IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING HOUSES, ROOMS, OR KUNS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
"
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING HOUSES, ROOMS, OR KUNS.”
-A communication from abroad by Jesse Albert Locke, of the City
and State of New York. United States of America.
Sealed the 23rd January 1874, and dated the 26th July 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
-
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th July 1878..
1, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING HOUSES, Rooms,
OR KILNS,” a communication, to be as follows :—
•
The object of this Invention is the construction of a drying house,
room, or kiln to be used in drying wool, timber, fruit, and other like
materials. The said Invention consists in peculiar arrangements for
introducing warm dry air into the room at or near the top and exhausting
the cool and moist air from the bottom.
The walls of the drying house, room, or kiln may be constructed of

page_text: or ceiling must have no outlet for the air. The air heater may be
furnace, stove, or steam pipe. If preferred, it may be placed outside of
the house or room, and the warm dry air may be introduced into the
same by a duct. No matter at what point the warm air enters it
will rise and distribute itself evenly all over the top of the house
or room. This air heater is surrounded by a jacket to confine the fresh dry
air until it is heated when it will rise and distribute itself; fresh dry air
is admitted to the heater by a suitable duct. The exhaust shaft should
be brought down near the floor, and a space should be left at the bottom
in order to allow a free upward passage of the damp air of the house or
room; or it may be outside of the same, and have a duct leading to it at
or near the bottom of the room; or a chimney may be used for that purpose.
A smoke pipe from the heater, or, if steam pipes are used, a pipe run
up inside the exhaust pipe will rarify the air, so as to make a current
upward in the exhaust pipe. If the exhaust pipe is made of metal, the
heat of the room radiating through will rarify the air and make a
current upward. It will be seen that when the cold air enters the fresh
air duct it passes up between the heater and jacket, is quickly heated,
passes to the top of the room, and distributes itself over the top, and as
it becomes charged with and cooled by the moisture expelled from the
substance to be dried, it becomes heavier and descends to the bottom of
the room and escapes up through the exhaust shaft carrying the moisture
with it. This arrangement secures a more even and uniform application
of heat than can be obtained when the air is allowed to escape at the
top of the room, where the air is the dryest, and secures a constant
current of warm dry air entering at the top, taking up its load of
moisture from the substances to be dried, descending to the bottom, and
passing out of the exhaust shaft.
The materials or articles to be dried can be treated equally as well in
any part of the house or room at the same height from the floor as near
the heater. A very large volume of air can be heated and applied; and
the heat is economized first by having the air heated in the manner
described and by its passing down as described.
It will be seen that no artificial pressure, is employed in this dryer to
impell the downward current of heated air, the action of the draft
chimney is amply sufficient to withdraw the saturated and cooled air
from the bottom of the room or chamber, the same being constantly
replaced by the descending current of heated air.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th January 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors; administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DRYING HOUSES, ROOMS, OR KILNS," a communication to
me from abroad by Jesse Albert Locke, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors 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 Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:—
The object of this Invention is the construction of a dry house or kiln
to be used in drying wool, fruit, lumber, and the like. The said Inven-
tion consists in- the peculiar arrangements for introducing warm dry air

page_text: into the room at or near the top, and exhausting the cool and moist air
from the bottom.
The accompanying Drawing is a perspective view of a house or room,
one end and side of which are removed to shew the interior arrange-
ment.
A represents the walls of the said room, which may be constructed of
any suitable material, either brick, wood, or lath and plaster. The walls
and ceiling of the room have no outlet for the air. B is the air heater,
which may be a furnace, stove, or steam pipe. The said air heater, if
preferred, may be placed outside of the room, and the warm dry air
introduced into the room by a duct. No matter at what point the warm
air enters, it being the lightest will rise and distribute itself evenly all
over the top of the room. This air heater is surrounded by a jacket C,
so as to confine the fresh dry air until it is heated, when it will rise and
distribute itself all over the top of the room. D is the fresh dry air duct
for admitting air to the heater. E is the exhaust shaft, which should be
brought down near the floor, a space being left at the bottom in order to
allow a free upward passage of the damp air of the room, or it may be
outside of the room, a duct leading to it at or near the bottom of the
room, or a chimney may be used for that purpose.
A smoke pipe from the heater (or, if steam pipes are used, a pipe run
up inside the exhaust pipe) will rarify the air to make a current upward
in the exhaust pipe. If this exhaust pipe is made of metal the heat of
the room radiating through will rarify the air and make a current
upward. It will be seen that when the cold air enters the duct D it
passes up between the heater Band the jacket C, is quickly heated, and
passes to the top of the drying room, and distributes itself over the top,
and as it becomes charged with and cooled by the moisture expelled from
the substances under treatment, becomes heavier and descends to the
bottom of the room and escapes up through the exhaust shaft carrying
the moisture with it. This method secures a more even and uniform
application of heat than can be obtained when the air is allowed to escape.
at the top where the air is the dryest, and ensures a constant current,
the warm dry air entering at the top, taking up its load of moisture
from the substances to be dried descending to the bottom, and out of the
exhaust shaft. Articles can be dried quite as rapidly in any part of the
room at the same height from the floor as near the heater.

page_text: By means of the foregoing arrangements a very large volume of air
can be heated and applied; and the heat is economized first by having
the air heated in the manner specified, and by its passing down as
described..
It will be perceived that no artificial pressure is employed to impel
the downward current of heated air; the action of the draught chimney
E will be amply sufficient to withdraw the saturated and cooled air from
the bottom of the chamber, its place being constantly filled by the
descending current of heated air.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. In a drying room the combination of the fresh air duct D, the
air heater B, and the vertical exhaust shaft E, or the equivalent thereof,
substantially as herein set forth.
Second. An air heater and drying chamber combined and arranged in
such manner that the air not combined with the products of combustion
from the heater is delivered into the upper part of the chamber, caused
to descend along the articles to be dried as it absorbs the moisture thereof
and becomes cooled, and is exhausted from or near the bottom of the
chamber by the natural action of a vertical draught chimney, sub-
stantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROB™. LAKE. (L.S.)