Patent GB-586358-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to the drying of clay-ware and other goods
IPC: F26B15/02
Filed: 1944-07-08
Abstract: 586,358. Drying pottery &c. JOHNSON, J. A. July 8, 1944, No. 13078. [Class 34 (ii)] Articles of pottery &c. such as cups, are dried 'by placing them in close proximity to heated elements which correspond, in contour to the contour of the articles themselves and are interposed between the said articles and their source of heat so that there is a confined and localised radiation of heat therefrom. The articles may be dried in apparatus, Fig. 1, comprising a continuously-rotating drum or table 13 having a series of brackets 17 equally spaced around its periphery, each bracket carrying a balanced pivoted mould support 20 and guiding two rods 21, 22. The rod 21 is secured at its lower end to a member 24 which is slidable upon a vertical pillar 18, extending from the corresponding bracket 17, and carries a roller 25a for engagement with a cam-way or roller path 26, and at its upper end it is provided with a bracket 27 formed with forked arms 28 adapted to encircle a pottery mould 29 the rod 22 is similarly provided at its lower end with a roller 25 to coact with the cam-way 26, is freely slidable through the member 24 and bracket 27, and has mounted at its upper end a bracket 30 to which is attached a heating element 31 of the desired contour. In operation, a mould 29 containing an article to be dried is placed on the arms 28 at the right-hand side of the apparatus. The table 13 is then rotated, whereupon the camway 26 becomes effective, first to lower the rod 22 to locate the element 31 within the mould 29 and maintain it in this position until the table has completed half a revolution, say, and the mould is at the left-hand side and, secondly, at or about the latter position, to raise the rod 22 and withdraw the element 31 and also lower the rod 21 so that the mould 29 is transferred to the pivoted support 20, the weight of the mould 29 causing the support 20 to tilt to effect transfer of the mould from the forked arms 28 and permit the latter to rise ready to receive another mould at the right-hand or loading position. Meanwhile the dried article is removed from the mould in the tilted position of the latter, and the mould itself then removed at, or before it reaches, the original loading position. The heating elements 31 are located within an open-bottomed hood 34 provided with a vent and may be heated by internal electrical resistance elements from a rotating collector 36 which is mounted on the table 13 and is fitted with brushes 37 contacting a stationary distributor 38. In a modification, Fig. 2, the moulds 29 are carried by trays 40 mounted on an intermittently-rotatable drum 41 or chain conveyer. The trays are preferably loaded at one side, e.g., the right-hand side, and the drum then rotated through 90‹ to the top dead centre position under a vertically movable unit 44 upon which is mounted a number of heating elements 31, corresponding to the number of moulds, and which now descends to locate the elements 31 within the moulds. Meanwhile, the next tray moves to the right-hand or loading position. A sufficient time for drying.having elapsed, the drum is rotated through a further 90‹ to bring the first tray in succession into the left-hand, bottom, and right-hand or loading positions, the articles being removed from the moulds at the first or second of these positions. Rotation of the drum is effected by a motor 49, through a crank disc 50, connecting rod 53, and pawl 52, upon actuation of the motor switch 48 by a foot pedal 45, and is permitted by the withdrawal from one of a number of recesses 47 in the drum of a stop roller 46 coupled to said pedal 45, the motor being stopped after one revolution by a limit switch 55 operated by a cam 56 on the rim of the crank disc 50. A limit switch 54 is also provided and adapted to be closed by the cam 56, after a 180‹ movement of the disc 50, to energise an adjustable time relay for actuating a thruster mechanism 57 connected by levers 59 with the drying unit 44 and so lower the heated elements 31 into the moulds ; at the end of the drying period the relay open-circuits the thruster, which is thereby de-energised, and its plunger 58 falls under the action of counterbalance weights 60 to withdraw the unit 44 clear of the moulds and simultaneously operate an interlock switch 61 to permit the pedal 45 again to start the motor 49.