IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING HOPS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, CORN, SEEDS, AND OTHER PRODUCE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Jackson Reynolds, of Chicago, in the State of
Illinois, in the United States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING HOPS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, CORN, SEEDS, AND
OTHER PRODUCE." Partly his own Invention and partly the result of a com-
munication from abroad by John Hudson Reynolds, of Chicago, in the State
of Illinois in the United States of America
Sealed the 25th July 1879, and dated the 18th April 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Jackson Reynolds
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1879.
ANDREW JACKSON REYNOLDS, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, in the United
States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING HOPS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES,
CORN, SEEDS, AND OTHER PRODUCE" Partly a communication from abroad by
John Hudson Reynolds, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, in the United States of
America.
The Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drying hops, fruit,
vegetables, corn, seeds, and other produce.
The apparatus consists of two cylinders or chambers placed one above the other,
and connected together by a comparatively narrow neck or channel.
Inside each of the cylinders or chambers is fixed or formed another chamber, so
as to leave a flue or channel between the two entirely around the inner chamber.
The inner chambers are entirely closed and separated from the outer ones, except
at the top, where suitable openings are made therein which communicate with the
flue space between the inner and outer chambers. Below these two sets of cham-
bers is placed a furnace, the heat and products of combustion from which pass into
the flue spaces between the inner and outer chambers and out through a central
flue situated over the upper chambers. The bottom of the lower inner chamber is
immediately over the burning fuel in the furnace, the heat and products of corn-
bustion from which impinge upon the bottom of such inner chamber and then pass
into the flues before mentioned.

page_text: Tubes fixed to the outer and inner chambers and open at the ends are used as
air passages to supply air to the inner chambers.
These inner chambers are supplied with sieves or trays on which the produce to
be dried is placed, and these trays or sieves are introduced at the bottom, and
removed froin the top of each chamber through passages provided with doors for
such purpose.
In inserting the said trays or sieves into each inner chamber they are received on
to a moveable frame, which is capable of being raised with the trays or sieves
thereon by levers, cams, or eccentrics fixed to a shaft passing through and pro-
tected from the heat of the furnace by two of the aforesaid air passages, and having
fixed thereon at the outside of the furnace an operating lever or wheel.
These shafts may be hollow, open at the ends, and perforated along the parts
within the inner chambers so as to supply air to and distribute it in such chambers.
When a tray or sieve is received on to such moveable frame or support and the
latter is raised, the said tray or sieve is carried up past catches which automatically
fall inwards, and in so rising the lowest tray or sieve is caused to raise the entire
series until the said automatic catches pass underneath such lowest tray or sieve,
the moveable frame or support is then lowered, leaving the entire series of trays or
sieves supported by the said catches in readiness for another tray or sieve to be
inserted below when desired.
The upper or lower edge of each tray or sieve is provided with projections to
enable the lowest tray or sieve to raise the entire series in each inner chamber, and
thereby to take their weight off the catches previous to the lowest tray or sievo
pushing back such automatic catches when passing the same, thereby greatly
facilitating the operatron and preventing injury to the edges of the trays or sieves.
The fresh produce to be dried is first placed on the trays or sieves in the lower
heating chamber, where it is submitted to the greatest amount of heat to remove
the principal part of the moisture therefrom, after which the said trays or sieves
are removed from such chamber through the upper door thereof and placed in the
upper heating chamber where the produce is submitted to a lower temperature to
finish the drying process.
The upper central flue causes a draught through the furnace and flues surrounding
the inner chambers, and at the same time causes a current of air to pass into the
lower parts of the heating chambers and away therefrom through the openings in
the upper part thereof into the flue spaces where the heated air and the moisture
driven off from the produce under treatment mix with and pass away with the
smoke, thereby causing a continual current of fresh heated air to pass through the
heating chambers to carry the moisture from the produce.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Andrew Jackson Reynolds in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th October 1879.
