IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, COFFLE, MAIT, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, COFFLE, MAIT, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES"
A communication from abroad by José Guardiola, of Chocolá, in the Republic
of Guatemala, Central America
Scaled the 16th March 1877, and dated the 29th January 1877
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th January 1877.
ALFXANIH R MFLVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, COfree,
MALT, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES A communication from abroad by José Guardiola,
of Chocolá, in the Republic of Guatemala, Central America
This Invention relates to apparatus for artificially diying gram, coffee, malt, or
other fuit, to prepare and fit the same for preservation, transportation, or other
purpose It is more particularly intended to supersede the common method of
drying such articles by the heat of the sun, and thereby materially to hasten the
evaporation of surplus moisture
The Invention consists in an anangement of a rotating cylinder containing a
cential hot an tube, and winged radial partitions, and perforated radial tubes
projecting from the cential hot air tube between the partitions The said cylinder
is provided with gause covered apertures for the escape of vapour, and with doois
for the introduction and removal of the substance to be died By this arrangement
the gun or coffee is constantly agitated while 10 is subjected to the influence of
hot au which permeates the entire cylinder
The Invention also consists in a beating furnace of new and improved construction
for heating the an to be conducted to the above-mentioned cylinder, and in
combination therewith of a fan for forcing the an through heating pipes within the
said furnace, and thence through conductors to the drying cylinde
It also consists in the anangement of a cold an pipe leading from the blower to
the drying cylinder, and in an arrangement of blast gates, by means of which hot
or cold air may be directed into the drying cylinder or shut off altogether, or by

page_text: which the air passing from the heater may be permitted to escape into the
Bui rounding atmosphere
Figure 1 of the Diawings is a side elevation in part section, Figure 2 is a
transverse section on line x, x, Figure 1, Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line
y, y, Figuie]
Sumilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the three Figures
A is the frame of the drying machine, made of wood or other suitable material,
and in which the cylinder B is joui nalled This cylinder is made of sheet metal or
of other suitable material, and the parts of which it is composed are fastened
together in any suitable and substantial manner C 19 a flange encircling the
centre of the cylinder B, and projecting sufficiently beyond its surface to revolve in
contact with the grooved wheels a, a, which aio Journalled in a frame b placed
upon a foundation sufficiently solid to resist the sagging or vibration of the centic
of the cylinder Disa tubular shaft that runs though the cvlinder B, and
projects sufficiently beyond the heads of the cylinder to form journals, upon which
the-cylinder evolves, and to receive the geaning by which the cylinder is tuned
Longitudinal bs c are formed on the tubular shaft D, and to them the radial
partitions E are secured, which extend to the inner surface of the cylinder B
These partitions divide the cylinder into segmental compartments F, which are
entu elv separate and disconnected To the sides of these partitions transverse
plates d, d, and e are attached which un longitudinally though the segmental
space included between the partitions E The central plates e on cach partition are
widest, so to more completely fill the space between the partitions The plates
d, d, e, have wings ff at then terminations projecting alternatcly mwand and
outward, and each wing is provided with a flange that turns backward towards
the partition E, as fully illustrated in Figure 2
A series of perforated tubes G are secured into the central tubular shaft D at
suitable intervals and project centrally into the compartments F A number of
sliding doois I are provided in the shell of the cylinder B for charging the compait-
ments E with material to be died, and for removing the saine after the diying
operation is completed A number of apertures J covered with perforated plates oi
gauze are also provided in the shell of the cylinder B in each of the compartments F
for the escape of vapor, and the an duven into the cylinder by the blower
The meshes of the gauze covering or perforated plates of the apertures J, as well
as the perforations of the tubes G, should be smaller than the grains to be acted
upon, in order to prevent such grams from falling though The Journals of the
cylinder B, formed by the projection of the tubala shaft D through its head, an
supported by 1ollers h, which are jounalled in a casting attached to the upper
Cross beam of the frame A
The tube D projects sufficiently beyond the rollers at
one end of the machine to receive the spur wheel H, which is keyed or other wise
secured to the end of the said tube The wheel H takes its power though the
pinion and a pulley by a belt from any convenient motor or any other equivalent
means for imparting motion to the cylinder B may be employed K, K, are boxes
placed under the cylinder B for receiving the coffee or grain when it is discharged
through the doois I
A thermometer f is hung upon a pivot projecting from the
head of the cylinder and kept in a vertical position by means of a counter weight g¹
The tubular shaft D is connected or swivelled at each end to immovablo conduits
o, o¹ winch are connected with air blast pipes L, M The an heating apparatus N
18 inade of sufficient size and capacity to supply au to the cylinder B at a sufficiently
high temperature to accomplish the dying of grain or coffee within the requned
time
,
The heater consists of an outer cylindrical shell O and an inner cylindrical shell
P attached to the base or head piece p, so as to enclose the annula space q between
them The inner shell P is shorter than the outer shell, and is provided with a
head, having a central opening from which the collar projects upward A head t
is secured to the outer shell O, and is provided with a cential opening for receiving
the collar & to which it is also attached Qis a pipe projecting centially into the

