US8659A - Btjckwheat-i aw - Google Patents

Description

sfra'rns ALFRED PLATT, OF VVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

BUGKWHEATLFAN.

Specification of Letters Patent No.Y 8,659,` `dated January 13,1852.

` tion of Hulling, and that the following 1s a full, clear,` and Yexact description thereof, reference being had to thelaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification,

Figure l, is a front, and Fig. 2, an` end elevation;` Fig. 3, a vertical section passing through and in the plane of the axis of the rotary screen; Fig. 4l, a cross verticalsection taken at the line A,a, of Fig. 3; andF ig. 5, a horizontal section taken at the line 13,?) of Fig. 3.

The sameletters indicate like parts in all the figures.

My invention which relates to the method of separating the hulls from the kernels of buckwheat, consists, in subjecting the mass` to a current or currents of air on a shaking table or tables slightly concave, and rendered rough either by being covered with wire gauze or by other means, so that as the mass is agitated and slightly thrown up by the shaking motion, the shells which are the lighter shall be `carried off by the current of air, leaving the kernels which are held back by the rough surface of the table or tables.`

Inthe accompanying drawings a2 represents the frame work of the machine, and

52 a spout through which the vgrain as it" comes from the hulling machine, is conducted to the inside of a rotating cylindrical screen c2, the shaft of which runs in boxes (Z2, cZ2. This screen is driven by a `band e2,

from a pulley f2, on-the main shaft g. The

meshes of this screen, for some distance from the receiving end, are so line as to only permit the broken pieces of kernel to pass through. These fall onto an inclined chute h2, which conducts them to a bin Z2, (called t-he finished bin) and are then in a proper condition to be ground into flour. The remaining portion of the screen to the delivery end, is made with coarser meshes, and what passes through these meshes falls onto an inclined chute l7'2 and is delivered onto o-ne end of a shakingtable 7a2, suspended from the top of the frame by leather straps Z2, Z2, Z2. The surface of this shaking table is straight in the direction of its length, and in the direction/of its cross section slightly concave for about one half the breadth, and the remaining half, flat. The receiving end and the outer edge of the flat part are provided with projecting flanches or ribs `m2.

The entire surface of this table is covered with wire gauzelto prevent the kernels of grain from slidingover it too freely. Along the outer edge of the concave part of this table,there is a wind pipe n2, closed at the extreme end, and `connecting at the other end with a pipe leading to the nozzle |02, of a y fan blower p2, of any appropriateconstruo tion, which `will produce a regular'current of air that escapes from the wind-pipe through a long narrow aperture g2, Vextending the whole length of the table, and with the lower edge thereofon a level with the surface of the table. y The` wind pipev is providedat r2, with avalve ondamper by which toregulate thecurrent of air to be discharged fromthe aperture. .i i i The table is drawn in one direction by a helical spring s'ifwhich causes it to `strike with a jar against the frame, and it is drawn in the oppositedirection b y a cam 252, on the main shaft which operates a lever u2, con-` nected by a rod o2, with one arm of a lever 102, the other arm being attached to a strap m2, that passes over a roller y2, and attached to the underside of the table. y In this way at every rotation of the main shaft, theA table is drawn in one direction, and as soon as the cam has passed, it is drawn back by the spring, giving a ar, which not only has the effect of causing the grain on the table to move toward the delivery end z2, but at the same time throws itrup, and with it the hulls, which being of less specific gravity than the kernels,are blown and carried off over the rib or flanch m2, alo-ng the edge of the table. The kernels thus separated from the hulls gradually reach the delivery end, and fall into a chute a3, by which they are conducted to the finished bin. The current of wind carries with the hulls some portions of kernel still adhering to the hulls, or from which the hulls have not been stripped; and these being of lessspeciiic gravity than the hulled kernels, but of greater specific gravity than the hulls alone, are carried by the current of air out of the concave part of the table, but are caught by the flanch or rib m2, along the outer edge of the flat part, and these are caused by the jar gradually to move toward the delivery end of the table, where they areV discharged ontoa chute b3, and conducted to a bin c3', fromwhich they are transferred to the huller to be re-hulled.

All the grain that `does not pass through any vof the meshes of the rotating screen pass out of the delivery end, and are con ducted by a spout cl3, into a shaking table e3, constructed and operated in every paI-,

ticular like the one above described, and receiving motion in like manner from ,an arm f3, of the same lever. It is also provided with a wind pipe like the first and for the same purpose. As all or nearly all the grain which is conducted to this table is either not hulled or only partially hulled, the few loose hulls are blown off, and the rest when delivered is conducted by a chute 72.3 to the bin c3, to be re-passed through the huller.

T Over each shakingtable and attached to with a governor to avoid waste and insure the separation of the hulls from the kernels. Ido not wish to limit myself to the precise form of the shaking tables-as this may be slightly varied,-nor to the use ofiwire.

gauze for covering them, as the surface may be made sufficiently rough to retain the ,seeds by cutting ridges or scores therein,-nor to the use of a rotating screen to make :the partial separation, as a shaking screen may be substituted, and in fact the entire separation may be effected direct-ly on the shaking table or tables. Nor doIwish to limit myself to the use of a rotating fan; as any other mode of producing the regular current or blast, may be substituted.

I have specified that mode of construction which I have essayed with success and from which I have obtained the best results, andI wish to cover all merely formal variations involving the same principle or mode of operation.

. l/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire y torsecure -by Letters Patent is The method of separating the hulls from the kernels of buckwheat'by shaking them on a tablel or tables made slightly concave andrough, substantially as specified, in combination with a current or currents of air blown over the surface of such table or tables to carry off the hulls while the kernels are retained or held back by the form of the surface of the table or tables, `as 1 specified.

ALFRED PLATT. I Witnesses: v y CAUsTEN BRowNE.,

CHARLES N. BAMBURGH.

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