Improvements in or appertaining to Machinery applicable for Drying and Conditioning Grain.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Lett, 11th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Machinery applicable for
Drying and Conditioning Grain.
I, CHARLES MALLINSON of 34, Great Mersey Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention has for its object certain improvements on my former apparatus
for conditioning or drying grain, set forth in Letters Patent Nos. 14182 of 1888,
and 10810 of 1890.
I have found that in some cases by reason of the introduction of cold air into
the zigzag casing or chute, a considerable amount of pressure of steam is required
to keep the heating pipes arranged within said chute hot, and for some kinds of
wheat the introduction of cold air into the sort of Turkish bath atmosphere of
the chute is not desirable as it has not sufficient absorbing power or dryness in is
to carry off any excessive quantity of warm moisture present in the chutes.
Now my present invention is to avoid this, and it consists essentially in the
combined use of heating pipes in the apparatus and hot air entering the apparatus
instead of cold. Ou the various air openings into the zigzag chute therefore,
I arrange cowls, covers or cross pipes which are connected with a vertical or
other hot air conduit or trunk leading from a heating device. This hot air device
may consist of a box or chamber, containing a large expanse of metallic surface
heated by fire, steam, hot water or other beat. Thus I may have a large series of
horizontal or slightly sloping pipes or coils in the box or chamber, the air passing
through the box or chamber and the steam passing through the pipes, or the air
might pass through the coils and the steam surround them. 1 prefer, however,
to have the steam in the pipes. If fire be used for heating, I may have corrugated
or other flues or the like runoing through the box or chamber instead of pipes.
In feeding my apparatus with hot air, 1 prefer to provide the various hot air
entrances to the chute with valves, and also provide cold air admission valves for
the purpose of having a supply both of hot and cold air. Thus I can regulate
the temperature of the air supply at every portion of the travel of the grain, by
regulating the respective admissions of hot and cold air or shutting off the hot or
cold air altogether.
Dated this 10th day of December 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATIVA
Improvements in or appertaining to Machinery applicable for
Drying and Conditioning Grain.
I, CHARLES MALLINSON of 34 Great Mersey Street, Liverpool in the County
of Lancaster, Mill Manager 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 has for its object certain. improvements on my former apparatus

page_text: for conditioning or drying grain, set forth 'ini Letters Patent Nos. 14182 of 1888
and 10810 of 1890.
I have found that in some cases by reason of the introduction of cold air into
the zigzag casing or chute, a considerable amount of pressure of steam is required
to keep the heating pipes arranged within said' chute hot, and for some kinds of
wheat the introduction of cold air into the sort of Turkish bath atmosphere of the
chute is not desirable as it has not sufficient absorbing power or dryness in it to
carry off any excessive quantity of warm moisture present in the chutes.
Now my present invention is designed to avoid this and consists essentially in
causing hot air to enter the apparatus instead of cold.
It is carried out as follows, reference: being, had to the accompanying drawings,
in which,
==
Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of the zigzag grain chute,
showing the improvements to be hereinafter described;
Figure 2 is a front view of the same, the vapour shaft or pipes for drawing off
the water from the grain being left out in both figures for the sake of clearness.
AA are the steam or hot water pipes, B the zigzag casing or chute for the grain
arranged in a winding or zigzag form and carried to any suitable height,
CC ventilators on each length of chute connected to the vapour shafts shown in
my previous Patents aforesaid, these ventilators having perforated surfaces D
which provide a free passage for the air, and EE air admission orifices adapted to
admit air into the channel B. These air admission orifices were in my former
Patents open to the atmosphere and it is to this portion of the apparatus that my
present improvements more particularly relate. On these various air openings E
into the zigzag chute therefore, I arrange cowls, covers or cross pipes F which are
connected with a conduit or trunk G following the zigzag course of the chute or
casing B as shown. This conduit or trunk G communicates at intervals with a
main vertical trunk or hollow pillar H leading from an air heating device, and
this hot air device may consist of a box or chamber containing a large expanse of
metallic surface heated by fire, steam, hot water, etcetera. Thus, I might have a
large series of horizontal or slightly sloping pipes or coils in a box or chamber,
the air passing through the box or chamber and on to the trunk H, and the steam
through the pipes and thence to a steam trap. Or the air might pass through the
coils and the steam surround them. If fire be used for heating, I might have
corrugated or other flues or the like running through the box or chamber instead
of pipes.
The mode of action is as follows:-
:-
A fan or its equivalent draws a current of hot air from the heating device,
through the main vertical trunk H, conduit G, cross. pipes F and openings into
the chute or casing B, also through the descending stream of produce and out,
through the ventilators D and C into the vapour pipes, and so. is discharged
outside the building. I may provide the various hot air entrances into conduit G
with valves I, and also may provide cold air admission valves for the purpose of
having a supply of both hot and cold air, thus. I can regulate the temperature of
the air supply at every portion of the travel of the grain by regulating the
respective admission of hot and cold air; or by shutting off either hot or cold air
altogether. In actual practice I prefer to divide the chute B into two channels
by a partition and admit hot air into both channels by the cross pipes F and
openings E except the bottom length of the second channel in the chute, the
openings in which are left open to admit cold air for the purpose of cooling the
grain before it passes out. Grain from the drainer or washer is continuously fed
into one channel of the zigzag chute B through which it descends by gravity in
a thin layer or stream in contact with the steam or hot water pipes A, and acted
upon by the hot air. It is discharged at the bottom into elevators, which carry it
to the hopper at top, whence it descends down the other channel of the chute, the
drying and ventilating being thus continued till the bottom length of the channel
is reached. Here cold air is admitted which thus cools the produce before it

page_text: passes ont. As shown by the arrows, the hot air takes a course opposite to that
of the descending grain which has the effect of thoroughly drying it without
cooling the heating pipes, and furthermore I have found that by introducing hot
air, that the work done by one apparatus equals that done by two under the old
arrangement. It is convenient in many cases to provide a higher pressure of steam
in the pipes A of that channel of the chute through which the grain first descends,
than in the pipes of the second channel through which the grain descends after-
wards, it being found in practice that steam at high pressure is not required in the
second channel. The apparatus does not raise the temperature of the room above
the normal temperature on account of the vapour being discharged outside the
building.
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 improvements on my former invention set forth in my Patents Nos. 14,182
of 1888 and 10810 of 1890 whereby warm air instead of cold can be passed into
or through the grain chute or channel, which while carrying off any excessive
quantity of warm moisture present in the chute will prevent any reduction in the
temperature of the heating pipes and consequently effects a great saving in the
amount of steam required to keep the pipes hot, substantially as described.
2. The use in combination with apparatus of the kind required for drying or
conditioning grain, of the devices for conveying hot air to each length of the
zigzag grain chute and means for regulating the temperature of the air at every
portion of the travel of the grain, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of September 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.