IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRYING GRAIN, ROOTS, AND SEEDS, AND FOR ROASTING COFFEE, COCOA, CHICORY, MALT, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Barnett, of Beverley, in the County of
York, Miller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
DRYING GRAIN, ROOTS, AND SEEDS, AND FOR ROASTING COFFEE, COCOA, CHICORY,
MALT, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 4th December 1860, and dated the 10th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Barnett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1860.
I, THOMAS BARNETT, of Beverley, in the County of York, Miller, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR DRYING GRAIN, ROOTS, AND SEEDS, AND FOR ROASTING COFFEE, COCOA, CHICORY,
MALT, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
I make a machine consisting of a drum and frame for drying coru, roots,
and seeds, and for roasting coffee, cocoa, chicory, malt, and other vegetable sub-
stances, herein-after called "the substances," by exposing them in a thin layer
and in a state of motion to the action of radiated heat, thereby effecting a more
speedy evaporation of the moisture and gases contained in them, and saving time
and expense in such drying and roasting. The drum is a cylindrical receiver, in
which the substances to be operated upon are placed. It is formed of sheet
or cast iron or other metal, and has a flange on each side of its outer edge

page_text: and its breadth is much less than its diameter. I prefer that the breadth of
the drum should be about one-sixth or seventh of its diameter. The outer
circumference of the drum is connected by arms (which I prefer to place alter-
nately with each other, and to be of a wing or vane-shape), with the axle.
Each side of the drum is formed of wire cloth or perforated metal plates,
which are secured to the axle and to flanges on the outer drum by bolts or
otherwise. An opening closed by a slide or door is left in the circumference
of the drum for the admission or discharge of the substances under process.
The drum is filled through this slide or door by means of a hopper spout or
other similar arrangement. The axle of the drum extends on both sides to
such length as may be required to fix the drum in the frame, and commu-
nicate with the manual or other power employed in rotating the drum. The
drum is shaped like a circular grindstone, but gradually lessens in breadth
from the centre to the circumference. The frame carries the drum, which
rotates in bearings fixed to the end of two horizontal arms. These arms are
in length rather more than half the diameter of the receiver, and are parallel
with each other and secured together by bolts at one end. I prefer that the
frame should have attached to its under side four flanged wheels, which tra-
verse two fixed rails, as shewn in the Drawings. These rails are supported by
pillars or standards at each end (or attached to the brickwork) of the furnace.
In the Drawings they are shewn attached to the brickwork at one end. The
rails extend outwards from the fire-bars to such a distance as to allow the half
diameter of the drum to be withdrawn from the action of the fires, but the
drum may be brought within and withdrawn from the action of the fires by
being suspended and worked as a pendulum, or by being raised by a lever or
other ordinary mechanical power. The furnace consists of two fire-places at
a sufficient distance from each other to allow the insertion of half or some
other portion of the drum between the two fire-places. I prefer the fire-places
to be placed at the same angles as the sloping sides of the drum, and that they
should each be in length about half the diameter of the drum. The front of
each fire-place is fitted with a vertical grate placed at the same angles as the
sides of the drum, and from a quarter of an inch to an inch distant from the
respective sides of the drum. The frame, as before described, carrying with
it the drum when placed between the fire-bars will bring the surface of the
wire gauze on each side parallel, or nearly so, with the fire-bars; rotary
motion being communicated to the drum by or through the axle by ordinary
mechanical power, the heat from the two fire-places will be radiated into the
drum and dry or roast the substances. The drum should not be completely
filled with the substances to be dried or roasted. I prefer that it should be

