Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Vegetables or other. Substances.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying Vegetables or other.
Substances.
I, MAX KNOCHE, of Magdeburg-Neustadt, in the Province of Saxony, Kingdom
of Prussia, German Empire, Manager do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a drying apparatus, in which a number of chutes or
inserted cones are arranged one above the other, each chute having a wide opening
at its under end, and reaching somewhat into the chute below it. A circular plate
or disk is arranged shortly below the under opening of each chute, all the plates
being fixed to a vertical shaft, which quickly rotates. The whole is arranged
within a cylindrical casing, into which hot hir is driven from the under side for
the purpose of drying the materials slowly conveyed from the top to the foot or
bottom by means of the stationary chutes and rotating disks. The objects of my
improvements are, first, to dry vegetables or other substances of any kind in a
continual course; second, to prevent mixing of the internal hot air with the external
colder air; and, third, to cause the materials as well as the air to move in a zig-
zag way, and in opposite directions.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated on the accompanying drawing,
in which-:-
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus ;
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, taken on the line. 3-4 of Fig. 1.
Similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several views.
A number of chutes or inserted cones a are arranged within a vertical cylindrical
casing by means of wooden rings fixed to said casing. The under-end of each
chute reaches for a certain degree into the chute below, the opening of the end
being of somewhat larger diameter.
A vertical shaft d axially extending through casing & has a number of circular
disks or plates e, the under part of which is provided with wings f. The disks are
arranged shortly below the orifices of the said chutes, a small space only being left
between the under rim of the chute and the upper surface of the corresponding
disk or plate e. Shaft d with its disks is rapidly rotated by pulley g;
The under extremity of casing 6 is enlarged by a chamber h, serving for the
uniform distribution of the hot air around the whole circumference of the casing.
Said horizontal chamber communicates with a vertical chamber i having a heating
device k, by means of which the air sucked by the blowing-machine and pressed
into the under part.of chamber is heated before entering the drying-apparatus.
The lowest chute m has a pipe n attached to it, the orifice of which may be
lessened as well as enlarged by a slide o. The slide is opened only as much as to
permit free escape of the dried substances, without allowing entrance of air into
the casing.
A second annular chamber p surrounds the upper extremity of casing b, one side
of said chamber being considerably enlarged by the so-called air-collector r from
which the hot air escapes into the open air.
The highest chute & has a smaller orifice than all the other working chutes, and
a distributing cone t is secured to axis d directly below said small orifice. Chute s
receives the wet or moist substances to be dried, which are conveyed to the interior
of the casing by means of the cone t. The orifice of chute s is only as large as
necessary for the passage of the material, thus effectively preventing air from
entering the interior of the casing.
The pieces or particles of the moist or wet substances contained in chute s.are

page_text: Caustu by come to my out, or within, the Working-coute
on the oblique surface of this chute, the substances fall upon the first disk e, which
is in rapid rotation. By reason.of the centrifugal force, the particles are swung
radially outward upon the oblique surface of the second chute, from which they
glide down upon the second disk. Again, the material is swung radially outward
arriving now at the third chute. In this manner the whole of the way from top to
bottom is made in a zig-zag manner, whilst at the same time hot air is flowing in
the same way, but in opposite direction. The air whilst under the way is constantly
driven against the substances upon the oblique surfaces of the chutes by means of
the wings, for increasing the drying-effect. The dried material is led away by
chute m and tube n.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invon-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a drying-apparatus:
1. The combination of the chutes. (a) arranged one above the other, with the
rotating disks (e) arranged below the orifices of said chutes, for the purpose as
described.
2. The combination of the chutes (a) arranged one above the other, with the
rotating disks (e) arranged shortly below the orifices of said chutes; said disks (e)
having wings (), for the purpose as described.
3. The combination of the chutes (a) arranged one above the other, with the
rotating disks (e) arranged shortly below the orifices of said chutes; said disks (e)
being secured to a vertical shaft (d), and having wings (f), for the purpose, as
described.
4. The combination of the chutes (a) arranged one above the other within the
casing (b), with the rotating disks (e) arranged shortly below the orifices of said
chutes; the disks (e) heing secured to a vertical shaft (d), and having wings (ƒ),
for the purpose as described.
5. The combination of the casing (b) having the chutes (a) arranged one above
the other, and the rotating disks (e), arranged below the orifices of said chutes,
with the heating-device (ik), for the purpose as described.
6. The combination of the casing (b) having the chutes (a), arranged one above
the other, and the rotating disks (e), arranged below the orifices of said chutes,
with the blowing-machine (1), for the purpose as described.
7. The combination of the casing (b) having the chutes (a), arranged one above
the other, and the rotating disks (e), fixed below the orifices of said chutes to a
vertical shaft (d), and having the wings (f), with the heating device (i k) and
blowing machine (1), for the purpose as described.
Dated this 29th day of August 1891