IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN-ELEVATING MACHINERY
Year: 1879

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN-ELEVATING MACHINERY." A communication from
abroad by John Benjamin Stoner, of Toledo, Ohio, United States of America,
Machinist.
Sealed the 6th February 1880, and dated the 22nd August 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd August 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN-ELEVATING
MACHINERY." [A communication from abroad by John Benjamin Stoner of Toledo,
Ohio, United States of America, Machinist.
This Invention relates to an improved pneumatic grain elevator, and has for
its object to convey the grain by means of atmospheric pressure acting directly
upon it from any point and to automatically deliver it to one or more receptacles
without intermediate handling, whereby a great saving of machinery is effected,
and a continuous flow of grain from point to point may be secured.
The said Invention comprises a pneumatic tube extending from the point of
supply to the point of delivery and connected with suitable air-exhausting
apparatus, by means of which the air may be exhausted from the tube, so that the
pressure of the external air will force the grain upward from the point of supply
to the point of delivery and discharge it into a suitable hopper.
Also the combination with the said pneumatic tube of a hopper having two com-
partments, and connected to the pneumatic tube at its delivery point by means of
an air tight flexible connection, the said compartments being provided with suitable
valves and mechanism for operating the same, whereby the grain may be
alternately delivered to and discharged from said compartments.
Also the combination with the pneumatic conveying tube and the receiving
hopper of a movable screen which may be brought into an inclined position,
whereby the grain may be delivered to said hopper or directed to one or more
additional hoppers.

page_text: Also the combination with the grain receiving hopper and the upper and lower'
alternately acting valves of one or more air tubes in each compartment of the
hopper, adapted to admit and discharge a current of air alternately against the
upper valves in the respective compartments, whereby the induction valve of each
compartment will be closed as the eduction valve is opened.
Also the combination with the upper and lower alternately acting valves for
admitting the grain to the respective compartments of the hoppers of suitable
levers operated by the lower valves to automatically open the upper valves, and
admit the grain to each compartment of the hopper.
Also the combination with a grain conveying pneumatic tube of a rising and
falling hopper, an air tight flexible connection between said tube and hopper, and
devices for latching and unlatching or opening and closing a valve or valves of said
hopper, said devices being operated or permitted to operate by the rising and
falling of the hopper.
Also the combination with the hopper of a pneumatic tube, the transverse areá
of which from the point of delivery to the exhaust is larger than the transverse
area of said tube from the point of supply to the point of delivery, whereby a
thorough exhaust is ensured and the grain is rapidly elevated.
Also an improved method of attaching the pneumatic tube to the hopper by
means of a flexible connection, whereby the hopper is permited to rise and fall
without destroying the vacuum.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st February 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN-ELEVATING
MACHINERY." A communication from abroad by John Benjamin Stoner, of Toledo,
Ohio, United States of America, Machinist.
This Invention relates to an improved pneumatic grain elevator, and has for its
object to convey the grain by means of atmospheric pressure acting directly upon
it from any point and automatically deliver it to one or more receptacles without
intermediate handling, whereby a great saving of machinery is effected, and a
continuous flow of grain from point to point may be secured.
1
The said Invention comprises a pneumatic tube extending from the point of
supply to the point of delivery, and connected with suitable air-exhausting
apparatus by means of which the air may be exhausted from the tube, so that the
pressure of the external air will force the grain upward from the point of supply to
the point of delivery, and discharge it into a suitable hopper, as more fully herein-
after specified.
Also the combination with the said pneumatic tube of a hopper having two com-
partments, and connected to the pneumatic tube at its delivery point by means of
an air tight flexible connection, the said compartments being provided with
suitable valves and mechanism for operating the same, whereby the grain may be
alternately delivered to and discharged from said compartments, as more fully
hereinafter specified.
Also the combination with the pneumatic conveying tube and the receiving
hopper of a movable screen which may be brought into an inclined position,
whereby the grain may be delivered to said hopper or directed to one or more
additional hoppers, as more fully hereinafter specified.
Also the combination with the grain receiving hopper and the upper and lower
alternately acting valves of one or more air-tubes in each compartment of the
hopper, adapted to admit and discharge a current of air alternately against the
upper valves in the respective compartments, whereby the induction valve of each
compartment will be closed and the eduction valve opened, as more fully herein-
after specified.
Also the combination with the upper and lower alternately acting valves for
admitting the grain to the respective compartments of the hoppers of suitable
levers operated by the lower valves, to automatically open the upper valves and
admit the grain to each compartment of the hopper, as more fully hereinafter
specified.
Also the combination with a grain conveying pneumatic tube of a rising and
falling hopper, an air tight flexible connection between said tube and hopper, and
devices for latching and unlatching or opening and closing a valve or valves of said
hopper, said devices being operated or permitted to operate by the rising and
falling of the hopper, substantially as hereinafter set forth.
Also the combination with the hopper of a pneumatic tube, the transverse area
of which from the point of delivery to the exhaust is larger than the transverse
area of the said tube from the point of supply to the point of delivery, whereby a
thorough exhaust is ensured and the grain is rapidly elevated.
Also an improved method of attaching the pneumatic tube to the hopper by
means of a flexible connection, whereby the hopper is permitted to rise and fall
without destroying the vacuum, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

