and Means for Delivering Pneumatically Conveyed Grain or other Granular or Pulverulent Matters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 27th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
Method and Means for Delivering Pneumatically Conveyed Grain
or other Granular or Pulverulent Matters.
I, FREDERIC ELIOT DUCKHAM of Millwall Docks, London, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a method of, and means for, delivering grain or other
granular or pulverulent matters conveyed pneumatically by a current of air under
pressure. The pressure of the air current necessary for conveying grain through
long lengths of piping, as used in loading or discharging ships' cargoes from or to
barges, or in granaries, is such that the grain acquires such considerable velocity
that it becomes impossible to deposit it in any particular spot if it is allowed to be
projected from the discharge aperture at the velocity with which it travels through
the conveying pipe, this difficulty occurring whether the place of deposit is an open
bin, a barge, or a vessel's hold. The difficulty experienced in depositing the grain
is aggravated when it is desired to completely fill up with grain the last empty
spaces left beneath the deck or of a vessel's hold or the ceiling of a granary bin
after the bulk of the space has been filled.
According to my invention I provide means whereby the travelling velocity
acquired by the grain is destroyed and the direction of its motion suddenly changed
at the point of discharge so that before it can again acquire a high velocity it
escapes from the propulsive action of the air current which, separating from the
grain, becomes dispersed in the surrounding atmosphere whilst the grain flows out
quietly and is deposited where required.
Upon the line of piping in a warehouse or granary at intervals corresponding to
the various bins over which the pipe passes and into which the grain may be
required to be deposited, I provide pipe enlargements and outlet orifices at such
positions with regard to the axial direction of the piping that the direction_of
motion of the grain. passing through the pipe must be abruptly changed in order
that it shall pass out at any one of said orifices which may for that purpose be
opened, the orifices being provided with removable covers. This change of motion
is produced by closing the end or any intermediate part of the pipe towards which
the grain is flowing and opening the orifice at which the grain is required to be
discharged. The closing of the pipe at any point however distant beyond the
opened discharge aperture has for effect to cause the grain to bank up in and choke
the pipe just beyond the said aperture, the momentum of the grain being such that
it passes across the said aperture, the bank of grain then forming a self-constituted
and removable buffer against which the air current and grain are subsequently
projected and by which their direction of motion is abruptly changed. This
baffling of the air current tends to check the momentum of the flowing grain the
motion of which is entirely arrested by the bank of grain without injury. The air
current escapes at the discharge aperture and is at once dispersed before it can
communicate a high velocity to the grain which flows out slowly and quietly by
simple gravity and may be received in a bin or other receptacle.
It is found that if several discharge apertures on the underside of a line of piping
be open the grain will pass clear over all apertures to the last open one at which
it will be discharged as above described and that if after being discharged at one

page_text: aperture that aperture be closed and another farther on be opened the current will
clear away the cushioning bank previously formed just beyond the former aperture
and form a fresh one beyond the one last opened. Similarly for discharging the
grain from the terminal nozzle of a flexible pipe the discharge outlet is not at the
end of the nozzle in line with the direction of motion but at the side of the nozzle.
In this case the grain first projected banks up in the closed end of the nozzle
and forms a cushion by which the motion of the subsequently projected grain
is checked so that it flows out quietly at the aperture in the side of the
nozzle.
Dated this 27th day of June 1896..
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Method and Means for Delivering Pneumatically Conveyed Grain
or other Granular or Pulverulent Matters.
1, FREDERIC ELIOT DUCKHAM of Miliwall Docks, London, Civil 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 invention relates to the deposit or delivery of pneumatically conveyed grain
or other granular or pulverulent matters conveyed by a current of air under
pressure and has for object to enable the grain to be deposited gently wherever
required.
In pneumatically conveying grain through long lengths of piping (as in loading
or discharging ships' cargoes from or to barges or as in granaries) the grain flows
in a somewhat attenuated stream suspended in a current of air which is necessarily
at such a high pressure that the air and grain travel at a very considerable velocity,
the effect of which is that the grain rebounds and flies about in all directions so
that it is practically impossible to deposit it in any particular spot if it is projected
from the discharge aperture at the velocity with which it travels through the
conveying pipe, this difficulty occurring whether the place of deposit be an open
bin, a barge, or a vessel's hold. The difficulty experienced in depositing the grain
is aggravated when it is desired to completely fill up with grain the last spaces left
vacant in a vessel's hold, or beneath the deck, or beneath the top or ceiling of a
granary bin, after the bulk of the space has been filled.
According to my invention I provide meaus whereby the velocity acquired by
the grain is destroyed and the direction in which the grain is propelle is suddenly
changed just at the moment before it emerges at the point of discharge so that
before the air current can overcome the inertia of the grain and again impart to
the grain its own high velocity the air will have become dispersed in the surrounding
atmosphere whilst the grain freed from the propulsive action of the air current
masses in a thick stream flowing out by gravity at a low velocity so that it may be
deposited quietly where required.
The means employed for accomplishing this result are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of part of a line of pneumatic piping extending above
a row of granary bins.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, Figure 3 an underside plan, and Figure 4 a
cross section of one of the discharge outlets from the pneumatic pipe.

