IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS FOR DRYING CORN, MALT, OR OTHER GRANULAR SUBSTANCES, PART OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO THE SCREENING OR SIFTING OF SUCH SUBSTANCES DURING THE PROCESS OF DRYING."
Year: 1857

page_text: 1.
LETTERS PATENT to Peter Madden, of No. 1, Russell Place, City of
Dublin, Architect, for. the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS FOR
DRYING CORN, MALT, OR OTHER GRANULAR SUBSTANCES, PART OF THESE
IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO THE SCREENING OR SIFTING OF SUCH
SUBSTANCES DURING THE PROCESS OF DRYING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Madden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th November 1857.
I, PETER MADDEN, of No. 1, Russell Place, City of, Dublin, Architect, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KILNS
FOR DRYING CORN, MALT, OR OTHER GRANULAR SUBSTANCES, PART OF THESE
IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO THE SCREENING OR SIFTING OF SUCH SUBSTANCES
DURING THE PROCESS OF DRYING," to be as follows:-
I propose by this Invention to dry grain or corn as aforesaid in manner as
follows:-The first principle consists in causing the corn or grain to descend
during the process of drying in stratum or strata, between incline planes, or
within a case or cases laid in incline planes.
I further propose that each of these incline planēs or cases through which
the corn or grain shall pass, shall have underneath them chambers or flues for
supplying the heated air necessary for drying such substances as aforesaid,

page_text: which heated air will ascend through the stratum or strata of grain. The
uppermost and lower sides of each incline or case for the passage of the grain
shall be composed of wirework or perforated plates, so that the heated air
may ascend through the stratum of grain contained in each and every case
during the process of drying in the kiln. By perforated plates I include tiles
or other perforated mediums.
I also propose that each section of the kiln shall have a sufficient chamber
or flue over the stratum or strata of grain for effecting the free evaporation of
the moist vapour arising from the grain during the process of drying, hence it
is evident that by this process of drying grain, that the heated air is in all
instances made to ascend through the strata of grain whilst the latter is being
dried.
Bro
to
In order to explain this Invention, as applicable to cases wherein two or
more inclines or cases A placed one above another for the corn to descend
through them shall be used; suppose the first incline or descent from the
loading place to be in a line of gradual descent from left. to right, whilst
in continuation it is made to change its course in the next line of descent, say
from right to left; in other words, the grain descends in a zig-zag course
whilst drying, until it reaches the discharging point or points of the kiln,
where it is allowed to run off when dry; each gradient of the zig-zag formation
being furnished with the requisite hot air chamber under it, and space for free
evaporation over it, as herein-before described; hence it is to be infered that
in cases wherein the zig-zag course of the gradients is adopted, the stratum of
grain turns its opposite side to the heat on passing each angle at the junction
of two inclines, in other words, the grain may be said A turn by its own natural
course of action whilst drying. In some instances the one hot air chamber
yields the heated air to two inclines containing the grain, for instance, when it
occurs that these two inclines or cases extend above this hot air chamber in
the form or shape of the letter V, or vice versa, in the form of the letter V
inverted. When only one hot chamber shall be required, I propose that it be
supplied by a flue from the furnace, but in cases of hot air chambers being
placed one above the other in different sections of the kiln, I propose to have
sideings or side flues outside the line of the frames or cases containing the
grain, which side flues shall serve to carry the heated air from the lower to
the upper chamber, as the case may be; while again I propose, if necessary,
that each hot air chamber shall be supplied by a seperate flue or branch flue
to convey the heated air to it from the furnace direct.
, I Next, in order to prevent the too rapid ascent of the heated air under the
gradients through which the grain shall pass, I propose to suspend stops or

page_text: curtains extending to a requisite depth fully across each hot air chamber at
certain stations under each incline or gradient, thereby retaining ^ necessary
stratum of heated air under the grain at all points, which cannot by means of
these stops or curtains ascend otherwise than through the strata of grain to
effect the purpose of drying the latter.
In order to screen or sift the grain during the process of drying, in cases
wherein screening shall be required, I propose that the bottom surface of each
gradient or case through which the grain shall pass, shall be made as a screen
to effect such purpose, causing the dust and other screenings to drop into the
hot air chamber underneath each gradient.
The free évaporation of the moist vapour from the grain, as herein-before
specified, means evaporation to the exterior of the kiln; and I propose, under
befitting circumstances, to set these gradients for descent of the grain so as to
intersect each other in their courses.
Note. The word are interlined in second page, fifth line. [p. 2, 1. 14.]
"
"
The word to interlined in second page, eighteenth line. [p. 2, 1. 25.]
The letter a interlined in third page, eleventh line. [p. 3, 1. 2.]
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Madden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th May 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
MADDEN, of No. 1, Russell Place, City of Dublin, Architect, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the .
in the year of our Lord
day of
One thousand eight hundred and fifty
in the
year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said. Peter Madden, Her special licence that I, the said Peter Madden,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Peter Madden, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands,, and Isle of. Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KILNS FOR DRYING CORN, MALT, OR OTHER GRANULAR SUBSTANCES, PART OF THESE
IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO THE SCREENING OR SIFTING OF SUCH SUBSTANCES
DURING THE PROCESS OF DRYING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the

