CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND DRYING GRAIN, SEEDS, OR BERRIES, AND FOR MANUFACTURING THEM INTO THEIR SEVERAL PRODUCTS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
DON, of James Street, Golden Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Third day of December, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Don, His especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Thomas Don, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Thomas Don, my exors, admors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING AND
DRYING GRAIN, SEEDS, OR BERRIES, AND FOR MANUFACTURING THEM INTO THEIR
SEVERAL PRODUCTS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER USEFUL
PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Thomas Don, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: ww
1, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Don, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
My Inventions to effect the purposes mentioned in the Title for this Patent
consists of,-
Firstly, a machine to wash grain, and by means of the difference of specific
gravity of smut balls, impure grain, &c., and that pure grain to float off,
and thus separate the bad and injurious corn, seeds, or berries from the
good.
Secondly, for an improved method of drying by means of steam, hot water,
or heated air, circulating through tubes or beds of tubes forming a kiln or
drying apparatus, over and among which tubes, the grain, seeds, or berries
are kept in motion by their gravity, or may be retained still for a time, as
may be required or desired.
Thirdly, to use the above machines with certain additions for the process of
malting and other useful purposes.
Figure 1 is an upright sectional view of a tank or vessel, say ten or twenty feet
long, and of any suitable breadth, say two or three feet wide, and two or three
feet deep, the dimensions varying according to the quantity to be cleaned; it is
filled with water to the line a, a. There are two partitions, one vertical or
slanting 6, one horizontal or slightly inclined horizontally c. The grain, &c.
to be cleaned, is put into the hopper d, the spout or opening of which is so
arranged that the quantity of grain, &c. falling from it may be regulated to
fall in a thin stream, the whole breadth of the vessel or tank. The grain thus
falling in this thin stream in the water, the smut balls, light or injured wheat,
chaff, or any foreign matter lighter than the wheat, and of less specific gravity
than the water, floats, whilst the grain, &c. slides down the partition b and
falls on the horizontal partition c. In order further to clean the grain, to clear
off the dirt, to soften and separate the particles of earth or mud, and the
impurities left from the crushed smut balls, the grain is dragged along the
upper side of the horizontal partition c, at the end of which it falls down to the
bottom of the tank or vessel, and is further dragged onward and finally
delivered into a receptacle g at the end behind the partition c, to be taken out
by means of elevators h, h, and delivered to any spot desired. This is
effected by means of what I term a creeper, which is formed by two endless
chains, having transverse bars connected to each other at intervals, say one foot

page_text: apart, like an endless chain ladder. These bars stretch across the whole breadth
of the vessel; the chains pass or work round the pullies or cylinders f, f. One
chain is seen in the Drawing and is marked e, e. One cylinder being put in
motion by an exterior power, it causes the creeper chains to move with the
tranversal bars, which bars sliding and sweeping on the partition and bottom of
the vessel or tank, drags the grain, &c. along before; or by means of the
transversal bars, the shaft or spindle of the driven cylinder or pulley, which
puts all in motion, passes through the sides of the tank or vessell and
works in a stuffing box bearing so as to keep the water; of course the other
bearings must be so arranged as not to allow the water to escape. g is the
receptacle to receive the grain when delivered by creeper at the pulley or
cylinder f 1, from thence it is taken out of the tank or vessel by means of the
elevator h, h, known amongst millwrights, &c. also by the name of Jacob's
ladder; or the grain may be taken out by any similar machine or plan, such
as an endless cloth laid or worked at such declivity, that when the creeper
delivers the grain, &c. on the endless cloth or web of any proper material, it
may be carried to where desired, and drain off the water during its progress.
Of course the end marked 1 of the tanks must be made to suit the angularity
of the endless web. It is presumed these machines need no description, being
so much in use by those connected any way with grain. The grain may be
made to pass under cylinder f 2, as it does under cylinder f 1, which will
increase the means of rubbing the grain. It would be adviseable to keep water
continually flowing into the tank or vessel, so that it might overflow at i, at
which part a place is cut out, as shewn, to suit the level of the water intended
to be kept in the tank, so that the lighter particles would be carried there, they
would then be carried down the spout, fixed to the side of the tank or vessel
at j, as dotted and shewn at the bottom. The water would fall into and through
the sieve or vessel with perforated bottom k, leaving the lighter particles and
refuse in it; the grain should then be dried immediately.
My improved drying apparatus or kiln consists of a series of beds of triangular
tubes placed one above another, which tubes are heated by steam, or hot water,
or heated air.
Figure 2 shews an horizontal view of one of these beds. a, a, are square
tubes; b, b, b, b, are triangular tubes connected to .or cast with, and having
free communication with the square tubes a, a, so that steam, &c. coming
from the upright pipe c, passing through the connecting pipe d into the square
tube a 1, would freely circulate through and impart heat equally to all the
triangular tubes b, b, b, b, and thence through the connecting pipe e into the
exit or escape steam pipe f. It will be seen that spaces are left between the

