t IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXAMINING THE GERMINATING POWER OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF SEEDS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Anthon Steenberg, Patent Agent, of Copenhagen,
Denmark (Editor of the "Industri-Tidende"), for an Invention of
"t
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXAMINING THE GERMINATING POWER
OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF SEEDS." A communication from Rasmus Jensen,
of Rosvang, Denmark.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Anthon Steenberg at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th September 1880.
_ANTHON STEENBERO, Patent Agent, of Copenhagen, Denmark (Editor of the
"Industri-Tidende "). "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXAMINING THE
GERMINATING POWER OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF SEED." [A communication from
Rasmus Jensen, of Rosvang, Denmark.]
The object of this Invention is to provide a means for examining with ease and
speed the germinating power of various kinds of seeds.
The apparatus whereby this object is attained consists substantially of a cylinder
tightly closed at the bottom by a diaphragm, and having a lamp placed in the
space below it.
A funnel leads out of the top of this cylinder, and a thermometer
is placed in the cylinder for ascertaining the temperature of the water which it is
to contain. At the top of the cylinder a short tube communicates with a
rectangular reservoir, from the bottom of which at the further extremity another
longer tube leads back to the lower part of the cylinder. The cover of the
reservoir is perforated, and discs of felt, each having in the middle a button, are
placed on the cover of the reservoir, the buttons being inserted through the holes
in this cover. Removable glass bells are placed on the discs of felt above
mentioned. There are other holes in the cover of the reservoir with flanges or
edges rising around them, and serving to retain in an upright position glass tubes
for the purpose to be presently explained. The reservoir is surrounded by a
vertical flange or edge.
The apparatus is used in the following way :-Water is poured into the cylinder
until it rises to the level of the felt buttons within the apertures in the top of the
reservoir. The lamp is then lighted, causing the water to boil so as to circulate

page_text: from the cylinder through the short tube before mentioned to the reservoir, and
thence back again in a condensed state to the cylinder through the other longer
tube. During this circulation the aqueous vapours will rise through the felt
discs, making them moist, and producing a warm and damp air underneath the
glass-bells which stand on the discs of felt. Beneath these bells consequently
the most favourable conditions for germination are created, and when thus
subjected to the influence of the warm moist air, the seeds laid on the felt discs
will speedily show their germinating power. When the evaporation is stronger,
the seeds can if desired be laid upon plates of burnt clay placed on the felt discs.
For the examination of very small seeds the glass bells are not used, but long
upright glass tubes are used in their place; these tubes being fitted at the bottom
with plugs or stopples of wet cotton. A slip of paper or its equivalent is laid on
the top of each plug or stopple for placing the seeds upon. The upper end of each
of the glass tubes is closed with a similar stopple. The space between both stopples
will be filled with vapour, and the sceds subjected to the same favourable conditions
for germination as above mentioned. This apparatus may be made in duplicate, if
desired, and supplied with vapour from a common cylinder and lamp.
As a modification of the above apparatus, instead of the reservoir mentioned
above, a flat reservoir corresponding to the shape of the cylinder, and fitted with a
felt disc, is placed on the top of the cylinder itself, and in this cover openings are
made through which the vapours penetrate into the reservoir and through the felt.
In other points the use and the effect are the same as described above.
The apparatus can also be used for raising early seedlings or young plants, and
in this case the glass bells are not made use of, but an entire felt disc is placed on
the top of the reservoir, and covered with a thin layer of earth in which the plants
are set.
On the top of the edge of the reservoir a glass plate is placed closing it
tightly, and maintaining beneath it a raised and moist temperature by means of
the rising vapour.
It is obvious that the apparatus above described can be made of different shapes
and sizes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Anthon Steenberg in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
March 1881.
ANTHON STEENBEG, Patent Agent, of Copenhagen, Denmark (Editor of the
Industri Tidende). "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXAMINING THE
GERMINATING POWER OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF SEEDS." A communication from
Rasmus Jensen, of Rosvang, Denmark.
The object of this Invention is to provide a means for testing and comparing
with ease and speed the germinating power of various kinds of seeds.
The apparatus whereby this object is attained consists substantially of a cylinder
or vessel for the reception of water, heated by means of a lamp or gas jet placed
in the space below it. A funnel passes through and leads out of the top of this
cylinder or other vessel, and a thermometer is placed in the cylinder for ascertaining
the temperature of the water which it is to contain. At the top of the cylinder
one or more short tubes communicate with a rectangular reservoir or reservoirs,
from the bottom of which at the further extremity another longer tube or tubes
leads back to the lower part of the cylinder. The cover of each reservoir is
perforated, and discs of felt, each having in their middle a button, are placed
centrally over the perforations in the cover of the reservoir, the buttons passing
through the said perforations. Removable glass bells are placed upon the discs of
felt above mentioned. There are other holes in the cover of the reservoir fitted
with vertical flanges or edges around them, and serving to retain in an upright
position glass tubes for the purpose to be presently explained. The reservoir itself
is surrounded by a vertical flange or edge.
The construction and use of the foregoing apparatus will be readily understood
on reference to the accompanying Drawing, wherein the same letters of reference
indicate throughout like or corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the apparatus constructed with
double reservoirs, and Fig. 2 is a diagram end view thereof.
A is the cylindrical water vessel beneath which the lamp fis placed; B is the
inclined diaphragm forming the bottom of the water vessel A, and serving to
concentrate the heat from the lamp towards the central funnel C, which passes
through the water vessel A, thus affording considerable heating surface; d is a
thermometer for regulating the temperature of the water in A; H, H, are reservoirs
supported at a convenient height upon legs, one end of each reservoir being
connected with the top of the water vessel A by a short tube g, and the other end
being provided with a pipe P, which descends obliquely to join the lower-most
part of the water vessel A; I, I, are plates of metal or other suitable material
forming the top of each of the reservoirs H, H.
These plates are perforated, as shewn on the right hand of Fig. 3, which is a
plan view of the apparatus, the perforations in the left hand plate I being omitted
to simplify the Drawing. Upon these plates are placed discs of felt L provided on
their undersides with central bosses or buttons of felt, or other suitable porous
material.
These bosses or buttons pass through the perforations in the top of the
reservoir H, and serve both to retain the discs of felt in position, and to convey
moisture to them from the water in the reservoir beneath.
Upon these discs glass bells D are placed, and the seeds whose germinating
power is to be tested and compared are laid upon the said discs of felt L, or, if
desired, upon small plates of burnt clay R (see Figures 4 and 5, where the parts

