute may extend in any direction from the threshing-machine; but as shown by Fig. 1 it is carried laterally to one side of the machine and. is stayed in position by the employment of an extensible brace E.

The cleaner of my invention preferably contemplates the employment of a series of screens which have perforations or meshes of difierent sizes, and these screens are united together in a manner to produce a cylinder which is adapted to extend longitudinally through the delivery spout or chute C. This cylinder is built up of a series of screens, (indicated by the numerals 5, 6, 7, and 8,) which are arranged at right angles to each other and are adapted by adjustment of the cylinder to be brought into position successively or in any other desired order for the purpose of cleaning the grain automatically as it passes through the spout or chute and through said cleaning-cylinder.

To secure stability in the construction of the cylinder, I employ a skeleton framework, which consists of a series of slats or bars which are preferably triangular in cross-section and are disposed at the angles or corners These slats or bars 9 exthe outer faces thereof are secured the edges of the series of screens. The corners of the cylinder are bound and reinforced by the employment of corner-stays 10, preferably of metal and arranged to embrace the contiguous edges of the screens. These corner-stays are angular in cross-section, and they extend the full length of the cylinder, said stays being secured to the angle-bars 9 and serving to prevent the free edges of the screens from projecting beyond the cylinder. The cylinder is of such size in cross-section as to fit snugly within the cylindrical chute, and the corner-stays of the cylinder engage with the inner cylindrical surface of the chute, or the lowermost stays only may engage with the chute.

An elbow 11 is provided at the upper end of the spout or chute, and within this elbow is secured a feed-tube 12, which is preferably circular in cross-section and tapered toward its lower end, the latter being arranged to extend into the upper part of the cleaner-cylinder for the purpose of discharging the grain directly into said cylinder. This feed-tube is equipped with or terminates at its upper end in a hopper 13, that is disposed directly below the delivery end of the elevator 13, whereby the grain discharged from the threshing-maehine through the elevator will be conducted by the hopper and the feed-tube directly into the cleaner-cylinder.

The length of the cleaner-cylinder is such that it will extend from the feed-tube 12 to and through the lower end of the delivery spout or chute, such lower end of the cleanercylinder extending a foot or two below said chute, substantially as shown by Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. This projecting lower end of the cleaner-cylinder is equipped with an annular band or ring 14, the same having a series of slots 15, one of said slots being provided opposite each of the screens composing the cylinder. A supporting-arm 16 is secured firmly to the lower end of the spout or chute, so as to project therefrom and to lie over the annular band, and this arm is attached to the band by a bolt 17, which passes through the arm and through the uppermost slot 15 in the band. The connected arm and band support or brace the lower projected end of the cleanercylinder, and the presence of the slots 15 in the band allows the cylinder to be turned on its axis within the spout or chute, whereby the cylinder may be leveled to secure the best results.

Itis evident that the cylinder may be turned on its axis so as to bring either of the series of four screens in a lowermost position, and this cylinder in either position of the screens may be braced and adjusted by the bolt which engages with the slotted band and with the supporting-arm. By employing the screens of different sizes the apparatus may be adapted to clean different kinds of seeds from the wheat. One of the screens is provided with slots or meshes which allow the grass and mustard-seed to pass through, while the wheat passes over the screen/the seed thus separated from the wheat being collected in a bag or other receptacle, (indicated by the numeral 18 in Fig. 1.) The second screen of the cylinder is provided with larger openings and meshes for separating buckwheat, grass-seed, and mustard-seed from the wheat. A third screen, also adjusted to operative position, separates foul seeds from barley and oats, and a fourth screen is intended to allow the wheat to drop through the meshes while the wild-oat seeds pass over the screen.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of an inclined delivery spout or tube of a threshing-machine, a seedcleaner arranged longitudinally therein and having a number of screens provided with perforations of different sizes, said seedcleaner being adjustable on its axis to bring either of its screens into operative position, and means for delivering seed into the upper part of the cleaner and upon one of the screens thereof.

2. The combinationof an inclined delivery spout or tube of a threshing-machine, a seedcleaner arranged longitudinally therein and having a number of screens provided with perforations of different sizes, and means for supporting the seed-cleaner and permitting axial adjustment thereof within the spout or chute to bring either of the screens thereof in active position.

3. The combination of an inclined delivery tube or spout of a threshing-machine, a seedcleaner having a series of screens and adjustable axially within the tube, and a feed-tube extending into the upper part of the seedcleaner.

4. The combination of an inclined delivery tube or spout of a threshing-machine, a feedtube supported in the upper part of the spout, and a seed-cleaner havinga series of screens and fitted at its upper end to said feed-tube which is arranged to deliver seed. thereto, said seed-cleaner being adjustable axially within the tube or spout.

5. The combination with a spout or chute of a threshing-machine, of a non-revoluble cylinder having screens with perforations of different sizes and arranged longitudinally in said spout or chute, the lower end of the cleaning cylinder extending beyond said spout, and means for adjustably supporting said cleaning-cylinder within the spout.

6. The combination with a spout or chute of a threshing-machine, of a cleaning-screen extending longitudinally within said spout, and means for leveling and supporting the lower end of said cleaning-screen, whereby the latter may be adjusted Within the chute.

7. The combination with a spout or chute of a threshing-machine, of a cleaning-cylinder having screens with perforations of different sizes and arranged within said spout, and an arm connecting said cleaning-cylinder with the spout, whereby the cylinder may be adjusted.

8. The combination with a spout or chute of a threshing-machine, of a cleaning-cylinder having screens with perforations of different sizes and arranged longitudinally within the spout, a slotted band attached to said the spout, said feed-tube being arranged to cylinder, and an arm supported by the spout deliver its contents directly into the cleaningand detachably connected to said band. cylinder.

9. The combination withaspoutofathresh- In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 ing-machine, ofanon-revolublecleaning-cylname to this specification in the presence of 15 inder extending longitudinally through said two subscribing Witnesses. spout and having screens with openings of LEVI THORTVEDT. different sizes, means for adjusting the cyl- Witnesses: inder axially within the spout, and a feed I G. 0. LEE, IO tube having a hopper which is exposed above N. I. JOHNSON.

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