An Improvement in the Conditioning of Wheat or other Grain for Milling or other purposes, especially English Wheat.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 8th Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Conditioning of Wheat or other Grain for
Milling or other purposes, especially English Wheat.
WILLIAM JAMES TOOLEY, Miller, North Quay Mill, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk,
ARTHUR HENRY WEBBER, Engineer, Southtown, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The Improvement in the Conditioning relates to the passing of Compressed Air
through Solid Masses" of Wheat or other Grain in Bins or Hoppers by means
of Force Pumps or other means, thus enabling the Grain to be kept under the
influence of air of any temperature for any desired length of time, which time
would be regulated by elevators or any other mechanical arrangements.
Dated this 20th day of February 1897.
WILLIAM JAMES TOOLEY.
ARTHUR HENRY WEBBER.
An Improvement in the Conditioning of Wheat or other Grain for
Milling or other purposes, especially English Wheat.
We, WILLIAM JAMES TOOLEY, Miller, North Quay Mill, Great Yarmouth, Nor-
folk, ARTHUR HENRY WEBBER, Engineer, Southtown, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk,
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: —
According to our invention, instead of causing grain to descend in a more or
less loose condition through a narrow, annular chamber of circular or other cross
section, having perforated side walls through which hot air is forced in a trans-
verse direction, as is done in grain conditioning apparatus of present construc-
tion, we cause the grain to descend in a comparatively thick compact body in an
upright chamber or trunk through which a current of air, preferably heated, is
forced under pressure to pass from below in an upward direction, that is to say
in the contrary direction to the descending grain.
By this means, instead of causing the particles of hot air to act only during
a very short space of time upon the grain as they pass through the latter in a
transverse direction, as at present, the whole body of compressed hot air in
ascending through the mass of grain descending slowly through the trunk is
caused to remain in close contact with the grain during its entire travel, imparting
its heat gradually thereto as it ascends, so that the grain will be subject to a
Paine Qd71

page_text: very gradual rise of temperature as it descends, while at the same time it is
being continually moved about by the upward pressure of the air.
By this means not only is a considerable improvement in the conditioning of
the grain effected, but also, as the heat imparted to the air is utilised to the fullest
extent, a considerable economy in fuel will result. In addition to these advant-
ages, the farther advantage arises that the aqueous vapour, driven off from the
grain in the lower strata, in rising up through the upper strata, also exercises
a beneficial action in the conditioning of the descending grain.
The hot air is forced into the lower part of the chamber or trunk in a uniformly
diffused manner and at such a pressure as will enable it to maintain the descending
grain in a more or less floating condition, and continually in motion, and by
preference the air is forced in, in pulsations, such as would be produced by the
action of an ordinary air pump.
This pulsating motion of the grain which is entirely absent in apparatus of
present construction has a most advantageous effect in keeping the grain con-
tinually moving about.
On the accompanying drawing is shewn a construction of apparatus suitable
for carrying out our said invention; Fig. 1 shews a vertical section of the con-
ditioning trunk; Fig. 2 shews a part vertical section taken at right angles to that
shewn at Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shews a cross section at X X Fig. 2.
A is a cylindrical trunk, of galvanized iron or other suitable material, and
of any desired diameter (such as about 2 feet) and height (such as about 20 feet).
At a point, some distance from the lower end, there is formed within it a chamber B
formed of perforated plates, into which opens a pipe C through which the hot
air supply is forced in under pressure, which air will consequently issue from the
chamber in a very uniformly distributed manner into the trunk, such distribution
being still farther facilitated by the provision of inclined perforated shields 1).
The trunk being filled with grain through the open upper end, and a supply of
hot air under the requisite pressure being forced in through C, such hot air, in
rising up through the solid column of grain in the trunk, will on the one hand
gradually give up its entire heat thereto, and on the other hand will support the
grain in a more or less floating and pulsating condition as it slowly descends.
It will be seen that as the grain slowly descends while being continually moved
about, its temperature will be very gradually increased until it reaches the
chamber B, and as it is maintained in contact with the upward current of air for
a very much longer time than is the case with ordinary conditioning apparatus,
it necessarily follows that the entire mass of each individual grain or berry will
be dried and conditioned in a very much more uniform manner than is possible
with the ordinary process, where the grain is dried to a greater extent on the
outer surface than in the middle; in fact the beneficial effect of this improved
process is very much the same as that which is obtained when grain is subjected
to long continued sunshine on the field, and, as in this case, a stronger" flour is
produced.
A farther advantage arises from the fact that the heat of the air supply is
utilised to the fullest possible extent, as the column is preferably made of such a
height that the air issuing at the upper end will be at about the same temperature
as the atmosphere.
The arrangements for heating and forcing the air supply may be of
any known
kind.
The lower end of the trunk A terminates in a cone A¹ to which is attached a
nozzle with a regulating valve E by means of which the discharge of the grain
into the shoot F can be regulated so as to produce any desired rate of descent of
the grain in the trunk. As this descends past the chamber B, its temperature
will be gradually lowered again by radiation from the trunk; if necessary, any
known arrangement of cooling devices might be employed, such as cold air
or water jacket.

page_text: At the level of the chamber B any suitable heat indicating device G is pro-
vided for ascertaining the heat of the air supply at that point. Although we
find it of advantage to heat the air supply as described, yet a certain beneficial
effect will also be obtained by forcing in dry cold air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
Conditioning grain by causing the same to descend in a thick compact body
through a chamber or trunk up which air under pressure is made to flow so that,
on the one hand the grain gradually gives up its moisture by long continued
contact with the air, as this ascends through the entire body of grain, and on
the other hand, this is kept continually in motion by the upward pressure of the
air substantially as described.
Dated this Oth low of Navamhan 1807
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.