AN IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING HEATED AIR OR STEAM, FOR DRYING STOVES, OR BOILING LIQUIDS, OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES." PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Stafford, of Oakerthorpe, in the County of
Derby, Manager, and Benjamin Stafford, of New Lenton, in the County
of Nottingham, Machine Builder, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
METHOD OF APPLYING HEATED AIR OR STEAM, FOR DRYING STOVES, OR BOILING
LIQUIDS, OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Stafford and Ben-
jamin Stafford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 24th April 1860.
We, JOHN STAFFORD, of Oakerthorpe, in the County of Derby, Manager,
and BENJAMIN STAFFORD; of New Lenton, in the County of Nottingham,
Machine Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING HEATED AIR OR STEAM, FOR DRYING STOVES, OR
BOILING LIQUIDS, OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object an improved method of applying heated air
or steam for drying stoves or boiling liquids, or for other purposes to which
the same may be applicable. We propose to force air or steam, by means of
a pump, or fan, or other suitable contrivance, through a furnace or vessel
constructed for the purpose of making the air or steam hot on its way into the
drying room, stove, or other structure or place used: for drying moist or wet

page_text: articles, or to force steam or hot air into or through liquids to heat or boil
them. Our Invention is applicable to the drying of stoves used by bleachers,
dyers, scourers, or starch manufacturers, or to any purpose_where-hot-air-is-
=required or used for drying; it is also applicable to the drying of malt or other
grain, likewise to the boiling of liquids by steam or hot air (as required by
brewers or bleachers), and to other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Stafford and Benjamin Stafford in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th October 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
STAFFORD, of Oakerthorpe, in the County of Derby, Manager, and BENJAMIN
STAFFORD, of New Lenton, in the County of Nottingham, Machine Builder,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Stafford and Benjamin Stafford,, Her special licence that wo, the said
John Stafford and Benjamin Stafford, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Stafford and Benjamin Stafford,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might mako, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING
HEATED AIR OR STEAM, FOR DRYING STOVES, OR BOILING LIQUIDS, OR FOR OTHER
-PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Stafford
and Benjamin Stafford, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one
of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in. the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Stafford and Benjamin Stafford,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: .
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures.marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention has for its.object an improved method of applying heated air
or steam. for drying stoves or boiling liquids, or for other purposes in which
heated air or steam may be applicable for drying or boiling.. According to
our Invention, we propose to force air or steam, by means of a pump or fan,
or other suitable contrivance, through a furnace or vessel constructed for the
purpose of making the air or steam hot on its way into the drying room, stove,
or other structure or place used for drying moist or wet articles; or, we
propose to force steam or hot air, by means of a pump, or fan, or other
suitable contrivance, into or through liquids, to heat or boil them. Our
Invention is applicable to the drying of stoves used. by bleachers, dyers,
scourers, and starch manufacturers, or to any purpose where hot air is required
or used for drying; and it is also applicable to the drying of malt or other
grain, and to the boiling of liquids by steam or hot air, as required by brewers
or bleachers, and for any similar purpose or purposes.
We now proceed to explain our Invention more particularly, and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, with. reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, on Sheet 1, and Figure 5 on Sheet 2 (the several
corresponding parts of which are lettered alike), represent the apparatus
which we uso when applying heated air for drying stoves,, boiling. liquids, or
for any other purpose in which heated air may be required. When a large
volume of heated air is required, say, for the purpose of drying wet articles in
a room, stove, or other convenient chamber, we use an arrangement, con-
sisting of a vessel A, having at one end a plate A', at the lower part of which
is an opening, which is closed when required by a door B; near the door
within the vessel is an opening at the bottom, in which are a series of fire-
bars C; beyond the bars the vessel is somewhat smaller and made of any
convenient length, and near the end farthest from the fire-bars it is contracted
in size at D, and forms a flue for a fire placed on the bars at the other end.
The vessel A is provided with a rib or partition E on. its upper side, and with
another rib or partition E on its lower side, the upper rib extending from the
plate A to the point. D,. where the vessel is contracted, and the lower rib
extending from the plate F at the end of the fire-bars, also to the point D..
The plate A' is provided in front with a flange. G;. a similar flange forms the
bottom of the. sides of the vessel A for a portion of the length, where, tho
fire-bars are placed.. The portion of the vessel at the back of the fire-bars bas
a vertical flange, as at F. To the above flanges is rivetted an outer casing H;

