Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for use in the Drying of Wool and other Fibres.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1893-Accepted, 29th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for use in the Drying of
Wool and other Fibres.
I, JOSEPH HENRY STONE of North Andover Depot, County of Essex, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturer of Woollen Machinery
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 :-
Wool and other fibre to be dried is carried through the drying apparatus by
aprons, but in practice these aprons cause a great deal of trouble by getting out of
shape, and the construction of the aprons is such as to retard the free circulation
of air and heat through the mass of wool or other fibrous material thereon.
In my experiments to improve the durability and usefulness of machines for
drying wool and other fibre, and at the same time expedite the drying operation, I
have devised a novel apron composed of slats carried by flexible connections, the
said slats being preferably of metal and perforated for the free passage of air
and heat.
Fig. 1, in side elevation shows part of a feeding apron and sprocket wheels to
move it.
Fig. 2, an enlarged plan view of two slats and the chain links to which they are
attached.
Fig. 3 is a section in the line 2, Fig. 2; and
Fig. 4 shows one of the chain links detached to better illustrate its shape.
The bars a, are composed preferably of sheet metal, suitably tinned, galvanized
or otherwise treated, to prevent the formation of rust.
These bars are provided with a series of ventilating spaces b, which allow the
free passage of air, or it might be moisture, and at the same time the spaces make
the bars lighter in weight and yet leave the bars very strong.
I have herein shown one form of flexible connection for carrying the slats, said
connections consisting of a series of chain links d to which the bars are attached at
their ends by rivets c.
The chain links are composed of rectangular loops 2, having at one end a cross-
bar 3, and at its other end a hook 4 and an elevated bridge-piece or bar-rest 5,
extending from one to the other side-bar of the loop.
The hook at one end of a link engages the cross-bar at the end of another link,
and the elevated bridge serves as a rest for the end of the bar and to receive
the rivet.
The sprocket projections e of the sprocket wheels E enter the spaces of the links,
as shown by dotted lines Fig. 1.
The bars, at a point between their ends, are shown as connected together at their
edges by auxiliary connecting devices, shown as links f, the connection being a loose
one so that the portions of the bars embraced by the links may slip in the links as
the travel of the apron changes from a straight into a curved path, or vice-versa.
While I prefer to use metal for the bars of the apron, yet this invention is not
limited only to the use of metal bars, but metal bars are far superior in action to
bars of any other material.
The book 4 is bent less than usual in sprocket chain links, and the bars are of
such width with relation to the links, as shown in the drawings, to extend over the
cross bars 2, and thus aid the hook with but slight curvature to make a strong
connection in the completed chain.
A portion of the bar extends over the cross-bar keeping it in the hook of the
adiacent link.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine for drying wool and other fibre, the apron composed of a series
of thin bars provided with openings, the longitudinal edges of adjacent bars being
slightly separated from each other, and flexible connections to carry the slats,
substantially as described.
2. An apron composed of a series of links having at one end a cross-bar and at
its other end a hook, and a series of thin bars attached to said chains and extending
across and to bridge a part of a hook and keep a cross-bar of a chain link in a
hook, substantially as described.
حيمد
י
O aan
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.