IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MOISTURE FROM WOOL AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Millen Dick, of Buffalo, in the County of Erie, in
the State of New York, one of the United States of America, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MOISTURE FROM WOOL
AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 14th October 1876, and dated the 19th April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Millen Dick at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th April 1876.
JAMES MILLEN DICK, of Buffalo, in the County of Erie, in the State of New
York, one of the United States of America. "IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS
FOR REMOVING MOISTURE FROM WOOL AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
These improvements relate to certain methods of treating wool and substances or
materials of a similar fibrous nature to remove moisture therefrom, and also to
special forms, constructions, and apparatus for that purpose, whereby the substances
operated upon are dried much more rapidly and economically than heretofore.
The Invention will be fully understood by the following description when taken
in connection with the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 of which is a longitudinal
vertical mid section of the apparatus for carrying out the Invention, and Figure 2
a plan of the same, some portions being removed or broken away to show the
interior.
The first part of my Invention consists in so arranging a blower or fan D of any
description and the trunk of the same that the blast or current of air is directed
and impelled against the wool or other substance as it enters the trunk.
The second part of my Invention consists in the combination of a blower or fan
having a trunk with slowly revolving compression rollers or wringers arranged in
such a manner that they wring out the surplus moisture from the wool, and then
feed it slowly into the trunk or fan casing for the blast to act upon.
The third part of my Invention consists in the combination with the said
wringing rollers and the blast mechanism of a travelling apron to feed the wool
properly to the said rollers.
The fourth part of my Invention consists in slotting or perforating the lower
wall of the blower trunk to permit the escape of any moisture that may be forced
out of the wool by the blast, the latter acting to accellerate its exit.

page_text: The fifth part of my Invention consists in a method of drying wool and similar
substance by enclosing it in a chamber having a grated, slatted, perforated, or
gauze floor and cover, and forcing a current of air up through it, which escapes
through the top and carries with it the moisture from the wool.
The sixth part of my Invention consists in a dry house having a closed bottom,
a grated, slatted, perforated, or gauze floor, or false bottom for the wool to rest on,
and a top of similar construction, the said house being arranged to receive a current
or blast of air below or above the floor.
The seventh part of my Invention consists in a hinged or pivoted spout connecting
the blower trunk with the dry house, and so arranged that the blast may be directed
by and through it, either above or below the floor upon which the wool rests at
pleasure.
The eighth part of my Invention consists in the combination of the dry house
constructed according to the sixth part of my Invention with a pivoted spout,
arranged according to the seventh part of my Invention, and a blower for impelling
a current of air through the said spout into the said dry house.
Description of the apparatus for carrying out my Invention as shown in the
annexed Drawings.
A represents an ordinary frame or support for a travelling apron, B, C, represents
à pair of compression rollers or wringers to which the apron B feeds the wool.
The upper roller of the pair is held down by means of strong springs acting upon
the boxing of its journals. One of its journals may be prolonged and bear a
toothed wheel a to engage with a like wheel on the journal of the adjoining roller
of the apron B, by which means motion would be communicated to the said apron
from the wringer roll. The rollers C may be geared together by long toothed
wheels c, and be driven by a pulley d. D is a fan, or it may be a blower of any
description, upon the prolonged journal of which is mounted a driving pulley E.
