IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE DRYING OF GRAIN, SEED, BREWERS' GRAINS, AND OTHER MATTERS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Solomon Bennett, of Richmond Road, Dalston,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE DRYING OF GRAIN, SEED,
BREWERS' GRAINS, AND OTHER MATTERS."
Sealed the 21st July 1868, and dated the 22nd January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Solomon Bennett at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd January 1868.
I, SOLOMON BENNETT, of Richmond Road, Dalston, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE DRYING OF GRAIN,
SEED, BREWERS' GRAINS, AND OTHER MATTERS," to be as follows;-
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus
to facilitate the drying of grain, seed, brewers' grains, and other matters.
For this purpose I employ a close chamber in which a number of fluted,
.corrugated, or roughened plates are hung upon axes or centres of motion,
such plates being supported at a slight inclination from the horizontal,
and in position one above another, with adjacent plates inciined in
opposite directions to each other; these plates are connected together

page_text: in two or more sets by links or connecting rods pinjointed thereto,
and operated by cranks, eccentrics, or cams carried by a shaft to which
rotary motion is given in any suitable manner, the plates being thereby
raised at one end, and then suddenly dropped, so that the matters
thereon shall be thrown somewhat into the air and gradually caused
to fall from one plate on to the plate next below, and so on until they
arrive at the bottom of the drying chamber when they are removed by
an endless chain and plates, or by other suitable means. The matters
to be dried are by preference fed on to the top plate by a self-acting
"Jacob's ladder," or by other suitable means, and I prefer to supply
the heat required directly from a suitable smoke-consuming furnace, as
will be well understood, from which the products of combustion are led
into the bottom of the drying chamber; and in order to prevent the
heat at that part injuriously acting upon the matters to be dried I place
a serpentine plate or plates over the aperture through which the products
of combustion are led, and I give a quicker motion to a few of the lower
inclined plates so as to prevent the matters to be dried resting too long
thereon; and in order to prevent the heat and products of combustion
passing off too rapidly or directly from the drying chamber I place
suitable guides or deflectors between the inclined plates. The moist
vapour given off from the matters being dried is conducted away through
a suitable pipe or tube at the top of the drying chamber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Solomon Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 22nd July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, SOLOMON
BENNETT, of Richmond Road, Dalston, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Solomon Bennett, Her special licence
that I, the said Solomon Bennett, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Solomon. Bennett, my executors,
2

page_text: administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all 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 MEANS
OR APPARATUS TO FACILITATE THE DRYING OF GRAIN, SEED, BREWERS' GRAINS,
AND OTHER MATTERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Solomon Bennett, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Solomon Bennett, 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 :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus
to facilitate the drying of grain, seed, brewer's grains, and other matters.
For this purpose I employ a close chamber in which a number of fluted;
corrugated, or roughened plates are hung upon axes or centres of motion,
such plates being supported at a slight inclination from the horizontal,
and in position one above another, with adjacent plates inclined in
opposite directions to each other. These plates are connected together
in two or more sets by links or connecting rods pinjointed thereto and
operated by cranks, eccentrics, or cams carried by a shaft to which
rotary motion is given in any suitable manner, the plates being thereby
raised at one end and then suddenly dropped, so that the matters thereon
shall be thrown somewhat into the air and gradually caused to fall from
one plate on to the plate next below, and so on until they arrive at the
bottom of the drying chamber, when they are removed by an endless
chain and plates or by other suitable means. The matters to be dried
are by preference fed on to the top plate by a self-acting Jacob's
ladder" or by other suitable means, and I prefer to supply the heat
required directly from a suitable smoke-consuming furnace, as will be
well understood, from which the products of combustion are led into the
bottom of the drying chamber; and in order to prevent the heat at that

