Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Use in Drying or Carbonizing Fabrics and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1899-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Use in Drying or
Carbonizing Fabrics and the like.
I, HERMANN KRANTZ, Engineer, of Monheimsallee No. 2, Aix-la-Chapelle, in
the Empire of Germany, 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:―
The present invention relates to a machine or apparatus for use in drying
or carbonizing fabrics and the like, consisting of an entry or charging com-
partment and a drying or carbonizing compartment.
The articles or goods to be dried pass from the entry-compartment into the top
part of the drying-compartment and are carried to and fro in the same several
times in order to leave the drying compartment below in a dried condition.
A suitable arrangement of apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying
drawing in side part sectional elevation.
A fan or blower v produces the necessary air current for drying, the air being
forced through a heating chamber h and through the conduit r into the drying-
compartment. The conduit ends in front of the drying compartment in a wall,
nozzle-shaped openings d being provided for admitting the air to the interior of
the drying apparatus. This wall closes the drying compartment (with the
exception of a slot k beneath the point at which the dried goods emerge) com-
pletely against the outer air.
At the other end the drying compartment is closed by a wall or plate wo in such
a manner that only the lower passages for the goods are enclosed by it. A tube r¹
extends from the wall w to the fan or blower. The upper layers of the goods not
enclosed by the wall we are open to the outer air. The sides and the floor of
the drying-compartment are completely closed. Between the floor b and the point
where the goods emerge is the slot & mentioned above, extending the whole width
of the apparatus. The goods carried to and fro in the drying compartment are
in the shape of bags s which are formed by the goods forming the top and bottom
and also by the side-walls of the apparatus. The nozzles & referred to above
extend into these bags. The air heated in the heating-chamber passes from the
nozzles between the goods and, as there is no other escape for it, is driven
through the goods to be dried. The arrows indicate the direction of the air-
current. The air which has penetrated the upper layers of the goods is strongly
saturated with moisture and escapes from the drying compartment as the wall w
does not close the upper layers of goods. In order to ensure the escaping air
being removed from the place in which the drying-apparatus is situated, a small
ventilator may be used. The air which emerges from the lower goods outlets
which are enclosed by the rear wall w is again drawn in by the fan through the
tube and is again heated and used for drying. Of the entire quantity of air
used for drying a portion is thus used over again. The fresh supply of air to take
the place of the escaped air can only enter in front of the drying-compartment
through the slot as the machine has no other opening for admitting air.

page_text: The direction of the fresh supply of air entering from without is in the longi-
tudinal axis of the apparatus and the air, since the slot k extends the whole
width of the apparatus, must pass through the whole extent of the working
portion.
By the simple arrangement of the closing-walls the result is attained that the
portion of the used air which has not yet been saturated with moisture is again
used with the heat contained therein and that the air saturated with moisture is
removed from the apparatus and a fresh supply of air is introduced in a cold
condition and cools the goods as they emerge.
The following advantages are therefore obtained :-Economy of heat in drying,
rapidity in drying, and the ventilation of the working room and soft condition
of the goods after treatment.
The apparatus can, of course, also be used, as stated, for carbonizing, it only
being necessary to employ such a degree of heat that carbonization shall take
place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. Apparatus for drying or carbonizing fabrics and the like in which the goods
are carried to and fro several times over sets of rollers walls or plates closing the
ends and sides and also the floor of the apparatus whereby the very moist air
escaping from the upper layers of goods can escape from the apparatus whilst
the comparatively dry air emerging with the lower layers of goods again passes
to the fan or blower to be heated and used again, a fresh supply of air being drawn
in at the front of the apparatus through a slot such as k between the discharged
goods, and the floor, substantially as described.
2. The complete drying or like apparatus substantially as described or illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of August 1899