F is the casing enclosing the fan or blower, and G is the trunk or air passage for
confining and directing the blast. The casing F and wall of the trunk are arranged
in close contact with the rollers C, and the wool or other substance being first
deprived of its surplus moisture by passing between them is immediately upon its
passage into the trunk or casing acted upon forcibly by the current of air, as indi-
cated by the arrows, and blown on through the trunk, a considerable portion of the
remaining moisture being blown out at this point and driven by the blast through
slots or apertures at g in the lower wall of the trunk, as shown. The slowly
revolving rollers while they feed the wool to the blast also act to retard or hold
it back, whereby the blast is caused to shred the wool and deliver it in a light
flocculent mass. To the extremnity of the trunk G is hinged or pivotted a spout I,
forming a continuation thereof. This spout euters an aperture in the dry house
as shown. The dry house consists of close side and end walls and a close bottom,
but it is provided with a grated or gauze top or cover L, and a similarly constructed
floor K, which form a wool chamber J. During the first part of the operation the
spout I is elevated, as shown in the Drawing, and the damp wool is thrown into
the chamber J in a flocculent heap. When enough has been collected in the said
chamber, the spout I is lowered to the position shown in dotted lines, and the blast
is directed beneath the floor K, whence it passes upward through the heap of wool
in the chamber J to complete the drying operation, the moisture laden air from the
blast passing out through the gauze cover L. The deflector M is V shaped, the
apex being directed towards the blast. This serves to split the current of air and
direct it to the right and left. Should the chamber be small and not greatly
extended at right angles to the direction of the blast the deflector M may be
omitted as not essential.
After the charge of wool has been deposited in the chamber J, and before the
blast is directed beneath the floor K, the operation of the apron B and rollers C
must be stopped, and no wool fed to the blower during the latter part of the drying
operation.

page_text: A slide is slipped in above or below the spout I, according to its position, and
serves to close up the aperture as shown. N is a door by which wool may be
removed from the chamber J; j, j, are doors or openings in the blower casing to
admit air.
These are not essential, and may be omitted if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Millen Dick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
October 1876.
JAMES MILLEN DICK, of Buffalo, in the County of Erie, in the State of New
York, one of the United States of America. IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS
$6
FOR REMOVING MOISTURE FROM WOOL AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES."
These improvements relate to certain methods of treating wool and substances
or materials of a similar fibrous nature to remove moisture therefrom, and also to
special forms, constructions, and apparatus for that purpose, whereby the substances
operated upon are dried much more rapidly and economically than heretofore.
The Invention will be fully understood by the following description when taken
in connection with the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 of which is a longi-
tudinal vertical mid-section of the apparatus for carrying out the Invention and
Figure 2 a plan of the same, some portions being removed or broken away to show
the interior.
The first part of my Invention consists in so arranging a blower or fan D of any
description, and the trunk of the same, that the blast or current of air is directed
and impelled against the wool or other substance as it enters the trunk.
The second part of my Invention consists in the combination of a blower or fan
having a trunk with slowly revolving compression rollers or wringers, arranged in
such a manner that they wring out the surplus moisture from the wool and
then feed it slowly into the trunk or fan casing for the blast to act upon.
The third part of my Invention consists in the combination with the said
wringing rollers and the blast mechanism of a travelling apron to feed the wool
properly to the said rollers..
The fourth part of my Invention consists in slotting or perforating the lower
wall of the blower trunk to permit the escape of any moisture that may be forced
out of the wool by the blast, the latter acting to accelerate its exit.
The fifth part of my Invention consists in a method of drying wool and similar
substances by enclosing it in a chamber having a grated, slatted, perforated, or
gauze floor and cover, and forcing a current of air up through it which escapes
through the top and carries with it the moisture from the wool.
The sixth part of my Invention consists of a dry house having a closed bottom,
a grated, slatted, perforated, or gauze floor, or false bottom for the wool to rest on,
and a top of similar construction, the said house being arranged to receive a current
or blast of air below or above the floor.
The seventh part of my Invention consists in a hinged or pivoted spout
connecting the blower trunk with the dry house, and so arranged that the blast
may be directed by and through it either above or below the floor upon which the
wool rests at pleasure.
The eighth part of my Invention consists in the combination of the dry house
constructed according to the sixth part of my Invention, with a pivoted spout
arranged according to the seventh part of my Invention, and a blower for impelling
a current of air through the said spout into the said dry house.
DESCRIPTION OF THE APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT MY INVENTION AS SHOWN
IN THE ANNEXED DRAWINGS.
A. represents an ordinary frame or support for a travelling apron B. C repre-
.