ANDREW JACKSON REYNOLDS, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, in the United
States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING HOPS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES,
CORN, SEEDS, AND OTHER PRODUCE." Partly a communication from abroad by John
Hudson Reynolds, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, in the United States of
America.
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drying hops,
fruit, vegetables, corn, seeds, and other produce.
The apparatus consists of two cylinders or chambers placed one above the other,
and connected together by a comparatively narrow neck or channel.
Inside each of these cylinders or chambers is fixed or formed another chamber, so
as to leave a flue or channel between the two entirely around the inner chamber.
The inner chambers are entirely closed and separated from the outer ones, except
at the top, where suitable openings are made therein which communicate with the
Aue space between the inner and outer chambers.
Below these two sets of chambers is placed a furnace, the heat and products of
combustion from which pass into the flue spaces between the inner and outer
chambers and out through a central flue situated over the upper chambers.
The bottom of the lower inner chamber is immediately over the burning fuel in
the furnace, the heat and products of combustion from which impinge upon the
bottom of such inner chamber and then pass into the flues before mentioned.
Tubes fixed to the outer and inner chambers and open at the ends are used as air
passages to supply air to the inner chambers.
These inner chambers are supplied with sieves or trays on which the produce to
be dried is placed, and these trays or sieves are introduced at the bottom and
removed from the top of each chamber through passages provided with doors for
such purpose.
In inserting the said trays or sieves into each inner chamber, they are received
on to a moveable frame which is capable of being raised with the trays or
sieves thereon by levers, cams, or eccentrics fixed to a shaft passing through and
protected from the heat of the furnace by two of the aforesaid air passages, and
having fixed thereon at the outside of the furnace an operating lover or wheel.
These shafts may be hollow, open at the ends, and perforated along the parts
within the inner chambers so as to supply air to and distribute it in such
chambers.
When a tray or sieve is received on to such moveable frame or support, and the
latter is raised, the said tray or sieve is carried up past catches which automatically
fall inwards, and in so rising, the lowest tray or sieve is caused to raise the entire
series until the said automatic catches pass underneath such lowest tray or sieve,
the moveable frame or support is then lowered, leaving the entire series of trays or
sieves supported by the said catches in readiness for another tray or sieve to be
inserted below when desired.
The upper or lower edge of each tray or sieve is provided with projections to
enable the lowest tray or sieve to raise the entire series in each inner chamber, and
thereby to take their weight off the catches previous to the lowest tray or sieve
pushing back such automatic catches when passing the same, thereby greatly facili-
tating the operation and preventing injury to the edges of the trays or sieves.
The fresh produce to be dried is first placed on the trays or sieves in the lower
heating chamber, where it is submitted to the greatest amount of heat to remove
the principal part of the moisture therefrom, after which the said trays or sieves are

page_text: removed from such chamber through the upper door thereof and placed in the
upper heating chamber, where the produce is submitted to a lower temperature to
finish the drying process.
The upright central flue causes a draught through the furnace and flues sur-
rounding the inner chambers, and at the same time causes a current of air to pass
into the lower parts of the heating chambers and away therefrom through the
openings in the upper part thereof into the flue spaces, where the heated air and
the moisture driven off from the produce under treatment mix with and pass away
with the smoke, thereby causing a continual current of fresh heated air to pass
through the heating chambers to carry the moisture from the produce.
And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same.
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections of drying apparatus constructed according
to the said Invention; and Figure 3 is a sectional view of parts thereof, drawn to a
larger scale.
A, B, are two cylinders or chambers placed one above the other, and connected
together by a comparatively narrow neck or channel C.
Inside each of these cylinders or chambers A or B is fixed or formed another
chamber a or b, so as to leave a flue or channel c or d between the two, entirely
around the inner chamber a or b. These chambers a, b, are entirely closed and
separated from the outer ones A, B, except at the top, where suitable openings a¹, b¹,
are made therein, which communicate with the flue spaces c, d.
Below these two sets of chambers is placed a furnace D, the heat and products
of combustion from which pass into the flue spaces c, d, and out through a central
flue e situated over the upper chamber B, b.
The bottom of the chamber a is immediately over the burning fuel in the
furnace D, the heat and products of combustion from which impinge upon the
bottom of such inner chamber a, and then pass into the flues C, d.
Tubes fixed to the outer and inner chambers A, a, B, b, and open at the ends,
are used as air passages to supply air to the inner chambers a, b.
These inner chambers a, b, are supplied with sieves or trays g on which the
produce to be dried is placed, and these trays or sieves are introduced at the
bottom and removed from the top of each chamber a, b, through passages a², a³, bº, b³,
provided with doors (not shown) for such purpose.
In inserting such trays or sieves g into each inner chamber a, b, they are received
on to a moveable frame h or i, which is capable of being raised with the trays or
sieves thereon by means of levers j', k¹, or it may be cuins or eccentrics fixed to a
shaft jor k passing through and protected from the heat of the furnace by two of
the aforesaid air passages f, and having fixed thereon at the outside of the furnace
an operating lever or ³, or it may be a wheel. The levers j, k, are connected to
the moveable frame h or i by links j³, ³.
These shafts j, k, may, as shown, be hollow, open at the ends, and perforated
along the parts within the inner chambers a, b, so as to supply air to and distributo
it in such chambers.
When a tray or sieve is received on to such moveable frame or support h or i,
and the frame or support is raised, the said tray or sieve is carried up past catches
mounted on axes of motion at ', which catches automatically fall inwards, and in
so rising the lowest tray or sieve g is caused to raise the entire series until the said
automatic catches pass underneath such lowest tray or sieve g, the moveable
frame or support h or i is then lowered, leaving the entire series of trays or sieves
supported by the said catches in readiness for another tray or sieve to be inserted
below when desired.

page_text: The upper edge of each tray or sieve g is, as shown in the Drawings, provided
with projections g' to enable the lowest tray or sieve to raise the entire series in
each inner chamber a, b, and thereby to take their weight off the catches previous
to the lowest tray or sieve g pushing back such catches when passing the same.
thereby greatly facilitating the operation and preventing injury to the edges of the
trays or sieves, as the latter by the above described arrangement have merely to
move back the catches and not to overcome the pressure of the superincumbent
trays or sieves thereon.
The projections g¹ may, instead of being carried by the upper part of the tray or
sieve, be carried by the lower part thereof.
The fresh produce to be dried is first placed on the trays or sieves in the lower
heating chamber a, where it is submitted to the greatest amount of heat to remove
the principal part of the moisture therefrom, after which the said trays or sieves
are removed from such chamber through the door a³, and placed in the upper
heating chamber b, where the produce is submitted to a lower temperature to finish
the drying process.
The upper central ílue e causes a draught through the furnace and flues c, d, and
at the same time causes a current of air to pass into the lower parts of the heating
chambers a, b, and away therefrom through the openings a', 6', in the upper part
thereof into the flue spaces c, d, where the heated air and the moisture driven off
from the produce under treatment mix with and pass away with the smoke, thereby
causing a continual current of fresh heated air to pass through the heating chambers
to carry the moisture from the produce.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in which
the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
First. A drying apparatus composed of two parts or chambers, one inside the
other, the flame and products of combustion circulating between these two parts or
chambers, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
Second. The combination of two drying chambers one above the other, con-
structed and used in manner and for the purpose berein shown and described.
Third. The employment of hollow shafts j, k, and openings or tubes for the
admission of fresh air and for raising the trays or sieves in manner substantially as
herein shown and described.
Fourth. The openings at the upper part of the drying chambers for the escape of
the air and vapour from the interior of such chambers, substantially as herein shown
and described.
Fifth. The means employed for raising the trays or sieves, substantially as herein
shown and described; and,
Sixth. The general arrangement, combination, and mode of operation of drying
apparatus, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Jackson Reynolds, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
A. J. REYNOLDS. (L.S.)