Improvements in or relating to Valves and Conduits for Delivering, Mixing, or Treating Grain or other Material.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
Improvements in or relating to Valves and Conduits for Delivering,
Mixing, or Treating Grain or other Material.
A communication from FREIDRICH CORRELL, Civil Engineer, of Neustadt on
the Haardt, Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The conduits in grain stores and the like are usually employed with the object
of transferring the grain etc. from one floor to the next one below in showers, or
by omitting one or more floors underneath, to any lower floor of the system.
For this purpose doors or valves are used which however, are so constructed that
at least two operating devices have to be employed, absolutely independent from
each other. According to the present invention only one such device is necessary
by means of which all possible cases and requirements can be met.
The present invention comprises a rotatory valve, characterised by a cylindrical
segment and is so constructed that it serves as a means of closure for the various
passages. The simplest construction of such a valve is represented in Figures 1
to 4, Figure 1 being a longitudinal section through the pivot and the other
figures cross sections of the same in various positions.
bis the "bye-pass shoot and a the "shower" or vertical shoot, and the
valve c is pivotted at or near the intersection point of the two shoots. The
spindle d on which the valve is fixed passes through the casing of the valve and
is provided with an actuating lever or connection. The valve c is provided with
a cylinder segment e, which is of such length and breadth, as to be able to com-
pletely close the outlet f. When this valve occupies the central position
(Figure 2) as will be seen, no grain or material can pass through the outlet f.
If the valve however, is turned towards the right (Figure 4), the grain can fall
in a shower from one floor to the next one underneath, if the valve however, is
turned to the left. (Figure 3) the grain can be passed through the main shoot
to any of the lower floors.
In cases, where the grain need not be passed through a lower floor, as for in-
stance in the case of the lowest floor, from which the grain is usually passed into
a shoot leading to the automatic weighing machine, the valve is shaped, as repre-
sented in Figures 5 to 7. In this case two orifices namely that of the main
shoot a and the floor orifices have to be closed or opened according to require-
ments. The valve c is, for this purpose, so arranged that the cylindrical segment
will serve both for the closing of the orifice s and of the shoot a, as represented in
Figure 6 in full and dotted lines, respectively. In the central position of the
valve (Figure 7) a mixing of the grain contained on the lowest floor with that of
any higher floor, coming through the shoot a, may be effected.

page_text: Very often, however, it is required—especially in granaries or constructions
with shoots passing right through them to have this mixing effected on the
several floors themselves. This effect can be obtained by the new valve by introduc-
ing the slight modification into its construction. The valve c is provided, as repre-
sented in Figures 8 to 13, with a lateral passage h, the arrangement, otherwise,
being the same as that of the former figures, with the difference, however, that
the casing surrounding the valve is open on one side, while the lowest end is
connected or in communication with the principal shoot a.
It will be seen,
that in the position as represented in Figure 9, the grain passing through the
shoot a, in other words coming from any higher floor, will fall in a shower through
the opening, while the outlet f is closed. Usually the valve will occupy the
position represented in Figure 10 according to which the grain is free to pass
from the shoot a to the next shoot or section below it.
If a mixing of two kinds of grain or.material is required, the valve is placed
in the position represented by Figure 11, according to which, as will be easily
understood, material is delivered both from the shoot a and also from the outlet f
into the continuation of the shoot a. If it is required to transfer the grain
contained above the outlet f into the principal shoot a, the position indicated
by Figure 12 must be occupied by the valve. When it is desired not to transfer
the mixture obtained by means of the valve position represented in Figure 11,
but to keep the mixture on the same floor, the position represented in Figure 13
must be occupied by the valve.
