Improvements in Drying Apparatus for Laundry Work and other. like Uses.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drying Apparatus for Laundry Work and other.
like Uses.
1, WILLIAM AUGUST EDWIN HENRICI of 762 Broadway, Chelsea, County of
Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, United States of America, 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 :-.
This invention relates to drying apparatus and has for its object the production
of a drier specially adapted for use in laundry work, the character of which permits
and in fact demands maintenance in the "dry room " of a temperature much higher
in degree than that required in analogous drying operations.
Existing apparatus has proved inadequate to this demand, and in attaining the
marked degree of efficiency and capacity exhibited by my novel drier, I have made
such departure from present construction as will be readily understood from the
accompanying drawings and specification, wherein the various features of my
invention will be fully illustrated and described, and thereafter set forth in the
claims.
Fig. 1 is a partial front elevation and partial section of a dry room or chamber
embodying this invention, the said chamber being broken away at the right side
to save space and permit the figure to be on a large scale.
"
Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical view of the apparatus taken on the lines x-x,
Fig. 1, looking toward the left, showing the " dry room coupled up with the
blower, in elevation, and condenser in partial section.
and
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the condenser on the liue y-y, Fig. 2,
Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof, with the middle portion broken out to save
Брасе.
The room or chamber A of desired proportion and size may be of any suitable
construction but, inasmuch as resistance to moisture and non conduction of heat
are important functions in its durability and efficiency, the walls a are preferably
formed of zine or similar moisture resisting metal, sheathed exteriorly with wood a
and suitably supported and braced.
At some distance above the floor proper is supported on stringers 3 carried by
suitable standard B* and C* a false or beating floor above which ample space is
left for the article to be dried.
This floor may be formed of any suitable apertured radiator of heat, but in
the present state of the beating art I find that the high temperature required
is best maintained by the use of steam led in by pipes b, c, through one of the end
walls a of the chamber to the risers b, c of a bank of radiator pipes B, C,
preferably in two series to ensure even heat, and extending from near the front to
the rear wall of the chamber.
Circulation of the steam is desirable and provided for by the pipe ¹, conneced
as a return.
A series of hangers d securely bolted to the roof of the chamber have secured
thereto rails or tracks d*, upturned at their inner and outer ends (as at d¹)
respectively, see Figs. 1 and 2, to form stops, the tracks extending out through the
front wall of the chambers and within the chamber the inner ends of the track
extend only over about three quarters of the depth of said chamber.

page_text: Upon each of these tracks a suitable carriage is mounted, one convenient form
being shown in Fig. 2, comprising a frame e having bearings for the flanged
wheels e' which, run upon the tracks d", and to said frames are secured bifurcated
brackets depending below, the track at one side thereof, and having rigidly
secured to them a rod or pole f provided with a series of hooks or hangers f¹.
The length of the carrier pole is such that it may he pushed entirely within
the, chamber, and, the articles, to be dried are either hug directly upon the
hooks for to suitable yokes which are in. turn. strung upon the hooks.
It is preferable to make the hooks of some non rusting or non-corroding metal,
such as galvanized iron, brass, or zinc, in order that no injury may be done to the
clothes when being dried.
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a series of doors D are hinged at D* to the
front wall of the chamber to normally cover. suitable openings made therein, each
opening, as shown at the left hand side of Fig. 1 having over it, about at its
centre, one of the tracks D*, the said tracks projecting sufficiently far in front of
the chamber to allow the convenient withdrawal of the carriage e and carrier when
the door is opened.
I prefer to make the doors of metal, comprising an inner wall 5 and an outer
wall 6, the latter having a series of depressions 7 therein, the walls being rivetted
together to prevent warping, and the space between the two walls is provided with
asbestos, or some other good non-conductor of heat, as at. S, Fig. 2 so that when
the doors are, shut, they forming the greater part of the drying chamber, such wall
will be to a great extent, non-heat. conducting, so that as much as possible of the
heat may be retained within, the chamber.
Alongside of each track and above the large door an opening is made in the
front wall of the chamber, suitable iu shape and size to permit the passage there-
through of a, carriage, and its connected carrier f, the bottom of said opening
intersecting or communicating directly with the door opening.
Each of these openings is normally closed by a trap door 25, pivotally mounted
or, hinged to swing freely in or out,,and, when the carriage with the carrier is
pushed entirely into the chamber the door will close by, gravity so that the escape
of the heated,air from the openings, will be prevented.
In drawing out the dried articles the door will swing outwardly to permit the
passage of the carriage.
Above the track d* and at about the middle of the chamber ceiling is provided
an exhaust aperture in communication, through an extended hood k, with an
exhaust pipe K which is carried over to the top aperture of a condenser H, the
air circuit being completed to the bottom of the dry room from the bottom of the
condenser by an inlet pipe K' through a blower. K³ driven from a suitable source
of power not shown.
The operation of the blower, maintains a constant circulation of air through the
various instrumentalities of the drying apparatus, exhausting the moisture laden
air from the top of the dry room through the condenser and forcing it in its dry.
state under the heating Hoor.
Having thus described the heating apparatus and the general arrangement of the
parts of the drier,. I will now detail the construction of two of the most important
features of my invention, viz. :-the condenser, specially arranged to secure rapidity
of condensation, and the means by which I am enabled to ensure the uniform
heating of the supply of dry air, with consequent uniformity in its effect upon the
articles to be dried.
The condenser H, Figs. 2 to 4, comprises a series of closed vessels or pans h², h³,
flat in shape and arranged preferably vertically within a metal box or shell
shown as protected by a wooden sheathing and having at its top at one corner
the aperture, to which reference has been already made as in connection with the
exhaust pipe K..
These pans may conveniently be held, in position by inserting them, as illustrated,
in slightly separated grooves 16 in the shell *, and alternate pans, abut

