Improvements in Driers for Cocoa and other Grains.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driers for Cocoa and other Grains.
I, JUAN GAMARRA ELIZONDO of Guayaquil in the Republic of Ecuador,
South America, Inventor, 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 :-
My invention relates to a machine for drying grain of any description,
principally cocoa, or any material whether it be in grain form or more or less
pulverized or crushed.
The object of the invention is to provide a device by means of which the grain
may be dried through the medium of hot water in circulation, and further to
provide means whereby the grain while in process of drying may be kept moving
through the machine and subjected to the action of agitators at the same time.
further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the hot water
employed as a heating agent will be distributed to the best advantage throughout
the entire machine.
A
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section taken practically on the line 1-1 of
Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a transverse section taken essentially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of one of the drying chambers, a portion of one of its
walls being broken away, and
Figure 4 is a plan view of the said chamber shown in Figure 3, parts being
removed.
In carrying out the invention, a building A is provided which building is
divided into compartments A' of greater or less extent. Each compartment
however preferably extends from one end of the building nearly to the other.
The compartments A¹ have communication with like compartments B located in
what may be termed an annex B' and in the said annex the heating apparatus is
located.
A drying apparatus C is placed in each compartment A'. The said drying
apparatus is of substantially box-like construction, its body being provided with
side walls 10, a bottom 11, and enclosed ends, and a top which preferably consists
of a series of transverse slide-ways 12 shown best in Figure 4, and a series of doors
or gates 13 which are located in the slide-ways. When the gates or doors are in
position, the box like body of the drier is practically closed, the only openings
being the exit opening 14 in the nature of a chute at the bottom of one end, a
hopper 15 at the upper portion of the opposite end, and apertures 15° (see
Figure 3) adapted for the escape of surplus heat and products of evaporation, said
aperture being usually produced in the doors or gates 13. The hopper is adapted
to receive the grain or other material to be dried.
In the body portion of each machine drums 16 are held to revolve, one drum
being located at or near each end, and said drums carry an endless belt 17 of wire
gauze or a perforated material, and in order that the upper stretch of the belt may
be held horizontally throughout its length, supporting rods 18 are provided, as
shown in Figure 3, upon which the said upper stretch rests, while the slack of the
belt can be taken up conveniently and expeditiously through the medium of tension
pulleys 19 engaging with the underside of the under stretch and operated in their
boxes by suitable adjusting screws 20.

page_text: Short shafts 21 are journaled in the slide-ways 12 between the edges thereof
preferably at or near the centre of said slide-ways, and the lower end of each shaft
carries a rake 22 the teeth whereof are curved ordinarily in direction of the centre
of the rake from each end as shown in Figure 3, and each shaft 21 carries at it
upper end, that is, above the top of the body, a pulley 23 which is preferably in
the nature of a sprocket wheel, and the several sprocket wheels are engaged by a
belt 24, ordinarily a chain belt which also engages with idlers 25 and with a
sprocket wheel or like pulleys 26 mounted securely upon a vertical shaft 27 located
usually at the rear end of the drier, being journaled in hangers 28 located
exteriorly of the drier, and the driving shaft 27 extends from the upper compart-
ment of the main building in which the driers are located to the bottom
compartment, where it is driven by any suitable or approved form of power
shaft 29 or driving mechanism.
One of the drums 16 is located below the hopper 15. This drum turns readily in
its bearings, but the opposite drum is mounted to turn loosely upon a shaft 29",
said shaft being provided with a worm wheel 30 which meshes with a worm 31
formed upon the driving shaft 27, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. This shaft 29*
likewise has secured upon it a ratchet wheel 32 which is engaged by a pawl 33
connected with the drum. When the ratchet and pawl are in engagement the
drying belt 17 is actuated but the said belt will remain stationary when the pawl
and ratchet are out of engagement and the rakes may at that time continue
to turn.
In the annex B' any approved form of hot water heater D is placed. In the
drawings the heater consists of a fire pot or furnace 34 and a water receptable 35
located within the furnace and connected by a pipe 36 with a valved tank 37
placed in the uppermost story of the annex and higher than the uppermost drier.
Pipes 38 are made to connect with the lower water receptacle 35 and they are
carried either singly or in the shape of a coil through the various driers between
the stretches of their driving belts and are then connected with the upper tank 37
whereby a perfect circulation of hot water is obtained, and the hot water pipes at
opposite sides of the structure are connected by branches 39, or a hot water
heating apparatus may be employed for each tier of driers.
I desire it to be understood that hot water is the preferred heating medium since
by its use a uniform temperature of a proper degree may be obtained and
maintained.
In operation the material is fed into the hoppers 15, the drying belts are moved
slightly by the driving mechanism and the rakes are set in motion at the same time
and serve to spread the grain and keep it in motion until thoroughly dried, but the
drying belt may be made to remain stationary at any time and the rakes be
permitted to operate upon the grain lying upon the belt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1st. A drier for cocoa and other grain constructed substantially as herein shown
and described.
2nd. In a drier, the combination with the drying chamber and means for heating
the air therein, of stationary grain receptacles located in the chamber, each
receptacle containing a carrier and agitating devices, substantially as shown and
described.
3rd. In a drier, a box like compartment having suitable inlets and outlets, a
drying belt located within the drier, agitators located in close proximity to the
upper stretch of the drying belt, a driving mechanism connected with the belt
supports and agitators, and means substantially as shown and described for
heating the air in the said box like compartment by hot water, as and for the
purpose set forth.
4th. In a grain drier, the combination with a box like compartment provided

page_text: with an inlet and an outlet located near the opposite ends, drums held to revolve with
the said compartment, and a drying belt carried by the drums, of agitators held to
revolve in close proximity to the upper stretch of the drying belt, a drive shaft
connected with one of the drums and with the agitators, a shifting device carried
by one of the drums whereby it may be disconnected from the drive shaft, and
means substantially as shown and described for heating the interior of the box like
compartment, as and for the purpose set forth.
5th. In a drier, the combination with a box like compartment provided with a
hopper at one end and an exit at the opposite end, and drums located within the
said compartment, one near each end, one of the drums being loosely mounted
upon a supporting shaft and provided with a pawl, said shaft being provided with
a ratchet wheel for engagement with the pawl, and with a pinion, of a series of
agitators held to revolve in close proximity to the drying belt, a drive shaft, a
connection between the drive shaft and the agitators, and a connection between the
drive shaft and the pinion of the drum shaft, and a means substantially as shown
and described for heating the box like compartment by hot water substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 14th dow of Contombow 1002
J. G. ELIZONDO,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.