IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR DRYING
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Alfred Gibbs, of Gillwell Park, Seward-
stone, in the County of Essex, Gentleman, and Alfred Borwick, of
Lloyd's, in the City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of
Scaled the 26th July 1872, and dated the 31st January 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Alfred Gibbs
and Alfred Borwick at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 31st January 1872.
We, WILLIAM ALFRED GIBBS, of Gillwell Park, Sewardstone, in the
5 County of Essex, Gentleman, and ALFRED BORWICK, of Lloyd's, in the
City of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR DRYING,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to improvements on Invention the subject of
Letters Patent granted to William Alfred Gibbs, and bearing date and
numbered respectively the 19th November, 1866 (No. 3036), the
AN

page_text: 28th January, 1868 (No. 289), and the 1st August, 1870 (No. 2145).
In the Specification of the last-mentioned Patent is described inter alia
a revolving case with a stationary tapering air duct, through which hot
air is forced by means of a fan, the said air passing through a longi-
tudinal slit in the air duct and being directed by lips at the sides of the
said slit on to the substance contained in the case.
Our Invention consists in combining with a revolving case and an air
duct of the kind herein-before referred to (or modified as herein-after
described) an air chamber, one end of which communicates with the
discharge end of the said case, the said chamber being in communication
with an exhaust fan or exhaust fans or with a chimney shaft, by any of
which means a strong current of air is drawn through the air duct into
the revolving case and thence into and through the air chamber, such
air being previously passed through or over a furnace or furnaces or
other heating apparatus, or through air heating pipes set in such furnaces.
The air duct employed may be either stationary as herein-before described,
or it may be caused to revolve in a direction contrary to that in which the
cylinder or case revolves; and the said air duct may be of any required
section and either have one slit furnished with lips as herein-before
described, or it may have two or more slits with or without lips. The
revolving cylinder or case is or may be mounted in a brick arch or
tunnel, or in an iron casing, in such a manner that the said cylinder or
case may be heated externally either by means of a single furnace or of
several furnaces immediately under the said cylinder or case, or by the
hot air from a separate furnace, which air is forced into or exhausted
from the space between the cylinder or case and the closed arch or
tunnel in which it revolves either by means of a blast fan, or of an
exhaust fan, or of the draught of a chimney shaft. Or a compound
exhaust and blast fan may be so arranged in connection with the
apparatus as to cause the hot air or products of combustion from the
furnace to pass into the space between the cylinder or case and the arch
or tunnel aforesaid, thence back and into and through the said furnace,
thence again into and through the space aforesaid, and so on, a constant
circulation of hot air being thus maintained.
In order to allow of the adjustment of the cylinder or case at an
angle where necessary we make the aperture in the wall through which
the end communicates with the air chamber (where an air chamber is

page_text: used) of an oblong form, and mount on the said cylinder or case and
close to the wall an annular shield or shutter to prevent escape of air.
When the apparatus herein-before described is to be used for drying
sticky or viscous substances, such as sewage deposits or starch, we apply
to the fixed air duct suitable counterbalanced scrapers for the purpose
of paring or scraping the substance adhering to the case, or (where a
revolving air duct is employed) we mount thereon longitudinal bars, upon
which scrapers are fixed at such an angle as to have a propelling action
upon the substance in the case, the said bars being furnished with pins
which slide radially in sockets carried by the air duct, so that when by
its revolution the said bars are caused to descend they also slide outwards
by gravity until their scrapers bear against and scrape the interior of the.
cylinder or case and break up and propel the substance therein. The said
bars and scrapers may be mounted on a separate shaft, to which a revolving
motion is given, instead of being mounted on the air duct, and in this case
the said air duct may preferably be stationary. The hot air is conveyed
into the air duct by means of a pipe or air conduit communicating with
the larger end of the said air duct, which is connected to the said pipe
or conduit by means of a lobster tail or other suitable joint.
Instead of passing the products of combustion from the furnace into
the air duct and heating the exterior of the case by the hot air from the
air heating pipes as herein-before described, the arrangement may be
reversed and the air from the air heating pipes "may be passed into
the air duct, the exterior of the case being heated by the products of
combustion..
In connection with a revolving case of the kind herein-before described
a double metal floor or casing, preferably inclined, through which the
hot air and steam from the case pass on their way to a chimney shaft,
may be employed for drying sewage precipitates or other similar sub-
stances fed on to this floor, in passing over which they become heated
and lose some of their moisture during their passage. By this arrange-
ment the otherwise wase heat may be economized to the utmost. From
the said floor the substance to be dried passes into the case through a
hopper at one end thereof.
A smaller revolving case without any air duct may be mounted
at a inclination in the air chamber herein-before referred to. In this
evolving case the drying of the sewage precipitate. or other sub-
A 2

