Rotary Peat Pressing and Drying Machine.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
Rotary Peat Pressing and Drying Machine.
I, PETER FILSER, turf moor proprietor of Landsberg-on-the Lech in the Empire
of Germany for the time living at 84B East India Dock Road, Poplar E, in tho
County of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Subject of the present invention is a machine which being put in motion by any
convenient power, performs a pressing and subsequent automatic evacuation of peat
put into it in its wet state and has for its purpose to considerably facilitate and
shorten the otherwise slow work of drying peat.
Between two superstructure stilts, which are propped up by two supports, the main
axle, on which two disks are fixed, is placed. Each disk is provided on its inside
with an adjoint piece of a ring, which serves as a basis for a perforated bottom plate
going right round it. This bottom. plate fills in its width and length the space
between the disks and also between the hereinafter more particularly described
sliders. The bottom plate as well as the adjoint piece of ring are interrupted in
such a manner, that a groove like joint is formed. Flanges fixed on the adjoint
piece of ring serve to give greater strength to it and to screw on the bottom plate:
In each joint lies a slider, having the width of the space between the disks. Each
slider consists of two perforated iron plates, which are rivetted together at both ends
and in the middle and have ribs or bars between the rivets. The middle intermediate
rib of the slider is a little elongated at the' lover end and provided with an aperture
into which grasps the extremity of a lever. This lever is fastened in the centre of a
turnable axle placed between the two disks. Moreever there is fixed to the axle
outside the disk a second lever. Both levers are pressed outward by a spring,
fastened to the first lever and to the common axle, by which movement the sliders
connected with them have always the tendency to move in an upward direction.
Further there is on one of the superstructure stilts a rotary wheel so placed that it
can be put higher or lower and there is likewise fixed to one of the supports a turning
wheel.
Against the circumference of the bottom plate finally a clearing plate fixed with
its lower end to the supports is placed in such a manner, that when the disks are
turning and the sliders are pressed down it touches nowhere against any obstacle.
Above the disks is placed between the superstructure stilts in pillows or beddings
which can be placed higher or lower, a large pressing cylinder of the width of the
bottom plate.
The rotation of the cylinder is impelled by the adhesion of the peat to be pressed
passing underneath it.
The machine works in the following way: The sliders are influenced by the
springs in their high position and by this position together with the bottom plate
and the two disks cell-like spaces are formed, into which the wet pieces of turf are
placed successively. By the rotation "respectively by the continuous passing of the
cells through the pressing Cylinder the peat contained in the cells is pressed, whereby
the water can flow off through the perforated bottom plate and the perforated sliders.
By the greater or smaller pressure of the peat also the sliders are pressed down

page_text: proportionately by the cylinder, so that the peat under pressure even during the
yielding of the sliders is always enclosed.
On starting work the outward lever drags during the rotation underneath the first
rotary wheel and this helps the inner lever fastened on the same axle to impart the
downward movement of the slider. During the rotation however the downward
pressure of the levers advances more and more, until at last on the draging of the
outward lever underneath the second wheel the slider is completely pressed down,
so that the upper end of the slider is on a level with the bottom plate, and that now
the clearing plate during the rotation can pass over it without hindrance. At this
juncture the pressed peat shoves with its front side now become free against the
clearing plate with the effect that it passes above it and is exported.
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Rotary Feat Fressing and Drying machine.
I, PETER FILSER, turf-moor proprietor, of Landsberg on Lech in the Empire of
Germany, for the time living at 84B East India Dock Road, Poplar, in the County
of London, England, 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 :-
This invention has for its object to substantially improve the hitherto usual
methods of extracting moisture from peat and such like materials, and to provide
machines or apparatus, by which it is rendered possible to considerably facilitate and
shorten the period of drying peat and the like, this work having proved hitherto very
'slow.
The new method chiefly consists in making use of rotary contrivances, which when
driven by any suitable power, cause the moist peat apportioned in smaller quantities
along the circumference of drums, to be pressed, thus clearing it of all liquid
substances by the pressure of two or more drums gearing with each other.
As an example, for carrying out into practice the idea of this invention, the
accompanying drawings show two distinct modifications of apparatus, aiming at the
same end, that is extracting moisture from peat by compressing it between rotary
drums.
In these drawings, sheet 1 :
2 Fig I represents in a side view an appropiate apparatus, which may be set in motion
by means of any suitable working power;
21.
Fig II being the front view of this apparatus and showing various details, the
"covering of the drums, being partly brocken off.
