Improvements in Drying Wet or Humid Materials.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drying Wet or Humid Materials.
I, ALLISON BELL LENNOX, Engineer, of University Chambers, 67, Westgate
Road, in the City and County of Newcastle-on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature-
of this invention to be as follows:---
My invention relates to the drying of wet or humid materials, such as peat for
treating which it has been specially devised.
The object of my invention is to obtain rapid and thorough drying economically
and to this end 1 subject the material to the combined evaporative influences of
heat and vacuum in a chamber or chambers adapted to receive the material and
be opened, closed airtight, connected to, and disconnected from, the sources of
heat and vacuum.
I will describe my invention in reference to the special application afore-
mentioned, and according to one way of carrying it into practice I employ a series
of independent or communicating eliambers for receiving the peat-either in the
raw state in bulk, in the form of blocks or briquettes or otherwise-supported in
or on carriers which may conveniently be barrows or trucks running on rails laid
in the chambers wherein appropriate openings are made for permitting the entry
of the carriers at one end and the exit at the other. At the openings, suitable
doors are furnished for closing the chambers airtight, while for facilitating charg
ing and discharging, the chambers are preferably arranged so as to incline from
the inlet to the outlet end. The chambers are fitted with piping or jackets for the
circulation of a heating medium, such as steam or hot air, or they may be heated
by fuel burnt in a furnace connecting with flues wholly or partially surrounding
them; for producing the vacuum, the chambers are connected to a suitable appa-
ratus or appliance, such as a condenser and air pump, so that the material within
the chambers is dried under a vacuum or partial vacuum with the accompanying
benefits.
-
In use, it will be evident that when the chambers are charged with the wet
peat, then closed and the heat and vacuum applied, the material will be dried and
rendered very compact and solid since the moisture will be evaporated evenly
throughout the mass, block or briquette, thereby obviating the disadvantage
attending the practice chiefly in vogue which practice consists in subjecting the
peat fo dry or hot air whereby the exterior only is dried and a crust formed that
prevents the escape of the moisture, consequently a tendency to burst results.
Another advantage accrues to my invention for the bye-products. arising from the
drying can be collected and treated for recovery in any of the known ways.
Though the preceding description refers particularly to peat, yet, as will be
:

page_text: obvious, it is also applicable to the drying of other materials of a like kind, such
as clay, hence specific examples of other applications are unnecessary.
Dated this 20th day of March 1899.
Improvements in Drying Wet or Humid Materials.
I, ALLISON BELL LENNOX, Engineer, of University Chambers, 67, Westgate
Road, in the City and County of Newcastle-on-Tyne, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to the drying of wet or humid materials, such as peat for
treating which it has been specially devised.
The object of my invention is to obtain rapid and thorough drying economically
and to this end 1 subject the material to the combined evaporative influences of
heat and vacuum in a chamber or chambers adapted to receive the material and
be opened, closed airtight, connected to, and disconnected from, the sources of
heat and vacuum.
I will describe my invention in reference to the special application afore-
mentioned, and according to one way of carrying it into practice I employ a series
of independent or communicating chambers for receiving the peat-either in the
raw state in bulk, in the form of blocks or briquettes or otherwise-supported in
or on carriers which may conveniently be barrows or trucks running on rails laid
in chambers wherein appropriate openings are made for permitting the entry
of the carriers at one end and the exit at the other. At the openings, suitable
doors are furnished for closing the chambers airtight, while for facilitating charg-
ing and discharging, the chambers are preferably arranged so as to incline from
the inlet to the outlet end. The chambers are fitted with piping or jackets for the
circulation of a heating medium, such as steam or hot air, or they may be heated
by fuel burnt in a furnace connecting with flues wholly or partially surrounding
them. For producing the vacuum, the chambers are connected to a suitable appa-
ratus or appliance, such as a condenser and air pump, so that the material within
the chambers is dried under a vacuum or partial vacuum with the accompanying
benefits.
In further explanation of the invention, I will now refer to the accompanying
drawings which exemplify suitable apparatus for carrying it into effect.
Of these drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan indicating the general
arrangement of a range of communicating drying chambers; Fig. 2 is a central
vertical section of one chamber with the right hand end in elevation; and Fig. 3
is a plan of same and of the vacuum apparatus. Figs. 2 and 3 are drawn to a
larger scale than Fig. 1.
A, A, A designate the chambers illustrated as open-ended cylindrical shells
built up of iron or steel plates in the well known manner; and they are supported
upon suitably founded brackets or saddles a, a. B, B (Fig. 2) are the barrows or
trucks for carrying the peat in every chamber A, and they run on the rails a¹, a¹
laid therein. a is the inlet and a³ the outlet of each chamber; and at both the
door a is so fitted that it may be readily closed airtight and opened. In the
example, this door is hinged at a³ to the chamber A, and when shut it is pressed

