(No Model.

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J. W. MORRISON.
Gravity Grain Separator.
No. 242,677. Patented June 7, 1881.
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N. PETERS. Photo-Lithographer, washington, d. c.
 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
JAMES W. MORRISON, OF CLINTON, ILLINOIS.
GRAVITY GRAIN-SEPARATOR.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,677, dated June 7, 1881.
Application filed May 17, 1880. (No model.)
To all whom it may concern: . .
Be it known that I, JAMES W. MoRRISON,
a citizen of the United States, residing at Clin
ton, in the county of DeWitt and State of Illi
nois, have invented certain new and useful
Improvements in Gravity Grain-Separators;
and I do hereby declare the following to be a
full, clear, and exact description of the inven
tion, such as will enable others skilled in the
O art to which it appertains to make and use the
same, reference being had to the accompany
ing drawings, and to letters or figures of ref.
erence marked thereon, which form a part of
this specification.
My invention relates to that class of grain
I5.
separators in which the grain and other mate
rials mixed therewith, when received from the
thrasher, are separated from each other, solely
because of their different weights or specific
gravity, by means of upward drafts or currents
of air passing to a draft-fan and discharged
therefrom in a well-known manner. The wheat
and different foreign grains, as well as fiber,
dust, cheat, smut-balls, chaff, &c., all possess
25 their several and distinct weights to a given
bulk, and the weight of the wheat is well de
termined from the weight of the cockle-chaff,
cheat, and other material suitable for cattle
food, and both of the species of material above
named are greatly different in specific gravity
from the dust, dirt, fine fiber, and smut-balls,
Which are totally worthless and unsuited for
animal-food.
The object of my invention is to provide a
35 machine of simple construction that will be
light, so that it may be easily carried about,
and that may be run with such ease that its
driving-crank may be turned by hand for a
long period without tiring the operator, and at
the same time serve to effectually separate the
wheat from the chaff and cheat, and, further
more, separate from both materials the dirt,
dust, snut-balls, and other impurities, and
drive them away from the machine with the
45 escaping air; and the invention consists in the
construction and arrangemen of parts, as here
inafter more fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a
perspective view of a machine constructed ac
So cording to my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sec with the draft to be fully settled and weighed
tion of the same through the draft-tube; and before passing on to the fan-chamber,
Fig. 3, a detached sectional view of the upper
portion of the air-tube and gravity-chamber,
showing a slight change in the position of the
parts. 55
The machine is supported upon a rectangul
lar frame, A, the upper portion of which is in
cased to form a hopper, B, with sloping Walls,
to direct the material to an opening or mouth,
b, at the lower corner and at one side of the
hopper. The opening at the mouth b is in
creased or diminished or entirely closed by a
sliding valve, C, arranged to slide against the
bottom of the hopper, and operated upon by a
hand-lever, D, projecting to the outside of the 65
frame and within convenient reach of the op
erator. A vertical draft-tube, E, is secured to
the frame in such manner that its lower end
shall be opposite a spout, b', leading from the
mouth of the hopper, and the sides of the tube
will project above and over the frame to form
a suitable air-space for a gravity-chamber,
which will communicate with the eyef of the
chamber of an exhaust-fan, F, secured against
the upper projecting end of the draft-tube, and 75
also rests upon and is supported by the main
frame of the machine. The fan-chamber F is
provided with a fan, F, of well-known con
struction, and is driven by gearing f" f' and
crank-handle F. The inner wall, E, of the
draft-tube extends vertically from a point op
posite the mouth of the hopper, and terminates
a sufficient distance below the cap or cover G
of the air-chamber to allow the draft and ma
terial carried with it to pass over the partition 85
and through the opening e into the adjoining
gravity-chamber Horair-chamber G', that com
municates with the fan. The gravity-chamber
His funnel-shaped, and its neck or lower por
tion, H', communicates, by an opening, h, with
a spout, I, to conduct the material falling into
it away from the machine. The partition H',
between the gravity-chamber and fan-chamber,
is inclined toward the upper end of the fan
chamber, so that its outer edge will be slightly 95
above the upper end of the eyef of the fan
chamber, thus forming a hopper or funnel
shaped gravity-chamber, wider at its upper
than at its lower end or neck, to allow ample
space for the material carried over and around IOC
 242,677

In order to intercept the chaff, cheat, and the air-currents in their passage to the eye of
similar light materials as they are carried over the fan-chamber, as shown in Fig. 2 of the
the upper end of the partition E and prevent drawings. The upper edge of the screen is 55
them from being carried past the gravity-cham held in place by pinsk', placed in the side walls
ber into the fan-chamber, a screen, K, is placed of the air-chamber at suitable intervals. By
diagonally across the air-chamber G', so that placing the screen in a more nearly vertical
its upper edge will rest against and form a position the material carried over with the
radius to the inner curved surface of the cap draft will be deflected more directly, and will
G and its lower edge be a sufficient distance not be so readily carried through the opening
O inside, and about in line with, the upper edge g into the fan-chamber.
