IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN
Year: 1854

page_text: Sealed the 9th February 1855, and dated the 8th December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Acres at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th December 1854.
I, EDWARD ACRES, of Pouldrew Mills, in the County of Waterford, Miller,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRYING WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN," to be as follows:
My Invention consists in the combination of the heating apparatus, herein-
after described, with the apparatus for agitating and spreading the grain,
herein-after described.
The heating apparatus consists of a stove, the fire box of which is encased
in a jacket, pierced with holes or openings at the lower part of the two sides
and back, through which air is supplied to the fire box by means of a conduit
of masonry, extending round the said two sides and back of the stove.
The
upper part of the jacket also contains openings, corresponding in area
with those at the lower part, through which the air, after being heated and

page_text: rarefied, may pass up through the covering of the kiln, to which the fire box is
connected. There is a pipe extending from the side of the jacket enclosing
the fire box, in order to give draft to the fire. This pipe is elongated as much
as convenient, and secured to the side of the kiln by an air-tight joint. There
is also a pipe or funnel above the upper part of the stove, extending to the
centre of the air chamber of the kiln, from which pipe or funnel branch off
radial pipes towards the sides of the kiln. By this means there is maintained
an additional supply of air to the sides of the kiln at a lower temperature than
in the centre. The kiln is covered by a cover of tiles or of perforated metal,
upon which the wheat or other grain is agitated and spread, so as to be acted
upon by the heat in the required manner.
The agitating apparatus consists of a vertical shaft, driven at suitable speed
by proper gearing, according to the particular state and quality of the grain
to be treated. To the lower part of this shaft are fixed radial arms, to some
of which are applied transversely cane brushes, of such rake or pitch as to be
capable of driving the wheat or other grain from the centre to the sides of the
kiln. Other cane brushes are applied to other of the said arms in such a
manner as to have a tendency when in motion to drive the wheat or grain
back to the centre. There are also coulters applied to some of the arms, in
order that by coming into operation along the several ridges left by the cane
brushes, and close to the surface of the kiln cover, they may turn up the grain
so left, and thus tend to promote (in connection with the cane brushes)
uniformity in the drying of the whole mass of grain. The head of the kiln
above the grain should be kept in such a state of exhaustion of air by an
exhaust fan as to promote the passing of a constant current of heated air
from the kiln through the grain. The cooling of the grain should be effected
by allowing it to fall into another circular frame, open to the cold air, in which
revolve a set of cane brushes, similar to those used in the kiln for agitating
it, as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 3
by the said Edward Acres in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
ACRES, of Pouldrew Mills, in the County of Waterford, Miller, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Acres, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Acres,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Acres, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING
WHEAT AND OTHER GRAIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Edward Acres, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Acres, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, (that is to say), (reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon) :-
My Invention of Improvements in Drying Wheat and other Grain" has
for its object, in the first place, the more uniform treatment of the grain at a
lower temperature than usual, by heating the air which is to act on the grain
by radiation, and without subjecting it to contact with the fuel, thereby obviating
the ordinary liability to injure the grain during the process; and, secondly,
an economy of labour in turning over and spreading the grain, and these
objects are accomplished by the combination of the heating apparatus, herein-
after described, with the apparatus for agitating and spreading the grain,
herein-after described.
The heating apparatus consists of a stove, the fire box of which is encased
in a jacket, pierced with holes or openings at the lower part of the two
sides and back, through which air is supplied to the fire box by means of a
conduit of masonry, extending round the said two sides and back of the stove.
The upper part of the jacket also contains openings, corresponding in area
with those at the lower part, through which the air, after being heated and
rarefied, may pass up through the covering of the kiln, to which the fire box
is connected. There is an air-tight pipe extending from the side of the fire
box and passing through the jacket, in order to give draft to the fire. This
pipe is elongated as much as convenient, and passed into a chimney flue in

