NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN OR SEEDS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I JAMES MILNE of the firm of Milne Brothers of the Town and County of
Aberdeen, North Britain Miller, Grain and Produce Merchant do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRYING
GRAIN OR SEEDS to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to new or improved apparatus for drying grain or
seeds, for example, oats, barley, wheat, malt, peas, beans, or other kinds of seeds,
has for its object to provide an inexpensive and automatic apparatus not liable to
get out of working order.
The apparatus consists of long upright screws or frames placed in a hot air
chamber, and 80 arranged as to divide the chamber preferably into three
compartments, although other number of compartments may be used, and with
the narrow compartments near the walls of the chamber. In the case of the
chamber thus divided as aforesaid preferably into three compartments the middle
compartiment is separated into two by a horizontal plate, which, for the sake of
distinctness, I define as the "lower middle" and " upper middle" compartments
respectively. The lower middle compartment is open to the heated air from a
furnace which passes through the screens between which the grain descends, and
into the narrow spaces or compartments between the screens and the walls. It
again passes through the screens containing the descending grain, into the upper
middle compartment, and is drawn off (carrying the moisture with it) at the
top, by means of an exhaust fan, chimney or ventilator placed at the top of this
coinpartment between the two screens.
The screens and framing are formed and composed of wire and wire cloth placed
in a zig-zag position, joined and fitted by means of iron plates in each screen.
Each screen is formed of two sheets or sections of wire or wire cloth placed parallel
to each other in an angular position and at a sufficient distance apart to allow the
grain to descend between them. Each screen is fed by means of a hopper having
regulating spouts attached to it. The grain descends through the zig-zag screens,
and is completely dried on reaching the bottom, and is delivered by means of a
fluted revolving roller or other regulating apparatus into binns, bags or elevators
as required.
The enclosing walls of the heated air compartments are formed of brick, the
lower halves of which are hollow near the inner edge, so that they may be the
more effectively heated by means of this hollow space being filled with hot air.
Dated this 5th day of January 1884.
. HENRY JOHNSON, DAY, & JOHNSON,
Petitioner's Agents,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.

page_text: I, JAMES MILNE, of the firm of Milne Brothers, of the Town and County of
Aberdeen, North Britain, Miller, Grain and Produce Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of my Invention for NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR DRYING
GRAIN OR SEEDS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention which relates to new or improved apparatus for drying grain or
seeds, for example oats, barley, wheat, malt, peas, beans, or other kinds of seeds,
has for its object to provide a comparatively inexpensive and automatic apparatus
not liable to get out of working order.
The apparatus consists of long upright screens or frames placed in a hot air
chamber, and so arranged as to divide the chamber preferably into three
compartments, although other number of compartments may be used, and with
the narrow compartments near the walls of the chamber. In the case of the
chamber divided as aforesaid into three compartments, the middle compartment
is separated into two by a horizontal plate, which, for the sake of distinctness,
I define as the "lower middle" and " upper middle" compartments respectively.-
The lower middle compartment is open to the heated air ascending from a
furnace and which heated air passes through the screens between which the
grain is descending and into the narrow spaces or compartments between the
screens and the walls.-The heated air again passes through the screens containing
the descending grain, into the upper middle compartment, and is drawn off
(carrying the moisture with it) at the top, by means of an exhaust fan, chimney,
or ventilator placed at the top of this compartment between the two screens.-The
screens or frames are composed of wire, or wire cloth, placed in a zig-zag position,
joined and fitted by means of iron plates in each screen.-Each screen is formed of
two sheets of wire, or wire cloth, placed parallel to each other in a zig-zag position
and at a distance sufficiently apart to allow the grain to descend between them.-
Each screen is fed by means of a hopper having regulating spouts attached to
it. The grain descends through the zig-zag screens, and is completely dried on
reaching the bottom, and is delivered, by means of a fluted revolving roller or other
regulating apparatus, into bins, bags, or elevators as required.