of the partition H to leave an opening, g, be The cover Gishinged at g' to the upper end
tween them, through which the air-draft and of the draft-tube, and provided with a felt
lightest impurities may pass on without fur packing to form an air-tight joint, and may be
ther interception to the fan-chamber and away readily opened to change the position or re
from the machine. The openings e g and the move the screen.
eyef of the fan are nearly in line with each A good effect may be obtained by substitut
other, so that the air-current in its passage ing an imperforate partition or deflector for
from the draft-tube to the fan-chamber is not the screen K, when desired.
materially deflected from its most direct course, I claim as my invention and desire to secure
and the strength of the draft is not impaired by Letters Patent
by numerous deflector-boards, that would choke 1. In a gravity grain-separator, the combi
or throttle the draft and cause a greatly in nation of the vertical draft-tube E, a gravity
creased speed to be given the fan to perform chamber, H., communicating with the draft 75
its work and additional labor to the operator. tube by an opening above the partition E ar.
25 The area of the passage g below the screen is ranged between them and provided with an
not sufficient to allow all the air to the full outwardly-inclined partition H, the inclined
capacity of the fan to pass through it, so that deflector K, extending from a point above the
when driven at a rapid speed the excess of air partition E' to a point opposite the upper edge
drawn into the fan that cannot readily pass of the partition H, so that air-passages eg
through the opening g will be supplied through are left between the partition and the deflector,
the screen K, causing the material carried over and a fan-chamber with its eye arranged rela
by the draft to follow the surface of the screen tively to said air-passages, substantially as and
and expose itself to the complete action of the for the purpose described.
draft to free it from light impurities that are 2. In a gravity grain-separator, the combi
35 unsuited for animal-food. When the screen nation of the vertical draft-tube E, gravity.
ings will have reached the lower edge of the chamber H, air-chamber G, and a deflector, K,
screen K their momentum will have been suf. adjustable at its upper edge and arranged
ficiently arrested to cause them to drop into across the air-chamber, substantially as and
the chaff-box or gravity-chamber H. for the purpose described.
It will be readily seen that the screen K and 3. In a gravity grain-separator, the combi
partition Hare placed in such relation to each nation of the vertical draft-tube, the gravity
other and to the eye of the fan-chamber that chamber, the air-chalmber, the screen-parti
a portion of the draft to the fan-chamber will tion, and a removable cap or cover provided 95
at all times pass through the screen, even when with an air-tight packing to afford access to
45 the fan is running slowly. The screen Krests the screen, substantially as described.
at its lower edge upon notched blocks k, se In testimony whereof I affix my signature
cured to the walls of the air-chamber, so that in presence of two witnesses.
the upper edge may be moved around upon JAMES W. MORRISON.
the arc of a circle to which the inner surface of
SO the cap G conforms, so that the angle of the Witnesses:
screen K in the air-chamber may be varied to JAMES O. MCLEAN,
cause an increased or decreased obstruction to JOHN A. EDMISTON.