page_text: space surrounded by the inner shell P, and terminates a short distanco below the
head 2, where its end is stopped, t, u, are radial pipes that extend from the cential
pipe to the inner shell P to supporting the fine-giate v, and for conducting air
from the pipe Q to the space g, w, w, ale radial pipes connecting the pipe and
the shell P, and anlanged in series, the pipes of the second scues being arranged
above the spaces between the pipes of the fist series and the pipes of the thud
selles, being arranged above the spaces between the pipes in the second series, and
so on The space between the lower series of pipes to and the giate v is sufficient
for the fire, and the space beneath the grate vis sufficient for the reception of the
ashes A door R is provided for feeding and adjusting the fire, and door S for
regulating the draft and removing ashes The openings covered by the doors
R, S, communicate with the firc-place and ash-pit, only being shut off from the
space by a flanged piece of non that surrounds the openings, and connects the
inner shell P and outer shell O, T, T, are curved pipes placed in the space 7, so as
to surround that portion of the shell P that is in proximity to the fie
pipes Tare connected together at the ends, and are piciced with a number of holes
at then inner surface, so that when an is forced into the pipes it will be duected
through the perforations against the hot surface of the inner shell P
Those
The heatei is set upon a suitable foundation located near the drying cylinder, and
a blower U is placed conveniently near the heater, and connected by a pipe V with
the lower end of the pipe Q, and is also connected by the branch pipe W with the
pipes T A perforated curved pipe is placed under the gate v, and the au supply
pipe X connects it with the blower pipe V This aangement is designed for
urging the fine when the natural draft is insufficient X is the smoke pipe for con-
veying away the products of combustion, and Y is a pipe for conducting the heated
nu from the heater to the pipes L, M, which conduct it to the dying cylinder
The pipe M connects with the immovable conduit o¹, and the pipe L connects with
the immovable conduit o The conduit o¹ is provided with two blast gates a¹, a¹¹,
by means of which it may be closed against the passage of an and with a branch b¹,
which is also provided with a blast grate c¹ A pipe d connects the branch bi
directly with the blower pipe V for conducting cold air from the blower to the
cylinder B The conduit o which connects the pipe L and the tubular shaft D is pio-
vided with a blast gate e foi controlling the flow of an through the pipe L The various
parts of the heater may be inade of non or other material suitable for the purpose
The operation is as follows -The grain, coffee, or other material to be diied is
placed in the compartments F of the cylinder B through the doors I, where, by the
lotation of the said cylinder upon its axis, the giain is called upward upon the
plates d, e, and as the cylinder revolves so that the winged edges of the plates
incline downward the grain runs off the plates, and is distributed by the wings f
as it falls, so that the grain is constantly agitated, and in falling through the
curients of hot air issuing from the perforations of the pipe G parts with its
moisture The an thus introduced, and the vapor diven from the article being
dried, escape through the gauze or perforated plates covering the apertures J
The coffee or grain is examined fiom time to time by opening the doors I, and
when it becomes as dry as requned the doors I ate all opened as the cylinder B
1otates, and more or less of the contents of the cylinder drop into the boxes K at
each revolution until the cylinder becomes emptied
The temperature of the cylinder may at any time be ascertained by observing
the thermometer f
The operation of the heater is obvious -A fire being built upon the grate v, and
the blower U being driven by any convenient power an is forced through the
pipes V and G, and through the radial pipes u and w into the space q, whence it
passes to the pipe Y A volume of an is also conducted from the blower pipe V
by the pipe W, which delivers it to the pipes T, which duect it against the heated
sui face of the shell P The blast gates a¹, a¹¹, and e¹ being open, and the blast
gate el being closed, the air forced through the heater by the blower is conducted
to the tubular shaft D of the cylinder through the branch pipes L, M

page_text: If it is desued to introduce a curent of cold air into the diying cylinder the blast
gates all and e¹ are closed, and the gate c¹ is opened, when the cold an; passes] by
the heater though the pipe W, and enters the drying cylinder, and if desued the
blast gates e¹ and a¹ inay be closed, and the gates c¹ may be opened, and the pipe W
disconnected, when the hot an from the heater will be discharged through tho
branch into the surrounding atmospher
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desne to secure by Letters Patent
16,-
Fust The cylinder B, tubular shaft D, and radial perforated tubes G, combined
and arranged substantially as here shown and described.
Second The cylinder B, tubular shaft D, radial partitions E, plates d, d, e,
having formed upon them the wings f, all constructed and arranged substantially as
herein shown and described
Thnd The cylinder B, having the tubular shaft D and apertures J covered with
gauzo or perforated plates, the radial perforated pipes G, partitions E, and the
plates d, d, e, having wings fiu combination, substantially as herein shown and
described
Fourth The combination of the boxes K with the drying cylinder B, having
loors I for receiving the died grain or coffee from the cylinder B as it is discharged
through the doors I, substantially as herein shown and described
Fifth The combination of the conduit o, blast gates a, a, branch b, blast
gate c, pipe H, and tubular shaft D, substantially as herein shown and
described
Sixth The combination of the pipe T, having the conduit o and blastgate e¹, the
pipe M, condunt o³, and its blast gates, and the tubular shaft D of the cylinder B for
conducting the heated an from the heater to the interior of the cylinder B, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described
Seventh. The pipe W leading from the blower pipe V to the conduit o², whereby
cold air may be blown directly into the drying cylinder, substantially as herein
shown and described
Eighth The combination of the diying cylinder B having the eneneling flange C
and the rollers a, a, substantially as berein shown and described
Ninth A heater N consisting of an inner and an outer cylindrical shell enclosing
an annula an space and a cential air pipe and radial pipes that connect the same
with the annulai an space and a fire-giate and fire-place arranged within the inner
shell, substantially as herein shown and described
Tenth The combination of the blower U having the pipe V and the heater N,
substantially as herein shown and described
Eleventh The pipes T perforated as described in combination with the heater N,
substantially as herein set forth
Twelfth A perforated curved pipe Z placed under the grate v and the au supply
pipe X provided with the valve for supplying a blast of an to the fire in the
heater, substantially as herein shown and described
Thuteenth A diying machine consisting of the heater N and drying cylinder B,
all constructed and combined substantially as herein shown and described
Fourteenth The pivoted and counter weighted thermometer fin combination
with the diying cylinder B, substantially as herein shown and described
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Cluk, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our
Loid One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven
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