page_text: stance is completed, such precipitate or substance entering the said case
through a hopper furnished with a valve to prevent the escape of noxious
gases, and passing out at the lower end of the said case completely dried.
From the drying chamber the hot air passes through the double drying
floor herein-before described and thence to the chimney shaft. The
draught over the drying floor may be augmented by means of a current
of air heated in its passage through a coiled pipe fixed in the air
chamber herein-before referred to. The gases both from under and over
the drying floor may be made to pass through a supplementary furnace
on their way to the chimney (or to the suction fan where one is used)
in order to burn them or render them innocuous.
Several revolving cylinders or cases furnished with thic air ducts
described may be combined in one apparatus. In this case the discharge
ends of such cylinders or cases communicate with one and the same air
chamber, whence the hot air and the steam may pass through a double
drying floor common to all the said cylinders or cases, and from the
said floor to the chimney or suction fan, the said gases being passed, if
necessary, through the supplementary furnace herein-before described.
The cylinder and air duct apparatus hercin-before described is appli
cable not only to the drying of sewage precipitates but also to the
drying of artificial manures and chemical salts, starch, cement, mud,
clay, and other similar substances. Also to the drying of damp grain,
seeds, brewers' grains, fresh or spent hops, malt, raw coffee, and other
agricultural products.
For the revolving case herein-before described may be substituted a
stationary or an oscillating open trough furnished with the stationary or
the revolving air duct herein-before described. The substance to be
dried is fed in at one end of this trough and is moved forward or back-
ward and forward along it either by means of forks, hoes, or scrapers,
or (which we prefer) in any of the following ways:-By an endless web
or creeper travelling either over or immediately under the air duct, or
by two such webs or creepers, one travelling over and the other under
the said air duct, or by an endless chain travelling between the lips
of the air duct (where a stationary air duct is used), and furnished
with tines when needed, as for hay, wheat in the straw, rags, hair, wool,
and other fibrous substances. Or by tines or scrapers affixed to parallel
endless chains passing over. pulleys mounted on or above the air duct,

