Grain cleaner

Claim 1

An apparatus for cleaning grain comprising, an elongate frame, a hollow, elongated, cylindrical, substantially open-ended screen cage rotatably supported on said frame with its axis horizontally disposed, a grain inlet chute secured to the frame and disposed directly adjacent the cage at one end thereof for receiving uncleaned grain therethrough and into the cage through one open end thereof, said screen cage having a mesh slightly smaller than the grain particles received therein to permit particles smaller than grain size to fall therethrough, a grain outlet chute secured to the frame and disposed adjacent the cage at the other end of the cage and through which the cleaned grain is discharged, a helical grain feed screw disposed within and secured to the cage at the inner surface of the cage, said feed screw supported in radially spaced relationship on an elongate shaft extending co-axially through said screen cage and rotatably supported at its opposite ends on said frame for rotation of said feed screw and said screen cage as a unit at a relatively slow speed of rotation for churning the grain in the cage whereby dirt particles in the grain of a size smaller than the grain fall through the sides and bottom of the cage by gravity leaving the grain in the cage substantially free of dirt, said grain feed screw configured to feed the grain from the inlet chute to the outlet chute as the feed screw and cage are rotated as a unit, an elongated dirt-receiving receptacle secured to the frame and disposed beneath the cage to receive dirt particles therefrom, said receptacle having a dirt outlet in the center of the bottom thereof, a helical dirt feed screw rotatably mounted on the frame for rotation about its longitudinal axis and having oppositely directed helixes on the opposite ends thereof operatively disposed in the receptacle for feeding dirT in the receptacle to the dirt outlet therein, an exhaust fan disposed on the frame directly adjacent the upper portion of the cage above the grain outlet chute for drawing dust and fine dirt particles away from the cage and outlet chute, and a variable speed drive means operatively connected with said elongate shaft, said exhaust fan and said dirt feed screw for rotating said screen cage and grain feed screw, said exhaust fan and said dirt feed screw at different selective rotative speeds.

Claim 2

An apparatus for cleaning grain comprising, an elongate frame, a hollow, elongated, cylindrical, substantially open-ended screen cage rotatably supported on said frame with its axis horizontally disposed, a grain inlet chute secured to the frame and disposed directly adjacent the cage at one end thereof for receiving uncleaned grain therethrough and into the cage through one open end thereof, said screen cage having a mesh slightly smaller than the grain particles received therein to permit particles smaller than grain size to fall therethrough, a grain outlet chute secured to the frame and disposed adjacent the cage at the other end of the cage and through which the cleaned grain is discharged, a helical grain feed screw disposed within and secured to the cage at the inner surface of the cage, said feed screw supported in radially spaced relationship on an elongate shaft extending co-axially through said screen cage and rotatably supported at its opposite ends on said frame for rotation of said feed screw and said screen cage as a unit at a relatively slow speed of rotation for churning the grain in the cage whereby dirt particles in the grain of a size smaller than the grain fall through the sides and bottom of the cage by gravity leaving the grain in the cage substantially free of dirt, said grain feed screw configured to feed the grain from the inlet chute to the outlet chute as the feed screw and cage are rotated as a unit, an elongated dirt-receiving receptacle secured to the frame and disposed beneath the cage to receive dirt particles therefrom, said receptacle having a dirt outlet in the center of the bottom thereof, a helical dirt feed screw rotatably mounted on the frame for rotation about its longitudinal axis and having oppositely directed helixes on the opposite ends thereof operatively disposed in the receptacle for feeding dirT in the receptacle to the dirt outlet therein, an exhaust fan disposed on the frame directly adjacent the upper portion of the cage above the grain outlet chute for drawing dust and fine dirt particles away from the cage and outlet chute, and a variable speed drive means operatively connected with said elongate shaft, said exhaust fan and said dirt feed screw for rotating said screen cage and grain feed screw, said exhaust fan and said dirt feed screw at different selective rotative speeds.