Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling and Drying Grain and Seeds.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling and Drying Grain and
Seeds.
I, WALTER BYERS, of the Borough Corn Mill, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Corn Miller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cooling and drying
grain and seeds. When grain or seed has been passed through any of the ordinary
forms of drying apparatus it is discharged therefrom in a warm state and usually
requires to be artificially cooled various methods having been heretofore employed
to this end.
According to my said invention the warm grain is delivered at the top into
the interior of an enclosed chamber or box-hereinafter referred to as the "drying
chamber" and gradually finds its way down en masse (as distinguished from
"trickling") to the bottom thereof between a series of sloping boards or sheet
metal "louvres" arranged at an angle alternately in opposite directions to each
other the lower edge of one louvre projecting beyond the edge of its neighbouring
louvre above. The drying chamber is in communication with an exhaust or suction
fan which carries off the heat and any vapour given off from the slowly descend-
ing grain as it gradually moves down between the series of louvres. By this
arrangement the grain whilst undergoing a cooling operation is also still further
dried. A suitable valve or valves may be provided for controlling the amount of
suction power exercised by the fan.
To produce a further or final cooling or chilling effect I cause the grain to
descend-if used in conjunction with a drying chamber such as hereinabove
described from the bottom of the said chamber between hollow flat curved or
diagonally disposed thin sheet metal plates or over or between tubes or pipes of
thin sheet metal through which the outer cold air is driven or drawn at a con-
siderable velocity. These cold air pipes tubes or plates may be in various forms
and variously arranged relatively to each other and in some cases may be arranged
in combination with intercepting round or other section of pipes disposed in such
manner as to disturb or stir up the grain as it passes down over the chilled surfaces
of the cold air plates or tubes. The series of cold air plates opens preferably at
each end into boxes or chambers one of which is in communication with the
outer air and the other with an exhaust fan. Or the arrangement may be reversed
and the cold air from without may be blown instead of drawn through the
apparatus.
I employ suitable valve or other apparatus or devices for regulating the supply
and discharge of the grain under treatment and also provide means of access
whereby the attendant may be enabled to inspect the interior of the drying
chamber above (and the material under treatment) and also the cold air apparatus
below provision being also made to allow of the interior of the cold air plates
and pipes being brushed out and cleaned from time to time as required.
Although I have described the chilling effect on the tubes plates or pipes as

page_text: produced by a current of cold air it will be obvious that I may if found preferable
effect the chilling of the said tubes plates or pipes by means of a current of cold
water suitable inlet and outlet pipes and valves being provided.
Dated this 16th day of December 1896.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling and Drying Grain and
Seeds.
I, WALTER BYERS, of the Borough Corn Mill, Bolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Corn Miller, 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:-
"
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cooling grain and seeds.
When grain or seed has been passed through any of the ordinary forms of drying
apparatus it is discharged therefrom in a warm state and usually requires to be
artificially cooled various methods having been heretofore employed to this end.
According to my said invention the warm grain is delivered at the top into
the interior of an enclosed chamber or box-hereinafter referred to as the "drying
chamber" and gradually finds its way down en masse (as distinguished from
trickling") to the bottom thereof between a series of sloping boards or sheet
metal louvres" arranged at an angle alternately in opposite directions to each
other the lower edge of one louvre projecting beyond the edge of its neighbouring
louvre above. The drying chamber is in communication with an exhaust or suction
fan which carries off the heat and any vapour given off from the slowly descend-
ing grain as it gradually moves down between the series of louvres. By this
arrangement the grain whilst undergoing a cooling operation is also still further
dried. A suitable valve or valves may be provided for controlling the amount of
suction power exercised by the fan.
To produce a further or final cooling or chilling effect I cause the grain to
descend if used in conjunction with a drying chamber such as hereinabove
described from the bottom of the said chamber between hollow flat curved or
diagonally disposed thin sheet metal plates or over or between tubes or pipes of
thin sheet metal through which the outer cold air is driven or drawn at a con-
siderable velocity. These cold air pipes tubes or plates may be in various forms
and variously arranged relatively to each other and in some cases may be arranged
in combination with intercepting round or other section of pipes disposed in such
manner as to disturb or stir up the grain as it passes down over the chilled surfaces
of the cold air plates or tubes. The series of cold air plates opens preferably at
each end into boxes or chambers one of which is in communication with the
outer air and the other with an exhaust fan. Or the arrangement may be reversed
and the cold air from without may be blown instead of drawn through the
apparatus.
I employ suitable valve or other apparatus or devices for regulating the supply
and discharge of the grain under treatment and also provide means of access
whereby the attendant may be enabled to inspect the interior of the drying
chamber above (and the material under treatment) and also the cold air apparatus
below provision being also made to allow of the interior of the cold air plates
and pipes being brushed out and cleaned from time to time as required.

page_text: Although I have described the chilling effect on the tubes plates or pipes as
produced by a current of cold air it will be obvious that I may if found preferable
effect the chilling of the said tubes plates or pipes by means of a current of cold
water suitable inlet and outlet pipes and valves being provided.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a sectional end view.
Fig. 2 a sectional side view and
Fig. 3 a plan view in cross section (taken at the line A-B Fig. 1) of the
improved apparatus hereinabove described.
a represents the enclosing chamber or box into which the grain or seed is
supplied through a main hopper & and distributing hoppers 61 6₁ to the several
sets of diagonally opposed boards or sheet metal louvres c c. dd are the suction
fans for drawing or carrying off the heat and any vapour given off from the
slowly descending grain or seed as it gradually moves down between the series
of louvres.
ee are the cooling pipes around which the grain or seed slowly descends the
said pipes being in communication with the end boxes or chambers f f and
the inlet g and outlet h through which the outer cold air may be blown or drawn
by means of a fan or fans or cold water passed through as herein before mentioned.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate diagrammatically three different arrangements of the
cooling plates or pipes.
ii represent removable shutters for providing access to the interior of the
apparatus, jj delivery hoppers, k k delivery rollers and a worm conveyor all
being of the usual kind.
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:-
1. Apparatus for cooling and drying grain and seeds in which the grain or
seed passes down between diagonally disposed opposing boards or sheet metal
louvres a suction fan or fans being employed in conjunction therewith in manner
substantially as herein described and shewn in the drawings.
2. Apparatus for cooling and drying grain and seeds in which the grain or seed
passes down between hollow plates or pipes through whose interior the outer cold
air is either drawn or blown substantially as herein described and shewn in the
drawings.
3. The combination in one apparatus or machine of the two methods of cooling
and drying grain and seeds described in the preceding Claims 1 and 2, substantially
as shewn in the drawings.
4. The combination of parts constituting the apparatus for cooling and drying
rin and seeds constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this with day of Santambon 1907
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.