US1528696A - Apparatus for drying and conditioning grain and similar granular substances - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 3, 1925. 4 1,528,696

W. N. ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN AND SIMILARGRANULAR SUBSTANCES FilbdFeb. 9, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lrrarn fr Mar. 3. 1925.

' ROBINSON APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN s Sheets-Sheet 2 I IAND SIMILAR GRANULAR SUBSTANCES Filed Feb. 9, 1924 f haw y W. N. APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN Mar; 3, 1925.

ROBINSON AND SIMILAR GRANULAR SUBSTANCES Filed Feb. 9. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Y l lll l ll 1L1 H x 0 Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT FFIQE,

WILFRID NIELD ROBINSON, OF ROCHDALE, ENGLAND ASSIGNOR TO THOIVIAS ROBIN- SON & SON LIMITED, OF ROCHDALE, ENGLAND, A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY OF ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN AND SIMILAR- GRANULAR SUBSTANCES.

Application filed February 9, 1924. Serial No. 691.709.

'1 0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WVILFRID NIELD ROBIN- soN, a subject of the King ofEngland, and residing at Rochdale, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented Improvements in or Connected with Apparatus for Drying and Conditioning Grain and Similar Granular Substances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to apparatus or machinery for drying or conditioning grain or similar substances, of the kind in which the grain or material in its fall or flow between upper and lower portions of the apparatus or machine, is caused to pass over internally heated devices, i. e. a series of interconnected vessels, generally called radiators, which are heated internally by a heating fluid; and the objects and eifects of the present invention are to provide improvements in connection with such appara- (us or machines, by whichfthe effect as regards the treating or conditioning of the bulk of the material passed through the machine is rendered uniform, and the output or capacity of a given size or cost of apparatus is rendered relatively high; whilst a further object is to provide a construction which is inexpensive, and which is simple, and the time taken for erection or installation is relatively small.

Generally, in apparatus of the kind referred to, it is found that the effect of the treatment on the material is non-uniform, so that the condition of the grain or material delivered is of an uneven condition, some of which being relatively unconditioned, and the other conditioned, and this is obviated by this invention, by rendering it uniform.

In connection with the drying or conditioning apparatus and the mode of treatment hereinafter described, the improvements under this invention are comprised.

Between the radiators, which may consist of a multiplicity of interconnected hollow vessels, sets of which are arranged in parallel in tiers, spaces exist between the more or less flat sides (which are narrowed towards the edges) through which the grain or material passes down in streams, in its treatment.

The apparatus or machine according to this invention is so constructed or arranged that all the streams of the body of the material (which is divided into a multiplicity of streams) are caused to be acted upon by the hot surfaces of the radiators and heated, to accomplish which, some of the streams or parts of the body of material passing down through the apparatus are controlled by means hereinafter explained, and directed or diverted, so that noparts of the body or streams of thei'naterialare acted upon by the heating surfaces of the ra diators, some of which otherwise would pass in columns or streams down through the apparatus without coming into contact with, or being properly acted upon by, the heating surfaces. This isprevented in this machine or apparatus, and the liow of the whole body of the material is so controlled, that all parts of it must become, and are, acted upon, and a uniform result of condition and treatment of the material is accomplished.

The controlling or directing or diverting means referred to may consist in providing over the adjacent upper edges of the ad jacent parallel sets of the interconnected radiators, plates or angle ridge devices, resting on the top edges of the radiators at each of the adjacent side edges of the sets, so that the grain or material will be controlled and directed in its flow or fall, away from these edge parts of the radiators, towards their centres, and thus are brought into the portion of the surface of same from which a relatively large quantity of heat is being given off or radiated, and which in the adjacent radiators are relatively close together.

Further, in apparatus or machines of the kind referred to, the grain or material to be treated is passed in a plurality of comparatively narrow or thin streams down through conduits at the upper part of the apparatus, and the grain in passing through these conduits is subjected to the direct action of and cont-act with hot air which passes through it; and this air is of a relatively high temperature, say up to 180 Fahr, and is heated by a heater external to the apparatus, preferably a steam heated air heater, prior to delivery to the "radiator" portion below, and is forced through the streams of material by an air forcing apparatus, preferably a suction fan; and by the employment of relatively hot air, wet grain or like material, or grain or material containing a relatively large percentage of moisture or that requiring to be dried to a very low, moisture content, the degree of drying required can be accomplished.

The heating medium supplied to the radiator sections consists of hot water, heated by a water heater or heat interchanger, in which the heat is supplied by steam from a steam generator; and this water is supplied. to the various radiator sections at the required temperature, and returned from them to the water heater to receive a further increment of heat, and s0 is continuously cir culated by natural circulation.