Inasmuch however, as it is not possible, by means of the last arrangement of
the valve, to obtain a falling in showers of the grain from one floor to another
and, simultaneously, the transmission of the grain from the upper portion of the
chief shoot a to the lower portion of the same, one of the sides of the passage h,
as represented in Figures 14 to 21, is loosely connected or pivotted and made of
a cup or hopper shape, being open at the top and provided with an orifice at
the bottom. When such a valve is arranged as represented in Figure 15, the
grain contained above the outlet f will fall in showers on to the floor underneath
the outlet f, while the chief shoot a is altogether closed. If it is desired to con-
tinue the fall of the grain from the upper portion into the lower portion of the
chief shoot a, without however interrupting the shower issuing from f, the
valve c is placed as represented in Figure 16. The hopper k in this position will
cover the lateral opening in such a manner that a lateral escape of material
from a is impossible.
t
If however, the shower falling from f is to be cut off but the transfer of the
grain from the upper part to the lower part of the chief shoot a continued, the
valve must be turned to the right as represented in Figure 17. In case it is
required to retain the grain issuing from the shoot a on the same floor, the valve
must be placed in the position indicated in Figure 18. In such a position the
outlet is still closed as before but the grain issuing from a will now fall into the
hopper and then through the orifice 7 on to the floor. If this operation is to
be continued and at the same time the grain contained above f is to pass into the
lower portion of the principal shoot, the valve must be placed in the position as
indicated in Figure 19. If however, it is desired to secure a mixing of the grain
issuing from a with that above f, the valve must be turned into the position as
represented in Figure 20, by which arrangement the mixture is transferred by
means of the principal shoot a, to any other lower floor desired. But if a further
removal is not required and the mixture is intended to be retained on the same
floor, the valve is arranged as shown in Figure 21, according to which the grain
coming from a and from f falls in a shower on the said floor.
It is of importance that the grain or material should not find its way between
the valve and the casing. For this purpose boards or plates m, as shown in
Figure 1, are arranged over the valve, which boards are cut away to correspond
to the cylindrical segment e.. The same effect is obtained by making the openings
smaller than the breadth of the casing, as represented in Figures 5, 8 and 14.

page_text: UI course it is of advantage to introduce the boards m at the rounded places
inside the casing as marked at m in the said figures. With the cylindrical
segment e no surface is in contact, but the desired effect is obtained by arranging
a sheet iron plate acting against the said segment e like a scraper. It is of
5 importance in all the modifications of the present device that they should be
connected together by means of levers or rods, through the spindle d, by which
arrangement they can be set according to requirements, and the over-filling of
the grain-holders, so often a source of annoyance, can thereby be avoided. The
possibility of adapting the new valve devices for grain stores in floors, as seen
0 by Figures 22 to 24 is also of importance. Such buildings have been provided
up to the present time with only one, centrally situated transmitting shoot,
leading vertically to the different floors. When the new valves are used, this
central shoot passing through all the floors is supplemented on each floor by a
number of additional shoots, arranged around the central shoot, communicating
obliquely at one end with the roof or ceiling of the compartment, and at the other
end with the central shoot. The object of this new arrangement is manifold.
First a better storage of the grain is obtained; secondly, a better discharging
of the grain; and, thirdly, a better airing of it. A further advantage arising
from this construction lies in the fact that the central shoot can be used for a
variety of operations, without interrupting the falling in showers of the grain.
Figure 22 is a vertical section through a building according to the new
construction.
Figure 23 is a top view illustrating the arrangement of the shoots, and
Figure 24 is a side view on an enlarged scale of a section.
As will easily be understood from the said figures each of the floors is provided
in the centre with a passage a through which the central shoot b is arranged in
a well known manner, passing through the several floors in such a way, that by
means of suitable valves, and the like, the grain can be transferred from any
floor to the next floor underneath, or to any other floor underneath, by leaving
out one or more floors between. According to this invention the shoot bis
divided beneath the ceiling of every floor. Such division is represented by way
of example in Figures 23 to 24, where four shoots c branch off from the central
shoot and communicate by means of suitable orifices d with the floor above.
The central orifice a can be closed by a valve device in such a way, that it is
possible, for instance, to transfer the grain contained on the floor VI through
the shoot 6 both to the compartment or floor V below or to any other floor under-
neath. The passages however, are provided with closing devices, by means
of which the grain falling through the said passages may either directly reach
the floor below or pass further on through the shoot c.
