A New or Improved Machine for Drying Rags, Wool, Cotton, and other Fibrous Substances, also for Drying Grain, Hay, Straw, and other Vegetable Matter.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 9th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 9th Sept., 1887.
A New or Improved Machine for Drying Rags, Wool, Cotton, and
other Fibrous Substances, also for Drying Grain, Hay, Straw,
and other Vegetable Matter.
1, JOHN ILLINGWORTH, of Whitelee, Batley, Yorkshire, Flock Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
•
My invention consists in a new arrangement and construction of machine for drying
fibrous substances and also for drying, grain, hay, straw, and other like matter.
In carrying out my invention, I employ a chamber made from suitable framework
which may be double cased and filled with nonconducting material so as to retain the
heat therein, which arises from a series of steam pipes arranged within the chamber or
from other source. At a suitable position above the steam pipes, I divide the chamber
with any suitable number of horizontal bars, on which are placed the rags or other
material to be dried, and in order that the rags may travel from the front end of the
chamber to the back end, the bars are caused to reciprocate backward and forward,
but in a somewhat peculiar manner, for instance I prefer to cause all the bars to move
forward together, bodily, so as to carry the fibre forward further into the chamer,
but I cause them to return singly first one and the other, so that they cannot
bring the fibres back again. The means of operating the bars consists of a double
arrangement of tappits or cams so arranged as to act upon certain brackets at the end
of each bar. These bars are made with perforations so that the hot air arising from
the heated pipes can pass up through the fibres, and in order that the hot air may
spred out and expand beyond the size of the hole in the bar I cast thereon inclined.
projections forming small chambers around each hole above the surface of the bar,
whereby the air is allowed to spread and impinge under all the surface of the fibres
;

page_text: the inclined projections on the bars are arranged with their highest points against the
fibres, so as to push the fibres forward, but on the return motion they do not bring the
fibres back again as the inclined projections slip under the fibres.
A fan is employed to blow the hot air through the perforated bars, and through the
fibres; whilst if necessary an exhaust fan may be employed to draw the air through
the fibres, and this may be used either in combination with the fan or alone. I may
also employ a revolving roller or other means for agitating the fibres as they are
moving along on the bars, which bars may rest upon stationary cross bars or upon
rollers to prevent friction.
By this means a compact, efficient, and automatic drying machine is constructed.
100
A New or Improved Machine for Drying Rags, Wool, Cotton, and
other Fibrous Substances, also for Drying Grain, Hay, Straw,
and other Vegetable Matter.
1, JOHN ILLINGWORTH of Whitelee, Batley, Yorkshire, Flock Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention consists in a new arrangement and construction of machine for drying
fibrous substances and also for drying grain, hay, straw and other like matter.
In carrying out my invention I employ a chamber made from suitable framework
which may be double cased and filled with nonconducting material so as to retain the
heat therein which arises from a series of steam pipes arranged within the chamber, or
from other source. At a suitable position above the steam pipes I divide the chamber
with
any
suitable number of horizontal bars, on which are placed the rags or other
material to be dried, and in order that the rags may travel from the front end of the
chamber to the back end, the bars are caused to reciprocate backward and forward,
but in a somewhat peculiar manner, for instance I prefer to cause all the bars to move
forward together, bodily, so as to carry the fibre forward further into the chamber,
but I cause them to return singly or in pairs, so that they cannot bring the fibres
back again. The means of operating the bars consist of a double arrangement of
tappits or cams so arranged as to act upon certain brackets at the end of each bar.

