IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHAMBERS FOR DRYING ARTIFICIAL FUEL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by David Barker at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd June 1867.
I, DAVID BARKER, of Northfleet, in the County of Kent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
CHAMBERS FOR DRYING ARTIFICIAL FUEL AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:
This Invention relates to the construction of chambers applicable to the
drying of artificial fuel and other substances, from which it is desirable
to separate the moisture held in combination. The outer walls of the
chambers are built of bricks or of other material or materials adapted for
the purpose, angle-iron plates being introduced into or attached to the walls,
the same forming rails for the support of the moveable trays herein-after
mentioned, and also for the support of bars, to which are suspended the steam
or hot-air pipes when the same are employed for the purpose of heating the
chamber. The blocks of fuel are placed upon iron trays furnished with wheels,
the trays being connected with each other by dovetailing or otherwise. The
trays are introduced into and removed from the chamber by means of an
endless band or other analogous or suitable arrangement, and are so pro-
portioned in size that when a given number are placed in the chamber they
divide the same into a series of subordinate horizontal compartments, each of
which is furnished at the lower part thereof with an outlet for the vapours
resulting from the process of drying; such outlets may be provided by means
of perforated bricks placed in the external walls, and the removal of the

page_text: vapours facilitated by the employment of a fan or fans or other analogous
arrangements, shutters being furnished if desired for the purpose of closing
the outlets. The chamber is closed at each end by iron shutters so as per-
fectly to confine the heat during the operation of drying. Each of the
compartments of the chamber thus made by the arrangement of the iron trays,
as before described, is heated by means of steam or hot air, the same being
obtained in the well-known manner, and passed through pipes suspended in
each subdivision from bearing bars, which are supported by the angle iron; or
the requisite degree of heat may be obtained by the direct application of jets
of gas or of hot air without the use of pipes.
Another mode of supplying heat to the chamber and its subdivisions is to
introduce from the top thereof revolving stoves, which may be removed when
the supply of fuel has been dried and its withdrawal is desired, or the chamber
may be constructed with a space in the centre thereof, the same running
longitudinally from end to end, and extending from the top to the bottom, and
into which space steam or hot air may be introduced for the purposes required.
When several chambers are placed in juxtaposition to each other channels or
spaces may be provided between the respective chambers for the escape of the
vapours resulting from the process of drying, such escape being facilitated by
means of fans or other analogous arrangements.