page_text: tubes b, b, b, b, to allow the grain, &c. to pass between them. I, 1, are thin
pieces projecting upwards, say one or two inches, to support the bed above it,
and to leave a space from the one bed to the other, these pieces are hollowed
at intervals, as seen in Figure 4, so as to allow the steam or moisture evapo-
rated from the grain to escape from each bed. I prefer these tubes b to the
triangular, as shewn, though they may be of curved surfaces or made up of
other number of angles.
Figure 3 shows a side view of four of these beds placed one above each
other. a, a, are the square tubes; b, b, b, b, the triangular tubes; 1, 1, the
supporting projections; g, g, g, g, are small tubes with a shoulder or square
part, as seen below, Figure 3 a; they serve to convey downwards the water
condensed from the steam, and to allow the air in the tubes to escape upwards
from each bed; they are screwed at the one end with right, the other with
left hand threads. The beds are bored and tapped correspondently, and those
tubes are fixed in, so that those tubes whose longest end is put downwards,
& nearly reach the lowest part of the inside of the square tubes a, a, and
allows the water to descend down from each bed without any hindrance from
the steam or air, which is endeavouring to ascend. In like manner those
tubes placed with their longest ends upwards allows the steam or air, when
heated, and being driven before the steam, to escape freely and unimpeded by
the descending water from the steam condensed.
The tubes 9, 9, 9, 9
are those with the longest end upwards; those marked g¹, g', g', g', are the
reverse.
Figure 4 shews the kiln put together. The seven upper beds are shewn in
end section; the eight lower show the endway of the beds, the supporting
pieces or projections ; l, with the inverted arches or passages to allow of the
escape from each bed of the moisture evaporated from the grain, &c. in the
process of drying. a, a, the square tubes. b, b, the triangular tubes.
c, the
steam pipe connected to the supply boiler or to the escape pipe of a steam
engine serving to supply the steam, hot water, or heated air to each bed, which
steam, &c. passes into each bed through the connecting tubes or pipes d, d; the
steam then passing through the square tubes and triangular tubes, as before
explained, escapes by the connecting pipes e into the common escape pipe f
thence to the air; regulating cock may be put on the top of this pipe to
regulate the escape of steam, especially if a boiler is purposely erected to heat
the kiln. h is a pipe to convey away the condensed water from the kiln. i, i, are
two upright side plates which are fixed to the sides of these several pipes
forming the kiln, to keep in the grain as it descends through it. It will be seen,
on referring to Figure 4, that in the alternate beds there are three equilateral

