An Improved Process for Drying Earth, Grass, Leaves, Cereals, and other Material, and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for Drying Earth, Grass, Leaves, Cereals, and
other Material, and Apparatus therefor.
I, FRIEDRICH PELZER of Dortmund in the German Empire, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention, and the manner in which the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved process for drying earth, grass, leaves,.
cereals and other materials and to apparatus employed therefor, the object being to
dry damp masses such as abovenamed by the action of atmospheric air without
having recourse to artificial heating by employing open sheds or sheds with well
perforated walls. For this purpose I have invented a device by means of which.
my said process can be readily and practically carried into effect.
In order that the damp or wet material to be dried may not lay too close it is-
necessary that the same be arranged in horizontal layers of suitable thickness.
separated from each other.
This is effected preferably by means of several superpoised layers of wires,
webbing, ropes or other appropriate material forming a suitable number of stories
for storing the material under treatment.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section of one of my improved drying sheds,
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section and
Fig. 3 a horizontal section of the same.
The wire, cable, rope, webbing or other layers d, Fig. 1 and 2 are carried by a
system of transverse rails arranged at suitable distances apart on vertical supports
the wires or the like being laid in suitable recesses in the cross rails to which after
having been put under tention, they are securely fixed.
The straine on the transverse rails from the wires or the like is taken up by the
cables or chains and earth anchors, i, k, 1 Fig. 1 and 2. If a drying shed with as
many stories and compartments as for instance shown in Fig. 1 & 2 should be
desired for permanent drying the same would be, it is true, simple but the filling
with material to be dried would prove difficult, would consume much time and be
very expensive. The present arrangement is so constructed, that when wires,
ropes, webbing or the like are used for making the compartments the next following
higher layer is only then put up when the next lower story has been covered with
the material to be dried.
The drying shed being filled up to close beneath the roof must of course be so
arranged that sufficient space be left between the separate layers that the air can
freely pass through the same. The division of the material to be dried into so
many layers precludes all automatic ignition as the air flowing through the thin
layers will not allow the material to become to any extent warm, thus no fermentation
can take place. When the material has become so dry that it can be stored in
thick layers without danger or if same is to be loaded, this can only then be readily
and cheaply effected when it can be carried out quickly and with little labor. This
is easily attained by using my new drying plant by freeing the wires or their
equivalents which can be effected by loosening the ends, which have not been bent
or upset but are provided with threads by turning back the nuts on the same.
These wires can now be drawn out either singly, in numbers, or all together by
horse power, cable or other suitable means.
This manipulation is continued in upwards succession until all the wires, webbing
or the like are removed.
This drying shed with appartenances can be rapidly, readily and cheaply
constructed and offers in spite of its simplicity a perfect and appropriate drying
room.

page_text: As is evident from the foregoing Specification that the advantages of my
new drying process and the device for carrying the same into effect consist.
1). In the possibility of storing large masses of material which is liable to be
destroyed or spoiled in wet weather in wet weather in wet condition without injury
to the same.
2). In the easy, rapid and appropriate storing of the material to be dried and in
the ready and rapid emptying and loading of the dried material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1). A drying shed for large quantities of material such as earth, leaves, cereals
and such like, characterised by the materials to be dried being laid on wires, cables,
webbing or the like which are appropriately arranged and suitably fixed to both
ends of the drying shed so that the same can be readily and rapidly removed to
one side substantially as described and shown in the drawing.
2). My improved drying shed, substantially as described and shown in the
drawing.
3). My improved process for drying large quantities of material substantially as
described and shown in the drawing.
Dated this 27th day of May 1892.
FREDERIC PRINCE,
1, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.