IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS AND MECHANISM FOR DRYING GLUE, MOULDED CLAY, SUGAR, WHITE LEAD, AND VARIOUS OTHER SUBSTANCES AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Carr, of Bebington, in the County of Chester,
Artificial Manure Manufacturer and Glue Boiler, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS AND MECHANISM FOR DRYING GLUE,
MOULDED CLAY, SUGAR, WHITE LEAD, AND VARIOUS OTHER SUBSTANCES AND
ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE."
Sealed the 8th May 1860, and dated the 25th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Carr at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th November 1859.
I, THOMAS CARR, of Bebington, in the County of Chester, Artificial Manure
Manufacturer and Glue Boiler, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS AND MECHANISM FOR DRYING-
GLUE, MOULDED CLAY, SUGAR, WHITE LEAD, AND VARIOUS OTHER SUBSTANCES AND
ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
My Invention, in the first place, consists, in the application of certain
mechanism whereby I am enabled to give rapid motion through a chamber to
a larger body of air for drying various materials with a smaller expenditure of
power and slower speed of rotation than I believe has been hitherto done.
I accomplish this in the following way:-I construct a long square chamber
open at each end in which the materials to be dried are to be placed with
suitable intervals between them for the free passage of the air.
I then place
at one end of the said chamber on a horizontal axle a fan consisting of two or

page_text: more radiating arms or blades set at angles with their plane of rotation, and
very similar in form and construction to the sails or vanes of the ordinary
windmill. This fan I make of such a size that the diameter of the circle in
which it would rotate would be equal or nearly so to the breadth or depth of
the square chamber opposite to the end of which the face of the fan is placed.
I then cause the said fan to be rotated by any convenient motive power so as to
give motion to a current of air, and cause it to flow through the said chamber
and over the materials placed therein or through the interstices left between
them for its passage. By this arrangement I allow the air free access to the
back of the sails and free passage from the face, so as to avoid the loss which
always arises when the fan is encased as in the ordinary fan blower. When
the chamber is a long one, and the obstructions to the air considerable, I make
use of another or more similar fans to maintain the current, which may be
mounted at regular distances down the chamber on the same axis as that of
the first lengthened for the purpose.
My Invention, in the second place, consists in causing, by certain arrange-
ments, currents of air set in motion by any mechanical means for drying
purposes to continuously circulate where heat is used to raise the temperature
to a high degree, which, with the direct current before described, would
require an immense expenditure of fuel. This circulating current I produce
by the addition of another or more chambers placed alongside the former one
and communicating with it at both ends, and I cause the currents of air
generated by any mechanical means (preferring, however, the fan herein-
before described) to pass up one chamber and return down the other in constant
circulation until the temperature is raised by its frequently passing over any
suitable beating apparatus placed within the chambers, and until the air so
heated has had sufficient time to partially saturate itself by absorbing from the
materials under process of drying the amount of moisture due to its increased
temperature. Furthermore in order to regulate the temperature and to
change the air as it becomes sufficiently saturated, I make certain apertures or
holes in the top or sides of one or more of the said chambers, with dampers or
valves applied thereto, and also put similar dampers in the flues or pipes of the
heating apparatus. Where a uniform temperature of great nicety is required
I cause the said dampers or valves to be operated by self-adjusting arrange-
ments influenced by heat, such as by a column of mercury or other expansible
material connected by suitable apparatus with the said dampers; but where it
is requisite that the temperature should vary with the state of moisture of the
material operated on, I adopt by preference the hygrometer principle for
regulating the said dampers, and for this purpose a portion of the material

page_text: under process of drying may be employed by arranging it to be carried by
a spring balance or steelyard, which would rise as the material suspended by it
parted with its moisture and so lost weight, and thus it might be made to
operate on the said valves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Carr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CARR, of Bebington, in the County of Chester, Artificial Manure Manufacturer,
and Glue Boiler, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Carr, Her special license that I, the said Thomas Carr,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Carr, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGEMENTS
AND MECHANISM FOR DRYING GLUE, MOULDED CLAY, SUGAR, WHITE LEAD, AND
VARIOUS OTHER SUBSTANCES AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Carr, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Carr, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
My Invention in the first place consists in the application of certain
mechanism, whereby I am enabled to give rapid motion through a chamber to
a larger body of air for drying various materials with a smaller expenditure of