page_text: which encloses the vessel A from the plate A' to near the end of the flue D,
which is provided with a flanged collar I, rivetted to a plate K, which plate is
also riveted to an angle iron, riveted inside the end of the casing H. The
casing is pierced with a hole at each side, the openings having an angle iron
all round, which is riveted to the casing and to short pipes L, in one of which
is inserted a pipe leading from a fan M, or from a force pump, or other
apparatus, by which a stream of air can be forced between the casing El and
the vessel A, whence it passes, by means of a pipe L at the opposite side of
the casing, into a pipe which leads to the room, stove, or other chamber or
chambers N, where the heated air may be required. The fan may be driven
round by means of a pulley on its axis, round which is passed a belt, which
also passes round a drum moved by steam power or by hand. The vessel A
and casing H are enclosed in brickwork for the whole of their length. Flues
are formed in this brickwork, and are so arranged as to conduct the hot air
from the fire in the vessel A in the direction shewn by the arrows. The space
at the end of the vessel A is divided by brickwork D', seen moro fully at
Figure 5, Sheet 2. There are also partition walls of brickwork at the top
and bottom of the casing H, as shewn at D2, which divide the space sur-
rounding the casing into two parts; it is thus obvious that by these means the
air from the furnace is caused to pass entirely round the greater part of the
casing, as shewn by the arrows, the wall B' turning the current of the heated
air round the end of the casing, back along one side, and over the top through
the opening D³ in the partition- wall D, whence it passes along the other side
of the casing out at D' into the chimney. The air from the fan or force
pumps enters at ono side through the opening L in the casing, and the
space between the casing and the vessel being divided in two parts by the
ribs or walls E, the air will pass along one side of the vessel A, around the
end, and up the other side, whence it passes out at the pipe L to where it is
required, the air being highly heated in its passage through the casing, which
is heated by a fire inside at the front end. We prefer to construct the
vessel A of cast iron, and the casing of wrought sheet iron when the apparatus
is intended to furnish heated air, but when the apparatus is intended to rarify
or superheat steam, then instead of connecting the fan or a force pump to the
pipe L, we connect the pipe L to a pipe proceeding from a steam boiler or
other generator, in which case the vessel A, casing II, and the plates, ribs,
and flanged parts are made wholly of boiler plate, the superheated steam
passing in the same direction as the heated air from the fan before described;
whence it passes to the steam engine or other vessel in which it is required to
bo employed.

page_text: Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus herein-before described
arranged for supplying heated air, and it also shews the fan, and likewise the
pipe as passed through the wall of a stove or other chamber; Figure 2 is a
sectional view of the apparatus, through the centre in the direction of its
length; Figure 3 is a cross section of the front end, through the pipes L;
Figure 4 is an end view of the vessel and casing next the wall farthest from
the fire; Figure 5 is a plan of the apparatus as viewed from the top with the
brickwork at the top removed to shew more fully the direction of the flues.
We do not confine ourselves to the above form of apparatus, but use vessels of
any convenient form, either square, round, or any shape that may be found
most convenient.
The second arrangement which we use for carrying out our Invention is
exemplified in Figures 6 and 7. This arrangement consists in the employ-
ment of a vessel or chamber of any convenient shape or size, and of any
required depth, by which we obtain a greatly increased amount of surface for
heating, boiling, or drying purposes. We prefer to construct this chamber of
iron or copper tinned. Figure 6 is a plan, and Figure 7 a sectional view, of
a vessel or chamber suitable for being employed in carrying out this arrange-
ment. The top A and bottom B of the chamber C' are pierced with a number
of holes, in which are tubes C, which connect the top and bottom together; the
outer edges of A and B are also connected by the side piece D, thus forming
a chamber, in which steam or hot air may be made to circulate around the
tubes; a portion of the bottom is sunk a little lower than the rest, and forms
a recess, near the bottom of which is one end of a tube G, which passes
through, and is secured in the top of the chamber. The tube is of such
length that the other end which is furnished with a stop-cock will project
above and turn over the side I of the copper, tub or other vessel in which the
articles to be boiled or dried are placed. F is a pipe secured to the top A of
the chamber or tube box, through which steam or heated air is conveyed;
H is another pipe, which is of the same length as the tube G, and is furnished
with a stop-cock, which is opened when steam is used to heat the tube box, to
allow the air to escape, but as soon as the box is so heated that steam escapes
up the tube, this cock is closed, and a cock in the tube G is opened, so that
any condensed water in the box is blown out by the steam through this tube G
as fast as it collects in the recess E; thus in the boiling pans used by
bleachers, dyers, and others a much greater heating surface is obtained
according to our Invention than by enclosing such pans in a jacket or casing,
and passing steam or heated air within such casing, the amount of heating
surface being obtained by the greater or less length of the tubes C and depth

page_text: of D, which connect the top and bottom of the tube box together. These
boxes may be made of any convenient size for placing in a tub, copper, pan,
or other vessel in which the articles are to be boiled or dried. For more
effectually distributing the steam or heated air from the pipe F around the
tubes C, we sometimes use a partition K, which separates the recess E and
pipes G and H from the steam or hot air pipe F. This partition we continue
round, as shewn by dotted lines in the plan, Figure 6, to the side of the box
opposite to that through which the pipe Fonters, by which means the steam
or hot air will be forced to pass over the surface of most of the tubes C beforo
it can get to the pipe G to escape.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, we declare that in so far as our Invention relates
to drying we do not restrict ourselves to any particular form of vessel, furnace,
or chamber for heating the air or steam forced in its way to the drying stove
or chamber, or drying structure or place; but what we claim is, arranging and
combining apparatus in such manner that air or steam may be forced, by
means of a pump, fan, or other suitable forcing contrivance, through a furnace
or vessel constructed for heating the air or steam in its passage to the drying
stove or chamber, or place in which the articles are to be dried.
And, secondly, arranging and combining apparatus in such manner that hot
air or steam may be forced by a pump, fan, or other suitable forcing con-
trivance, into or through liquids, to heat or boil them.
In witness whereof, wc, the said John Stafford and Benjamin Stafford,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twentieth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,.
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Agent,
Nottingham.
JOHN STAFFORD.
(L.S.)
BENJAMIN STAFFORD. (L.S.)