Improved Apparatus for Drying Granular, Pasty, or Pulverulent Materials, or for Carbonising Animal or Vegetable Substances, or for Concentrating or Evaporating Liquids, and an Improved Furnace for Heating Air for the same, and for other purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 16th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Drying Granular, Pasty, or Pulverulent
Materials, or for Carbonising Animal or Vegetable Substances,
or for Concentrating or Evaporating Liquids, and an Improved
Furnace for Heating Air for the same, and for other purposes.
1. JOHN KING. of 24 Benson Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus or multiple-effect drying machine
for drying, concentrating, or carbonising, and for other purposes and consists of a
hot air furnace, forming the lower portion of the machine, and with a number of
shallow pans placed above it enclosed in a cylindrical metal casing.
The outer casing of the base is formed of brickwork, within which the furnace
portion is placed. The air heater or furnace consists of two fires. The fires arc
arranged so that they can be fired alternately, and the smoke of the latest fired
one is made to pass over the other fire. To effect this the flues and damper doors
are arranged to work alternately corresponding with the fire it is desired to replenish
with fuel.
To give off as much heat as possible the flues are made of very considerable
length, and are fixed one above another, so as to get the greatest length into the
smallest space; and the smoke and products of combustion from both fires pass
thro' a battery of fireclay blocks of special construction placed above the flues.
The furnace, or heater is built of firebrick, and fireclay slabs, as also are the
flues, and between each flue there is a quantity of firebricks arranged in such a
manner as to abstract the heat from the Hues and present the greatest amount of
radiating surface from which the heat will be given off to the air to be drawn
through the machine, for the purpose of drying, and for concentrating.
The air to be heated is drawn through the outer casing of the base and doors or
apertures are provided for the purpose; and in its upward course it passes over,
under and around the firebrick flues before mentioned, and then it passes through
special apertures in the fireclay battery before mentioned.
The fireclay battery is placed above the flues, and consists of fireclay blocks
with holes thro' them for the passage of the smoke. These are fitted together,
end to end, forming a number of horizontal flues through which the smoke passes -
into a main smoke flue, and thence into the chimney. Each fireclay block forming
the battery is of such a shape that when fitted together a number of vertical air
spaces are formed in addition to, and independent of the horizontal smoke flues.
Through these vertical air spaces the air is drawn after passing over and under
the heated flues below.
Immediately above the fireclay battery an iron cylindrical casing is fixed, at the
bottom of which is fixed a beam for carrying an upright shaft.
Inside the casing
a number of shallow iron pans are fixed resting on beams. The upright shaft.
passes thro' the cen.re of all the pans. The lowest, or No. 1 pan is of such a
diameter as to leave an air space between its edge and the outer casing, the hole
in the centre being just large enough for the upright shaft to pass through. The
next, or 2nd, pan is of such a diameter as to fit closely to the outer casing, the air
The 3rd pan is
space being in the centre of this pan, round the upright shaft.
like the 1st and fixed similarly; and the 4th is like the 2nd and fixed similarly;
and so on until the desired number of pans is fixed within the casing...
In the bottom of each pan I arrange an opening fitted with a grating or screen,
through which the material to be dried passes from one pan to another. The

page_text: gratings are not placed immediately below each other, but a little to one side, so
that the material will drop on to the plain surfaces of the pans and must pass right
round each pan before it comes to the grating.
On the centre shaft and immediately above each pan four cross arms are fixed
and to the cross arms one or more scrapers, stirrers, or rollers are fixed. The
scrapers, or stirrers are hinged so as to rise over any serious obstruction they may
meet with, to prevent them breaking, and are weighted so as to give the necessary
pressure for scraping, stirring, or rolling. They are hinged also, so as to be raised
or lowered and be adjusted so as to go within any desired distance of the surface
of the pans.
Above the highest pan there is fixed a supply tank on two cross beams fixed to
the casing. The tank is fitted to the inside of the casing and has a centre air
space and the upright shaft passes through it.
Above the tank there is fixed a beam to hold the upright shaft, passing through
it, on this beam the covering of the machine is fixed, and is bolted down to the
top of the casing, forming a tight joint. On to the top of the upright shaft is
fixed a worm wheel, driven by gearing to rotate the shaft.
On the covering of the casing is fixed a suction fan driven from the gearing.
The fan draws the air up through the machine.
The furnace is heated up to the desired degree and the machine is then started,
which gives motion to the fan. The fan then draws the air from the apertures in
the base, and over and under the various heated flues, and then through the battery,
and is brought in contact with the bottom of No. 1 pan. The air passes along the
bottom of the No. 1 pan and to ascend must pass up between the outer edge of
the pan and the casing, when it comes in contact with the material lying in the
No. 1 pan and in contact with the bottom of No. 2 pan.
