AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE METHOD OF DRYING AND PREPARING OF MALT, WHEAT, AND OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1818

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BUSH the younger, of Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Engineer, send
greeting..
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, in and by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fifth day of May last,, for Himself, His heirs and successors, did
give and grant unto me, the said William Bush, His special licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that 1, the said William Bush, my exors,
adiñors, and assigns,. and every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my
and their deputy or deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said
William Bush, my exors, adiñors, or, assigns, should, at any time agree with,
and no cthers, from time to time and at all times thereafter, during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE METHOD OF DRYING AND PREPARING OF
MALT, WHEAT, AND OTHER GRAIN;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a proviso obliging me, the said William Bush, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal; particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to
cause the same to be, inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereto had,
will more fully appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
William Bush, junior, do hereby declare that my said Invention of "An
Improvement in the Method of Drying and Preparing of Malt, Wheat, and
other Grain," consists in the application of certain mechanical arrangements or
apparatus to a kiln, whereby the heat is communicated to the grain in a
regular and uniform manner, and the temperature may be varied at pleasure.
The grain is kept constantly turning over and in motion whilst drying, and the
steam and dust are allowed to pass off freely during the process. The kiln is
to be formed of brickwork, masonry, or other building materials that are incom-
bustible and bad conductors of heat. The fire is to be burned in a furnace
contained within the kiln, and as it is to have no immediate communication or
contact with the grain to be dried, it will not require the use of any particular
kind of fuel. The furnace is to be built with a winding or circulating flue
or air passage above it, behind it, and at its two sides. The cold air is to
enter this flue either on one or both sides of the furnace, and its quantity is
to be regulated by sliding doors or dampers, by means of which the entrance
of the air may be partially or entirely prevented whenever desired. The
air thus heated is conveyed upwards by the flue into one or more chambers,
which I call "air chambers," and within which the process of drying the
grain is to be performed, so that it will be preserved from the immediate
action of the fire. The air chambers are separated from the furnace by a floor
of brick, tile, or other fit materials. These air chambers may have doors to
admit of occasional access for necessary purposes. These doors may be made
of iron or other materials proper to resist heat; but when the cylinders to
contain the grain (as herein-after described) are at work, these doors, as well
as every other opening into the chambers, should be closed, except only the
flue which conducts the heated air from the air passages of the furnace below,
nd the aperture above, for the escape of that heated air, together with any
steam or vapour that may arise from the grain in drying. The whole process
may be performed in one air chamber, but I consider it preferable to use
more than one for the facility of applying different temperatures to the grain.
In the case of more than one chamber being used, the air flues which conduct
the heated air from the lower chamber may be made to open into the upper
air chambers in the same way that the air flue from the furnace opens into
the first air chamber, and thus grain may be dried and prepared in different
chambers at the same time. The air chamber, or, if more than one, the upper
air chambers, should be surmounted by a corol or head, moveable with the
wind in the usual manner, to carry off
any vapours that may arise. The
temperature in one or more or all the air chambers may be encreased

page_text: by carrying the smoke flue or flues of the furnace around or underneath the
said chambers in the manner of hothouse flues (care being taken to introduce
dampers and ventilators at convenient and proper places for the purpose of
regulating the temperature, which may be ascertained by thermometers placed
within the chambers, in such a manner that their stems and scales may be visible
on the outside. The grain is exposed to the action of the heated air by intro-
ducing it into one, two, or more cylinders situated in the above-mentioned air
chamber or chambers, and each cylinder is made to revolve on its axis with
a view to turn or roll over the grain contained within it, and thus expose
every part to the heat of the air in such chamber or chambers. When malt
is to be dried it is to be taken from the floor in that state in which it is fit for
the kiln, and delivered into a hopper (or hoppers) at the upper part of tho
kiln, from which hopper it is conducted through the hollow or tubular gudgeon
of one of the cylinders into the cylinder itself either by a worm within such
gudgeon, turned by machinery, or by other suitable means.
The kiln which I have used in the drying and preparing of malt contains
five revolving cylinders formed of wire cloth. The skeletons or frames of the
cylinders are each formed of two end plates connected by bars of cast iron
in the direction of the axis of the cylinder, and wire cloth is fastened to the
said bars withinside so as to form the cylinder. This cloth is of such guage
or opening as does not permit the grain to pass through, but it is sufficient to
allow of the free access and escape of air and steam, and to suffer the dust or
small dirt to fall through; or in lieu of wire cloth metal plates perforated
with small holes may be used. That end of each cylinder at which the grain
enters is also closed with the same wire cloth to prevent the grain falling out.
Within the wire cloth a band of the same material is affixed so as to extend
from the interior wire surface of the cylinder about four inches towards
the axis or centre of the cylinder. This band winds spirally round within
the cylinder so as to form spiral channel from one end of the cylinder to the
other, and the width of the channel or distance between the different turns of the
spiral is about six inches. The end of each cylinder opposite to that at which
the grain enters is compleatly open, (with the exception of the arms which
support the rim of the cylinder. The grain which is introduced through the
hollow axis or gudgeon opposite to this open end lodges at the lower part
of the cylinder in the spiral channel formed by the internal worm or screw
of wirework, and when the cylinder is turned round in one direction the
grain will be gradually propelled along the cylinder until it is delivered from
the open end into a hopper. If it is sufficiently dried it may be removed
and warehoused; if not it may be conducted by a spout to the hollow axis

