Improvements in Kilns for Drying Hops and Appliances for Bagging them.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Kilns for Drying Hops and Appliances for
Bagging them.
I, ALFRED HETHERINGTON, of Alton in the County of Southampton, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
When hops are laid upon a kiln floor to be dried, it is necessary that they should
be laid as evenly as possible without having to tread upon them.
One object of my invention is to provide for this which I effect by arranging
two or more pairs of rails at a little height above the kiln floor and running on
these trucks carrying the hops which are deposited as successive charges from the
trucks. The hops, when partly dried, require to be somewhat opened up. I
provide for this by laying on the kiln floor, in the first instance, a grating of wires,
charging the hops over these and then, at the proper period, raising the whole
grating thus lifting the layers of hops over the wires and so opening them, and
giving more free passage for the hot air.
When the hops are dried, they have generally to be moved to a place where
they can be conveniently loaded into bags.
For effecting this, provide a truck preferably about as long as the kiln is
broad, and I place this at the delivery side of the kiln floor so that the dried hops
can be delivered on to it. The sides of the truck are hinged at their lower edges
and are connected at the ends by flexible bagging so that they can in the first place
be folded down forming merely a broad floor on which the hops remain until they
cool. The sides are then folded up, forming a comparatively narrow truck, which
can be wheeled away charged with hops to the place for bagging.
The truck may be made with a moveable floor in the form of a continuous
travelling apron, so that, on opening one end, the hops can be moved bodily along
the truck and delivered directly into the bags. In some cases, the bagging may be
conveniently effected at the side of the kiln, rendering the use of a truck unneces-
sary. The structure with folding sides and travelling bottom can be used in such
situations. In this, as in the case of the truck, the sides may be mere frames with
canvas or other fabric covering them like curtains with rings running along wires
or rods on the frames.
Dated this 26th day of November 1892.
ADEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Kilns for Drying Hops and Appliances for
Bagging them.
I, ALFRED HETHERINGTON, of Alton, in the County of Southampton, Engineer,
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 :-
When hops are laid upon a kiln floor to be dried it is necessary that they should
be laid as evenly as possible without having to tread upon them.
One object of my invention is to provide for this, which I effect by arranging
two or more rails at a little height above the kiln floor, and running on these trucks
carrying the hops which are deposited as successive charges from the trucks.

page_text: When the hops are dried, they have generally to be moved to a place where they
can be conveniently loaded into bags.
For effecting this, I provide a truck and I place this at the delivery side of the
kiln floor so that the dried hops can be delivered on to it. The sides of the truck
are hinged at their lower edges and are connected at the ends by flexible bagging
so that they can in the first place be folded down forming merely a broad floor on
which the hops remain until they cool. The sides are then folded up, forming a
comparatively narrow truck, which can be wheeled away charged with hops to the
place for bagging.
The truck may be made with a moveable floor in the form of a continuous
travelling apron, so that, on opening one end, the hops can be moved bodily along
the truck and delivered directly into the bags.
The hops, when partly dried, require to be somewhat opened up.
I provide for this by laying on the kiln floor, in the first instance, a grating of
wires, or the like charging the hops over these (and then, at the proper period,
raising the whole grating thus lifting the layers of hops over the wires and so
opening them and giving more free passage for the hot air.
.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan, Fig. 2 is a side view partly
sectional and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of a truck for removing the dried
hops.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section and Fig. 7 a plan shewing means of raising the
wire grating to open up the hops.
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the two sides A A of the truck which
may be light wooden frames lined with fabric stretched over them, are hinged at
their lower edges to the under frame B and are connected at their ends by flexible
baggings C which are provided with lacing cords and are hooked or buttoned to
the ends of the side frames so that they can be readily removed.
the under frame is mounted a roller D D' round which passes a travelling apron E
At each end of
preferably provided with laths F crossing it at intervals; a driving pulley and
winch handle G are mounted at one end, and a band is provided to connect this
pulley with a pulley on the axis of the roller D¹.
For receiving the hops from the kiln the sides and ends are folded down as shewn
in Fig. 1 and by the dotted lines A' in Fig. 3, the whole forming a floor to receive
the hops. The sides A. are afterwards turned up and the baggings C gathered
together by their lacings, the hops being thus confined in the truck which can be
wheeled away. For delivering the hops, one of the baggings C is detached and by
turning the winch G the travelling apron E is caused to move towards the open
end carrying the hops with it.
In some cases, the bagging may be conveniently effected at the side of the kiln,
rendering the use of a truck unnecessary. The structure with folding sides and
travelling bottom can be used in such situations. In this, as in the case of the
truck, the sides may be mere frames with canvas or other fabric covering them
like curtains with rings running along wires or rods on the frames.
Fig. 4 is a plan and Fig. 5 a perspective shewing a modified construction in
which the travelling apron is dispensed with, the bottom sides and ends being of
fabric in one piece suspended like curtains by rings from rods R on the upper edges
of the side frames, to which the rods are fixed at each end, their middle resting
on open hooks H. In this case, the hops can be discharged by drawing the
fabric lengthwise, the rings passing over the hooks H, and then unlacing the
front end.
As shewn in Figs. 6 and 7, a is a frame carrying a wire network 6 extending
over the kiln floor. A shaft f crossing the kiln has on it drums from which extend
downwards and to each end and over guide pulleys wire cords or chains taking
hold of the frame a at three points on each side.
By turning the shaft f, the whole frame and network is raised turning over and
opening out the hops laid upon the grating.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For receiving hops delivered from a kiln, a truck made with folding sides and
ends and travelling apron arranged and operating substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
2. The modified construction of truck, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 4 and 5.
3. In a hop kiln, a grating laid on the floor to receive the hops, and raised
during the drying, to open them, substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 6 and 7.
Dated this 9th dev of August 1893
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.