page_text: said Peter Madden, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Madden, 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:-
I propose by this Invention to dry grain or corn in manner as follows:--
The first principle of which consists in causing the grain to descend during
the process of drying in stratum or strata between inclined planes, or within a
case or cases laid in inclined planes.
I further propose that each of these inclined planes or cases through which
the corn or grain shall pass, shall have beneath them chambers or flues for
supplying the heated air necessary for drying of such substances as aforesaid,
which heated air shall ascend through the stratum or strata of grain. The
upper and lower sides of each incline or case for the passage of the grain to
be composed of wirework or perforated plates, so that the heated air may
ascend transversely through the grain contained within each and every case
during the process of kiln drying. These inclined planes or cases for the
passage of the grain through them, to be either rectilinear or circular in their
horizontal sections or plans. By perforated plates I include tiles or other
perforated mediums.
I also propose that each section of the kiln shall have a sufficient chamber
ór flue.over each case cóntaining the grain for effecting the free evaporation of
the moist vapour arising from the grain during the process of drying, hence it
is evident by this process of drying grain that the heated air shall in all
instances be made to ascend or pass through the strata of grain transversely
while the latter is being dried..
In order to explain this Invention, as applicable to cases wherein two or
more inclines or cases are placed one above another for said purpose of drying
shall be used, suppose the first gradient or descent from the loading place to
be in a line of gradual descent from left to right, while in continuation it is
made to change its course in its next line of descent, say from right to left, in
other words the grain thus descends in a zig-zag course while drying, until it
reaches the discharging point or points of the kiln, where it is allowed to pass
off when dry; each gradient of the zig-zag formation being furnished with the

page_text: somie
requisite hot air chamber under it, and the space for free evaporation over it,
as herein-before described, hence it follows, that in cases wherein the zig-zag
course of the gradients is adopted, the stratum of grain turns completely its
opposite side to the heat on passing each angle or space at the junction of two
inclines, in other words, each and every stratum of grain turns at the
junction of the gradients by its own natural course of action while drying. In.
instances one hot air chamber may be made to yield the heated air to
two inclines containing the grain, for instance, when it occurs that these two
inclines or cases extend above this hot air chamber in the form of the letter V,
or vise versa, in the form of the letter V inverted. When only one hot air
chamber shall be required, I propose that it be supplied by a flue from the
furnace; but in cases of hot air chambers being placed one above another in
different sectious of the kiln, I propose to have sidings or side flues outside.
the line of the frames or cases containing the grain, which side flues shall
serve to carry the heated air from the lower to the upper heated chamber,
as the case may be; while again I propose, if necessary, that each hot air
chamber shall be supplied by a seperate flue or branch flue to convey the
heated air to it from the furnace direct.
Next, in order to prevent the too rapid ascent of the heated air under the
gradients through which the grain shall pass, I
propose, when necessary, to
suspend stops or curtains from the gradients, extending to a requisite depth
fully across or around, within each hot air chamber at certain stations under
each incline or gradient, thereby retaining a necessary stratum of heated air
under the grain at all-points, which hot air cannot by means of these stops or
curtains ascend otherwise than through the strata of grain directly over it at
each section of the kiln.
In order to screen or sift the grain during the process of drying, in such
cases wherein screening shall be required, I propose that the bottom surface
of each gradient or case through which the grain shall pass shall be made as
a screen to effect such purpose, thereby causing the dust and other screenings
to drop into the hot air chamber beneath each gradient.
The free evaporation of the moist vapour from the grain, as herein-before
specified, means evaporation to the exterior of the kiln. By discharging point
or points of the kiln, as herein-before mentioned, I mean that the grain when
dry shall be allowed to descend or discharge, either from one converging
space or point at bottom of drying case, or from various points for discharging
seperately from the drying case, or from one point or space to which these
various points, as aforesaid, shall be made to converge, as circumstances may
require.

page_text: I refer to Drawing containing explanatory Diagrams as applicable to this
Invention, and herewith deposited in Patent Office.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Madden, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
PETER MADDEN. (L.S.)

page_text: A,A,A, & Gradients or cases through which the grain descend
white drying.
B.B, discharging points for the grain to pass off when dry
CC, & Sections of sideings, or side flues, for conveying the hot air
from/onechamber to another
DD, Sections of Flues which carry the hot air from furnace
EE,& stops or curtains lying across the kiln which retain
a portion of the hot air under the grain at all points.