Improvements in and connected with Means or Apparatus for Drying, more especially intended for Drying Peat.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Means or Apparatus for
Drying, more especially intended for Drying Peat.
I JOHN DICKINSON BRUNTON of 19 Great George Street in the City of
Westminster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:―
My invention relates more especially to apparatus for drying peat, but the
apparatus constructed according to my invention may be used for drying other
substances to the drying of which it is, or may be, applicable.
In an apparatus constructed according to my invention the substance to be dried
is delivered onto a drying floor and successively turned over as hereinafter described
until it is sufficiently dried. In the case of drying peat or other material which
lends itself to that operation I prefer to mould it into bricks, or blocks, before
subjecting it to the drying operation. For convenience of description I will
presume that it is peat that is to be dried and that it is first moulded and formed
into bricks. I provide a moulding machine, which may be of ordinary type, and
in this machine I mould the peat and I deliver the moulded peat at intervals onto
a table formed of a series of parallel rollers carried in a frame placed in front of
the moulding machine and mounted on wheels running on rails extending the width
of the drying chamber.
The slabs of peat delivered from the moulding machine may be cut into bricks
by means of wires, preferably endless wires carried by sheaves alternately depressed
and elevated so that the wires pass through the slabs. These movements may be
effected by cranks worked by hand, or otherwise, such as by a weight controlled
by stops. I provide means whereby the frame carrying the table of rollers can be
traversed backwards and forwards to receive the bricks and to deliver them onto
the drying floor hereinafter described. This may be effected as follows:-Under
the travelling frame and between the rails on which it runs I mount a rod or bar
having reciprocating movement imparted to it and upon this rod or bar are pro-
jections or ratchet teeth which come into contact with a pawl attached to the frame
so as to give it a forward movement at each stroke. When the said frame has
advanced step by step across the width of the drying chamber and delivered bricks
onto the floor thereof the said pawl is thrown out of gear and another pawl is
brought into gear so that the frame is carried back to the moulding machine.
I give to the frame and its rollers an inclination such that the bricks tend to run
forward. This tendency is controlled by the front roller for instance by arms on
or geared to the front roller spindle, the said arms being held by a series of catches
or stops attached to the frame which stops or catches at each stoppage of the frame
are by a projection moved out of the way of the arms so that the roller revolves
sufficiently to deliver one row of bricks onto the drying floor. The rollers may all
be positively rotated all in the same direction by motion derived for instance from
the front roller. The floors of the drying chambers may be made of metal, or
earthenware or other suitable material and they are heated by means of hot air
gas jets, waste gases, or other heating medium. The bricks delivered onto the
drying floor are turned over and by that means are caused to travel over the said
floor and this can be effected by means of strips (preferably of sheet metal such as
galvanized iron) of a width somewhat greater than that of the bricks the front
edges of the strips being bent upwards. At intervals I tilt each strip so as to
cause the bricks resting on the strips to turn over and be transferred to the strip
next in advance, so that the sides of the bricks which were uppermost become

page_text: undermost as they pass from strip to strip. I may accelerate the drying by means
of a current of air, preferably warm air, caused to pass over the surface of the
bricks.
The successive overturnings of the bricks advance them to the end of the floor
from which by the movement of the last strip, they are delivered onto a travelling
band, or into a trough containing an Archimedian screw, or to other means of
conveying them away. I prefer to give the floor such an inclination as to facilitate
the overturning of the bricks. The tilting of the strips may be effected as
follows: To the ends of the strips I affix pins provided with levers and I cause a
catch, or catches, on a travelling chain, or chains, to act on each lever in succession
to tilt the strips as required to deliver the bricks from strip to strip by overturning
them as described.
I prefer to place several drying chambers one above the other with heating
spaces between them and to provide a travelling frame of rollers for each floor and
one moulding machine may be used with delivery dies therefrom for delivering
moulded slabs to each frame.