page_text: Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved elevator and grain receiving and
transferring apparatus, with portions of the front of the hopper broken away to
shew the internal construction of the same and,
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the said apparatus.
Figure 3 is a plan or top view of the said apparatus with the top of the pneu-
matic tube removed.
Figure 4 is a side elevation shewing the supports of the hopper and the counter-
balancing mechanism, the hopper being in its lowest position and,
Figure 5 is a similar view shewing the hopper in its highest position.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
A, represents a pneumatic or air tube usually fixed near the point or place of
operation, and from which I extend one or more flexible pipes or tubes in the
usual manner to the point of supply, which may be the hold of a vessel, the interior
The said
of a railway or other vehicle, or a proper receptacle for storing the grain.
tube A extends upward to a point of delivery B over a suitable receptacle or
hopper for receiving the grain carried up through the said pneumatic tube.
Beyond the point of delivery the pneumatic tube extends forward, and is connected
with exhaust mechanism, such as an exhaust fan or equivalent, device. The pneu-
matic tube from the point of supply to the point of delivery is somewhat less in
transverse area than from the last point of delivery to the air exhaust, whereby
the proper pressure is exerted at the supply end of the tube to effectually elevate
the grain and carry it to the point of delivery, but the most important feature of
such differences of area is that the friction of the air in its passage through the
enlarged area is materially lessened. Within the pneumatic tube near the point of
delivery is pivoted a screen composed of a series of parallel slats or wires suitably
connected together and braced to prevent sagging, aud so arranged as to leave
spaces between them in order to permit the free passage of air, but too small to
permit the passage of grain. The said screen is capable of being thrown into an
inclined position to prevent the passage of grain beyond the point of delivery, and
direct it into the hopper or into a horizontal position over the point of delivery, so
as to permit the grain to pass forward through the pneumatic tube to be delivered
into a succeeding hopper. From the horizontal portion of the pneumatic tube
extends downwardly at an angle a branch tube C, the lower end of which is
secured to a flexible connection C¹ of leather; rubber, or other similar material,
attached to the upper part of a hopper D, inore fully hereinafter described.
The flexible connection is secured to the branch C of the pneumatic tube and to
the upper part of the hopper by means of detachable rectangular frames E, F,
which may be disconnected at pleasure, for the purposes hereinafter explained.
Within the branch C of the pneumatic tube a shute G extends downwardly in a
curved direction from the delivery portion of said pneumatic tube to the interior
of the flexible connection C¹.
The hopper is divided into two compartments H, I, by means of a vertical
partition J, the said compartments communicating respectively with the chamber
forined by the flexible connection by means of apertures L and M, which are
provided with hinged valves O and P, which are adapted to be alternately opened
and closed, as more fully hereinafter set forth.
At the lower end of the hopper, directly' below the dividing partition, is journalled
a rock shaft R provided with valves S, T, set at such an angle to each other that
when one is closed against the lower opening of one compartment the other will be
away from the opening of the corresponding compartment, and vice versa.
The
'said rock shaft is provided with an upwardly projecting arm A', Figure 1, carrying
a segment A³ which has two shoulders a', a¹, with which a vertically sliding spring