4:
Upon sheet 2 :
Fig III. shows an apparatus, driven by belt-transmission, combined with a
transporting conveyance;
Fig IV being a side view of the same.
With reference to the figures I and II, the apparatus is built in a frame consisting
of two iron standards c c¹ kept in position by inclined supports w. A main shaft a
having its bearings in the standards carries two disks 6 b¹. Inside of each disk, a ring
shaped additional piece e is provided, serving as the base for a circular perforated iron
plate d, which runs round it, thus forming a drum between the disks bb. The
perforated plate d as well as the ring shaped piece e are both intercepted by the
herein after more particularly described sliding devices h, thus leaving room for them
at the points s and forming there, joint like channels for insertion purpose. In order

page_text: to enable the plate d to be properly connected to the disks 6 b', it may be provided
with flanges gat right angles and for threngthening these flanges, shoulders are made
use of, which serve also for effectively fastening piece e to plate d.
In each joint at 8, a sliding device h is inserted, the width of which corresponds with
the distance between the two disks b 1. It consists of two perforated iron plates
rivetted together at both their ends and in their middle parts by means of small flat
iron bars. The total thickness of this sliding device corresponds to the width of the
joint like channels at s. When these sliding devices are raised to their uppermost
position, separate partitions are formed by them upon the circumference of the
plate d, between both the diske b b¹. The small iron bar used in the middle of the
device h is downwardly extended and provided in this extension with an aperture f,
engaging the extremity of a pawl like arm fixed upon an axle p, the latter freely
turning in bearings found in the middle part of disks b b¹. Moreover there is rigidly
mounted upon the same axle p, a second similar arm m, but situated outside disk b¹.
Both arms and m are pressed in an outward direction by means of a spring i
connected with arm and attached to the common axle p in such a manner, that the
sliding device h, being connected with arms r and m continually tends to raise over
the circumference of plate d.
One of the frame standards c c¹ forms bearing to a rotary wheel k capable of being
adjusted in a more or less high position, and one of the inclined supports w carries a
rotary wheel l.
Both these wheels help the acting of the pawl like arms and m.
A striker in the shape of an iron clearing plate / attached to support w constantly
presses with its top against the circumference of the circular plate d in such a
manner that it freely runs over it, whilst the apparatus works and the sliding
devices h are to take their lower position.
The revolution of the disks b 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow (see
fig. I) may be caused by means of the belting transmission running over pulley T
and by the gearings t and v, all these contrivances driven by any suitable motive
power.
Between the two standards c c', a big pressing roller y of the same width than the
perforated plate d is arranged in bearings n n', these being adjustable regards their
level. This adjusting may be effected by means of a crank and a worm engaging
with an upright spindle.
The revolution of the pressing roller y is automatically caused by the adhering
peat blocks to be compressed, passing underneath it.
The described apparatus, which of course may as well be transferable, works as
follows:
As soon as
Assuming the sliding devices h, influenced by the pressure of the springs i in
their raised position, cell-like spaces or partitions are formed upon the perforated
iron plate & between the two disks b 1. Into these partitions-say first into thè
space o-are laid in the moist peat blocks in series one after the other.
the revolution of main shaft a begins, the moist peat blocks are to pass underneath
the big pressing roller y, which is previously adjusted for the purpose. By
continually pressing down the peat blocks, the moisture contained therein is
extracted and the water is allowed to run off through the perforations of plate d and
those of the sliding devices h. Roller y compressing more or less the peat blocks
also causes the sliding devices to be pressed down; but the blocks still remain
enclosed at all sides.
At the beginning of the work, the outside pawl like arm m first strikes the bottom
part of wheel and thus impart a certain movement to the inside arm r, so that
the sliding device h being connected with these arms may be caused to descend.
These proceedings are going on, until arm m reaches the bottom part of the second
wheel, when the sliding device h will be at its lowest position, the top of the same
levelling with plate d and striker being now enabled to freely run over it. The
peat blocks thus presenting an uncovered front are then taken off by the striker **
and carried on to an outward conveyance. After this, arm m being again freed from
wheel l, undergoes the influence of spring i in such a manner that both arms m and r

page_text: and therefore also the sliding device h are caused to raise, the latter forming now
again the partition upon plate d, and the same proceedings may begin again, when
another peat block is laid in.
During and through the compression effected by roller y the peat blocks are
treated in such a manner that they soon form solid and hard bricks, and may then at
once be piled up for storing or other purposes.