page_text: just described are shewn on an enlarged scale); the action of the apparatus is as
follows:-
Water is poured into the cylinder or vessel A. until it rises to about the level of
the felt bosses or buttons within the apertures in the cover of the reservoir H.
The lamp is then lighted, causing the water to boil so as to circulate from the
cylinder A through the short tube g before mentioned to the reservoir H, and
thence back again in a cooler state to the bottom of the cylinder A through the
other longer tube P. During this circulation of the heated water, the aqueous
vapours will pass by the bosses to the felt discs, making them moist, and
producing a warm and damp atmosphere underneath the glass bells D which stand
on the discs of the felt L. Beneath these bells consequently the most favourable
conditions for germination are created, and when thus subjected to the influence
of the warm moist air, the seeds laid on the felt discs will speedily shew
their germinating power. When the evaporation is stronger, the seeds can if
desired be laid upon the plates of burnt clay R placed on the felt discs, as already
mentioned.
For the examination of very small seeds the glass bells are not used, but long
upright glass tubes M (shewn on an enlarged scale in Fig. 5) are used in their
place. These tubes M are kept in an upright position by the flange or rim n, and
are filled at the bottom with plugs or stopples of wet cotton wool, a slip of paper,
or its equivalent, to serve as a shallow tray being laid on the top of each plug or
stopple for receiving the seeds to be examined. The upper end of each of the glass
tubes M is closed with a similar stopple. The space between both stopples being
filled with vapour, the seeds will be subjected to the same favourable conditions for
germination, as above mentioned. This apparatus may be made in duplicate if
desired, and supplied with vapour from a common cylinder and lamp.
As a modification of the above apparatus, instead of the reservoir mentioned
above, a flat reservoir corresponding to the shape of the cylinder, and fitted with a
felt disc is placed on the top of the cylinder itself, and in this cover openings are
made through which the vapours penetrate into the reservoir and through the felt.
In other points the use and the effect are the same as described above.
This modification is illustrated in Figures 6, 7, and 8; A is the cylindrical water
vessel with the space below it for the lamp seen in front view at Fig. 6, and
sectional side view at Fig. 7; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the top H of the water
cylinder A, which top is itself perforated with holes for the purpose of allowing the
steam to moisten a disc of felt covering the whole of the bottom of the reservoir.
This reservoir may be covered in by one single sheet of glass, or it may be fitted
with bells D and glass tubes M, similar to those shewn in Fig. 5.
In Fig. 9 is shewn a modification of part of the apparatus described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. This modified apparatus is intended to be used
more especially for raising early seedlings or young plants, and in this case the
glass bells D are not made use of, but an entire piece of felt L is placed on the top
of the reservoir H, and covered with a thin layer of earth, in which the plants are
set. On the top of the edge of the reservoir is placed a gass plate S closing it
tightly, and maintaining beneath it a raised and moist temperature by means of
the rising vapour.
It is obvious that the apparatus above described can be made
of different shapes and sizes, and that many such reservoirs may be grouped so as
to form practically one apparatus, and be supplied with heated water and vapour
by pipes connecting them with a central water vessel beneath, which heat is
applied by a lamp or gas jet, as inay be most convenient.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention of "Improvements in
Apparatus for Examining the Germinating Power of different kinds of Seed,"
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to
be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
The construction and arrangement of apparatus, substantially as herein shewn
and described, whereby various kinds of seeds may be subjected to the action of

page_text: heat and moisture, and their germinating power may be ascertained and compared,
such apparatus being well adapted to the raising of young plants.
In witness whereof, I, the said Anthon Steenberg, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ANTHON STEENBERG.
STEENBERG. (L.S.)