An Improved Drying Kiln with Sinking Shelves.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1897
An Improved Drying Kiln with Sinking Shelves.
I, ADOLF MÜLLER, Junior, of Saaz, Bohemia, Austria, Inventor, 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 :-
My invention consists of a drying kiln particularly adapted for the drying of hops,
the shelves of which are superposed and arranged in suitable guides so as to be
traversed by the drying air while they can be lowered according to their order as fast
as they are being dried the material being placed in a green state at the top of the
kiln and gradually reaching the bottom thereof on the same shelf in order to be
removed dry. These kilns could also be constructed in such a manner as to be
transportable.
The way in which I carry out my invention is as follows, reference being made to
the accompanying drawings in order that it may be better understood.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical section on line y y of Figure 4 of the hop kiln.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same, looking from the opposite point to that from
which Figure 1 is seen.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on lines X-X Figures 1 and 4.
Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section on line T T of Figure 1.
Figures 5 6 and 7 are respectively two views and a cross section on lines Z-Z of
Figures 5 & 6 of one of the shelves.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a hop drying kiln and
Figures 9 and 10 are two views of a transportable drying kiln.
The same letters refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.
In a casing D enclosed all round and provided at the top with a suitable roofing G
and below with a suitable heating appliance A A', B B, are arranged a row of
superposed shelves or trays having wire or perforated bottoms said shelves being
arranged in such a manner that the air ascending from the bottom to the top
impinges on the material placed thereon and dries the same, escaping finally, fully
saturated with steam, from openings in the roof or through a chimney into the
atmosphere. The shelves run on small wheels c (Figures 2 and 5) of such diameter
that the four wheels of one shelf or tray rest upon the next shelf below. The shelves
are also provided with four lateral wheels 6 which bear in side guides or channels
which consist of horizontal portions pl to plo, 1 to 10, (Figure 1), connected by
sloping or inclined portions n' to n¹0, m³ to m10, formed in strings or projections M', M³,
M, M. These vertical strings or projections are arranged opposite each other in
the inner walls of the kiln as shown in Figure 4 and the guides or channels for the
wheels b are so arranged that when the uppermost shelf is in position at the top of the
kiln the next shelf below has its wheels bearing in the horizontal channels p¹ r;
the wheels b of the next shelf below bear in the channels p³ and so on; the
lowermost shelf bearing in the channels p10, 10. If the shelves in Figure 2 are now
moved from left to right until their wheels b reach the ends of the horizontal
channels each shelf falls through the inclined or sloping channels m³, n¹ into the next
horizontal channel below and hence each shelf or tray moves a step lower, this
displacement being effected as soon as the material on the lowermost shelf is quite
dry. The horizontal channels or guides p' to p10 and 1 to 10 and their connecting
slanting channels m¹ to mo n¹ to no as in Figure 1 form an uninterrupted zig-zag

page_text: track in each one of the strings, M', M³, M³, M*, (see Figure 4). The higher the shelves
are the less dry is the material thereon; on the top shelf is the green stuff while the
bottom shelf carries the dry material, and hence when the uppermost shelf O
(Figure 2) is shifted sideways (to the right) the lowermost shelf O₁ is removed
sideways. When the material on the lowermost shelf is sufficiently dry, said shelf is
removed from its place in the kiln; all the other shelves are then moved one step
down and fresh material being placed on the shelf which has just been removed from
the bottom of the kiln, said shelt is replaced at the top of the kiln. The lowering or
displacement of all the shelves can be effected at one operation by means of a vertical
bar K (Figures 1 and 2) which is moved horizontally in order to bear laterally
against all the shelves by means of a handle H, its stroke being equal to the length of
the horizontal channels or tracks pl to po and 1 to 10, the handle H being suitably
connected at points 1, 2 and 3, with the bar K. When the handle H is operated all
the shelves before mentioned are moved until their wheels b reach the end of the
horizontal guides or channels when they drop down a step along the inclined
channels to the next horizontal channels below, the bar K being at the same time
brought to its normal position.
The kiln may be provided with windows and be mounted on wheels so as to be
readily transported (Figs. 9 and 10). It may also be set upon brick or other walls or
foundations N Fig. 8.
In the air heating appliances shown by way of example in Figures 1 to 4, A
and B are furnaces provided with open doors and with ash boxes A' and B', the gases
of combustion passing first horizontally along the flues A, B, below the shelves
and then vertically along the side in order to escape through the chimneys A³
and B³.
The heating arrangement in Fig. 8 is similar to the above but has only one
furnace, J being the chimney for the escape of smoke, and F a flue for the escape of
air and steam.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A drying kiln for hops and the like containing superposed shelves provided with
lateral wheels or trunnions moving in zig-zag guiding channels, heated from below
with air, and dropping through slanting channels of the track formed by the horizontal
portions p' to po and slanting portions m' to m¹0 and horizontal portions 1 to 10 and
slanting portions n' to n¹0 (Fig. 1.) where the vertical bar K which is moved in a
horizontal direction by means of the handle H, these shelves being pushed or shifted
by the bars K through the horizontal channels down to the next slanting channels
below, so as to fall one step down below the slanting channels, substantially as herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of Santamber 1896
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
70 & 71 Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.