IMPROVE. APPARATUS FOR DRYING WHEAT, BARLEY, AND OTHER GRAIN MENTS IN AND SEEDS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lee Norton, of 38, Belle Sauvage Yard,
Ludgate Hill in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE.
APPARATUS FOR DRYING WHEAT, BARLEY, AND OTHER GRAIN
MENTS IN
AND SEEDS."
Sealed the 18th June 1861, and dated the 24th December 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lee Norton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th December 1860.
I, JAMES LEE NORTON, of 38, Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the
Gity of London, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING WHEAT, BARLEY, AND OTHER GRAIN AND SEEDS."
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drying
wheat, barley, and other grain and seeds. For these purposes an upper and
under endless apron are used, the lower apron extending beyond the upper
apron, in order that the grain or seeds as they descend from the upper apron
may fall on to the lower apron, and be carried back thereby to a recess in the
case or enclosed chamber in which the combined apparatus works. If desired
more than two endless aprons may be used. and the grain or seeds caused to
descend from one to the other. The aprons are suitably made for allowing
Price 8d 1

page_text: streams of air to pass freely thro' them, yet at the same time suitable for
receiving and carrying wheat, barley, or other grain or seeds on their upper
surfaces, the aprons being arranged to work in a horizontal position, or nearly
so; above one end of the upper apron is a hopper, into which the grain or
seed is constantly fed from the recess at the lower part of the chamber or case.
and such feeding or lifting of the grain or seed and depositing the same into
the hopper is performed by an endless chain or series of buckets, which
descend into and rise from the recess, and thus carry up the grain or seeds.
and again and again deposit them into the upper part of the hopper. in which
there is a rotating stirrer. There is a sliding valve or door at the lower part
of the recess to allow the grain or seeds to flow off when fully dried, and there
is a sliding door or valve over the upper apron to feed on a fresh charge.
Streams of air, cold or heated, are caused to circulate freely through the
aprons and amongst the grain or seeds spread thereon by means of a fan,
which may he arranged to force or to withdraw the air. or heated air may be
allowed freely to rise up from below through the case or chamber. This
_ arrangement or combination of apparatus may be fixed, or it may be mounted
on wheels to facilitate its being moved from place to place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Lee Norton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th June 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I. JAMES
LEE NORTON, of 38. Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the City of
London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, hearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Lee Norton, Her special licence that I, the said James
Lee Norton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
T, the said James Lee Norton, 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 APPARATUS FOR DRYING WHEAT, BARLEY, AND OTHER GRAIN

page_text: AND SEEDS." upon the condition (amongst others) that T. the said James Lee
Norton, 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 T. the said James Lee Norton, 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 thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drying
wheat, harley, and other grain and seeds. For these purposes an upper and
under endless apron are used, the lower apron extending beyond the upper
apron, in order that the grain or seeds as they descend from the upper apron
may fall on to the lower apron, and be carried back thereby to a recess in the
case or enclosed chamber in which the combined apparatus works. If desired
more than two endless aprons may be used, and the grain or seeds caused to
descend from one to the other. The aprons are suitably made for allowing
streams of air to pass freely through them. yet at the same time suitable for
receiving and carrying wheat, barley, or other grain or seeds on their upper
surfaces, the aprons being arranged to work in a horizontal position, or nearly
so: above one end of the upper apron is a hopper, into which the grain or
seed is constantly fed from the recess at the lower part of the chamber or case.
and such feeding or lifting of the grain or seed and depositing the same into
the hopper is performed by an endless chain or series of buckets. which
descend into and rise from the recess. and thus carry up the grain or seeds.
and again and again deposit them into the upper part of the hopper. in which
there is a rotating stirrer. There is a sliding valve or door at the lower part
of the recess to allow the grain or seeds to flow off when fully dried. and there
is a sliding door or valve over the upper apron to feed on a fresh charge.
Streams of air. cold or heated. are caused to circulate freely through the
aprons and amongst the grain or seeds spread thereon by means of a fan,
which may be arranged to force or to withdraw the air, or heated air may be
allowed freely to rise up from below through the case or chamber. This
arrangement or combination of apparatus may be fixed, or it may be mounted
on wheels to facilitate its being moved from place to place.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing shews a section of an apparatus constructed according to my
Invention.
A, B, are two endless aprons of wire cloth, the wire cloth being supported
at its edges by endless chains which pass around rollers c. c, as shewn; the
chains are contained within a casing d. d: at the lower part of one end of this
casing is a recess c, from which the grain or seed to be dried is constantly
lifted by the endless series of buckets f, and deposited into the hopper g, from
which it falls on to one end of the upper endless apron A, and is by it carried
onwards and deposited on to the opposite end of the lower apron B. by which
it is carried hack and deposited into the recess e, from which it is again lifted
by the endless chain of buckets. Streams of heated air are caused to circulate
through the aprons and amongst the seed spread thereon by means of a fan h.
which forces air through a number of tubes i heated externally by steam, and
from these tubes the air passes into the casing which encloses the endless
aprons, and after passing through the aprons escapes through the pipe :
when the grain or seed is sufficiently dried it is allowed to escape through an
opening at the bottom of the recess, and a fresh quantity of grain or seed is
introduced through the door m at the top of the casing. Motion is com-
municated to one of each of the pair of rollers, around which the endless
aprons pass by means of toothed wheels exterior of the casing, and motion is
also communicated in a similar manner to one of the rollers around which the
endless chain of buckets passes. If desired more than two endless aprons may
be used, as above stated, and cold air may also be employed in place of heated
air for drying the grain or seed.
In witness whereof. I. the said James Lee Norton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
J. L. NORTON. (L.S.)