It thus heats the material both on the bottom side, and on the surface. To
ascend further it must now pass over the material, and to the centre of No. 2 pan,
where it passes up through the air space round the upright shaft. To ascend
further the heated air comes in contact with the material lying on No. 2 pan, and
in contact with the bottom of No. 3 pan as it passes towards the edge of No. 3 pan
to ascend by the outer edge of No. 3 pan, and so heating the material lying on
cach pan, and heating also the bottom of each pan, until it reaches the supply
tank where having now its heat exhausted, it passes through the centre air space
therein and up through the fan to be delivered where required.
The material to be dried is placed in the tank. In the tank is a valve which is
actuated by the upright shaft, and which delivers such a quantity of material as
may be desired.
The material falls upon the highest pan, and the advancing scrapers pass it
forward and distribute it over the whole surface of the pan. Each scraper, stirrer,
or roller, pushes the material onward, breaks it up, turns it over, and stirs
it continually, liberating the moisture. The material is dropped into each pan
just at one side of the opening or grid so that it must be passed right round the
pan before it comes to the opening, and before it can be delivered into the pan below.
By these means the material must traverse the whole surface of each pan before
final delivery.
A certain amount on reaching the opening in the bottom of the pan drops down
into the pan below, and is there treated in a similar manner as below, with
another set of scrapers. In the openings, grids or gratings of required mesh or
capacity, may be fixed so as to regulate the grist and quantity of the delivery,
and to withold such portions of the material as may not be fine enough, or dry
enough, to pass through.
More than 1 opening or 1 grid or grating may be fitted to cach pan, or the
grids or grating may be omitted, as may be best suited to the material to be dealt
with.
On delivery from the No. 1 or bottom pan, the material passes through into a
shoot, and thence out of the machine into any receiver for the dried material.

page_text: The shoot is fitted with a balanced door to close automatically after delivering any
material.
Dated this Thirter first day of tourism. 1001
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Drying Granular, Pasty, or Pulverulent
Materials, or for Carbonising Animal or Vegetable Substances,
or for Concentrating or Evaporating Liquids, and an Improved
Furnace for Heating Air for the same, and for other purposes.
I, JOHN KING, of 24, Benson Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus or drying machine, for the
purposes referred to in the title hereof, and consists of a hot air furnace, or
heater, upon which is placed a cylindrical metal casing containing a number of
stationary pans, with a rotary arrangement for scraping and stirring the material
to be treated.
The outer casing of the heater is preferably formed of brickwork, within which
the fires and smoke flues and hot air flues are situated. The heater is arranged
to have two fires which can be fired alternately, and the smoke, of the latest fired
one, is made to pass over the other fire. To effect this, the damper doors for the
fires are connected together by a rod and levers, by which the closing of the damper
of either fire, opens the damper of the other fire.
To abstract from the products of combustion and give off as much heat as
possible to the air to be heated, the smoke and hot air Aues are fixed one above
another, and finally the smoke and products of combustion from both fires, for the
same reason, are made to pass through a bittery of perforated fireclay blocks of
special construction.
The furnace or heater is built of firebrick and fireclay slabs, as also are the
smoke and hot air flues; and in each hot air flue there is a quantity of firebricks
arranged in such a manner as to abstract the heat from the smoke flues, and to
increase amount of radiating surface of the hot air flues, through which the air is
drawn through to the machine, for the purpose of drying, concentrating &c.
The air to be heated is drawn through doors, or apertures, provided for the
purpose in the outer casing of the heater, into the hot air flues, and in its upward
course passes over, under and around the smoke flues, and through the perforated
fireclay battery before mentioned.
The fireclay battery is placed above the flues, and consists of fireclay blocks with
holes through them for the passage of the smoke. These are fitted together, end
to end, forming a number of horizontal flues through which the smoke passes into a
main smoke flue, and thence into the chimney. Each fireclay block forming the
battery is of such a shape, that when fitted together, a number of vertical air
spaces are formed in addition to, and independent of, the horizontal smoke flues.
Through these vertical air spaces the air is drawn, after passing over and under,
the heated flues below.
Immediately above the fireclay battery, the iron cylindrical casing is fixed,
across the bottom of which is fixed a beam for carrying an upright shaft. Inside
the casing a number of special pans are fixed, resting on beams.
The upright shaft passes through the centre of all the pans. The lowest or first
pan is of such a diameter as to leave an air space between its outer edge and the
casing, the hole in the centre being just large enough for the upright shaft to pass
through. The next, or second, pan is of such a diameter as to fit closely to the

page_text: casing, the air space being in the centre of this pan, round the upright shaft. The
third pan is like the first, and the fourth is like the second, and fixed similarly, and
so on, until the desired number of pans is fixed within the casing. The size, and
number, of pans varies according to the size of the machine.