page_text: or gudgeons of another wire cylinder of a similar construction, placed lower
than the first, in which it will undergo a similar drying process, and from this
it may in the same way be passed through a third or fourth, or as many
cylinders as are found necessary.. The cylinders are to be kept in constant
rotatory motion on their axis by the power of steam, water, wind, animal
strength, or any other prime mover of machinery, and they may be
made to revolve with their axes in a horizontal or any other convenient
position, and may all move with similar or with different velocities,
according to their respective dimensions, the nature of the grain, or the
temperature to which it is to be exposed. In all cases they must revolve
in that direction which will cause the internal screws or worms to advance
the grain towards their open ends. The number and size of the cylinders
may be various, according to the kind of grain required to be dried and
prepared, and they may be placed one above the other in the same cham-
ber, or each in a separate chamber, or they may be arranged in any
other manner which may be convenient for regulating the temperature or
adapting them to the premises. The drying temperature may be increased or
dimished, even while the fire remains the same, by regulating the dampers to
let more or less cold air enter into the flues which circulate round the furnace.
The evaporation of any noxious quality or taint that may be in the grain is
facilitated by the open construction of the cylinders and their constant motion,
by which all parts of the grain become equally exposed to the heat, and the
grain is to a certain degree cleansed in the process.
The foregoing description will sufficiently explain the nature of my
Improvement in the Method of Drying and Preparing of Malt, Wheat,
and other Grain; but, to render the disposition of the several parts of my
apparatus more obvious, I have annexed two Drawings of a complete kiln,
containing five revolving cylinders, and any competent workman who under-
stands this will be able to construct a similar apparatus in a simpler form.
Three of the cylinders are of larger dimensions, and are situated in a large
upper air chamber, whilst the two smaller cylinders are placed underneath
in a separate chamber, heated, to a higher temperature.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the kiln outside; Fig. 2, a ground plan;
Fig. 3, an elevation of the kiln answering to Fig. 1, but having the front
wall removed to shew the ends of the cylinders; Fig. 4 a section taken side-
ways. The same letters of reference denote the same parts in all these
Drawings.
A, A, shews the exterior walls of the building; B, B, interior longitudinal
partition wall for the purpose of supporting the four archos V V V v