page_text: latch B' secured in ways B³ on the hopper is adapted to engage, the said latch
being operated by a stop B on the frame H' to catch and release the shoulders
alternately to permit the lower valves to be shifted.
Within each compartment of the hopper I locate one or more bent tubes 0°
extending from the lower valves nearly to the upper valves, in such a manner that
upon the opening of one of the lower valves air will be admitted and drawn into
the tubes in the compartment of such valve, and will be forcibly emitted from the
upper end of the tube in said compartment against the valve in the upper part of
the same, thereby closing the said valve automatically. This entering draught of
air is caused by the vacuum in the compartment of the hopper.
c, c, Figure 2, represent two apertures extending from the interior of the flexible
connection into the branch C, of the pneumatic tube, and by means of which any
leakage of air into the apparatus at the joints of the flexible connection will be
prevented from interfering with the discharge of the grain.
D', D¹, represent two angle levers one arranged in each compartment of the
hopper and connected with the respective upper valves of the said compartments."
The said levers are provided with rods E' extending downward, and of such length
as to abut against the lower valves. The rods are provided with adjustable
conical weights e, which are cast hollow from the bottom to near the top and at
the top are drilled so that they may be slipped upon the rods; these weights are
provided with set screws, by means of which they may be adjusted to any position
upon the rods. The object of these weights is to ensure the dropping of the rods
when the lower valves are opened; the said weights are made conical so as to
prevent the lodgment of any grain upon them, and they should be adjusted to such
a position upon the rods as to leave a free passage around their lower edges, and
the openings in the bottom of the hopper to permit the free escape of grain when
the valves are opened. The said rods are loosely connected with the ends of the
levers D¹ so as to permit the said levers to have an independent movement with
respect to the same, and are provided with spiral springs F which gradually yield
as the respective valves are closed until the tension is overcome, when they operate
the levers to open the upper or induction valves.
The hopper is supported in a suitable frame H¹ upon beams or levers I¹
(fulcrumed in the frame E¹) by means of vertical beams L' secured to the hopper,
the upper ends of the same being pivoted to the said beams or levers l' at their
forward ends. Upon the upper and lower ends of the beams I' are fulcrumed the
levers M', N', which have pivoted to their ends the bars O', the opposite ends of
which are pivoted to the frane H¹ so that the hopper is held and allowed to move
in a strictly vertical plane.
The rear ends of the beams or levers I¹ are provided with a loose hanging
shelf P¹ adapted to receive and hold a series of movable weights or counterpoises R¹,
by means of which the hopper and its contents are counterbalanced.
The supply end of the pneumatic tube may be provided with a series of flexible
branch tubes A2, by means of which the grain may be taken from one or more
points at the same time; and one or more delivery points may be located in the
tube, so that the grain may be delivered to one or more places by throwing the
inclined screen into a horizontal position which will permit the grain to pass
forward' in the tube.
To obviate the expense of a series of hoppers one for each point of delivery the
flexible connection is made removable, so that the hopper may be detached and
transported to the succeeding point of delivery and readily connected with the
pneumatic tube, the delivery branches of the tube which are not connected with
the hoppers being provided with suitable devices for closing the same to prevent
the entrance of nir. If a series of hoppers should be employed such closing devices
will be unnecessary as the hoppers with their valves will prevent the entrance of
air to the tube.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my

page_text: foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
First. In a grain elevator a pneumatic tube extending from the point of supply
to the point of delivery and connected with a suitable air exhausting apparatus,
whereby the pressure may be removed from above the grain, and the latter may be
elevated by atmospheric pressure to the point of delivery, substantially as above
set forth.
Second. In combination with the pneumatic tube a hopper having two compart-
ments, and connected to the tube at its delivery point by means of a flexible
connection, the said compartments being provided with suitable valves, and
mechanism for operating the same, whereby the grain may be alternately received
and transferred to the point desired, substantially as above set forth and for the
purposes specified.
Third. The combination with the pneumatic conveying tube and the receiving
hopper of an adjustable or movable screen; whereby the grain may be delivered to
the said hopper or directed to one or more additional hoppers, substantially as
above set forth.
Fourth. In combination with the grain receiving hopper and the upper and
lower valves acting alternately one or more air tubes in each compartment adapted
to admit and discharge a current of air alternately against the upper valves in the
said compartments, whereby the induction valve in each compartment will be
closed as the eduction valve is opened, substantially as above set forth and for the
purposes specified.
Fifth. In combination with the upper and lower alternately acting valves for
admitting grain to the compartments of the hoppers, the levers operated by the
lower valves to automatically open the upper valves and admit the grain to each
compartment, substantially as above set forth.
Sixth. In combination with a grain conveying pneumatic tube a rising and
falling hopper an air-tight flexible connection between the said tube and hopper,
and devices for latching and unlatching or opening and.closing the valve or valves
of the said hopper, which devices are operated or permitted to operate by the
rising and falling of the hopper, substantially as above set forth and for the
purposes specified.
Seventh. In combination with the hopper à pneumatic tube whose transverse
area from the point of delivery to the exhaust is larger than from the point of
supply to the point of delivery, whereby the friction of the air through the enlarged
area is diminished, as above set forth.
Eighth. In combination with a pneumatic tube for transferring and delivering
grain one or more hoppers connected with the said tube by a flexible connection,
whereby the hopper is permitted to rise and fall without destroying the vacuum,
substantially as above set forth:
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty first day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
נדתתA
"