Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Woven Fabrics, Yarns, or Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1887
Complete Left, 12th Mar.; 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th Apr., 1888
7
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Woven Fabrics, Yarns, or
Fibrous Materials.
I, JOHN HENDERSON SMITH, of Hayford Mills, Stirling, in the County of Stirling'
North Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of
apparatus for drying woven fabrics, yarns, or fibrous materials, so as to obtain increased
efficiency and economy.
In carrying out my Invention as applied for drying woven fabrics, I arrange a
number of suitably driven horizontal rollers at the upper part of a drying chamber
and lead the fabric over them so as to hang down in a series of vertical folds or loops;
and I arrange the gearing to drive the rollers so as to move the fabric continuously
through the chamber from an inlet opening to an outlet opening. In the lower part
of the chamber beneath the space occupied by the fabric, there is a casing constructed
preferably of metal and provided with a number of pipes through which steam is
passed, and which serve for heating air passing upwards through the casing. The top
of the casing is made with transverse slits through which the heated air issues upwards
in thin streams; and these slits are placed so as to direct the streams of heated air up
between the depending loops of the fabric.
A passage is constructed outside of the chamber (or it might be inside if convenient)
so as to lead air from the upper part of the chamber down to the lower part of the
casing in which the heating pipes are placed, and an air propeller, or fan, or any suitable
blower is arranged to draw the air from the upper part of the chamber and propel
it down the passage, so as to make it pass over and over again through the heating
apparatus. In this way the air is made to circulate; and the heat is economised, as the
air or the larger portion of it does not escape into the atmosphere after passing once
through the apparatus and thus carry away heat as in existing drying apparatus. The
improved mode of dealing with the air is obviously applicable in drying apparatus
having the internal mechanism for leading the woven fabrics, or yarns, or fibrous
materials through it, arranged in various ways, and also in apparatus arranged for
dealing with the woven fabrics, yarns, or fibrous materials in separate batches.
Dated this Thirteenth day of June 1887.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Woven Fabrics, Yarns, or
Fibrous Materials.
I JOHN HENDERSON SMITH of Hayford Mills, Stirling in the County of Stirling,
North Britain Manufacturor, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and operation of
apparatus for drying woven fabrics, yarns, or fibrous materials so as to obtain increased
efficiency and economy.
Apparatus constructed and arranged for carrying out my Invention is delineated
upon an accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings figures, 1, and 2, of which are
vertical sections showing two modifications.
In applying my Invention for drying woven fabrics according to the modification
shown in figure, 1, of the drawings I arrange a number of suitably driven horizontal
rollers, A. at the upper part of a drying chamber, B, and lead the fabric, C, by means of
endless chains with hooks or clips, over the rollers, A, so as to hang down in a series of
vortical folds or loops which pass round bottom rollers, D; and I employ a well known
arrangement of gearing to drive the rollers, A, so as to move the fabric continuously
through the chamber, B, from an inlet opening, E, to an outlet opening F. In the
lower part of the chamber beneath the space occupied by the fabric, there is a casing, G,
constructed preferably of metal and provided with a number of pipes, H, through
which steam is passed, and which serve for heating air passing through the casing.
The top of the casing, G is made with transverse slits or openings, J, through which
the heated air issues upwards in thin streams: and these slits are placed so as to direct
the streams of heated air up between the depending loops of the fabric. A passage, K,
is constructed at one side of the chamber, B, so as to lead air from the upper part, L,
down to the casing G, and an air propeller or fan, M, (or it might be any suitable
blower) is arranged to draw the air from the upper part L, and propel it down the
passage, K, so as to make it pass over and over again through the heating apparatus
and chamber B. In this way the air is made to circulate, and the heat is economised
as the air or the larger portion of it does not escape into the atmosphere after
passing once through the apparatus and thus carry away heat as in some oxisting
drying apparatus. In cases in which a considerable amount of heat is required for
the drying operation, horizontal steam-heated pipes, N, are fixed so as to be between
the vertical parts of the fabric. In figure, 1, what are seen are the bends at the
ends of the horizontal pipes, N, by which bends those pipes communicate with each
other. Pipes, N, thus arranged have been heretofore in use and form no part of
the present Invention. The arrangement of the slits, J, in the top of the casing, G,
so as to direct the issuing streams of heated air between the depending loops of
the fabric, contributes considerably to the efficiency and economy of the apparatus.

page_text: The modification of my improved apparatus shown in figure, 2, differs from that
shown in figure, 1, and hereinbefore described, in having vertical rows of rollers, P, Q,
substituted for the upper and lower rollers A, D, the fabric being led horizontally
backwards and forwards from one row to the other, and the casing, G, being placed
vertically with its slits, J, for the issue of the heated air arranged to direct the streams
of air horizontally between the loops of fabric.
When dealing with yarns or fibrous materials the apparatus for carrying such
materials through the drying chamber may he of a kind somewhat like what is
shown in figure 2. It may comprise a series of horizontal endless aprons on rollers,
arranged and moved so that the materials are conveyed alternately in opposite
directions along each in succession, the materials falling off the end of each apron
on to the next lower one. I may however remark that the apparatus or arrange-
ments herein before described or referred to for conveying woven fabrics yarns or
fibrous materials through the drying chamber are such as have been in use and form no
part of my present Invention.
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.
In apparatus for drying woven fabrics, yarns, or fibrous materials with heated air
an arrangement of a fan or blower and passages such as to cause the same air to
circulate repeatedly, combined with an arrangement of slits such as to direct the
streams of air between the loops of fabric or between the layers of yarns or fibrous
materials substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Tenth day of March 1888.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agont.