IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN DRYERS.
Year: 1882

page_text: 4
LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the firm of A M and 'W
Clark of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents for
-an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN GRAIN DRYERS. A communication to
him from abroad by Henry Cutler of North Wilbraham, in the County of
Hampden, George Edward Cutler, Charles Frederick Cutler, and Benjamin
Titcomb Thompson, of South Framingham in the County of Middlesex, both
in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
t at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th October 1882.
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ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agents IMPROVEMENTS IN
GRAIN DRYERS [A communication to him from abroad by Henry Cutler of North
Wilbraham, in the County of Hampden, George Edward Cutler, Charles Frederick
Cutler, and Benjamin Titcomb Thompson, of South Framingham in the County of
Middlesex, both in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America]
These improvements relate to grain dryers of the class in which grain is passed
through a revolving cylinder heated by steam pipes.
The object of the Invention is to provide for the construction of dryers with
large capacity in which the temperature can be raised to a high point; also to
provide for expansion and contraction without any injury to the machine or the
liability of breaking joints and consequent leaking.
.
The cylinder is constructed of wood and placed at an inclination as usual and
provided with heads at each of its ends. The steam head which is at the lower
end is formed double or hollow with a central partition and radial partition plates
by which four chambers are formed at each side of the partition plate of which the
chambers at the outside are in the form of sectors separated by spaces. The
partition plate has numerous holes for the reception of the ends of pipes which
[Price 6d1

page_text: extend lengthwise of the cylinder. The inner or back plate of the steambend is
apertured to correspond with the partition plate but the holes are of larger size to
receive pipes that surround the first. The opposite closed ends of these outer pipes
are received and supported by the disc or head at the upper end of the cylinder,
which is apertured to receive them. By this construction the smaller internal
pipes connect with the outer chambers of the steam head while the exterior pipes
aro open to the inner chambers of said head at the inner side of the partition
plate.
The steam head is formed with a hollow journal by which the lower end of the
cylinder is supported in its bearings. In this hollow journal is fited the steam
plug that is formed to allow the inlet of steam into the cylinder and the outlet of
water therefrom, as next described.
The plug has a central passage for steam, and a side passage for water. At its
outer end the plug has a side aperture for connection with the steam pipe, so that
the steam entering the central passage passes into the outer chambers of the steam
head. At the end of the water passage there is an opening for connection to a
steam trap. The inner end of this passage opens out upon the surface of the steam
plug so as to communicate with inclined passages formed in the hollow journal and
through the steam head to the inner chainbers of the head with which the exterior
pipes communicate. By this construction the steam entering to the steam head
passes into the smaller pipes and the return steam and water of condensation are
carried by the outer pipes to the inner chambers of the steam head, and from
thence pass through the passages to the water passages of the steam plug. The
water passage opens communication with each inclined passage once during a
rotation of the cylinder.
The several chambers at the inside of the partition plate and between it and the
back plate are connected together at their inuer ends, and pockets are thereby
formed which sorve to collect the water of condensation, which carried off by
the inclined passages which communicate with these pockets. The steam plug is
provided with annular packings to prevent the escape of steam. The outer
packing is compressed by a gland applied around the outer end of the plug, and
the inner packing is held in place by a bail or stirrup piece connected to a rod that
passes centrally through the plug to the outside, where the rod is provided with a
nut for tightening the packing.
The heads of the cylinder are connected together by stringers of wood which are
bolted to them the heads being thereby securely held by a material that is not
affected by heat, Iron segments pass from one stringer to the next and these
segments serve to support the outer wooden casing which is attached around the
segments by hoops thereby giving the cylindrical form and required strength to
the casing. The cylinder shaft is bolted to the inner side of the steam head
and passes through the upper head where it is formed as a journal for supporting:
the cylinder. The shaft is fitted interiorly of the cylinder with partitions which
extend the whole length of the cylinder so that they serve to divide the interior
into four separate sections, each section containing a cluster of the tubing and a
ventilating aperture so that each section constitutes a separate dryer, and the grain
being divided equally by the partitions, the weight is balanced so that less power
is required to operate the dryer.
The separate compartments are fed with grain by means of buckets which are
fastened to the outside of the cylinder next to the upper head. In the rotation of
the cylinder these buckets pass successively through a, trough under the cylinder,
to which the grain is supplied. The apertures in the cylinder beneath the buckets
are fitted with inclined plates by which the grain is moved forward. These plates
also cover the apertures so that the grain cannot pass out of the cylinder when the
buckets are at the under side of said cylinder. Any suitable outlet for the grain
from the cylinder after it is dried may be provided.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the.
5th April 1883.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A, M, and W, Clark of 53
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GRAIN DRYERS." A communication to me from abroad by Henry Cutler of North
Wilbraham in the County of Hampden, George Edward Cutler, Charles Frederick
Cutler, and Benjamin Titcomb Thompson of South Framingham in the County of
Middlesex, both in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
These improvements relate to grain dryers of the class in which grain is passed
through a revolving cylinder heated by steam pipes.
The object of the Invention is to provide for the construction of grain dryers
with large capacity in which the temperature can be raised to a high point; also to
provide for expansion and contraction without any injury to the machine or the
liability of breaking joints and consequent leaking.
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. Figure 1 is a
longitudinal section of the improved steam dryer. Figure 2 is a transverse section
on line xx of Figure 1 showing the steam head. Figure 3 is a transverse section
on line y-y of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale of
a plug for the admission of steam and escape of water through the hollow journal
of the dryer, and Figure 5 a transverse section of the plug on line - Figure 4.
A is the cylinder constructed of wood and provided with a steam head B at its
lower end, and a head C at its upper end. The steam head B is formed double or
hollow with a central partition a and radial partition plates 6 (Figure 2) by which
four chambers are formed at each side of the partition plate a of which the chambers
at the outside marked care in the form of sectors separated by spaces d, and the
inside chambers between partition a and back plate d are marked c¹. The partition
plate a is formed with numerous holes that receive the ends of pipes f which extend
lengthwise of the cylinder. The inner or back plate..d of the steam head is
apertured to correspond with the partition plate a, but the holes are of larger size
to receive the pipes g that receive the pipes f. The opposite ends of these pipes g
are received and supported by an apertured disc or head Cand these ends are closed.
It will be seen that by this construction the smaller pipes f connect with the outer
chambers c while the larger pipes gare open to the chambers c¹ at the inner side of
the partition plate a and back plate d'. The head B is formed with a hollow
journal by which the lower end of the cylinder is supported in the bearings j.
In this hollow journal is fitted the steam plug D that is formed to allow the inlet
of steam into the cylinder and the outlet of water therefrom, as next described.
The plug D is formed with a central passage k, Figure 4, for steam, and a side
passage for water. At its outer end the plug has a side aperture ¹ for connection
with the steam pipe, so that the steam entering the passage k enters the chambers c
of the steam head. At the end of the water passage is an opening l for connec-
tion to a steam trap. The inner end of this passage opens out upon the surface
of the steam plug so as to communicate with the inclined passages m'm that are
formed in the hollow journal i and through the steam head B to the inner chambers o¹
with which the pipes g communicate. By this construction the steam entering by
passage k to the steam head passes into the pipes f and the return steam and
water of condensation are carried by the pipes g to the inner chambers c¹ of the

