Improvements in Apparatus for Drying, Specially Applicable to Timber Drying.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying, Specially Applicable to
Timber Drying.
I, RICHARD ARTHUR SHAPLAND of Medina Cottage, Pilton, Barnstaple in the
County of Devon Furniture Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to apparatus for the extraction of moisture from or
drying wood, wool and many other materials.
According to this invention I subdivide the air to be heated by drawing it
through a system of small pipes arranged horizontally over a fire directly acted
upon thereby or by steam or otherwise so as to be effectually heated to the desired
degree by a furnace. The air when thus drawn through a number of small pipes
or passages becomes split up and is rapidly heated in a manner similar to the water
in the so-called Geysers. The air passes from the pipe system into an air collecting
chamber and is thenco by a number of suitably distributed holes in the wall drawn
into the adjoining room which constitutes the drying room. The air passos from
this room to an air collecting room at the opposite or exit end where a powerful
exhausting fan is situated which produces the aforesaid action.
As applied to the drying of wood for furniture and other use I arrange the tube
system, the air collecting chamber, the drying room (in which the wood is suitably
stacked so as to admit of a free current through it) and the air collecting chamber
at the exit or fan end all in continuation. The drying room which is considerably
longer than it is wide is fitted with one or more lateral airtight doors for admitting
the wood to be dried and has its two end walls formed with open brickwork that
is to say having a number of suitably distributed holes left in the brickwork. The
fan may be a Blackman fan or of other known good construction. The air chambers
at each end should be of ample size. They serve to collect the air at the entry and
exit and cause it to enter the wall holes in an evenly distributed manner.
assist the drying process I prefer to sweat the timber first by means of steam let
into the drying room previous to the drying process.
To
Sometimes in order to counteract the tendency of the heated air to ascend I employ
steam coils in the lower part of the room. If absolutely dry air is needed I may
provide condensing pipes in the entry collecting chamber. The whole or part of
the air having passed through the drying room may by the fan and suitable valve
appliances in a continuous or intermittent manner be returned to the heating
apparatus having first been deprived of the moisture which it took up in the
drying room.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying, Specially Applicable to
Timber Drying.
1, RICHARD ARTHUR SHAPLAND of Medina Cottage, Pilton, Barnstaple, in the
County of Devon, Furniture Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
These improvements relate to apparatus for the extraction of moisture from, or
drying wood, wool, and many other materials.

page_text: 1
According to this invention I subdivide the air to be heated by drawing it by means
of a fan through a system of small pipes or narrow pissages, arranged horizontally
over a fire so as to be directly acted upon thereby, or to be heated indirectly by steam
or other heating medium, or otherwise so as to be effectually heated to the desired
degree. The air, when thus drawn through a number of small pipes or narrow
passages becomes split up and is rapidly heated in a manner similar to the water in
the so called geysers. The air passes from the pipe system or other heater into an air
collecting chamber, into which the steam can be admitted in the carly part of the
process, and is thence by a number of suitably distributed holes in the wall, drawn
into the adjoining room, which constitutes the drying room, and through the timber"
or other material to be dried in a large and powerful current. The steam, commingled
with the heated air, or the heated air alone during the latter part of the process, passes
from this room to an air collecting room, at the opposito or oxit end where a powerful
exhaust fan is situated, which produces the aforesaid action. Thus instead of the
usual preliminary sweating process, in which steam is let into the drying room con-
taining the stacked timber to be dried and allowed to condense in the said drying
room, I, on the contrary admit the steam in such a manner that it, commingled with
heated air, is drawn through the drying room by a large and powerful current by
means of the fan at the exit end of the drying rooin, and I thus prevent condensation
in the drying room. This is what I call the carly or sweating part of the process.
I next gradually reduce the steam supply, and during the latter part of the process
warm air alone is drawn through the stacked timber, the temperature of the air being
also gradually increased a little.
by
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal sectional elevation,
Figure 2, transverse section, Figure 3, a plan section of an apparatus suitable for and
applied to the drying of wood for furniture and other use. I arrange the air flues A,
the air collecting chamber B, the drying room (in which the wood is suitably
stacked, so as to admit of a free current through it) and the air collecting chamber. D
at the exit or fan end, all in continuation. The air flues A are arranged in three tiers
and are heated by the fire flues H, which are also arranged in three tiers over the
furnace E. In the chamber D is placed a pipe or coil I supplied with steam, which
through fine perforations issues into the room B, commingling with the warm air also
drawn in and through numerous openings in the end walls of the drying room
the fan G, during the early or sweating part of the process in a powerful current is
drawn through the drying room, which contains the timber to be dried. Instead of
more perforations in the jet pipe or coil I, there may be a number of jet nipples.
K is a pipo system arranged in the drying chamber C, for counteracting the tendency
of the heat or steam to rise to the top. By starting the fan simultaneously with the
steam jets, I prevent the objectionable condensing action and effect a very efficient
sweating of the timber. The drying room C which is considerably longer than it is
wide, is fitted with one or more lateral airtight doors for admitting the wood to be
dried, and has its two end walls formed with open brickwork, as shewn, that is to say,
with a number of suitably distributed holes left in the brickwork. The fan 'G' may be
a Blackman fan or of other known" good construction. The chambers B and D at
each end should be of ample size: They serve to collect the air and steam at the entry
and exit and cause it to enter the wall holes in an evenly distributed manner.
Fig. 34 is a plan section of exit chamber D and part of the drying' room U, the
perforated wall between them being mado' of a curved or angular form as a modi-
fication for evenly directing the currents to the fan. The holes in the said wall
may in all cases be fewer and smaller in the centre than towards the sides and top
and bottom for the same purpose. But the exit end chamber D may sometimes be
omitted.
I treat the timber first by means of the steam jets from the pipe I and the air
from the flues A, both being drawn through the timber by the fan, and then gradually
check the steam jet action, until the last day or two the steam jet action is entirely
stopped, and only dry hot air is drawn through the wood by the fan." The timber
will thus be found to be quite seasoned in, say from six days upwards according to

