IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STORING AND PRESERVATION OF GRAIN
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Huart, of Cambrai, in the Republic
of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STORING
AND PRESERVATION OF GRAIN."
Sealed the 23rd March 1853, and dated the 11th November 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Huart at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th November 1852.
I, HENRY HUART, of Cambrai, in the Republic of France, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE STORING AND PRESERVATION OF GRAIN" to be as follows: _
This Invention consists in keeping wheat or other grain in a
series of boxes of any suitable size and material, and arranged one
above another, so as to economise the space required for storing
grain in the ordinary manner, which is, by laying the grain in
layers of two feet six inches to three feet in depth on the surface of
granary floors. As the grain must not be allowed to remain in the
same position for any length of time, manual labour is at present
employed in turning and cleaning it. By this Invention the grain
is turned and agitated by being run out of one of the boxes herein-

page_text: before described, to another, by sliding doors or lids in the bottoms
of the boxes, an empty box being always retained to effect the
general passage of the wheat from one box to another throughout
the series. For this purpose conducting screws are fitted longi-
tudinally above and below the boxes; the cases which contain the
lower screws being furnished with doors on their upper surfaces, to
allow the wheat to fall into them from the bottom boxes. It is then
conveyed to an elevator which deposits it into the upper screws,
which run longitudinally above the boxes; the cases of these screws
have doors underneath, which allow the wheat to fall into the cases
to be filled. This action of the screws causes the grain to be con-
tinually turned over by means of small pallets or blades, which in
their revolution throw over or otherwise agitate it; the dust and
dirt being carried up a chimney or flue through which a current of
air is made to pass, thereby effectually ventilating the wheat as
well as cleaning it. In the course of treatment the wheat is sub-
jected to a winnowing process which removes the chaff, &c. It is
then passed over an inclined sieve, which separates the small grains,
and is then subjected to another fan, which completes the purifi-
cation. It is now placed in the boxes herein-before described, and
occasionally turned by the action of the conducting screws.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Henry Huart in the Great Seal Patent:
Office on the 4th May 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY HUART, of Cambrai, in the Republic of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Huart, Her special

page_text: license that I, the said Henry Huart, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Huart, my execu-
tors, 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 THE STORING AND PRESERVATION OF GRAIN," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Huart, 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 saine
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 Henry Huart, 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
My said Invention relates, first, to an improved construction of
building for the storing and preservation of grain; and, secondly, to
a peculiar arrangement of mechanism, for effecting the constant
turning, ventilation, and cleaning of the same. The grain to be
preserved and stored is kept in a series of large boxes or receivers,
with holes or openings at the bottom, by which it may be run off
for the purpose of turning it over and airing. These receptacles
are arranged side by side, and descend nearly the whole depth of
the building containing them. The upper ends of these receptacles
are tightly covered over to prevent the admission of dust or dirt,
the grain being filled into the receptacles by pipes connected with
their covers. Or a series of boxes may be placed within the
building one over the other, and the grain run from one to the
other until it arrives at the lowest of the series, when it is raised
to the top box by an endless chain of buckets, and allowed gra.
dually to descend again.

page_text: Sheet 1, of the Drawings, represents a vertical longitudinal
section of my improved grainery, taken through the centre of
the buildng, and shewing the machinery and apparatus for cleva-
ting, turning, and ventilating the grain. Sheet 2, represents a
horizontal section of a portion of the building, one side shewing
the upper floor in plan, and the other a horizontal section through
the grain receptacles. Figure 3, on Sheet 3, of the Drawings, is
a vertical transverse section of the building, shewing the clean-
ing apparatus taken through the grain receptacles; and Figures
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, are separate details. A num-
ber of wooden receptacles A, A, are arranged side by side in the
building, and have their bottoms formed with inclined outlets
B,B, for the passage of the grain. Figure 1, on Sheet 3, represents
a vertical section of the lower portion of a receptacle formed with
eight outlets, which run obliquely and open into one common
orifice. Figure 2, is a corresponding transverse section; and
Figure 3, is a plan of the same. Figure 4, is a vertical section of
the lower portion of a receptacle fitted with eight openings or out-
lets, but differently arranged to the last. Figure 5, is a corre-
sponding transverse section of the same; and Figure 6, is a plan.
Figure 7, is a plan of a square receptacle fitted with sixteen holes
or outlets, which communicate with one general discharge aperture,
and Figure 8, is a corresponding section of the same. Figures 9,
and 10, represent in section and plan the arrangement of discharge
apertures for cylindrical receptacles. These receptacles are so
arranged in the building as to leave a space Q, for the free circu-
lation of a current of air between each throughout the entire
structure; C, C, represent a series of Archimedean screws in con-
nection with a receiver, at the lower end of each of the series of
bucket chains D, D. These chains are driven by belts and pulleys,
actuated by the driving shaft M, which receives motion from the
steam engine N. A number of conducting tubes E, E, serve to
convey the grain into the receptacles A, and into the various
apparatus through which it has to pass. G, G, are a series of
passages in connection with the upper portions of the receptacles
A, A, and serve to conduct the dust thrown off during the working

