IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OB MATERIALS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Sharples, of Crawshaw Booth, near Rawten-
stall, in the County of Lancaster, Madder Dyer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OB
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 6th October 1857, and dated the 22nd April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Sharples at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd April 1857.
I, JAMES SHARPLES, of Crawshaw Booth, near Rawtenstall, in the County
of Lancaster, Madder Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OR
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in subjecting the substances or materials to be dried
to the action of high-pressure steam. The wet substances or materials aro
placed in a suitable vessel, into which high-pressure steam is admitted.
This steam in passing through the substances or materials expels the wet or
moisture from them.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Sharples, Her special licence that I, the said James Sharples,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Sharples, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agreo
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES OR MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Sharples, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Sharples, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
Specification thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing (that
is to say)
:=
My said Invention consists in subjecting damp or wet fibrous substances
or materials to the direct action of steam for the purpose of expelling the
moisture, and consequently drying them.
I have in the said Drawing shewn an apparatus suitable for carrying my
Invention into practice, but I wish to observe that the dimensions and shape
of the apparatus may be considerably modified.
а
Fig. 1 is an elevation in section, and Fig. 2 a plan, of the apparatus.
represents a circular vessel, made by preference of wrought iron. To the
under part of this vessel is attached a nozzle b, fitting on the pipe, by which
steam is supplied to the vessel a. Above the nozzle b is a disk c, the object
of which is to distribute the steam entering by the nozzle b. Within the
vessel a is the false bottom d, made of perforated metal or strong wirework.
The substances to be dried are laid upon this false bottom. e and fare
moveable partitions, and 9, a cover, also made of perforated sheet metal or
wirework.
The mode of working the apparatus is as follows:-The fibrous substances

page_text: or materials to be dried are placed on the false bottom d, and the vessel a
is filled or partly filled therewith, according to the quantity or the nature of
the substances to be operated upon. When the vessel is partly filled, I place
the moveable partition e over the substances to keep them in position. I
then add more of the substances to be dried upon the partition e, and place
the partition f over them. More of the damp or wet substances are then
placed upon the partition f, until the vessel a is completely full. The cover
g is then securely fastened to the top of the vessel a, and steam is admitted
at the nozzle b. The steam then penetrates through the substances in the
vessel a, the disk c causing it to be distributed evenly in the space under the
false bottom d, as indicated by the arrows. After the steam has acted a
sufficient time to force the wet or moisture out of the substances or materials
in the vessel a, it is shut off, and the cover 3 is removed to allow the contents
of the vessel to be taken out. I wish to observe that in some cases theso
partitions may be omitted, and that a single partition or more than two may
be used. When these partitions are employed it is desirable to secure them
to the vessel a before admitting the steam. I have found in practice that
steam at fifty pounds pressure on the square inch effectually removes or expels
the wet or moisture from cotton waste packed in the vessel a, as shown in
the Drawing, in about one hour. The pressure of the steam and the duration
of the process will, however, vary according to the nature of the fibrous
substances or materials to be dried, and to the quantity to be operated upon;
also to the depth to which they are packed, and the state of moisture of the
substances or materials to be dried.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim the
apparatus I have described, as that may be made in any other convenient
manner; but that what I do claim is drying or expelling moisture from
fibrous substances or materials by the direct application of steam.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Sharples, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
5
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
JAMES SHARPLES. (L.S.)