page_text: carry the kiln floors, &c.; C, the kiln house; D, the front of the furnace; F,
its ash pit, having a close door with an air regulator in it; E, E, the air flue,
doors, or dampers, for admitting the cold air, which is heated by the furnace
and afterwards carried up into the hot-air chambers M. and c; these doors also
have regulators formed in them. G, Fig. 2, an enterance into the first or
lowest air chamber for the purpose of clearing it out; H, II, rooms or store-
houses on each side of the furnace to receive the grain when dried; P, Fig. 1,
a door enclosing the thermometers belonging to the lower hot-air chamber;
other thermometers are provided, for the upper chamber; Q, Q, two chinneys
of the furnace D; S, the roof of the kiln; T, the cowl. 1, Fig. 1 and Fig. 4.
is a spur pinion communicating with the power by which the machinery
is to be moved, and which turns the large spur wheel 2; this drives the two
pinions 3, 3, fixed upon the axis or gudgeons of the lower drying cylinders I, I,
and 4 is the axis or gudgeon of one of the upper cylinders U, Fig. 3 and
Fig. 4. The air-flue doors or dampers E, E, lead to a labyrinth passage in
the brickwork, see Fig. 2, extending behind and over the fire, and the air,
by passing through this passage, is heated. K is the enterance to the kiln-
house; I, Fig. 3, the two lower wire cylinders, upon the axes of which, at the
end nearest the eye in Fig. 3, are fixed the two pinions 3, 3, Fig. 1. These
two cylinders revolve in a separate chamber M, M, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4,
which, receiving its heat immediately from the labyrinth flue which circulates
round furnace D, is filled with air of a high temperature. L is the smoke
flue from the furnace D, which rises perpendicularly as high as the top of the
upper arches y, y, y, which cover the first hot-air chamber M, M, and the
smoke flue is then enlarged so as to occupy the whole extent of the kiln, as
at 1, 1. The top or upper surface of this flue is formed of tiles, iron plates, or
other suitable materials, and is supported by props R at its proper distance
above the top of the arches, thus forming a close floor a, a, beneath which
the smoke passes, and will communicate heat thereto. The smoke passing
beneath this floor is afterwards led into the chimneys or flues Q, Q, which
may be built in the side walls in any convenient situation, but they ought to
be as far as possible from the place where the smoke first enters from L into
the space beneath the floor a, in order that the smoke may circulate beneath
the floor a to obtain all the advantage of the flue to heat it. If this floor be
constructed with tiles their joints ought to come over the bricks or supporters
R, R, to prevent any smoke from escaping. A few inches above this hot floor
a is another floor y, y, formed also of tiles or metal plates, the apparatus for
which stands upon the first-mentioned floor a, a, and the space b between
these floors is used as an air passage to receive and distribute the heated

page_text: air equally into all parts of the upper air chamber c. This heated air is
conveyed up by a perpendicular tube from the lower air chamber M, M, into
the space between the two floors a and y, from whence it escapes into the
upper air chamber C through openings E, E, which are furnished with
sliding regulators to regulate the quantity of air which shall so enter. This
upper air chamber contains the three large cylinders V, V and U, and is
covered by the roof and surmounted by the cowl S and T. The pinion 1,
see Fig. 1 and Fig. 4, moves the wheel 2, and thus drives the two lower
drying cylinders I, I, by pinions 3, 3, upon the axis of 2, and within the
building is the pinion 5, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, which works a wheel 6 upon the
end of the cylinder U, and the wheel 6 acts into another wheel 7, upon the
axis of which the wheel 8 is fixed. This is only half the diameter of 7, and
turns two equal wheels upon the ends of the two cylinders V, V; the cylinder
U will therefore make two revolutions to each one of V, V. 2, Figure 3 and
Figure 4, is the internal screw or worm which forms tlic spiral channel to
carry the grain from one end of each cylinder to the other. The grain to
be dried is first delivered into one of the hoppers W, Figure 4, into the
bottom of which the end of one of the hollow gudgeous 9 of one of the upper
cylinders V is inserted, but in such manner as to admit of the revolution of
the cylinder. Within this hollow gudgeon the grain is carried forwards into the
cylinder V, by the revolution of a worn of iron plate 11, which nearly fills it.
The axis of this worm proceeds through the hopper, and is inoved by a rigger
9, and a strap or any other communication with the moving machinery.
By means of this feeding worm 11 the grain is conveyed into one of the
cylinders V, and the slow motion of that cylinder will continually turn the
grain over, and by the spiral channel a within it the grain will slowly advance
towards the open end of the cylinder, when it will be delivered into the shoot
or spout d, d, the lower end of which receives the extreme end of the hallow
gudgeon of the cylinder U, in the same manner as the hopper W receives
the hollow gudgeon 9. The hollow gudgeon of U is also provided with a
similar feeding worm 12, which is turned round within it by the strap
and rigger 10, and thus the grain is conveyed from the interior of the
cylinder to the interior of the cylinder U, along which it passes by the
action of its internal spiral channel until it is discharged into another
shoot or spout h, which conveys the grain to the hollow axis 17 of the
lowest cylinders I, I. These have also their feeding worms and spiral
channels, by which the grain is carried through them, and thrown into the
hoppers ff, Figures 3 and 4. These carry it by the throats O, O, into the
circular tube or pipe N. The ends of this pipe open into the two receiving

