USRE1378E - Improvement in grain-driers - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES ADDISON G. WILLIAMS AND MORTIMER C. COGSWELL, OF BUFFALO, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT lN GRAIN-DRYIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 34,405, dated February 18, 1862; Reissue No. 1,378, dated January 6, 1863.

drier and a vertical section of' the furnacev connected therewith. Fig. 1I is a transverse section of the drier. Fig. III is a vertical section of' a furnace and blower, in connection with an end elevation of the drier. Fig. IV is a longitudinal elevation of the external case or shell, into which the grain is admitted and subjected to a blast of air for drying.

rlhe nature of this invention consists in making and using a series of buckets within an external stationary case in such a manner that the said buckets shall revolve in close proximity to the inner circumference ot the external case, and dip up and lift the grain from the lower side of the case and drop it down again in showers, so that the air will thoroughly permeate and mix with the gra-in.

Letters ot' like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the gures.

A represents a stationary cylindrical case or shell into which the grainis admitted for drying. It is supported upon a suitable frame or foundation, as shown at B. This case is made of' metal. Heavy sheet-iron, with suitable supportingribs, will answer the purpose, or boileniron may be used. It is made with a slit or opening at the top, as shown at a', which runs the whole length of the case, and is for the purpose of' allowing the moisture, evaporation, dust, 85o., which rises during the drying process to freely escape. rlhe grain to be dried is spouted in through this slit at the head or highest end of the cylinder or case. At the bottom of the case are several valves or doors, as shown at a2, for the discharge of the grain when sufficiently dried. Then short portable cases are used, these valves will all be kept closed, so as to retain the grain in the case untilsufciently dry, and then the valves are opened and the grain discharged. When the cases are made fifteen or more feet in length, then the valves will all remain closed except the one at the lower end, which will remain open, so that the grain may pass out in a continual stream. rlhe grain becomes sufficiently dry in its passage through the case. The case is set upon a slight incline-say an eighth to a quarter of an inch to the i'oot, which will be sufficient to give the grain a tendency to work from the end where it is let in to the opposite end where it is let out. lhis case may be made of' any desirable'length from fifteen to fty feet and from three to six feet in diameter.

In a grain-drying machine we haveaseertained from experience that it is of' great importance to keep the grain in the drying-cylinders not only n motion but in such motion as will cause the grain to fall in showers through more or less air-space; and in ordir to admit the air into the case while the grain is subjected to the movements described, we have devised what we call a double head,77 which is represented at c. This head is so constructed as to form a hollow journal, as shown at D, and an air-chamber, as shown at c', and openingst'rom the air-chamber into the case. For convenience of' construction we have made it in two parts-viz., the dome-like disk c2, (including the hollow journal D,) and the plane circular plate c3, these parts being held together by suitable bolts or rivets, or it may be cast as a whole by the ordinary modes of casting. The hollow journal passes through the external case and has a journal-bearing therein. The circular-plate part o3 has a number ot' holes made through it, in order to admit the air from the chamber c directly into the case, or distributing air-tubes may be connected with the head, as shown at F, in order the more thoroughlyto distribute the air into all parts of the case. The double head may be used to advantage with or without these distributing air-pipes. y

If' the air-pipes are not used, the double head, being constantly revolving, will distribute the air through the cylinder in constantly gyrating currents, and thereby the air will more thoroughly permeate and mix with the grain than it forced in through a stationary aperture; but in practice we prefer to use the distributing air-pipes. The open ends of these pipes connect with the double head in such a manner as to receive the air from the airchamber while the opposite or closed ends connect with the plane circular plate or head E. There may be twelve, or more or less, of these pipes, and they are placed parallel with each other and parallel with the case. The diameter of the heads is nearly equal to the inside diameter of the case A, and the tubes or pipes are about four inches in diameter, and are of suilcient length to place the heads a distance apart nearly equal to the length of the case, so that when put into the case the heads, tubes, and buckets will nearly fill the case, except the spaces between, and revolve freely therein. The pipes are so connected to the heads in respect to their perforations that the blast of air therefrom will be toward the center of the case. A

If the case should be madefteen or more feet in length the double head with air-cham ber should be used at both ends, in order to insure the introductionof a sufficient quantity of air to meet the increased demand in consequence of the increased length of the case. When the length is carried to fifteen or more feet, it will be proper to introduce bridges or truss-work to support the air-tubes and buckets between the heads. The head E is a plane circular plate, and is keyed onto the shaft H. The shaft H runs through and connects with the double head, as shown at hf, and it projects through the end of the outside case, as shown at h2, for the purpose of attaching gearing thereto.

At l, Fig. II, is represented a series of buckets, ot' equal length with the tubes, and lying parallel with the tubes, and connected at one end to the double head and at the other end to the plane head E. They may receive additional. support from truss-work, or fromf braces running up from the central shaft, H. These buckets are for the purpose of scooping or dipping up the grain from the bottom of the ease. They revolve in close proximity to the inner circumference of the case, so as to dip up the grain and carry it up until the revolution causes it to slide ottl and fall down in showers, striking upon the tubes, bounding and falling again to the bottom, to be again picked up by the buckets and showered as before. By this means the grain is kept constantly in motion, is stirred up, and scattered and showered in a manner to admit the air at a great degree of heat without scorching. The grain also in the operation becomes scoured and cleaned. The chatt' and dust, passing up with the evaporation, is driven out at the opening a at the top with the escaping air.

At g is shown a dome-like projection from the circular plate o3 within the air-chamber, against which the current of air from the hollow journal strikes, and is deflected by it to the open ends of the distributing air-tubes.

J represents a furnace for heating the air. This may be of any convenient and well-known construction.

K represents a blower for forcing air from the furnace into the double head, and from thence into thedstributing air-pipes, into the midst of the grain in the external case. We make no claim to either the blower or the furnace.

L is a pipe, which conducts the air from the furnace to the hollowjournal of the double head.

m is a movable sleeve, which is used to form and complete the connection between the airpipe L and hollow journal D. N is a smokepipe from the furnace. P represents hinges which connect the two parts of the external case.

Operation: The several parts of our improved grain-drier being constructed substantially as herein described, the grain to be dried is spouted into the external case or shell through the opening at the top--at the upper end of the case-as herein described and falls upon the pipes and buckets. The revolution of these will keep the grain in constant motion, rising, falling, and showering, as before described, so that heated air to a very high degree may be used. The tubular or hollow journal D will allow the air to pass in while the double head, air-pipes, and buckets are in rapid motion, and the air-chamber c', being in connection with the perforated pipes F, will distribute the air in small jets or currents through the perforations, so as to thoroughly mix with and permeate the showering grain, and dry and cure the same in a very short time and in the most satisfactory manner. Two, three, or more of these driers may be connected together in a manner to run the grain from one to the other. W'hen this is done, a blast of cold air may be usedv in the latter one for coolingr the grain immediately after it is dried.

In case grain becomes heated in the bins, it may be run through the driers and be thereby restored to its original condition. Corn, wheat, and other' grains should in all cases be run through the driers before being shipped to foreign markets, for it not only prevents the grain from heating, but it also preserves it and improves its quality.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, is

A vseries of buckets so placed and used as to revolve in close proximity to the inner circumi'erence of an external shell, into which a blast of air is admitted for drying grain, so that the said buckets will dip up and lift the grain from the bottom of the case and drop it down again in showers, thereby constantly intermingling with the blast of air, for the purposes and substantially as described.

ADDISON G. WILLIAMS. MORTIMER (l. COGSWELL. Vitnesses:

E. B. Foaisnsn, E. OsBoRNE.

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