IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS POR DRYING AND PREPARING GRAIN, SERDS, OR BERRIES FOR FOOD AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Don, Millwright and Engineer, of 10,
Poultry, in the City of London, Thomas Smith, Millwright, of Tenter
Lane, Leeds, and Loxley Horsfield, Engineer, of Bank Foundry, Leeds,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS POR
DRYING AND PREPARING GRAIN, SERDS, OR BERRIES FOR FOOD AND OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 26th September 1861, and dated the 11th April 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Don, Thomas
Smith, and Loxley Horsfield, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th April 1861.
We, THOMAS DON, Millright and Engineer, of 10, Poultry, in the City of
London, THOMAS SMITH, Millwright, of Tenter Lane, Leeds, and LOXLEY
HORSFIELD, Engineer, of Bank Foundry, Leeds, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
DRYING AND PREPARING GRAIN, SEEDS, OR BERRIES FOR FOOD AND OTHER PUR-
POSES," to be as follows:-
These improvements have for their objects the drying and preparation of
grain, seeds, or berries, to extract from them the moisture which they contain
after being gathered and separated from the straw, stalks, or trees, to render
them fit for the subsequent purposes of manufacture or application for which
they are intended for use as food or otherwise, or when grain, seeds, or berries
have been washed or steeped to dry the same.
In carrying out these improvements we avail ourselves of the use of steam,

page_text: superheated steam, or heated air, which we cause to pass through vertical or
horizontal pipes or hollow plates. These are placed in an upright or horizontal
We cause the grain, seeds, or berries by their descent downwards to
pass over or in contact with the heated surfaces of the vertical or horizontal
pipes or hollow plates, and by their being detained longer or shorter, as may
be required, in contact with those surfaces solheated, the grain, seed, or berries
are dried, and are ready to be manufactured for use or retained in store. At
thesame time that we dry the grain, seeds, or berries, we draw off the moisture
or vapour so extracted as fast as it is evolved.
!!
We by another apparatus cause the grain seeds, or berriest to be drawn over
flat or hollowed trays by means of travelling screws or creepers, such means
being well known to millwrights. Such flat or hollowed trays are perforated
with small holes on the under side, or are formed of wire cloth. These flat or
hollowed trays, as many as are required, are placed one over the other in a
tight case, and the grain, seeds, or berries conducted from each upper to each
lower tray, and is delivered from the lowest tray for use. Superheated steam
or heated air is admitted into the case, and passing through the perforations
or the wire cloth of the flat or hollowed trays and among the grain, seeds, or
berries, and is furthermore drawn through the same by means of an exhausting
fan or other suitable arrangement, and dries or heats the grain, seeds, or
berries. Thus we extract the moisture contained in the same, and heat the
same as highly as may be required for the several purposes for which they
may be intended.
.11.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Don, Thomas Sinith, and Loxley Horsfield, in the
***Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th October 1861
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,' wе, THOMAS
DON, Millwright' and Engineer, of 10, Poultry, in the City of London, THOMAS
SMITH, Millwright, of Tenter Lane, Leeds, and LoOXLEY HORSFIELD, Engineer,
of Bank Foundry, Leeds, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand 'eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year" of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Thomas Don, Thomas Smitli, and Loxley Horsfield, Her special
licence that we, the said Thomas Don, Thomas Smith, and Loxley Horsfield,

page_text: our executors, administrators, and assigns, or. such others as we, the said
Thomas Don, Thomas Smith, and Loxley Horsfield, our executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, should at, any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel. Islands, and Isle. of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENT IN, THE METHOD OF AND, A
APPARATUS
FOR DRYING AND PREPARING GRAIN, SEEDS, OR BERRIES FOR FOOD. AND OTHER
PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas
Don, Thomas Smith, and Loxley Horsfield, our executors or administra-
tors, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I,, the said Thomas Don, on behalf of, myself
and the said Thomas Smith and Loxley Horsfield, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same, is to be
performed, to be particularly. described and ascertained in, and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:
!
We purpose by, these improvements to dry and prepare grain, seeds,
or berries by extracting from them the moisture which they contain after
being gathered or separated from the straw, stalks, or trees, and to render
them, fit for the subsequent purposes of manufacture or application for
which they are intended for use, as food or otherwise, or when grain, seeds,
or berries have been washed or steeped to dry the same..
In carrying out these improvements we avail ourselves of the use of steam,
superheated steam, or heated air, which we cause to pass through vertical or
horizontal pipes or hollow plates, thereby heating them. These are placed in
an horizontal or upright case. We cause the grain, seeds, or berries by their
descent downwards to pass over and in contact with these heated surfaces of
the vertical or horizontal pipes or hollowed plates, and by the grain, seeds, or
berries being detained in its descent longer or shorter, as may be required, and
in contact with those surfaces so heated, and at the same time draining off the
moisture or vapour previously contained in the grain, seeds, or berries as fast
as it is evolved into steam, and by causing a current of air to pass through
and among the grain, seeds, or berries by means of an exhausting fan or
other equivalent,means. The grain, seeds, or berries are thus dried and are
ready to be manufactured for use or retained in store.

