IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING MACHINES SUITABLE FOR DRYING EARS OF CORN, GRAIN, SEEDS. MALT. SPENT HOPS. BREWERS AND DISTILLERS GRAINS. AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Milburn, Gentleman, and Thomas
Browning, Engineer, both of No. 76, Church Lane, Whitechapel,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING MACHINES SUITABLE FOR
DRYING EARS OF CORN, GRAIN, SEEDS. MALT. SPENT HOPS. BREWERS AND
DISTILLERS GRAINS. AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 24th May 1870, and dated the 30th November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Milburn and
Thomas Browning at the Oflice of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 30th November 1869.
We, ROBERT MILBURN, Gentleman, and THOMAS BROWNING,
Engineer, both of No. 76, Church Lane, Whitechapel, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING MACHINES
SUITABLE FOR DRYING EARS OF CORN, GRAIN, SEEDS, MALT, SPENT HOPF. BREWERS'
AND DISTILLERS' GRAINS, AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
In constructing drying machines according to our Invention we apply
below the bottom and near to one end of a drying machine such as is
Price 8d

page_text: described in the Specifications of Patents granted in the year 1867 to
James Lee Norton and numbered 1485 and 2071, a fire-box of the whole
or part of the width of the machine, with a flue leading from it along the
under side of the machine to its opposite end where it terminates in a
chimney. The hopper for feeding the material to be dried into the
cylindrical drying chamber of the machine and the flue for the escape
of vapour therefrom are by preference both placed at the fire-box end
of the apparatus. The space between the outer shell or jacket and
the drying chamber is made rather larger than heretofore, in order that
it may form a steam boiler, the outer shell being fitted with a safety
valve, pressure gauge, and water gauge. A saddle is fixed upon the top
of the outer shell, and this carries a horizontal or other engine for
imparting motion to the revolving axis which carries the shelves of the
drying machine, or when the drying machine is not in use it may be
employed for driving other machinery in a similar manner to an ordinary
agricultural engine. The exhaust steam from the engine may be led
partly into the chimney to create a draft therein and partly also into
the vapour flue from the drying chamber to carry off the moisture from
the wet material as fast as it is produced.
The machine may be mounted on wheels like an ordinary agricultural
engine, so that it may be moved from place to place. A pulley on the
crank shaft of the engine transmits motion by a band to a countershaft
carried on a bracket at the fire-box end of the boiler and a toothed wheel
on this shaft gives motion to a toothed wheel on the end of the axis
which passes longitudinally through the centre of the cylindrical drying
chamber and which carries the blades or shelves by which the materials
to be dried are raised from the bottom of the cylinder and allowed again
to fall on to it in showers. The shaft or countershaft by a pulley or
wheel upon it also gives motion by a band or otherwise to another
pulley or wheel on the axis of the screw or roll by which the materials
to be dried are fed from a hopper into the drying chamber. A rotary
knife for cutting off the ears of damp corn may be fixed at the side of
the hopper on the axis of the feeding screw or roll, or the knife may be
placed in any other convenient position. A slicer for roots may also be
applied in a suitable position to allow the slices as they are cut to fall
into the hopper. In place of the space between the outer shell and the
drying chamber being made to form a steam boiler as above described,
air may be forced into this space and the air heated therein may be

page_text: led through the drying chamber and may pass off from the outlet flue
therefrom, or the heated air may be caused to give motion to the engine
employed for imparting motion to the revolving axis of the drying
machine.
When not employed as a separate drying machine or portable
engine the exhaust steam from any other engine may be led into the
space or jacket around the machine, which may then be used for drying
purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Milburn and Thomas Browning in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
MILBURN, Gentleman, and THOMAS BROWNING, Engineer, both of
No. 76, Church Lane, Whitechapel, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Robert Milburn and Thomas Browning, Her
special licence that we, the said Robert Milburn and Thomas Browning,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Robert Milburn and Thomas Browning, our executors, administrators.
and 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 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING MACHINES
SUITABLE FOR DRYING EARS OF CORN, GRAIN. SEEDS, MALT. SPENT HOPS, BREWERS
AND DISTILLERS GRAINS, AND OTHER MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Robert Milburn and Thomas Browning, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our
or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or
them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Milburn, on behalf of myself
and the said Thomas Browning, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in drying machines
and is applicable to machines in which the materials to be dried are
carried through a jacketted cylinder by the aid of lifters on an axis
revolving within it.
We convert the jacket space into a steam boiler by combining there-
with a fire-box of the whole or part of the width of the machine, with a
flue leading from it along the under side of the machine to its opposite
end where it terminates in a chimney. The hopper for feeding the
material to be dried into the cylindrical drying chamber of the machine
and the flue for the escape of vapour therefrom are by preference both
placed at the fire-box end of the apparatus. The space between the
outer shell or jacket and the drying chamber is made rather larger than
heretofore, in order that it may form a steam boiler, the outer shell being
fitted with a safety valve, pressure gauge, and water gange.
A horizontal or other steam engine is fixed to the machine for im-
parting motion to the revolving axis which carries the lifters of the
drying machine, or when the drying machine is not in use it may be
employed for driving other machinery in a similar manner to an ordinary
agricultural engine, The exhaust steam from the the engine may be led
partly into the chimney to create a draught therein and partly also into.
the vapour flue from the drying chamber to carry off the moisture from
the wet material as fast as it is produced.
The machine may be mounted on wheels like an ordinary agricultural
engine so that it may be moved from place to place. A pulley on the
crank shaft of the engine transmits motion by a band to a countershaft
carried on a bracket at the fire-box end of the boiler, and a toothed
wheel on this shaft gives motion to a toothed wheel on the end of the
axis which passes longitudinally through the centre of the cylindrical

