Year: 1885

page_text: I, ROBERT GRAY MORTON, of Errol in the County of Perth, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows, that is
to say :-
My said Invention has for its object by improving the construction of pneumatic
elevating or conveying apparatus to make it capable of satisfactorily dealing with
grain and other crops or similar materials not only when such materials are short
or dry but also when they are comparatively long or in a green or even moist
condition. My improved apparatus can be used for elevating or conveying freshly
cut grasses or crops to stacks or stores or into silos.
In my improved apparatus a centrifugal fan is arranged with its axis horizontal
in a casing which is formed with an inlet duct leading directly to the centre or
eye of the fan on one side, and with a delivery duct proceeding tangentially from
the circumferential part of the casing, the delivery duct being placed at a suitable
inclination or position according to the direction in which the materials are to be
elevated or conveyed. The fan is overhung on the inner end of its shaft which
passes in through a long bearing fixed to the casing on the side opposite to the
inlet duct. The fan blades are by preference curved with their outer parts thrown
back so that their inner parts are in advance in rotating and so that they will
not catch or become choked by the materials passing through. And, further, to
prevent choking and to direct the materials entering at the eye, a shield or guide
plate is fixed on the centre of the fan facing the inlet. This shield is curved or
shaped so as to guide the materials towards the outer parts of the fan casing, and
it may be entirely concave or it may be formed with a central cone for the better
dividing of the materials.
Dated this t
L
2
1

page_text: Improvements in Pneumatic Elevators or Conveyers for Grain
and other Crops or similar Materials.
I, ROBERT GRAY MORTON, of Errol, in the County of Perth, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My said Invention has for its object, by improving the construction of pneumatic
elevating or conveying apparatus, to make it capable of satisfactorily dealing with
grain and other cut crops or similar materials, not only when such materials are
short or dry, but also when they are comparatively long or in a green or even
moist condition. My improved apparatus can be used for elevating or conveying
freshly cut grasses or crops to stacks or stores or into silos.
In my improved apparatus a centrifugal fan is arranged with its axis horizontal,
in a casing which is formed with an inlet duct leading directly to the centre or
eye of the fan on one side, and with a delivery duct proceeding tangentially from
the circumferential part of the casing, the delivery duct being placed at a suitable
inclination or position according to the direction in which the materials are to be
elevated or conveyed. The fan is overhung on its shaft which is carried in a long
bearing at the side opposite to that of the inlet; and to prevent the materials from
becoming caught by the fan arms and from choking a shield or guide is attached
to the centre of the fan so as to face the inlet. This shield may be entirely concave
or it may be formed. with a central projecting cone for the better dividing of the
materials.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing pneumatic elevating or conveying
apparatus as made with my improvements.
Figure, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation and figure, 2, is a
vertical section of my improved elevator. Figure, 3, is a horizontal section
showing one form of shield and inlet; and figure, 4, is a horizontal section
showing a modified form of shield and inlet. In these drawings the same
reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
The fan case, C, is represented as made with castiron side plates connected by
tie bolts and binding between them a sheet-iron circumferential shell, with the
wooden elevating or, conveying duct, D, attached at a suitable part. The case, C,
is supported between a pair of standards, S, upon which it is adjustable to a
certain extent, so that the inclination of the duct, D, may be altered when required.
The fan, F, is shown as made with four blades, B, but may be made with a
different number if preferred. The blades, B, are by preference curved as shown,
with their outer parts thrown back so that their inner parts are in advance in
rotating, and so that they will not catch or become choked by the materials
passing through. The fan, F, is fixed on one end of a shaft, A, which is carried

page_text: in a long bearing, G, formed at the centre of a wheel-shaped frame, H, which is
bolted to the casing, C, at one side; and the driving pulley, J, is fixed on the outer
end of the shaft.
The inlet duct for the grain, grass, or other material to be elevated or conveyed
consists of a sheet-iron tube, T, which in the modification shown in figure, 3, is
squarely attached to the central opening or eye of the fan casing, C, on the side
opposite to that of the driving shaft. And facing the inner end of the inlet
tube, T, there is fixed on that side of the fan, F, at its centre, a concave shield, K,
which prevents the materials from entering between the arms or spokes of the fan,
and guides them towards the outer parts of the blades. The form of shield, K,
shown in figure, 3, is very efficient with short and dry materials; but when the
apparatus is to be used for elevating or conveying long or moist materials, a
shield, K, of the form shown in figure, 4, is preferable this shield being made with
a central projecting cone which separates the materials as they enter the fan case.
I also in some cases enlarge the central opening or eye of the fan case, C, and make
the inlet tube, T, with its inner end, L, of the flared or curved form shown in
figure, 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1-The constructing or combining together of the parts of pneumatic elevators
or conveyers substantially in the improved manner herein before described and as
shown in the accompanying drawings.
2-The combination of the fan blades curved, as shown, with the shield or
guide fixed to the fan on the side of the inlet for the materials to be elevated
or conveyed substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
3-The fixing of a shield or guide at the centre of the fan substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this fiftranth
FT 1000