IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND CLEANING GRAIN, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Twiss Sutton, of the City of Rochester, in
the State of New York, being one of the United States of America, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND CLEANING GRAIN, AND IN
APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 9th July 1866, and dated the 12th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Twiss Sutton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
12th January 1866.
I, ROBERT TWISS SUTTON, of the City of Rochester, in the State of New
York, being one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND CLEANING
GRAIN, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES," to be as
follows::
r
This Invention has for its object improvements in drying and cleaning
grain. For these purposes a tower or building is constructed of any suitable
material, and of a cylindrical form. At each side is formed a hollow channel
or flue from the bottom to the top of the building; the upper part of this

page_text: building is covered in or roofed. The interior of the building is divided by
any desired number of horizontal floors having alternately openings in their
centre and at their outer circumference, in order that the grain in descending
from the uppermost to the lowest floor may be caused to descend through an
opening situated at the centre of one floor on to the next floor below, and
then from an opening or openings at the outer circumference of this floor,
and so on till the grain is discharged from the lowest floor. A vertical shaft
is employed in the centre of the building to which a rotating motion is
communicated to this shaft are applied arms which carry inclined stirrers
by which the grain on the floors is moved alternately to the centre of one
floor, then outwards from the centre of the next floor, and so on till the grain
or seed is discharged from the lowest floor. The channel or flue on one side
is for allowing air, either heated or cold, or heated air to some of the floors
and cold air to others, to enter freely, and to pass from such chamber or flue
into the spaces, chambers, or compartments formed between some of the
floors, and then by suitable outlets on the opposite side the air flows out of
such spaces, chambers, or compartments into the other or opposite channel or
flue, at the upper end of which there is a fan or exhausting apparatus. The
grain or seed is supplied through a suitable spout on to the uppermost floor.
The floors or some of them may be perforated, or they may be left unper-
forated. The passage of the air carries off impurities, and the grain or seed
on arriving at the delivery spout or outlet of the lowest floor is dry, clean,
and cool.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Twiss Sutton in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 10th July 1866..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
Twiss SUTTON, of the City of Rochester, in the State of New York, being one
of the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Twiss Sutton, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Twiss Sutton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others s
as 1, the said Robert Twiss Sutton, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: 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 AND CLEANING GRAIN, AND IN
APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Robert Twiss Sutton, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 Robert Twiss Sutton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in drying and cleaning grain,
and in apparatus to be used for these purposes. For these purposes a tower
or building is constructed of any suitable material, and of a cylindrical form.
At each side is formed a hollow channel or flue from the bottom to the top of
the building. The upper part of this building is covered in or roofed. The
interior of the building is divided by any desired number of horizontal floors
having alternately openings in their centres and at their outer circumference,
in order that the grain in descending from the uppermost to the lowest floor
may be caused to descend through an opening situated at the centre of one
floor on to the next floor below, and then from an opening or openings at the
outer circumference of this floor, and so on till the grain is discharged from
the lowest floor. A vertical shaft is employed in the centre of the building
to which a rotatory motion is communicated, to this shaft are applied arms
which carry inclined stirrers by which the grain on the floors is moved
alternately to the centre of one floor, then outwards from the centre of the next
floor, and so on till the grain or seed is discharged from the lowest floor. The
channel or flue on one side is for allowing air, either heated or cold, or heated
air to some of the floors and cold air to others, to enter freely and to pass from
such chamber or flue into the spaces, chambers, or compartments formed
between some of the floors, and then by suitable outlets on the opposite side
the air flows out of such spaces, chambers, or compartments into the other or
opposite channel or flue, at the upper end of which there is a fan or exhausting
apparatus; the grain or seed is supplied through a suitable spout on to the

page_text: uppermost floor. The floors or some of them may be perforated, or they may
be left unperforated. The passage of the air carries off impurities, and the
grain or seed on arriving at the delivery spout or outlet of the lowest floor is
dry, clean, and cool.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will proceed to describe
the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus, and Figure 2 is a horizontal
*section.
A is an upright shaft in the centre of the chamber which turns in a
step L at its lower end and in an upper bearing, as shown in the Drawing;
B is the shoot to supply the trough, by which the grain or seed is supplied
on to the upper floor M; on the shaft A are fixed arms C, C, on which are
fixed inclined stirrers K, K; these stirrers on the arms, C, C, on the different
floors are set in opposite directions, so that the grain or seed, may be alternately
moved in a direction from the outer parts of a floor towards the centre, then
in a direction on the next floor from the centre to the circumference, and
so on in respect to the grain or seed on the succeeding floor; D is a fan for
drawing off steam, vapours, and air from the exhaust channels or flues E
through the opening O. The steam, air, and vapours get away from the
interior of the building through passages F, F.. The air is introduced into
the chamber or building by inlets G, G, to the flue or channel I, and thence
through openings H, H, as indicated by arrows; P is the outlet spout by
which the grain or seed is delivered out of the building or chamber. The
inlets G, G, may be used both to supply hot or cold air, but it is convenient to
have the power of supplying hot or heated air to the upper floors and cold air
to the lower floors, in which case the flue or channel I would have a slide
valve or other means of closing between the two inlets G, G.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, what I claim as, my Invention, and am desirous of
securing exclusive property therein is,→
First, the stirrers or conveyors to convey either way, that is, from centre
to circumference or from circumference to centre.
Second, the tower in connection with the horizontal floors.
Thirdly, the supply chambers with registers for the introduction of hot or
cold air into the tower, and for, the removal therefrom of steam, exhausted
air, and impurities, and the combination of all the several parts, namely,
the tower, the vertical shaft, the horizontal floors, the horizontal arms, the

page_text: stirrers or conveyors, the supply chambers with registers, the receiving
and discbarging spouts, and the furnace, as described, and for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Twiss Sutton, have hereunto
set my band and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
ROBERT TWISS SUTTON. (L.S.)