Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Grain.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 2nd Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Grain.
I, PEIRSON TURNER, of 82 Mark Lane, in the City of London, Milling
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
•
According to this invention I construct an apparatus for drying grain of two
cylinders of perforated metal fixed concentrically upon a vertical axis with an
annular space between the two. At the top the inner cylinder is coned inwards
and the outer cone outwards so as to form a conical hopper all around the top of
the annular space-this hopper is kept filled with grain from a suitable shoot.
The bottom of the inner cylinder extends some distance below the bottom of the
outer cylinder and is closed by a disc which is made to extend for some distance
outwards beyond the lower end of the outer cylinder. When the hopper at the
top is filled with grain the grain also fills the annular space between the two
cylinders the projecting disc at the bottom of the inner cylinder serving as a table
upon which the grain rests. Heated air is supplied to the top of the inner cylinder
through a pipe and escapes by permeating through the thin layer of grain held
between the two perforated cylinders and the grain is thereby heated and dried.
A diaphragm may be fixed across the lower part of the inner cylinder and cold air
blown into the cylinder through a pipe passing through the centre of the disc
which closes its lower end.
The cold air so blown in would then permeate through the grain held between
the lower parts of the two perforated cylinders which are below the level of the
diaphragm and cool the grain.
In order to cause a continuous stream of grain to pass down through the annular
space between the two cylinders I give a slow rotating motion to the axis of the
cylinders and cause an inclined blade or scraper to rest on the upper surface of the
As the disc rotates it
bottom disc where it projects beyond the outer cylinder.
carries the grain which is resting on it against the scraper and so the grain is swept
off from the disc and fresh grain descending through the annular space takes its
place.
To stop the flow of grain downwards through the annular space when the supply
of grain to the hopper falls short, I cause a blade to be pressed downwards onto
the grain in the hopper by a weighted lever arm fixed on an axis to which one end
of the blade is also fixed and a prolongation of this arm I connect by a rod with
the scraper so that if the hopper is not properly filled with grain the weight
descends and the scraper is lifted and no further discharge of grain from the
bottom disc takes place until the weight is again lifted by more grain entering the
hopper.
Dated this 29th day of December 1893.
PEIRSON TURNEK.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Grain.
I, PEIRSON TURNER, of 82 Mark Lane, in the City of London, Milling
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 :-
According to this invention I construct an apparatus for drying grain, of two

page_text: cylinders of perforated metal fixed concentrically upon a vertical axis with an
annular space between the two. At the top the inner cylinder is coned inwards
and the outer cone outwards so as to form a conical hopper all around the top of the
annular space-this hopper is kept filled with grain from a suitable shoot. The
bottom of the inner cylinder extends some distance below the bottom of the outer
cylinder and is closed by a disc which is made to extend for some distance
outwards beyond the lower end of the outer cylinder. When the hopper at the
top is filled with grain the grain also fills the annular space between the two
cylinders the projecting disc at the bottom of the inner cylinder serving as a table
upon which the grain rests. Heated air is supplied to the top of the inner cylinder
through a pipe and escapes by permeating through the thin layer of grain held
between the two perforated cylinders and the grain is thereby heated and dried.
A diaphragm may be fixed across the lower part of the inner cylinder and cold air
blown into the cylinder through a pipe passing through the centre of the disc
which closes its lower end.
The cold air so blown in would then permeate through the grain held between
the lower parts of the two perforated cylinders which are below the level of the
diaphragm and cool the grain.
In order to cause a continuous stream of grain to pass down through the annular
space between the two cylinders I give a slow rotating motion to the axis of the
cylinders and cause an inclined blade or scraper to rest on the upper surface of the
bottom disc or platten where it projects beyond the outer cylinder. As the disc
rotates it carries the grain which is resting on it against the scraper and so the
grain is swept off from the disc and fresh grain descending through the annular
space takes its place.
To stop the flow of grain downwards through the annular space when the supply
of grain to the hopper falls short, I cause a blade to be pressed downwards onto
the grain in the hopper by a weighted lever arm fixed on an axis to which one end
of the blade is also fixed and a prolongation of this arm I connect by a rod with
the scraper so that if the hopper is not properly filled with grain the weight
descends and the scraper is lifted and no further discharge of grain from the
bottom disc takes place until the weight is again lifted by more grain entering the
Lopper.
The drawings annexed shew apparatus constructed as above described.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus. Figure 2 is a side elevation with
the central portion omitted.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the apparatus taken at right
angles to Figure 2, and
Figure 4 is a cross section taken through the vertical cylinders.
A is the outer cylinder and B the inner cylinder both fixed concentrically upon
the axis C to which a slow revolving motion is imparted from a revolving worm D
gearing into a worm wheel C' fixed upon it. E is the hopper month at the top of
the annular space between the two cylinders. This hopper is to be kept filled with
grain from a suitable shoot not shewn in the drawings. B' is the disc projecting
outwards from the bottom of the inner cylinder, preferably it is curved upwards as
shewn in Figure 1. F is a diaphragm fixed across the inner cylinder at some
distance from its lower end, at other points the cylinders may be kept concentric
with the axis C by openwork supports as F. G is a fixed pipe the lower end of
which passes through a central opening formed through the closed upper end of the
inner cylinder. His a fixed pipe the upper end of which similarly passes through
the lower end of the inner cylinder. Hot air is to be blown into the upper part of
the cylinder B through the pipe G and cold air into the lower part of the
cylinder through the pipe H. I is a fixed bracket carrying at its outer end an axis K
on which is fixed a blade K' which as shewn in the lower part of Figure 2 can be
turned downwards into such a position as to dip into the grain resting on the curved
disc B¹. When turned down into this position the grain which is brought against
it by the revolving of the cylinders is swept off from the disc and thereby

page_text: discharged from the apparatus. K' is an arm also fixed on the axis K, from this
arm a connecting rod L passes to the end of one arm of a lever M the other arm
of which has upon it a weight N (see Figure 3). O is a blade fixed on the axis of
the lever, the weight N tends to press the blade downwards and cause it to bear
upon the top of the grain with which the hopper is filled and when the supply of
grain to the hopper falls short causes the blade K₁ to be turned upwards and
thereby arrests the discharge of grain from the lower end of the apparatus as
above explained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the slowly revolving concentric perforated cylinders the
disc projecting outwards from the inner cylinder-the scraper for discharging grain
from off the disc means for supplying grain to the top of the space between the two
cylinders and means for blowing hot air into the interior of the inner cylinder.
2. The combination of the slowly revolving concentric perforated cylinders, the
disc projecting outwards from the inner cylinder-the scraper for discharging grain
from off the disc-means for supplying grain to the top of the space between the
two cylinders the diaphragm across the inner cylinder-the pipe for introducing
heated air to the top of the inner cylinder and the pipe for introducing cold air into
the lower part of the inner cylinder.
3. The combination of apparatus substantially as described for arresting the
discharge of grain from the apparatus when the supply of grain to it slackens or
ceases.
4. The combination of apparatus for drying grain substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1894.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.