CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND HEATING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Nightingale, of Wardour Street,
Soho, in the County of Middlesex, Bedding Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND HEATING
Sealed the 9th April 1853, and dated the 19th February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Nightingale
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th February 1853.
I, CHARLES NIGHTINGALE, of Wardour Street, Soho, in the County
of Middlesex, Bedding Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING AND
HEATING CERTAIN SUBSTANCES OR ARTICLES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in applying gas to the purpose of drying
and heating such substances or articles as may be conveniently
dried or heated within a revolving cylinder.
The gas apparatus is arranged so as to cause the required heat' to
be applied, either to the circumference of the revolving cylinder, or to
its centre. When the heat is applied to the circumference, the lighted

page_text: gas is isupplied in a series of jets beneath a perforated plate (or similar
contrivance), the heat from the gas passing through the perforations
and coming in contact with the revolving cylinder containing the
substances or articles to be dried or heated; and when the heat is
applied to the centre of the revolving cylinder, the lighted gas is
made to issue in a series of jets into a much smaller cylinder or
tube of wire gauze or perforated metal within and concentric with
the said revolving cylinder, the heat from the gas passing through
the perforations or spaces of the inner cylinder or tube into the
cylinder containing the substances or articles to be dried or heated.
The revolving cylinder itself is formed of wire gauze, or has
openings for the admission and emission of air. It is also enclosed
within a stationary cylinder supplied with openings or passages for
the ingress of fresh air, and for the egress of impure heated air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Charles Nightingale in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 19th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES NIGHTINGALE, of Wardour Street, Soho, in the County of
Middlesex, Bedding Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Nightingale,
Her special license that I, the said Charles Nightingale, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Charles Nightingale, my executors, administrators, 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

page_text: Islands,, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN DRYING AND HEATING CERTAIN SUBSTANCES OR ARTICLES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Nightingale, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should 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 Charles Nightingale, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of "Certain Improvements in Drying and Heating
Certain Substances or Articles ".has for its object the treatment of
such substances or articles as may be conveniently dryed or heated
within a revolving cylinder by the application of gas thereto as the
heating agent. The substances or articles to be so treated may
require different degrees of heat and revolving cylinders of different
dimensions; also the mode of applying the heat may be varied, so
long as it is applied either to the circumference of the revolving
cylinder, or to a space or chamber in the centre of the same; and
the means by which this object is accomplished consists of appa-
ratus by which lighted gas may be applied in a series of jets, either
to the circumference or to the centre of the revolving cylinder, in
such a manner as to cause the heat from the gas to pass into the
cylinder, or into the space therein containing the substances or
articles to be operated upon, and escape out therefrom with more
or less effect produced thereby upon the said substances or articles.
The revolving cylinder when used for some purposes may be
composed of wire gauze, or it may be composed of sheet metal, with
openings for the admission and emission of air, whether such air be
heated outside at the circumference, or inside at the centre of the
cylinder. This revolving cylinder may also be enclosed within a

page_text: stationary cylinder supplied with openings for the admission of
fresh air and the escape of impure heated air.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood,
I will proceed to describe it more particularly by the aid of the
accompanying. Drawings, which represent arrangements of apparatus
suitable for carrying into effect the two modes of applying the
gas above referred to; Figs. 1, and 2, shewing the arrangement
for applying it at the circumference; and Figs. 3, and 4, being
diagrams, representing the mode of applying it at the centre of the
revolving cylinder.
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal, elevation of the apparatus suitable for
drying and heating feathers; and Fig. 2, a transverse section of the
same; a, a, is the framework or standards of the machine; b, is the
axle of the revolving cylinder mounted in bearings c, in the
standards; d, is the revolving cylinder which, in this instance, is
composed of panels of wire gauze e, fixed on a metal frame formed
by rings f, and longitudinal bars or stretchers g. This cylinder d,
is enclosed within a stationary cylinder h, composed of sheets of
metal, and covered at each end. This cylinder has perforations at
the lower part for the admission of air. i, is a pipe for supplying
gas through the branch pipe k, to the pipes 1, 1, 1, which have a
series of perforations in them, and extend in a horizontal direction
along the under part of the circumference of the cylinder d, and
are fixed at their ends into the covers of the stationary cylinder h.
These pipes are shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and they may, if
thought necessary, be covered by a piece of wire gauze or per-
forated metal placed. between them and the outer circumference of
the revolving cylinder. m, is a door in the cylinder h, by opening
which the feathers may be introduced into the revolving cylinder d,
through the opening formed by the removal of a panel therein;
and n, is a door by opening which the feathers may be allowed to
fall out of the cylinders into any convenient receptacle; o; is a
chamber and pipe for the passage of impure heated air out into the
chimney; p, p, are plates of metal fixed to the cylinder h, and
extending the whole length of the cylinder d, for the purpose of

page_text: preventing a lateral draught of air out of the revolving cylinder;
and causing it to pass from the lower to the upper part of the same,
and escape thence by the pipe o.
It will be seen that on the gas issuing from the jets formed
along the pipes 1, the heat therefrom will pass through the wire
gauze into the revolving cylinder d, containing the feathers to be*
operated upon, which by this means will become dried and heated.
The speed at which the cylinder d, is made to revolve by means of
the driving pullies q, or otherwise, may be varied to suit the article
or substance under operation. For treating feathers I have found
a speed of about twenty revolutions per minute a convenient speed.
I have thus described a mode of carrying my Invention into
effect by applying gas to the circumference of the revolving cy--
linder; and I would here remark, that I propose to confine myself,
in this mode of operation, to the treatment of feathers, wool," and "
hair.
I proceed now to describe the mode in which I apply gas to the
centre of the revolving cylinder. .
Figs. 3, and 4, are transverse sections or diagrams of two re-
volving cylinders of different dimensions, and intended to be used
for drying and heating different kinds of substances or articles. At
Fig. 3, it will be observed, the proportion of the centre part to the
diameter, of the cylinder is greater than that at Fig. 4, thereby
leaving a smaller space to be occupied by the substances or articles
to be operated upon. A, is the space around the centre into which
the heat issues from the series of jets of lighted gas contained in
the pipe B, which extends all along the centre of the cylinder, and
is fixed in its position so as not to turn with the cylinder. The
space A, is enclosed by a cylindrical casing of wire gauze or per-
forated metal, strengthened in any convenient manner by rings and
longitudinal stretching pieces or rods. The revolving cylinder. is
also constructed in such manner as may be preferred for the pur-.
pose to which it is to be applied. Should it be constructed of sheet
metal it should have a door as at C formed in it; and should it be
constructed of wire gauze it should have one panel to open. The

page_text: gas may be supplied to the pipe B, either by extending the pipe
through a hollow axis of the revolving cylinder, or in any other
convenient manner. The ends of the revolving cylinder should
have large openings formed in them at the central part, by which
the air may pass into the space or chamber A, and there may also
be perforations in parts of the circumference of the said cylinder,
the outer stationary cylinder or case' (when one is used) being
likewise perforated and formed with an escape pipe as at o, Figs. 1,
and 2.
The operation of the machine or apparatus is as follows: - On
gas being admitted into the pipe B, and lighted, the space or
chamber A will become heated, and the air passing into this space
through the openings at each end will be carried in a heated state
into the space D of the revolving cylinder, which contains the
substances or articles to be operated upon. The particular speed
at which it may be desirable to turn the cylinder will depend upon
the nature of the substances or articles; but the degree of drying
and heating power of the air passing from the space or chamber A
into. the space D will be to a certain extent regulated thereby.
Thus the substances or articles contained in the space D, whether
they be bulky as feathers, and require a larger space in which to
expand, as shewn in Fig. 4, or whether they be more compact, as
coffee or grain, and require a less space, as shewn in Fig. 3, will
become dried and heated during the revolution of the cylinder, the
fresh air constantly passing into the space A, and being forced
through the space D, in streams of heated air, the impure vapor
escaping into the stationary cylinder or case, and out into the
chimney.
I would here remark that this part of my Invention may be
adapted and applied to various kinds of purposes, and is not con-
fined in its use to the articles above referred to. I would also
remark that the revolving cylinder may be varied in the proportions
of its parts, those shewn being intended only to suit certain cases;
it may also be combined with any kind of outer cylinder or casing,
or the latter may be dispensed with. The revolving cylinder may

page_text: also be preferred be mounted and driven so as to revolve in a
horizontal instead of a vertical direction. These several points,
however, form no part of my Invention.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood
that I do not mean or intend to confine myself to the precise forms
and arrangements of the parts described; neither do I claim as of
my Invention the use of a revolving cylinder, nor the other parts
described, otherwise than as combined with the use of gas as the
agent for communicating the required heat; but what I claim as of
my Invention is, the application of gas at the circumference of the
revolving cylinder, as described, for the purpose of drying and
heating the substances or articles herein-before specified under that
head of my Invention; and also the application of gas to the centre
of a revolving cylinder for the purpose of drying and heating the
same and other substances or articles as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Nightingale, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
Witnessed by
B. NANCARROW.
CHARLES NIGHTINGALE. (L.S.)