Improvements in Kilns for Drying Grain and other Material.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Kilns for Drying Grain and other Material.
I, ERNEST SAMUEL SPENCER, of the Castle Brewery, 21, St. George's Road,
Southwark, in the County of London, Director and Manager of a public company, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a rectangular structure preferably of
brick provided with a sloping or domed roof and with a fan or natural draft.
Within this building I arrange one, two or more floors, supported on suitable springs
or suspended in other convenient manner and I vibrate, oscillate or shake these
floors by means of an eccentric, cam or crank motion.
Each floor is constructed in steps and is inclined in such manner that the grain
or other material to be dried passes from one end to the other of each floor dropping
in its passage from one step to the other thus securing the turning over of the
drying material so as to present constantly fresh surfaces to the dry air.
When more than one such floor is used the material passes from one end to the
other of the uppermost floor and then falls on to the next lower floor which it
traverses in the reverse direction and so on over all the floors until it reaches the
lower end of the lowest floor whence it is discharged into a hopper or other
receptacle.
The steps of the floors may be of corrugated or perforated sheet iron or steel and
they are made of length and breadth to suit the material to be dried.
As the material to be dried passes from one, step to another of each floor the dry or
heated air passes between or through the steps and through the material and carries
away the moisture.
The distance the grain or other material falls from one step to another may be
varied as also the speed of the vibrations given to the floors to move the material
forward.
Motion may be imparted separately to each floor or part of a floor or all the
floors may be connected together and vibrated as one and in this latter case the
frame carrying the floors can be supported on springs or hangers instead of each
separate floor being so carried.
The steps of the floors may be placed at an angle or level and each floor can be
raised or lowered to regulate the flow of material.
1
1007
HARRIS & MILLS
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: I, ERNEST SAMUEL SPENCER, of The Castle Brewery, 21, St. George's Road, South-
wark, in the County of London, Director and Manager of a public company, 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:
I will describe my invention in connection with the accompanying drawings in
which Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation of my improved kiln. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal
section of one of the floors. Fig. 3 is a plan of part of the same, and Fig. 4 is an
end view as seen from the uppermost end thereof. Fig. 5 is a plan and Fig. 6
is a sectional side view showing a method of adjusting the inclination of the
floors.
In all the figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a rectangular structure a preferably
of brick provided with a sloping or domed roof a¹ and with a fan 2 or natural
draft. Within this building arrange one two or more floors 6 1 supported on
suitable springs c¹ carried by cross girders c built into the walls as shown or suspended
in other convenient manner and I vibrate, oscillate or shake these floors by means of
an eccentric, cam or crank motion.
In the drawings I have represented each pair of floors 6 6' as connected
together by a tie bar 62 and operated by a connecting rod d¹ con-
nected to a crank pin d on a wheel d² fixed to a shaft d*, said several shafts d*
being driven by bands d³ passing round the wheels d² and round drums e¹ fixed on
the main shaft e.
Each floor b b¹ is constructed in steps 63 and is inclined in such manner that the
grain or other material to be dried passes from one end to the other of each floor
dropping in its passage from one step 63 to the other thus securing the turning over of
the drying material so as present constantly fresh surfaces to the dry air.
When more than one such floor is used the material passes from one end to the
other of the uppermost floor b and then falls ou to the next lower floor b¹ which it
traverses in the reverse direction and so on over all the floors until it reaches the
lower end of the lowest floor b¹ whence it is discharged into a hopper or other
receptacle.
At the lower end of each floor I by preference arrange guide plates h fixed
to the walls to ensure the delivery of the grain from one floor to that next
below.
In the drawing, Fig. 1, I have represented the lowermost floor 61 as delivering
the grain into a conveyor f which delivers the grain outside the kiln.
The steps 63 of the floors may be of corrugated or perforated sheet iron or steel
or other suitable material and they are made of length and breadth to suit the
material to be dried, and they are connected together in such manner as to leave
air spaces between the front edge of the upper and the rear edge of the lower
step.
As the material to be dried passes from one step to another of each floor the dry
or heated air from any suitable heating apparatus either inside the kiln or exterior
thereof passes between or through the steps and through the material and carries
away the moisture.
The distance the grain or other material falls from one step to another may be
varied as also the speed of the vibrations given to the floors to move the material
forward.
Figures 5 and 6 represent a method of providing for adjustment of the inclination

page_text: of the floors. In this case the cross girders c instead of being built into the
walls are carried by a framing g mounted at one end on trunnions gl fixed to the walls
and carried at the other end by a screw threaded block g² adjustable on the screw g³
carried by a bracket of fixed to the wall.
Motion may be imparted separately to each floor or pair of floors as shown or
part of a floor, or all the floors may be connected together by a suitable framework
and vibrated as one and in this latter case the frame carrying the floors can be
supported on springs or hangers as will be readily understood, instead of each separate
floor being so carried.
The steps of the floors may be placed at an angle or level and each floor can be
raised or lowered as above described to regulate the flow of material.
The material to be dried is delivered to the hopper a³ which in its turn delivers it
to the uppermost drying floor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
The arrangement of parts constituting my improved kiln for drying grain and
other material substantially as herein set forth and illustrated.
Dated December 23rd 1897.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.