Dated this 30th day of March 1893
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Means or Apparatus for
Drying, more especially intended for Drying Peat.
I, JOHN DICKINSON BRUNTON, of 19 Great George Street, in the City of
Westminster Civil Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates more especially to apparatus for drying peat but the
apparatus constructed according to my invention may be used for drying other
substances to the drying of which it is or may be applicable.
In an apparatus constructed according to my invention the substance to be dried
is delivered onto a drying floor and successively turned over as hereinafter
described until it is sufficiently dried. In the case of drying peat or other material
which lends itself to that operation I prefer to mould it into bricks or blocks.
before subjecting it to the drying operation. For convenience of description I
will presume that it is peat that is to be dried and that it is first moulded and
formed into bricks. I provide a moulding machine which may be of ordinary
type and in this machine I mould the peat and I deliver the moulded peat at
intervals onto a table formed of a series of parallel rollers carried in a frame or
trolley placed in front of the moulding machine and mounted on wheels running
on rails extending the width of the drying chamber.
The slabs of peat delivered from the moulding machine may be cut into bricks
or blocks by means of wires preferably endless wires carried by sheaves alternately
depressed and elevated so that the wires pass through the slabs. These move-
ments may be effected by cranks worked by hand, or otherwise such as by a
weight controlled by stops. I provide means whereby the frame or trolley carrying
the table of rollers can be traversed backwards and forwards to receive the bricks
and to deliver them on to the drying floor hereinafter described. This may be
effected as follows. Under the travelling frame or trolley and between the rails
on which it runs. I mount a rod or bar having reciprocating movement imparted
to it and upon this rod or bar are projections or ratchet teeth which come into
contact with a pawl attached to the frame or trolley so as to give it a forward
movement at each stroke. When the said frame or trolley has advanced step by
step across the width of the drying chamber and delivered bricks onto the floor

page_text: thereof, the said pawl is thrown out of gear and another pawl is brought into
gear so that the frame or trolley is carried back to the moulding machine. I
give to the frame or trolley and its rollers an inclination such that the bricks tend
to run forward. This tendency may be controlled by the front roller for instance
by arms on or geared to the front roller spindle the said arms being held by a
series of catches or stops attached to the frame or trolley which stops or catches,
at each stoppage of the frame or trolley, are by a projection moved out of the way
of the arms so that the roller revolves sufficiently to deliver one row of bricks on
to the drying floor. The rollers may all be positively rotated all in the same
direction by motion derived for instance from the front roller. The floors of the
drying chambers may be made of metal or earthenware or other suitable material
and they are heated by means of hot air, gas jets, waste gases, or other heating
medium. The bricks delivered onto the drying floor are turned over and by that
means are caused to travel over the said floor and this can be effected by means
of strips (preferably of sheet metal such as galvanized iron) of a width somewhat
greater than that of the bricks the front edges of the strips being bent upwards.
At intervals I tilt each strip so as to cause the bricks resting on the strip to turn
over and be transferred to the strip next in advance so that the sides of the
bricks or blocks which were uppermost become undermost as they pass from strip
to strip. I may accelerate the drying by means of a current of air preferably
warm air, caused to pass over the surface of the bricks.
The successive overturnings of the bricks, or blocks advance them to the end
of the floor from which by the movement of the last strip, they are delivered on to
a travelling band, or into a trough containing an Archimedian screw, or to other
means of conveying them away I prefer to give the floor such an inclination as
to facilitate the overturning of the bricks. The tilting of the strips may be
effected as follows. To the ends of the strips I affix pins provided with levers and
I cause a catch, or catches, on a travelling chain or chains to act on each lever
in succession to tilt the strips as required to deliver the bricks from strip to strip
by overturning them as described. I prefer to place several drying chambers one
above the other with heating spaces between them and to provide a travelling
frame of rollers for each floor and one moulding machine may be used with
delivery dies therefrom for delivering moulded slabs to each frame.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same figures of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figures 1 and 2 are elevations at right angles to each other of a frame or trolley
constructed according to my invention to receive the moulded bricks or blocks from
the moulding device and deliver them on to the drying floors.
