Apparatus for dehusking grain

In an apparatus for dehusking grain wherein a helical screw having a central bore therethrough is rotatably and concentrically mounted on a generally horizontal axis within an at least partly cylindrical housing, wherein means is provided to rotate the screw within the housing, wherein unhusked grain is introduced into a first end of the housing, is dehusked and moved through the housing by the screw and is discharged from a second end of the housing as dehusked grain;

• the improvement wherein:
• (a) the helical screw is made up of a plurality of discoid elements, each side of each discoid element being formed to provide a number of shallow compartments, each compartment being partially defined by a pair of substantially radially disposed ribs extending away from the surface of said discoid element;
• (b) each such compartment has an open end adjacent the outer periphery of the discoid element and a closed end adjacent the central bore of the helical screw;
• (c) the compartments are disposed so that those on one side of a discoid element are staggered and offset with respect to the compartments on the other side;
• (d) each of the discoid elements is provided with an array of dehusking elements upon its helical surfaces;
• and
• (e) grain impelled through the cylindrical housing is subjected to agitated, turbulent flow by contact with the discoid elements of the helical screw thereby removing husk material from the grain.