Improvements in Drying and Absorbing Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1896-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drying and Absorbing Apparatus.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM SAATMANN, of Driffield, near Hull, in the County of York;
Chemical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of apparatus chiefly
applicable for the drying of moist, sticky substances, but which can also be used for
treating dryer materials. The drying apparatus generally in use consist of large
conveyors or of revolving cylinders but in practice it has been found that such
apparatus are practically of no use for drying moist sticky material as the moist
substances treated work into a paste and so block the inachine, while in the revolving
cylinder the moist material to be dried is formed into large balls the outside of which
will become dried, but the interior will remain moist as evaporation is prevented by
the hard dry crust formed on the surface of the ball.
I construct my improved apparatus as follows —
The walls are built of bricks and the top and the bottom of the furnace as also
the inside shelves are constructed of a number of tipping or swinging plates adapted:
to turn in suitable bearings..
The shelves are arranged one above the other at suitable distances apart but do not
extend the whole width of the apparatus, a space being left between each shelf and
one wall of the apparatus on alternate sides..
Each plate is provided with a handle whereby they are turned or tilted, the said
handle sliding upon an extension of the plate spindles; the said handles are also
provided with stops for holding the plates in their horizontal position.
:
It will be obvious that instead of each plate being moved separately all the plates of
one row can be simultaneously turned by any suitable mechanical arrangement.
On the one side of the apparatus between the bottom and the lowermost shelf is
an opening through which hot air is forced into the apparatus. The hot air travels
over the material lying on the bottom plates and passes through the open space in the
lowermost shelf and then in a zig-zag course through the openings in the other
shelves until it reaches the top plates where there is an opening in the wall through
which the moist hot air passes by means of a flue into the chimney.
;
In making use of the apparatus the material to be dried is placed on the top of the
furnace and spread all over it. The plates are then tipped or turned and the material
falls onto the first shelf of the apparatus. The top plates are then filled again; the
plates of the first shelf are turned and the material falls from the first shelf onto the
second, and by turning the top plates again the first shelf is refilled. These operations:
are repeated until all the shelves and the bottom of the furnace are filled with
material.
:
When the material has been sufficiently dried on the bottom plates by the passage
of the hot air as above described, the said plates are tilted so as to discharge the dried
material into a suitable chamber whence it is removed in any convenient manner.
The shelves are then tilted so as to cause the material to pass from one shelf to the
one below it and so on continuously:
it may
be.
It will be obvious that instead of being used for drying purposes

page_text: employed as an absorber, in which case the gases to be absorbed would be forced into
the apparatus instead of hot air.
Dated this 19th day of Angust 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Drying and Absorbing Apparatus.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM SAATMANN, of Driffield, near Hull, in the County of York,
Chemical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of apparatus chiefly
applicable for the drying of moist, sticky substances, but which can also be used for
treating dryer materials. The drying apparatus generally in use consists of large
conveyors or of revolving cylinders but in practice it has been found that such apparatus
are practically of no use for drying moist sticky material as the moist substances
treated work into a paste and so block the machine, while in the revolving cylinder
the moist material to be dried is formed into large halls the outside of which will
become dried, but the interior will remain moist as evaporation is prevented by the
hard dry crust formed on the surface of the ball.
I construct my improved apparatus as follows:
--
The walls are built of cast iron or bricks and the top and the bottom of the furnace
as also the inside shelves are constructed of a number of tipping or swinging plates
adapted to turn in suitable bearings.
The shelves are arranged one above the other at suitable distances apart but do not
extend the whole length or width of the apparatus, a space being left between each
shelf and one wall of the apparatus on alternate ends or sides.
Each plate is provided with a handle whereby they are turned or tilted, the said
handle sliding upon an extension of the plate spindles; the said handles are also
provided with stops for holding the plates in their horizontal position.
It will be obvious that instead of each plate being moved separately all the plates
of one row can be simultaneously turned by any suitable mechanical arrangement.
On the one side of the apparatus between the bottom and the lowermost shelf is an
opening through which hot air is forced into the apparatus. The hot air travels over.
the material lying on the bottom plates and passes through the open space in the
lowermost shelf and then in a zig-zag course through the openings in the other
shelves until it reaches the top plates where there is an opening in the wall through
which the moist hot air passes by means of a flue into the chimney.
It will be obvious that instead of being used for drying purposes my apparatus may
be employed as an absorber, in which case instead of hot air the gases to be absorbed
would be forced into the apparatus.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe it by reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a drying and absorbing apparatus constructed
according to my invention:
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same:
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are views of details drawn to a larger scale.
a, a are the walls of the apparatus and b, b the tipping or swinging plates forming
the inside shelves. Each tipping plate is formed of two plates which are held in
grooves c, c formed in end discs or supports d, d keyed to shafts e, e mounted in
bearings, in the walls a of the apparatus as shewn clearly in Figure 1. In the
drawing I have shewn six rows of tipping plates arranged one above the other.

page_text: h, are the spaces left at each side alternately of the shelves between the said
shelves and the walls of the apparatus. i, i are the bandles, the said handles being
provided, as shewn clearly in Figures 3, 4 and 5, with bosses j. j having square holes k, k
adapted to fit on to the square ends 1, 1 of the shafts e, e of the tipping plates b, b and
with two segment shaped projections j, j adapted to fit into notches m, m in stops n, n
fixed to the walls a, a of the apparatus so as to retain the plates b, b in a horizontal
position.
The square ends 1, 1 of the shafts e, e project beyond the stops n, n so that the
segment shaped projections on the handles i, i can be pulled out of engagement with
the notches m, m to enable the shafts e, e carrying the tipping plates to be rotated.
o is the opening between the bottom of the apparatus and the lowermost shelf
through which hot air or, in the case in which the apparatus is employed for absorbing
purposes, the gas to be absorbed, is forced and p is the outlet at the top of the
apparatus between the top and the uppermost shelf of the same. q is an outlet at
the bottom of the apparatus for the discharge of the dried material.
In making use of the apparatus the material to be dried or to absorb a gas is.
placed on the top of the furnace and spread all over it and hot air or the gas to be
absorbed is then forced through the apparatus in a zig-zag course in the direction
of the arrows, Figure 2. The plates b, bare then tipped or turned by pulling out
the handles i, i and turning them and the material falls on to the first shelf of the
apparatus. The top plates are then filled again; the plates of the first shelf are
turned and the material falls from the first shelf on to the second, and by turning
the top plates again the first shelf is refilled. These operations are repeated until
all the shelves and the bottom of the furnace are filled with material.
When the material has been sufficiently dried or has absorbed sufficient gas on
the bottom plates by the passage of the hot air or of the gas to be absorbed as above.
described, the said plates are tilted so as to discharge the dried material through the
outlet into a suitable chamber whence it is removed in any convenient manner..
The shelves are then tilted so as to cause the material to pass from one shelf to the
one below it and so on continuously.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
-
1. In apparatus for drying substances and absorbing gases wherein shelves are
employed forming the said shelves of a number of plates adapted to be swung or
tilted, substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for drying substances and absorbing gases wherein the outer walls
enclose a series of superposed shelves which leave spaces at alternate ends of the
apparatus and which together with the top and bottom of the apparatus consist of
plates adapted to be tilted or swung, substantially as, and for the
herein before
purpose,
described.
3. In apparatus of the kind described in Clain 1 mounting the tipping or swing
plates on shafts supported in bearings in the walls of the apparatus and adapted to be
tilted by means of handles which engage in fixed stops, substantially as, and for the
purpose, hereinbefore described.
4. The improved drying and absorbing apparatus hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Doted the 10th dow of May 1896
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant..