AN APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WEEVIL, ITS LARVES, AND ITS EGGS, WHILST DRYING THE CORN, WITHOUT INJURING ITS ORDINARY PROPERTIES."
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Baptiste Mourguet, of Paris, and of 32, Essex
Street, Strand, London, for the Invention of "AN APPARATUS FOR THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE WEEVIL, ITS LARVES, AND ITS EGGS, WHILST DRYING THE
CORN, WITHOUT INJURING ITS ORDINARY PROPERTIES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Baptiste Mourguet
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd August 1855.
I, JEAN BAPTISTE MOURQUET, of Paris, and of 32, Essex Street, Strand,
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN APPA-
RATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WEEVIL, ITS LARVES, AND ITS EGGS, WHILST
DRYING THE CORN, WITHOUT INJURING ITS ORDINARY PROPERTIES," to be as
follows:-
My system consists of an apparatus into which I cause the corn to pass,
leaving it at a suitable temperature so long as to bring on the calorific asphyxy
of the weevil, its larves, and its eggs.
This asphyxy is caused by heat transmitted by steam or any other gas or
agent, which gives the corn a suitable temperature without altering it, but still
preserving its nutritive and reproductive principles.

page_text: This apparatus may be of all shapes and dimensions, and of any material;
but I prefer its being in metal, that the heat may more quickly penetrate the
corn, and also rectangular, that a continuous working may be obtained, as I
shall presently explain.
This apparatus consists of a square chest, its outside being coated in wood,
in order to prevent the waste of heat, and the inside being divided into three
compartments made of metallic sheets. These compartments are separated
from each other, and from their external sides by spaces; each case contains a
series of tubes that communicate with the spaces between every compartment.
The whole is contrived in such a manner, that by letting a jet of steam into
the apparatus this steam may go round the spaces that are between each case,
and also into the tubes that cross them.
The upper and lower sides of the chest are supplied with three pipes, which
form together two pyramids, the basis of which is the box, whilst the tops are
joining two sorts of tap keys with three apertures, correspondent to the three
capacities of the principal chest. Above the key of the upper cock there
is a hopper, in which is deposited the corn intended to be worked into the
apparatus.
The keys of the two cocks have three apertures, distributed on three different
plans, and the axis of the same have each one a wheel, upon which an endless
chain is passed, and works them up by a same motion; so that, by causing one
of the two keys to execute the sixth part of a revolution, one of the three
cases is opened on its upper side, remaining shut on its lower end, and thus is
filled up with corn; another case remains closed, and the third is opened on
its lower side. By such contrivance, it is easily understood that corn may be
had and worked into a case, one case getting filled whilst another is emptying.
Each operation requires about fifteen minutes, which time is more than suffi-
cient to bring on the asphyxy of the weevil, its larves, and eggs, and also
many insects of the same kind. As the corn is undergoing that heat without
being in contact with steam, it is taken out of the apparatus perfectly dry,
and may be let into a winnowing machine, there to be cleaned and cleared of
the weevil, &c. &c. Thus prepared, the corn may be preserved for an indefinite
time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Baptiste Mourguet in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st February 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
BAPTISTE MOURGUET, of Paris, and of 32, Essex Street, Strand, London, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Jean Baptiste Mourguet, Her special licence that I, the said Jean Baptiste
Mourguet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Jean Baptiste Mourguet, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
APPARATUS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WEEVIL, ITS LARVES, AND ITS EGGS,
WHILST DRYING THE CORN, WITHOUT INJURING ITS ORDINARY PROPERTIES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jean Baptiste Mourguet, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jean Baptiste Mourguet, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 relates to an apparatus so contrived as to receive the corn
and keep it at a suitable heat long enough to cause the weevil to be asphyxied,
and its larves, its eggs, to be destroyed. The necessary heat is supplied either
by steam or any other gas fit to produce the desired temperature without
altering the corn, still preserving its nutritive productive properties. This
apparatus may be made of any shape and size, and of any material; but [
prefer it being of metal, specially of zinc, that the corn may be quickly heated;

page_text: and also of rectangular form, as shewn in the Drawing here aunexed, that a
continuous working may be obtained, as I shall presently specify.
In the annexed Sheet, Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the center of the
apparatus; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the chest; Figs. 3, 4, 5, & 6, are
sections of tubes of different shapes, to be laid in the compartments of the
metal chest a, which is of cubic form, and coated with wood, in order to
prevent the waste of heat.
Above the said chest a is a chamber r, the lower part of which is an inclined
surface, like a hopper's; this chamber is to contain the corn, which is after-
wards dropped into the apparatus through the pipe s. The inside of the chest
a consists of three cases or compartments, made of metal sheets, which are
separated from each other and from the external sides by spaces or passages
a; each compartment contains besides a number of tubes b, leading to the
said spaces a¹, contrived between each compartment; and the tubes b are to
be cut in like manner to those shown at Figs. 3, 4, 5, & 6, for the corn
easily gliding through and issuing from each compartment as soon as the
exit orifices are open. The whole is arranged in such a manner, that a jet of
steam let into the apparatus may go round the spaces a', that are between each
compartment, through the ducts c and the tubes b, leading from one case to
another in such a manner as the corn may never be brought in contact with
the steam.
The upper and lower part of the chest a are provided each with three ducts
e, which being connected together form two pyramids, the basis of which is
the chest a, and the tops are provided each with the seat of a stop-cock F,
with three holes contrived on three different plans. The axes of the stop-cocks
c & d are each provided with a wheel g, into which gears an endless chain h,
which arrangement allows the operating at once and by one single motion of
the two cocks c & d. A dial i divided in six parts may be secured to the
framing that supports the chest a, and concentrically to the lower cock d;
the tail g' of which is provided with a single hand j, say, a spring provided
with an index going through one of the six grooves made round the station-
ary dial.
A boiler K of any construction laid in a furnace will generate
steam, which, through the duct m, goes into one of the ducts a¹, from whence it
spreads over all the parts in connection with the said ducts.
It will be easily understood that -on-winding at-once-the-two-plugs-of-the-
cocks c&d the sixth part of a revolution, one of the three cases or compart-
ments is opened at the top, which case being shut at the bottom may be filled
with corn; another case is altogether shut, and the third is opened at the

page_text: bottom. Supposing this third case had been filled, the corn contained in it
would drop down, at the same time that the corn contained in the first com-
partment would be heated. By such an arrangement it will be found that
whilst in one case the corn is worked, another case gets filled, and a third one
gets empty; each working requires about fifteen minutes, which time is quite
sufficient to bring on the asphyxy of the weevil and other like noxious insects,
and also the destruction of their larves and eggs. As the corn will thus be
heated without being in direct contact with steam, it may be dropped out of
the apparatus perfectly dry, and received into a recipient laid beneath; when
this recipient is filled up another may take its place, and the former is con-
veyed to the storehouse, where the corn is spread till it gets cool. However,
the coru might as well be dropped from the apparatus into a winnowing
machine, where it would be at once cooled and cleaned. Thus prepared, the
corn may afterwards be kept for an indefinite time in a perfect state of
preservation.
Having thus set forth the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be carried into effect, I wish it to be clearly under-
stood that what I claim as novel, and being secured to me by the herein-before
in parts recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the apparatus with compartments, tubes, and stop-cocks specially as
I have described.
Second, the application of heat supplied by steam or any other gas to
asphyxying the weevil and other like noxious insects, and destroying their
larves and eggs.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Baptiste Mourguet, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
TN DTR MOTIPATING
TR MOTIDOLIET
HOW and f
JB
MOURO
HET. (2.0.)
זודם מזומז'