Improvements in and relating to Machines for Drying Wool or other Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Machines for Drying Wool or other
Fibrous Materials.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM PETRIE, of River Street Machine Works, Rochdale, in
the County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the material may be
periodically moved along the surface of a table or tray or series of tables or trays.
According to my invention I may employ trays and rakes in combination, the
trays may be caused to have reciprocating movements .e. movements in a horizontal
plane or may be stationary.
In the former case the rakes may have a fixed or permanent position, in the
latter the rakes have a reciprocating motion suitably actuated. In either of
the above cases the rakes or prongs are adapted to oscillate about or radiate from
fixed points.
According to my present construction I employ a metal or other tray, or series
of trays, placed within the framework of a drying machine, in which trays or
conveyors are generally used, the said trays may either have reciprocating move-
ments in a horizontal plane or may be stationary. I also employ forks or rakes
in proximity to the said trays, i.e. immediately above any number of which rakes
may be employed.
The said rakes are attached to a frame to which motion may be imparted and
effected by the employment of suitable mechanical means and which motion may
be variable, in order to transmit through a machine, or deal with a greater or less
quantity of material as may be required.
The said rakes may if desired be stationary in which case they are rigidly fixed
to any convenient part of the machine in position relatively to the tray as above
described.
The said moving rakes as above described are adapted to swivel or oscillate on
their frames or supports by suitable mechanical means, this arrangement is pro-
vided in order to obviate any impediment to the progress of the and to assist the
material thro the machine.
In case of the employment of moveable trays which are fixed to a framework
and to which motion is also imparted by suitable mechanical means, but when the
said trays are fixed they are attached to any convenient part of the framework of
the machine.
It is obvious that my invention consists of a combination of rakes and trays and

page_text: a further essential feature of this invention consists in the relative movements of
the rakes with relation to the tray or vice versa; but if desired I reserve to myself
the right to so adapt the rakes and trays so that they shall move simultaneously
as in some cases may be required in order to accommodate the circumstances of
particular cases.
The advantages which I claim for this invention are the economical construction,
facility for cleaning purposes, and increased capacity for drying purposes, also
facility of action in working, the whole of which I claim to accomplish by the
application of my invention to a drying apparatus for the purposes herein described.
Dated this 8th day of January 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machines for Drying Wool or other
Fibrous Materials.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM PETRIE, of River Street Machine Works, Rochdale, in
the County of Lancaster, Machinist, 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:.
The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the material may be
periodically moved along the surface of a table or tray or series of tables or trays.
According to my invention I may employ trays and rakes in combination, the
trays may be caused to have reciprocating movements i.e. movements in a horizontal
plane or may be stationary. In the former case the rakes may have a fixed or
permanent position, in the latter the rakes have a reciprocating motion suit-
ably actuated. In either of the above cases the rakes or prongs are adapted to
oscillate about or radiate from fixed points.
According to my present construction I employ a metal or other tray or series
of trays placed within the framework of a drying machine in which trays or
conveyors are generally used, the said trays may either have a reciprocating move-
ment in a horizontal plane or may be stationary. I also employ forks or rakes in
proximity to the said trays i.e. immediately above, in which arrangement any
number of rakes may be employed.
The said rakes are attached to a frame to which motion may be imparted and
effected by the employment of suitable mechanical means and which motion may
be variable in order to transmit through a machine or deal with a greater or less
quantity of material as may be required.
The said moving rakes as above described are adapted to swivel or oscillate on
the frames or supports by suitable mechanical means this arrangement is pro-
vided in order to obviate any impediment to the progress of and to assist the
material through the machine.
In case of the employment of movable trays the same are fixed to a framework
to which framework motion is imparted by suitable mechanical means, but when
the said trays are fixed they are attached to any convenient part of the stationary
framework of the machine.
It is obvious that my invention consists of a combination of rakes and trays, and

page_text: a further essential feature of this invention consists in the relative movements of
the rakes with relation to the tray or vice versa, but if desired, I reserve to myself
the right to so adapt the rakes and trays so that they shall move simultaneously
as in some cases may be required in order to accommodate the circumstances of
particular cases.
The advantages which I claim for this invention are the economical construction,
facility for cleaning purposes, and increased capacity for drying purposes, also
facility of action in working; the whole of which I claim to accomplish by the
application of my machine to a drying apparatus for the purposes herein described.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have reference to the
accompanying sheets of drawings in which like letters of reference indicate like
parts throughout the various figures therein shewn.
Figure 1 is a side elevation shewing the application of my invention to a wool
drying machine.
Figure 2 is a plan of part of Figure 1 shewing so much as is necessary to
illustrate my invention.
Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1 in part section.
Figure 4 is a drawing drawn to an enlarged scale shewing details of one of the
catch pieces for actuating the rakes.
The above figures refer to the part of my invention in which the forks or rakes
are adapted to move or have reciprocating movements whilst the trays are stationary.
The following description of the figures illustrate the part of my invention in
which the trays are adapted to move or have reciprocating movements, whilst the
forks or rakes are stationary; i.e., in which the rakes have not horizontally travel-
ling or reciprocating movements. Thus I proceed to the explanation of the
remainder of my invention as above described.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of a wool drying machine to which my invention is
applied and shewn.
Figure 6 is a part plan of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is an end view of 6.
Figure 8 is a view in elevation shewing the cone drum driving mechanism.
Figure 9 is a plan of Figure 8.
Figure 10 is an end view of Figure 8.
a, is a crank plate or disc mounted on the motion shaft a¹, to which motion is
imparted by convenient driving mechanism, b, is a connecting rod connected with
the crank pin a², on the crank plate, its other end is connected with a stud a³, on
the bar or piece c, which connects the bars or sliding frame d, upon which I mount
the forks or rakes e, as shewn in dotted lines. In two chambers 1, 1, i.e., an upper
and lower chamber or which may be of any other convenient number, on the
shafts or rake heads f, I employ bowls g, for carrying the forks and the connections,
which bowls are arranged to run upon or along the plates or rails h, also at the
extremities or other convenient parts or rake heads f, I mount hinged catch
pieces i, the hinged extremities of which rest or slide upon the lower rails h', which
are adapted as the frame d, slides forward-i.e. towards the disc plate,—with
the rakes, to actuate the rakes about their axes f. As shewn in the upper chamber
Figure 1 the rakes are hanging or depending from their supports by their own
weight and pass on the wool which may be on the fixed tray k, which wool or
material to be dried then passes down into the lower chamber 1, on to the lower
tray k¹, to pass in the direction indicated by the arrow as shewn, which is effected
by the motions of the rakes, the position of which are shewn in the said lower
chamber by dotted lines e¹, in this chamber the hinged catch pieces i, actuate the
rakes so as to elevate or lift them up out of the way of the wool to the positions
as shewn at e, as the bar c, with the frame d, travels forward. On the return
stroke, i.c. in the opposite direction, then the rakes in the lower chamber are down
as shewn e', but the rakes in the upper chamber are up in position as shown e¹.
The above action as described is due to the mechanism or construction of

