Patent GB-631122-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to the drying of grain
IPC: F26B25/22
Filed: 1946-12-16
Abstract: 631,122. Testing grain. INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CO. OF GREAT BRITAIN Ltd. (International Harvester Co.). Dec. 16, 1946, No. 37025. [Class 58] [Also in Groups II, XVIII, XX and XXIV] An apparatus for testing the moisture content'of grain discharging from a drier comprises a device for delivering measured quantities taken from the continuously discharging, flow of grain to a testing device comprising a receiving chamber in which each measured quantity is confined in the form of a column, a plunger adapted to be operated to exert a predetermined pressure on the confined column and means actuated on movement of the plunger to or beyond a predetermined point to cause diversion of the discharging grain. As shown the grain enters a discharging conduit 10 and may discharge by either of two spouts 11, 14 by altering the position of a partition 12 according to whether the grain is sufficiently dried for storage. A tube 15 within the conduit 10 receives grain from the chamber 17 formed by partition 16 in the top of the conduit and is provided with sliding gates 18. 19 having therein apertures 20, 22, respectively. By positioning these as shown in Fig. 9 the grain rests on the plate 18 and fills the space 21 when by operating the rod 23 the plate 19 is slid to close the tube and the plate 18 drawn back to allow the measured amount of grain to fall down the tube into the moisture testing device. The latter consists of three equidistant holes 66, 67; 68 (Fig. 6) in the Geneva gear which is mounted on a solid bottom plate 46 having an opening 69 beneath the hole 68 (Fig. 7). The hole 66 is directly below the outlet of tube 15 and becomes filled with the grain sample. One revolution of the gear 63 brings the hole 66 to the position of hole 67 directly below a plunger 70 which descends and compresses the column of grain confined in the cylinder 67. The plunger is operated in the pulley 75 and gear 76 meshing with gear 77 to rotate the shaft 78 around which is a crank arm 121 pivotally attached by a shaft 128 to a tubular sleeve 129 in which is welded a disc 127 the combined sleeve and disc sliding vertically in the bearings 50<SP>1</SP>, 51<SP>1</SP>. A pre-compressed spring 130 lies between the disc 127 and the upper portion 131 of the plunger 70 and supplies the plunger with an initial acting force when the shaft 78 causes the sleeve 129 to descend and compress the spring. The travel of the plunger in the cylinder 67 depends on the hardness of the grain and is thus a measure of the moisture content. If the plunger goes too far the end 140 of an adjustable screw, mounted on a rod 134 passing through vertical slots 133 in the sleeve, tips a hinged member 142 attached to which is attached a Hg switch 146 which closes a circuit which closes the gate valve 12. A further revolution of the gear 63 takes the hole 66 to the position of 68 where it is cleaned out by the plunger 74 operated by the rod 23. The gear 63 is driven by a shaft 73 by rotation of shaft 78 through gears 79, 81. The shaft 78 is rotated by the engagement of the wheel 96 (Fig. 5) of the pawl 94 with recesses 90 in a flange 88 on the gear 77 when the arm 103 is not prevented by the end 105 of a slidable plate 104 from reacting to the action of the spring 100 and rotating counter clockwise until the wheel and recess engage. The plate 104 is periodically moved to allow the rotation of the arms 103 by means of a trip member 114 mounted on shaft 108 engaging a notch 115 to move the plate 104 outwardly to free the arm 103 as the trip rotates clockwise (Fig. 1) driven by the gear 77 through a worm 106 and worm wheel 107 on the shaft 108. The measured quantity may be delivered by means of apparatus described and claimed in Specification 631,123.