An Improved Apparatus for Carbonizing and Destroying Vegetable Matter in Wool.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 15th Feb., 1887.
An Improved Apparatus for Carbonizing and Destroying
Vegetable Matter in Wool.
We, JAMES PHILEMON LAND, Chemist, and CHARLES PHILLIPS RING, Manufacturer
of Woollen Yarns, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, 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:
The following is a complete statement and description of our invention for an
Improved Apparatus for Carbonizing and Destroying Vegetable Matter in Wool.
In the preliminary process wool is immersed, or steeped in a chemical solution,
(composed of water and Hydrochloric acid of requisite degree of strength to destroy
vegetable fibre found in the animal fibre of sheep wool) preparatory to the application
of pure hot dry air, to thoroughly carbonize any vegetable matter contained therein.
Wool thus steeped is laid upon a wire cloth screen, on the top of a hot air chamber,
and a current, or blast of pure air heated by fire, and superheated steam, is forced
upon and through the wool,-the supply of air being drawn by a rotary fan through a
series of pipes arranged within a heating furnace, and forced into a heating chamber
around coils of pipes therein, containing superheated steam, and by a communicating
flue into the hot air chamber, to the outlets of the air pipe, from thence the pressure of
the blast forces it upon the coils of pipes contained within said chamber (also heated
by superheated steam) and on and up through the wire cloth screen into the wool.
In order to preserve the purity and whiteness of wool, so desirable, the air thus
heated must be entirely free from gas, or the fumes of sulphur, that arise from the
combustion of coal, otherwise the vitality of the wool, which is so essential to preserve
for manufacturing purposes would be destroyed.

page_text: To accomplish the preservation of the purity of wool, and retain all the spinning
and fulling qualities, which are so necessary, is the object of this invention.
Which is done by forcing a stream, or current of highly heated pure air upon and
through the saturated wool, as will be understood by the following description.
The invention relates to an apparatus for drying wool, that has been steeped in a
chemical solution; and consists of a furnace arranged for the combustion of coal, or
equivalent fuel for the generation of heat, provided with a space, or chamber above
the fire box, sufficiently large to permit of the reception longitudinally of a series of
tubes, walled, or built in at each end, in such a manner that the products of combus-
tion pass around the external surfaces of the tubes, thoroughly heating them without
permitting any of the gas, or fumes from the fire to have access to their interiors.
The front ends of the tubes are open outside of the furnace to allow of the entrance
of air whilst their rear ends are covered by the bell mouth of a pipe, or flue leading
to and connected with the forward end of a heating chamber, which is in turn
connected at its rear end to a flue leading into, and having outlets in the hot air
chamber.
Upon the top of this chamber is secured a wire cloth screen for the reception of the
wool.
The central tube of the series arranged within the furnace is of sufficient diameter to
allow of the reception of a steam drum (having reduced inlet and outlet pipes at its
ends) fed from a steam boiler placed at any suitable point from said furnace.
This drum extends through from end to end of the furnace, and is connected by a
pipe of reduced diameter to a series of coils of pipes in the heating chamber, and from
thence into a coil of pipes resting upon an open rack in the hot air drying chamber,
thus supplying a volume of superheated steam through all the coils of pipes during the
process of carbonizing.
A rotary fan, impelled by motive power communicated through a belt, which passes
over a pulley upon the outer end of the central shaft of said fan draws in air through
the series of tubes within the furnace, forcing a current into the heating chamber, and
from thence out of the ends of the flue into the hot air drying chamber.
The desire being to superheat the steam in its passage; and the heated air coming
in contact with all the coils of pipe causes an intense hot blast of pure air to be forced
upon, into and through the wool."
In the accompanying drawings which make a part of this specification.
Figure 1, represents a plan view of the improved apparatus, with the tops of the
heating chambers removed.
Figure 2, is an elevation of the apparatus, taken through the broken lineæ, a, looking
in the direction of the arrow R.
Figure 3, is an elevation of the apparatus, taken through the broken line y, y, in the
direction of the arrow S.
Figure 4, is a plan view of the wire cloth screen J.
Like letters of reference in all the figures indicate the same parts.
A, represents a furnace: b, the fire box, and c, the ash pit. Above the fire box is
placed the deflecting plate B, which causes the heat and flames to pass to and around
the rear portions of the tubes, thoroughly heating their exposed exterior surfaces,
previous to the exit of the gas and fumes arising during combustion, through the flue
of a stack, or chimney, located at any convenient point.
Within the chamber d, above the fire, are arranged longitudinally the series of
tubes D, whose end portions are securely held by the front and rear walls e, e¹. E, is
a flue provided with a bell end connected to the rear end of the furnace, and enclosing
the outlet openings of the tubes. The opposite cylindrical end of this flue E, passes
into the forward end of the heating chamber F.
Midway in said flue E, impelled by motive power by a belt passing around the
pulley, is the rotary fan L, which draws in air through the tubes D, from their open
ends at the front of the furnace, forcing the current into the chamber F, where it
becomes more highly heated, by coming in contact with the coils of steam pipes G¹,