In the bottom of each pan, I arrange an opening, fitted with a grating, or screen,
or small door, through which the material to be dried may pass from one pan to
another.
On to the centre shaft four cross arms are fixed above each pan, and to each of
these cross arms one or more scrapers, stirrers, or rollers are fixed, and are hinged,
so as to rise over any serious obstruction they may meet with, to prevent them
breaking. They are weighted so as to give the necessary pressure for scraping:
stirring, or rolling, and can be adjusted to touch, or go within any desired distance
of the surface of the pans. They are pivotted also, so as to be adjusted horizontally
to various angles. In the casing, doors are provided corresponding with each pan,
and so as to give access to the openings or grating in the pan, and to adjust the
scrapers. Above the highest pan and within the casing, there may be placed a
supply tank when the nature of the material requires it, supported by two cross
beams fixed to the casing. This tank has a vertical tube through the centre,
Above
forming an air passage and through which the upright shaft passes.
the tank there is fixed a beam to hold the upright shaft, the latter passing
through it.
On this beam the top covering of the machine is fixed, and is bolted down to the
side casing. On to the top of the upright shaft is fixed a worm wheel, driven by
gearing to rotate the shaft.
On the cover of the casing a suction fan may be fixed to draw the air up through
the machine and the same fan may be used to assist the draught to the fires if
necessary.
The furnace on being heated draws the air from the apertures in the heater
through the various hot air flues, and then through the battery, and it is then
brought in contact with, and heats the underside of, No. 1 pan. To ascend, it
must now pass up between the outer edge of the bottom pan and casing when it
comes in contact with the material in this pan, and also in contact with the underside
of No. 2 pan.
To ascend further, it must pass over the material towards the centre of No. 2 pan,
where it ascends through the air space round the upright shaft, and proceeds to
each successive pan in the manner before described, and finally passes through the
centre air space in the supply tank, and escapes. It thus heats the material
in the pans, both on the underside by conduction and on the surface by actual
contact.
The material to be dried, such as fish, towns' refuse, night soil, tankage, blood,
ochre, oxide of iron, gypsum and other substances, or carbonized such as waste
leather, hoops, horns, hair &c. may be supplied to the top pan of the machine
through an opening in the top cover, by an ordinary conveyor, elevator or worm;
or if to concentrate or evaporate a liquid, such as liquid blood, sewage, liquid night
soil &c. it may be placed in the tank previously described, in which is a valve,
actuated by the upright shaft arranged to deliver to the top drying pan, such a
quantity of material as may be desired.
By increasing the temperature of the fires, any desired degree of carbonization
or charring may be effected that may be necessary to render the material sufficiently
friable to admit of its being ground to a powder.
The material falls upon the highest pan, and the scrapers, or stirrers, distribute
it over the surface of the same. Each scraper, stirrer or roller, pushes the material
onward, breaks it up. turns it over, and stirs it continually, liberating the moisture,
and the material is dropped into the pan below, through the opening provided, when
it is treated in a similar manner as above with another set of scrapers, and so on,
each pan in succession.
The openings in a series of pans may be arranged, so that the material will be

page_text: caused to pass right round each pan in succession by means of the scrapers, or
rollers, before it arrives at the opening in each pan, by the openings not being
placed immediately below each other. By these means the material must traverse
the whole surface of each pan before final delivery. In the openings a slide may
be fixed to be opened as desired, or grids, or grating, of required mesh, or capacity,
may be fixed so as to regulate the grist and quantity of the delivery, and to withold
such portions of the material as may not be fine enough, or dry enough, to pass
through. More than one opening, or one grid, may be fitted to each pan; or the
grids, or gratings, may be omitted, as may be best suited to the material to be
dealt with.
On delivery from No 1, or bottom pan, the material passes into a shoot, and
thence out of the machine into any receiver for the material.
The shoot is fitted with a balanced door which opens when a certain weight of
material has accumulated, and which closes automatically after delivery of the
material.
In order that my invention, and the means by which it can be carried into
effect, may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto
annexed, which are to be taken as part of the Specification, and read there-
with, and in which like parts are throughout marked with the same reference
letter.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise construc-
tion illustrated in the drawings, which are presented only, as showing one application
of my invention.
From the foregoing explanation of its principles, and essential features, it is
evident that the arrangement illustrated is capable of variation while still embodying
the essence and substance of the invention.
Fig. 1, is a vertical section through the machine, showing the pans, rotating
arms, and scrapers &c.
Fig. 2, is a plan view, of the machine, showing one of the drying pans, the
arrangement and construction of the scrapers, and the relative positions of the
openings or gratings in the pans.
Fig. 3, is a plan view, of the top of the machine, showing the gearing for driving
the vertical shaft, the exhaust fan, and the supply valve.
