IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING FIBROUS MATERIALS AND YARNS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lee Norton, of Belle Sauvage Yard,
Ludgate Hill, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING FIBROUS MATERIALS AND YARNS."
Sealed the 24th October 1862, and dated the 30th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lee Norton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
April 1862.
I, JAMES LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the City
of London, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING FIBROUS MATERIALS AND YARNS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drying
fibrous materials and yarns. For this purpose I employ a drum, which at its
periphery has fixed to it or receives a number of cases or boxes arranged in a
circle or polygon around the drum. The boxes or cases are cach perforated
at the top and bottom, and within the circle enclosed by them there is a fan,
which is caused to rotate rapidly and produce a current of air through the
boxes. The drum, with its boxes, also rotates, but at a comparatively low
speed, so as to turn over the fabrics or yarns and keep them in motion, so
that the current of air may act on every part. A portion of the periphery of
the drum may be surrounded by a case heated by steam pipes, gas flame, or

page_text: otherwise, when heat is required; and in some instances I supply the fan
with heated air.
In drying yarns means may be provided for keeping them distended within
the boxes; or, for this purpose, boxes may be dispensed with, and the banks of
yarn may be distended on pegs or instruments carried by the drum.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Lee Norton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LEE NORTON, of Belle Sauvage Yard, Ludgate Hill, in the City of London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Lee Norton, Her special licence that I, the said James
Lee Norton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Lee Norton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DRYING FIBROUS MATERIALS AND YARNS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Lee Norton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 James Lee Norton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manuer the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for drying
fibrous materials and yarns. For this purpose I employ a drum, which at its

page_text: periphery has fixed to it or receives a number of cases or boxes arranged in a
circle or polygon around the drum. The boxes or cases are each perforated
at the top and bottom, and within the circle enclosed by them there is a
fan, which is caused to rotate rapidly and produce a current of air through tho
boxes. The drum, with its boxes, also rotates, but at a comparatively low
speed, so as to turn over the fabrics or yarns and keep them in motion, so that
the current of air may act on every part.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 is an end view, and Figure 3, a
transverse section of apparatus for drying fibrous materials and yarns,
arranged according to my Invention.
a, a, is the frame of the apparatus; it carries the bearings b of the shaft c.
This shaft has the fan d mounted upon it, and is driven by a band passing
round the pulley e at a speed conveniently of about 400 revolutions per
minute. Cast in connection with the bearings are the hollow stud axes b',
which serve for the cylinder fto turn upon. The shaft c passes through the
hollow axes b', but without bearing within them. The cylinder f consists of
two end plates or frames connected together by longitudinal bars f', and the
space between these bars is enclosed, so as to form a number of separate boxes
F, F, by means of reticulate material, by preference coarse gauze of iron wire
galvanized. The sides of the boxes forming the periphery of the drum are
made to open as doors turning on hinges, being furnished with suitable catches
to retain them when shut. On the end of the shaft c is a small pulley c¹,
from which a belt passes to drive the pulley g.
On the same axis with this
pulley is another smaller one g', and this by a belt drives the pulley 1, which
is made fast to the cylinder f. This cylinder thus has a comparatively slow
motion communicated in a direction by preference opposite to that in which
the fan is driven. The wool or other material to be dried is placed in the
boxes, so as to lay loosely therein, and the apparatus being set in motion air
is driven by the fan through the reticulate boxes, whilst the material within
them is kept in motion by the rotation of the cylinder, so as to constantly
expose fresh surfaces to the action of the air. i, i, are radial vanes fixed within
the cylinder f to increase the draft of air through the boxes.
Figure 4 is a sile view of a slight modification of the above arrangement,
in which the interior fan d is dispensed with, a current of air through the
boxes being maintained by closing the ends of the cylinder f, and employing
the small fan driven at a high velocity, to force air into the same or exhaust
it therefrom. A portion of the periphery of the drum may be surrounded by
a case heated by steam pipes, gas flame, or otherwise, when heat is required.
A convenient arrangement is to place steam pipes under the cylinder

page_text: f, and to surround the whole with a wooden casing, with the exception of an
opening at the top for the escape of damp air, and an aperture for the
admission of air at the bottom, both of which are conveniently fitted with
adjustable shutters or doors. In some instances I supply the fan with
beated air. This arrangement is more especially applicable to the arrange-
ment shown at Figure 4, the air as it passes to the fan being caused to pass
through a passage heated externally by steam.
A more convenient arrangement, however, when this form of apparatus is
used, is to case the cylinder and place underneath it steam pipes. The air
from the fan is then made to pass in under the pipes, and to rise up against
the exterior of the cylinder.
In drying yarns means may be provided for keeping them distended within
the boxes; or, for this purpose, boxes may be dispensed with, and the hanks
of yarn may be distended on pegs or instruments carried by the drum. The
bands should be stretched across the cylinder from side to side, but not suffi-
ciently tight to prevent the yarns moving amongst themselves as the drum
revolves, so as to expose constantly fresh surfaces.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
forming apparatus for drying fibrous materials and yarns in the manner
described, of a cylinder capable of being kept in rotation, and having reticulate
boxes for containing the material to be dried arranged round its periphery, so
that the material may be kept in constant motion, whilst a current of air is
caused by a fan placed within the cylinder, or otherwise, to pass through it,
the air being heated as above described, or otherwise. I also claim the
forming apparatus for drying yarns in the manner above set forth, but with
pegs or instruments for distending the hanks substituted for the boxes.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lee Norton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES LEE NORTON. (L.S.)