page_text: These bars are made with perforations so that the hot air arising from the heated pipes
can pass up through the fibres, and in order that the hot air may spread out and
expand beyond the size of the hole in the bar I cast thereon inclined projections
forming small chambers around each hole above the surface of the bar, whereby the
air is allowed to spread and impinge under all the surface of the fibres; the inclined
projections on the bars are arranged with their highest points against the fibres, so as
to push the fibres forward, but on the return motion they do not bring the fibres back
again as the inclined projections slip under the fibres.
In order that my invention may be better understood I herein give reference to the
accompanying sheets of drawings illustrative thereof, wherein Fig. 1 is sectional
elevation of a machine or apparatus constructed according to my invention, and Fig. 2
is sectional plan of same. The apparatus is composed of an enclosed chamber a made
of any suitable material. The chamber is divided into three or any suitable number
of divisions or floors composed of horizontal serrated bars b resting upon anti-friction
rollers c, one end of each series of bars being provided with shoes or brackets & and e
for the purpose of being pushed backward and forward as hereinafter explained by
means of rotary cams or tappits fand bell crank levers g. The tappits are fixed
upon a rotary shaft h receiving slow but continuous rotary motion from worm wheel j
worm k diagonal shaft 7 and bevel wheels in and n, the latter of which may be the
main driving wheel, or the wheels may be driven from any other convenient source.
The temperature of the enclosed chamber is obtained through the medium of the steam
pipes p or other means may be employed for that purpose.
The modus operandi is as follows :-
The wool, rags, or other fibrous material to be dried enters the machine upon
an endless feeding apron and after passing through the feed rollers the
materials to be dried get onto the serrated bars b, and in order that the material
may be carried forward to the other end of the said chamber the whole series of
bars are caused to advance, bodily that is to say, the carrying surface is moved
forward for the purpose of carrying the rags further into the chamber, but these
bars are brought back again singly, or in pairs in the following manner :-
:-The
tappits revolve in the direction shewn by the arrows when they come in contact
with projections e on the underside of each bar pushing one or more of such bars
backward, and as the serrations or wedge shaped projections t on the top of each bar
are inclined in the direction shewn in the drawings, such bar in returning will
not bring back with it any of the fibres; when however all the bars have been taken
back, a lug on the face plate w comes into contact with the bell crank lever g
arranged at each side of the machine, such bell crank levers being connected together
by a cross bar.or angle plate in such a manner that when the forward ond of the
bell crank lever is depressed, the cross bar a is forced into contact with the forward
end of all the serrated bars, in doing which they are all caused to advance, taking
with them another supply of rags or fibre, and when this is done each bar or pairs of
bars are again brought back, and in due time they are all again caused to advance
together, and this operation goes on so long as the machine is in motion, and when the
rags or material arrive at the other end of the top or first series of bars, the rags or
materials drop onto the second series of bars, when the bars are all caused to advance
in the same manner as those previously described; and when the rags or fibres arrive
at the opposite end of the second series of bars, such rags drop onto the bottom or
third series of bars which are operated like those previously described, and the rags
are thus worked to the ends of the third series, when they fall into the dish y for the
purpose of being removed out of the door z when it will be found they are perfectly
dry and in a fit state to be operated upon by any of the machines well known in the
trade. The concave dish y can be raised and lowered at will by hand lever y¹.
Instead of removing the dried fibres through a door, I may employ an endless apron
as shown in Fig. 3 sheet two, in which case cold air would not get into the chamber
and if necessary the fibres may be removed from the machine at the end of either the
top row or second row of bars by having an endless travelling sheet opposite the end
of each row of bars as shewn in Fig. 4 sheet 2. In order that the heat in the chamber
;

page_text: may pass up not only between the spaces betwixt each bar, but also in order that the
heat may get up through the bars themselves, I have such said bars perforated as
shewn in the drawings at 2, so that as the rags or fibres rest upon the points of the
inclined projections on the bars, there must necessarily be a space between the hottom
of the bar and the underside of the rags, which space will become filled with hot air,
and will spread out and expand and penetrate up through the rags thereby causing
the heat to freely intermingle with all parts of the said rags, and as the bars return
singly it is evident that the rags or fibres will get freely agitated and have their
positions frequently changed.
If necessary I may also employ a revolving roller for agitating the fibres as they
are moving along on the bars."
A fan is employed to blow the hot air through the perforated bars and through the
fibres, whilst if necessary an exhaust fan may be employed to draw the air through the
fibres, and this may be used either in combination with the fan or alone.
By the construction and arrangement of machine as herein described, and shewn in
the drawings, a compact, efficient, and automatic drying machine is produced.
·
•
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 :-
Firstly In a machine for drying fabrics or fibres, the employment of serrated bars
caused to advance bodily, but brought back singly or in pairs in manner substantially
as herein shewn and described.
Secondly-Ina machine for drying rags and fibres, the mechanism substantially as
herein shewn and described for giving reciprocatory motion to the horizontal bars
such as b.
Thirdly: In a machine for drying rags and other fibres the employment of per-
forated bars for allowing the upward passage of hot air for the purpose of drying
fabrics and fibre, which may be resting upon such bars, substantially as shewn and
described.
Lastly-The general arrangement, construction and combination of machine for
drying rags, wool, and other fibrous substances substantially as herein described and
illustrated in the drawings.
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