IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CORN AND OTHER GRAIN, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CORN AND OTHER GRAIN, AND IN
THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communication
from abroad by George Miles Wells, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America.
"
Sealed the 29th October 1872, and dated the 6th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th May 1872.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CORN AND OTHER
GRAIN, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a commu-
nication to me from abroad by George Miles Wells, of Boston,
Massachusetts, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a process of and apparatus for curing corn
and other grain and destroying the germ therein.

page_text: The principal feature of this Inventión consists in a mode of destroying
the germ in corn or other grain by bringing the grain in direct contact
with steam, to the action of which it is subjected until the germ is
effectually destroyed, the grain being subsequently dried and freed from
the moisture absorbed by it during the steaming process. By this
process of steaming not only is the germ effectually destroyed without
danger of scorching or burning the grain, but all the grain is evenly and
thoroughly cured, and there is no liability of uneven heating resulting in
imperfect curing of certain portions of the grain, as is the case with
ordinary processes in use.
!
The essential features of the apparatus adapted to carry out this
process consist of a steam heating chamber in combination with a drying
chamber. Inside the said steam chamber there are disposed perforated
steam pipes in order to equally diffuse the heat throughout the mass of
grain, and in combination with the drying column a perforated grain
receiving funnel with sides inclined at an angle of 80° or thereabouts to
the horizontal is employed.
The mode of operation is as follows:-Grain from a hopper is dis-
charged into the steam chamber until the latter is properly filled. A
valve between the hopper and chamber is then closed, and steam is
turned on.
This steam penetrates the grain, and the water of conden-
sation passes out from the lower end of the chamber, being conducted off
away from the drying box by a removable pipe. The grain is gradually
heated by the steam until the steam ceases to wholly condense, and
passes out through a perforated valve. When this takes place the
thermometer on the steam chamber will indicate about 210°, which is a
sufficiently high degree of heat for the grain for all practical purposes, the
germ when this point is reached being effectually destroyed. If however
a higher degree of heat be desired, a close steam-tight valve may be
employed in lieu of the perforated slide, and thus the steam pressure in
the chamber can be raised to any required degree. .
The length of time needed to complete the heating varies with the
proximity of the pipes to one another and their dimensions. When they
are placed as near to each other as herein-before specified and a sufficient
quantity of steam is supplied to them, the time required for a heat will
not be over five minutes.

page_text: When the grain is ready to be discharged steam is shut off, a slide in
the top of the dryer is drawn back, the perforated slide is opened, and
the grain falls through the dryer into the funnel.
The current of heated or cold air is now caused to pass up through the
› charge until the grain is thoroughly dried, when it is drawn off from the
lower end of the funnel into any suitable bin or receptacle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
i
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing, date the Sixth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two; in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special.
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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, rise,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and,
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF CORN AND OTHER GRAIN, AND IN THE ·
MACHINERY OF APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to me from:
abroad by George Miles Wells, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in;
writing under my hand and seal, 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..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed; to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say :-
The principal feature of this Invention consists in a mode of destroying
the germ in corn or other grain by bringing the grain in direct contact
with steam, to the action of which it is subjected until the germ is
effectually destroyed, the grain being subsequently dried and freed from 1
the moisture absorbed by it during the steaming process. This process
is much more effective and is better on every account than the ordinary
kiln drying or dry heating processes, for not only is the germ effectually
destroyed without danger of scorching or burning the grain, but all the
grain is evenly and thoroughly cured, and there is no liability of uneven 1
heating resulting in imperfect curing of certain portions of the grain, as
is the case with ordinary processes in use.
In the accompanying Drawing I have represented an apparatus
adapted to carry out the said process, and to this I will now refer in
order to better explain the manner in which the Invention is or may be 2
carried into effect.
The Drawing represents a vertical central section of the apparatus.
A is the hopper, from which the grain to be treated may be fed into
the steam chamber B. Between the two is a valve a, by which admission
of grain to the steam chamber can be regulated. The steam chamber B 2
may be made of any suitable form and material. Within it are placed
steam pipes, which I prefer to arrange as shown. There are two, three,
or more concentric annular pipes b, from each of which extend, at
suitable distances apart, a series of vertical pipes c, closed at their lower
ends and perforated throughout their length with any desired number of 3
holes. I find it best to place the pipes so that there shall not be more
than six inches between any two, whether of the same or different series,
and the outer pipes should be about threo inches from the walls of the
chamber. The nearer the pipes are to one another the less time will be
consumed in the process, and for this reason I prefer to put them as 3
closely together as above indicated. But of course the operation can be
carried on with pipes arranged further apart,.the only difference being
:

