Apparatus for Facilitating the Drying of Grain and other Substances.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1889-Accepted, 14th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Facilitating the Drying of Grain and other Substances.
We, HENRY WILKINSON and JOSEPH WILKINSON, both of Victoria Mills, St.
George's Quay, Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, Corn Millers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for drying grain and other substances and has
for its object to provide improved mechanical means whereby the said substances will
be continually moved or turned so as to facilitate the drying of the same.
According to our said invention the material to be dried is spread upon the floor of
a kiln or other surface, above which is mounted a rotating drum. This drum advan-
tageously consists of a central shaft having upon it at suitable distances apart arms or
discs, upon the ends or peripheries of which are secured bars or beaters.
This drum is mounted in bearings at the lower ends of brackets depending from
a carriage adapted to traverse the whole length of the floor. The said carriage is
provided with a shaft to the ends of which are keyed toothed pinions running upon
racks, so that when motion is imparted to the carriage shaft the carriage, and with it
the drum will be caused to travel. Rotary motion is imparted to the drum from the
carriage shaft by sprocket wheels and a chain or by any other desirable means.
Motion is imparted to the carriage by a chain which at its two ends is secured to
the carriage and which extends the whole length of the course traversed by the
carriage the said chain passing under guide pulleys and over a sprocket or chain wheel
on a driving shaft to impart motion to the chain and also to the carriage.
When the carriage has been drawn to one end of the floor the chain is caused to
move in the reverse direction so as to draw the carriage back again, this reversal of
motion being effected by means of reversing mechanism similar to that used on a
planing machine.
It will be understood that during the motion of the carriage the drum also rotates
thereby turning or moving the grain or other material during its traverse.
Dated the 22nd day of October 1888
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Facilitating the Drying of Grain and other Substances.
We, HENRY WILKINSON and JOSEPH WILKINSON, both of Victoria Mills, St.
George's Quay, Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, Corn Millers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to apparatus for facilitating the drying of grain and other
substances, and has for its object to provide mechanical means, whereby the said sub-
stances may be continually moved or turned.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a front elevation of apparatus constructed according to our invention
and shown in conjunction with the floor of a kiln ; and,
Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
In carrying out our invention we provide one or more rotating drums a which is or
are mounted above the floor 6 of a kiln or other surface upon which the material to be
dried is spread. The said drum advantageously consists of a central shaft, having
.

page_text: upon it, at suitable distances apart, arms or discs to the ends or peripheries of which
are secured bars or beaters e, c. This drum is carried in bearings in the lower ends
of brackets f, f; and when the floor is of great width we advantageously employ one
or more additional bearings at a point or points intermediate between the end bearings,
for instance, as shown at g in Figure 1. The said brackets are secured to transverse
bars h, and with the latter constitute a kind of frame or carriage. The said carriage
is adapted to traverse the whole length of the floor, in connection with which it is
arranged, and, for this purpose, it is provided with a shaft i carried in bearings in the
brackets f,f,g and having keyed to its ends toothed pinions j, j running upon
racks k, supported on brackets secured to the kiln walls, so that when motion is
imparted to the shaft i, the carriage, and with it the drum, will be caused to travel
over the floor. Rotary motion is imparted to the drum a from the shaft i by sprocket
wheels, and a chain m or by any other desirable means.
n, n are pulleys carried in arms n', n' attached to or formed upon the brackets f, f,
the said pulleys serving to take up any slack in the chains m, m.
Motion is imparted to the carriage by means of endless chains 0, which pass around
sprocket wheels P, p on a driving shaft q and guide pulleys r, carried by the kiln
walls, and over sprocket-wheels s, s secured on the shaft i, guide-pulleys t, t being
arranged on the carriage in connection with each wheel, as to maintain the chain in
engagement therewith. The guide-pulleys ", " are provided with spring con-
nections, to allow them to yield slightly in case any sudden strain is placed
upon the chains.
When the carriage has been drawn to one end of the floor, it strikes against a pro-
jection on one end of a bar sliding beside one of the racks k, and pushes the said
bar so that a projection thereon strikes against a lever ² and operates striking
gear (for instance, such as that shown at w, which is of ordinary construction) causing
the shaft to rotate in the opposite direction to that in which it had previously
rotated. The carriage then commences to move to the opposite end of the floor
where it strikes a projection u similar to that before described, but at the other
end of the bar v, whereby the striking mechanism is again operated to reverse
the direction of the rotation of the shaft q.
It will be understood that during the motion of the carriage the drum also
rotates, thereby turning or moving the grain or other material upon the floor b.
x, x are forks attached to the brackets f,f and serving to stir or turn over the
grain or other material which cannot be acted upon by the drums.
We wish it understood that we do not limit our invention to the details of con-
struction herein before described, as it is obvious that other means could easily be
provided for transmitting motion to the carriage and to the drums carried thereby.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. Apparatus for facilitating the drying of grain and other substances comprising
a carriage adapted to move over the floor upon which the material to be dried is lying,
a drum carried by the said carriage and adapted to turn or move the grain, and
mechanism for imparting a to-and-fro motion to the carriage and a rotary motion to
the drum, substantially as set forth.
2. The manufacture and use of the improved apparatus hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, for the purpose set forth.
Dated the 20th day of July 1990
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.