IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING GRASS AND CROPS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Saunders, of Yeovaney, Staines, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING GRASS AND
CROPS."
Sealed the 17th December 1853, and dated the 18th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Saunders
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th June 1853.
I, HENRY SAUNDERS, of Yeovaney, Staines, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING GRASS AND OTHER
CROPS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of causing grass, when making hay, to be
artificially dried, and in like manner may corn and other crops be dried
when they require it. The grass or other crop on being cut is imme-
diately carried to the drying apparatus, which consists of an enclosed
chamber, into and through which warmed or dry air can be forced or
be caused to pass, and to act on and evaporate the moisture contained
in the grass or other crop. For this purpose the grass or other crop is

page_text: to be spread thinly over suitable carriers, which cause it to pass to
and fro within the heated and well ventilated chamber, and the best
arrangement for the purpose I believe to be endless bands of open
wire work, which are put in motion by rollers; or other forms of
carriers may be used, by which the grass or other crop is caused to 5
circulate through the dry or warm atmosphere of the chamber till it
is sufficiently dry.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Saunders in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 17th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY SAUNDERS, of Yeovaney, Staines, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Saunders, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Saunders, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Saunders, my exccutors,
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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DRYING GRASS AND OTHER CROPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Saunders, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Saunders, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention consists of causing grass, when making hay, to be
artificially dried, and in like manner may corn and other crops be dried
when they require it. The grass or other crop on being cut is imme-
diately carried to the drying apparatus, which consists of an enclosed
chamber, into and through which warmed or dry air can be forced or
be caused to pass, and to act on and evaporate the moisture contained
in the grass or other crop. For this purpose the grass or other crop is
to be spread thinly over suitable carriers, which cause it to pass to and
fro within the heated and well ventilated chamber, and the best
arrangement for the purpose I believe to be endless bands of open
wire work, which are put in motion by rollers (or other forms of
carriers may be used), by which the grass or other crop is caused to
circulate through the dry or warm atmosphere of the chamber till it is
sufficiently dry.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
It is well known that much hay and other crops are often lost or
materially injured by reason of rain or want of sun every year, and the
great object of my Invention is to so arrange apparatus that
grass and
other crops may at once be treated artificially by being carried through,
and by being turned by mechanical means in, a well ventilated and
warmed chamber, and then be conducted out therefrom in a dried
state. By which means not only may much time be saved in getting
crops, but crops may be got with certainty. The arrangement of
carrying apparatus by which the grass or other crop can be moved into
and from, and be turned from time to time when in, the drying
chamber, may be greatly varied in form, but I prefer to use a series of
endless aprons or bands (carried by rollers) for the purpose, though a
hollow wheel or cylinder divided into radial compartments, and com-
posed of wire cloth or other sufficiently open work, may be used and
caused to turn within a heated and well ventilated chamber, the radial

page_text: compartments being partially filled with the grass or other crop, which
in the rotation of the cylinder will be caused to turn and offer fresh
surfaces to the atmosphere in the chamber. The compartments of the
cylinder being, when empty, partly filled with the crop near the upper
part of the chamber, and the discharging of the dried crop may be
arranged at another part of the chamber near the bottom. Or the
grass or other crop may be moved along and turned by mechanical
means ou reticilate shelves fixed in a chamber, in such manner that
the grass or other crop being fed in at the upper part of the warmed
well ventilated chamber may be moved or raked along, and caused to
descend from the upper shelf to the next below it. But, as before
stated, I believe the most convenient arrangement of carrier is a series
of endless aprons or belts of wire cloth, or other open or reticulate
material, caused to circulate by means of rollers, which will, in fact, act
as a series of moving reticulate shelves. The arrangement of chamber
which I prefer is as follows:-I form a rectangular chamber of wood
or other material, having a floor perforated all over with numerous
holes, and below this floor, either by flues, steam or hot water pipes,
or otherwise, I cause the air to be heated to about 100° to 120° of
Fahrenheit, taking care that free ingress of air is ensured below the
floor; or I heat the air by forcing it by suitable blowing apparatus
through heated pipes, or against other suitable heated surfaces into the
space below the floor, in such manner as to keep up a constant supply
of warmed air below the floor which will be divided by the perforated
floor, and be distributed evenly in the chamber above. The size of the
chamber may be varied, but a convenient size is six feet from side to
side, ten feet from front to back, and twelve feet high, in which I place
a series of endless aprons or bands horizontally one above the other,
leaving a space of eight or ten inches between the succeeding endless
aprons. The rollers carrying the endless aprons are about four inches
diameter, and the upper surfaces of the succeeding aprons are caused
to move in opposite directions. The upper apron is partly exterior
and partly interior of the chamber, there being a suitable opening or
openings near the upper part of the chamber for the passage in of the
upper surface of the endless apron, and for the passage out of the

page_text: lower surface of the endless apron. The grass or other crop to be
dried is to be continuously and evenly spread by a workman on that
part of the upper surface of the endless apron which is exterior of the
chamber, which crop, by the continued movement of the endless apron,
will be carried into the chamber, and when it arrives within about
twenty inches of the back of the chamber the endless band will
descend partly round its end roller, and deposit the grass or other crop
spread thereon on to the endless apron next below the back roller of
which is as near as may be to the back of the chamber, and by the
upper surface of this second andless apron the crop will be carried back
towards the front of the chamber till it comes within about twenty
inches of the front, when this second endless apron will begin to
descend partly around its front roller, and the grass or other crop thereon
will fall on to the next or third endless apron, the front roller of which
is as near as may be to the front of the chamber, and by the upper
surface of this third endless apron the grass or other crop will be
carried to within about twenty inches of the back of the chamber,
when the band or apron will begin to descend partly around its roller,
and the grass or other crop will fall on the endless apron next below it,
and so on till the grass or other crop comes on to the bottom or lowest
endless apron, which is arranged to pass out through the back or front
of the chamber, and to deliver the hay or other dried crop, which, being
turned, spread out, and allowed to cool, may then be stacked as here-
tofore when such crops have been dried on and carried from the field.
The sides, back, and front of the chamber are closed in all parts, except
where the grass or other crop passes into and out of the chamber, and
the upper part of the chamber as a flue or passage opening into the
atmosphere; but it is preferred, in order to ensure a constant ventilation,
and passage away of the air and moisture, to have a fan or other
exhausting apparatus in connection with the upper part of the chamber,
so as to be enabled, when the outer atmosphere is heavy or the mois-
ture and air do not pass away freely from the chamber, to aid the
It will be evident that the
ventilation upward by such artificial means.
quantity of a grass or other crop which may be dried by such or a like
apparatus and ventilated cbamber will greatly depend on the speed of

page_text: ventilation and the degree of heat applied, also on the state and nature
of the crop it will therefore be necessary to drive the endless aprons
or bands or other apparatus for moving and turning the crop at such a
speed that the crop, when it leaves the chamber, may be sufficiently
dry, and this may readily be done, as the speed of the aprons or other
apparatus may be quickened if the drying has been accomplished before
the grass or other crop arrives out of the chamber, or the speed may be
lessened when the grass or other crop is found to arrive out of the
chamber before it has been well or sufficiently dried.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
make no claim to any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself
thereto so long as to the peculiar character of my Invention be retained.
But what I claim is, the mode herein described of drying grass and
other crops.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Saunders, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
HENRY SAUNDERS. (L.s.)