Fig. 4, is a vertical section, of the heater, showing the two fireboxes, and the
arrangement of smoke flues and hot air flues.
Fig. 5, is a vertical section, through the heater, showing firebox and smoke flues,
and hot air flues, and fireclay battery.
Fig. 6, is a plan view, of the upper portion of the heater, showing part of the
hot air flues, the smoke flues, and the cleaning doors.
Fig. 7, is a plan view, of the heater, showing smoke and hot air flues, at a lower
level than shown by Fig. 6.
Fig. 8, is a plan view, of the heater, showing smoke and hot air flues at the
firebox level.
In Fig. 1, A is the casing containing the pans B, B, B, which rest on their
bearers c, c, C.
The vertical shaft D passes through the pans B, B, B, the cover F ;
and the girder G; and rests on the girder H.
On to the vertical shaft D, is fixed the wornwheel E; and there are also fixed
on the shaft, the sockets a, a, Ɑl. Into the sockets a, a, a, are fixed the arms b, b, b,
on to which the scrapers or stirrers C, C, C, are fixed. The scrapers C, C, C, are held
at any angle by the set-screws d, d; and the set-screws y, y. g, adjust the scrapers
to come within the desired distance of the bottom of the pans.
I, are the doors in the casing giving access to the pans, and are fixed opposite
the openings or grids in the pans B, B, B. J, is the supply tank, with the air
shaft K, passing through it; and with the valve h, in it. Of the valve h, e, is a
rod or stem; f, is the rod guide, and i, is a lever to lift the valve, fixed to the
cover by the pin k; j, is a stud fixed to the revolving shaft D, which on revolving
lepresses the lever i, and lifts the valve h. In the lever i, there are several

page_text: holes, ll, by which the amount of the lift of the lever i, may be regulated by
moving the pin k.
L, is a worm fixed on the cover to drive the wormwheel E.
M, is a suction fan, of any ordinary construction, fixed on the cover.
In Fig. 2, D, is the centre shaft; a, a, a, the sockets; b, b, b, the arms fixed
therein, with the scrapers C, C, C, attached, by the set-screws w, w.
Of the
scrapers, d, d, d, are the set-screws, to hold them at any angle; and a, a, e, are the
pivots on which they turn; m, m, m, are the hinges; and y,,, are the set-
screws which adjust the scrapers to come within any desired distance of the bottom
of the pan B. The openings, n, n, n, in the paus, are shown in their relative
positions, as also are the doors I, I, I, in the casing A.
N, is the shoot; and O, is the top of the heater; and P, is the chimney.
In Fig. 3, D, is the vertical shaft, with the wormwheel E, thereon, into which the
worm 1, is geared, the whole being driven, as well as the fan M, by the pulleys
and shafts y, y, y, in any customary manner, F, is the cover with the girder G;
and X, is a manhole in the top cover; N, being the shoot; O, the top of the
heater, and P, the chimney.
In Fig. 4, Q, Q, are the fireboxes, 7, 7, being the smoke flues; 0, 0, 0, the
hot air flues and p, p, the air apertures. R, is the fireclay battery, and T, T, is
the casing of the heater; and r, the damper in the smoke flue.
In Fig. 5, Q, is a firebox: 4, 7, 7, are the smoke flues; 0, 0, 0, the hot air flues.
R, is the fireclay battery; t, is a firedoor of a furnace; and U, U, are the damper
doors, being a top draught door.
The rod V, is connected to the damper doors U, U, by the levers u, u, u; r,
the damper in the smoke flue, and s, is a cleaning door.
In Fig. 6, R, is the fireclay battery; 7: 7 % are the horizontal smoke flues
through the battery, and o, o, o, the vertical hot air flues through the battery;
T, T, being the casing of the heater; r, the damper in the smoke flue; S, S, the
main smoke flues; P, is the chimney; s, s, s, are soot doors giving access to the
smoke flues; and t, t, are the doors of the furnaces Q, Q.
.
In Fig. 7, 7, 9, 9, are the smoke flues; 0, 0, 0, are the hot air flues; P, is the
chimney; t,, are the fire doors of the furnaces; T, is the casing of the heater;
and r, is the damper in the smoke flue.
In Fig. 8, Q, Q, are the fireboxes; 9, 7, are the smoke flues; o, o, the hot air
Hlues; U, U, the damper doors; P, is the chimney; and T, T, is the casing round
the furnaces or heaters.
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.) The construction of an improved apparatus for drying granular, pasty or
pulverulent materials or for carbonizing animal or vegetable substances, or for concen-
trating or evaporating liquids substantially as hereinbefore described, in combination
with the heater as shown, or any other suitable form of heater, the whole substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
(2.) The improved furnace for heating air for the same and for other purposes
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 29th day of October 1891.
JOHN KING.