Giant Seed Separator Cleans 5000 bu/hr

Giant seed separator cleans 5000 bu/hr GRAIN HANDLING Cleaners (27) 12-4-24 "It's got more than 10 times the capacity of the largest gravity table separators and does a better job with less horsepower and no need for an operator," says Wisconsin farmer Clint Fay about his giant new 5,000 bu./hr. grain separator that uses centrifugal force and gravity to separate weed seeds, fines, and other trash from grain and to separate larger seed from smaller seed for planting. Fay, who farms near Port Wing, started working on the idea 10 years ago and has used prototypes for the past two years. He first developed the machine for use on tiny birdsfoot trefoil (grass seed) but has since used it on wheat and other small grains. It should also work on soybeans and corn but he says more testing is needed. "The largest gravity table separator processes just 450 bu./hr., using a high-horsepower motor, and requires an operator. My separator is fully automated and cleans 5,000 bu./hr. or more, with just a 5 hp. motor, and does a much better job," says Fay. Key component of Fay's separator is a vertically-mounted cylinder fitted with 360 small dia. tubes that make it look like a space-age machine gun. This spinning grain-cleaning cylinder is positioned near the peak of a specially-built grain bin. An 18-ft. dia. inner wall is positioned 4 1/2 ft. inside the outer wall of the bin. Grain is augered into the spinning separator cylinder just like you would auger grain into any storage bin. It enters the spinning cylinder and is thrown out through the 360 tubes. The heaviest material is thrown into the space between the inner and outer walls while lighter material falls within the inner walls. Separate unloading augers empty both sections of the bin. The cleaning cylinder is 12 in. in dia. and 12 in. deep with 1-in. thick plastic side-walls. The 360 plastic pipes, or "barrels", are sized according to the size of the crop and range from 1/4 in. dia. to 1/2 in. dia. The cylinder is set to spin at various rpm's depending on the crop. Each seed or fine is propelled from the rotating cleaning cylinder at the same speed. Gravity and air resistance, determined by both the weight and mass of the material, determines how far from the center of the bin it will fall. "It does a nearly perfect job getting out fines which makes grain drying safer and cheaper. Because of the tremendous capacity of the separator, you can set the combine to harvest grains `dirtier' so less grain is lost in the field and then clean out the fines in this separator. To select the largest seed from soybeans, wheat or any other crop for planting, you can set the unit to separate the largest from the smallest seed," says Fay. He has so far used the system primarily in grass seed and small grains but he says he's confident it'll work as well in any crop. "I'm willing to run small tests lots for people who have special seed-cleaning problems. A lot of testing still needs to be done in certain crops," says Fay, noting that the separator, complete with bin, sells for $15,000. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Clint Fay, Cyclo-Clere, Box 88, Port Wing, Wis. 54865 (ph 715 774-3371).

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