Improvements in Steamers or Heaters for Grain.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Steamers or Heaters for Grain.
A communication from FRANK BEALL and HUGH CREA, of Powers Block, Decatur,
Illinois, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In steamers or heaters for wheat or other grain, as at present constructed the
difficulty is that when the rolls diminish in feed or the bin becomes filled, as the case
may be, the grain backs up into the steamer and is cooked or baked.
The object of this invention is to overcome this difficulty, and to more evenly and
thoroughly steam or heat the grain. The first result is attained by placing a valve
regulator in the lower end of the heater, suspended above the discharge opening and
so connecting such regulator with the inlet valve that when the grain backs slightly
above the regulator the weight and motion of the grain forces the regulator down-
ward and closes the valve, the second result is attained by a set of inclines, funnel
formed and cone formed, which scatter the grain and extend the distance of its
travel thus subjecting it longer to the steam or heat.
In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this Specification 1 represents
in vertical section an outer cylinder and 2 an inner cylinder, the space between the
two walls being used as a steam jacket. The lid 3 has double walls which enclose
an air cavity and also has a threaded collar 4 into which the threaded inlet tube 5
is screwed and adjusted. The conical valve 6 is adapted to the opening of the inlet
tube and is held more or less distant from the same by means that will hereinafter
appear. The rod 8 carries the conical valve on its upper end, and it has a guide
bearing in a hole in the centre of spider 7. The lever 9 is pivoted midway between
its ends on rod 19 and it is pivotally connected at one end with rod 8 and at the
other end with rod 10. The funnel formed valve regulator 12 is carried by rod 10
some distance above the discharge opening. Spider 11 has a central opening which
provides a guide bearing for rod 10. The funnel 13 forms an incline on which the
grain falls from cone 6. Cone 14 receives the grain from funnel 13 and delivers it
to funnel 15, and funnel 16 guides the grain to the funnel formed valve regulator
through which and the hopper 17 it passes to discharge chute 18. The hopper 17
is secured to the heater by means of a bayonet catch or is otherwise detachably
connected in order to give ready access to the valve regulator. Pipe 20 supplies
steam to the heater, and pipe 21 permits the water resulting from condensed steam
to be drawn off. Holes 22 supply steam from the jacket to the interior of
the heater. The arrows illustrate the direction of the grain through the
heater.
In operation the tube 5 is adjusted the required distance from cone 6 to supply
the proper amount of grain and the grain so supplied falls from one incline to
another, being subjected meantime to the heat while in a scattered condition, and
finally passes from the heater through chute 18 to rolls or to a bin as the case may
be. If rolls are being supplied and their feed diminishes from any cause, or if the
grain is run into a bin and the bin becomes filled, grain will back up in the chute
and the heater until the regulator 12 is more or less covered when such regulator
will descend and force the valve 6 upward, by means of the rods and lever, until
the inlet is closed sufficiently to correspond to the changed discharge flow. As soon
as the grain flows freely from the heater the relieved regulator will rise and permit
the conical valve to open completely as indicated in the drawing.
The valve is to be weighted to raise and hold the regulator or rod 8 may be

page_text: weighted or the left end of the lever, or the pivot may be set to the right
of the centre of the lever and the same result, i.e. the raising of the regulator, be
accomplished.
:"
:
It is essential that the regulator shall have inclined surfaces and be adapted to
normally permit the passage of grain, otherwise its form is unimportant, and it may
be conical, for instance, as well as funnel-shaped..
The device as shown is particularly adapted for use as a steamer. In order to
heat the grain without steaming it the openings 22, which extend around the inner
cylinder, are closed and in addition to this the scattering inclines may advantageously
be made hollow and supplied with steam.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. In steamers or heaters for tempering wheat or other grain, the combination of
a steaming or heating compartment, a valve to admit grain to the compartment, a
valve regulator suspended in the discharge end of the compartment, and a connection
between the regulator and the inlet valve adapted to be actuated by the descent of
the regulator and to regulate or prevent the flow of grain into the steaming or
.heating compartment, as set forth.
2. In steamers or heaters for tempering wheat or other grain, the combination
of a steaming or heating compartment, a lever in the compartment pivoted
between its ends, an inlet valve sustained from one end of the lever, and a valve
regulator suspended in the discharge end of the compartment from the opposite end
of the lever, as set forth.
3. In steamers or heaters for tempering wheat or other grain, the combination
of a steaming or heating compartment, a lever in the compartment pivoted
between its ends, a rod extending upward from one end of the lever and
sustaining an inlet valve a rod extending downward from the opposite end of the
lever and carrying a valve regulator in the discharge end of the compartment,
and spiders having central openings acting as guide bearings for the rods, as
set forth,
4. In steamers or heaters for tempering wheat or other grain, the combination
of a steaming or heating compartment, a lever pivoted between its ends, a rod
extending upward from one end of the lever and sustaining an inlet valve, a rod
extending downward from the opposite end of the lever and carrying a valve
regulator in the discharge end of the compartment, and a threaded tube
adapted to be screwed more or less nearly in contact with the inlet valve, as
set forth.
Dated this 6th day of October 1891.