page_text: In lieu of a hot air chamber furnished with vertical perforated tubes,
on which the sheaves were spiked and through which hot air was forced,
as described in the Specification of the Patent secondly above mentioned,
we arrange the vertical perforated tubes so as to effect the drying of the
sheaves in the open air or under temporary shelter.
In this arrange-
ment we employ two horizontal supply mains, each of which is closed
at one end, the other end communicating with the hot blast pipe. In
these mains are fixed horizontal branch pipes carrying the vertical tubes
on which the sheaves are spiked.
In order to carry on the process continuously and without waste of
heat we place at the junction of the blast pipe with the mains a valve,
by means of which the whole of the hot air can be directed alternately
into either of the two mains. By this arrangement, whilst the dried
sheaves are being taken off the vertical tubes affixed to one of the said
mains and replaced by wet sheaves, the whole of the hot air is driven
along the other main and up through its tubes and through the sheaves
placed thereon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Alfred Gibbs and Alfred Borwick in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
ALFRED GIBBS, of Gillwell Park, Sewardstone, in the County of Essex,
Gentleman, and ALFRED BORWICK, of Lloyd's, in the City of London,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said William Alfred Gibbs and
Alfred Borwick, Her special licence that we, the said William Alfred
Gibbs and Alfred Borwick, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said William Alfred Gibbs and Alfred
Borwick, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR DRYING," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said William Alfred Gibbs and
Alfred Borwick, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Alfred Gibbs, on behalf
of myself and the said Alfred Borwick, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :—
Our Invention relates to improvements on Inventions the subject of
Letters Patent granted to William Alfred Gibbs, and bearing date and
numbered respectively the 19th of November, 1866 (No. 3036), the
28th of January, 1868 (No. 289), and the 1st of August, 1870 (No. 2145).
In the Specification of the last-mentioned Patent is described inter alia
a revolving case with a stationary tapering air duct, through which hot
air is forced by means of a fan, the said air passing through a longitudinal
slit in the air duct and being directed by lips at the sides of the said slit
on to the substance contained in the case.
Our Invention consists in combining with a revolving case and an air
duct of the kind herein-before referred to (or modified as herein-after
described) an air chamber, one end of which communicates with the
discharge end of the said case, the said chamber being in communication
with a compound exhaust and blast fan, or with two or more such fans,
or with a chimney shaft, by any of which means a strong current of air
is forced or drawn through the air duct into the revolving case and
thence into and through the air chamber, such air being previously
passed through or over a furnace or furnaces, or other heating apparatus,
or through air heating pipes set in such furnaces. The air duct employed
may be either stationary, as herein-before described, or it may be caused

page_text: to revolve in a direction contrary to that in which the cylinder or case
revolves; and the said air duct may be of any required section, and
either have one slit furnished with lips, as herein-before described, or it
may have two or more slits with or without lips. The revolving cylinder
or case is or may be mounted in a brick arch or tunnel or in an iron
casing in such a manner that the said cylinder or case may be heated
externally either by means of a single furnace or of several furnaces
immediately under the said cylinder or case, or by the hot air from a
separate furnace, or from air heating pipes, which air is forced into or
exhausted from the space between the cylinder or case and the closed
arch or tunnel in which it revolves either by means of the fan or of the
draught of a chimney shaft. Or the fan may be so arranged in connec-
tion with the apparatus as to cause the hot air and volatile products of
the combustion from the furnace to pass into the space between the
cylinder or case and the arch or tunnel aforesaid, thence back and into
and through the said furnace, thence again through the fan, into and
through the space aforesaid, and. so on, a constant circulation of hot air
being thus maintained. Or our apparatus may be so arranged as to cause
the hot air from the furnace to pass thence through a short flue to the
eye of the fan, then through the air duct and the case, whence such hot
air escapes either to a chimney or into the external atmosphere.
In order to allow of the adjustment of the cylinder or case at an angle
where necessary we make the aperture in the wall through which the
end communicates with the air chamber (where an air chamber is used)
of an oblong form, and mounte on the said cylinder or case, and close to
the wall, an annular shield or shutter to prevent escape of air.
When the apparatus herein-before described is to be used for drying
sticky or viscous substances, such as sewage deposits or starch, we apply
to the fixed air duct suitable counterbalanced or other scrapers for the
purpose of paring or scraping the substance adhering to the case, or
(where a revolving air duct is employed) we mount thereon longitudinal
bars, upon which scrapers are fixed at such an angle as to have a pro-
pelling action upon the substance in the case, the said bars being
furnished with pins which slide radially in sockets carried by the air
duct so that when by its revolution the said bars are caused to descend
they also slide outwards by gravity until their scrapers bear against and
scrape the interior of the cylinder or case and break up and propel the

page_text: Several revolving cylinders or cases furnished with the air ducts
described may be combined in one apparatus. In this case the discharge
ends of such cylinders or cases communicate with one and the same air
chamber, whence the hot air and the steam may pass through a double
drying floor common to all the said cylinders or cases, and from the said
floor to the chimney or suction fan, the said hot air and steam being
passed if necessary through the supplementary furnace herein-before

