Improvements relating to the Drying and Cooling of Wheat or Grain.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 20th May, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to the Drying and Cooling of Wheat or Grain.
I, GEORGE HENRY LEACH, of 19, Bath Street, Hereford, in the County of
Hereford, Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows;-
My invention has for its object the construction of convenient and effective
apparatus for the expeditious drying and cooling of wheat or grain.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct the drying or top section of
the apparatus in the form of a tower, having a hopper at the upper end and with
its lower end arranged for discharging on to a cooling sieve. The drying tower
is fitted with a series of pipes which extend horizontally through it and open at
their ends into chests or chambers formed on the exterior of two opposite sides
of the tower. The chests are divided into compartments by suitable partition
pieces arranged in such a manner that the steam which is admitted to the upper
end of one of the chests is caused to flow through the top set or nest of tubes to
the chest on the opposite side of the tower and from thence to be returned to the
other chest through another nest of tubes. In this manner I cause the steam to
pass and repass through the tubes extending across the tower, or to circulate in
a zig-zag path through the tower before its discharge through a drain cock at
the lower end. I provide a perforated conduit midway between the upper and
lower ends of the tower having the area of its central portion reduced and without
steam pipes crossing it. As the grain descends through the tower it passes through
such perforated conduit which has a current of hot air passing through it, such
current being induced by the action of a fan and the air heated by contact with
the exterior of the steam chest or chests before its admission to the space sur-
rounding the central drying chamber.
The wheat or grain is discharged from the lower end of the tower on to
diagonally arranged sieves, and in passing down such sieves it is cooled by the
air which is drawn through under the action of the fan.
|this en May or Juny 100.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Drying and Cooling of Wheat or Grain.
I, GEORGE HENRY LEACH, of 19, Bath Street, Hereford, in the County of
Hereford, Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement; —
My invention has for its object the construction of convenient and effective
apparatus for the expeditious drying and cooling of wheat or grain.
In carrying my invention into effect I construct the drying or top section of
the apparatus in the form of a tower, having a hopper at the upper end and with
its lower end arranged for discharging on to a cooling sieve. The drying tower
is fitted with a series of pipes or tubes which extend across it and open at their
ends into chests or chambers formed on the exterior of two opposite sides of the
tower. The chests are divided into compartments by suitable partition pieces
arranged in such a manner that the steam which is admitted to the upper end of
one of the chests is caused to flow through the top set of tubes to the chest on the
opposite side of the tower, and from thence to be returned to the other chest
through another set of tubes. In this manner I cause the steam to pass and repass
through the tubes extending across the tower, or to circulate in a zig-zag path
through the tower before its discharge through a drain cock at the lower end. I
provide one or more perforated conduits between the upper and lower ends of the
tower each having the area of its central portion reduced and without steam pipes
crossing it. As the grain descends through the tower it falls through each of such
perforated conduits which has a current of hot air passing across it; such current
is induced by the action of a fan and the air is heated by contact with the exterior
of the steam chest or chests before its admission to the space surrounding the
drying chamber or conduit.
The wheat or grain is discharged from the lower end of the tower on to
diagonally arranged sieves, and in passing down such sieves it is cooled by the
air which is drawn through under the action of the fan.
to.
In the accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred
Figure 1 is a sectional end elevation and Figure 2 a sectional side elevation
representing a wheat drying and conditioning apparatus constructed in accordance
with my invention.
The wheat is discharged from the conveyor into the hopper A and as it descends
towards the lower end of the tower it first passes over and around the nest of
tubes B, such nest consisting preferably of four treble rows of tubes heated by
steam entering at C and circulating through them in the direction indicated by
the arrows 1 any vapour arising from the wheat is carried away by side louvres
as 1. The warm damp wheat in its further descent is dried on falling through the
conduit E by currents of air passing transversely across the conduit and through
the perforated side plates of the same as indicated by the arrows 2.
The heating and drying is repeated as the wheat on its descent through the tower
passes over and around the nest of tubes B¹, and through the conduit E¹ where it
again meets cross currents of air. From the bottom nest of tubes 12 the wheat
passes down the inclined sieves or perforated plates F, F1, and is cooled by the
air drawn through to the interior of the sieves, such interior being in connection
with the exhaust trunk G.
The steam entering the tower at C is caused to circulate through the whole of
the tubes in the nests B, B', and B², before its discharge at C¹.
The air is drawn through the conduits E, E, the sieves or perforated plates F, F¹,

page_text: and the exhaust trunk G, by the action of a suitable fan. Before entering the
conduits E and E', the air is warmed by being caused to pass between the outer
casing H and the steam chests J..
The rate of descent of the wheat on the sieves E and E¹ is regulated by the
extent of the opening of the slides K, K¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The drying and cooling of wheat or grain in an apparatus through which
steam and air is circulated, substantially as described.
2. An apparatus for the drying and cooling or conditioning of wheat sub-
stantially as described and as illustrated.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.