US16471A - G-rain-separator - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL DECAMP, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

GRAIN-SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,471, dated January 27, 1857.

1lb all whom it may concern.`

Be it known that I, MICHAEL DECAMP, of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- Separators; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of a machine. Fig. 2 a side view and Fig. 3 a vertical section in the lilies A B. Fig. Ll is a horizontal section in the line C, D, of Fig. 3.

The letters of reference indicate the same parts in the different figures whenever they occur.

The machine is constructed as follows: A frame (13) contains a scouring mill D, the corrugated casing of which (17) rests upon the bed piece 14. A vertical shaft (b) .passing up through the center of the casing sustains the grated scouring beaters 16, the shaft is held in position by resting in a step in the cross piece 21 and by its bearing at its upper end in the support 5. The shaft passes through a hole somewhat larger than the shaft itself, in the top piece of the frame, and there sustains a horizontal disk 10 which is provided with levers both above and below forming a double fan or blower which is surrounded by a casing of a spiral form in its horizontal plane, the walls of which gradually receding from the aXis of the shaft, leaves the space between the casing and the fan widest atthe outlet. Immediately above and communicating with the fan is an air chamber or conductor (11) through which the shaft 6, also passes. A pulley (7) is fixed to the upper end of the shaft to receive a band from the motive power employed and thereby communicate a rapid revolving motion to the shaft.

Above the air conductor 11, is placed t-he grain separator C; it consists of an outer casing subdivided into fiues and chambers as will be presently described. At the side of the casing is a hopper 1 for the admission of the grain to be cleaned. Immediately below this is a wire gauze grating for the admission of a current of air. The hopper 1, opens into a flue which passes up to the top of the machine and curves over, discharging itself into a central chamber (25) made for the recept-ion of cheat, light grain, &c. The bottom of this chamber is inclined toward the front of the machine and has a swinging door (4) through which the contents of the chamber can be discharged. From the chamber 25, rise two other flues, one on each side of the flue (22) first described, which also bend over and pass down upon each side of the chamber 25 respectively and opening into the conductor 11. From the bottom of the flue 22, descends a spout (20) opening into the interior of the scouring mill. A gathering hopper (18) is placed under the outlet of the scouring mill, having a circular screw (15) for the admission of air into the mill. The outlet of this hopper leads into a tube (19) open at the bottom and extending upward to the top of the flue` 22, for the purpose of separating and carrying off any dust that may have escaped the previous operation. A door regulates the supply of air to the separator.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The shaft being put in rapid motion, the fan (divided into two parts by the disk 10) creates a vacuum bot-h above and below the disk by expelling the air through one common outlet 12. The air rushes in with force through the indraft screen 2, to supply the vacuum above the disk, meet-ing the grain which is fed in at the hopper 1. The

sound heavy grain descends through the spout 2O into the scouring mill D, where it is subjected to the action of the beater 16, but the light grain, dust, &c., are carried up by the current of air through the flue 22, into the chamber 25, the current here dividing and passing into the f'lues 23 and 24 is so much diminished in strength that the light grain cheat &c., will fall into the chamber 25 while the dust chaff &c., is carried up, and through the flues 23 and 24 to the fan whence it is discharged into another apartment or into the open air. The strength of the draft to effect this last separation can be regulated with great nicety by the door 3. Another strong current of air enters the scouring mill at the bottom `through the screen 15 to supply the vacuum at the underside of the disk. It passes up through the mill carrying up the smut, and dust which has been disengaged from the wheat by the process of heating, discharging through the fan into the common outlet 12. The spiral form of the fan case in its horizontal section, enables me to operate the machine with much less power than would motive power would be required to operate the fan.

Having thus fully described my improvements, what- I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination of the flue 22 with the flues 23 and 24 and chamber 25, constructed and arranged as herein described for the purpose of separating, light grain, cheat &c., from the still lighter substances by dividing the current of air.

2. I do not claim two fans upon the same shaft separated from each other by a fixed partition, but what I claim is the construction of the fan, by combining with a disk attached to a rotating shaft, leaves, fixed upon each sideof the disk as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

MICHAEL DECAMP.

Vitnesses:

CHAs. EVERETT, JOHN S. HoLLINGsHEAD.

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