page_text: drying chamber and which carries the lifters or shelves by which the
materials to be dried are raised from the bottom of the cylinder and
allowed again to fall on to it in showers. The shaft or countershaft by
a pulley or wheel upon it also gives motion by a band or otherwise
to another pulley or wheel on the axis of the screw or roll by which
the materials to be dried are fed from a hopper into the drying chamber.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood
and readily carried into effect we will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Figure is a side view of a drying machine constructed according
to our Invention; Figure 2 is a front view, and Figure 3 a back view
partly in section thereof. A is a casing of boiler plate, which is covered
with lagging like an ordinary steam boiler; B is a cylinder placed
inside of A and extending to the same length. They are joined together
at the ends so as to leave a steam-tight space between them; C is a
fire-box and D, D, are flues which pass into another flue E, going round
the end of the cylinder A and terminating in the chimney F; G is the
vapour flue leading through both shells into the interior of the machine;
H is the main centre shaft working in the plummer blocks I, I, fixed
to the brackets J, J. This shaft carries two or more wheels K on which
are fastened shelves or lifters L extending the whole length of the
machine. M. is a toothed wheel fixed to the centre shaft and worked by a
pinion N on the countershaft O which runs in plummer blocks on the
bracket J; P is a steam engine fixed on the casing A and by a rigger and
driving band giving motion to the rigger Q on the countershaft O. The
engine has steam connection with the space between the casing A and
cylinder B, and the exhaust steam from it is led by suitable pipes (not
shown) partly into the chimney F and partly into G, in which latter
flue it creates a draught for the purpose of drawing off the vapour arising
from the material in the process of drying; R is a hopper having a roll
or screw to feed the substances into the machine through the flue G,
This roll is worked by a band from a rigger S on the countershaft O.
The end of the cylinder over the fire-box is perfectly closed, but at the
opposite end only partially, there being a door T through which the
dried material escapes. The pipe from the pump to the feed water

page_text: cistern may be passed through the flue E or D, in order that the water
may enter the boiler already heated. U, U, U, is the carriage and wheels
upon which the machine is placed, or in some cases the machine may be
made without wheels. A safety valve, pressure gauge, and water gauge
are fixed on in the same manner as in ordinary portable engines. Water
is filled into the boiler or space between the cylinders through an opening
made for the purpose, and the water line must be above the flue D. By
taking off the driving band from the engine to the countershaft the
machine becomes an ordinary engine, or by means of an additional
rigger or from the fly wheel on the crank shaft other machines may
be worked while the drying process is in operation.
In some cases we so arrange the apparatus that the heated products
of combustion from the furnace may at will be passed through the
drying chamber.
Figure 4 is a side view of the hinder end of an apparatus adapted to
be so used. Figure 5 is an enlarged section of the same taken at the
line y, y, Figure 4. 1, 1, is a casing containing fans or blowers so
arranged as to suck in heated air and propel it into the interior of the
machine amongst the material being dried when it is necessary to impart
a strong heat; 2, 2, is a chamber formed round the inner cylinder B
at the end of the machine and heated by contact with the flue E. This
chamber has a pipe 3 which connects it with the outer air and pipes 4, 4',
leading into the fans or blowers. E, E, is the flue into which the
products of combustion pass by the tubes 6 on their way to the funnel F.
7, 7, 7, 7, are fans or blowers fixed on the spindle 8, 8, which is driven
by a band from the fly wheel of the engine; 9, 9, is a hinge upon which
the cover 10 works so that it can be lifted up when required; 11 is a
damper in the funnel. In the cover 10 are the exit passages from the
fans for the heated air and products of combustion; 12, 12, are dampers
or stops which are taken out when a communication is required between
the flue E and the fans.
In drying matters of a delicate nature these dampers are kept shut,
and the products of combustion pass away through the funnel, heating
the air however in the chamber 2, 2, as they go through the flues E, E,
but where it is possible to employ them the process of drying is much
accelerated by passing the products of combustion through the drying
compartment.

page_text: We claim constructing a drying machine as above described to
be capable of being also used as a portable engine for obtaining
power.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Milburn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
ROBERT MILBURN. (L.S.)