page_text: regulated to such a point of slowness as that the hot air issuing from the
lips of the air duct would have time to dry the said substance in its
passage.
The air duct may also be fixed with its lips at a short distance from
the ground so that the air from the said duct may pass into and dry hay
or other substances shaken out in rows at each side of the said duct, the
substance to be dried being lifted by means of forks suspended by cords
or chains from the ends of cross levers affixed to a rocking shaft turning
in bearings carried by standards affixed to the air duct. An oscillating i
motion is imparted to the rocking shaft by means of suitable mechanism
driven by hore, steam, or other power, and the workmen using the forks
are thus enabled to lift and turn over heavy masses of the substance
being dried.
Instead of drying hay or other substances on the ground as above
described, the substance to be dried may be placed upon a platform
to and above which the air duct is affixed, the said platform being
by preference mounted on wheels for greater portability.
!
Instead of using forks as above described for turning over the sub-
stance being dried, it may be turned over by means of tines carried
by an axis caused to travel backward and forward and to revolve:
upon horizontal bars fixed above the air duct, the requisite motions
being given to the said axis by means of cords or chains passing
over pulleys mounted on axes fixed at each end of the apparatus,
and around pulleys affixed to the said axis, and around a driving drum :
to which reciprocating rotatory motion is given by suitable mechanism
(such for instance as that known as the "mangle wheel "), so that.
as the said axis travels backward and forward its revolving tines turn
over and "lighten up" the substance being dried.
1
In lieu of a hot air chamber furnished with vertical perforated tubes
on which the sheaves were spiked, and through which hot air was
forced as described in the Specification of the Patent secondly above
mentioned, we arrange the vertical perforated tubes so as to effect the
drying of the sheaves in the open air or under temporary shelter. In
this arrangement we employ a horizontal supply main closed at each
end and communicating at an intermediate point with the hot blast
pipe. In this main are fixed horizontal branch pipes carrying the
vertical tubes on which the sheaves are spiked.
J
'
:
;

page_text: In order to carry on the process continuously and without waste of
heat we place at the junction of the blast pipe with the main a valve,
by means of which the whole of the hot air can be directed alternately
into that portion of the main lying on one or the other side of the valve.
By this arrangement whilst the dried sheaves are being taken off the
vertical tubes affixed to that portion of the said main which lies on one
side of the valve and replaced by wet sheaves the whole of the hot air
is being driven along the other portion of the main and up through its
tubes and through the sheaves placed thereon.
'
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention we will proceed to
describe the manner in which the same is to be performed, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, with respect to which we
would premise that where we describe details which are common to
several arrangements of apparatus, we do not consider it necessary to
recapitulate the description or lettering of such details.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of drying apparatus
constructed according to one of the arrangements constituting our
Invention. A is the revolving case herein-before referred to, which
case is mounted in a brick arch B¹; C is the air duct, which is con-
structed with a longitudinal slit (as represented in cross section in
Figure 6 with respect to a similar air duct) and lips c'. On the
larger end of this air duct is fixed a ring c² around which travel the
friction rollers a¹, a', which are carried by the brackets a², a², and
support the larger end of the case A. The smaller end turns on an
axis as which passes through a bearing in the bar at, one end of the
said axis being affixed to stays in the air duct and the other to an
elevating screw a", which is adjusted as required by means of the
screw nut a and handles a".
The case A is caused to revolve by
means of a worm a³, which gears with worm teeth formed on a ring a
carried by the case A, and is driven by means of a band pulley outside
the arch. a, a, are the blades of scrapers similar to those represented
in end elevation in Figures 6 and 8. These scrapers are used where
sticky or viscous matters such as sewage precipitates, starch, or cement
are to be dried, and are for the purpose of paring or scraping off the
substance adhering to the case. 6' is a furnace, the hot air from which
passes first under and around the case A, then through the flue b² and
the side flue b³ to the eye d of the fan D, by which the said air is forced
through the air duct C into and through the case A, whence the said

page_text: air passes into an air chamber B³, from which it passes through the
fluc a to the chimney E, as indicated by the arrows. The matter
to be dried is fed by an endless chain and bucket elevator F into the
hopper G, and passes through the spout g¹ thereof into the case A
(which is set at such an inclination as to cause the said matter to travel
through the case as it revolves), and the matter which has been dried
during its passage through the said case falls from the lower end thereof
into the hopper G³ (furnished with a counterbalanced valve g²), and
through the spout gs into the pit H. I is an oblong shutter mounted on
the case A, which shutter slides up and down in a guide i at each side
and covers the space between the interior of the opening in the partition
wall a¹ and the exterior of the case, thereby preventing back draught.
Figure 2 represents in longitudinal vertical section a modification of
the foregoing arrangement. The furnace A is built at the front end of
the apparatus, and the hot air from the said furnace passes through the
side flue a¹ to the eye of the fan B. In the pipe 6' which leads to the
air duct F an adjustable deflecting plate 63 is fixed, by which means a
portion of the hot air is intercepted and directed through the flue a²,
into the space between the case C and the arch D in which the said case
revolves, whence such hot air after parting with a portion of its heat
passes back through the pipe E to the furnace, in which such air is
reheated and from which it again passes to the fan. The other portion
of the hot air passes into the air duct F and case C, and thence into the
air chamber G, and escapes by the pipe H. The course of the hot air
is indicated by arrows.
Figure 3 represents in vertical longitudinal section drying, apparatus,
in which the case A is mounted in a closed brick arch B, and the hot
air from the furnace is caused to pass first into the air duct C and case A,
so as to heat the interior of the latter, and thence into the space between
the arch B and the case A so as to heat the exterior of the said case, the
said air escaping by, the pipe D.
Instead of passing the hot air mingled with the other gaseous
products of combustion from the furnace into the air duct, as in the
arrangements herein-before described, the interior of the revolving case
may be heated by hot air drawn through air heating pipes as herein-
after described with reference to Figures 4 to 8 (both inclusive), which
represent drying apparatus constructed according to this part of our

page_text: Invention. Figure 4 is a side elevation of the said apparatus; Figure 5
is a longitudinal vertical section of the same; Figures 6 and 7 are
'transverse vertical sections of the same, the said sections being taken
respectively on the lines T, U; Figure 4 and Figure 8 is an end
elevation of the said apparatus shewing the arrangements for raising and
lowering the revolving case, and for working the scrapers herein-after
described. Figures 7 and 8 are drawn to a larger scale than the other
Figures in order the better to shew the details. A is the back arch in
which the revolving case B is mounted; a¹, a¹, are air heating pipes,
which also serve as furnace bars and support the fuel which is fed in at
the stoke holes a², a². The back ends of these pipes communicate with
the external atmosphere and the front ends lead into the flue a³, by
which the hot air is conducted to the fan C, whence it passes into the
air duct D and case B, from the lower end of which the said air escapes
into the external atmosphere. The heat from the furnace passes around
and impinges upon the exterior of the said case and then escapes to the
chimney E. The upper end of the case B is supported by friction rollers
b¹, 61, carried by the annular plate 62, which rollers travel around the
ring d on the air duct D. On the lower end of the said case is affixed
a ring a³, which revolves on friction rollers f¹, f', carried by the frame F,
which slides in a gallows G, which supports the screw H and screw nut
h, by means of which the case B may be adjusted at any required
inclination, the lower end of the said screw being affixed to the frame F.
I, I, are scapers, which are mounted upon longitudinal rods 1, carried
by standards affixed to the air duct, and are furnished with counter-
balances, which cause the blades of the said scrapers to bear against
the interior of the case. J, J, are auxiliary scrapers, consisting of short
iron blades rivetted to a bar of T iron ¹, which slides longitudinally in
guides d², d², affixed to the air duct D. The lower parts of these blades
are twisted to such an angle with the upper parts as to have a propelling
action upon the matter which they scrape off the interior of the case.
Reciprocatory motion is communicated to the bar j¹ by means of a
slotted lever K, which turns on an axis k¹ and is worked by the crank L,
the pin of which engages in the upper slot in the said lever, a pin ja in
the bar engaging in the lower slot. The crank shaft is driven by a
band passing from the band pulley m¹ on the driving shaft M to the
band pulley on the said crank shaft. f is an arm which supports the
lower end of the air duct; m² is a worm formed on the driving shaft
M, which worm gears into teeth formed on a ring 63 affixed to the case

