IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING PAPER AND WOVEN AND OTHER WEB FABRICS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Annandale, of Dunbar, in the County of
Haddington, North Britain, Paper Maker for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING PAPER AND WOVEN AND OTHER WEB FABRICS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Annandale at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th April 1888.
ALEXANDER ANNANDALE, of Dunbar, in the County of Haddington, North
Britain, Paper Maker, " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING PAPER AND
WOVEN AND OTHER WEB FABRICS
"
This Invention comprises improved apparatus specially designed for drying
paper at the time of its manufacture, but which is also applicable for drying paper
when colored, printed, or otherwise treated subsequently to its first manufacture;
or for drying woven or web fabrics of various kinds.
Instead of passing the paper in contact with iron cylinders heated by steam as
is done with some kinds of paper; or instead of passing the paper round cylinders
or drums made with laths with spaces between them, with steam pipes below to
supply heat, and with fans to produce circulation, the paper is by the present
Invention passed round metal cylinders heated by steam but is prevented from
coming in contact with the metallic surfaces by wooden laths placed so as to hold
the paper or other fabric at a suitable distance (2 to 3 inches for example) from
the cylinders. The wooden laths are held by light brackets fixed to the ends of
the cylinders and may be supported from the cylinder surface at intermediate
points if found necessary. With this arrangement there is a space for the
circulation of air between the cylinder surface and the paper; and whilst the
drying action of the air is better than that of metallic surfaces in immediate
contact with the paper or of the felts ordinarily used with some of the drying
cylinders of paper making machines, there is also the advantage that the
temperature is more nearly alike on the two sides of the paper than when there is

page_text: the hot metal surface touching one side and the atmosphere on the other side.
Amongst the advantages of the improved arrangements as compared with existing
air drying plans, are the greater uniformity of the heat and regularity of its action
applied to the paper at various stages of its progress, the freer escape of the
moisture-laden air that has acted on the paper, and economy of the heat which is
brought nearer to the paper, by the cylinders, and waste thereby avoided. It is
expected that with the improved apparatus a superior drying action will be
obtained with a much reduced length of the course the paper has to pass through,
so that much more compact and less costly machines may be substituted for those
at present in use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Annandale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1883.
ALEXANDER ANNANDALE, of Dunbar, in the County of Haddington, North
Britain, Paper Maker "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING PAPER AND
WOVEN AND OTHER WEB FABRICS
"
My said Invention comprises improved apparatus specially designed for dyeing
paper at the time of its manufacture, but which is also applicable for drying paper
when colored, printed, or otherwise treated subsequently to its first manufacture;
or for drying woven or web fabrics of various kinds.
Instead of passing the paper in contact with metal cylinders heated by steam, as
is done with some kinds of paper; or instead of passing the paper round cylinders
or drums made with laths with spaces between them, and with steam pipes below
to supply heat, together with fans to produce circulation, the paper is by my
present Invention passed round metal cylinders heated by steam, but is prevented
from coming in contact with the metallic surfaces by wooden laths or spars placed
so as to hold the paper or other fabric at a suitable distance from the cylinders.
With this arrangement there are spaces for the circulation of air between the
cylinder surfaces and the paper; and whilst the drying action of the air is better
than that of metallic surfaces in immediate contact with the paper or of the felts
ordinarily used with some of the drying cylinders of paper making machines, there
is also the advantage that the temperature is more nearly alike on the two sides of
the paper, than when there is the hot metallic surface touching one side and the
atmosphere on the other side. Amongst the advantages of my improved arrange-
ments as compared with existing air drying plans, are the greater uniformity of
the heat and regularity of its action applied to the paper at the various stages of
its progress, the freer escape of the moisture-laden air that has acted on the paper,
and economy of the heat which is brought nearer to the paper by the cylinders
and waste thereby avoided.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing one modification of my improved
apparatus.
Figure 1 on the accompanying sheet of drawings is an end elevation of one of
the sparred drums which I employ. Figure, 2, is a longitudinal section of the
sparred drum and of the steam-heated cylinder, and figure, 3, is a transverse
vertical section corresponding to figure, 2, Figure, 4, shows a number of the
drums and cylinders as combined together to form a machine, which machine may
be made with more or fewer of the drums and cylinders according to the require-
inents of each case. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
Each steam-heated cylinder, 5, has its ends fixed to centres or bosses, G, which
are formed with wheel-like end pieces, 7, for carrying the laths or spars, 8. The
spars, 8, are fixed in sockets in projections formed for the purpose on the end
pieces, 7, and are placed with small spaces between their inner edges and the
surface of the cylinder, 5, small shoes, 9, being interposed between the spars and
the surface of the cylinder at intermediate points to prevent the middle parts of
the spars from yielding inwards. Steam is admitted into the cylinder, 5, by a
pipe, 10, entered through a stuffing box into one of the centres, 6, in the usual
manner, and a trap, 11, is provided for removing water due to condensation the

page_text: pipe, 12, of this trap passing through a stuffing box in the other centre, 6, One
of the centres, 6, is shown as having fixed on it the spurwheel, 13, by means of
which the drum is driven. The cylinders, 5, may be corrugated to increase their
radiating surfaces.
In figure, 4, the course of the paper or other fabric which is being dried is
shown by a thick line, 14. Figure, 4, shows an arrangement which I have had in
operation; I however believe that it will be found advantageous for the drums to
be arranged more widely apart than as shown, the distance between the upper
row of drums and the lower row of drums being increased by 1 to 2 feet and
the horizontal distance between the nearest parts (at the outer edges of the spars)
of drums of either row being made 6 inches
Means must of course be provided for rapidly removing the air which after
being heated by the cylinders becomes laden with the moisture from the paper or
other fabric. For this purpose I prefer to construct over the drying machine a
roof of corrugated iron having along its middle an air pipe connected to an
exhausting fan; and made with one or more slits or openings along its bottom for
drawing off the moisture-laden air from the neighborhood of the machine.
Having thus particularly described iny said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and
original and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is :-
The improved apparatus for drying paper and other web fabrics and consisting
of rotating steam-heated cylinders having laths or spars fixed round and rotating
with them but touching their surfaces only at a few supporting points, such laths
or spars keeping the paper or fabric a short distance off the surfaces of the
cylinders substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
In Witness whereof I, the said Alexander Annandale, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this second day of October in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
ALEXE ANNANDALE
(L.R.)