DRYING AND PRESERVING VEGETABLE OR OTHER SACCHARINE Dr
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Collins Banfield, of No. 18, Queen's
Square, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for an Inven-
tion for "DRYING AND PRESERVING VEGETABLE OR OTHER SACCHARINE
Dr
"
A communication
Scaled the 27th October 1853, and dated the 29th April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Collins
Banfield at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 29th April 1853.
I, THOMAS COLLINS BANFIELD, of No. , Queen's Square, West-
minster, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "DRYING AND PRESERVING VEGETABLE OR
OTHER SACCHARINE PLANTS" to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to prepare and dry any vegetable or
other substance containing saccharine matter, so as to preserve the
saccharine matter they contain, and allow of its extraction at any con-
venient period.
The apparatus consists of a series of grates and flues, the number
and distance of which from each other depends on the degree of heat

page_text: required for the purpose in view. The chimneys and flues are all
connected with a hot air chamber, receiving the licated air from both or
either side. The roof of this chamber is composed of a grating of
strong iron wire or light rod iron. The iron used in these grated or
perforated roofs I recommend should be tinned; the tinned iron pre-
venting any colour from being imparted to the substances dried, which
is sometimes done by the iron when oxidized by the heat and moisture
falling on it.
The grated drying roof is arched at a convenient elevation over a
floor in a story above the flues and chamber, &c., at a suitable angle
for spreading and removing the substances to be dried; and since the
small portions which fall through the grating are of value, an access
must be provided to the hot air chamber below, in which they fall,
that they may be removed.
ག་
Each hot air chamber has, as, described, a double set of stoves and
chimneys, one on each side. Where several chimneys are erected, if
they run parallel to each other, a passage left between, the rows of
grates which face each other will allow of their being attended by one
man. A transverse passage must allow access by means of doors to
the hot air chambers, for the purpose of removing the Small chips"
above-mentioned, as well as for cleaning and repairing the flues, &c.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters: Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Collins Banfield in the Great Scal' Patent
Office, on the 28th October 1853.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters: Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Collins Banfield in the Great. Scal Patent
Office, on the 28th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I
THOMAS COLLINS BANFIELD, of No. 18, Queen's Square, Westminster,.
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent: Majesty: Queen. Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April,.in.the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Collins, Banfield,. Her special.licence
that I the said, Thomas Collins Banfield; .my.executors, administrators,.

page_text: and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Collins Banfield,
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, exércise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an' Invention for
DRYING AND PRESERVING VEGETABLE OR OTHER SACCHARINE PLANTS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Collins
Banfield, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Collins Banfield, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing: accompanying this Specification, which I desire to be con-
sideredias part of this Specification.
:
I must first observe that the immediate object of my Invention is to
dry and prepare vegetables or plants containing saccharinė 'matter, and
more particularly beet root; so that the root or plants and the saccharine
matter they contain may be preserved; and be in a fit state to be
operated upon for the purpose of extracting the saccharine matter at
any convenient period.
The apparatus for effecting this object consists of a series of "grates
and flues, the number and distance of which from each other' depends on
the degree of heat required: for the purpose in view. The chimneys
and flues are all connected with a hot air chamber, receiving the
heated air from both or either of the sides! The roof of this chamber
is composed of a gratings of strong iron wire or light rod 'iron. The iron
used in these grated or perforated roofs; I recommend should be tinned;
the tinned iron preventing any colour from being imparted to the sub-
stances dried; which is sometimes done by the iron when oxidized by
the heat and moisture falling on it. The grated drying roof is arched
·

page_text: at a convenient elevation over a floor in a story above the flues and
chamber, and at a suitable angle for spreading and removing the sub-
stances to be dried; and since the small portions which fall through
the grating are of value, an access must be provided to the hot air
chamber below, into which they fall, that they may be removed. Each
hot air chamber has, as described, a double set of stoves and chimneys,
one on each side, where several chambers are erected; if they run.
parallel to each other, a passage left between the rows of grates which
face each other will allow of their being attended by one man. A
transverse passage will allow access by means of doors to the hot air
chambers for the purpose of removing the small chips above-men-
tioned, as well as for clearing and repairing the flues. This process
will be more. readily understood by reference to the accompanying
Drawing and the following description.
Figure I. is a plan, Figure II: is a longitudinal section, Figure III.
is a transverse section of a drying building, with several drying
flues F. The chimneys a, Figure II., are constructed within the
walls; the fuel is burnt, in grates b, under these chimneys; between
the grates b, openings are left for the admission of cold air into the
flues; an arch of tinned iron wire, network, or other suitable substance,
is placed over each flue, as at d, Figure II., on which are spread the
cuttings of the substance to be dried. e, represents an opening into
the flue, through which the smaller portions of the cuttings from the
flue which have fallen through the grating d, may be extracted. In
Figure I., represents openings or entrances to the passages g, between
the flues F. In Figure II., h is a stage or platform to enable the
workmen to supply and work the cuttings drying on the grating i, in
Figure III., and d, Figure II. j,j, Figure III., represents shutters in
the roof for the purpose of ventilation.
Having now described the various parts of my Invention, I woul
wish it to be observed that the scale I have laid down in the drawing
accompanying this Specification is in the proportion of 1 to 200, the
scale being one inch to ten feet; and that the sizes and proportions
therein described are those to be observed in the construction of the
flues and lofts required for drying the substances to be operated úpon.

page_text: The roots or plants sliced are spread in thin layers over the arched
gratings d, Figure 11., and turned with rakes or other suitable imple-
ments until sufficiently dried, according to the use for which the material
is afterwards required. This process is more particularly adapted to
desiccating substances from which sugar can be abstracted.
I claim the method herein-before described of desiccating vegetables
or saccharine plants in flues constructed in the manner and proportions
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Collins Banfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
October, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
THOS. C. BANFIELD. (L.S.)