page_text: the nature and thickness of the wood. The wood should be stacked across the room,
or at right angles to the direction of the heating and drying currents. The air
is supplied in a large quantity but only moderately heated say below 90° F., in the
beginning. The temperature in the drying room should be about 130° Fahrenheit in
the beginning, while the steam is being drawn through, and not exceed 100°
Fahrenheit towards the close.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are similar sectional views of a drying apparatus with another
form of air heater. The brickwork over the furnace E is provided with four tiers of
air tubes A which may be supported by cross girders L, and are played upon by the
flame and the hot gases in the flues H.
Figure 7. is longitudinal and Figure 8. transverse section through an air drying
apparatus in which the air is heated by passing through pipes A contained within a
drum E supplied by steam the air being admitted by a few holes, A' into the
chamber A. The same steam drum may supply steam to the pipe or coil I for the
sweating and preliminary drying process, and also for the pipe system K in the drying
chamber.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section through the front part of a drying apparatus in
which the air is heated by passing through a chamber A which surrounds a somi-
portable boiler E or it might be any form of boiler which happens to be available, and
either aljoining the drying room or not. In the case shewn the heat radiated from
the chimney, is also taken advantage of for heating the air. The air to be heated
enters by apertures,A².
Figure 10 is a vertical section, and Figure 11 a plan section through the front part
of a drying apparatus in which the air is heated by passing through a rectangular
casing containing a number of pipes through which steam is passed.
In other casos than for timber drying and where absolutely dry air is needed, I omit
the steam process and sometimes provide condensing pipes in the entry collecting
chamber B, so as to render the air absolutely dry. Moreover for timber drying and
for other cases it is not absolutely essential that there should be a special oxit
chamber D, as the fan may be fitted at the end of the drying room C, which latter
would then be mado, with a solid end wall, and the timber not be stacked quite up
to that wall, or other means to avoid the heated fluid from passing through some parts
of the timber only.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for drying timber, and other materials and objects, consisting of
the following parts arranged in continuation viz.: an air heating apparatus of any
suitable form, an antechamber into which the heated fluid is admitted and collected
through numerous apertures, a drying room containing the articles to be treated, and
into which the heated Huid is evenly admitted from the antechamber through
numerous apertures, and an exit collecting chamber communicating with the drying
room by numerous apertures and in such a manner that the heated fluid passes
through them evenly, the said exit chamber being provided with a fan for producing
the draught, and, in case of timber drying, a steam jet pipo provided in the ante-
chamber for sweating the timber as required all substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of parts constituting the apparatus described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
3. In connection with timber drying apparatus consisting of an antechamber, which
is supplied with heated air, a drying room communicating therewith by numerous
apertures, and an exhausting fan at the oxit end of the drying room, the application
and use of a set of steam jets in the anteroom for the purpose of sweating the
timber; the steam commingled with heated air in the beginning of the process
being drawn through the drying room in a large and powerful current by the fan

page_text: and then gradually checked, and the timber being finally treated with currents of
heated air alone substantially as set forth.
Datel this 3rd day of Inne 1890
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.