page_text: rather more than half filled. The time occupied in drying or roasting. will
depend on the heat of the fire..
I do not confine myself to the exact details, but only to the general arrange-
ment above mentioned..
The following is an explanation of the accompanying Drawings..
Number 1 is a sectional plan of the drum frame and furnace; Number 2 is.
a side elevation of the same. The same letters refer to the same parts of the
machine both in the section and elevation.
A, A, A, A, is the drum; B, B, B, B, are the vanes or arms; C, C, C, C,.
is the frame; D, D, D, are the flanged wheels, on which the frame with
its attached drum traverses; E, E, E, are the rails, on which the flanged wheels
traverse; F, F, F, F,. are the fire-bars; G, G, is the door or slide; H, H, H,
is the axle of the drum; I, I, I, is the brickwork of the furnace; J, J, J, is
the chimney.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Barnett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BARNETT, of Beverley, in the County of York, Miller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Barnett, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Barnett, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Barnett, my executors, administrators, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR DRYING GRAIN, ROOTS, AND SEEDS, AND FOR ROASTING COFFEE,
COCOA, CHICORY, MALT, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Barnett, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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,

page_text: 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 Barnett do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, illustrated by the accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
And I prefer
My Invention has for its object the drying of corn, roots, and seeds, and
especially of Egyptian or other wheat, which has been previously subjected to
the process of washing, and for roasting coffee, cocon, chicory, malt, and other
vegetable substances, herein-after called "the substances," by exposing them
on a thin layer and in a state of motion to the action of radiated heat, thereby
effecting a more speedy.evaporation of the moisture contained in them, and
saving time and expense in such drying and roasting. And my said Inven-
tion consists of a combination of parts forming an apparatus for effecting the
above-mentioned object; such apparatus containing a revolving drum or cylin-
drical receiver, in which the substances to be operated upon are placed. The
drum is formed of iron or any other inetal, which is sufficiently durable, and
its periphery consists of a metallic plate or flanche, to the sides or edges of
which all around are attached pieces of wire cloth or perforated plates forming
the ends of the drum. The breadth of the drum is much less than its dia-
meter, so that a layer of the substances between the two ends of it may I be
thin and easily penetrated by the heat applied at the ends.
that the breadth of the drum at its periphery and between the ends should
not exceed about one-sixth or seventh of its diameter. And I prefer that the
length or breadth of the drum (which somewhat resembles a circular grind-
stone in shape), between its ends should gradually diminish from the centre
towards the circumference, so that the ends may be two obtuse cones. And I
also prefer to make the length or breadth at the centre equal to twice the
length or breadth at the circumference, in order to prevent substances placed
within the drum becoming wedged or fixed around the interior of it at or
near to the circumference. In the interior of the drum and against the wire
cloth or perforated ends of it I fix arms or projections extending from the
interior of the drum at its periphery to the axle, one half of the number of
these arms I fix across the semi-diameter of the drum at one end, and the
other half of the number across the semi-diameter at the opposite end, alter-
nating with each other, so as to act alternately upon the substances within
the drum as it revolves. I place two of these arms at each end of the cylinder,
but the number may be varied. The wire cloth or perforated metal forming

page_text: the ends of the drum and also the arms, above mentioned, are secured by bolts
or otherwise to an axle upon and with which the drum revolves. An opening
(closed by a slide or door) is left in the circumference of the drum for the
admission of the substances to be operated upon, and for the discharge of
them after they have undergone the process of drying or roasting. The drum
is filled through this slide or door by means of a hopper, spout, or other similar
arrangement placed above it, and when the substances have been operated
upon they are discharged at the bottom of the apparatus through the same
door or opening. The axle of the drum extends to such length as may be
required to mount the drum in bearings fixed in a frame within which the
drum revolves, and rotary motion is communicated to the drum through the
medium of its axle by manual or other power when substances are placed
within it in order to be operated upon. The frame which carries the drum
may consist of two sides and an end, the bearings of the axle being fixed at
or near to the ends of the side arms at the open end of the frame, so that one
half of the drum, or nearly so, may project beyond the open end of the frame.
The sides are securely fixed by bolts to the end of the frame. I make the
frame within which the drum is mounted moveable, so that that part of the
drum which projects beyond the frame may be introduced into an opening in
a furnace or between two fires, in order to dry or roast the substances placed
in the drum. I prefer that the frame should have attached to its under side
four or more flanged wheels, which traverse along two fixed rails, as shewn in
the Drawings. These rails may be supported by pillars or standards at each
end (or attached to the brickwork) of the furnace. In the Drawings they are
shewn as supported by pillars or standards. The rails should extend outwards
from the furnace or fires to such a distance as to allow the drum to be with-
drawn from the opening in the furnace between the fires. Instead of moving
the frame carrying a drum along rails in this manner, it may (when worked
by hand) be suspended in any convenient manner, so that the half or some
part of the drum shall be capable of being brought within and withdrawn from
the opening in the furnace between the fires. The furnace contains two fire-
places with their fronts or faces opposite to each other at a sufficient distance
from each other to allow the half or some other portion of the drum to be
introduced between them. I prefer the fronts or faces of the fire-places to be
placed at the same angles to each other as the sloping ends or sides of the
drum, so as to be parallel with the ends or sides of the semi-diameter of the
drum when introduced between the fire-places, and therefore I make the front
of each fire-place of the same length as the semi-diameter of the drum, and
fitted with a vertical grate placed at the same angles as the sides or ends of