page_text: which are fed with steam that has been superheated in its passage through the drum T,
contained within the central tube of the series D, in the furnace; from whence the
pressure continues the current of air through the chamber F, into the flue E¹, and out
of the openings f, f, which project upward from the floor of the hot air chamber K, the
current of air continuing on and around the coil of pipes G, which rests upon the
rack H, forcing its passage through the wire-cloth screen J, into and through the wool
thereon.
Two outlets f, are provided to the extreme end of the flue E¹, which rests upon the
floor of the chamber K, to more equally diffuse the blast of hot air over the area.
A pipe of small dimensions G, projects from the forward end of the drum T, in the
furnace, for the purpose of permitting of the attachment of a coupling to a pipe
leading from a steam boiler for supplying live steam to the drum, to be superheated
therein.
The rear end of said drum T, is in turn connected by a pipe of reduced diameter, to
the tiers of coils in the chamber F, a continuation of the pipe leading into the coils G2,
in the chamber K, whereby a constant supply of superheated steam is maintained
throughout all the coils.
:
A drip K, at the extreme end of the coils G³, perinits of the escape of condensed
steam.
Any number of hot air chambers K, provided with wire cloth screens may be used,
as will suit the capacity of the apparatus.
A fender N, seen in figures 1, and 2, is placed in front of the open ends of the
tubes D, to prevent the entrance of dust, or ashes, that might arise from the fire.
The operation of the apparatus, is as follows:
Fire is started within the furnace A, and when the tubes D, have been sufficiently
heated, live steam from a boiler is admitted into the pipe G, from thence the pressure.
forces it into the drum T, where it is superheated by the action of the fire, and passes
thence into the coils G₁, in the chamber F, and into the coils G2, in the hot air
chamber K. Motion is then imparted by means of a belt (connected with motive
power) to the pulley 7, which causes the fan L, to revolve rapidly, and draw in air
through the tubes D, from the front of the furnace, forcing a current of highly heated
air into the chamber F, around the coils of superheated steam pipes, whence the
current is maintained through the flue E¹, into the chamber K, and out of the end
openings, of said flue E¹, upon and around the coils of pipes G³, from thence the
continued pressure forces the blast through the wire cloth screen J, and into the wool
laid thereon.
By the means described of carbonizing and destroying vegetable matter contained in
wool, that has been steeped in, or saturated with a chemical solution, the fibres
retain their purity, the vitality is not destroyed, nor are the spinning and fulling
qualities lost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
First: The furnace A, having the chamber d, in which are arranged the tubes D,
with their front ends exposed to the atmosphere, for supplying and heating pure air,
and the drum T, surrounded by the central tube of the series, conveying superheated
steam to the coils of pipes G¹, G3, substantially as herein shown and described for the
purpose set forth.
:
Second The furnace A, constructed as described, having the steam drum T,
arranged within a tube of the series D, for containing steam to be superheated,
substantially as shown and described.
Third: The furnace A, in combination with the tubes D, and drum T, for supplying
heated air, and superheated steam, substantially in the manner described.
Fourth: The hot air drying chamber K, having the coils of pipes G³, and wire
screen J, substantially as shown and described.

page_text: Fifth The furnace A, constructed as described, in combination with flue E,
having fan L, heating chamber F, having coils of pipes G₁, flue E', provided with
outlets f, and hot air chamber K, having the coil G2, and wire cloth screen J, whereby
a current of pure highly heated air, is forced into and through wool, previously
steeped, or saturated with a chemical solution, substantially in the manner described,
and for the purpose specified.
Sixth Carbonizing and destroying vegetable matter in wool, previously steeped,
or immersed in a chemical solution, by forcing upon and through the wool a current,
or blast of highly heated pure air, without destroying the spinning and fulling quali-
ties of the wool, substantially in the manner shown and described.
: