Improvements in or appertaining to Apparatus for Drying, Moistening, Heating, Cooling, or Conditioning Grain or other Granular Materials.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 15th June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Apparatus for Drying,
Moistening, Heating, Cooling, or Conditioning Grain or other
Granular Materials.
I, JOHN BACKHOUSE, of 26 St. James Road, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has for its object an apparatus for drying or conditioning grain
and other granular or like materials, and consists essentially first, in an annular
tower formed of louver rings attached to and supported by vertical rods or columns
suitably stayed, secondly, in mechanism for automatically regulating this column
Eo as to keep it continuously full of grain.
I form my annular column of two sets of ring louvers leaving only a narrow
space between for the grain; these louvers can be perforated or not as required,
I prefer them perforated. Inside the inner circle of louvers I place preferably
three vertical tubes, rods or columns, to which these louvers are attached and by
which they are supported.
Outside the outer louvers 1 place preferably four smaller or larger columns
supporting the outside louvers. All these columns I prefer to support on a base
plate cut away to allow the stream of grain to pass through into an annular conical
passage below the support and attached to the said support.
The top inner louver is preferably formed into a complete cone, and attached
to the top outer louver I place a short cylinder so as to form with the cone aforesaid
a hopper for the grain. Above this hopper I place a second hopper supported on
springs from above, into which hopper the grain descends.
A lever supported on a convenient fulcrum is attached at one end to this hopper
and at the other end by means of a rod or wire to the exit regulator of the annular
column. This exit regulator is weighted or has a spring lever pivoted in the
centre and armed with a cone at the other end fitting into the truncated conical
exit of the louver tower. At a distance from the top of the louver tower of
to of its length, I place a horizontal diaphragm closing the vertical central
chamber and dividing it into two parts. For a considerable distance above and
below this diaphragm a simple cylinder takes the place of each set of louvers.
Through the walls of the annular chamber thus formed I place a series of openings
pointed above and below, their maximum width being at the diaphragm. Other
forms of opening above and below the diaphragm can however be used, but these
give the best amount of resistance to the descending grain. These openings
connect the divided central chamber with two outside annular chambers respectively
into the upper of which hot air is admitted and into the lower cold air is forced.
In some instances I arrange the well known electric alarm to give notice at the
top of the tower, if at any time the supply of grain ceusing, the upper portion of
the annular tower should become destitute of grain. This electric alarm consists
of an elastic or flexible band placed across where the grain falls and holding the
contact piece from coming into contact and thus closing the electric current, in
which case a bell is ruug; an ordinary mechanical alarm can be used instead of an
electric one if desired.

page_text: The mode of action is as follows:-
The annular tower we will suppose to be full of grain and the hoppers above
also nearly full. The spout delivers grain to the upper hopper, when there is a
great weight on this hopper it descends a little lower, and by means of the automatic
feed apparatus allows a greater escape of grain from the tower below. Should
however the grain in this hopper get low, it becomes lighter and by means of the
automatic device it closes or nearly closes the exit for grain at the bottom of the
tower. Hot air is blown into the upper portion of the central chamber and passes
outward through the perforations in the louvers, and through the spaces between
the louvers and through the grain to the outside. Similarly cold air is blown into
the lower part of the central chamber and passing through the grain in a similar
In either or both cases exhaustion can be used instead of a blast
manner escapes.
but exhaustion with hot air involves a casing and if pressure be used with the hot
air and exhaustion with the cold air, a diaphragm must be continued for a
considerable distance outside the louver column, horizontally, so as to prevent the
hot moist air escaping from going back into the lower part of the tower through
the suction; it is therefore better to use pressure in both instances.
It is obvious that in place of having a conical exit valve a bason exit valve can
be used. That the coluinn could be rectangular instead of round, but this involves
more expense and does not work as well, also feed rolls could be used at the bottom
with a gate and lever, but I prefer the conical valve. Further the blank sections
can be placed at top and bottom to admit the hot and cold air, or moist air, instead
of by the diaphragm. The wall of grain is preferably from of an inch thick.
In some instances the cold air, and even the hot air can be diluted with steam by
means of a steam jet, or otherwise, and the hot air can be heated by means of
steam pipes, or steam pipes can be placed in the chamber, or in the column, but
I do not recommend this.
Doted the 18th day of July 1891
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or appertaining to Apparatus for Drying,
Moistening, Heating, Cooling, or Conditioning. Grain or other
Granular Materials.
I, JOHN BACKHOUSE, of 26 St. James Road, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Milling Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object an apparatus for drying or conditioning grain
and other granular or like material.
'
It is best described by aid of the accompanying diawings, in which
Figures 1 and 2 show vertical elevations at right angles to each other of the
apparatus ;
Figure 3 a plan of same;
i
Figure 4 vertical elevation of part showing one form of automatic discharge;
Figures 5 and 6 two other forms;
Figures 7 and 8 sectional elevation and plan of one form of valve;
Figures 9 and 10 similar views of another form of valve;
'
Figures 11 horizontal section at four points in the tower, namely, upper left
hand part through the louvres, upper right hand part, smaller section also showing
the base, lower right hand part section through the louvres and the lower lett hand
part in complete section with rings and other parts omitted.