It is therefore possible to pass on (in showers) the grain from any floor to the
floor directly below through all the five passages, which arrangement not only
secures a more rapid airing but also a better storing of the quantities of grain in
the receiving holders. As in the present day only one central passage a is used,
the grain passing from floor VI to floor V in showers, would gradually be heaped
up, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 22, on floor V which does not represent
a full use of the containing powers of the said holders. If however, the grain
is passed from V on to floor IV by making use of the supplemental passages d,
the grain will accumulate according to the lines shown on floor IV, which indi-
cates a far more effective use of the containing powers of the holders. Similar
remarks will apply also to the discharge of the grain. When the grain, for
instance, is transferred from floor V on the left to floor IV on the left, by means
of the central shoot only, a quantity of grain would remain behind in V, piled up
according to the dotted lines, which quantities will require extra work in order
o be shovelled into the shoot a. If, however, the grain is transferred by means
f-the new transfer device, say, from floor IV to floor III, the amount of grain
emaining in IV would be such as represented by the dotted lines in floor IV,
rom which it will be seen that the work of shovelling would be greatly reduced,

page_text: and could be easily obviated, without to any considerable degree interfering
with the holding capacity of the grain holders, by a suitable shaping of the sur-
face of the floor bottom. It is of importance also that when the transfer of the
grain is required by means of showers, directly to the floors underneath, such an
operation can be carried on simultaneously from five passages. Hence by means
of the new arrangement an ordinary floor storage is at once changed into a store
with means for delivering the material in showers.
The orifices may also be used exclusively for the purpose of producing
showers, keeping the central shoot absolutely free for all the operations that may
be required such as transport, mixing and the like. The valves or the like
devices used for the closing and opening of the orifices are preferably geared
together by means of rods, and the like, in order to facilitate the simultaneous
action of the said devices by means of a single operation. The actuation how-
ever, of the central orifice or shoot is preferably kept independent of that
connected with the orifices d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A valve for granary or other conduits for delivering mixing or treating
grain or other material comprising a cylinder segment, such as e, pivotted
between the shower" conduit and the main conduit the segmental part being
of such shape that in its central position it will effect a closing of the outlet to
which it is applied and in its lateral positions a connection between the outlet
and the main conduit and branch conduit respectively will be effected, substan-
tially as described.
2. A device of the kind described in which the valve is so arranged that its
cylindrical part can be employed for closing either the main conduit and a second
adjacent conduit or for leaving both conduits open so that the material from
both may be mixed together, substantially as described.
3. A construction of the device described, comprising a segmental valve pro-
vided with a lateral passage, such as h, whereby a mixing of the material coming
from the two outlets to which the valve is applied can be effected, or a "shower"
from one and a delivery of a mixture through the lower conduit, or a storing of
the same on the corresponding floor, substantially as described.
4. A construction of the device described in Claim 3, in which the outer wall
of the lateral passage is formed into a cup or hopper pivotted or hinged on the
valve which hopper is provided at its lower end with an outlet whereby according
to the position of the valve the material from the two outlets to which the valve
is applied, can be allowed to escape and mixed or kept separate, or delivered to
the floor beneath or to the main conduit, substantially as described.
5. In a valve device of the kind described the arrangement of a board, such
as m, and of an outlet smaller than the segmental valve, whereby no material
can enter between the valve and the casing of the valve, a further security being
provided by a plate arranged to be in contact with the surface of the segmental
part or the valve, substantially as described.
6. In devices of the kind described a segmental valve fixed on a shaft passing
through the casing, the said shaft being provided outside the casing with means
for turning the said shaft from any distant point, substantially as described.
7. In apparatus of the kind described, a central conduit, such as b, with a
number of supplementary conduits, such as c, arranged around it which at the
lower end communicate with the central conduit and at their upper ends with
outlets in the floor above, in combination with valves therein whereby it is possible
to establish a connection between two floors as well as between the supplementary
conduits and the central conduit, for the purpose of securing a more rapid treat-
ment of material by means of "showers," and a better form of storage, substan-
tially as described.

page_text: 8. The complete valve device substantially as described or illustrated in
Figures 1 to 4, or in Figures 5 to 7 or in Figures 8 to 13 or in Figures 14 to 21
or in Figures 22 to 24 of the accompanying drawings.
.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.