page_text: ..
steam head and froin thence pass through the passages m to the passage of the
steam plug. The passage communicates with each passage m once during a
rotation of the cylinder. The several chambers c' at the inside of the partition
plate a and between it and the back plate d', are connected together at their inner
ends, and pockets are thereby formed similar to those represented at n Figure 2
which serve to collect the water of condensation and by the passages m communi-
cating with these pockets, the water is carried, off. The steam plug is provided.
with annular packings on to prevent the escape of steam. The outer packing is
compressed by a gland p (Figure 4) applied around the outer end of the plug, and
the inner packing o is held in place by a bail o' connected to a rod p' that passes
through the centre of the plug to the outside where the rod is provided with a nut
for tightening the packing.
1
The steam hoad B and upper head O are connected together by stringers of
wood which are bolted to them, the heads being thereby held securely by a material
that is not affected by heat. Iron segments; pass from one stringer to the next
and these segments serve to support the outer wooden casing which is attached
around the segments by hoops u, thereby giving the cylindrical form and required
strength to the casing. The shaft w of the cylinder is bolted to the inner side of
the steam head B and passes through the upper head C where it is formed as a
journal for supporting the cylinder. The shaft is fitted interiorly of the cylinder
with partitions S which extend the whole length and serve to divide the interior
into four separate sections, each section containing a cluster of the tubing fg and
a ventilating aperture t, Figure 1, so that each section constitutes a separate dryer,
and the grain being divided equally by the partitions, the weight is balanced and
less power is required to operate the dryer. The separate compartments are fed
with grain by means of buckets which are fastened to the outside of the cylinder
next to the disc C. In the rotation of the cylinder these buckets pass successively
through a trough v under the cylinder to which the grain is supplied. The
apertures in the cylinder A beneath the buckets are fitted with inclined plates by
which the grain is moved forward. These plates also cover the apertures so that
the grain cannot pass out of the cylinder when the buckets are at the underside of
said cylinder: Any suitable outlet for the grain from the cylinder after it is dried
may be provided:
.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patont is.
1. The cylinder A having the hollow steam head B with the apertured
plates ad, partition plates b, four chambers on each side of plate a, the pipes fg.
and the disc C, as shown and described.
2. The cylinder head B having chambers cc, hollow journal with inclined
passages m, and bearing j, in combination with a plug D having the central steam
passage, lateral water passage l, and openings, as shown and described.
3rd The combination with the head B having passages m, back plate d', and the
plate a, of the chambers o' connected at their inner ends to form pockets n and
communicating with said passages as shown and described.
4. The combination with the packing of the gland p around the outer end of
the plug D, the bail o'; and the rod 2 passing through the centre of plug, as
described.
5 In grain dryers, the combination with the steam head B baving the hollow
journal and passages m, of the steam plug D provided with the separate passages kl
for steam and water, substantially as shown and described.
6. In grain dryers the steam head B constructed with the separate steam and
water chambers and the hollow journal in one piece, substantially as shown and
described.
7. In grain dryers, the steam plug D.forined with the passages and provided
with the packings on,in combination with the hollow journal . substantially as

page_text: 8th. In grain dryers the combination of the buckets u¹, slides x, and trough v
substantially as described for operation as set forth.
9th. In grain dryers, the feed buckets for supplying the cylinder, in combination
with the cylinder A and trough v, substantially as shown and described.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set
my hand and seal this fifth day of April, A.D. 1883