page_text: the wall of the kiln. There is also a pipe or funnel above the upper part of
the stove, extending to the centre of the air chamber of the kiln, from which
pipe or funnel branch off radial pipes towards the sides of the kiln. By
this means there is maintained an additional supply of air to the sides of
the kiln at a lower temperature than in the centre. The kiln is covered by a
cover of tiles or of perforated metal, upon which the wheat or other grain
is agitated and spread, so as to be acted upon by the heat in the required
manner.
The agitating apparatus consists of a vertical shaft, driven at suitable speed
by proper gearing, according to the particular state and quality of the grain
to be treated. To the lower part of this shaft are fixed radial arms, to some
of which are applied transversely cane brushes of such rake or pitch as to be
capable of driving the wheat or other grain from the centre to the sides of the
kiln. Other cane brushes are applied to other of the said arms in such a
manner as to have a tendency when in motion to drive the wheat or grain
back to the centre. There are also coulters applied to some of the arms, in
order that by coming into operation along the several ridges left by the cane
brushes, and close to the surface of the kiln cover, they may turn up the grain
so left, and thus tend to promote (in connection with the cane brushes) uni-
formity in the drying of the whole mass of grain. The head of the kilu above
the grain should be kept in such a state of exhaustion by an exhaust fan as to
promote the passing of a constant current of heated air from the kiln through
the grain. The cooling of the grain should be effected by allowing it to fall
into another circular frame, open to the cold air, in which revolve a set of
cane brushes, similar to those used in the kiln for agitating it, as required.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Drawing, in
which is represented the combination of mechanism above referred to.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus or mechanism; Fig. 2 is
a horizontal section of the same in the line A, B, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a
horizontal section of the same in the line C, D, of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an
elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the stove detached; and Fig. 5 is a plan or
horizontal view, also on an enlarged scale, of the above with its cover removed,
shewing the air flue. Fig. 6 is a top view of the fire-box jacket, shewing the
openings for the escape upwards of the rarefied air. In all these Figures the
same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
a, a, is the brickwork, within which the apparatus or mechanism is inclosed;
b is the fire box of the stove; c is the jacket surrounding it; d is the conduit
or flue, through which air is introduced between the jacket c and fire box by

page_text: means of holes or openings in the jacket; f is the draft pipe, extending from
the side of the fire box b to the outer side of the kiln, as shewn; g is the funnel
communicating between the upper part of the stove and the air chamber h of
the kiln; and are two perforated metal plates, forming the ceiling and
floor of the said chamber; 7 is a vertical shaft, turning in suitable bearings,
and driven, through the agency of bevil gearing, as at m, by means of any
suitable prime mover, not shewn in the Drawing; n' are radial arms, extending
from a boss on the shaft 1, to the under side of which arms are fixed a set
of cane brushes, so arranged as to be calculated to drive the grain from the
centre to the sides of the kiln during the revolution of the shaft l; n² are
similar arms with cane brushes, arranged so as to gather the grain from the
sides into the centre of the kiln, by which means the grain is detained a
sufficient time, and is only gradually discharged; n³ are similar arms, furnished
with a set of coulters on their under side, which coulters are adapted to
turn over the grain left in ridges by the operation of the cane brushes. These
coulters are capable of operating close to the perforated plate i, so as to turn
up the grain from the bottom of the ridge or heap. o is an exhaust fan, by
means of which the upper part of the kiln is kept in a state of partial vacuum,
in order to promote the required current of air through the apparatus. The
grain when properly dried is discharged into a similar cooling frame, as pre-
viously mentioned. p is a main flue, opening over the fire-place and running
into the centre of the kiln; it there receives its supply of cold air, which it
distributes beneath the lower perforated plate k, by means of the branch pipes
7,7, thus affording an additional supply of air and moderating the temperature.
It will thus be seen that the heat generated by the fire box will pass from
the jacket c, through the holes or openings in its upper part into the funnel
and through the perforations of the plate k into the air chamber h of the kiln,
whence it issues through the perforations of the plate i, and the heated air is
made to permeate the mass of grain as the latter is kept in agitation by the
cane brushes and coulters fixed to the revolving arms n', n², and n³. By the
arrangement of apparatus represented and described, it is evident that full
provision is made for the constant supply of fresh air, heated and rarefied by
its contact with the fire box 6, all noxious vapours escaping by the pipe f. It
will likewise be seen that the heated air is passed in divided streams into the
kiln, so as to become filtrated on its passage to the mass of grain. By this
means also it is lowered in temperature, and becomes more equally diffused
through the grain. The required degree of exhaustion of the upper part of
the kiln will be regulated according to the amount of heat transmitted from
the fire box.
9,

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not mean or
intend to confine myself to the precise forms and arrangements of the parts
represented and described, as the same may be varied without departing from
the principle of my Invention, which is the arrangement of apparatus by
means of which the entire mass of the grain under treatment may be exposed
to the action of the air at a moderate temperature and in a comparatively
pure state. But what I claim as of my Invention is, the combination for
such purpose of the heating apparatus with the agitating apparatus, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Acres, have hereunto subscribed
my name and affixed my seal, the Fifth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
EDWARD ACRES. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered in the presence of
JOHN WINGROVE,
Portlaw.