IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHEMICAL MANURES AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1884

page_text: COMELLIN
25
DIECIFICATION,
I, JAMES MACTEAR, of 16 Burnbank Gardens, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturing Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of
my said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHEMICAL
MANURES AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR" and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My said Invention has for its object the manufacturing of chemical manures in a
better and more expeditious manner than heretofore and the apparatus by means
of which my improvements are to be practically carried out, is shown, on an
accompanying Sheet of explanatory Drawings comprising two Figures which are
both longitudinal vertical sections.
In making chemical manures according to a system which is commonly practised
a horizontal trough having a semicircular bottom is employed, there being in the
centre of the trough a longitudinal rotating shaft having on it a series of arms
made with helical or screw-shaped blades at their outer ends. The phosphatic or
other materials and the sulphuric acid employed to act on the materials are
introduced at one end of the trough and are thoroughly mixed and incorporated by
the rotating blades. After the materials and acid have been sufficiently mixed a
discharge valve at the further end of the trough is opened and the mixture is
discharged by the action of the helical blades.
It has been usual to discharge the freshly made manure into a pit or storing
chamber in which it has been allowed to lie for a considerable length of time,
sufficient for it to become matured and dried; and when large quantities are made
great expense is incurred in providing space for the drying and storing of the
manure whilst the mixing apparatus has to remain idle for long periods.
By my Invention I cheapen the manufacture of the manure and avoid the
inconveniences of the ordinary process by applying heat to the mixed materials
and by employing for that purpose the improved apparatus shown in the
accompanying Drawings. At the right-hand end of Figure, 1, there is shown the
discharge end of the ordinary mixing trough, 5, with its shaft, 6, helical blades, 7,
and discharge spout, 8. From this discharge spout, S, the manure is delivered

page_text: upon a drying bed, 9, of which the entering end, 10, is curved or inclined as shown,
the main part, 9, of the bed being horizontal. This drying bed, 9, is formed upon
the top of a horizontal flue, 11, through which pass the fire gases from a small
furnace, 12. Above the drying bed, 9, there are two or more endless chains, 13,
which are distended on pulleys, 14, 15, the pulleys, 14, at the outer end being
driven by any suitable motor so as to move the chains, 13, in the direction of the
arrow. The endless chains, 13, have cross bars, 16, jointed to them at intervals,
and on each of these cross bars there are fixed or formed a number of prongs, 17,
which drag the materials along the drying bed. As the prongs, 17, turn over
in passing round the pulleys, 15, at the inner end of the drying bed they forcibly
strike into the materials and break them up, and their subsequent dragging action
also tends to break up the materials. On reaching the outer end of the drying
bed, 9, the materials fall over into a transverse trough, 18, and are conveyed along
it by means of a screw, 19, to a "peg" mill such as is commonly used for reducing
the dried manure to a suitable roughly pulverised condition. From the peg mill
the finished manure is conveyed by a screw, 20, Figure, 2, along a pipe or duct, 21,
which is formed with a number of outlets or delivering mouths, 22, on its under
side each fitted with a slide or valve, 23. These delivering mouths, 22, are formed
with rims of a size to enter the mouths of the sacks employed for containing the
manure and the sacks are hung on hooks provided for the purpose. When any
sack is full the corresponding slide, 23, is closed, the sack unhooked, an empty one
hooked on in its place, and the slide opened again; and the screw, 20, carries the
manure forward past any closed slides or full sacks.
I do not restrict myself to the precise details hereinbefore described or shown in
the accompanying Drawings provided that the distinctive features of my Invention
are retained; these being the moving of the materials continuously through heated
drying apparatus; the combination of the drying bed and its heating Blue with the
endless chains and pronged bars for moving the materials over the bed; and the
construction of duct with delivering mouths and having a screw working inside of
it for filling the finished manure into sacks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
'I claim is :-
1. The improved system of manufacturing chemical manure in which the mixed
materials are passed continuously through heated drying apparatus substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination of the drying bed and its beating flue with the endless
chains and pronged bars for moving the materials over the bed substantially as
herein before described.
3. The construction of duct with delivering mouths and having a screw working
inside of it for filling the finished manure into sacks substantially as hereinbefore
described.