page_text: Figure 12 vertical elevation partly in section of base;
Figure 13 enlarged view of sectional elevation through louvres ;
Figure 14 a variation showing the outer louvres superseded by a perforated plate
supported on vertical beams at intervals placed between it and the column.
Figure 15 section through the tower at the air entrances, and Figure 16 projection
from same showing an elevation drawn on its side of the orifice.
In these, A & B are a series of concentric round louvre plates preferably
C₁ four
perforated with long narrow slits. C four columns supporting louvres A.
similar columns supporting the louvres B. D ring plates placed at intervals.
round the columns C. D¹ similar rings inside the columns C¹. These are held
together at intervals by bolts E which can be screwed up to any required extent.
F is a base supporting the said columns and having an annular conical chamber G
Ia conical valve
opening out into the annular space H enclosed by the louvres.
regulating the opening from this space. This valve slides on the pillar I¹
(Figure 12) supported on base plate J. K is a hopper into which the grain is
brought by any suitable spout. This hopper is supported on springs k, and is
connectel in any of the various ways hereafter mentioned with the valve I so that
whenever the hopper begins to get too heavy it descends and automatically opens
the valve I. L is a hot air stove heated by heating devices from which a large
Other
number of pipes not shown rise up in the stove, and thus heat the air.
forms of air heating devices however can be used instead. The air is propelled by
a fan M through the passage m into a casing round the annular space H, which
It is.
latter at this particular point is cylindrical and not formed of louvres.
provided with passages m whereby the hot air can enter the central space and
from there pass out through the louvres and the grain between them. N is a
second fan passing cold air through the passage n into a similar cylindrical casing
A horizontal
near the bottom and thus admitting air into the central space.
diaphragm through this central space separates the cold air portion from the hot.
Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 6. Figure 4 shows two levers and P
united by a chain or cord. As the hopper K gets heavy and descends it oscillates.
lever and by this means raises up the outer end of the weighted lever P, and
thus lowers the valve at the bottom and allows more grain to escape. In
Figure 5 a slight modification is shown, where the valve I is attached to the
hopper K directly by a line, thus avoiding the necessity of using levers at all.
Figure 6 is a similar arrangement to Figure 5 except a cone takes the place of the
upper hopper. In Figure 1 is shown a device for automatically giving the alarum.
if the supply runs short. Q is a band fixed at one end 9 and passing over a
pulley to a weight at the other end. This band passes under the orifice of the
hopper. As long as the grain falls ou to the band, the band is bellied out below
the hopper. When the grain however ceases to fall on to it, the band gets stretched
tight by the weight, and the latter comes in contact with a fixed contact R, and
thus completes the circuit, which rings an electric bell S by means of battery T.
U is a cone formed by the uppermost inner louvre -continued to a point which thus.
acts as a guide to guide the grain into the annulus H.
The mode of action is as follows-
The grain being filled into the hopper K, it passes down into the annular
chamber H. Air or air and steam passing through the stove L is heated or are
heated and dried by the heating device and propelled by fan M, passes or pass
through passage m into the space H, and rising up in this column dries or dry the
grain. As the grain after passing the chamber M is heated, cold air is allowed to
pass from the fan N through the passage into the bottom of the column H and
thus couls this grain before it escapes. When the grain has to be inoistened
instead of cooled, wet steam instead of air is passed through one of the passages M
or N. It will be obvious that exhaustion from an outer casing can take the place
of blowing the air in by means of fans, but this system is not desirable. Further
that a square tower can take the place of a round one, and the number of supporting
columns can be varied to any desired extent. Further the positions of the hot and

page_text: cold air entrances can be varied. The wall of grain is preferably from three
quarters to one and a half inches thick and lastly, heating pipes can be placed in
this space if desired, but I do not recommend this.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is-
1. In an apparatus for drying, moistening, heating, cooling or conditioning grain
or other granular material the combination of two sets of annular louvres forming
an annular perforated chamber, said annular chamber having an automatic
regulating device at the bottom and means for introducing the grain at the top,
and devices whereby the required hot or cold air or moist or dry steam can be
supplied.
2. The method of an apparatus for automatically regulating the exit of the
grain by means of the hopper or other receiving device substantially as described.
3. The automatic alarum for ascertaining when the supply ceases operated by a
contact made whenever the hopper becomes nearly empty or the supply from the
hopper or spout ceases to run.
Tinted thin 19th tree of Amil 100%
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.