page_text: part injuriously acting upon the matters to be dried I place a serpentine
plate or plates over the aperture through which the products of com-
bustion are led, and I give a quicker motion to a few of the lower
inclined plates so as to prevent the matters to be dried resting too long
thereon; and in order to prevent the heat and products of combustion
passing off too rapidly or directly from the drying chamber I place
suitable guides or deflectors between the inclined plates. The moist
vapour given off from the matters being dried is conducted away through
a sectional back elevation, and Figure 4 is a sectional end view of
apparatus constructed according to my Invention.
a, a, is a close chamber in which a number of plates 6 are hung upon
axes or centres of motion 6' working by preference in bearings fixed to
the outside of the chamber a, as shewn. These plates 6 are in some
cases either fluted, corrugated, or roughened so as to prevent the matters
being dried running too fast from the upper to the lower edge thereof,
but in other cases smooth plates may be employed. The plates 6 are
supported at a slight inclination one above another with adjacent plates
inclined in opposite directions to each other, as shewn, and the plates b
are connected together in three sets by links or connecting rods c, c¹,
and c², and short chains passing over pulleys et; the six top plates b
are operated at one speed by means of cams or tappets d acting upon or
within the slotted ends of the links or connecting rods c, the next six
plates are operated at another speed by cams or tappets d'acting within
or upon the slotted ends of the links or connecting rods c¹, and the four
lowest plates are operated at another speed by means of the cams or
tappets d³ acting within or upon the slotted ends of the links or con-
necting rods c; and in order to afford facility for suspending the plates b
at different angles I employ screw couplings or connections c³, as shewn.
The upper set of plates are operated at a comparatively low speed, the
set next below at a faster speed, and the lowest set at a still faster speed.
The cams or tappets d, d', d², are mounted upon shafts or axes e carried

page_text: in suitable bearings fixed to opposite sides of the machine and receiving
motion by a strap or band from a steam engine or other suitable power
passing around the drums or pulleys e' fixed thereon. The effect of the
cams or tappets d, d', d' upon the plates b is to raise them to a certain
height and then suddenly to let them fall, thereby throwing the matters
on the plates 6 slightly into the air, and by so doing continually turn
over such matters and advance them along the plates so that they may
gradually fall from the one plate to the other until they fall to the bottom
of the chamber a, whence they are removed by means of endless bands
or chains carrying plates f', as shewn, or by other suitable means.
The matters to be dried are by preference fed on to the top plate by a
self-acting Jacob's ladder passing around pulleys g, g', as will be well
understood, other suitable means may however be employed for this
purpose. I prefer to supply the heat required directly from a smoke-
consuming furnace such as that shewn in the Drawings in which his
a retort which is fed with fuel from a hopper i, a suitable hot blast being
supplied to the fuel in the retort h by means of tubes j, air being also
supplied to the chamber k in which the products of combustion from the
retort h are mixed therewith and pass off therefrom into the chamber a;
but in order to prevent the heat and products of combustion acting
injuriously upon the matters to be dried I placed a serpentine plate or
plates k in the chamber k through which the products of combustion
are led to the drying chamber a, and I admit cold air to such
chamber in suitable quantities to mix with the products of com-
bustion and regulate the temperature thereof. If desired instead
of connecting together the plates 6 and operating them as before
described they may be operated direct by cams or tappets 1, suitable
adjustable wedges being employed to regulate the angle of the
plates b, or levers 1* may be employed for this purpose, as shewn
at Figure 5, and the plates 6 may in some cases be capable of
being withdrawn from the chamber a, and prongs or forks may be
caused to act upon the matters being dried in order to facilitate the
granulation or separation thereof into comparatively small particles and
so facilitate the drying thereof. And in order to prevent the heat passing
off too rapidly or directly from the chamber a I employ deflectors n to
prevent the heat passing up at the ends of the plates b. The speed at
which the matters are caused to descend and the heat applied thereto
are capable of regulation to any desired amount so as to afford facility
for drying or even roasting various matters to any desired degree..

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described;
but what I do claim is, the peculiar arrangements and combinations
of means for drying various substances, substantially as herein shewn
1
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the mode
in which carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described;
but what I do claim is, the peculiar arrangements and combinations
of means for drying various substances, substantially as herein shewn
In witness whereof, I, the said Solomon Bennett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
In witness whereof, I, the said Solomon Bennett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.