Improvements in Peat Fuel Dryers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Peat Fuel Dryers.
We, ALEXANDER DOBSON, of the Town of Beaverton, in the County of Ontario,
in the Province of Ontario, Canada, Millwright, and WILSON IRWIN, of 25, King
Street, West, in the City of Toronto, in the County of York, in the Province
of Ontario, 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:
Our invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for drying peat
for fuel and the object of the invention is to devise a simple, cheap and effectual
method and apparatus whereby the surplus moisture in the peat may be
eliminated therefrom, so as to render it suitable for advantageously compressing
it into blocks for fuel and it consists essentially of a long cylinder of steel or
iron suitably journalled at each end and designed to be rotated in suitable
bearings, said cylinder being enclosed preferably by a casing, at the front end
of which is arranged a fire box from which the flames and heat pass directly
to the feed end of the cylinder and around the full length thereof, and back
through the cylinder, exit flues at the front end being provided for the heat
and smoke and suitable feed and discharge pipes being also provided for con-
veying the peat into and from the cylinder as hereinafter more particularly
explained.
The drawing represents a sectional perspective view of our improved apparatus
showing it arranged in double form, the nearer apparatus being in section.
A is the rear wall of the casing. B the front wall, which is, as will be noticed.
much thicker than the rear wall and C the fire box and the doors thereof.
and the grate hars. A¹ is the top of the casing, which is made preferably
of several thicknesses or sheets of metal, which are separated by layers of sand.
Dis the cylinder made preferably of steel or iron and supported at the ends
by the shafts D1 and D2, which are held within the cylinder in spiders d
and and are journalled in the end bearings and d
It will be noticed that the cylinder has a slight incline from the front to the
rear and this is so arranged in order that the peat will gradually fall from the
front to the rear end of the cylinder as such cylinder is being rotated. The
rotation of the cylinder is accomplished by means of any suitable form of
gearing, a pinion & being shown, which is connected to any suitable source of
power.
The cylinder extends into the front wall as indicated and is provided with
an annular shoulder D³, which effectually prevents any danger of the escape of
the heat at the front portion of the cylinder. A chute E is provided to feed
the pulverized moist peat into the head or front end of the cylinder and a flue F
extends from the front end of each cylinder to a suitable pipe F¹. The rear end
of the cylinder does not extend quite to the end of the casing and is provided
with a suitable discharge chute G.
The operation of our invention is as follows. The peat in its pulverized.
moist state is fed through the chute E into the cylinder and the cylinder is kept

page_text: continually revolving at a suitable rate of speed in order that the peat fed
through the chute E may be slowly carried from the front end of the cylinder to
the lower discharge end. The flames' from the fire on the grate ¹ pass up and
around the cylinder, the flames and intense heat striking the cylinder at the
front end. As the flames and heat and the products of combustion get farther
away from the fire box it will be understood that the less will be the heat,
consequently at the front end of the cylinder the heat around the cylinder will
be intense while at the rear end it will be much modified. The heat and pro-
ducts of combustion pass in the direction indicated by arrow and through the
open rear end of the cylinder and over the pulverized peat, which is being
gradually carried from the front end to the rear end of the cylinder. The result
of the intense heat and the graduated heat applied all along the length of the
cylinder serves to cause the moisture from the peat to rise in steam in the
interior of the cylinder and the heat and products of combustion as they pass
along back through the cylinder serve to carry the steam and superfluous moisture
from the peat up the flue pipe
The cylinder is of course rotated at a comparative low rate of speed and
revolving in the direction indicated by arrow will necessarily carry the peat to
some extent up upon one side of the cylinder. The incline at which the cylinder
is set is of course determined by practical experiment.
When the heat is first applied directly to the peat it will of course be under-
stood that such peat has the greatest degree of moisture and the greater volume
of the steam generated at the front of the cylinder will necessarily pass back-
wardly and up the flue, thus being separated from the peat and not interfering
with its being further dried as it passes to the rear end of the cylinder. The peat
in travelling from the front to the rear end is passing from the steam generated
by the heat and is becoming drier and drier and the heat is also decreasing,
thus leaving the peat uninjured.
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:-
1. The method of drying peat consisting in causing the peat to pass through
a suitable retort, applying heat and the flames directly at the feed end of the.
retort and carrying such heat along the length of the retort, so as to apply a
graduated heat from intense heat at one end to a mild heat at the opposite end
of the retort and then carrying the modified heat back through the retort and
over and through the pulverized moving peat, so as to carry away the steam
arising from the moisture in the peat as and for the purpose specified.
2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the casing
and fire box located at the front end of the same, and the cylinder suitably
journalled and deriving a rotary movement from a suitable source of power, of
a chute leading into the cylinder at one end, means for conveying the peat
through the cylinder, the discharge chute at the opposite end and a flue leading
upwardly from the front end of the cylinder as and for the purpose specified.
3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the casing
and fire box located at the front end of the same and the cylinder suitably
journalled and having a downward incline from front to the rear end and deriving
a rotary movement from a suitable source of power, of a chute leading into the
cylinder at one end, the discharge chute at the opposite end, and a flue leading
upwardly from the front end of the cylinder as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination with the casing and the fire box secured at the front end
thereof. of the inclined cylinder suitably journalled at the front and rear ends
in the casing and having the rear end open and separated from the rear wall
of the casing as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination with the casing and the fire box secured at the front
end thereof, of the inclined cylinder suitably journalled at the front and rear

page_text: ends in the casing and having the rear end open and separated from the rear
wall of the casing and the flue at the front end of the casing as and for the
purpose specified.
Dated the 22nd day of December 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.