page_text: of the grain into a separate chamber by means of a flue F, through
which a strong current of air is made to pass for that purpose. I,
is a moveable winnowing machine by which the grain is cleared
during the progress of its treatment. A cylindrical sifting machine
J, serves to remove any foreign bodies which may be in the grain,
such as grit, deleterious seeds, and insects. L, L, are the sack
elevators driven by the steam engine herein-before mentioned; and
H, H, are two chambers employed for filling the sacks O, when
required. These chambers are fitted with tubes at their lower
extremities, which open into the mouths of the sacks beneath. The
sacks to be filled are held in a suitable frame o, which serves also
to weigh them. A hopper k, placed above the discharging chambers
H, H, receives the grain to be discharged by a pipe E, in connection
with the bucket chains D; from this hopper the grain falls into the
chambers below. Or by another arrangement the grain may be
run off at once into the sacks by a pipe E, direct from the upper
chamber of the bucket chains, as shewn at o, in Figure 3, of the
Drawings. The boiler P, is contained in a suitable boiler shed
built out from the side of the grainery.
It will be clearly seen, on referring to the Drawings, that all
intermediate floors are dispensed with, and consequently a large
amount of grain may be stored without exerting that lateral
pressure upon the walls of the building which would otherwise
be produced; thus graineries constructed on this principle may
be made much lighter and cheaper than those of the ordinary
description. The grain to be cleansed and stored being brought
to the centre opening or entrance of the building, the sacks are
elevated by the hoist L, L, to the top floor of the grainery, and
the grain deposited in the receptacles A, A, where it may re-
main some time without injury, care being taken that it be put
in motion at frequent intervals by running off greater or less
quantities, from the bottom of the mass (according to the nature
of the grain and variations of the seasons), and transferring it
by the elevators D, D, to the surface of the grain in the recep
tacles; thus keeping up a constant movement from the bottom to

page_text: the top of the mass. As the grain passes out of the inain opening
in the bottom of each receptacle, it falls into a trough containing an
Archimedean screw C, fitted with blades or pallets for effecting tho
better agitation of the grain, conveyed by the helices of the screw
to the bucket chains D, D. A portion of one of the conducting
screws, with its pallets c, c, is shewn in detail on an enlarged scale
at Figure 11, Sheet 3, of the Drawings. The chains D, D, elevate
the grain to the top storey, and convey it into the winnowing
machine I, where it is freed from dust, &c. It is then placed in
the receptacles again, and any dust arising therefrom is carried off
through the passages G, in connection with the covers of the re-
ceptacles, to. the ventilating flue F, which conveys it to a separate
chamber or receiver. These passages G, also communicate with
the screws C, and carry off the dust raised by the revolving pallets.
The grain passes again through the receptacles A, and is again
conveyed by the screws to the elevators D, which deposit it in the
cylindrical sifting machine J, which removes any grits and insects
which have not been cleared by the winnowing machine. It is then
again deposited in the receptacles completely cleansed and purified.
The conducting passages containing the screws, and also the flues,
may be supplied with a current of heated air, should the state of
the atmosphere require it. As the implements for cleaning the
grain are portable, one set will answer for a series of receptacles,
the machine being carried to any required part of the building.
When the grain has been thus cleaned and purified, it may be kept
for any length of time in the receptacles, by simply keeping it in
motion. The receptacles being tightly closed, the grain will not be
affected by atmospheric changes, and the introduction of dust will
be prevented. When the grain is to be put into sacks, it is con-
veyed by the elevators D, from the bottom of the receptacles to
the moveable hopper k, through which it falls into the chamber H,
and thence by the pipes at the bottom into the sacks O, beneath, in
which it is weighed. It will be obvious that the whole of the
receptacles may be filling and emptying at one time, the grain
which is run off from the bottom of one being conveyed to the

page_text: surface of the next one, and so on throughout the series. My
improved arrangement of mechanism for agitating and turning
over the grain, instead of effecting the operation by manual labor,
may with facility be applied to granaries of the ordinary construc-
tion, the grain being clevated by a bucket chain to the top floor of
the building, and allowed to fall from one floor to another, until it
arrives at the bottom, when it may be again raised as before
described.
be
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may
used or carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do
not confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements
which I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations
may be made therefrom without deviating from the principles or
inain features of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore clain as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, -
First, the general arrangement and construction of buildings
and machinery for storing and cleaning grain as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of treating grain as herein-before
described.
Third, the system or mode of adopting the cube in place of sur-
face spreading as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use of the machinery for effecting
the constant agitation or turning of the grain as herein-before de-
scribed.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the
Twenty-ninth day of April, in the year One thousand eight
HENRI HUART. (L.S.)