IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF POTATOES. AND IN THE ApparatHS CONNECTED PERRY
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Morris, of Monifieth, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PRESERVATION OF POTATOES. AND IN THE ApparatHS CONNECTED PERRY"
Sealed the 2nd October 1874, and dated the 7th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Morris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th April 1874.
I, DAVID MORRIS, of Monifieth, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IM•
PROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF POTATOES, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," to. be as follows, that is to say:-
:-
.
This Invention, which relates to certain new or improved apparatus or
mechanism to be used for the treatment of potatoes with the view of
preserving them, consists of a press, in which the potatoes after being
boiled are pressed by the action of a screw or its equivalent through
wire cloth or perforated plates. The potatoes issue through this wire
cloth or perforated plates as small as fine threads, and fall down a large

page_text: pipe heated by means of a surrounding flue, and small pipes placed in the
flue pass over the fire and are then turned into the bottom of the large
-pipe.
A blast fan connected to the top of the small pipe causes a current
of hot air to rush up the large pipe, while the threads of potatoes are 5
descending, thus saving much labour and fuel in drying. The potatoes
afterwards fall into a revolving cylinder placed in a tube heated with
a flue and are thus dried.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said David Morris in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
MORRIS, of Monifieth, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said David Morris, Her special license that I, the
said David Morris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said David Morris, my executors, administrators, or
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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF POTATOES, AND
IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said David Morris, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Morris, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being, had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention, which relates to a new or improved apparatus or
mechanism to be used for the treatment of potatoes with the view of
preserving them, consists of a press in which the potatoes after being
boiled are pressed by the action of a screw or its mechanical equivalent
through wire cloth or other suitable perforations, whereby the potatoes
are reduced to fine threads of pulp, and in this condition fall down a
large pipe or passage, which is heated from a flue surrounding its
exterior. Small pipes are placed in the flue having their lower ends
turned into the lower part of the aforesaid large pipe or passage, and
through these small pipes a current of air is forced or blown by an
ordinary blast fan or other suitable means, the fan or its equivalent
being connected by a branch to the upper part of the pipes. A current
of hot air is thus caused to rush up the large pipe or passage, meeting
the descending threads of potatoes which are thus partially dried. The
crushed or pulped potatoes upon reaching the bottom of the large pipe or
passage are discharged through a shoot into a revolving cylinder, sur-
rounded by an outer tube or casing, which is in its turn surrounded
by a fluc from which heat is transmitted to the revolving cylinder and
its contents are further dried. The revolving cylinder is also provided
with a screw blade or fan, by the action of which the crushed or pulped
potatoes are advanced from that end of the revolving cylinder whercinto
they are thrown to the other end, whence they fall into a shoot and
thence into any suitable receptacle placed to receive them.
In order to further the drying process in their progress through the
revolving cylinder the crushed or pulped potatoes are met by a current.
of hot air which is forced or blown through pipes placed in the sur-
rounding flue, and having their extremities directed into the discharge
end of the revolving cylinder.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
I now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:- ·

page_text: Figure 1 on the annexed Sheet of Drawings is partly a vertical section
and partly an elevation of the apparatus constituting my Invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same at right angles to Figure 1.
The upper part of the apparatus consists as shewn of a screw press,
the screw A being raised or lowered by the revolution of the bevil
wheel B, the centre of which constitutes a screwed nut C, which nut C
also passes through and is capable of revolving in a boss formed for its
reception on the cross stay D. A bevil wheel E fixed to the shaft F
gears with the bevil wheel B. The shaft F is actuated from the fast
pulley G, on each side of which is placed a loose pulley. Around one
of these an open driving belt is passed, while the belt from which the
other is driven is crossed. Either of these belts is capable of being.
shifted from the loose to the fast pulley G by means of the belt forks H,
and the attendant is thus enabled to cause the fast pulley G to revolve in
one or the other direction, according as he wishes the screw A and parts
attached thereto to ascend or descend. The shaft F revolves in bearings
I, J, and the cross stay D is supported upon two standards K, K¹. To
the lower end of the screw A a pressing plate or plunger L is fixed,
which fits into a box M, which may be movable or not, constructed of
metal or other suitable material, the bottom of which is provided as
shewn with numerous small perforations, or across the bottom of which
wire cloth may be stretched. The box M is supported upon the standards
K, K', to prevent the screw A and plate L from being rotated by
friction of the nut and wheel B. A guide N may be fixed to the upper
end of the screw, the outer extremity of which is provided with an cyc
through which a guide bar O passes, and whereby the screw A and
plate L are kept in position, or any other mechanical equivalent for
preventing the rotation of the screw A may be adopted. Beneath the
herein before described box or receptacle M a rectangular pipe or
passage P is situate, set in brickwork and surrounded by a flue e. Both
ends of the pipe or passage P are open, but the lower end is provided
with a shoot Q on the interior and lower curved face of which a sweep,
scraper, or agitator R is reciprocated by the combined action of a cam S
and spiral spring T, the cam S being rotated by a shaft a and driving
pulley b. The shoot Q projects into a revolving cylinder U supported
and actuated by the shaft V, which is carried in bearings W, W¹, and
driven from the pulley X fixed to the end thereof. The interior of the
:
cylinder U is provided with a spiral plate Y, which revolves with it;, a

page_text: shoot Z is placed in communication with one end of the cylinder U.
Surrounding the cylinder U is an outer tube or casing c, which is itself
surrounded by a flue h in communication with the furnace d. Pipesf
are placed in the flue e, and on each side of the pipe or passage P, into.
the lower part of which the ends of the pipes fare directed. Another
pipe g passes downwards through the flue e, and thence via the port
into the flue h, where it divides into two branches I and m, which extend
throughout the length of the flue h, and which have their outer extre-
mities directed into the discharge end of the revolving cylinder. U. A
blast fan p is provided for creating a current of air through the pipes
f, g, h, l, and m.
The mode of operating my said Invention is as follows:-The potatoes
having been boiled are deposited in the box or receptacle M beneath the
screw A and plate or plunger L. The bevil wheel B and nut Care then
actuated by the arangement of mechanism herein-before described,
whereby the screw A and plate or plunger L are caused to descend into
and crush the potatoes in the receptacle M through the small perforations
in the bottom of which the potatoes are forced in the form of fine threads
of pulp, which fall to the bottom of the pipe or passage P, meeting
in their descent the currents of hot air blown upwards from the nozzles
of the pipes f, and by which the crushed potatoes are partially dried.
From the bottom of the pipe or passage P the potatoe pulp is directed
by the shoot Q (upon which it is prevented from lodging by the action of
the scraper or agitator B) into one end of the revolving cylinder U by the
action of the spiral blades, in which it is transported to the other end
thereof (encountering in its transit another blast of hot air from the
nozzles of the pipes land m), after which it is discharged into the shoot Z,
and thence into any suitable receptacle provided for it. The products of
combustion in the furnace d, after passing through the flues h and e
and imparting heat to the air pipes f, g, h, l, and m, revolving cylinder U
and pipe or passage P, escape to the atmosphere through the port and
funnel x.
It is to be understood that in place of employing a box M of rect-
angular section, one of polygonal or other form, such as circular, may be
adopted.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe

page_text: in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and construction of apparatus
for the treatment of potatoes, as and for the purposes hercin-before
described and shewn; also the preservation of potatoes by the treatment
set forth.
-
In witness whereof, I, the said David Morris, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of October, One thousand
cight hundred and seventy-four.