An Improved Method of and Means for Drying Wood and other Vegetable Substances.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 16th Apr:, 1898 ·
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Drying Wood and other
Vegetable Substances.
I, HUGH MCPHAIL, of Many Gates House, Wakefield, in the County of York,
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 :-
I have described in the complete specification of an application for Patent
No. 11,448 of 1897 a method of drying such materials as yarns and textile fabrics by
superheated steam brought into actual or direct contact therewith.
It is the object of my present invention to utilize the same method for drying
wood, roots, fruit and vegetable substances other than those referred to in another
application for Patent No. 11,450 of 1897 which was filed by me simultaneously with
the first mentioned application.
The manner in which I carry my invention into practice is similar to that set forth
in iny aforesaid specifications, that is to say I employ a chamber or vessel wherein
the substances to be dried are placed and to which the superheated steam is supplied
from a superheater advantageously arranged in proximity thereto, the superheated
steam after acting upon the substances under treatment being preferably withdrawn
from the chamber or vessel by any suitable means.
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an apparatus which will be found
suitable for carrying my present invention into practice, Figure 1 being a longitudinal
section; Figure 2 a front elevation; and Figure 3 a transverse section thereof.
This apparatus is more especially intended for drying wood of a heavy or bulky
nature such as timber.
A is a steam jacketed chamber or vessel of cylindrical form, arranged horizontally,
with the front thereof provided with an opening A¹ through which the substances to
be dried are inserted into and withdrawn from the chamber. This opening is provided
with a cover A2 for tightly closing it during the drying operation. Within the said
chamber is arranged a series of open ended or perforated pipes B, through which the
superheated steam is supplied through an external pipe B leading from the super-
eater and provided with a valve B2 for regulating the flow of the superheated steam.
The aforesaid pipes are arranged near the lower part of the drying chamber imme-
liately beneath a perforated floor or partition b. Above the said pipes is a pair of
ails c upon which a waggon or carriage C carrying the substances to be dried can be.
conveniently run into and out of the chamber. This truck or carriage may be of the
kind referred to in the specification of my aforesaid application for Patent No. 11,448
of 1897 or it may be of any other appropriate construction.
The said chamber A is in some cases provided with a number of horizontally
rranged shelves a a which are preferably composed of reticulated material so that
he superheated steam can freely reach the substances placed upon them to be
ried.
D is an opening at the upper part of the chamber through which the superheated
team after acting upon the substances to be dried escapes or is withdrawn from

page_text: the chamber A by a suitable exhaust fan or pump.
It will be obvious that the
drying chamber may be arranged vertically instead of horizontally or may be other-
wise disposed in accordance with the nature of the substances that are to be dried.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A method of drying the above named or similar substances by subjecting them
to the direct action of superheated steam substantially as described.
2. The employment of apparatus substantially such as that herein described, for
the purpose of my invention as above set forth.
Dated this 14th day of repruary 1000.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.