The enclosing walls of the heated air compartments are formed of brick, the
lower halves of which are provided with hollows near the inner edge so that they
may be the more effectively heated by means of this hollow space being filled with
air, and convey the said heated air into the chamber above.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
D

page_text: and f, of the kiln; or if required the kiln may be divided into more compartments
than three as before mentioned.-In the case of the kiln or chamber being divided
into the three compartments b, c, and d, the middle compartment b, is separated
into two by a horizontal plate or, preferably as represented on the accompanying
Drawings by the horizontal plate g, and the arch h, supported by the said plate.-
Both the plate g, and the arch h, are by preference constructed of wrought iron and
they are or may be supported by the T iron girders or joists i, built into the
walls j, and k, of the kiln or chamber or by other suitable means.-For the sake of
distinctness, I define the parts of the middle compartment above and below the
plate g, and arch h, respectively as the " upper middle" and "lower middle"
compartments. The lower middle compartment is directly open to the heated air
ascending from the furnace .-The heated air, in ascending from the said furnace 1,
passes in the direction of the arrows through the screens or frames a, below the
plate g, and arch h, and between which screens a, the grain is descending, and
thence the heated air passes into the narow spaces or compartments c, and d,
between the said screens a, and the walls e, and f-In its further upward travel.
and when above the plate g, the heated air then flows inwards above the said
plate g, and towards the arch h, and through the screens or frames a, into the
upper middle compartment b, and from there the said heated air is drawn off
through the narrow chimney m, which is preferably constructed of brick-work and
through the hood n, to the chimney or ventilator o.-If the draught through the
chimney or ventilator o, be found insufficient to carry off the heated air and
moisture from the kiln, it may be increased by means of an exhaust fan, steam jet,
or by other equivalent means.
or
The screens or frames a, are formed of wire, or wire cloth, placed in a zig-zag
position, as represented upon the accompanying Drawings.-These screens
frames a, are joined or fitted by means of the vertical iron plates z¹, which are
supported, at their lower ends, upon the wrought iron girders or joists p, and by any
further supports necessary.-Each of the screens or frames a, is formed of two sheets
of wire, or wire cloth, arranged parallel to each other in a zig-zag position and at a
distance sufficiently apart to allow the grain to descend between them.-The sets
of screens or frames a, at the two sides of the kiln, are fed with grain from the
hoppers 9, and 7, being connected thereto by means of the distributing and
regulating spouts 8.-The grain in descending through the zig-zag screens a, being
acted upon by the ascending currents of heated air, is completely dried on reaching
the bottom of the said screens a, where it is received by the fluted rollers t, or
other regulating discharge apparatus.-These rollers t, which are caused to rotato
intermittently as hereinafter inore particularly described, deliver the grain through
the shoots u, into the long shoots v, and may be either drawn off into bags or other
receptacles, or as shewn upon the accompanying Drawings the said grain may be
directed into the elevators w, and by them carried to the upper part of the building
where it is delivered through the shoots x, into the dry corn bins y.-The shoots u,
may be dispensed with, in which case the grain is allowed to fall upon the inclined
upper surfaces of the walls below the rollers t, and by these be directed into the.
shoots v.
c
The enclosing walls e, f, j, and k, of the kiln are constructed of brick, and in the
lower part of the walls e, and f, the hollow passages, are formed.-Into the lower
ends of these passages z, the tubes a¹, are led, the opposite ends of which open into:
the side walls of the furnace Z.-The upper ends of the passages z, open above the
horizontal plate g, and are provided with the dampers b¹, which may be operated'
from the ends of the kiln by any suitable means. By means of these passages z,
and tubes a¹, highly heated air is conducted directly into the upper part of the
kiln. The baffle plates c¹, are provided for the purpose of directing the ascending.
currents of heated air in such manner as to cause them to impinge upon and to.
pass through the wire, or wire cloth, of which the screens a, are composed.-The
narrow chimney m, hereinbefore described is provided with the damper d¹, by
means of which the draught through the kiln may be regulated.
.

page_text: The fluted rollers t, are caused to rotate intermittently as herein before mentioned ;
this intermitent motion is imparted to them by means of the gearing now to be
described. The toothed pinion wheels e¹, (preferably of four inch pitch line
diameter) are secured upon the shafts f¹, of the said rollers t.-These pinion
wheels e¹, gear into the wheels g¹, (preferably of twelve inch pitch line diameter)
upon a third (only) of whose circumference, teeth are formed. It will thus be seen
that while the wheels g¹, are making one third of a revolution, the pinion wheels e²,
make a complete revolution and remain at rest while the wheels g¹, complete the
remaining two-thirds of their revolution, at which time the pinion wheels e¹, are
rotated by being again geared with the toothed portions of the wheels g.-Upon
the shafts ¹, to which the wheels g¹, are secured, there are also provided the toothed
wheels, which gear into the pinion wheels ¹, secured to the shafts k¹.-These
wheels, and ¹, are so arranged as to admit of their being readily removed from
their respective shafts and thereby allow of wheels of other diameters being placed
thereon, in order that the rate, at which the rollers t, are rotated, may be varied in
accordance with the class of grain being operated upon by the drying kiln.-Upon
one of the shafts k', there is provided the sheave pulley n', which is connected by
the band o¹, to any convenient motor or counter shaft.-This counter shaft is, or
may be, provided with taper driving drums, so that the speed of the rollers t, may
be varied thereby.-In place of the change wheels i, and j¹, I may provide small
taper driving drums with a band running upon them, which band is capable of
being moved along the said drums by means of a shifting fork, or by other suitable
means, and thereby regulate the speed of the rollers t.
In operation, the raw grain is fed into the hopper p¹, and is divided into two
portions each of which descends by a shoot q¹, into the buckets of the elevator ¹,
by which the said raw grain is conveyed to the upper part of the building and
discharged through the shoots 8', into the hopper q, and r.-The raw grain thence
descends through the zig-zag distributing and regulating spouts 8, into the trough t¹,
which are divided lengthwise into as many parts as there are divisions in the
corresponding screens a-Within these troughs t¹, there are arranged suitable
vanes or louvres for distributing the grain equally across the screens or frames a.-
The grain then passes into the upper part of the screens a, and descends first in one
direction and then in an opposite direction through the said screens, being still
further mixed and distributed in its descent therethrough by the projecting
portions u¹, of the wire, or wire-cloth, at the angles of the screens a, which present
to the descending grain, alternately projections u³, and spaces v', between such
projections, as represented more particularly at Figure 4.-The grain then falls
into the receptacles formed in the fluted rollers which are contained within
casings, the outlets of which are formed by the shoots u, through which the grain
then falls into the long shoots v, to be delivered by them into the elevators w.-
These elevators carry the dry corn or other grain to the upper part of the building
and discharge it through the shoots x, into the dry corn bins y, or into any other
receptacle which may be provided for the purpose.-The elevators w, and r¹, arc, or
may be, operated by means of the shafts w¹, pulley x¹, and band y¹, or by other
suitable means.
A suitable indicator is, or may be, provided in the lower middle compartment b,
for indicating and automatically regulating the temperature of the said chamber
and consequently the currents of heated air ascending therefrom.
It is to be understood, although the screens or frames a, have been herein before
described as formed of wire or wire-cloth, that such screens or frames may be made
of materials analogous to wire or wire-cloth, such for example, as perforated plates.
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:-
First The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
apparatus for drying grain or seeds, the same operating in the manner hereinbofore
described and as shewn upon the annexed Drawings.

page_text: Second In apparatus for drying grain or seeds, the wire, or wire-cloth, screens
or frames a, arranged in a zig-zag manner herein before set forth with reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
Third In apparatus for drying grain or seeds, the screens or frames a, arranged
within a kiln in such a manner as to divide the said kiln into two, three or more
compartments substantially as herein before set forth.
Fourth In apparatus for drying grain or seeds, the plate g, for dividing the
central chamber 6, into the upper middle and lower middle compartments thus
causing the ascending currents of heated air to pass twice through the screens or
frames a, substantially as hereinbefore described."
Fifth In the apparatus herein before described, the fluted discharge rollers t,
operated substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.