page_text: the drum, and placed so as to be from a quarter of an inch to an inch dis-
tant from the respective ends or sides of the drum when introduced between
the fires. The frame, as before described, carrying with it the drum when
introduced into the furnace and placed between the fires will bring the inclined
surfaces of the wire gauze or the ends or sides parallel, or nearly so, with the
fronts of the fires and fire-bars, rotary motion being communicated to the drum
by or through the axle by any convenient mechanical power; the heat from
the two fire-places will be radiated through the wire gauze into the drum, and
dry or roast the substances within the drum. The drum should not be com-
pletely filled with the substances to be dried or roasted. I prefer that it should
be rather more than half filled. The time occupied in drying or roasting
depends on the heat of the fire, and the state of dampness of the substances"
operated upon. The speed at which the drum should revolve, in order to be
most effective, I find to be from forty to fifty revolutions per minute, but this
will vary with density and dampness of the substances operated upon, and the
greater the density of the substances the greater should be the speed of
rotation.
The following is an explanation of the accompanying Drawings, shewing one
mode of constructing apparatus according to my Invention.
Figure 1 is a sectional plan of the drum frame, driving gear, and furnace,
the drum being between the fires; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the drum frame, and driving gear, and a sec-
tional elevation of furnace; Figure 4 is an end elevation of the drum frame,
and driving gear. The same letters of reference in the said Drawings refer to
the same parts of the apparatus, both in the elevations and section.
A, A, A, A, is the drum; B, B, B, B, are the vanes or arms; C, C, C, C,
is the frame; D, D, D, D, are the flanged wheels, on which the frame with
its attached drum traverses; E, E, E, are the rails, on which the flanged
wheels traverse; F, F, F, F, are fire-bars; G, G, is the door or slide; H is
the axle of the drum; I, I, I, is the brickwork of the furnace; J is the
chimney; K, K, K, K, K, is the driving gear and shaft; L, L, is the fast
and loose pulley.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that
I do not claim as of my Invention any of the mechanical elements or parts of
the apparatus which I have described or shewn in the said Drawings, separate
or apart from the combination and application thereof in manner and for the
purposes berein described; and that what I claim as my Invention is an appa-
ratus consisting of a drum mounted and revolving in bearings upon a frame

page_text: or moveable carriage, so that a portion of the drum shall be capable of being
carried or introduced into or fixed in an opening in a furnace combined with
a furnace furnished with a suitable opening and one or two fires, as herein-
before described, for the purpose of drying wheat or other grain, roots, and
seeds, or roasting coffee, cocoa, chicory, malt, and other vegetable substances
by exposure to the action of radiated heat during the rotation of the drum
within the furnace.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Barnett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
JNO. BLYTHE ROBINSON,
Solicitor,
Beverley.
THOMAS BARNETT. (L.S.)