page_text: Figure 5 illustrates the invention as applied to the delivery nozzle of a flexible
hose delivering grain in the hold of a vessel.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
end.
Referring to Figures 1 to 4, A is a line of piping extending over the various
bins B of a warehouse or granary. It is connected at one end with the conveying
pipe coming from the grain blowing and conveying appliances generally used for
the pneumatic conveyance of grain by a forced current and is closed at the other
At the underside of this line of piping and at intervals corresponding to the
various bins B or places of deposit pipe enlargements C having outlet orifices D
and removable covers E are provided. The enlargement of the thoroughfare at
the point of discharge has for effect to diminish the velocity of the air current at
this point and in order that the grain travelling at a very high velocity through the
pipe may be deposited gently, the orifices are placed axially at right angles to the
line of piping so that the direction of motion of the grain must be abruptly changed
in order that it shall pass out at the orifice which for the time being may be open.
Now whilst the air flows directly to the outlet, the momentum of the grain is so
great at the high velocity at which it travels in the pipe that its inertia would
cause it to overshoot or pass beyond the discharge orifice, and means are therefore
provided whereby the grain is brought to rest so that its initial velocity being thus
destroyed it will flow slowly in the new direction. The arrest of the grain and the
change in the direction of its motion is produced by closing the bore of the pipe A
at a point beyond the orifice at which the grain is required to be discharged, the
effect being to cause the grain carried by its momentum over the opened aperture
to bank up in, and to choke the pipe just beyond the said aperture, the grain thus
banked up forming a self-constituted, elastic, and constantly renewed buffer against
which the grain subsequently arriving may be projected without injury. It is
generally most convenient to close the bore of the pipe A just beyond the aperture
at which the discharge is to be effected and for this purpose I provide a baffle
plate F having a shank f whereby it is adapted to be passed through the delivery
aperture D into the bore of the pipe A and to be there retained by the engagement
of the shank with the lower side of the enlargement C the baffle being situated so
far beyond the aperture D as to leave room for a bank of grain to form for the
purpose mentioned. To facilitate the dispersal of the air and permit of the quiet
deposit of the grain the sectional area of the orifice D is made considerably
greater than that of the pipe A the preferred form of the pipe enlargement
section C being clearly shewn in Figure 4. The covers E of the orifices D are
preferably pivoted at one side and secured at the other by a locking bolt so that
they may be readily opened and closed as required, all being usually closed except
the one from which the grain is to be discharged.
Referring now to Figure 5, which illustrates the invention applied to the terminal
nozzle G of a flexible pipe H adapted to be passed through the hatchway of a
vessel or bin, the nozzle G is made about twice the diameter of the pipe H, is
closed at the end g, and provided with an outlet I at the underside of about the
same diameter as the nozzle. In this, as in the other, case the grain first projected
banks up in the closed end of the nozzle and forms a cushion by which the motion
of the subsequently projected grain is arrested so that it flows out quietly at the
aperture I.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The herein described method and means of gently depositing grain or other
granular or pulverulent matters pneumatically conveyed by a forced current of air,
the said means consisting essentially of an enlargement on the conveying pipe, a
discharge orifice which is substantially at right angles axially to the direction
of motion of the grain, etc., entering the said enlargement and a closure of the
thoroughfare beyond the discharge aperture so that a bank of grain will be formed

page_text: against which the grain will be projected substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Dated this 27th day of March 1897.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.