It is obvious, that the described method of peat-drying by compressing peat
blocks between rotary drums may be carried out by any other appropriate apparatus.
Figures III and IV represent a second modification of the same, which has proved
extremely efficient for the purpose.
This apparatus is constructed in a frame formed by U-shaped iron standards
carrying two adjustable drums. The latter consist each of two disks b b¹ connected
to each other by a main shaft a and having at their exterior two additional ring
.pieces e. The circumference of the drums is divided in solid parts f and in recesses n
for the reception of the peat blocks or the like to be compressed. The upper one
of the ring pieces e may be provided with flanges g in order to render possible the
attaching of the solid parts f. Between the flanges the two ring pieces forme the
said recesses n in which iron angles el are arranged in such a manner that they are
enabled to move up and down; they carry screwed on, a perforated strong iron
plate d. Angles e¹ are provided each with a stud like projection e2 at which the
strikers m and are to engage during the revolution of the drums, thus causing
angles e¹ and therefore also the perforated plates d to move up and down. The
strikers being attached at the middle part of the frame induce the compressed peat
blocks to drop from the drums into a transporting conveyance h arranged there
underneath (fig. III).
At each shaft a is mounted outside the frame standards a big cog wheel v
simultaneously gearing with two smaller toothed wheels t in such a manner as to
regulate the proper gearing of both the drums, the solid parts of the one engaging
the peat blocks in the recesses of the other. The solid parts f are rounded at their
edges and the drums are adjustably arranged as to compress the blocks more or less
according to the quality of the material or to requirement.
At the vertical frame part are arranged two adjustable pressed rollers y gearing
with the solid parts f of the drums, thus being compelled to follow their revolution's
and compressing the peat blocks put into the recesses of the drums. In order to
prevent the peat from being thrown out during the operation, protecting rails may
be provided at both sides of the rollers y as well as at those of the drums.
On the same axle as the toothed wheel t but at the other side of the frame standard's
is mounted a spur wheel gearing with a pinion ¹, which receives motion through
the belt-transmission over pulley T.
The transporting conveyance h arranged underneath the centre of the apparatus
may also be driven by means of belt transmission and bevelled cog wheels as
shown in the drawing.
The outside striker m attached at the frame causes the angles e¹ and with them the
perforated plate d to be lowered again in order to form the mentioned recesses n for
the reception of the peat blocks.
The working of this apparatus is very simple, it takes place as follows:
Assuming the perforated plates d in both drums are at their lowest position-tlie
thus formed recesses n may be filled up with peat blocks to be dried. Now, by
continually rotating the drums, the said blocks are first brought underneath the press
rollers Y, where they will be compressed to the level of the solid parts f. Thus the
moist peat blocks in the recesses n are already partly compressed before they undergo
the more complete pressing between the two drums, when the solid parts f of one
drum gear with the peat blocks of the other drum, both the drums being adjusted to
gear more or less according to requirement. The moisture of the thus treated peat
blocks is effectively extracted and the produced water runs off through the perforations
of the plates d. The compressing of the peat blocks achieved, the strikers / cause
the plates d to push out the peat blocks, which drop into the transporting conveyance h

page_text: underneath. On the other hand, as soon as the projection 2 hits the striker m, the
plates d return to their lower position and the recess n is again ready for the reception
of the peat blocks to be dried.
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
claim is:
1. The improved method of and apparatus for extracting moisture from peat or
such like materials by rotary drums compressing the same when placed in blocks
upon their circumferences, substantially as hereinbefore described and set forth.
2. The forming of partitions at the circumference of the rotary drums serving for
drying peat blocks and such like materials, by perforated plate d, disks b¹ and
sliding device h, substantially as and for the purpose therein before described and
shewn in the accompanying drawings (figs I & II).
3. The arrangement of solid pressing parts falternating with recesses n for the
reception of the moist peat or such like materials, at the circumference of the rotary
drums, substantially as and for the purpose therein before described and shewn in
the accompanying drawings (figs, III & IV).
4. The application of striker or clearing plate F (fig. 1) combined with means
for removing the dried peat blocks, substantially as and for the purpose therein
before described.
5. The application of the strikers m and 1 (fig. III) combined with means for
raising and lowering the perforated plates d in the recesses n, substantially as and
for the purpose therein before described.
6. The arrangement and combination of parts and appliances constituting my
apparatus for extracting moisture from peat and such like materials, substantially
as and for the purpose therein before described and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.