page_text: We by another apparatus cause the grain, seeds, or berries to be drawn
over flat or hollowed trays by means of travellings, screws, or crupers, such
means being well known to mill wrights. Such flat or hollowed trays are per-
forated with small holes, or are formed of wire cloth. As many as are required
are placed one over the other in a tight case, and the grain, seeds, or berries
are conducted from each upper to each lower tray, and are delivered from the
lowest tray for use after being dried in the passage over these several trays, by
means of superheated steam or heated air, which being admitted into the outer
case and drawn through the perforation or the wire cloth of the flat or hollowed
trays, and through and among the grain, seeds, or berries by means of an ex-
hausting fan or other equivalent means, thus we extract the moisture con-
tained in the grain, seeds, or berries, and heat the same as highly as may
be required for the several purposes for which they may be intended.
In order that the Invention may be fully described and ascertained we
proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 represents a vertical drying apparatus, the front of outer case being
taken off. A is the upper hopper, into which the grain, seeds, or berries is
delivered, whence it flows downwards over and in contact with the horizontal
tubes B, B, which are heated by steam or superheated steam or heated air,
which is conducted into the upper tube through the steam pipe D, thence from
each upper to each lower tube, passing downwards through each conducting
pipe C, C, in its passage heating each horizontal tube; the current of steam
and the water condensed from the steam, or the heated air, in the event of
using such, passes out at the lower pipe E; F, F, shews the outer case of the
apparatus to retain the grain within the same, and support the ends of the
horizontal tubes; H is the lower portion of the outer case, formed of per-
forated zinc or wire cloth placed at the sides of the apparatus; the grain,
seeds, or berries in passing through this lower portion of the case on its way
to the lower or delivery hopper I is partially cooled by a current of cool air
being drawn through by means of the fan K, the action of which is explained
in Figure 2; J, J, are a pair of rollers, grooved along their length sufficiently
deep to receive the grain; these rollers are caused to revolve at the required
speed, and as they revolve the grain, seeds, or berries fall into these grooves,
and thence into the lower or delivery hopper I; these rollers are shewn as
driven off the shaft of fan K, turning the worm L, and thence the worm
wheel 2, which is keyed on the spindle of one of the rollers J, J; at the oppo-
site ends of the spindles of the rollers J, J, are fixed a pair of toothed wheels,
so as to drive both equally, and to ensure that the grooves of the said rollers
should always be opposite each other as these rollers revolve. By causing

page_text: these rollers to revolve faster or slower so the grain, seeds, or berries passes
faster or slower through the drying apparatus, as may be required, by the
grain, seeds, or berries being more or less moist, or requiring to be more or
less heated.
The same effect may be obtained by means of regulating slides instead of
the rollers. Figure 2 shews a vertical section of the drying apparatus; B, B,
are the horizontal pipes heated, as explained in Figure 1. It will be per-
ceived that these pipes are of a peculiar form, presenting angular surfaces on
their upper sides; these may be replaced by others having a square or trian-
gular or similar section, thus,
O; C, C, are the connecting
steam pipes; H, H, form the two sides of the apparatus made of wire cloth,
or perforated zinc, on which are attached the shelving plates L, L, which may
be made hollow; the steam or heated air being passed through them by the
same means as applied to the horizontal tubes B, B, would cause them to be
heated in a similar manner. The grain, seeds, or berries in its descent passing
over and in contact with the horizontal pipes falls also on these shelving plates
and is turned over, thereby causing each grain, seed, or berry in its passage
through the drying apparatus to be equally dried; M, M, is a hollow wooden
case or box fixed to one side of the drying apparatus; N is another hollow
wooden case fixed on the outside of the case M, M; a trunk is fixed from the
outer case N to the eye of the exhaust fan K, which being set in motion at
the requisite speed draws the moisture or steam evolved from the damp or
steeped grain, seeds, or berries first into the case M through the wire cloth or
perforated zinc sides of the drying apparatus, thence through the passages or
openings 0, 0, 0, into the outer case N, thence to the eye of the fan K, as
shewn by the arrows, whence it is driven outside of the building containing the
drying apparatus. At the same time that the steam evolved from the moisture
contained in the grain, seeds, or berries is thus drawn off from it as the upright
side of the apparatus opposite to the casings M, M, and N, N, are not covered,
air is drawn through the wire cloth or perforated zinc sides of the apparatus,
which passing through and among the grain, seeds, or berries prevents the
grain being overheated, and assists in carrying off the moisture from the
grain, seeds, or berries; and as the air is drawn through the drain at the lower
portion of the outer case, marked H, it assists in cooling the grain previous
to its delivery into the lower hopper I.
Figure 3 shews another plan of drying apparatus in vertical section. Two
rows of horizontal pipes B, B, are placed beside each other in upright cases,
as explained in Figures 1 and 2; but instead of the outer case being straight