page_text: against packing (such as a rubber ring) a³, disposed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,
by a series of screw devices each of which comprises the hinge bolt and the
tightening handle a³.
As represented in Fig. 2, every chamber is inclined downwardly from the inlet
for the purpose of obtaining the easy running in and out of the barrows or
trucks B, B, which are maintained in position within the chamber in any con-
venient manner, as by chocking the wheels.
Each chamber A, for the greater part of its length, is enclosed by a shell C
of like construction to itself. This shell constitutes the heating jacket of the
chamber, and it is closed at both ends by rings which serve to connect it to, and
support it upon, the chamber.
The heating medium may be hot air, waste furnace gases, live or exhaust
steam, and it enters the jacket of the first chamber, from the usual source, at c
and leaves at c', whence it flows to the jacket of the next chamber A, and so on
throughout the series of chambers, finally escaping from the jacket of the last
chamber to the atmosphere or where required. Valves are fitted as indicated
at 3, for controlling the flow of the heating medium.
As previously mentioned, the chamber A, instead of being heated by a jacket,
may be heated by piping or by a furnace as will be perfectly obvious without
further explanation.
Sometimes, as when very quick drying is required, or when the peat is very
wet, it may be desirable to introduce a supply of hot air into the chambers A, A, A
to serve as an auxiliary to the jacket heat, and for this purpose I connect each
chamber to the main pipe D by the valved branch d, the pipe 1 leading from the
hot air generator.
E is the condenser which is connected with the interior of every chamber A by
the main pipe e and valved branchi e', and F is the air pump. These two appli
ances are of any appropriate type, and are arranged in the ordinary way; a jet
condenser and a rotary air pump are indicated in the drawings.
Of course, each of the chambers A, A, A may be fitted with means for heating
it and for producing a vacuum, and so work absolutely independently; or all the
chambers may be separately heated, but have the vacuum producing apparatus
common to the series.
Ordinarily the heat and vacuum will be simultaneously applied, though, if
desired, the heat may be applied alone for a time prior to the vacuum apparatus
being put into operation.
In use, it will be evident that when the chambers are charged with the wet
peat, then closed and the heat and vacuum applied, the material will be dried and
rendered very compact and solid since the moisture will be evaporated evenly
throughout the mass, block or briquette, thereby obviating the disadvantage
attending the practice chiefly in vogue, which practice consists in subjecting the
peat to dry or hot air whereby the exterior only is dried and a crust formed that
prevents the escape of the moisture, consequently a tendency to burst results.
Another advantage accrues to my invention for, when a condenser of the surface
kind is employed, the bye-products arising from the drying can be collected and
treated for recovery in any of the known ways.
Though the preceding description refers particularly to peat, yet, as will be
obvious, it also includes the drying of other materials of a like kind, such as clay,
hence specific examples of other applications are unnecessary, the mode of carrying
my invention into practice, whatever the material, being the same, or substan-
tially the same, as that set forth.
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. Drying wet or humid materials by subjecting them to the combined evapora-
tive influences of heat and vacuum, substantially as described:

page_text: 2. In drying wet or humid imaterials, subjecting them to the combined evapora-
tive influences of heat and vacuum in a chamber or a series of independent or
communicating chambers each chamber being adapted to be heated by piping,
a jacket or otherwise and be put in connection with a condenser and an air pump
or other equivalent apparatus, substantially as described.
3. In drying. wet or humid materials, the use of apparatus, such as is above
referred to, arranged and adapted to operate as herein before described.
Dated this 10th day of Janu 1000
For the Applicant,
J. A. HARVEY,
Chartered Patent Agent,
3, St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne.