A METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING HIDES AND OTHER MATERIALS OF EXTENSIVE SUPERFICIAL AREA
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for "A METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
DRYING HIDES AND OTHER MATERIALS OF EXTENSIVE SUPERFICIAL AREA," 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 this invention is to establish continuous ascending and descending
currents of air in structures or buildings in which materials of extensive superficial
area are to be dried, such as hides, cloth, or other textile or fibrous materials in
large sheets or strips.
In the drying of materials, such as described above, and more especially in the
drying of hides, it is desirable that the operation should be effected as rapidly as
possible for which purpose the entire surface of the material should be exposed to
both ascending and descending currents.
The object of this invention is attained by means of a suitable ventilating or
suction and blast fan in combination with deflecting-surfaces, said fan being
arranged above the material to be dried and centrally thereof, drawing the air up
and throwing the latter against deflecting-surfaces that will cause it to flow
downward in currents divided by the suspended material, whereby the entire
surface thereof is exposed to its drying influence.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown in vertical section a drying-house H,
for tanneries, having a gable roof R, the inner faces of which form deflecting-
surfaces, against which the air, drawn up by a fan F, is projected, and by which
it is deflected, so as to flow from the roof to the floor below.
The hides A are suspended.from rafters or beams (not shown in the drawing) at
a short distance from one another, thus forming a series of narrow passages B.
Immediately below the fan, and in line with the axis thereof and with the apex
of the angle formed by the deflecting-surfaces r, the distance between the adjacent
hides is greater than that between any consecutive series of hides on opposite
[Price 4d1

page_text: sides of this central passage C, so as to produce a strong and voluminous upward
current by the revolutions of the fan. This current is projected by the fan F upon
the inclined surfaces ? of the roof, deflected downward by the same, as shown by
the arrows, and, after reaching the series of hides, it is divided and passes
downward through the passages B, formed between consecutive rows of hides, to
be drawn up again by the fan through the central passage C. Of course, more or
less air will also be drawn up through some of the narrower passages, and in this
manner I can effect the drying of hides in a comparatively short time and at a
trifling expense. As shown, the fan rotates in suitable supports, and may be
driven by toothed gearing or pulley and belt, or any other suitable mechanism
from any desired motor. Such fan may be of any usual construction, so long as it
is arranged with regard to the deflecting-surfaces as described above.
It will be readily understood that the same results may be obtained with any
other material than hides, provided such material is composed of long strips or
sheets capable of being suspended vertically to form the air-passages, and for some
.materials hot instead of cold air may be used, the hot air being injected into the
lower part of the structure and caused to circulate as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The herein described method of drying materials of extensive superficial
area, which consists in suspending the same vertically in a chamber so as to form
narrow air-passages between them on opposite sides of a wide central passage
formed by said suspended material, drawing air upward through the wide central
passage, and causing the same to impinge against surfaces adapted to deflect the
said air downward toward opposite sides of the wide central passage, substantially
as described.
2. In apparatus for drying materials of extensive superficial area, a drying
chamber or house having its roof formed by deflecting surfaces inclined in opposite
directions, a ventilating-fan located between said deflecting-surfaces, the material
to be dried being suspended below said fan in rows on opposite sides of a vertical
line passing through the apex of the angle formed by the deflecting-surfaces, to
form air passages between such rows of material, substantially as described.
1007