Air is also passed through these radiator sections or chambers, and through the. ma terial passing down through them, such air being forced through them, and the stream of material falling through them, say by the suction fan above referred to.

At the bottom of the apparatus,.a part or section is provided in which the material is cooled by air at atmospheric temperature, and is in the form of narrow conduits, through which relatively thin streams of ilOt grain or material fall or flow; and while flowing through these conduits the air is caused to pass, or is forced throu h it, say by the same suction fan above reterred to.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, and it will be further described with reference to them.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, showing the complete apparatus diagrammatically.

Figure 2 is a section through one of the radiator sections, showing the improvements connected with these sections of th s radiator portion of the apparatus or machine; Figure 3 is an elevation of same, and Figure l is a plan.

Figure 5 is a vertical section showing the construction of the upper air heating and drying part.

Generally 1 represents the portion ofthe apparatus at the top in which the material is treated or dried by direct contact and action of hot air; 2 represents generally the section or portion of the apparatus in which the material is subjected to surface and radiant heat by internally heated radiators; and 3 represents the lower section or part in which the hot material from the radiator sect on is treated by contact with air of atm'spheric temperature.

4 is the heater for heating the air for use in the air drying section of the apparatus; 5 is the heater for heatin water used in the radiator sections 2; ant 6 represents the steam generator for supplying heating steam to the air heater 1, and water heater 5.

7 is the suction fan for forcing air through the streams of grain or material passing down through the conduits in the drying section 1; for forcing atmospheric air through the different sections or parts of the radiator part 2 for absorbing or taking up and carrying off moisture from the hot grain;

' and for forcing air at atmospheric temperature through the streams of grain falling through the section 3.

The conduits through which the grain or material passes in narrow or thin streams through the hot air treatment in section 1 are marked 10, grain being supplied to the upper parts of same, through hopper shaped mouths, shown, to which it is distributed in any known suitable way, so that they are supplied with material which will charge them all nnifornily. 11 is the general supply hopper of the apparatus.

A form of construction of the conduits 10 is given in Figure 5, in which the walls of the conduit are provided with apertures 12 and internal inclined shelves 18, and the air enters the streams through the apertures at one side, and leaves through those at the other, and it passes from one conduit to another through the chambers 14, which he between the conduits. This section 1 is divided into an upper or lower portion by a floor or diaphragm 15, so that there are two chambers into which separate supplies of hot air will be supplied by two hot air supply pipes 16.

The air, carrying with it the moisture tal'cn up. is conducted from the upper part 10f the apparatus, by pipes 17 to a. general air main 18, connected to the air intake of the fan 7: and it is conducted away from the chambers or sections of the radiator part 2, by conduits or branch pipes 19 connected with the main 18, and air inlets 19 which are onthe opposite side to the conduits or pipes 19. Both these inlets 19 and the conduits 19 extend along the whole of the sides of the different sections of the apparatus, and atthe lower portions of same, viz, beneath the lower set of radiators of the sections which are supported on the transverse beams marked 47". Thus this air passes through the stream or streams of material in flowing from the lower set of radiators of each section .or chamber, to the next one below.

The cooling section 3 is similarly formed as regards the air supply and form of conduits as that of the hot air portion 1, viz, it is formed of a number of narrow conduits 21 with hopper shaped upper openings. and spaces 22 between them; and the walls of these conduits 21 may be assumed to be of the same construction as those described with reference to Figure in connection with .thehot air section 1. The air after passing through the conduits 21 and the streams of material flowing through them, is conducted by pipes 23 to the general rising air main 18; and the dried and cooled grain or material is delivered from the apparatus by the discharge hopper shoot 24.

The whole casing or body of the apparatus or machine may be built up in sections from top to bot-tom similarly to those shown in Figures 2 to 4.

The hot air supplied from the air heater 4 may be raised to a temperature of from zero to 180 Fahr. by steam supplied to it; and this heater may beof tubular or other known kind of gaseous fluid heat interchanger, the heat being transferred from the walls of the tubes or the like, through which the steam or air is passed, as the case may be, and so transferred to the air.

Similarly the water heater 5 may be of any known suitable type of heat interchanger, in which the heatof steam is transferred to water in a closed circulating systerm.

The radiators are marked 30, and in Figures 2 to 4 their central portions 31 project from their sides (which are flat with curved'edges) and these parts 31 in the adjacent radiators abut against one another, and are connected together at this point, preferably above and below by ferrules 82 fitting in the holes 33.

34 are the water supply branches of the tiers or radiators in each section; and 35 are the water discharge branches; while the pipes 36 connect the lower'and upper tiers together. 37 and 38 are the pipes to which the branches 34 and 35 are connected, and which are connected to vertical main water supply and discharge pipes 39 and 40 respectively. i V

The directing means connected with the radiators 30 in the case shown, consist of ridge shaped or inclined devices 42, extending across the casing 43, the lower edges of which rest on the upper edges of the adjacent radiators, and therefore direct the columns or streams of grain or material falling down, onto parts of the surface of the radiators which lie in the planes between these edges, and the projections or bosses 31 of the radiators. Normally, and without such controlling or directing means, spaces of considerable area vertically will exist between the edges of each pair of radiators of an interconnected set, and a pair adj acent to them; such space is marked 44 in Figure 4, and the area is indicated by the arrow headed cross lines.

Vithout these controlling means, the streams of grain will flow at these points 44, from the top of the apparatus to the bottom in columns of considerable cross section, so that the bulk of such columns, or large portions thereof, can pass through the apparatus without being properly heated and conditioned, and at a greater rate than that passing in. streams over other parts of the radiator.

Depending from the distributors or directors 42, are divisions 45 extending from side to side of the apparatus, similarly to the ridge devices 42, which assist in or promote the directing and keeping of the grain in contact with or near the surfaces of the radiators; and a similar device to 45, marked 46, lies between the adjacent edges of the lower tier of a pair beneath the hollow beams 47, which rest on the upper edges of the lower radiators, and support the upper radiators above, and which also direct and prevent the grain from flowing out of contact with the heating parts of the radiators and bring it under the influence of the part of their surfaces away from their edges.

Thus, in a line between the top of each section consisting of one, two or more tiers of radiators and their bottom, there are the controlling and directing upper devices 42, the devices 45 below same, the bearers 47 which divert the streams from the planes between the radiators, and the plate devices 46.

By the special construction shown a highly advantageous manner of carrying out the invention is provided, by which the objects and effects above referred to are accomplished.

hat is claimed is 1. Apparatus for drying or conditioning grain or similar substances, comprising an upper part adapted to cause the material to pass through it in streams and to permit air to be passed through said streams, an air heater connected with said part for heat ing the air supplied to it; a section below same containing a multiplicity of internally heated vessels over they external surfaces of which the material from the upper part flows or passes in its descent through the apparatus or machine, and air inlet and outlet openings in the walls of the part adapted to permit the passage of air through same and the material.

2. In apparatus for drying or conditioning grain or similar substances, the combination of an air contact heating section comprising a plurality of conduits adapted to conduct the material in streams, having apertures in same for the passage of air through said streams; a surface heating section, comprising a multiplicity of internally heated devices over which the material passes; an air moving apparatus connected with the air contact heating part, and with the surface heating part, adapted to force air through the streams of material in the conduits in the upper part, and also through the streams passing over the surface heating part below.

ing conduits through which the material passes in streams, connected with said heater; and a water heating apparatus, both airand water heaters being heated artificially.

4. Apparatus for drying and conditioning grain or granular substances, comprising an air contact heating section having conduits through which the material passes, and a section below, ha ing a, multiplicity of internally heated devices over which the streams of material pass, wherein grain or material controlling or directing means are provided at points over the adjacent edges of adjacent sets of internally heated devices, and adapted to divert or direct the material from the spaces between the edges of said devices to parts of such devices within the edges. 7 I

5.'Apparatus for drying and conditioning'grain or granular substances, comprising an air, contact'heating section havingconduit-s through which the material passes. and a section below having a multiplicity oi internally heated devices over which the streams of material pass, wherein grain or inaterial deflecting and directing devices are employed over the edges of the upper tier of said devices at the planes where the spaces between the different sets come; and means between the adjacent edges of the sets of devices of the lower tier, so as to cause the grain or the like to come under a uniform heating effect by the; heating devices; substantially as described; I 6. In apparatus for drying or conditioning grain or similar granular substance, comprising in combination a section forming th pp r tp rt- Q theappamtu and to whichfthe cold and moist grain is first introduced, having conduits through which the grainis passed adapted to permit hot air to; bepassed through. the -gr ain or the likein its fall orflow,'- a metal surface heating section intermediately,below the hot air treating section, comprisinginternally heat-Q ed devices over which the streams ofgrain or material pass, and an air, heating apparatus external to ,and connected vith the uppermost sectionand adapted 'to -heat the air to the required temperature supplied to same.

7. In apparatus for, drying or conditioning grain or .similar granular substances comprising in combination an air heating section having conduits througlrwhich the grain is, passed adapted toipermit air to be passed through the, grainor thelikein its fall or flow; a surface heating section below the air heating or drying sectioncomprising internally heated devices over .which the stream of grain or material pass, and an air,

heating apparatus external to and connected with the upper air heating section and adapted to heat the air to the required temperature supplied to same, and Water heater external to the sections having the internally heated devices, and connected with different parts of same, the Water adapted to pass or circulate through the water heaterv

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