New or Improved Apparatus for Drying Boots and Shoes and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
New or Improved Apparatus for Drying Boots and Shoes and
the like.
I, ALFRED RODDE of 4 Geibelplatz, Lubeck, in the Empire of Germany,
Merchant, 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 object of this invention is a drying apparatus, for drying boots and shoes
and the like, which may be connected with an already existing heating apparatus.
If used in connection with a stove, the drying apparatus may be connected with
the outlet pipe thereof, but if heated direct, it is sufficient to place a small heating
appliance in the lower chamber of the drying apparatus, or to use a heat conductor.
The accompanying drawing represents an arrangement in which the heat is
derived from the waste pipe of a common stove.
Fig. 1. shows the drying apparatus in longitudinal section, with heat conductor
and stove.
Fig. 2, a plan view of Fig. 1. with section through part of the drying
apparatus.
Fig. 3, a vertical section of Fig. 1.
The drying apparatus consists mainly of a vessel closed on all sides and divided
into rows of drying chambers, into which are led the hot gases from the fireplace.
To accomplish this the outlet pipe of the stove A is branched off in such a way
that the smoke may either escape directly into the chimney or may be led into the
drying apparatus B. To effect this the pipes 1 and 3 are provided with valves o
and n, so that, when n is closed, the smoke goes through pipe 2 into the lower
portion of the drying apparatus B. The rows of drying chambers are fastened to
the sides in such a way that the hot gases which enter pass through each single
row, in a zigzag course. The gases coming from pipe 2 first come in contact with
the lower surface of the row a, then they pass in the direction of the arrow 6
between a and a', then in the direction of arrow 7 between a¹ and a³, then of arrow 8
between a² and a³, then of arrow 9 between a³ and a* and of arrows 10 and 11 through
pipe 4, and having passed the open valve m, escape through pipe 5 into the chimney.
In order to prevent radiation of heat from the apparatus it is preferably made
with double walls, and between the inner walls c', c2, c³, and the outer walls 61, 62, 63,
there is placed insulating material e¹, e², e³.
Doors 9 g g allow easy access to the various partitions, to enable the latter to
be easily cleared of ashes or soot. The rows a, a', a³, a³, a, have separate waste
channels 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, situated in the back wall, all of which lead into a
common collecting chamber C.
From this collecting chamber C a special pipe p leads into a separate waste
chimney.
The door d of each chamber is provided with adjustable ventilation openings,
the object of which is to supply fresh air to each chamber.
It will now be understood that in order to dry shoes which have become wet
during the day, in an easy and convenient way, it is only necessary to put them
into the drying chambers, and to regulate the outlet pipe of the stove A by closing
and opening the valves m, n, and o in such a way that the escaping hot gases are
led through the drying apparatus. To prevent the shoe leather, and especially the
soles from burning, each chamber is provided with a wooden grate. By regulating
the ventilation openings in the doors d, the air supply for each chamber may be
Do27

page_text: specially regulated, so that the wet shoes may be dried in the shortest possible time,
without exposing them, to intense heat. By connecting the apparatus with the
outlet pipe of the stove, the cost of heating is extremely small, or almost nil.
According to the size of the fire in the stove, the whole or a part only of the
generated gases, may be used to heat the apparatus. On account of its simplicity
and easy handling the apparatus is not only well adapted for hotels, boarding-
houses and so forth, but is useful in private houses.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The new or improved apparatus for drying boots and shoes and the like, which
consists of a number of chambers, so arranged in a heating oven, that heated gases
escaping from any suitable heating stove, and led into the said heating oven, come
successively in contact with the walls of the drying chambers, the doors, and back
walls, of such chambers being provided with suitable openings for ventilation, and
for facilitating the drying process, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of September 1894.
A. RODDE,
Per W. H. Beck,
115, Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.