page_text: triangular tubes, and on each side one right-angled triangular tubes, the
purpose being, as may easily be perceived, to direct the grain in its descent from
the sides into the middle of the kiln, so that the grain may be equally heated.
At the bottom of the under bed a slide m is attached, which is made to close
or slide over the opening between each triangular tube, as explained, Figure
2; this slide serves to regulate the passage of the grain through the kiln,
according as it is more or less opened, and thus the grain may be detained
or run slowly through the kiln, or passed away quickly, as may be deemed
requisite; the grain is put in the hopper k; the kiln is filled. The grain may
be detained, or, which I prefer, be kept in motion. The slide being opened more
or less will let the grain, &c. pass through accordingly, and fall into the lower
hopper L, from thence by the spout I may go in to an elevator, and be carried
up to the hopper K, again to pass through the kiln as often as may be required,
or when sufficiently dried be delivered into a sack by the spout 2, which is
easily arranged by putting a slide either through the openings 1 or 2, darkened
in the Drawing, at the square box at mouth of the hopper L, which slide
directs it accordingly to the spout desired.
Figure 5 is a view looking horizontally at the under side of a bed of tubes,
cast or otherwise put together; I contemplate making them of cast iron.
a, a, are end tubes; b, b, the longitudinal tubes. The steam enters the one end
tube, is divided amongst the longitudinal tubes, and escapes at the other end
tubes; but instead of letting the grain fall through and amongst these longi-
tudinal tubes, the spaces between them are closed by a thin film of metal, in
which are cast or pierced small holes or slots, as shewn in the Drawing, to
allow air to pass through them upwards, but not so large as to let grain, &c.
escape; these tubes also allow of the wevils and dust to escape, and screens
the corn as well.
Figure 6 shews a section through the middle of such bed; those tubes may
either be square, semi-circular, or semi-oval.
Figure 7 shews two of these tubular beds a, a, connected together at f,
placed slanting. They are borne by the timber 6, forming another sort of
kiln. The steam enters by the pipe e at the lowest part, escaping at the upper
part by the pipe g.
Provision is to be made to raise the upper end of these
beds at pleasure, or so many beds as may be put together in a line at the
upper end, so as to give them more or less declivity, according as the grain;
&c. to be dried may require. c, c, are side plates, to which are attached the
slides d, d, somewhat similar to the screening machines in use to screen seeds.
These regulate the thickness of the stream of grain, &c. as it falls; more or
less of these slides may be used. At the lower end it may be caught in an

page_text: elevator, from whence to be delivered again on the kiln, or to the cooling floor
or sack. A bed of wire cloth may be stretched along the top of these tubes,
leaving a small space between.
Figure 8 shews five of these beds, one above the other, to form a kiln or
drying apparatus. a is the steam pipe. b, the escape pipe. c is an air-tight
casing surrounding the whole. I contemplate to use the above machines also
to make malt, or to quicken or further the malting of grain. Suppose either
of the kilns, Figures 4, 7, or 8, enclosed in a steam-tight enclosure, let the
grain to be malted be soaked or steeped or wetted, then placed in the kiln,
which must be kept at a moderate temperature, as may be found requisite,
then let into the steam-tight inclosure a jet of steam, which may be accom-
panied by oxygen gas; these, it is presumed, will penetrate amongst and into
and quicken the germination of the grain. If it is found requisite to turn
over the grain or malt when it has commenced to germinate or sprout, so as
stay it, and develope the aerospire, then the kilns as Figures 4 and 7 could be
used, the steaming stopped when the grain is being moved; after the grain or
malt has been sufficiently stirred, it can again rest in the kiln, having a small
supply of steam to keep it moist, and when enough malted it may be dried off.
Figure 7 may be used to dry straw, hops, or the crop of a wet harvest, or
wool, cotton, hair, or such materials; to dry either of these, a creeper must be
used, as in Figure 1, which could drag or move the article to be dried
upwards or downwards at any required speed, the surface of the beds be
continued to any desired length, or the
Note, I refer back to Figure 1. I further state that I propose to cover the
upper side of the partition c, the bottom of the tank or vessel, and the inside
of the recepticle g, with coarse felt, sacking, or any such suitable material, for
the better rubbing and cleaning the grain, &c., as it is being dragged over it;
also I design to put below the horizontal partition c a frame or loose boarding,
also covered on its under side with coarse felt, sacking, or such suitable
material, which I intend to press more or less slightly upon the grain, &c., as
it is being dragged along the bottom of the vessel, also the further to rub or
clean it.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
combining and using the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim
any of the parts separately, nor do I claim the washing and cleansing of grain
by means of floating away the impurities, nor the drying of grain by means of
steam, hot water, or other fluid; but do confine my Invention to the modes
of constructing and combining the parts constituting the washing apparatus,

page_text: and also the modes of constructing and combining the parts into drying
apparatus, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Don, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Second day of June, in
the year of our Lord 1887, the aforesaid Thomas Don came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
O aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.