page_text: these are convoluted, as shewn....Figure 4 is the same shewn in plan. These
two upright rows of horizontal pipes are placed beside each other, leaving the
space P between them; the outsides of the cases containing the. horizontal
tubes are not covered but are closed at the ends, so as to form the enclosed.
space P; when the fan K-is set in, motion it draws the moisture from the grain
evolved by its passing over the heated pipes, and at the same time draws, the
air through the perforated sides of the cases and through the grain into the
case P; the steam passes through the opening Q into the spout S, the cold.
air and moisture through-the opening R into the spout S¹, thence into the
eye of the fan K, whence it is driven outside of the building.
Figure 5 shews an upright,section, and Figure 6 an upright view of a drying
apparatus.previously patented by Thomas Don in One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-three; No: 6896: A, A, is the hopper, in which the grain, seeds,
or berries is placed; Bare upright pipes, each fixed into the horizontal pipes
C, C. Shelving plates L, L, are fixed on the pipes and on the outer cases,
which are formed of wire cloth or perforated zinc; the grain, seeds; or berries
in its descent downwards comes in contact with the upright pipes, which
are heated by steam or heated air; the shelving plates causes the grain to
be turned over and is delivered, as before explained.
The improvement we have now made to this apparatus is the leaving
the one of the upright sides exposed to the air, so as to draw the air through
such side and through the grain seeds or berries to the opposite side by
means of the fan, as before explained in Figures 1 and 2, and the further
improvement intended to be effected in this apparatus is making the shelv.
ing plates hollow, so as to them being heated by steam, and so increase the
heating surfaces of such apparatus.
Figure 7 shews an upright cross section, and Figure 8 an upright vertical
view of another form of drying apparatus. A, A, is the outer case, into which
are fixed the circular tubes B; B'; these may be semicircular or flat trays.
The under side of 'these tubes'are made of perforated zinc or wire cloth; the
grain is placed in the hopper C and falls into the end of the upper'tube or tray,
and is then pushed along the tube or tray by means of the travellingscrews D,
and so on by such means from each upper to each lower tray, as shewn:
Superheated steam or heated air is admitted into the outer case by the pipe E,
and is drawn through the under side of the tubes or trays, and through the
grain, seeds, or berries, by means of the fan K when'set in motion at the speed
as may be required, thus drawing off the moisture from the grain, seeds, or
berries; G, G, is a pair of fast and loose pulleys fixed on one end of shaft of
upper screw D, receiving motion from any power; at the opposite end of this
i ..

page_text: shaft is fixed a toothed wheel, which gears into another toothed wheel fixed at
the end of the shaft of the next lower screw D, and so on to the lower ones,
thus causing the grain to pass along each of the tubes or trays until it is
delivered dried at the spout H; the arrows show the currents of the heated
air through the bottom of the tubes or trays, and through the grain, seeds,
or berries, on its way to the fan.
Having thus described the nature of our said improvements in the method
of and apparatus for drying grain, seeds, or berries we do not confine ourselves
to the precise details shewn and described, but we do claim the several systems
of apparatus, as shewn in the Diawings, and explained in the Specification as
new and improved methods of drying and preparing grain, seeds, and berries.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Don, on behalf of myself and
the said Thomas Smith and Loxley Horsfield, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
THOMAS DON.
L.8.)