A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Davidson, of Mintlaw, in the County of
Aberdeen, North Britain, for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Davidson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1880.
WILLIAM DAVIDSON, of Mintlaw, in the County of Aberdeen, North Britain.
"A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR DRYING
GRAIN."
This Invention relates to a new or improved construction of machine or
apparatus for drying oats and other kinds of grain, which is extremely simple in
design; of comparatively low first cost, not liable to derangement, easily operated,
and more efficient in action than apparatus of the kind heretofore in use.
The improved machine or apparatus comprises a long or high upright framing,
rectangular in plan and fitted in a drying chamber so as to divide it into two
compartments, with its two narrower sides close or against the walls of the
chamber. This framing is formed or fitted with a series of inverted V boards or
vanes, or duplex angled blades lying horizontally over each other, a short distance
apart in the longitudinal centre of the framing or machine, and a series of single
angled vanes placed at reverse angles on each side of the central series and corre-
sponding in number; but with each of the latter a little higher or lower than the
former, so that the whole forms two vertical series of superimposed V like hoppers.
The angled vanes or boards are arranged so that one set reaches lower than the
adjacent set, and the grain when fed in at the top and decending in a continuous
mass or stream through the hoppers, does not fall over, the central or inverted
V boards, nor over the outer boards out of the machine.
A strong well regulated furnace is fitted at one side of the drying chamber and
is open to it, and the chimney or outlet is on the opposite side of the chamber
beyond the drying machine, so that the hot products of combustion and heated air
passing through the chamber must permeate, and pass through the grain as it
descends through the machine or hoppers. The oats or other grain to be dried is first

page_text: fed in by a hopper above through the part of the machine or series of V like
hoppers farthest from the direct action of the fire or heated air, and is partially
dried in its descent; and when this reaches the bottom of the machine it falls
through a spout or other opening, and is delivered to an ordinary construction of
grain elevator, which raises it again to the top of the drying chamber, and dis-
charges it into a hopper feeding into the side of the machine nearest the fire place.
The grain descends a second time through the machine, and is in its descent
thoroughly dried, the resulting vapors passing off with the hot products of
combustion through the descending grain in the second duct or series of hoppers
and thence to the chimney; or, as is preferred, through the eye of an exhausting
fan placed in the outlet at the side of the chamber farthest from the action of the
furnace.
When preferred the beating chambers may be divided two or more hori-
zontal compartments, the lowest heated by the action of the furnace direct, and
cach upper one having separate flues carried up to it from the furnace. In either
case it is preferred to make the grain descend twice through the machine, so as to be
partially dried in its first decent, and completely so in descending the second time
when nearest the fire. The vanes or boards may be made of thin sheet metal or
cast iron, or even fire clay, though it will be generally advantageous to use a
material which is a good conductor of heat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the Baid William Davidson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
February 1881.
WILLIAM DAVIDSON, of Mintlaw, in the County of Aberdeen, North-Britain.
"A NEW OR IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR DRYING
GRAIN."
My said Invention relates to a new or improved construction of machine or
apparatus for drying oats and other kinds of grain, which is extremely simple
in design, of comparatively low first cost, not liable to derangement, easily
operated, and more efficient in action than apparatus of the kind heretofore in use.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I have hereunto appended for that purpose a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be hereinafter referred to, and representing a modification
of my improved apparatus to be used in drying oats or other grain. In these
Drawings the same reference letters are used to indicate the same parts where
repeated.
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a longitudinal and a transverse vertical section
taken as at the lines 1-1 and 2-2 on each other of my improved apparatus; and
Figure 3 shows part of the drying frame in detail.
Referring to these Drawings the improved machine or apparatus comprises a
long or high upright framing A, A', rectangular in plan, and fitted in a drying
chamber B so as to divide it into two compartments with its two narrower sides
close or against the end walls B' of the chamber B. This framing A, A¹, is formed
or fitted with a series of inverted V boards, or vanes, or duplex angled blades A,
made preferably of sheet metal lying longitudinally and horizontally, and placed in
a vertical row over each other a short distance apart, and a series of single angled
vanes A¹ are placed at reverse angles on each side of the central series A, and
corresponding in number, but with each of the latter a little higher or lower than
the former, so that the whole form two vertical series of superimposed V like
hoppers or ducts a, a, as shown particularly in Figure 3. The angled vanes or
boards A, A', are arranged so that one set A reaches lower than the adjacent set A¹,
and the grain, when fed in at the top, and descending in a continuous mass or
stream through the hoppers does not fall over the central or inverted V boards A
nor over the outer boards A³ out of the machine. A strong well regulated furnace C
of any ordinary construction is fitted below at one side of the drying chamber A,
preferably at the bottom of a wide shaft C¹, open to and discharging the hot air
and products of combustion into and through the chamber B. The chimneys or
outlets D are on the opposite side of the chamber B beyond the drying machine
or hoppers A, A', so that the hot products of combustion and heated air passing
through from one side to the other and out of the chamber B must permeate and
pass through the grain as it descends through the framing or hoppers A, A'. The
grain to be dried is first fed in by a spout or otherwise to an ordinary grain
elevator E, by which it is carried up to and delivered at the top by a number of
diverging spouts e leading into a hopper e' at the part of the machine, or series
of V like hoppers or duct a farthest from the direct action of the fire or heated air,
and in descending through these the grain is partially dried. When the grain
reaches the bottom of the framing or boppers a it falls through a spout e² or other
opening, and is delivered to another ordinary grain elevator F placed alongside
the first, which raises it again to the top of the drying chamber, and discharges it
through diverging spouts f, only shown in Figure 2 of the Drawing, or into
hoppers f, leading into the angled vanes or duct a' at the side of the machine nearest
the fire-place or flue C³. The grain descends a second time through the machine

page_text: by these hoppers or ducts a', and is in its descent thoroughly dried, the resulting
vapours passing off with the hot products of combustion through the descending
grain in the second duct or series of hoppers a, and thence to the chimney D, as is
preferred through the eyes of exhausting fans G placed in the outlets at each end
of the chamber B at the side farthest from the action of the furnace or flue C¹, and
driven by a transverse shaft g fitted with a belt pulley g¹. An oscillating damper H
extending across the flue C¹ or side of the chamber A, next the furnace, and fitted
about mid-way between the upper and lower ends of the hoppers or ducts a, a³, is
provided to regulate the upward passage of the heat and prevent the hot air and
furnace gases passing mainly through the upper part of the hopper, and portion of
the grain passing through them there. When preferred the heating chambers may
be divided into two or more horizontal compartments, the lowest heated by the
action of the furnace direct, and each upper one having separate flues carried up to
it from the furnace.
It is obvious that a third, or even a fourth, series of hoppers or ducts may be
fitted in combination with those a, a¹, shown and described, and the grain could be
passed in a regular stream through each of the series in succession, but I do not
recommend such an arrangement.
The vanes or boards A, A', may be made of thin sheet metal or cast-iron, or even
fire-clay, though it will be generally advantageous to use a material which is a
good conductor of heat.
The passage of the grain from each series of angled vanes, hoppers, or ducts a, a',
is regulated by means of an inclined retaining perforated L-board I, I, for each, in
the lower angles of which revolving angled or toothed rollers i, i', are placed, and
operated by means of spur gearing J outside the chamber B, and from the lowest
L-board I the dried grain is discharged by a spout into bags or other receptacles
for removal. The draught and temperature of the heated air and products of
combustion passing through the grain are regulated automatically by means of air
inlets K, K, into the flue C¹ just above the furnace C and inlets K¹, K', above
having sliding opening doors or plates k, k', for each, which are arranged to be
opened or closed simultaneously, according as the heat is too great or too low, by
levers operated by the action of expanding rods or wires fitted within the
chamber B. In the arrangement for this purpose, shown in the Drawings, the
lower doors k, l, are suspended by wires or chains 1, 1, passing round guide
pulleys and attached to one end of a lever L, centred on a rocking spindle or
stud L'in the lower inner wall of the flue C. To this lever L a long rod or
wire m is attached at a point between the centre L' and the end from which the
doors are suspended. This wire m passes up through the flue C¹ or end of the
chamber B, and is attached at the top to one end of a beam lever M, at the opposite
end of which a wire m² is attached leading down to and connected to one end of a
beam lever M' at about a line with the bottom or floor of the chamber B. From
the other end of this lever Ma wire or rod m² leads up to and is connected to
one end of a second upper beam lever M², the opposite end of which is also fitted
with a wire m³ leading down and attached to a fixture below. Each of the beam
levers M, M', M2, is centred nearer one end than the other, so that as the wires
expand or contract by increased or lessened temperature of the heated air passing
through the flue C¹; this expansion is multiplied in each succeeding wire in a
degree proportionate to the length of the arm of the lever to which it is attached.
A very slight expansion of the wire m³, due to increase of temperature of the
flue C¹, is multiplied in the wires m², m¹, and m, and by a corresponding expansion
in each the wire m at the point of its attachment 13 to the lever L falls to an extent
sufficient to lower and thus open the doors le, k, to admit cold air through the
inlet K to the flue C, and cool the mass of air and gases passing through the grain
to the desired extent; or when the flue C is too cool the wires contract to an
extent sufficient to close or partially close the doors k, k. The doors k³, k¹, at the
ventilating inlet K' above are suspended by wires or rods n from longitudinal
bean levers N, the opposite ends of which are connected to a transverse lever N',

page_text: whose opposite end is connected by a wire or rod n¹ to the end of the lever L, and
the doors k¹, k¹, are thus proportionately opened and closed by the same action of
expansion and contraction of the wires m, m', m², m³, which operates the lever L
and the lower doors k, k.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same; I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated; but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The general construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of
a machine or apparatus to be employed in drying oats or other grain by causing
the grain to descend through a framing A, A', formed by a series of superimposed
angled vanes, hoppers, or ducts a, a³, in one, two, or more regular streams, while
heated air or the hot products of combustion of a furnace underneath at one side
pass or are drawn freely through the hoppers and the grain, and with or without
the automatic arrangement of ventilating or tempering the heat of the flue C¹, all
substantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to the accom-
panying Drawings.
Second. In machines or apparatus employed for drying oats or other grain the
construction and use of a framing, composed of a series of superimposed angled
vanes forming hoppers or ducts through which the grain is passed in one, two, or
more continuous streams while heated air or the hot products of combustion of a
furnace are passed or drawn through the framing and its contents, substantially as
herein described in reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Davidson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
Witness,
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER, C.E.,
Of W. R. M. Thomson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Glasgow.
Wч. DAVIDSON. (L.S.)