page_text: and pulley c²; m², m³, are fast and loose pulleys, the former of which is
driven by means of a band mo from the driving pulley of an agricultural
or other engine.
The arrangement of the heating apparatus herein-before last described.
may be reversed so as to cause the hot air from the air heating pipes to,
pass around and heat the.exterior of the revolving case, the interior of
the said case being heated by heat passing direct from the furnace.
Figure 9 represents in longitudinal vertical section drying apparatus
furnished with a drying floor as herein-before described. A is the
revolving case, which is mounted in the chamber B₁, and communicates
with the chamber B³, C1, C2, C³, are three inclined planes of sheet metal,.
which constitute the double drying floor or casing, and form the roof of
the chambers aforesaid; D is the furnace by which the case A and the
said drying floor are heated; E is the fan; F is the supplementary
revolving case, and f¹ is the hopper thereof, which hopper is furnished
with the counterbalanced valve f³. The case F (which has no air duct)
is carried by a spindle f³, which is driven by a band pulley f*. f,ƒ³, are
friction pulleys, which assist in supporting the said case; G is the air-
heating coil, and H is the supplementary furnace herein-before referred
to. The matter to be dried is fed by the endless chain and bucket
elevator I into the hopper C³, whence such matter flows along the floor
C² through the hoppers c³ and a¹ to the case A in which such matter is.
partially dried. The matter thus partially dried passes from the said
case through the hopper f¹ to the revolving case F, in which the drying
is completed. From this case the dried matter falls into the pit J.
a², a³, are the scraper blades; K is the elevating screw, which passes
through a female screw formed in the bevil wheel ¹, which is supported
by the bearing k³ and worked by the bevil wheel ³, the shaft of which
passes through the wall of the chamber B³ and is worked by a winch
outside. The heat from the furnace D passes through the flued to the
fan E, thence into the air duct L and the revolving case A, thence into
the air chamber B², and up the flue 6' under the drying floor C². The
said floor converges into two short flues c³, c', which lead into the ash-
pit of the furnace H, through which both the waste heat from the
furnace and the vapours from the floor C² pass into the said furnace,
whence such gases as may remain undecomposed escape to the

page_text: arrows.
Several revolving cylinders or cases furnished with the air ducts
described may be combined in one apparatus. In this case the dis-
charge ends of such cylinders or cases communicate with one and the
same air chamber, whence the hot air and the steam may pass through a
double drying floor common to all the said cylinders or cases, and from
the said floor to the chimney or suction fan, the said hot air and steam
being passed if necessary through the supplementary furnace herein-
before described.
Figures 10, 11, and 12 represent in side elevation, back elevation, and
front elevation respectively, drying apparatus furnished with the
revolving air duct and scrapers herein-before referred to; Figures 13,
14, and 15 represent the cylinder, air duct, and scrapers separate from
the brick arch or casing; Figure 13 being a horizontal section taken on
the line X, Figure 14; Figure 14 a front elevation, and Figure 15 a
back elevation. A is the brick arch or casing, in which the cylinder B
revolves in the direction indicated by the arrows, the said cylinder being
driven by the worm e¹ which gears with worm teeth formed on the
ring 6' carried by the cylinder. The ends of the cylinder are closed by
the stationary plates E and F, which are bolted to the frames G, in which
are mounted friction wheels g¹, g', which carry the cylinder B. D is the
air duct, which revolves in a direction contrary to that of the cylinder's
revolution as indicated by the dotted arrows, and is supported at the
small end by a pin d' working in a bearing f in the end plate F, and is
supported at the large end by friction wheels e², e², carried by the end
plate E. Motion is given to the said air duct by means of the worm e³
gearing with the worm teeth formed on the ring d² affixed to the air
duct. ³, d³, are scrapers affixed to the bars d', d', which are furnished
with pins ď, ď³, which slide radially in sockets formed in rings do, do,
affixed to the air duct, the range of motion of the bars d', d³, being
regulated by means of the lock nuts d', d. ď³, d³, are spreaders or
crushers which follow the scrappers d³, d³.
The rings carrying the scrapers may be mounted on a separate shaft,
to which a revolving motion is given instead of being carried by the air
duct, and in this case the said air duct may (preferably) be stationary.
H is the furnace, the heated air and gaseous products of combustion