page_text: that in this case more time will be required to properly steam the grain,
although if the pipes be put too far apart there would be danger of over-
heating the grain nearest the pipes.
I would also state that while the above arrangement is convenient for
effecting the introduction of steam into the mass of grain, yet I do not
limit myself to the employment of the special devices described, as other
means may be employed for the same object, namely, the introduction of
the steam into the chamber in such manner as to cause all the grain
contained therein to be subjected to its action.
The lower end of the chamber B is funnel shaped, terminating in a
pipe or conduit d, provided with a perforated slide e, which will hold the
grain in while allowing the water of condensation to escape. To conduct
this water a removable pipe p is fitted to the lower end of the conduit
to conduct the water away from the drier C, which as shown is placed
some little distance, say from eight to twelve inches, below the steam
chamber. The drier, which in this instance has the form of a long
hollow column, has an opening in the top closed by a properly fitting
slide, which is drawn back to uncover the opening when the grain from
the chamber B is ready to be discharged. Within the drier is a funnel D
with steep and perforated sides, and opening out through the bottom of
the drier, where it is provided with a suitable valve f. The sides of the
funnel are placed at an angle of eighty degrees with the horizontal, for
the purpose of better assuring the discharge of the successive charges of
grain dropped from the steam chamber. If the sides of the funnel are
inclined at a much less angle to the horizontal than that above specified,
the grain next to the sides of the funnel will not pass freely to the lower
end or discharge opening, but will be delayed by the central portion of
the grain, which will pass through the opening to the exclusion of the
exterior portion. When however the sides are inclined at about the
anglo stated, the whole charge will pass down evenly through the
funnel.
The grain in the drying shaft or column is dried by means of a
current of air, which is caused to pass through the perforations in the
funnel, and thence up through the mass of grain in any suitable mauner,
either by means of a blast or by means of suction, as is customary in
grain drying apparatus.
The perforated funnel, owing to its shape, is peculiarly adapted to
present the grain most advantageously to the action of the drying agent.

page_text: I prefer to employ a current of heated air, but this is a matter which
may be left to the discretion of the user of the apparatus.
The steam chamber is provided with one or more thermometers to
indicate the degree of heat to which the grain is raised.
The mode of operation is as follows:-Grain from the hopper is dis-
charged into the steam chamber until the latter is properly filled. The
valve between the hopper and chamber is then closed, and steam is
turned on. This steam permeates the grain, and the water of conden-
sation passes out from the lower end of the chamber, being conducted
away from the drying box by a removable pipe, indicated at p in the 1
Drawing. The grain is gradually heated by the steam until the steam
ceases to wholly condense, and passes out through the perforated valve.
When this takes place the thermometer on the steam chamber will
indicate about 210 degrees, which I find to be a sufficiently high degree
of heat for the grain for all practical purposes, the germ when this is 1
reached being effectually destroyed. If however a higher degree of heat
be desired, a close steam-tight valve may be employed in lieu of the per-
forated slide, and thus the steam pressure in the chamber can be raised
to any required degree.
The length of time needed to complete the heating varies with the
proximity of the pipes to one another and their dimensions. When they
are placed as near to each other as herein-before specified and a sufficient
quantity of steam is supplied to them, the time required for a heat will
not be over five minutes.
When the grain is ready to be discharged steam is shut off, the pipe på
is removed, the slide in the top of the drier is drawn back, the perforated
slide e is opened, and the grain falls through the drier into the funnel.
The current of heated or cold air is now caused to pass up through the
charge until the grain is thoroughly dried, when it is drawn off from the
lower end of the funnel D into any suitable bin or receptacle.
The advantages of the above-described process are many. Not only is
it free from the objections attending the dry heating or kiln drying
processes, but the grain is brought to a much better condition, and is
renewed and made sweet even if it should previously have been some-
what musty. This result is due to the treatment of the grain by direct 3
contact with steam, which not only penetrates the mass of grain, .but

page_text: enters and acts separately upon each kernel. The subsequent operation
to remove the moisture absorbed by the grain in its steam-treatment is
of course necessary in order to prevent the grain when stored' from
heating and spoiling.
Having described my Invention, and the manner in which the same is
or may be carried into effect, I would state in conclusion that while I
have described an apparatus well adapted to carry out this process, I do
not limit my claim to that special apparatus, as the construction of both
"the steam chamber and the drier may be varied in many respects, and
they may also be combined together and arranged otherwise than shown
without departure from the said Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is;—
'
First. The mode herein described of curing grain and destroying the
germ therein by first subjecting the grain to the action of steam by direct
contact therewith and then drying the same, substantially as set forth.
Secondly. An apparatus for curing grain and destroying the germ
therein composed of a steam heating chamber in combination with a
drying chamber, organized and operating substantially as shown and
described.
Thirdly. The arrangement of the perforated steam pipes within the
steam chamber so as to equally diffuse the heat throughout the mass of
grain, substantially as shown and set forth.
Fourthly. In combination with the drying column the perforated
grain receiving funnel, with sides inclined at an angle of eighty degrees
or thereabout to the horizontal, substantially as shown and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hand and seal. this Fifth day of