Today in 1894, US Patent 525913 A was issued, an invention of Raphael J. Mackison and John P. Mackison, for their “Hop Cleaning Machine.” There’s no Abstract, although in the description it includes these claims:

Our invention relates to improvements in machines for cleaning hops; and the object of our invention is to produce a very simple and efficient machine which may be easily operated, which is provided with an inclined bed and a carrying apron to carry away the dirt, dust, leaves. and other trash deposited by the hops, which has “means for adjusting the bed, which is adapted to clean the apron on its under side, and which is constructed so that perfectly clean hops may be rapidly delivered from one end of the machine.

A further object of our invention is to produce a machine of this kind which is adapted to clean the hops perfectly and without in the least degree injuring or bruising them.