IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING AND STORING WHEAT, BARLEY, OR OTHER GRAIN, BEANS, SEEDS, AND SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED FROM THE SAME, SUCH AS MALT, FLOUR, AND MEAL
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Spencer, Civil Engineer, of 77, Cannon
Street, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS
AND APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING AND STORING WHEAT, BARLEY, OR OTHER
GRAIN, BEANS, SEEDS, AND SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED FROM THE SAME,
SUCH AS MALT, FLOUR, AND MEAL."
Sealed the 5th September 1871, and dated the 14th April 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Spencer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th April 1871.
I, GEORGE SPENCER, Civil Engineer, of 77, Cannon Street, London,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING AND STORING WHEAT, BARLEY, OR
OTHER GRAIN, BEANS, SEEDS, AND SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED FROM THE SAME,
SUCH AS MALT, FLOUR, AND MEAL," to be as follows:-
My improvements in the means and apparatus for preserving and
storing wheat, barley, or other grain, beans, seeds, and substances
manufactured from the same, such as malt, flour, and meal, consist,--

page_text: Firstly. Of an improved construction of silo, in which the plates
forming the silo are continued down to the ground or supporting
surface, the object being to facilitate the using of the silos as pillars to
support a floor placed above them in granarios constructed as described
below, in other respects these silos are the same or similar in con-
struction and use to the silos described in my former Patent No. 3752,
loted 90th Theat 1940
below, in other respects these silos are the same or similar in con-
struction and use to the silos described in my former Patent No. 3752,
dated 28th Dec. 1900.
Secondly. In an improved construction of furnace to be used in
deoxygenising or purifying the air contained in the silos when con-
taining substances to be preserved, the improved furnace consists of a
rectangular box of wrought or cast iron, lined with fire-bricks arranged
inside like an ordinary muffle furnace, and furnished with fire-bars and
chimney; in the upper part of this box is placed a cylindrical or square
tube, the two ends of which project outside the walls of the furnace, and
are closed by nicely fitting covers, so as to exclude the atmospheric air,
to the top of one end of this tube is fixed a pipe of metal or partly of
india-rubber, passing to the top of silo containing the grain; another
pipe is connected to the bottom of the other end of the tube, and to
some part near the bottom of the silo both pipes are furnished with stop
cocks to cut off the communication between the furnace and the silo
when required, the spongy iron described in my former Patent No. 3752,
dated 28th Dec. 1869 being placed in the cylinder and the ends
closed and the fire lighted, the column of heated air ascends to the top
of silo through the pipe fixed to the top of the cylinder and draws in
through the pipe fixed to the bottom of the cylinder the cooler air from
the bottom of the silo, and thus a circulation is maintained of the air
in the silo through the spongy iron in the cylinder which absorbs the
oxygen of the air, leaving only pure nitrogen or as nearly so as may be
desired, the action is the same as that of the form of furnace shown in
my former Patent, but is much more simple as well as being more con-
venient and cheaper. When the oxygen of the air has been absorbed by
the iron the nitrogen remaining will be about one-fifth less density than
that of the air previously, and a partial vacuum of about three pounds
per square inch would result; to remedy this the cock in the lower tube
next the silo is to be closed and the pipe disconnected from the bottom
of silo, air is then very slowly admitted into the bottom of the cylinder,
and passing through the spongy iron, the oxygen is absorbed and the
nitrogen passes into the top of silo, and restores the equilibrium of

page_text: density and pressure between the inside and outside of silo, or nearly
SO.
When the grain or other substance to be preserved is perfectly sound
and dry and is not to be kept for very long periods, it is not necessary to
abstract the oxygen from the air in the silo, but simply to circulate the
air in the silo through the empty cylinder, which is to be kept hot by
the furnace, by this means the air will circulate through the hot cylinder
and the organic matter and life germs which are usually found in
atmospheric air will be destroyed, thus removing the principal cause of
putrefaction and insect life.
But when the grain or substance to be preserved is infested with
insects or worms, the first method described, that of abstracting the whole
or part of the oxygen of the air, must be used, as all such insects will be
destroyed in an atmosphere of nitrogen.
Thirdly. In an improved mode of storing grain. Silos, such as are above
described, are to be arranged in rows or groups on the ground floor of
the granary, a strong floor of wood or iron or a combination of them is
to be laid on and supported by the silos, which will act as pillars of
support for the floor, a light shed is raised over the whole to protect this
floor from the weather; under the ground floor I construct a vaulted
basement in which the ordinary bands and machinery for discharging
the grain from the bottom of the silos are placed. The grain is raised
in the usual manner by elevators or by manual labour on to the floor on
top of the silos, which floor is provided with bands and machinery to
carry the grain to any of the silos which are to be filled. This floor
when the silos are full can be used to store grain in the usual manner.
A granary constructed in this manner is much less costly than those
constructed on the old system of separate floors, and the grain has to be
raised to a less height. As the whole can be formed of iron, there will be
no danger from fire.

page_text: of
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Spencer, Her special licence
that I, the said George Spencer, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Spencer, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING AND STORING WHEAT, BARLEY, OR
OTHER GRAIN, BEANS, SEEDS, AND SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED FROM THE SAME,
SUCH AS MALT, FLOUR, AND MEAL," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Spencer, 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 George Spencer, 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 improvements in the means and apparatus for preserving and
storing wheat, barley, or other grain, beans, seeds, and substances
manufactured from the same, such as malt, flour, and meal, consist,-
1stly. Of an improved construction of silo, in which the plates forming
the silo are continued down to the ground or supporting surface, sec
Fig. 2, the object being to facilitate the using of the silos as pillars to
support a floor placed above tliem in grauaries constructed as described
below, in other respects the silos are the same or similar in construction
and use to the silos described in my former Patent No. 3752, dated
December 28th, 1869.
2ndly. In an improved construction of furnace to be used in de-
oxygenising or purifying the air contained in the silos when containing.
substances to be preserved. The improved furnace consists of a

page_text: rectangular box of wrought or cast iron, see Fig. 1, lined with fire-
bricks arranged inside, like an ordinary muffle furnace, and furnished
with fire-bars and chimney. In the upper part of this box is placed a
cylindrical or square tube A, Fig. 1, the two ends of which project
outside of the walls of the furnace, and are closed by nicely fitting
covers so as to exclude the atmospheric air, to the top of one end of this
tube is fixed a pipe B, Fig. 1, of metal, or partly of india-rubber, passing
to the top of the silo containing the grain or other substance, another
pipe C, Fig. 1 is connected to the bottom of the other end of the tube,
and to some part near the bottom of the silo both the pipes are
furnished with stop cocks to cut off the communication between the
furnace and the silo when required. The spongy iron described in my
former Patent No. 3752, dated December 28th, 1869, being placed in
the cylinder A, Fig. 1, and the ends closed and the fire lighted, the
column of heated air ascends to the top of the silo S, Fig. 2, through
the pipe B, Fig. 1, fixed to the top of the cylinder A, Fig. 1, and draws
in through the pipe C, Fig. 1, fixed to the bottom of the cylinder A,
Fig. 1, the cooler air from the bottom of the silo S, Fig. 2, and thus a
circulation is maintained of the air in the silo through the spongy iron
in the cylinder which absorbs the oxygen of the air, leaving only pure
nitrogen or as nearly so as may be desired. The action is the same as
that of the form of furnace shown in my former Patent, but is much
more simple as well as being more convenient and cheaper. When the
oxygen of the air has been absorbed by the iron the nitrogen remaining
will be about one-fifth less density than that of the air previously, and
a partial vacuum of about three pounds per square inch would result;
to remedy this the cock in the lower tube next the silo is to be closed
and the pipe C, Fig. 1 disconnected from the bottom of the silo, air is
then very slowly admitted into the bottom of the cylinder A, Fig. 1, and
passing through the spongy iron the oxygen is absorbed, and the nitrogen
passes into the top of the silo, and restores the equilibrium of density and
pressure between the inside and outside of the silo, or nearly so. When
the grain or other substance to be preserved is perfectly sound and
dry and is not to be kept for very long periods, it is not necessary to
abstract the oxygen from the air in the silo, but simply to circulate the
air in the silo through the empty cylinder, which is to be kept hot by
the furnace, by this means the air will circulate through the hot cylinder
and the organic matter and life germs which are usually found in
atmospheric air will be destroyed, thus removing the principal caucs

page_text: of putrefaction and insect life. But when the grain or other substance
to be preserved is infested with insects or worms, the first method
described, that of abstracting the whole or part of the oxygen of the
air, must be used, as all such insects or worms will be destroyed in an
atmosphere of nitrogen.
3rdly. In an improved mode of storing grain, silos, such as are above
described, are to be arranged in rows or groups on the floor of the
granary, a strong floor of wood, or iron, or a combination of them is to
be laid on and supported by the silos which will act as pillars of support
for the floor; a light shed is raised over the whole to protect this floor
from the weather. Under the ground floor I construct a vaulted base-
ment in which the ordinary bands and machinery for discharging the
grain from the bottom of the silos are placed. The grain is raised in the
usual manner by clevators or by manual labor on to the floor on the top
of the silos, which floor is provided with bands and machinery to carry
the grain to any of the silos which are to be filled. This floor when the
silos are full can be used to store grain in the
granary constructed in this manner is much less costly than those
constructed on the old system of separate floors, and the grain has to
be raised to a less height; as the whole can be formed of iron there will
be no danger from fire.
usual manner.
A
In witness whereof, I, the said George Spencer, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of October, in the year of