Figures 3 and 4 are plans of parts of the mechanism for traversing the trolley to
and fro and for giving rotation to the roller table carried by the trolley.
Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 but drawn to a smaller
scale showing a modification of the mechanism for rotating the rollers carried by the
frame or trolley.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the drying chamber drawn to a
smaller scale and showing the position of the moulding devices and the trollies for
conducting the moulded blocks on to the drying floors and
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation (drawn to a larger scale) of one of the tipping
devices by which the moulded blocks are turned over and over in their passage
over the drying floors.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2-1 represents blocks of peat supported on a table
consisting of a series of rollers 2 mounted in bearings in the sides or ends 3, 3x, of
the trolley the said sides or ends being connected together by a bar or girder 4 so as
to form a rigid frame which is mounted on flanged wheels 5 to run on rails or
tracks 6 extending from the moulding devices along the front or entrance to the
drying floors,

page_text: .
The moulding device as shown in Figure 7 of the drawings is assumed to have
three dies or mouthpieces 7x (but any other desired number may be provided)
through which the material to be moulded issues in streams and is cut by any
suitable cutting device into blocks of the required size the said blocks passing on
to the rollers 2 in the frame or trolley which as shewn is constructed to contain 24
blocks in three longitudnal rows containing eight blocks in each row. On the axle
of the front roller 2× of the series of rollers is a spur wheel 8 in gear with a
corresponding wheel 9 on a shaft 10 mounted in bearings in the sides 3, 3x, of the
frame or trolley.
The wheel 9 gears with another wheel 11 on a shaft 12 which is also carried in
bearings in the sides 3-3* of the frame or trolley. The shaft 10 carries a spur
wheel 13 in gear with a corresponding wheel 14 fast on one end of a short shaft 15
carried in bearings in the end 3× of the frame or trolley. On the opposite end of
this short shaft is a bevel wheel 16 gearing with a corresponding bevel wheel 17 on a
horizontal shaft 18 arranged at right angles to the axles of the rollers 2. The
shaft 18 is grooved as shewn at 19 to receive an endless driving band or cord 20
which passes round sheaves fast on the axles of the roliers 2 so that when the
shaft 18 is rotated rotation will be transmitted by the band or cord 20 to all the
rollers.
This motion of rotation may be transmitted to the shaft 18 through the gearing
herein before described by the frictional contact of the blocks I passing over the
front roller 2x assisted if required by a spiral spring in connection with the shaft 12.
Or any other convenient means may be employed for rotating the shaft and in
order to make this motion of rotation intermittent arms 21 are provided on the
shaft 12 acted on by a stopping and releasing device. This device as shown in
Figures 1 and 2 consists of a notched disc 22 on a sleeve 23 mounted so as to be
free to turn on a stud 24 carried in a lug 24* on the end 3 of the frame or trolley
within range of the arms 21 on the shaft 12. When a solid portion between the
notches in this disc 22 is in a position to engage the arms 21 on the shaft 12 the
said shaft is prevented thereby from rotating, but when one of the notches is
brought into the track of the arms 21 the shaft 12 is free to rotate under the action
of a spring or its equivalent and transmit through the gearing hereinbefore
described rotation to the rollers 2 and so move all the blocks forward and discharge
or overthrow the front row of three blocks from the frame or trolley on to the
drying floor. Between the rails 6 on which the frame or trolley travels is arranged
a reciprocating bar 26 receiving its reciprocating motions from a crank 27 fast ou a
short vertical shaft 28 mounted in a bracket 28* on the moulding apparatus the
crank 27 being connected by a rod 29 to the bar 26 (see Figure 7). The short
shaft 28 carries a bevel wheel 26× in gear with a bevel pinion 27* fast on a
horizontal shaft 29* which carries another bevel wheel 30* in gear with a bevel
pinion 31× fast on a vertical shaft 32x driven from any suitable motor.
On the bar 26 are two sets of projections 30, 31 with which a double pawl 32 on
the frame or trolley is caused to engage so that by the to and fro or reciprocating
movements of the bar the frame or trolley is caused to travel along the rails 6
towards or from the moulding device according to which set of projections 30 or 31
the double pawl is caused to engage.
When the frame or trolley is fully charged with bricks or blocks from the
moulding devices the pawl 32 is turned on its axis so as to cause it to engage with
a projection 30 on the bar 26 so that when the bar 26 is making its forward strokes
it moves the trolley forward in front of the drying chambers.
Immediately before the bar completes each forward stroke one or other of a
series of arms 33 on the sleeve 23, which carries the notched disc 22, comes into
contact with a catch or projection 34 on the side of one of the rails 6 causing the
sleeve to turn on its axis so as to bring one of the notches in the disc 22 in the
track of the arms 21 on the shaft 12. The arm 21 which had been engaged by a
solid part between two notches in the disc will now pass through the notch thereby
permitting the shaft 12 to receive a motion of partial rotation under the action of

page_text: a spring or its equivalent and to transmit through the gearing hereinbefore
described rotation to the rollers 2 so as to discharge from the frame or trolley the
front row of three bricks or blocks onto the drying floor. During the time the
bar 26 is making its back stroke the trolley remains stationary.
The disc 22 is moved as hereinbefore described by the projection 34 sufficiently far,
after releasing an arm 21, to bring the next solid portion between the notches into
the track of the arms 21 and so prevent more than one arm at a time from passing
through a notch. The number of arms 21 and the proportions of the gearing are
arranged so that the movement of one arm past the notched disc will cause the
rollers 2 to advance the blocks sufficiently far to discharge only one row of the
bricks from the trolley. At the next forward stroke of the bar 26 the next
projection 30 thereon engages the pawl 32 and propels the trolley forward a
distance equal to that which it was previously moved and just before the
.completion of this forward movement another of the arms 33 contacts with another
projection 34 similar to that herein before described so as to release another of the
arms 21 and so effect the discharge of the next row of three bricks from the frame
or trolley as herein before described on to the drying floor in line with the row
previously deposited. This intermittent movement of the frame or trolley takes
place at each forward stroke of the bar 26 until it has been traversed the required
distance whereupon an arm 35 on the double pawl 32 comes into contact with a pin
or projection 36 which causes the pawl to turn on its axis into position to be
engaged by the set of projections 31 on the bar 26 so that after the last row of
blocks has been discharged from the frame or trolley the bar 26 by its backward
strokes will propel the frame or trolley in the reverse direction to receive a fresh
charge of bricks or blocks. The length of the stroke of the bar 26 should be
greater than the length occupied by the transverse row of bricks or blocks on the
frame or trolley so that each successive row or blocks discharged onto the drying
floor shall be clear of the preceding row; for example if the length of row of blocks
be say 19 inches, the stroke of the reciprocating bar 26 should be 19 inches.
Instead of the arrangement of gearing herein described for effecting the discharge
of the bricks or blocks from the frame or trolley the arrangement illustrated in
Figures 5 and 6 may be employed. According to this arrangement in or near the
centre of the grooved shaft 18 is a spur pinion 17 gearing with a spur wheel 11
carried on a shaft 12 mounted in bearings attached to the frame or trolley, which
shaft also carries a ratchet wheel 21 with which a pawl 22 engages. This pawl is
carried on one arm 33 of a double armed lever mounted loosely on the shaft 12 the
other arm 33* of which lever is acted upon by a catch or projection 34-pivotted' to
the reciprocating bar 26. When this bar is moving in the direction of the arrow
in Figure 5 (that is making a forward stroke) a projection 30 thereon engages the
double pawl 32 and carries the frame or trolley forward to the extent of its stroke.