page_text: The upper roller of the pair is held down by means of strong springs acting upon
the boxing of its journals. One of its journals may be prolonged and bear a toothed
wheel a to engage with a like wheel on the journal of the adjoining roller of the
apron B, by which means motion would be communicated to the said apron from
the wringer roll. The rollers C may be geared together by long toothed wheels c,
and be driven by a pulley d. D is a fan, or it may be a blower of any description,
upon the prolonged journal of which is mounted a driving pulley, E. F is the
casing enclosing the fan or blower, and G is the trunk or air passage for confining
and directing the blast. The casing F and wall of the trunk are arranged in close
contact with the rollers C, and the wool or other substance being first deprived of
its surplus moisture by passing between them, is immediately upon its passage into
the trunk or casing acted upon forcibly by the current of air, as indicated by the
arrows, and blown on through the trunk, a considerable portion of the remaining
moisture being blown out at this point and driven by the blast through slots or
apertures at g in the lower wall of the trunk, as shown. The slowly revolving
rollers while they feed the wool to the blast also act to retard or hold it back,
whereby the blast is caused to shred the wool and deliver it in a light flocculent mass.
To the extremity of the trunk Gis hinged or pivoted a spout I forming a con-
tinuation thereof. This spout enters an aperture in the dry house, as shown. The
dry house consists of close side and end walls and a close bottom, but it is pro-
vided with a grated or gauze top or cover L, and a similarly constructed floor K,
which form a wool chamber J. During the first part of the operation the spout I is
elevated, as shown in the Drawing, and the damp wool is thrown into the chamber
J in a flocculent heap. When enough has been collected in the said chamber the
spout I is lowered to the position shown in dotted lines, and the blast is directed
beneath the floor, whence it passes upward through the heap of wool in the
chamber J to complete the drying operations, the moisture laden air from the blast
passing out through the gauze cover L. The deflector M. is shaped, the apex being
directed towards the blast. This serves to split the current of air and direct it to the
right and left. Should the chamber be small, and not greatly extended at right
angles to the direction of the blast, the deffector M may be omited as not essential.
After the charge of wool has been deposited in the chamber J and before the
blast is directed beneath the floor K, the operation of the apron B and rollers C
must be stopped, and no wool fed to the blower during the latter part of the drying
operation. A slide i is slipped in above or below the spout I, according to its
position, and serves to close up the aperture, as shown. N is a door by which
wool may be removed from the chamber J. j, j, are doors or openings in the
blower casing to admit air. These are not essential, and may be omitted if
desired.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim―
Firstly. In a wool drying machine a fan or blower D with a trunk G so arranged
that the blast or current of air is directed and impelled against the wool as it enters
the trunk or blower casing, whereby it is forcibly acted upon by the said blast, and
blown or carried on through the trunk, as hercin set forth.
Secondly. The combination of a blower or fan D provided with a trunk and
slowly revolving wringers or compression rollers C, arranged to operate substantially
as set forth.
Thirdly. The combination of the wringing rollers C, a suitable blast mechanism,
and the travelling apron B, arranged to operate substantially as set forth.
Fourthly. Slotting or perforating the lower wall or lip of the trunk G as at g to
form apertures for the escape of water, substantially as set forth.
Fifthly. The method herein described of drying wool and similar substances,
which consists in enclosing it in a chamber having a slatted or gauze cover and
floor, and forcing a current of air up through it, which escapes at the top and carries
off the moisture absorbed from the wool, substantially as specified.
Sixthly. A dry house for wool and similar substances having close sides and

page_text: bottom, a slatted or gauze cover or top L and floor K, and arranged to receive a
current or blast of air substantially as set forth.
Seventhly. The hinged or pivoted spout I so arranged that the blast may be
directed above or below the floor K at pleasure, substantially as set forth.
Eighthly. The combination of the dry house constructed as shown and described,
the pivoted spout I and a blower for impelling a current of air through the said
'spout, all arranged substantially as set forth.
Ninthly. Providing the lower portion of the dry house beneath the floor K with
a suitable deflector M arranged to divide and deflect the entering current, as
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Millen Dick, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-six
JAMES MILLEN DICK. (LS.)