IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRYING COAL, GRAIN, AND OTHER SUB- STANCES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Prosper Hanrez, Engineer, of Marchiennes au
Pont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DRYING COAL, GRAIN, AND OTHER SUB-
STANCES."
Sealed the 25th September 1863, and dated the 4th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said Prosper Hanrez at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
April 1863.
I, PROSPER HANREZ, Engineer, of Marcbiennes au Pont, in tho Kingdom
of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVED MACHINERY OR APPPRATUS FOR DRYING COAL, GRAIN, AND OTHER SUB-
STANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improved machinery or apparatus for drying or
extracting tho moisture from coal, rice, and other grain or seed, potatoe
flour, paper pulp, and various other substances of a similar nature thereto.
It is also applicable to sugar machinery, in place of the centrifugal apparatus
at present in use.
The improved machinery or apparatus consists of a central shaft or axis
mounted in a step or socket, in such a manner as to allow of a sufficiently
rapid motion being imparted thereto to throw off by the effect of centrifugal
force, the water contained in the coal or other matters under treatment.
On this shaft is fixed a circular ring or crown, to which is attached a

page_text: frame covered with wire cloth or perforated sheet metal, the holes being of
such a diameter that the water will escape through same, while the coal or
other matters are retained. The water which escapes through the casing is
projected against an outer casing of sheet iron which surrounds the apparatus,
and which throws it down into a reservoir, from which it is let off by a
cock; concentrically with the aforesaid shaft is fixed a hollow shaft, which
turns rapidly in the same direction as the former (or inner shaft) but with a
different velocity. This hollow shaft serves as the axis to a spiral screw or helix,
of which the exterior diameter is equal to that of the interior of the perforated
cylinder. This screw turning, as aforesaid, with a different velocity, lesser or
greater than that of the drum or cylinder, the coal or other matters, being con-
tinually fed into the apparatus by means of a hopper, will fall first on to the
top thread of the screw, which is slightly curved upwards or flanged in order
to collect or throw over the matters more quickly. By the rapid rotation of
the aforesaid screw, the coal or other matters are thrown against the sides
of the drum, down which they fall vertically while being deprived of their
moisture, and reach the bottom dry, falling into a reservoir adapted for
the purpose of receiving them. The rapidity of the descent of the matters
fed into the drum along its sides will be proportionate to the difference
between the rate of rotation of the drum and that of the screw,
and the pitch of the screw being determined this difference may be
determined so as to ensure the coal or other maters remaining in the
apparatus until perfectly dry. The proportionate rotation of the shafts
may be produced by any of the ordinary mechanical means for effecting
such objects, such as pullies and bands, toothed gearing, friction or spur
wheels. For example, the two shafts aforesaid might be furnished each
with a pulley of a different diameter connected with two other pullies of the
samic diameter on one driving shaft, or a differential motion might be obtained
by means of a bevil wheel placed on the drum shaft and gearing with another
bevil wheel of a different diameter mounted on an intermediate shaft having a
wheel keyed thereon gearing into another wheel of the same diameter on
the screw shaft. In both the above arrangements the difference between the
diameters of the pullies and wheels aforesaid will produce the differential
motion required. For cleansing when necessary the perforated drum a vertical
tube is made use of, into which a jet of steam is injected. The steam, escaping
through holes or longitudinal slits formed for the purpose in the tube, is blown
against the casing, and thus drives off the matters by which the openings in it
may be obstructed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Prosper Hanrez in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PROSPER
HANBEZ, Engineer, of Marchiennes au Pont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Prosper Hanrez, Her special licence that 1, the said Prosper Hanrez, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Prosper
Hanrez, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time-to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR DRYING COAL, GRAIN, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Prosper Hanrez, my exccutors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 Offico within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Prosper Hanrez, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:-
This Invention consists of improved machinery or apparatus for drying or
extracting the moisture from coal, rice, and other grain or seed, potatoo flour,
It is
paper pulp, and various other substances of a similar nature thereto.
also applicable to sugar machinery in place of the centrifugal apparatus at
present in use.
The improved machinery or apparatus consists of a central shaft or axis
mounted in a step or socket, in such a manner as to allow of a suffi-
ciently rapid motion being imparted thereto to throw off, by the effect of
centrifugal force, the water contained in the coal or other matters under
treatment. On this shaft is fixed a circular ring or crown, to which is

page_text: attached a frame covered with wire cloth or perforated sheet metal, the
holes being of such diameter that the water will escape through same
while the coal or other matters are retained. The water which escapes
through the casing is projected against an outer casing of sheet iron which
surrounds the apparatus, and which throws it down into a reservoir from
which it is let off by a cock; concentrically with the aforesaid shaft is fixed
a hollow shaft which turns rapidly in the same direction as the former (or
inner shaft) but with a different velocity. This hollow shaft serves as the
axis to a spiral screw or helix, of which the exterior diameter is equal to
that of the interior of the perforated cylinder. This screw turning, as afore-
said, with a different velocity, lesser or greater than that of the drum or
cylinder, the coal or other matters, being continually fed into the apparatus
by means of a hopper, will fall first on to the top thread of the screw,
which is slightly curved upwards or flanged in order to collect or throw
over the matters more quickly. By the rapid rotation of the aforesaid screw the
coal or other matters are thrown against the sides of the drum, down which
they fall vertically while being deprived of their moisture, and reach the
bottom dry, falling into a reservoir adapted for the purpose of receiving
them. The rapidity of the descent of the matters fed into the drum along
its sides will be proportionate to the difference between the rate of rotation
of the drum and that of the screw, and the pitch of the screw being deter-
mined this difference may be determined so as to ensure the coal or other
matters remaining in the apparatus until perfectly dry. The proportionate
rotation of the shafts may be produced by any of the ordinary mechanical
means for effecting such objects, such as pullics and bands, toothed gearing,
friction or spur wheels. For example, the two shafts aforesaid might be
furnished each with a pulley of a different diameter connected with two
other pullies of the same diameter on one driving shaft, or a differential
motion might be obtained by means of a bevil wheel placed on the drum
shaft and gearing with another bevil wheel of a different diameter mounted on
an intermediate shaft having a wheel keyed thereon gearing into another wheel
of the same diameter on the screw shaft. In both the above arrange-
ments the difference between the diameters of the pullies and wheels
aforesaid will produce the differential motion required. For cleansing when
necessary the perforated drum a vertical tube is made use of, into which
a jet of steam is injected. The steam, escaping through holes or longi
tudinal slits formed for the purpose in the tube, is blown against the casing,
and thus drives off the matters by which the openings in it may be
obstructed.

page_text: ceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 2, 8, represent my improved machinery or apparatus adapted for
drying coal. Figure 1 is an elevation of same shewn partly in vertical section ;
Figure 2. a top plan view; Figure 3 a section on the line A, B, C, D, at
Figure 1 and plan view of the parts.
At each of the foregoing Figures and Sheets of Drawings similar letters of
reference are employed to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts
appear, or can be seen at each of such said Figures and Sheets of Drawings
respectively.
a is a shaft placed vertically and supported by suitable bearings at each end
thereof, as exhibited; c is an annular casting fixed upon the shaft a;
b is a
timber-work structure fixed to c, or it may be sheet iron perforated with holes
proportioned to the size of the coal which is to be operated upon, and of suffi-
cient size for the escape of water from the coal during the process of drying;
the water which is thrown off falls into a reservoir R, and may be drawn there.
from by a cock at r. Concentrically to the shaft a, and turning in the same
direction as said shaft, around which it revolves loosely, is a screw shaft d, the
screw or helix d' of which fits easily in 6; F is a spout by which the coal to
be dried is conducted and falls on to the helical surface d', the uppermost helix
being more inclined than the other helices to conduct the coal quickly there-
onto; t t is a perforated tube into which steam is admitted by the cock u; the
steam, impinging against the perforations in 6 as it revolves, clears said holes
of obstructions; P is a pulley fixed on the shaft a, and P¹ another pulley fixed
on d; R, R, R", R, are spur wheels for imparting motion to the shaft a,
and parts b and c connected thereto, and to the screw shaft d. It is necessary,
in order to produce the desired effect, that the parts a and d should move at
different velocities, the parts a and b moving the quickest; this differential
movement may be effected by the above arrangement of spur gearing, and by
making the diameters of the wheels proportionate to the difference of speed
required; Z is a fixed close case.
The operations of the above machinery or apparatus are as follows:-The
coal to be dried being passed through the spout F by any convenient means,
and motion imparted to the machinery by a strap or band passed around one or

page_text: other of the pullies P, P', such motion will be transmitted through the wheels
R, R', R", R, to the helix d and perforated screw b, the effect of which is
to advance the coal down the helix, and by the centrifugal force thereof throw
off the water mixed therewith, thus drying the coal, the water passing through
the openings in b and falling into a reservoir, as above described; the coal, by
the time it has arrived at the bottom thread or blade of the helix d', falls by
its gravity into any suitable receptacle placed beneath the opening at X. I
would here remark that instead of employing a system of toothed wheels
gearing into each other as above described, a system of friction gearing, repre-
sented at Sheets 3, 4, 5, may be employed with good effect. These Sheets
represent an apparatus of smaller dimensions than that above described and
more particularly adapted for drying sugar and such like matters.
The mechanism employed to produce the differential movement of the helix
d' and perforated case 6 in this apparatus differs from that referred to in the
former apparatus as exhibited by the Drawing. Sheet 6 represents another
method for producing a differential movement of the parts 6 and & above
referred to.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Drying Coal, Grain, and
other Substances," together with the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I
hereby declare my Invention to consist in, and I claim, the rotating belix d' in
combination with the rotating perforated case b, and the general arrangement
of the other parts of the machinery in combination with the parts b and d', as
above described with reference to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Prosper Hanrez, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
F. BANREZ. (L.D.)