page_text: from which pass through the flue a¹, around the cylinder B, and are pre-.
vented from escaping by the annular plates a³, a², bolted, to the brick.
arch A. From the flue a¹ the heated air passes by the casing a³ and
pipe a to the air duct D, thence through the slits d', d, to the interior
of the cylinder, from it passes to a chimney shaft or exhaust fan.
by the pipe f. e' is a hopper formed on a pipe e³, through which the
matter is to be dried is fed into the cylinder B. An archemedian screw
may, if desired, be mounted in the pipe es to facilitate the passage of
such matters through the said pipe.
By reference to Figures 13, 14, and 15, it will be seen that the air
duct consists of three plates of sheet metal flat at the large end and bent.
at the small end of the said air duct in such a manner as gradually to
decrease the sectional area of the air duct towards that end and to form
three longitudinal slits or openings with lips, as shewn. Although we
find this a convenient mode of construction we do not limit ourselves
thereto. The cylinder B is or may be slightly inclined towards the feed
end in order that the matter to be dried when in a fluid state may
not run forward. •
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The matter to be dried is
fed into the hopper e* and passes into the cylinder, where it is moved
forward as it dries by the scrapers d³, d³, the spreaders or crushers d³, d³,
breaking the lumps. When the matter reaches the end of the cylinder
it pushes open the flap f* and falls down the lip f*.
a² is a
Figure 16 represents in side elevation, partly in section, and Figure 17
represents in end elevation drying apparatus in which the air duct is
combined with an oscillating trough, as herein-before described. A is
the oscillating trough, and B is the air duct, into which hot air is forced
by the fan C, such air being drawn through the casing c¹ from the smoke
box of an agricultural engine, with which the other end of such casing
is made to communicate, or from any other convenient source.
curved bar, which is carried by the trough A and is furnished with fric-
tion rollers a², a³, which bear on the air duct B; a³ is a bar fixed across
the trough at the other end thereof, which bar turns on a pivot d¹ affixed
to a support 6 on the air duct; b³, b³, b', 6', are legs, which support the
air duct; D is a pitch chain, which is furnished, with tines d', d¹, and
passes over sprocket wheels d², d, affixed to axes turning in bearings in
arms ḍ and legs do affixed to the air duct B; Ẹ is a shaft which revolves
B
4

