AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR DRYING CORN AND OTHER GRAIN AND SEEDS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, WILLIAM
SOUTHAM, of Ditchford Mills, in the Parish of Irchester, in the County of
Northampton, Miller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Eleventh day of January, in the first year of Her reign, and
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Southam, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that I,
the said William Southam, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said William Southam, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE
FOR DRYING CORN AND OTHER GRAIN AND SEEDS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William Southam, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formned, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Southam, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of an improved apparatus or machine for drying corn, grain,
or seeds consists in a peculiar arrangement of mechanical parts constituting
an apparatus or machine suited to the performance of such operations, through
which apparatus the wet or damp corn, grain, or seeds are to be passed, and
in passing are submitted to the action of an atmosphere of heated air, for the
purpose of driving off by evaporation the damp and moisture contained in
such corn, grain, or seeds. In the accompanying Drawings the apparatus
is shown in several Figures, the respective parts of which are marked by
certain letters of reference, the same letters pointing out corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
· Fig. 1 represents an external elevation of the apparatus or machine, as
seen on the side; Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a'
vertical section taken longitudinally through the complete apparatus; and
Fig. 4 is also a vertical section taken transversely through the outer casing or
box and brickwork. The operating parts of the drying apparatus are inclosed
in an iron box a, a, a, a, which is erected upon a brick or stonework foundation
b, b, b, having a furnace c and flues d, d, extending under and around the box a
in any convenient and proper manner to communicate heat to the same, and
passing off to a proper chimney or shaft, which furnace when charged with
fuel in a state of combustion causes the atmospheric air in the box or chamber
a to become considerably hoated. The damp or wet corn, grain, or seeds to
be dried are passed from an upper floor or hopper in the mill or other
building where the apparatus may be situated into the small regulating
hopper or receiver of the apparatus e, which is furnished with a sliding shutter
or door and apertures f, for the purpose of regulating the supply of damp corn,
grain, or seeds to the drying chamber, and consequently the flow of the same
through the apparatus. This regulator, shutter, or door is adjusted by means
of a lever g, to which it is attached, and the adjustable thumb screw / bearing
against a fixed stay or standard. The damp or wet grain or seeds fall from
the apertures of the receiving hopper e through the mouth or opening i of the
vibratory drying chamber k, formed of sheet metal or of metal or other framo
work, and woven wire fabric or gauze if desired; but if the bottom of the
drying chamber is formed of wirework, then it will be desirable to place an

page_text: iron plate between it and the bottom of the box a, in order to receive the
dust or extraneous matter which may sift through the wirework, and if allowed
to fall upon the bottom of the box a might be scorched or ignite, and thereby
produce disagreeable effects. The corn or seeds flow through the drying box
or chamber k, which is placed in an inclined position to facilitate its progress,
and is delivered from the chamber at the mouth of the small transverse
trough on to the inclined conducting-off pipe or channel m, from whence it
falls on to the floor of the room and is immediately spread thinly thereon, in
order to allow it to give off the steam or vapour and to cool. But what I
prefer most is for the corn to be passed from the apparatus on to a wire gauze
inclined frame or cooler, in passing over the surface of which free access of
cold air is allowed to the corn, and thus the vapour or steam arising therefrom'
carried is off and the corn completely cooled. In order to facilitate the
process of drying and the passage of the corn through the apparatus, the
drying box or chamber k has a vibratory or shogging motion given to it, which
keeps the corn continually agitated as it passes down the drying chamber.
This is effected by means of the rotatory winch handle n upon the shaft o, to
be turned by manual labour, the shaft turning in suitable bearings on side
brackets, or the shaft may be turned by a band passed from any convenient
rotatory motion in the mill to a rigger. Upon this shaft o is formed the
small crank p, to which is connected the rod q, jointed at its other end to
the bent lever r, which has its fulcrum at s; the other arm of this lever,
marked t, (see Fig. 4,) is passed through an eye or staple on the side of the
drying chamber, and forces it on one side and draws it backward as the crank
goes round, thereby giving it a lateral shogging motion. The drying chamber
is suspended within the box or casing a by means of the rods or chains u, u, at
its lower end, and by the other chains v, v, at its upper end, which are connected
with two pulley wheels or riggers w, w, mounted upon a shaft turning in
proper standards. Upon the axle of these riggers is placed the arm or lever
connected to the rod y, which is furnished with an unjustable screw and
nut z bearing upon a fixed piece or bracket, and by which means the incli-
nation of the drying box or chamber k may be adjusted to any desired
inclination, and consequently the flow of the grain or seeds through the same
be facilitated or retarded. And I would here remark that the drying box or
chamber k may be made with or without a moveable lid, and also that the top
of the outer case or box a may also be made moveable if desired; and further,
that the outer case or chamber may be constructed with the top and bottom
only of iron and the sides of brickwork, or the bottom may also be made of
fire brick if thought desirable, all of which variations will be easily suggested

page_text: by any practical engineer or workman without departing from my improved
apparatus or machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Southam, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.