Improvements in or connected with Elevating Granular, Pulverulent, or like Substances, also applicable in the Drying of such Substances.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1898-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
Improvements in or connected with Elevating Granular, Pulverulent,
or like Substances, also applicable in the Drying of such Substances.
I, PETER DUFF, of Marcus Street, Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The invention, the subject of this application, has reference, mainly, to the
elevating of grain, or granular materials, and pulverulent or similar substances,
from bulk, as from a ship's held to a quay or another vessel, or other place.
According to this invention, the means of raising or elevating grain, or similar
substances, consists of a screw-more or less vertically disposed-working within
a tube, and of a differential pitch at different points of its height, the pitch at the
lower part being the smaller, and increasing from this part upwards. By this
means, the weight of the material at the different points up the column does not
act or bear so largely on the material in the parts of the column below, and thus
the resistance at the lower portion is relieved-this, of course, being due to the
action of the larger pitch at the upper part, and an efficient vertical, or nearly
vertical screw or worm elevator is provided.
The worm or thread of the propeller, according to one construction, is made of
several lengths of thread or blades, say from about one foot to two feet long, or
more, each of a different pitch, and increasing successively from the bottom up-
wards. The increase of pitch need only be comparatively small in each section or
stage, say from to inch, in an ordinary sized screw or worm. A further feature
in a screw or worm elevator under this invention, consists of an interrupted or dis-
continuous screw or worm, with a space or gap-which may be of several inches
in length-between each length of worm. and thus, in the case of this feature being
combined with that above described, the elevator is one having both a differential
pitch, and also a discontinuous or interrupted worm or screw. As a further
modification, in some cases, between the different lengths of worm or screw blades
of the differential increasing pitch, stationary propeller blades, or a worm or screw,
of an opposite direction of pitch, is employed, by which, in action, the grain or
other substance is raised by the first stage, and delivered to the stationary blades
of screw, whence it passes to the bottom of the second part or length of
revolving worm or screw, and so on from stage or stage.
By the means and constructions above described, grain, or similar materials, can
be lifted or elevated efficiently and economically.
According to a further part of this invention, in the case of elevators employed
for discharging grain or similar substances, from ships' holds, tubes or casings are
provided at different parts of the ship between the hold, say the lower hold of the
ship, and the main or upper deck, to serve as tubes for the elevators and also as
ventilators, being preferably provided at their upper ends with detach-
able ventilating cowls. If these tubes and elevators be fitted in a
ship, the grain or like material in the lower hold can be discharged as soon as a
ship comes alongside a berth or quay, or another vessel, and while cargo from the

page_text: intermediate holds is being discharged. In some cases, the ordinary ventilator
tubes may be adapted to this purpose; while in others, special tubes are built in
the ship also, in some cases, the parts of the masts which extend through the
hold of the vessel are adapted to serve as the tubes or casing of the elevator.
According to a further part of this invention, the differential pitch screw elevator
described is applied to the drying or torrification of grains, malt, and the like, by
elevating the material from the bottom of a vessel to the top, and discharging it
there, and circulating it through hot air or other gases.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1898.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.
Improvements in or connected with Elevating Granular, Pulverulent,
or like Substances, also applicable in the Drying of such Substances.
I, PETER DUFF, of Marcus Street, Birkenhead, in the County of Chester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The invention, the subject of this application, has reference, mainly, to the
elevating of grain, or granular materials, and pulverulent or similar substances,
from bulk, as from a ships' hold to a quay, or another vessel, or other place..
According to this invention, the means of raising or elevating grain, or similar
substances, consists of a screw-more or less vertically disposed-working within
a tube, and of a differential pitch at different points of its height, the pitch at the
lower part being the smaller, and increasing from this part upwards. By this
means, the weight of the material at the different points up the column does not
act or bear so largely on the material in the parts of the column below, and thus
the resistance at the lower portion is relieved this, of course, being due to the
action of the larger pitch at the upper part, and an efficient vertical, or nearly
vertical screw or worm elevator is provided.
The worm or thread of the propeller, according to one construction, is made of
several lengths of thread or blades, say from about one foot to two feet long, or
more, each of a different pitch, and increasing successively from the bottom up-
wards. The increase of pitch need only be comparatively small in each section or
stage, say from to inch, in an ordinary sized screw or worm. A further feature
in a screw or worm elevator under this invention, consists of an interrupted or dis-
continuous screw or worm, with a space or gap-which may be of several inches
in length-between each length of worm, and thus, in the case of this feature being
combined with that above described, the elevator is one having both a differential
pitch, and also a discontinuous or interrupted worm or screw. As a further
modification, in some cases, between the different lengths of worm or screw blades
of the differential increasing pitch, stationary propeller blades, or a worm or screw,
of an opposite direction of pitch, is employed, by which, in action, the grain or
other substance is raised by the first stage, and delivered to the stationary blades
of the screw, whence it passes to the bottom of the second part or length of the
revolving worm or screw, and so on from stage to stage.
By the means and constructions above described, grain, or similar materials, can
be lifted or elevated efficiently and economically.
According to a further part of this invention, in the case of elevators employed

