IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING SALT, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE DRYING OF DRUGS DIFFERENT KINDS OF GRAINS, " MALT AND ALL SMALL PARTICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Pitt of Sutton in the County of Surrey for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING SALT, WHICH ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE DRYING OF DRUGS DIFFERENT KINDS OF GRAINS,
"
MALT AND ALL SMALL PARTICLES Communicated to him from abroad by
Richard Griffin Starke of the City of Montreal in the District of Montreal
and Province of Quebec Canada.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sydney Pitt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th December 1882.
"
SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey. IMPROVEMENTS IN
"
APPARATUS FOR DRYING SALT WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE DRYING OF
[Com-
DRUGS DIFFERENT KINDS OF GRAINS, MALT AND ALL SMALL PARTICLES
municated to him from abroad by Richard Griffin Starke of the City of Montreal
in the District of Montreal and Province of Quebec Canada.]
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus by which moisture can be
expelled from crystallized brine, or particles of any other description intended to be
dried, more quickly, economically and effectually than has hitherto been done, and
to perform this at a sufficiently low temperature to avoid all possibility of
carbonizing organic matter.
The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the cylinder now
to be described any number of which may be used in performing the operation.
These cylinders are made by stretching over the edges of any desired number of
longitudinal bars or boards of suitable length canvas or other material according to
the material to be dried. These boards are carried by arms radiating from a.
The
central spindle to which rotary motion is imparted by any usual means.
cylinder thus constructed is set in a sloping position.
To the inner edges of the longitudinals are secured similar boards so set as to
form a series of compartments round the inside of the periphery of the cylinder.
These boards are of such width and set at such an angle to the longitudinals as to

page_text: allow of the free ingress of the heated air, forced in as will be described and at the
same time practically to confine in each compartment the material originally fed
therein.
The material to be dried is fed through a pipe or spout into the rear or higher
end of the cylinder and falls successively into those compartments which at the
time happen to be beneath it. As before mentioned the material is retained in this
compartment during its passage through the cylinder the rotation of which imparts
to it a gentle continuous movement therein thereby always exposing fresh particles
to the hot blast.
This blast is forced in near the centre at the front or lower end of the cylinder
meeting and continuously striking against the material to be dried. It is usually
diverted into the several compartments by slats corresponding in number, these
slats being placed near the front end radiating outwards and backwards from the
central shaft and secured to the radial arms by which the longitudinals are
carried.
The dried material escapes through exits formed one to each compartment in the
front end.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Sydney Pitt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th June
1883.
SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey ." IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DRYING SALT, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE DRYING OF
DRUGS, DIFFERENT KINDS OF GRAINS, MALT AND ALL SMALL PARTICLES." A Com-
munication to me from abroad by Richard Griffin Starke of the City of Montreal
in the District of Montreal and Province of Quebec Canada
This Invention has reference to apparatus used for finally expelling moisture
from any chemical salt crystallized from mother liquids, and, although primarily
intended for operating on common salt (chloride of sodium) as made by evaporating
brine, will be found useful in drying similar small and hard particles-such as
drugs and chemicals or grains-such as oats, wheat, Indian corn &c as it provides
means by which this may be done more quickly, economically and effectually than
heretofore, and at a sufficient low temperature to avoid all possibility of carbonizing,
i.e. charring organic matter, this latter being a point of great importance in
drying many substances.
The invention may be described as consisting of one, or more cylinders geared
together and supported in a suitable frame, each cylinder being formed by stretching
canvas, (or any other material to suit the article to be dried), over the outer edges
of any desired number of longitudinal bars, or boards of suitable thickness and
width, carried on the outer ends of arms radiating from a central shaft, or spindle
projecting beyond the ends of the cylinder so far as to be carried in the frame,
and having a gear-wheel mounted thereon, preferably at the front 'end.
To the above longitudinal bars, or boards attached to the ends of the radiating
arms are fastened on their inner edge similar boards, thus forming a series of
compartments round the periphery of the cylinders.
These inner boards are of such width and secured to the longitudinals at such an
angle that while affording in each compartment an opening the whole length of the
cylinder quite sufficient to secure free ingress of hot dry air and equally free egress
of the same air when saturated with moisture, they yet practically confine the
material being dried to the compartment into which it was originally fed, in
whatever position this compartment may be during the whole time that such
material is under treatment in the cylinders.
By thus confining the material to be dried in its own compartment the object is
gained of not only placing a larger quantity under the drying influences of the
blast of hot air passing through, but the cylinder, or cylinders, being always
perfectly balanced require very little power to rotate them when full, and no strain
occurs in doing so.
The material to be dried is fed into the rear and higher end of such cylinders
through any suitable hopper and spout, and gradually passes through and out of
the front and lower end of whatever compartment it may fall into simply by its
own gravity and the tendency to slide into the lowest point as the cylinder
revolves, being met during its whole passage through by a counter-current of hot
air, and the time of its passage being regulated by the speed at which the cylinders
revolve, or preferably by raising or lowering the front end of the frame carrying
them by suitable screws or other convenient means.
With the object of diverting the current of hot air into the compartments and
more effectually increasing its circulation through and over the substance being
dried, rather than through the central portion of the cylinder, small slats are placed

