AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR DESSICATING OAK BARK, FLAX, HEMP, TOBACCO, PEAT, MUSTARD, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES BY ATMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1872

page_text: .
LETTERS PATENT to Robert Morellet Montgomerie Alloway, Esquire,
of Torquay, in the County of Devon, Master of Arts, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR DESSICATING OAK BARK, FLAX,
HEMP, TOBACCO, PEAT, MUSTARD, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES BY ATMOSPHERIC
EVAPORATION, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 14th January 1873, and dated the 17th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Morellet Mont-
gomerie Alloway at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 17th July 1872.
ROBERT MORELLET MONTGOMERIE ALLOWAY, Esquire, of Torquay,
5 in the County of Devon, Master of Arts, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR DESSICATING OAK BARK,
FLAX, HEMP, TOBACCO, PEAT, MUSTARD, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES BY ATMOSPHERIC
EVAPORATION, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as follows:-
2)
The object of my Invention, which is drying the substances named by
atmospheric evaporation, is to enable agriculturists, manufacturers, and

page_text: others to dry in a speedy and economical manner without the use
of cockles or furnaces or expensive presses, machinery, or apparatus,
various substances which retain an excess of moisture, such as oak bark
and other sorts of bark of trees, and numerous vegetable fibres, such as
flax and hemp, and a variety of other vegetable matters, such as tobacco,
peat, mustard, and which treatment is applicable to the drying of any
substance, vegetable or animal, containing a superabundance of moisture.
I carry out my improved process in the following manner: In the
first place I construct a framework of tables or terraces, by preference
made of iron or other metal, although wood, which is cheaper, will
answer the purpose, having legs or supports which raise the tables or
terraces above the ground to any convenient height, in practice about
two feet. On the top of this framework I place a netting of galvanised
or other wire, or twine, or of common plastering laths, or sawed laths, or
other convenient laths or wirework for supporting the articles to be
dried. This wirework or the laths are to be secured to the framework
by nails or screws or wire or twine. On these terraces so constructed
one above another in any required series are to be loosely placed the
oak bark or peat or other matters requiring to be dessicated and left for
a day or two to give off moisture while thus isolated and exposed to free
currents of air. During this period the articles may, if necessary, be
turned once or twice so as give an equal exposure, and after a day or
two the articles may be piled into small heaps by children and left for
still further drying until dry enough for the purpose required.
For the articles herein-before enumerated this process of drying will be
found more effective and more rapid than if they were left on the ground
as is now commonly done, whereby they absorb moisture by capillary
attraction from the dews at night, and retain water from showers of
rain. And the manufactured article will be found superior in quality
and condition when made from a substance dried in this manner to that
made from a substance which has been dried slowly on the ground.
For example, tobacco by long exposure loses much of its pungency and
essential oil, and it is well known that oak bark in this country is
deprived of much of its tanning principle by a too lengthened exposure
to the atmosphere. Again the length of time required to free peat
fibres from moisture by exposure to atmospheric action is so great as
materially to impede, if not altogether prevent the adoption of this
mode of drying for manufacturing purposes.

page_text: By the use of my terraces peat may be dried so quickly as to render
the material an article of profitable manufacture for fuel or for filtering
purposes when carbonised. The terraces should be erected in a place
convenient with reference to supplying the wet raw material, and where
the free influence of sun and wind may be brought to bear. The
terraces should be painted with a coat of mineral paint and be enclosed
by light fencing as a protection from horses, cattle, or sheep.
Although I have described the above apparatus for drying the various
substances enumerated, I do not restrict myself to its use, my Invention
consisting of drying such substances by atmospheric evaporation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Morellet Montgomerie Alloway in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th January 1873:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MORELLET MONTGOMERIE ALLOWAY, Esquire, of Torquay, in the County
of Devon, Master of Arts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Morellet Montgomerie Alloway,
Her special license that I, the said Robert Morellet Montgomerie
Alloway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Robert Morellet Montgomerie Alloway, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,'
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS, FOR
DESSICATING OAK BARK, FLAX, HEMP, TOBACCO, PEAT, MUSTARD, AND OTHER
SUBSTANCES BY ATMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Morellet Mont-
gomerie Alloway, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands, and seals, should

page_text: .
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Moréllët Montgomerie
Alloway, do hereby déclare the nature of the said Invention, and in 'what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
The object of my Invention, which is drying the substances named
by atmospheric evaporation, is to enable agriculturists, manufacturers,
and others to dry in a speedy and economical manner, without the use
of cockles, or furnaces, or expensive presses, machinery, or apparatus,
various substances which retain an excess of moisture, such as oak bark,
and other sorts of bark of trees, and numerous vegetable fibres, such as
flax and hemp, and a variety of other vegetable matters, such as tobacco,
peat, mustard, and which treatment is applicable to the drying of
any substance, vegetable or animal, containing a superabundance of
moisture.
f
I carry out my improved process in the following manner :-In the
first place I construct a framework of tables or terraces, by preference
made of iron or other metal, although wood, which is cheaper; will
änswer the purpose, having legs or supports which raise the tables or
terraces above the ground to any convenient height, in practice about
two feet. On the top of this framework I place a netting of galvanized
or other wire; or twine, or of common plastering laths, or sawn laths,
or other convenient laths or wirework for supporting the article to be
dried, This wirework or the laths are to be secured to the framework
by nails or screws or wire or twine. On these terraces so constructed
are to be loosely, placed the oak bark, or peat, or other matters requiring
to be dessiccated, and left for a day or two to give off moisture while
thus isolated and exposed, to free currents of air. During this period the
articles may if necessary be turned once or twice so as to give an equal
exposure, and after a day or two the articles may be piled into small
heaps by children and left for still further drying until dry enough for
the purpose required.
.
For the articles herein-before enumerated the process of drying will
be found more effective and more rapid than if they were left on the
ground, as is now commonly done, whereby they absorb moisture by

page_text: capillary attraction from the dews at night, and retain water from
showers of rain, and the manufactured articles will be found superior
in quality and condition when made from a substance dried in this
manner, to that made from a substance which has been dried slowly.on
the ground. For example, tobacco by long exposure loses much of its
pungency and essential oil, and it is well known that oak bark in this
country is deprived of much of its tanning principle by a too lengthened
exposure to the atmosphere; again, the length of time required to free
peat fibres from moisture by exposure is so great as materially to
impede, if not altogether to prevent, the adoption of this mode of drying
for manufacturing purposes.
By the use of my terraces peat may be dried so quickly as to render
the material an article of profitable manufacture for fuel, or for
filtering purposes when carbonised. The terraces should be erected on
a place convenient with reference to supplying the wet raw material,
and where the free influence of sun and wind may be brought to
bear. The terraces should be painted with a coat of mineral paint, and
be enclosed by light fencing as a protection from horses, cattle, or
sheep.
Although I have described the above apparatus for drying the various
substances enumerated, I do not restrict myself to its use, my Invention
consisting of drying such substances by atmospheric evaporation by
this or similar apparatus without the use of artificial heat or costly
machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Morellet Montgomerie
Alloway, have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Fourteenth
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-three.
ROBERT MORELLET MONTGOMERIE ALLOWAY. (L.S.)