page_text: power and slower speed of rotation than, I believe, has hitherto been done. I
accomplish this in the following way :-I construct a long square chamber,
open at each end, in which the materials to be dried are to be placed, with
suitable intervals between them for the free passage of the air; I then place
at one end of the said chamber, on a horizontal axle, a fan, consisting of two
or more radiating arms or blades, set at angles with their plane of rotation,
and very similar in form and construction to the sails or vanes of the ordinary
windmill. This fan I make of such a size, that the diameter of the circle in
which it would rotate will be equal, or nearly so, to the breadth or depth of
the square chamber, opposite to the end of which the face of the fan is placed.
I then cause the said fan to be rotated by any convenient motive power, so as
to give motion to a current of air, and cause it to flow through the said chamber
and over the materials placed therein, or through the interstices left between
them for its passage. By this arrangement I allow the air free access to the
back of the sails and free passage from the face, so as to avoid the loss which
always arises when the fan is encased as in the ordinary fan blower. When
the chamber is a long one and the obstructions to the air considerable, I make
use of another or more similar fans to maintain the current, which may be
mounted at regular distances down the chamber on the same axis as that of
the first, lengthened for the purpose.
My Invention, in the second place, consists in causing by certain arrange-
ments currents of air, set in motion by any suitable mechanical means for
drying purposes to continuously circulate when heat is used to raise the tem-
perature to a high degree, which, with the direct current before described,
would require a large expenditure of fuel. This circulating current I produce
by the addition of another or more chambers placed alongside the former, and
communicating with it at both ends; and I cause the currents of air generated
by any mechanical means (preferring, however, the fan herein-before described)
to pass up one chamber and return down the other in constant circulation
until the temperature is raised by its frequently passing over any suitable
heating apparatus placed within the chambers, and until the air so heated has
had sufficient time to partially saturate itself by absorbing from the materials
under process of drying the amount of moisture due to its increased tempera-
ture. Furthermore, in order to regulate the temperature and to change the
air as it becomes sufficiently saturated, I make certain apertures or holes in
the top or sides of one or more of the said chambers with dampers or valves
applied thereto, and also put similar dampers or valves in the flues or pipes of
the heating apparatus. By this system or mode I can dry moist articles or
substances with great certainty and economy of time, power, and fuel.

page_text: Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings illustrate my Invention as
applied for drying glue. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation in section; Fig. 2,
a plan sectional view; and Fig. 3, a cross sectional elevation of a building,
and arrangements and apparatus employed.
a are the walls of the building; b are partitions forming two square chambers
which communicate with each other and with chambers at both ends; in one
of these chambers the stove c, or boiler, or other suitable heating apparatus is
placed, with pipes or flues & from it, to expose sufficient heating surface along
one of the chambers; a shaft (e) is placed in suitable bearings, carrying a
fan g at each end and one in the middle. These fans (9) may be constructed
like that represented by Fig. 4, which is an edge view, and Fig. 5, which is
a front view, namely, a boss (9') with three arms (92) secured in holes or
sockets formed in the boss, to which arms the vanes or blades (93) are secured,
which may be of thin sheet metal or wood. The rotation of the shaft (e)
carrying the fans by the shaft f, will cause a current of air to flow down one
chamber and up the other, one part of the air passing out through the aper-
ture h at one end of the chamber, while an equal quantity will flow in through
the aperture i at the other end of the chamber. The sheets of glue are placed
on nets, in the ordinary manner; these nets being attached to frames which
will slide in and out of other frames like "drawers."
In the arrangements shewn by the Drawings there are supposed to be seven
sets of "drawers" in each chamber; those marked k are fixed in each chamber,
but the remainder are supposed to be mounted on wheels, so that they can,
when required, be withdrawn from the chambers, the wheels running on rails
(1) provided for the purpose. By these arrangements access can be given to
the nets carried by the frames on wheels as well as those in the frames fixed
within the chambers. The shaft (e) carrying the fans (9) is supposed to pass
between the net frames, and those frames which are mounted on wheels are
made open at the inside from the centre, so that the carriages or frames can
be withdrawn without coming in contact with the shaft. It will be obvious
that the arrangements for sustaining and for facilitating the placing and removal
of the articles or substances to be dried may be modified considerably, and that
such arrangements will have to be adapted to the article or substance to be
operated upon; and I therefore make no claim for the arrangements for
3 sustaining or facilitating the placing in or removing from the chambers of the
articles or substances to be operated upon.
Fig. 6 illustrates the manner in which a great length of chamber may be
obtained in a small and compact form; but that arrangement of the chambers
which is most suitable, will depend upon the nature of the article or substance

page_text: operated upon, the time it takes to dry, and the facilities required for placing
it in, and removing it from the chambers. It will be obvious that fewer angles
and obstructions there are in the chambers, and less power and fewer fans will
be required in maintaining the required current.
In the arrangements shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the shaft for driving the
fans need not pass through the chamber, as a shaft may be used instead, placed
above or below the division or partition between the two chambers, the fans
being driven from suitable belts or geering from this shaft; and fans in both
chambers may be used, if required, and driven from the same shaft. The
dampers or valves for regulating the heat, or the admission or emission of air,
may be of any ordinary kind.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of carrying it into effect, and wish it to be understood that I claim as
my Invention,-
Firstly, the combination of a fan or series of fans constructed on the prin-
ciple of that shewn by Figs. 4 and 5 in the Drawings, with a chamber or
chambers for drying purposes, substantially as herein-before explained.
Secondly, I claim the system or method of drying articles or substances in
chambers, by causing the major part of a current of air artificially heated and
set in motion by mechanical means, to keep continuously circulating through
the said chambers, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Carr, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
THOMAS CARR. (L.S.)