page_text: in bearings in standards 65, 65, and imparts the necessary motions to the
trough A and the pitch chain D, the said shaft being driven by the band
pulley F. Through the worm fand worm wheel e¹, e², is a crank which
gears oscillatory motion to the trough A by means of the connecting
bar e³, the lower end of which is jointed to the curved bar a¹; e' is a disc
which is keyed to the shaft E, and carries a crank pin e³ to which is
jointed a connecting rod e* the lower end of which is jointed to a lever d³,
which carries a pawl d', which engages with the teeth of a ratchet
wheel ď keyed to the axis of the sprocket wheel d³, and thereby imparts
to the said axis an intermittent rotatory motion. The connecting rod e
must be loosely jointed to the crank pin and lever aforesaid in order to
allow the necessary play. The hay or other fibrous substance to be
dried is fed into the trough at the fan end thereof, and is carried slowly
under the air duct by the tines d¹, d', so that such hay or substance may
be sufficiently dried by the time it leaves the said trough at the other
end thereof.
Figure 18 represents in side elevation, and Figure 19 in end elevation
apparatus consisting of the air duct and fan mounted a short distance
above the ground, as herein-before described, for drying hay and other
cut crops. A is the fan; B is the air duct; a¹, a¹, b', b', are legs which
support the fan and air duct; c', c', are forks for lightening up the crop,
which forks are suspended by cords c³, c³, from the cross levers o³, c³,
affixed to the rocking shaft C; c', c', are the standards carrying the
bearings c³, c³, in which the said shaft C works. Motion is imparted to
this shaft by means of the arm c³, to which is jointed the rod c³, recipro-
catory motion being given to the said rod by suitable mechanism driven
by horse, steam, or other power. This arrangement enables the work-
man to lift or turn over heavy masses of the substance to be dried.
Instead of drying hay or other substances on the ground as herein-
before described, the apparatus illustrated in Figures 18 and 19 and 20
and 21 may be mounted on platforms on which the substance to be dried
is placed, the said platforms being by preference mounted on wheels for
great portability.
Figures 20 and 21 represent in side elevation and end elevation respec-*
tively a modification of the apparatus herein-before last described, in
which modification revolving tines are used instead of forks for lifting
the cron
A is the fan · Bis the air duct carrying arma Z1
1 which

page_text: .
Secondly. Heating the revolving drying case or cylinder (where used
with an air duct as described) both externally and internally in the
several ways herein-before described and severally illustrated in Figure 1,
Figure 2, Figure 3, Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, Figure 9, and Figures 10,
11, and 12 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. Making the air duct herein-before referred to with two or
more longitudinal slits, with or without lips, essentially as herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 13, 14, and 15 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourthly. The use of a revolving air duct mounted in a revolving :
drying cylinder or case, essentially as herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 10 to 15 (both inclusive) of the accompanying
Drawings, whether such air duct have one longitudinal slit or several
such slits.
Fifthly. The application to the revolving drying cases of counter-
balanced scrapers, essentially as herein-before described and illustrated
in Figures 1, 5, 6, and 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
Sixthly. The application to the revolving drying cases of scrapers
mounted on a longitudinal bar, to which reciprocatory motion is
imparted essentially as described and illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 83
of the accompanying Drawings.
Seventhly. The application to the revolving air duct herein-before
described of longitudinal bars carrying scrapers and furnished with pins
capable of sliding radially, essentially as and for the purpose herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 13, 14, and 15 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Eighthly. The combination of a drying floor with a revolving drying
case or cylinder (where such case or cylinder is used with an air duct
as described), or with several such cases or cylinders, essentially as
herein-before described and illustrated in Figure 9 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Ninthly. The combination of the. hot blast fan and the air duct
herein before referred to with a stationary or an oscillating trough
furnished with apparatus for moving in such trough the substance being
dried, essentially as herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 16
and 17 of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Tenthly. The use of the hot blast fan and air duct aforesaid for the
purpose of drying hay and other cut crops, essentially as herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 18, 19, 20, and 21 of the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say, mounting the said hot blast fan and air duct a
short distance above the ground, and disposing at each side of the said
air duct the crop to be dried, such crop being lifted or "lightened up"
either by means of forks attached to oscillating levers as represented in
Figures 18 and 19, or by means of revolving tines arranged and actuated
as represented in Figures 20 and 21.
Eleventhly. The improved apparatus herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 22 and 23 of the accompanying Drawings for
drying sheaves in the open air or under temporary shelter, that is to say,
a horizontal supply main communicating with branch pipes furnished
with vertical perforated pipes, on which the sheaves are spiked, hot air
being forced into such pipes through a hot blast pipe, furnished by
preference with a valve for directing such hot air alternately into one or
other portion of the main aforesaid, as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Alfred Gibbs, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
H. H. MURDOCH,
7, Staple Inn,
London.
W. A. GIBBS. (L.S.)