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This invention consists in the employment of a series of adjustable screens, so arranged in the principal blast spout, and placed relatively to the fan, that the escape of chess or light or imperfect grain may be regulated, and, when of any value, discharged from the machine separately and free from dust, or when it is worthless, it may be allowed to fall into the fan box and be blown away with the dust. In our engravings, Fig. 1 represents a sec-ion of the machine, and Fig. 2 is an horizon-i tal section of the beaters and cylinder in 1 which they are placed, the same letters re-C ferring to similar parts in each. A is a frame gin which a fan-box, B, is placed, and C is a ver- tical shaft, the lower end of which is stepped on the frame, A. The fan, D', is placed on C, and a series of beaters, a, of a curved form, as seen in Fig. 2, are also attached to C, and secured to two wheels, b b, on the shaft, C, at suitable distances apart. A wire screen, c, is interposed between the beaters, a, and wheels, series of cast metal rings, a', the inner surfaces of which are grooved vertically as seen in Fig. 2. The upper surface of each ring has small projections, e, formed on them to fit into a corresponding groove in the ring above it, their top surfaces being narrower than their lower ones. The cylinder, E, encloses the beaters, a, and rests on a platform, F, on the frame, A, the lower part of the frame having a spout, G, which leads into the blast-pipe, H. The spout, H, has a pendant spout, I, in its center, immediately over the hopper, /, in the center of the plate, d. The spout, H, has also a slide, g, on one side. The lower part of the cylindrical screen, c, communicates by means of an opening, h, made through the plate, ft', of the cylinder, E, with a passage, J, the lower part of which is open to the external air through the passages, i. One end of H terminates in a chamber, K, in which a series of screens, _;, are placed, pivoted at their ends to the chamber, K, and connected by a rod, L, by operating which the screws may be moved like the slats of a blind. The back part of this chamber is in communication with a passage, M, by means of an opening, h, leading to the fan-box, B. The lower end of K is provided with a door or flap, N, and the opposite end of H has inclined ledges, t, in it. The operation of the machine is as follows; b b. These beaters are punched with holes having projecting edges on their outward sides, and they perform the office of screens. On the upper part of 6, a horizontal scourer, D, is placed, formed of a circular plate corrugated radially ; it is a little below the top-plate, d, of a cylinder, E, (Fig. 2) formed of a The grain to be cleaned passes into the lower portion of the spout, I, and hopper, f, and down between the scouring plate, D, and top-plate, e, of the cylinder, E; the grain being scoured by D, and then passing between the inner and corrugated side of the cylinder, E, and beaters, a, it is further scoured until the smut is broken and dirt scoured away from the grains. The shaft C is rotated, and the beaters, a, perform the double function of beaters and fans; and while breaking up the smut also blow the dust through the spaces between the rings, a', the arrows, 1, in Fig. 1 indicating the direction of the blast they generate, and all through the engraving, the arrows indicate the direction of the current of air. The grain is thrown from one side of the spout, H, to the other by the deflecting plates, t, to expose it as much as possible to the action of the blast. The sound grain passes out of the spout, H, while the light grain, chess, &c, is carried by the blast around it; the dust and fine offal passing through the screens, j. and passage, M, into the fan-box, B, from which it is ejected by the fan, D', the light grain falls into the chamber, K, from which it may be collected through the trap, N. It is the invention of J. A, Woodward, of Burlington, Iowa, and it was patented Oct. 20, 1857. Further information may be obtained from D. Keiser & Co., of the same place.
