IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, FRUIT, FIBRES AND FABRICS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Sir Henry Scholfield, Knight, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May 1882.
Sir HENRY SCHOLFIELD, Knight, of the town and County of the town of
Nottingham, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING GRAIN, FRUIT, FIBRES
AND FABRICS
"
I employ two modifications of apparatus. The first for drying grain of all
kinds, and fruit, I construct of the following parts, namely, a main supply hopper
of a suitable capacity, having its delivery opening at the bottom capable of being
closed by two half doors, each hinged to one side of the opening, the length of the
opening is the same as the interior length of a distributing hopper placed under it,
the inner sides of the two half doors are each hinged to one or more connecting
links, each pair of links being connected to the lower end of a rod having its upper
end hinged to a lever, rocking in a bearing secured to the framing of the supply
hopper, the outer end of the lever carries a swivelled nut capable of being raised
to open the half doors or lowered to close them by means of a screwed rod carrying
a hand wheel conveniently placed. The distributing hopper is V shaped interiorly,
its delivery orifice at the bottom is open, but true on its lower edge, which
accurately fits upon the true upper surface of a plate at one end of a drying
chamber, the distributing hopper is provided at each end with a pair of flanged
wheels revolving on axles secured to the hopper, these wheels run upon rails
secured to or forming part of beams or framing securely fixed above the drying
chamber.
Clear of one end of the drying chamber, and beyond the ends of the rails
carrying the distributing hopper is an axle shaft revolving in bearings carried by
the framing, the shaft is provided with two fixed pulleys, which revolve with it,
and one loose pulley which revolves on it, a sliding double forked belt shifting bar,
guiding two driving belts or chains is traversed by means of a rack and toothed
pinion operated by a hand wheel, so as to throw one belt or chain on a fixed
pulley, and the other belt or chain on the loose pulley, the two belts or chains are
driven reversely to each other by any suitable prime mover, near the outer ends,
the axle shaft carries two grooved pulleys round each of which a belt, cord, or
chain is passed having its ends secured to the sides of the distributing hopper, at

page_text: one side of the bottom of the distributing hopper, is secured a straight edged plate,
the length of the interior width of the drying chamber and capable of adjustment
vertically according to the grain or fruit to be dried, the two belts, cords, or chains
before mentioned are each passed round a pulley at the opposite end of the drying
chamber at which end is a hopper for surplus grain or fruit.
The drying chamber I construct as follows:-It may be made of any material
that will not shrink or warp, or of metal lined with wood, according to size and
requirements, and is divided vertically into a number of chambers, the bottom of
each chamber is formed of a number of strips of perforated wood or metal, each
strip being carried by an axle pin at each end which is passed through the sides of
the drying chamber, outside which, each axle pin forms a crank, the outer ends of
which are clipped by, or swivelled to, two bars each of which receives every other
crank pin alternately, by which means, the perforated wood or metal strips are
arranged to drop downwards in the same angle of direction in pairs reversely, the
strips forming the bottom of each chamber can be opened or closed by a hand lever
and connecting links without opening or closing the bottom of the chamber, above
or below it each hand lever is provided with a clip lever which will hold the
opening lever in a closed position, and when released, the weight of the grain or
fruit will open the strips, and the grain or fruit will drop onto the bottom of the
next chamber.
I employ a suitable steam heated apparatus to heat the air, either arranged
immediately under the drying chamber or separately from it, as may be most
convenient, which hot air I pass through the perforated strips forming the bottoms
of the chambers, either by means of a blowing apparatus at the bottom of the
drying chamber or by an exhausting apparatus above it.
The drying is effected as follows:- The distributing hopper being filled from
the supply hopper, it is prevented from passing out by the plate on which the.
distributing hopper rests, but immediately the hopper is caused to traverse from
under the supply hopper, to the opposite end of the drying chamber, the grain or
fruit drops out, and is spread in one uniforın depth, by the straight edged plate
before named, the surplus grain or fruit being passed into the hopper provided for
it, at one end of the chamber, the belts being then traversed, the distributing
hopper is carried back to the supply hopper and again filled. The bottom of the
top chamber being opened, the grain or fruit falls onto the bottom of the next
chamber below it, this process is repeated until the drying chamber is charged.
When the contents of the bottom chamber is sufficiently dry it is discharged into a
suitable receptacle, and the contents of the upper chambers are successively lowered
and the upper one supplied.
The second modification of apparatus is the same as the first, except that the
various chambers, are each of sufficient depth to receive the fibres or fabric, when
the strips forming the bottoms are lowered, the space below such strips are like-
wise divided transversely by partitions to facilitate the packing of the fibres and
fabrics.
WI
By such means I obtain greater rapidity of action, and efficiency of operation.