A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DRYING AND POWDERING BLOOD AND EXCREMENTITIOUS MATTER, ALSO SUITABLE FOR DRYING OR EVAPORATING SACCHARINE AND OTHER SOLUTIONS OR MATERIALS AND FOR DISSOLVING AND MIXING PURPOSES WHEREIN HEAT IS REQUIRED
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Campbell Forrest, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, Manure Merchant and Contractor, and Alexander Forrest, of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Oil Distiller, for the Invention
of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DRYING AND POWDERING BLOOD
AND EXCREMENTITIOUS MATTER, ALSO SUITABLE FOR DRYING OR EVAPORATING
SACCHARINE AND OTHER SOLUTIONS OR MATERIALS AND FOR DISSOLVING AND
MIXING PURPOSES WHEREIN HEAT IS REQUIRED."
Sealed the 9th March 1877, and dated the 30th December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Campbell Forrest and
Alexander Forrest at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
30th December 1876.
CAMPBELL FORREST, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, Manure
Merchant and Contractor, and ALEXANDER FORREST, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Oil Distiller. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DRYING AND
POWDERING BLOOD AND EXCREMENTITIOUS MATTER, ALSO SUITABLE FOR DRYING
OR EVAPORATING SACCHARINE AND OTHER SOLUTIONS OR MATERIALS AND FOR
DISSOLVING AND MIXING PURPOSES WHEREIN HEAT IS REQUIRED."
This Invention relates to a machine for drying and grinding or powdering blood
and excrementitious matter or other material by means of a hollow spindle contain-
ing steam, or superheated steam, or ignited gas, or hot air, and revolving within an
iron drum or cylinder which may have a single or double casing for the introduction
of steam or other heating medium for heating purposes, and into which drum or
cylinder the blood, excrementitious or other material has been introduced.
The spindle passes from end to end of the drum or cylinder, projects beyond the
cylinder through stuffing boxes at cither end for gearing purposes and steam con-
nections, and has a revolving motion. Within the cylinder six (or more or fewer)
hollow arms radiate or project from the spindle at any suitable angle, and at their
outer extremities each set of these arms open into a hollow tube attached to the
arms, and which tube extends the full length internally of the cylinder, or such arms
may each open into short lengths of hollow tube. These hollow tubes are provided
with accommodation for bolting scrapers or stirrers on, for keeping the inside
surface of the cylinder clean, and for producing the grinding, powdering, or mixing
ID 611

page_text: operation, and such scrapers or stirrers may be arranged in a spiral form if desirable.
Stean or superheated steam is introduced into the hollow spindle at one end, or
ignited gas or heated air may be used as the heating medium; the other end is
fitted with accominodation for the exhaust steam and water condensed therefroin.
The cylinder rests horizontally on stone or brick supports, and the position of the
spindle is also horizontal.
The blood, excrementitious or other material to be operated on is introduced into the
cylinder through a man hole or filling accommodation on its upper surface. The
spindle is then nade to revolve by means of steain or other motive power, and the
arms of the spindle and hollow tubes pass through the contents of the cylinder, which
thus become dried by the heat from the spindle and cylinder, and powdered, ground,
or mixed by the revolving motions of the scrapers and stirrers.
When the contents of the cylinder have been properly dried and powdered or
ground they are discharged through a man-hole or outlet on the under surface of
the cylinder, and which outlet is kept closed during the operation. The steam or
vapour evolved during the process is allowed to escape through the man-hole on the
upper surface of the cylinder, or may be led into or through a furnace in order to
destroy the noxious gases.
It will be readily apparent that this construction of apparatus is applicable for
drying or evaporating urine, saccharine and other solutions or materials, either
under atmospheric pressure or in vacuo produced by suitable fans or pumps, and also
for dissolving and mixing purposes wherein heat is required, and that two or more
such drying cylinders may be mounted side by side in one casing, outside which a
furnace may be arranged for superheating such casing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Campbell Forrest and Alexander Forrest in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 30th June 1877.
CAMPBELL FORREST, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, Manure
Merchant and Contractor, and ALEXANDER FORREST, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Oil Distiller. "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR DRYING AND
POWDERING BLOOD AND EXCREMENTITIOUS MATTER, ALSO SUITABLE FOR DRYING
OR EVAPORATING SACCHARINE AND OTHER SOLUTIONS OR MATERIALS AND FOR
DISSOLVING AND MIXING PURPOSES WHEREIN HEAT IS REQUIRED."
This Invention relates to a machine for drying and grinding or powdering blood
and excrementitious matter or other material by means of a hollow spindle con-
taining steam, or superheated steam, or ignited gas, or hot air, and revolving within
an iron drum or cylinder which may have a single or double casing for the intro-
duction of steam or other heating medium for heating purposes, and into which drum
or cylinder the blood, excrementitious, or other material has been introduced.
The spindle passes from end to end of the drum or cylinder, projects beyond the
cylinder through stuffing boxes at either end for gearing purposes and steam con-
nections, and has a revolving motion. Within the cylinder twelve (or more or fewer)
hollow arms radiate or project from the spindle at any suitable angle, and at their
outer extremities each set of these arms open into a hollow tube attached to the
arms, and which tube extends the full length internally of the cylinder, or such arms
may each open into short length of hollow tube. These hollow tubes are provided
with accommodation for bolting scrapers or stirrers on, for keeping the inside surface
of the cylinders clean, and for producing the grinding, powdering, or mixing
operation, and such scrapers or stirrers may be arranged in a spiral form if
desirable. Steam or superheated steam is introduced into the hollow spindle at
one end, or ignited gas or heated air may be used as the heating medium; the other
end is fitted with accommodation for the exhaust steam and water condensed there-

page_text: from. The cylinder rests horizontally on stone or brick supports, and the position
of the spindle is also horizontal.
The blood, excrementitous, or other material to be operated upon, is introduced
into the cylinder through one or more man-holes or filling accommodation on its
upper surface. The spindle is then made to revolve by means of steam or other
motive power, and the arms of the spindle and hollow tubos pass through the contents
of the cylinder, which thus becomes dried by the heat from the spindle and cylinder,
and powdered, ground, or mixed by the revolving motion of the scrapers and
stirrers.
When the contents of the cylinder have been properly dried and powdered, or
ground, they are discharged through one or more man-holes or outlets on the under
surface of the cylinder, and which outlets are kept closed during the drying opera-
tion. The steain or vapour evolved during the process is allowed to escape through
the man-holes on the upper surface of the cylinder, or may be led into or through a
furnace in order to destroy the noxious gasos, or may be withdrawn by mechanical
means.
It will be readily apparent that this construction of apparatus is applicable for
drying or evaporating urine, saccharine or other solutions or materials, either under
atmospheric pressure or in vacuo produced by suitable fans or pumps, and also for
dissolving and mixing purposes wherein heat is required, and that two or more such
drying cylinders may be mounted side by side in one casing, outside which a furnace
may be arranged for superheating such casing.
And in order that this our said Invention may be the more readily seen and
understood, we have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrating our im-
proved machine drawn to a scalo of about half-an-inch to the foot, similar lotters
marked on the several views being used to indicate similar parts.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 an end view of our
improved machine; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the main cylinder, seen in Fig. 1,
and taken on the line A-B.
A is the main cylinder, constructed by preference of boiler plates, and having a
surrounding steam jacket B; C, C, are the feed hoppers provided with stopping
plates C C is the outlet for vapour, provided with a pipe or tube C³ for leading
off the gases or vapour; C is the discharge outlet or man-hole, fitted with hinged
cover and tightening appliance. Ten or more of these discharging man-holes may
be provided if desirable. C³ is the steam inlet; C, outlet pipe for condensed water,
which may be either returned to the boiler or trapped in any convenient manner.