page_text: for discharging grain or similar substances, from ships' holds, tubes or casings are
provided at different parts of the ship between the hold, say the lower hold of the
ship, and the main or upper deck, to serve as tubes for the elevators and also as
ventilators, being preferably provided at their upper ends with detach-
able ventilating cowls. If these tubes and elevators be fitted in a
ship, the grain or like material in the lower hold can be discharged as soon as a
ship comes alongside a berth or quay, or another vessel, and while cargo from the
intermediate holds is being discharged. In some cases, the ordinary ventilating
tubes may be adapted to this purpose; while in others, special tubes are built in
the ship; also, in some cases, the parts of the masts which extend through the
hold of the vessel are adapted to serve as the tubes or casing of the elevator.
According to a further part of this invention, the differential pitch screw elevator
described is applied to the drying or torrification of grains, malt, and the like, by
elevating the material from the bottom of a vessel to the top, and discharging it
there, and circulating through it, hot air or other gases.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 being a
vertical section shewing the construction of elevator specified, and at the same
time illustrating its application to elevating corn or similar material from a ship's
hold; while Figure 2 is a vertical section shewing the elevator applied in the dry-
ing or torrification of grain, malt, and the like, wherein such grain or material is
elevated from the bottom of the drying vessel to the top, where it is discharged,
and hot air or other gas circulated through it.
Referring in the first instance to Figure 1, a represents the lengths of a spiral
blade, formed upon or connected to the central shaft b, and arranged and working
in the tube c. As shewn by the drawings these lengths are comparatively short;
and the successive lengths from the bottom are of increased pitches; points of
interruption between the pitches being provided. The amount of increase of pitch
need be only small, as the object and effect is merely to lift the load of grain in
the elevator tube c off the portion of the elevator blades below, so that, as regards
the weight of the grain column itself, practically there is only a head and weight
of grain on any section of elevator, equal to the distance apart or length of these
sections.
Obviously, in lieu of sections of successively increased pitch, the worm, spiral
blade, or spirally arranged blades, according to the form of spiral elevator used, will
be of gradually increasing pitch from its lower end.
The elevator tubes c, in which the worm or spiral elevator works, extends from
a point a little above the floor d, to a point above the upper deck e; and it is sup-
ported at its lower end by the standards f and footstep f¹. The bulk of the weight,
however, may be taken from a bearing above which may be of the multi-grooved
and collar thrust block type, through which the shaft of the worm passes.
shait is rotated by the gearing wheels and rope wheel h h', or by any suitable
gear; and the grain or material is discharged from the upper end of the tube c
down the shoot or hopper i; from which it may be carried away by suitable con-
veyors, or as desired.
The
When a ship containing this construction is at sea, the worm or elevator, and
upper gear may be disconnected at c¹ from c, and taken away; and a cowl of suit-
able kind fixed at c¹; under which conditions the tube c acts as a ventilator, form-
ing a permanent portion of the ship.
In the grain, malt, or other drying or torrifying apparatus shewn in Figure 2,
the vertical worm conveyor consists of lengths a of the successively larger pitch,
similarly as in Figure 1, with interruptions between the lengths, and a tube c, and
shaft b.
This worm elevator elevates the material from the bottom of the vessel k in
which the material is elevated and dried, the bottom portion of which is conical
and perforated; and it is discharged at the upper end, where it falls down and is
distributed onto the bottom, and hot air or other gas is passed through it. being
supplied from the annular hot air or gas chamber 1, the inner face of which is

page_text: perforated as shewn, and through the perforated bottom k¹. The upward current
of hot gases is produced by an exhaust fan m in the upper part of the apparatus,
the blades of which are mounted on the upper end of the elevator shaft b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: :-
1. The herein described improvement in spiral elevators, for elevating granular,
pulverulent, or like substances, namely, an elevator having a spiral rotatable blade
or blades, which, from the lower parts upward, has or have an increasing pitch;
the said blade or blades being disposed and working in a tube; for the purposes
set forth.
2. An elevator for elevating granular, pulverulent, or like substances, comprising
blades increasing in pitch from the lower portion upwards, and disposed in, and
adapted to revolve in a vertically, or approximately vertically disposed tube; sub-
stantially as set forth with reference to the drawings.
3. In or for the elevation of granular, pulverulent, or like substances, from ships
holds, a tube passing through the decks of the ship to the hold, and adapted to
receive a vertical spiral elevator, and to serve the purposes specified; substantially
as set forth.
4. In a grain, malt, or like drying or torrifying apparatus, a vertical spiral
elevator disposed within the apparatus, and consisting of a spiral blade, or spiral
blades, of increasing pitch from the lower parts, and working within a tube in
the apparatus; substantially as set forth.
5. A grain, malt, or like, drying or torrifying apparatus having an elevator of
differential and increasing pitch upwards, disposed within a tube in the centre of
the apparatus, and adapted to lift the material from the bottom and discharge it
over the top of the tube; and through which hot air or other gas is adapted to be
circulated or passed; substantially as set forth.
6. The apparatus having parts arranged and adapted to operate as shewn in and
set forth with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.
Dotad this 24th day of Thacomber 1908
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.