Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Cacao, Coffee, Tea, Barks, Malt, and other substances.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Cacao, Coffee, Tea, Barks,
Malt, and other substances.
I, RICHARD WHITE, of 35 Queen Victoria Strect, in the City and County of
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention refers to apparatus for drying, in a more efficient and rapid manner
than heretofore, cacao, coffee, tea, cinchona and other barks, hops, corn, seeds,
fruit, and other produce, as well as articles used in the arts and manufactures, and
the products thereof. This aforesaid drying process is effected by a current of hot
air or cold desiccated air, passing under, through, and over the substance to be
dried, and which is placed in trays or shallow boxes, on shelves in a drying
chamber.
Now my present invention particularly refers to improvements in apparatus
described by me in my Patent Specification dated 10th November A.D. 1890,
No. 18038, and has special reference to the means for changing the directions of
the air currents, and to rearrangements as to the entrance and exit of same to and
from the drying shelves, and to the admission of cold air into the body of the
apparatus as may be required.
The apparatus consists of a casing of suitable form, the base being smaller than
the upper part, divided vertically, and each half being symmetrically fitted as
follows. In the upper part of the casing there are horizontal divisions extending
from back to front and leaving a free space at each side; in these two spaces on
either side are divisions plates, equal in number to the horizontal divisions or
shelves, and of varying size, also extending from back to front, and each hinged
and capable of being turned on the hinges by suitable handles from the outside of
the casing. When in one position, the upper edges of the division plates adjoin
the edges of the shelves, dividing the particular space referred to into as many
passages as there are shelves, while when in the other position they are turned
away from the shelves and are inoperative.
The admission of the air is controlled by valves situated below the shelves, thus
supposing the air is to pass over the material to be dried from left to right, I
close the right hand valve and open the left hand valve; the division plates on the
left hand side are inclined so as to adjoin the shelves as aforesaid, while the
opposite plates are placed in their inoperative position. The air now passes the left
hand valve, ascends the division plate passages, and passes over and through the
material to be dried, escaping at the other side of the shelves, and ascending a
funnel or chimney, one of which is situated immediately and vertically over each of
the division plate spaces. By reversing the positions of the valves and division
plates, the air current will flow in the opposite direction. I may cause each set
of division plates to be operated by one motion of a single handle, by linking
the plates of each set together by suitable links, chains, or equivalents therefor
and in the base of the apparatus I provide a suitable inlet for the admission of
cold air.
Dated this 21st do of T………………. 1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Cacao, Coffee, Tea, Barks,
Malt, and other substances.
1, RICHARD WHITE, of 35 Queen Victoria Street, in the City and County of
London, 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 :-
My invention refers to apparatus for drying, in a more efficient and rapid manner
than heretofore, cacao, coffee, tea, cinchona and other barks, hops, corn, seeds,
fruit, and other produce, as well as articles used in the arts and manufactures, and
the products thereof. This aforesaid drying process is effected by a current of hot
air or cold desiccated air passing under, through, and over the substance to be
dried, and which is placed in trays or shallow boxes, on shelves in a drying
chamber.
Now my present invention particularly refers to improvements in apparatus
described by me in my Patent Specification dated 10th November A.D. 1890
No. 18038, and has special reference to the means for changing the directions of
the air currents, and to rearrangements as to the entrance and exit of same to and
from the drying shelves, and to the admission of cold air into the body of the
apparatus as may be required.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the apparatus constructed according to
my invention, and by reference thereto and to the following description the
invention will be understood.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus, the left hand and lower portion being
in section in order to shew the interior arrangement, and Fig. 2 is a transverse
sectional elevation of same.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in the two figures.
A is the outside casing of the apparatus, of rectangular form, tapering to the
base, below which the heating apparatus is conveniently placed, although it may in
some cases be arranged at the side or back, and connection made with the base of
the outer casing by channels or other convenient means.
The outer casing A is made of sheet metal, and is or may be formed in, say,
four sections or parts, held together by angle iron joints, and having a central
vertical division B in the interior, extending from the top to near the base of the
casing A, see Fig. 1. The space on each side of the division B is similarly fitted,
and each half is arranged as follows, or only one such half need be employed :
C, D, and E are three subdivisions, the middle D being say twice the width of the
chambers C or E. DI D¹ are doors in the front of the casing for gaining
admittance to the division D. Fare shelves in the division D, for carrying the
sliding trays, and which may be of similar construction to those described in the
Specification of my Patent before referred to, for containing the substance to be
dried, and these shelves may be flat or corrugated metal, and when constructed of
the said corrugated metal, the corrugations should extend from side to side i.e. in
the same direction the hot air has to travel over the trays.
These shelves form subdivisions of the chamber D, extending from the front to
the back of the casing. G G are movable or hinged plates, louvres, or divisions in
the subdivisions C and E, corresponding with and forming, when in the position
shewn in subdivision C, Fig. 1, passages or ducts to the shelves F. H is an inclined
division plate, parallel or nearly so with the sloping base of the casing A, for
conducting the heated air to the passages formed by the divisions G. His another
division plate for conducting the heated air to the passages formed by the divisious or
louvres G The division plates G Gare equal in number to the horizontal divisions
or shelves F, and of varying size, as aforesaid, extending from back to front, and these
division plates G Gare each hinged at their lower edges as shewn, and capable of
being turned on the hinges by suitable handles G2 G from the outside of the casing.