The cylinder A is shewn fixed upon strong foundation plates D bolted to the
foundation D¹, but may be erected upon wheels if required to be transported from
place to place. E is the hollow spindle, from which are shown radiating twelve
hollow arms E, and each opening into short chambers or tubes E². We prefer to
cast the spindle and radiating arms all in one piece, and introduce the same into
the main cylinder A by removing one of its ends. The short tubes or chambers E³
are preferred to be arranged at an angle with the axis of the cylinder as shewn, one
half of their number sloping in one direction and the other half in the contrary
direction, as we find this arrangement has an important effect in working the con-
tents of the cylinder to and fro and thus materially aiding the grinding and drying
process. Scraper plates E³ are affixed by bolts upon the outside of the short
chambers or tubes E, and which serve to scrape the inner surface of the cylinder
and also grind and powder the contents by their continuous rotating action.
In order to still further ensure an effective grinding and powdering action we
prefer to affix a curved plate F (an enlarged detached sectional view of which is
seen in Fig. 5) at the back of each of the scrapers Es, the edge of which plate F has
large serrations F¹ formed upon it. This curved plate F thus forms a chamber for
receiving the partially powdered material and carrying the same round, meanwhile
distributing it gradually through the serrations, and whereby it is laid and com-
pelled to undergo a further grinding operation.
The hollow spindle E is mounted in a bearing G bracketted on the foundation

page_text: plate as shewn, and such hollow spindle passes through stuffing boxes H in the ends
of the cylinder. Steam is admitted to this hollow spindle by the stationary inlet
pipe I, and an outlet pipe I' is provided for receiving the condensed water, stuffing
box connections I being arranged at each end of the spindle to allow the same to
revolve. This spindle E is driven by spur gearing, the large spur wheel J gearing
with the pinion J¹ fixed upon the driving shaft J, and motion being communicated
through the fast and loose pulleys J³.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-The material requiring to be operated
upon is introduced to the cylinder A through one or both of the hoppers C. Steam
is then admitted to the hollow spindle E and surrounding jacket B, and the spindle
is set in motion and continued until the material is in a sufficiently dried and
powdered state, when it can be discharged through the man-hole. It will be
apparent that the hollow agitating and stirring arms have in conjunction with the
heated cylinder an important effect in rapidly drying and evaporating all moisture
in the material owing mainly to the large and extended heating surface which they
present. We prefer to construct the radiating arms E¹ of a form shewn in cross
section in Fig. 6, which is an enlarged view of a section of one of the arms scen in
Fig. 4 across the line C-D, the sharp edge X being arranged in the direction in
which the arm revolves.
The vapour or noxious gases are led away by the tube C, and may be withdrawn
by a fan or by being drawn through a furnace by the natural draught of a chimney,
in which latter case all nuisance is effectually obviated. In case it is required to
evaporate in vacuo the outlet pipe C² is in connection with suitable pumps for
creating the necessary vacuum.
This apparatus may be used for drying and powdering blood and excrementitious
matter, and also for drying or evaporating saccharine or other solutions or materials,
and for dissolving and mixing purposes generally wherein heat is required.
Although we have only described the application of ordinary steam as the heating
medium for the cylinder and spindle, it will be obvious that superheated steam, or
hot air, or in some cases that exhaust steam might be utilised for the purpose.
The surrounding jacket B is also capable of being heated by ignited gases, or a
furnace might be substituted for such jacket, but all these we should consider to be
modifications of our Invention, and in some cases we arrange two or more of these
cylinders in one large casing.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, together with the best methods with which we are acquainted for carry-
ing the same into practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the various
parts of the apparatus herein-before described and illustrated, as the same may be
considerably varied without departing from the Invention, and we wish it further
to be understood that we make no claim to a cylinder fitted with surrounding
jacket, but what we do claim is,
1st. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus when heated, and
operating as and for the purposes herein-before described and illustrated on the
accompanying Drawing.
2nd. The hollow revolving spindle when constructed with hollow radiating arms
opening into tubes or chambers and fitted with scrapers or stirrers, in the manner
and for the purposes herein-before described and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Campbell Forrest, for and on behalf of myself
and the said Alexander Forrest, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and soventy seven.