page_text: the catch pieces i, which catch pieces consist of a fixed piece i, Figure 4
which is secured on the shaft or rake head extremity f, the lower part 2, is hung
or depends from a stud upon which it is allowed to swing or swivel as shewn in
dotted lines. Figure 1 represents the two sets, i.e. the upper and lower rakes
arranged so that when the frame and rakes move forward as in the upper chamber,
the catches are inoperative, as the swivel parts are not rigid but swivel about
studs ³, and thus allow the rakes e to hang perpendicular as shewn, but during
such forward stroke the catches of the bottom set of rakes become rigid or firm
so as to lift the rakes e¹ to the position as shewn at e, in dotted lines, so that
vice piersa, on the backward stroke of the upper set of rakes the catches become
rigid and lift the rakes to the position as shewn in dotted lines at e¹, the catches
of the bottom set of rakes becoming inoperative i.e., are not rigid as the parts
thereof swivel about the studs and allow the rakes to have a perpendicular
position as shewn in dotted lines e¹, consequently the forward stroke of the upper
rakes actuates or moves forward the wool or material to be dried, but during the
backward stroke of the lower set of rakes the wool or material is moved along the
tray in the direction as indicated by the arrows.
I employ a set of cone drums r, 8, with intermediate gearing to drive the
shaft a', by which a driving strap may be moved along the surfaces of the two
drums by means of the screw actuated strap guide t, consequently variable speeds
may be attained without stoppage of the machine for adjustment or variation of
speeds for operating the tray or rakes as the case may be.
Referring to the modifications as shewn in Figures 5 and 6. The trays k, k¹, are
actuated or caused to move or reciprocate by means of the disc plate a, and con-
necting rod b, the rakes e hanging or depending from fixed points or shafts m,
the rakes are so hung that the wool can be carried forward in the direction of the
arrow by the travelling table or tray k, pushing aside the rakes e in the upper
chamber as the rakes are free to swivel about the axes of shafts m, and release
themselves from contact with fixed studs or stops n, but when the tray is travelling
in the backward direction, i.e., in direction from the disc plate, the rakes e, become
rigid or fixed about the centres of the shafts m, as the said rakes then come in
contact with the fixed studs or stops n. The tray, in the lower chamber moves
contemporaneously with the upper tray k, as the trays are connected together by
bar which trays
C,
are supported by or runj on bowls f, supported at
any convenient parts of the fixed framework of the machine. Thus on
the forward stroke of the tray k', the wool which may be behind the fixed
rakes in the lower chamber is held or prevented from moving forward with the
tray. On the reverse movement, i.c. backward stroke of the tray, the wool_so
retained or held behind the rakes is carried forward from rake to rake or under
each consecutive rake towards the delivery end of the machine, as when the tray
is moving in such direction as indicated by the arrow, the wool delivered from the
tray in the upper chamber into the tray in the lower chamber the wool in the
said lower tray comes in contact with the lower extremities of the rakes e, con-
sequently the said rakes being free to swivel about their shafts m, are released
from contact with the studs or stops n, the wool is then allowed to pass along
uninterruptedly in the direction of the arrow to the delivery end of the machine
as above indicated. The cone drum mechanism may be employed in this modifi-
cation for the purpose of actuating or moving the trays thus imparting variable
motions or speeds thereto.
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. In a wool or other drying machine in combination the moveable rakes e
mounted on a sliding framework d disc a and connecting rod b which rakes may
be variably actuated or fixed while the trays may be stationary or variably actuated
as and for the purposes herein set forth, and described.

page_text: 2. In combination the movable rakes e and fixed trays k k as and for the
purposes herein set forth.
3. In combination the fixed rakes e and the movable trays k kas and for the
purposes herein set forth.
4. The rakes e which may be movable or fixed and for the purposes herein set
forth.
Dated this 8th day of October 1898.
J. H. BUTTERWORTH & Co.,
Rochdale,
Agents for the Applicants.