page_text: I
may cause each set of division plates G and G, as is shewn in the drawings
at Figs. 1 and 2, to be operated by one motion of the handles G2 G' by linking
the plates G G₁ of each set together by suitable links, chains, or equivalents
therefor G3; and when desired, and as for example as indicated at Fig. 1 by the
letter O, the hinged divisions may be counterbalanced by weights and chains or
When in one
wire ropes, so as to be more easily movable by the handles G² G².
position the upper edges of the division plates G G adjoin the edges of the
shelves F, dividing the particular space C referred to into as many passages as
there are shelves, while when in the other position (see space E) they are turned
away from the shelves and are inoperative.
The admission of the air is controlled by two valves J J situated below the
shelves, thus supposing the air is to pass over the material to be dried from right to
left, I close the left hand valve J and open the right hand valve ; the division
plates on the right hand side are inclined so as to adjoin the shelves as aforesaid,
while the opposite plates are placed in their inoperative position. The air now
passes the right hand valve J', ascends the division plate passages, and passes over,
under, and through the material to be dried, escaping at the other side of the
shelves and ascending a funnel K or chimney, one of which is situated immediately
and vertically over each of the division plate spaces, and marked K correspondingly.
In some cases the two end funnels K K may be extended and conjoined with the
central funnel K which should then be extended in length to increase the draught
should such be deemed necessary. By reversing the positions of the valves J.J¹
and division plates G G¹, the air current will flow in the opposite direction.
The apparatus is supplied with heated air from any suitably constructed furnace
or, stove, and I have found the following arrangement of such a stove to work well.
L is a metal casing, upon which the apparatus A is mounted, the mouth of same
being coincident with an opening in the upper part of said casing L. L¹ L' are
doors to admit cold air. M is a furnace built within the casing L, and having
preferably a top plate M' of metal, corrugated as shewn, to obtain a greater
heating surface. M2 M² are smoke flues, there being three of such on each side of
the furnace, see Fig. 2, these communicating with horizontal passages M³ leading
outside the casing L to a chimney M. L is an air passage at the back of the
furnace, through which air passes, becomes licated, and enters the apparatus at L³
Fig. 1. P, Fig. 1, is a tube extending from back to front of the apparatus, and
having an opening along the top, the tube being partially surrounded with non-
conducting material, and by this tube cold air may be allowed to enter the
apparatus sliding doors are provided at each end of the tube to regulate the
admittance of air thereby.
The trays or sieves may be made of cane, bamboo, or the like, instead of metal
wire, especially in cases where metallic contact would cause injury to the material
being dried, and where one sieve only is used in each division, the outer tray may
be dispensed with, and the shelves should then be of corrugated metal. Where
trays of large size are required to carry the material, rollers and wheels may be
fixed on the shelves F for carrying the said trays.
The action of the apparatus is as follows: The furnace being started, air enters
through doors L' and L2, passing between the flues M² and over the various
heating surfaces of the furnace, where it becomes heated and passes into the base
of the casing A. Supposing the valves to be in the position indicated, then the
passage of the heated air would be similar on both sides of the partition B, and as
indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, viz. up through the passages formed by the
partitions and through the perforations in the sides N of the trays which
would have been, with their contents, previously placed in position on the various
shelves F, and the doors D' closed and secured, and out into the air flues K.
By the above arrangement the heated air passes to each of the trays separately,
without there being any communication from one tray to the other, so that the
steam or vapour carried off from the contents of one tray cannot communicate with
the contents of another or adjacent tray.

page_text: By changing the positions of the valves J and J¹ to those shewn by dotted lines,
the direction of the current of air is immediately reversed, which is of advantage in
drying some materials, such as cacao beans, which require drying on all sides, and
this is accomplished by first placing the valves in one position, then in the other,
and subsequently turning the inner or secondary trays round as may be required.
When cool desiccated air is used, the apparatus must be fitted with an exhaust
fan or blower.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. In apparatus for drying cacao, coffee, tea, barks, malt, and other substances,
the combination with an air heating apparatus, of a centrally divided casing, each
half being subdivided into a central part containing separated trays, and two side
parts, each side part containing hinged partitions or divisions, together with directing
valves JJ, air exit flues K, substantially as and for the purposes herein shewn
and described.
2. In apparatus for drying cacao, coffee, tea, barks, malt, and other substances
as claimed by Claim 1, the combination therewith of a cold air admittance tube P
controlled by slides, substantially as set forth.
3. In apparatus for drying cacao, coffee, tea, barks, malt, and other substances,
as claimed by Claim 1, the combination therewith of an air heating apparatus
composed of a furnace M with a corrugated crown M' side smoke flues M³ M³, an
outer casing L with air admittance doors L', air passage L2 L3 communicating with
the aforesaid drying apparatus through the upper part of the casing L, all
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The improved apparatus for drying cacao, coffee, tea, barks, malt, and other
substances constructed, arranged, and acting substantially in the manner and for
the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated by and with reference to the
accompanying drawings together with any mere modification or modifications
thereof.
Dated this 20th day of October 1892
RICHARD WHITE.
Brewer & Son,.
33, Chancery Lane, London.