page_text: at the entrance with the small end secured to the central shaft, and the wider ends,
sloping backward and outward, are fastened to the radial arms-one to each arm or
compartment each one being of such width and placed at such an angle as will
best turn the current of hot air into the compartments.
By the apparatus just described the material being dried is kept in continuous
gentle motion simply by its own gravity in seeking the lowest point it can reach
as the cylinder revolves, from this cause occupying successively each of the four
sides of its own compartment during each and every revolution. This gentle
sliding motion, while continuously exposing fresh particles of material to the
current of hot. air under the most favorable conditions, has the further advantage
of not only preventing its aggregation into hard lumps, but keeps it in a perfectly
loose, and pulverulent state.
1. For full comprehension however, of the invention reference must be had to the
annexed drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1. is a
transverse sectional elevation of a cylinder, looking toward the front; Figure 2 a
longitudinal sectional elevation, and Figure 3 a perspective view with the front
end removed.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.
A is the shaft, having secured in its ends iron gudgeons A¹ carried in proper
bearings, on one of which is secured the gear B, through which A is. rotated.
CC are arms radiating from the shaft A, to the outer ends of which are secured,
as shown in Figures 1 and 3, longitudinal boards, or divisions D of any width
desired, over the outside edges of which is stretched canvas in one or more thick-
nesses, as shown at E. Other material may be substituted for canvas to suit the
requirements of the substance to be dried.
F, F, are boards secured to the edges of the boards. D at the exact angle thereto,
and with such projection on either side as the material to be treated may require,
thus forming a series of compartments round the drying cylinder, as shown at G G.
HH are the ends of the cylinder, arranged so as to admit at the rear end of the
introduction of the salt, or other material to be treated, which is fed through a
pipe K, connected with any suitable hopper or receptacle in which it is stored;
and at the front of a current of hot air forced in through the pipe L. In the front
end H of the cylinder are formed openings h-one to each compartment-through
which the material passes out from the cylinder.
M M are slats, or wings secured on the main shaft A at, or near the front end of
the cylinder, and sloping backward, so as to divert the hot air forced into the
cylinder into the compartments G G.
Although the shaft A, with its radial arms CC, is usually formed of wood; these,
with the gudgeons A¹ A¹, on which it is carried, may be of cast iron, or other
suitable material.
The operation of my invention is as follows:-
The cylinder A which is inclined at any suitable angle, by the means previously
. mentioned, from the feed to the delivery end, is rotated at the desired rate of speed
by any power, a hot blast being at the same time turned in at the delivery end.
The salt, or other material is then allowed to pass down through the pipe K into
the cylinder, falling directly into those of the compartments G which are at the
moment at the lower side.,
Each compartment, as it reaches and passes the lowest point, thus receives a
small portion of the material, which, by the time a full revolution has been made
has slid over in turn each of the four faces of the compartment and sufficiently
forward to make room for the portion it will again receive on reaching the proper
position at the lowest point under the spout.
To attain this the boards must be set at an angle, varying more or less from a
right angle, according to the moisture contained in the material so as to secure its
being caught by the shorter and lower lip when sliding off the wider and higher
one, and prevent it from falling directly to the lower side of the cylinder.
It will thus be seen that each compartment is always ready to receive a fresh

page_text: supply after each revolution, the salt or other material having, during that time,
moved sufficiently forward and downward.
The salt from one or more cylinders on arriving at the lower end passes out
through the opening h, thence falling preferably into a long hopper or spout common
to them all, and being conducted preferably to a machine which will separate it
into any desired number of grades, throwing out all small lumps and pieces of
pan-scale &, or it may be run directly into packages or kept in bulk without
further treatment.
Other materials will of course, on issuing from the cylinder be treated in any
way required to produce a merchantable commodity.
What I claim is as follows
First. A drying apparatus composed of a single rotating cylinder set in an
inclined position, and having formed on the inside of its periphery compartments,
each communicating with the interior and having a separate outlet through the
head, all substantially as herein described, and for the purposes set forth.
Second. The combination, with the shaft A, of arms C and boards D and F, all
contained within the cylinder, as and for the purposes set forth.
Third. In a drying apparatus, the combination, with a revolving single cylinder
provided with inside compartments communicating with interior, of a blast-pipe
discharging into cylinder at one end, all as herein set forth, and for the purposes
described.
Fourth. In combination with a revolving cylinder furnished with internal
compartments, slats M, mounted on the shaft A, as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof I the said Sydney Pitt have hereunto set my hand and
seal this thirtieth day of May in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.