page_text: against opposite ends of the shell, thereby forming a tortuous condensing passage of
great area for the moist air to traverse in passing from the pipe K to the
pipe K
The pans are chilled by the introduction of a suitable heat absorbing fluid,..
through individual feeders * to the bottom. of each pan, from a common supply-
bead and the fluid overflows from the tops of the pans through pipes he, the free
ends of which discharge into a trough A at atmospheric pressure.
•
By this arrangement of the supply and discharge the pans are kept coldest at
their bottom, where the lowest temperature is needed to condense any moisture-
remaining in the air just before it is withdrawn through the aperture ¹, and the
contents of the pans are changed more rapidly than where there is a back pressure
in the discharge pipe, while the further advantage is gained by rendering-
unnecessary any external bracing of the pans against the internal pressure, with.
consequent waste of effective condensing surface.
The bottom of the shell is inclined, and provided with a scupper 10, through.
which the condensate flows off freely.
The contents of the pans may be withdrawn through the tap 4*, Fig. 4.
Adjacent the orifice han apertured vertical board is placed, see Fig. 2, to
cause dispersion of the moist air to the top and bottom of the tortuous passage at.
the beginning of its journey through the condenser.
Upon being forced into the dry room through the pipe K¹, the dry air passes-
first into a header pipe K2 and thence into lateral branches 2 thereof, traversing
the room beneath the heating floor and near the floor proper.
These branch pipes are each provided with an inferiorly located longitudinal
slot 3, so that as the dry air passes out from them it is directed downward against.
the floor, whence it rises toward the heatingfloor, not in streams, but as a uniform.
body equal in extent to the area of the heating floor and, after traversing the latter,
it continues its upward motion completely surrounding each article to be dried and
absorbing the moisture therefrom rapidly and uniformly throughout the entire dry
room.
The advantage of this mode of operation is sufficiently obvious, but the high.
efficiency of the dryer will best be appreciated from the fact that throughout every
portion of the space within the room, a uniform temperature of 260 degrees.
Fahrenheit can be maintained, and the usual work of from two to three hours.
disposed of in from one-half to three-quarters of an hour.
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. For use for drying in laundry work, and the like use, a condenser comprising
a series of vessels arranged to form a tortuous condensing passage through which
the air current is drawn, means to introduce continuously a fresh supply of heat.
absorbing fluid to said vessels at the region thereof adjacent the discharge end of
the tortuous passage, and means to permit the escape of said fluid from said vessels
at atmospheric or less pressure, substantially as set forth.
2. A drying room for laundry work and the like use, having an apertured false-
or heating floor beneath which is a series of pipes, adapted to introduce a supply of
air to the room and arranged to discharge the air against the floor proper of said
room, thereby to ensure complete diffusion of said air and its presentation in a.
uniform body to the heating action of the heating floor, throughout the entire area
of the latter, substantially as set forth.
3. A drying apparatus for laundry work and other like use, comprising a
condenser of the type set forth in Claim 1, a dry room of the type set forth in.
Claim 2, air conduits intermediate and connecting the condenser and dry-room to
permit a closed circulation of air therethrough, and means to positively maintain
such a circulation, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, or arangement and use of parts of drying apparatus, especially-

page_text: adapted as a dryer for laundry work, whereby a temperature much higher in degree
than is usually required can be maintained and utilized; substantially as and for
the purposes hereinbefore set forth and as shown in the drawings.
Dated the 26th day of March 1897.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.