Off Grain from Silos and other like Places so as to Obtain Practically Uniform Sample throughout.
Year: 1886

page_text: Off Grain from Silos and other like Places so as to Obtain
Practically Uniform Sample throughout.
I, GEORGE HENDERSON of 12, Drury Lane Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Corn Broker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
:-
The usual plan of drawing off grain from silos is by means of a valve at the
bottom. It is found however that by doing so the heavier grain has a tendency to
fall to the bottom, and the lighter to remain at the top, the consequence is that
though the grain be uniform in mixture from top to bottom the first two thirds
of the grain run out will be superior in quality to the last third, and this latter
will rapidly deteriorate towards the end.
Now my invention is designed-to-enable-me-to-draw out of the silo the grain
as uniform in mixture as it went in, and the invention consists in drawing it
out from close to the surface instead of from the bottom. After a long and costly
series of experiments, I have found that to do this effectively the grain must be
drawn either from the centre of the silo, or from numerous points at the same
time at the sides. I prefer to draw from the centre only. To effect this and to
work automatically, I form a pipe or hollow column extending from top to bottom
of the centre of the silo and alternately on each side thereof, I place a series of
self acting valves that will only open as the surface of the grain successively sinks
down to them. They can be of several forms, such as a double flap counter
balanced by the pressure of the grain on the upper part and so held close until
that pressure is withdrawn, but I prefer to counterbalance them by a pressure
inside the central spout itself. For this purpose, I cut openings in the pipo and
hang from inside (by means of a cloth hinge fastened to the pipe side by a wedge
These valves lie flat
shaped covering piece) a series of wedge shaped valves.
against the opening, but their sloping back lies obliquely and this causes a slight
impediment to the downward passage of the grain in the pipe and so utilizes the
weight of said grain and its own gravity to keep itself closed.
In filling the silo, I first fill the tube. This is a most important point as by this
means only can the last mentioned valves be made to work automatically without
trouble. I then fill the silo by overflowing from the tube or otherwise. In drawing

page_text: off, the main drawing off valve opening into the bottom of the tube is opened,
the grain gradually falls in the tube as it falls below each valve in succession, it
allows that valve to open and discharge into the tube until the lowest is reached.
The valves openings etcetera are arranged with sloping upper sides, so as to prevent
the grain lodging on them. It will be obvious hat this system of automatic
valves can be used with tubes in any other potion than the centre and that
the tubes can be rectangular, polygonal or cylindrical, but I prefer the first men-
tioned shape. The area of the drawing off valve must be considerably less than
that of the tube and the automatic valves should be large enough to individually
supply the full requirement of the drawing off valve.
DML 1000

page_text: Practically Uniform Sample throughout.
I, GEORGE HENDERSON of 12, Drury Lane Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Corn Broker 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 usual plan of drawing off grain from silos is by means of a valve at the
bottom. It is found however that by doing so the heavier grain has a tendency
to fall to the bottom and the lighter to remain at the top, the consequence is, that
though the grain be uniform in mixture from top to bottom, the first two thirds of
the grain run out will be superior in quality to the last third, and this latter will
rapidly deteriorate towards the end.
Now my invention is designed to enable me to draw out of the silo the grain
as uniform in mixture as it went in, and the invention consists in drawing it
out from close to the surface instead of from the bottom. After a long and costly
series of experiments, I have found that to do this effectively the grain must be
drawn either from the centre line of the silo, or from numerous points at the same
time at the sides. I prefer to draw from the centre line only. To effect this
and to work automatically, I form a pipe or hollow column extending from top to
bottom of the centre of the silo, and place openings in its sides at short intervals
the entire length from bottom to top. In drawing off from the bottom of the
pipe, the column of grain in the pipe prevents much of the grain entering from
outside except at the opening or openings above the level of the grain in the pipe,
and below the top of the grain in the silo. It enters freely there however as the
grain lowering in the pipe leaves the openings exposed, I find however that even
by this arrangement the grain is more or less drawn from the entire length of the
pipe and that mainly the heavier grain forces itself through the lower orifices
leaving the lighter stuff behind. The evil is thus only modified not eradicated.
To prevent all passage through any but the orifice just below the surface level of
the grain in the silo, I adopt the plan set forth in the drawings.
In these,
Figure 1. is a sectional elevation of a silo with my improvements attached.
Figure 2. section of part of tube showing valves."
Figure 3. part elevation.
Figure 4. plan.
The valve A shown is a wooden one attached by a leather hinge B, I have
found however that iron valves lying flat against the side of the pipe or against
a sloping face will do, but if lying flat against the side in vertical position, the
valve must be longer than the orifice, and the end must be bent backward some-
what below the orifice, or have some projection on the back to catch a little of the
weight of the grain, I prefer however wooden valves A as shown with a wedge
shaped backing Cand a wooden guard D above, holding the binge as shown, and

page_text: projecting out as far as the top of the valve A projects to take off the strain of the
grain. As in any case the grain has a great strain on the apparatus, I strengthen
the wooden pipe E at intervals, and at joints by strengthening pieces F. F. G. G. as
shown and also stay it to the sides by iron rods H, slightly bent so as to have
a little play, as I find when straight rods are used they are apt to strip the thread
and pull out with the expansion and contraction of the sides of the silos I I.
In filling the silo, I first fill the tube E. This is a most important point as by
this means only can the last mentioned valves be made to work automatically
without trouble. I then fill the silo by overflowing from the tube or otherwise.
In drawing off, the usual main drawing off valve J opening into the bottom of
the tube is opened, the grain gradually falls in the tube, as it falls below each
valve A in succession, it allows that valve to open and discharge into the tube
until the lowest is reached. The valve-openings, etcetera are arranged with sloping
bottoms, so as to prevent the grain lodging on them. It will be obvious that this
system of automatic valves can be used with tubes in any other position than the
centre, and that the tubes can be rectangular, polygonal or cylindrical, but
I prefer the first mentioned shape. The area of the drawing off valve J must be
considerably less than that of the tube, and the automatic valves A should be
large enough to individually supply the full requirement of the drawing off valve.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. The improvement in the apparatus for drawing off grain, which consists in
forming a series of openings, or one continuous opening from top to bottom of the
silo provided with automatic arrangements by which the drawing off shall be
effected only from the top layer of the column of grain, substantially as and for
the purposes described.
2nd. In connection with silos and other like places, the vertical tubes provided
with a series of valves opened and closed automatically, or by the weight of the
grain, substantially as described.