page_text: rooms H, II, and within the pipe N a worm or screw is placed, which very
nearly fills it, and which is turned by the first moving machinery by a band
working upon the rigger e, and this worm may be driven in either direction
by using the band crossed or not crossed, and thus the pipe N may be
made to deliver the dried grain into either of the receptacles H, H, at
pleasure.
The motions of the feeding worms or screws 11, 12 and 18, which work
respectively in the hollow gudgeons of the cylinders V, U, and I, should be so
regulated, with respect to the motion of the cylinders themselves, that they
may just deliver so much grain as will keep all the cylinders duly and properly
fed, and when two or more cylinders empty their contents into one, as V, V,
into U in Figure 3, or one cylinder empties into two, as U into I, I, the
motions of the feeding worms must be so regulated as to produce a constant
and proper feed or distribution of the grain. The cylinders V, V, and
U, being of the same dimensions, and V, V, both turning with the same
velocity, it will be necessary that U, which is to take both their contents, should
revolve with twice the velocity of either of the cylinders V, V. This is effected
by the wheels 7 and 8 that are placed between U, V, and V, sec Figure 3.
The feeding worm 12 of the cylinder U must, for the saine reason, pass twice
the quantity that either of the worms 11 will supply to their respective
cylinders V, V, from the hoppers W. The three upper cylinders might move
with the same velocity if the spiral chaunel in the lower ene were made twice
the width of the other two, or if the height of the spiral band which forms
the channel were double. The lower cylinders I, I, which receive their feed
from U by the hopper h, being contained in the chamber M, which is much
hotter than the upper chaniber, are made smaller, and the grain is made to
pass through them more quickly. g 1, Figure 4, is a rigger driven by
a band from some part of the moving power to turn the feeding worms 18 of
the cylinders I, I. On the axis of one of these worms is a rigger g to work
the upper feeding worms 11 of the upper cylinders V, V.
The apparatus above described, with several drying cylinders, will only be
necessary for the drying and preparing of malt; when grain is merely to be dried,
and a less degree of heat is necessary, fewer cylinders, or even a single one, will
answer the purpose. My apparatus will admit of many modifications in the
construction without departing from its principle; thus the drying cylinder may
be placed with its axis in an inclined position, or even perpendicularly,
provided the mechanical power be applied by means of a crank or otherwise
to turn the cylinder round backwards and forwards alternately for a small
space, , and with a sharp motion, so as to shake the grain and make it run down

page_text: the spiral channel; or a cylinder of wirework or perforated plate may be
stationary, and have a spiral worm to revolve within it in the manner that the
feeding worms before described revolve in the hollow axes or gudgeons of the
cylinders. By this means the grain will be gradually moved from one end of
the cylinder to the other, and in this case the upper part of the wirework on
the top side of the worm being useless, a portion of the cylinder or a half
cylinder will be as well as a whole one; or a single cylinder on any of the
above constructions may be used, and the grain made to pass through it
repeatedly until it is sufficiently dried. Thus, after after passing through the
cylinder from one end to the other, and being discharged, it may be returned
back and again introduced into the first end. The grain may be carried back
by a worm revolving in a tube or other similar contrivance.
In all these modifications the principle of my Invention is preserved; but it
may be proper to observe, that the mode of heating the air chambers, and of
regulating the temperature therein, and the use of such chambers for drying of
malt, wheat, or other grain, are not new, nor hereby claimed as my Invention ;
neither is the use of the cylinder with a rotatory motion for agitating or
cleaning grain new, nor the mode of propelling such grain by spirals or worms
from one extremity of such cylinder to the other, or of propelling grain through
a tube by worms, for the purpose of moving and conveying grain from one
place to another. I do not claim any of these things severally and separately
as of my Invention, but my Invention consists in the union or combination of
cylinders, or portion of cylinders of wire or open work, or perforated plate,
with the feeding and other apparatus, as above described, which cylinders are
placed in the air chambers for the purposes of agitating and turning over the
grain by mechanical power during the process of drying, in the manner herein-
before described.
In witness whereof I have borcunto set my hand and seal the Fourth
Signed, sealed, and delivered (being
first duly stamped) in the pre-
WILLIAM (L.S.) BUSH, Jun".

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of November, in
the year of our Lord 1818, the aforesaid William Bush the younger came
before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighteen.