A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH CORN-GRINDING MACHINERY."
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thornburn, of Boroughbridge, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN
CONNECTION WITH CORN-GRINDING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thornburn at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th September 1879.
WILLIAM THORNBURN, of Boroughbridge, in the County of York. "A NEW OR
IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH CORN-GRINDING
MACHINERY."
This Invention has reference to improvements in or connected with the treatment
of wheat, oats, or other corn or grain for the purpose of drying the same, or heating
it preparatory to its being ground, and from the use of which the advantages
hereinafter enumerated are derived; and the Invention also comprises various
combinations of apparatus which are especially applicable in carrying the Invention
into practice.
The above described improved treatment consists in subjecting the cereals or
other grain to a treatment by heat in suitable apparatus, by which such heat can
be imparted by the agency of steam.
The following are some of the advantages gained by such treatment:-The bran
is toughened and consequently fewer "greys" which discolor the flour are made;
less power is required for the subsequent grinding of the grain when thus heated,
so that the small amount of steam required for the heating of the grain is more
than saved. Hard and soft wheats mixed together are blended more in five
minutes when subjected to this treatment in suitable apparatus than they would be
in as many weeks when laid together in the bins, the improved process sending
the moisture out of the soft wheat into the hard. Soft wheat used by itself is
considerably dried, the moisture passing off in its passage from the heating
apparatus to the mill-stones, any damp remaining after it is ground being drawn
off from the meal by the exhaust. Hard wheat used by itself and when subjected
to the direct action of and contact with the steam previous to being further treated
[Price 6d1

page_text: in its passage to the mill-stones to radiant heat derived from the steam (as the soft
wheat alone is), has thus given to it a sufficiency of moisture to toughen the skin.
Flour made from wheat heated thus will keep in good condition very much longer
than if made from damped or soft wheat. Oats or any other grain when dried by
a steam heating process are much sweeter than when kiln-dried, as the heat derived
from the steam does not scorch the grain.
The above-described improved process of drying corn or other grain, or of
heating it preparatory to its being ground may be carried into practice in apparatus
of various methods of construction, but as the result of much experiment I have
found that the combination of apparatus which I will now describe is very efficient
in attaining the desired object, and is moreover of very great advantage in that its
construction avoids all complication of details.
s
The apparatus consists of two concentric cylinders with an intervening annular
steam space, the inner cylinder being crossed with, as it were, a network of tubes,
all opening into the surrounding steam space. The top of this cylinder forms the
inlet for the grain, and the bottom thereof is preferably gradually contracted and
ends in an inclined perforated pipe, which leads the heated corn to a hopper where
it is further heated, and by which it is then guided to the mill-stones and thereby
ground.
The steam is led to the said steam space by a pipe (provided with a stop-cock)
which is firstly coiled around, or is connected to a separate coil arranged within the
said hopper leading to the mill-stones, and where the second heating of the grain
is effected, and thence it passes to the steam space between the cylinders, and in
which and through the said network of cross tubes it freely circulates the water of
condensation, escaping from the bottom of the steam space by a pipe which conveys
it to an overflow cistern, acting as a kind of valve to keep a slight pressure in the
steam space, and connecting cross tubes.
The steam space is fitted with a perforated pipe (provided with a stop-cock)
which opens into the interior of the inner cylinder, this pipe being used as above
referred to for firstly, heating hard wheats by the direct action of the escaping
steam.
The pipe between the first heating cylinders and the second-heating hopper is
perforated to allow of any steam arising from the grain and generated within the
former, escaping before it reaches the latter, where any excess thereof is finally
driven off.
The steam may be derived from the boiler of the engine driving the grinding
machinery, or from any other available source.
If the apparatus is to be used for drying the corn or grain without its being
required to be immediately ground, the first heating cylinders only are used, that is
to say, the second heating coil or hopper is not then needed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Thornburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
March 1880.
WILLIAM THORNBURN, of Boroughbridge, in the County of York. " A NEW
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH CORN GRINDING
MACHINERY."
This Invention has reference to improvements in or connected with the treatment
of wheat, oats, and other corn or grain for the purpose of drying the same, or
heating it preparatory to its being ground, and to the apparatus to be employed in
such treatment, and from the use of which the advantages hereinafter enumerated
are derived.
The treatment to which my improvements relate consists in subjecting cereals or
other grain to the influence of heat, and which is usually obtained from steam.
As such treatment has been hitherto effected, but very unsatisfactory and
unreliable results have been obtained owing to the process being incomplete, and to
the faulty construction of the apparatus used, and which did not affect a uniform
heating of the grain, but permitted a large proportion to pass too directly through
without being properly acted upon.
The especial object of my Invention is to remedy this defect by improving the
process in the manner hereinafter described, and by the use of improved apparatus
by which every grain is uniformly heated.
The following are some of the advantages gained by the above mentioned
treatment, and which owing to my improvements are apparent in a greater degree
than hitherto. The skin of the grain is toughened, and consequently makes larger
bran, and fewer greys which discolor the flour. Less power is required for the
subsequent grinding of the grain as the heating mellows the same, so that the
process is rendered more economical than hitherto, the small amount of steam
required for the heating of the grain being more than saved. Hard and soft
wheats mixed together are blended more in passing through my improved appa-
ratus than they would be in one month when laid together in bins, the improved
process speedily causing a uniformity of condition by sending the moisture out of
the soft wheat and into the hard. Soft wheat used by itself is considerably dried,
the moisture passing off in its passage from the heating apparatus to the burrs
or millstones, any remaining damp being drawn from the meal during the
granulating process by the exhaust. Hard wheat when used by itself and when
subjected according to my improved process to the direct action of and contact
with steam, previously to being twice further treated in its passage to the mill-
stones to radiant heat derived from the steam (as the soft wheat alone is), has
thus given to it a sufficiency of moisture to toughen the skin as is desirable.
Flour made from wheat heated thus will keep in good condition very much
longer than if made from damped or soft wheat, the damping being a customary
practice with millers, but objectionable, as it spoils the flour for keeping purposes.
Oats or other grain when dried by a steam heating process are much sweeter than
when kiln-dried, as the heat derived from the steam does not scorch the grain, or
give the least unpleasant smell as is the case with kiln dried oats.
My improved apparatus which is illustrated as a whole in Figure 1, and in detail in
Figures 2 to 4 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is constructed with two
concentric cylinders 1, 2, with an intervening annular steam space 3, the inner
cylinder 2 being crossed with as-it-were a network of tubes 4, see the elevation and
plan views Figures 2 and 3, all opening at each end into the space 3. The top of the
cylinder 2 forms the inlet for the grain, and the bottom thereof is preferably

page_text: gradually contracted and ends in an inclined perforated pipe 5, which leads the
corn preliminarily heated in its passage through the cylinder 2, where it meets
with a continual succession of impediments in the form of the steam heated tubes 4
to a hopper 6, where it is further heated completing the process which the
preliminary heating but began, and by which it is then guided to the encased
mill-stones 7 and thereby granulated.
The preliminary and second heating of the grain forms an important feature of
my Invention, and is a great improvement upon the single heating treatment in
present practice, and is of great advantage in effecting in conjunction with the
network of impeding cross-tubes 4 and the means which I will next describe, a
uniform heating of the grain, and a retention thereby without loss, but with an
increase of the heat absorbed in the preliminary heating, and which retention of
heat is so necessary to retain the desired toughness which departs (rendering the
skin more brittle) when the wheat after being heated gets cool.
i.
The steam on its passage from the boiler of the engine driving the grinding
machinery, or from any other generator to the steam space 3 is led by a pipe 8
which is coiled around, or is connected to a separate coil 10 shown detached in
Figure 4 arranged within the hopper 6, and within which as herein before mentioned
the second heating of the grain in passing between the coils is effected by the steam
in its hottest condition, and which then passes in its less heated condition to the
steam-space 3 between the cylinders 1, 2, and in or between which and through the
said network of cross tubes 4 it freely circulates, effecting the preliminary heating
of the grain passing tortuously between the tubes, the water of condensation of the
steam escaping from the bottom of the steam space 3 by a pipe 11 provided with an
air-tap 12, and which leads to an overflow cistern 13 acting as a kind of valve to
keep a slight pressure in the steam-space and connecting cross-tubes.
The steam space 3 is also fitted with a perforated pipe 14 which is provided with
a stop-cock 15, and opens into the interior of the inner cylinder at the mouth
thereof, this pipe being used as herein before referred to for moistening the skin of
hard wheats by the direct blowing thereupon of the escaping steam.
The pipe 5 leading from the first heating cylinder to the second heating hopper
is perforated to allow of any steam arising from the grain, and generated within
the former, escaping before it reaches the latter, where any excess thereof is finally
driven off, any remaining damp being drawn from the meal by the exhaust during
the granulating process.
When the apparatus is to be used for drying oats or other grain not requiring to
be immedialely ground, the first heating cylinders may be used alone, being dis-
connected from the second heating coil or hopper, and to ensure a proper effect
I enclose the oats or grain within the inner cylinder by the use of suitable slides or
trap-doors, for say ten minutes, treating say a sack or more at a time, and then let
them fall out steaming hot, and then spread them out until the steam passes off,
when they will be found to be drier than old ones, losing in weight according to
the condition in which they were, and being sweeter than kiln-dried oats.
A further advantage which my improved apparatus possesses over wheat-heaters
which have been hitherto in use is, that it is of a much simpler construction, all
complication of details being avoided, and is moreover for the reasons hereinbefore
stated more efficient in attaining the desired object.
It will be obvious that hot air may be used in lieu of the steam if desired.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention,-
1. The above described improvements in the treatment by heat of corn or grain
for the purposes stated, such improvements consisting in preliminarily beating the
same by steam or hot air, and in completing the process thus begun by a second
heating with steam or hot air at a more elevated temperature, and by means of
which the above-enumerated advantages are obtained.

page_text: 2. The application and use in combination in such apparatus of a network of
tubes, or their equivalents, such as a coil heated by steam or hot air arranged
within a first heating cylinder with a coil of pipes, or their equivalents, such a
series of pipes heated by steam or hot air at a higher temperature arranged within
5 a second heating hopper, leading the already heated grain direct to the burrs or
mill-stones in a more heated condition.
And 3. The general arrangement of apparatus for obtaining the purpose of the
Invention, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
0 In witness whereof, I, the said William Thornburn, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
WILLIAM THORNBURN. (L.S.)