IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING 'SLURRY' IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENT, AND FOR DRYING SEWAGE DEPOSITS AND OTHER SIMILAR MATTERS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Wilson, of Grays, in the County of Essex, Manager
to Messrs. Gibbs and Company, Limited, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING 'SLURRY' IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENT, AND
FOR DRYING SEWAGE DEPOSITS AND OTHER SIMILAR MATTERS."
Sealed the 24th April 1878, and dated the 26th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th October 1877.
DAVID WILSON, of Grays, in the County of Essex, Manager to Messrs. Gibbs and
Company, Limited. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING SLURRY' IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENT, AND FOR DRYING SEWAGE DEPOSITS AND OTHER
SIMILAR MATTERS."
My Invention relates to that class of drying apparatus in which wet "slip" or
slurry is spread on the floor of a flue, through which is passed the so-called "waste
heat" from the kiln in which previously dried slurry is being burned. Flues of
this kind, as ordinarily constructed, are of such a height as to admit of the
workmen entering them in order to charge them with wet slurry and to charge the
kiln with the dried slurry. This arrangement is attended by the defects that the
heat in the flue is most exhausting to the workmen, and that in order to utilize
such heat to the greatest possible extent the flue has to be constructed of con-
siderable length and consequently occupies much ground space.
Now the objects of my improvements are to remedy these defects, and to this
end I construct the drying apparatus as follows:-When the apparatus is to be used
for drying "slurry" preparatory to its being burned, I roof over the mouth of the
kiln and build at the level of the "pan" thereof, so as to communicate therewith, a
broad shallow horizontal flue, the roof of which I make of iron plates hinged to the
side walls of the said flue, the free ends of which plates rest by preference on a
longitudinal wall running down the middle of the flue. The iron plates when in a
horizontal position form a cover or roof to the flue, and an additional drying floor
on which an upper layer of "slurry may be dried, which floor is open to the
external atmosphere, being simply protected from the weather by a roof without
any walls.
"

page_text: The apparatus thus constructed is used as follows:-The iron plates aforesaid,
having been raised into a vertical or nearly vertical position, the workmen spread
a layer of wet "slurry" on the drying floor in the flue. They then shut down the
said plates and spread thereon another layer of slurry. The waste heat from the
kiln is then caused to pass through the flue, and between the upper and under
layers of slurry spread as aforesaid, which are thus dried at the same time by the
same current of waste heat. When the slurry is dried the workmen first shovel
the upper layer from the iron plates into the kiln through a door in the side thereof.
They then raise the said plates so as to gain access to the under layer of slurry,
which they also shovel into the kiln.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the workmen work in the
open air and are therefore not affected by the heat from the kiln, and also that my
improved drying apparatus occupies but half the ground space of the ordinary
drying apparatus herein-before referred to.
When my improved apparatus is to be used for drying sewage deposits and other
wet matters, where the heat from a kiln is not available I construct the drying flue
as aforesaid, and pass through it either waste heat from a boiler or other furnace,
or heat from any other suitable source.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said David Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th April
1878.
DAVID WILSON, of Grays, in the County of Essex, Manager to Messrs. Gibbs and
Company, Limited. " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING 'SLURRY' IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CEMENT, AND FOR DRYING SEWAGE DEPOSITS AND OTHER
SIMILAR MATTERS."
My Invention relates to that class of drying apparatus in which wet slip or
slurry is spread on the floor of a flue, through which is passed the so-called waste
heat from the kiln in which previously dried slurry is being burned. Flues of this
kind, as ordinarily constructed, are of such a height as to admit of the workmen
entering them in order to charge them with wet slurry and to charge the kiln with
the dried slurry. This arrangement is attended by the defects that the heat in the
flue is most exhausting to the workmen, and that in order to utilize such heat to
the greatest possible extent the flue has to be constructed of considerable length
and consequently occupies much ground space.
Now the object of my improvements is to remedy these defects, and to this end
I construct the drying apparatus as follows:-When the apparatus is to be used
for drying slurry preparatory to its being burned, I roof over the mouth of the
kiln and apply a damper thereto, if necessary, and build at or about the level of the
edge of the pan of the said kiln, so as to communicate therewith, a broad shallow
horizontal flue, or several such flues, the roof or roofs of which I make of iron plates
(preferably wrought iron), which may be hinged either to the walls of the said fluc
or to one another in pairs, or each plate may be separate. These plates rest, by
preference, on longitudinal walls running down the flue or flues. The said iron
plates when in a horizontal position form a cover or roof to the flue, and an

page_text: additional drying floor on which an upper layer of "slurry" may be dried, which
floor is open to the external atmosphere or may be simply protected from the
weather by a roof.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe the
manner in which it is to be performed, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 1, Figure 3, of my
improved apparatus for drying slurry, and the upper part of the kiln in connection
with the said apparatus; Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the said apparatus and
kiln, the said section being taken on the line 2, Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a
transverse section of the said apparatus, the said section being taken on the line 3,
Figure 1.
'
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 represent the iron plates, as herein-after described,
the said plates being drawn to a larger scale in these Figures than in Figures 1, 2,
and 3.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
A is the pan of the kiln, and a is one of the feed openings thereof; B is the flue
in connection with the said kiln; b, b', are the outer walls of the said flue, and
62, 62, 63, are the partition walls; Cis a sliding damper, which can be lowered when
it is wished to cut off the communication between the kiln and the flue, and raised
when it is wished to admit the heat from the said kiln to the said flue. The kiln
has a damper at top, not shewn; 65 is the exit flue leading to the chimney; b* is
the drying floor of the flue; D, D, are sheet iron plates, strengthened by ribs d', d'.
Two of these plates are shown in position in Figure 2. When the plates are to be
hinged the two outer sets of plates are hinged to plates d², d², built into the walls
b', 61, the free edges of the said plates resting upon the walls 62, 63, as shewn in
Figures 6 and 7, which respectively represent in plan and end elevation a plate
thus arranged, and the remaining plates are hinged to plates d³, d³, the free ends of
the said plates resting on the walls b², 62, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, which
respectively represent in plan and end elevation a pair of plates thus arranged.
The action and mode of working this apparatus are as follows:-The plates D, D,
being either taken off the walls b¹, b', 62, 62, 68, or turned back as indicated by
the dotted lines in Figure 7, the workmen spread or run from pipes a layer of
slurry on the drying floor 64. They then replace the said plates and spread thereon
or run thereon from pipes another layer of slurry F. They then open the damper C
and close the damper at the top of the kiln, and thus cause the heat from the kiln
to pass through the flue B, and between the upper and under layers of slurry
spread as aforesaid, which are thus dried at the same time by the same current of
waste heat. When the slurry is dried the workmen first remove the upper layer
from the iron plates, and charge it into the kiln through the opening a. They then
raise or remove the said plates so as to gain access to the under layer of slurry,
which they also remove and charge into the kiln.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the workmen work in the
open air and are therefore not affected by the heat from the kiln, and also that my
improved drying apparatus occupies about half the ground space of the ordinary
drying apparatus herein-before referred to.
Figure 10 represents in longitudinal vertical section apparatus arranged
according to my Invention for drying sewage deposits and other wet matters where
the heat from a kiln is not available. This apparatus is the same in all essential
respects as the apparatus herein-before described with reference to the drying of
slurry, except that the heat is drawn from a furnace G instead of from a kiln, or
the heat may be drawn from the furnace of a steam boiler or from any other
suitable source.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which it
is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I make no claim to the principle
of drying two layers of slurry at the same time by passing a current of waste heat
between thein irrespective of the special apparatus by which I carry that principle

page_text: .
into effect, nor do I claim the application of removeable iron plates to waste heat
flues to support an upper layer of slurry; but I claim as my said Invention,―
Firstly. Constructing at or about the level of the top of the pan of a cement
burning kiln a shallow flue or shallow flues covered by removeable iron plates, the
said flue or flues and plates being so arranged that the heat from the kiln shall pass
over the slurry or other matter on the bottom of the said flue or flues and under
the said iron plates, and from the said flue or flues to the chimney, essentially as
and for the purpose herein-before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, and 9 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The modification of the aforesaid apparatus, herein-before described,
and illustrated in Figure 10 of the' accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Wilson, have hereunto set my band
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Staple Inn,
London.
DAVID WILSON. (L.S.)