Untitled record

MONTGOMERY & HOWES.

Grain Separator.

No, 23,039.

Patented Feb. 22, 1859.

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N. PETERS. Photo-Lithographer, Wethington. D. ¢.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MONTGOMERY AND SIMEON HOWES, OF SILVER CREEK, NEW YORK.

GBAIN-SEPARATOB.

Specification forming, part of Letters Patent No. 23,039, dated February 22, 1859; Reissued October 31, 1865, No. 2,098.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Henry Montgomery and Simeon Howes, of Silver Creek, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New 3 York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Grain-Separators; and we hereby declare that the following is: a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw10 ings, making a part of this specification, in which—

Figure 1 represents an end view of the machine; Fig. 2 a vertical section of Fig. 1 in the line 1—2; Fig. 3 a horizontal section 15 of Fig. 2 in the line 3—4 and Fig. 4 a horizontal section of Fig. 2 in the line 5—6, _: The letters of reference indicate the same parts in the different figures wherever they occur.

²⁰ Our improvements relate to the combined grain separator and cleaner, the machine may be constructed as follows: A suitable frame work (A) sustains a metallic cylinder (B) perforated with rows of vertical slots, ²⁵ of such a width as to admit of the passage of dust and dirt and to retain the grain. Through the center of the cylinder B a vertical shaft E passes sustained in position by the step F and the bearing G. Within the ³⁰ cylinder B and attached by arms at the bottom and by a circular disk &lt;? at the top to the revolving shaft. E is a series of fan beaters H.

Upon the top of the frame A is placed a ³⁵ horizontal fan case I, within which, upon a prolongation of the shaft E, revolves a suction fan composed of any suitable number of leaves connected by arms with the shaft E; two arched flues extend side by side ⁴⁰ over the top of the machine one of them K, continues vertically down one side of the machine almost to the floor, the other L, terminates on the same side at about the level of the bottom of the fan case. These flues ⁴⁵ discharge on the opposite side into chambers M and N, separated from each other by a continuation of the partition between the flues K and L. They are formed laterally _ by a vertical continuation of the top cover⁵⁰ ing of the flues and by an inclined board resting upon the upper angle of the fan case; resembling inverted cones in their vertical section as shown in Fig. 2. Within the cyl_ inder B, and attached thereto are several ⁵⁵ horizontal annular ribs 0.

An outlet flue P extends from the bottom of the securing cylinder B to the lower: end of the flue K, and an inlet flue or passage Q extends from the bottom of the flue L into the upper end of the same cylinder, the 60 flue Q is open upon its upper side at a. A hopper B is placed upon the oubme of the flue I, to receive the grain which passes from .thence through an aperture into the said flue. An inclined board S, extends 65 nearly across the chamber N, having imme.diately beneath it an aperture (A⁷) through the exterior casing. Beneath this is another inclined board (T) with an aperture closed by a hinged valve (&amp;). At the lower angle 70 of the casing, or bottom of the chamber is an outlet furnished also with a valve c. The above description of the chamber N, and its appurtenances will suffice for the chamber M, as they , are precisely alike in size, 75 form, and in interior arrangement. A chamber W, is separated from the chamber N by a slide (/). It is placed immediately above the fan case, and opens into it, by a large aperture corresponding with a similar 80 one in the top of the fan case. The chamber X is placed immediately above the fan case behind AV, is of the same size and'form, and bears a similar relation to . M that W does to N. A driving pulley (Z) is fixed upon 85 the lower portion of the shaft E. Side boards C, are attached to the posts of the frame A and extend nearly to the bottom of the cylinder, forming in connection with top and bottom boards, an outer casing(D) which 90 communicates by means of the tubes n with the fan case.

The following is a description of the operations of the machine when employed in separating and cleaning wheat. The shaft 95 E, being put in motion in the proper direction, the fan produces powerful currents of air in the direction of the darts, through the flues. The: wheat passing from the hopper into the flue L, is met by a current of air 100 which enters through the opening a, which may be controlled or regulated by a slide or gate. This takes out smut-balls, chess, light grains, chaff dust, &amp;c., and carries them up the flue L, the heavy wheat passes through 105 the spout Q, to the rotating disk e, which distributes it, equally by centrifugal force to the _: inner circumference of the cylinder B, where it is acted upon by the fan beaters H, which by their construction and rapid ¹¹⁰ ,23,039 motion draw in a current of air through the opening i, driving the dust which is disengaged, through the slots in the cylinder, into the outer casing D, whence it is taken 5 up by the draft through the tubes n, into the fan case and discharged therefrom, through the spout I', which may be continued into another apartment or through the exterior wall of the building.

The annular ribs 0, perform an important function, in retarding the passage of the grain through the cylinder, causing it to be exposed much longer to the action of the beaters, and to the currents of air caused 15 by the beaters through the slots. As the grain passes from the spout P, into the flue K from the scourer, it is met by another current of air (which may be regulated by a slide or gate) which takes all the remain20 ing chess and light stuff and carries it up, and over the top of the machine, letting it fall upon the inclined board S. As it passes from this to the inclined board T, it is further cleaned by meeting another current of 25 air, which enters at V in any desired quantity, the dust and chaff passing up into the chamber X, and thence into the fan whence it is discharged through I'. The valve δ, is kept closed by the pressure of the atmos30 phere until a sufficient quantity of light grain, &amp;c. has accumulated thereon, to overcome the resistance, it then opens, and discharges into the next chamber V. While the valve δ, is open the pressure of the atmos35 phere will keep the valve c, closed which will discharge in turn when the weight overcomes the resistance. By this arrange ment the strength of the draft in the flues is not much impaired by the opening of the valves to discharge the light grain, &amp;c. The 40 light wheat which is separated at its entrance into the machine from the hopper, is carried up the flue L and subjected to similar influences to those above described.

The strength of the draft in the flues L, 45 and M, and in the chambers respectively connected with them, being susceptible of independent regulation, it is obvious that the mass can be separated into four distinct portions viz: the heavy wheat, light wheat, 50 still lighter wheat, chess, &amp;c., and the dust and chaff.

A current of air regulated in intensity according to circumstances, entering at the aperture U, beneath the inclined board S, 55 meets the light grain in its descent and carries the dust, and chaff up and into the fan whence it is discharged. Thus the light and defective grain is utilized for feed without further trouble or expense. . 60