During the return stroke of the bar, the frame or trolley remains stationary and
the catch or projection 34 on the bar comes into contact with the arm 33* of the
double armed lever causing the pawl 22 to give rotation to the shaft 12 and thence
through the gearing 11 and 17 and the endless cord or band 20, to the rollers 2 so
as to discharge the front row of bricks or blocks from the frame or trolly. A
balance weight 37 is provided in connection with the lever which carries the
pawl 22 to bring the pawl into its normal position after each operation. When the
frame or trolly has been traversed to the required distance the position of
the double pawl 32 is reversed and caused to engage with the projections 31 on the
bar 26 as hereinbefore described so that by the return strokes of the bar the frame
or trolly is returned into position to receive a fresh charge of bricks or blocks from
the moulding device. The floors 38 of the drying chamber as shown in Figure 7
are provided with strips 39 preferably of sheet metal of somewhat greater width
than the width of the bricks or blocks.
These strips are arranged one behind another and are fixed to segmental
bosses 40 (Figure 8) or provided with pivots fitted to turn in suitable bearings.
Projecting from the under sides of these strips are arms 41 acted on by catches 42

page_text: carried on endless chains 43 mounted on rollers 44 arranged beneath the drying
floors 38 and caused to travel in the direction indicated by the arrows so as to
effect the turning over of the bricks or blocks. One catch 42 for each series of
strips is usually found sufficient to effect the tilting of the bricks or blocks but if
desired two or more catches may be provided arranged one behind the other as
shewn the leading catch being the shortest, the second slightly longer and the third
or rear one still longer so that should the leading catch not effect the tilting of the
bricks from the strip the second or third catch will do so. The floor of the drying
chamber is preferably inclined downwards from the end where the bricks or blocks
are introduced, towards the opposite end of the drying chamber, so as to facilitate
the tilting or turning over of the blocks.
Assuming that the drying floor is fully charged with bricks or blocks and the
endless chains carrying the catches 42 to be in motion, the leading catch comes
into contact with the arm 41 of the lowermost strip 39, that is the strip furthest
from the entrance to the drying floor, causing the said strip to turn on its pivots
and thereby tilt the bricks or blocks therefrom on to a travelling apron or conveyor
or into a receptacle placed in position to receive them. Should however the strip
be insufficiently tilted by the leading catch, to discharge the bricks or blocks
therefrom, the next catch or catches by coming into contact with the arm 41 will
effect the discharge of the said bricks or blocks.
The catch or catches 42 next act in a similar manner on the arm 41 of the next
higher or rear strip and tilts the bricks or blocks therefrom on to the strip below
from which the previous bricks or blocks had been discharged and then the next
strip above is similarly acted on and so on, the catches acting on the arms of each
higher strip in succession the bricks or blocks being thereby caused to tilt or turn
over from one strip above to the next lower one until they reach the lowest strip
from which they are discharged on to the conveyor or into the receptacle brought
into position to receive them. By this repeated turning over of the bricks or
blocks the heat can act on all sides thereof whereby they become effectually and
rapidly dried in their passage through the drying chamber. Several drying floors
may be arranged one above another and the spaces between the floors may be
heated by hot air, waste gases, steam or hot water pipes, or any other suitable
heating device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with a chamber or chambers for drying peat or other
substances, of a moulding device by which the substance to be dried is moulded
and cut into blocks; a frame or trolley having a rolling surface onto which the
moulded blocks pass from the moulding device; means for giving to the frame or
trolley an intermittent traversing motion in front of the drying chamber or chambers
and means for operating the said rolling surface so as to traverse the blocks thereon,
and discharge them therefrom onto the floor of the drying chamber or chambers
during the periods at which the frame or trolley remains at rest; and tilting or
tipping devices on the drying floor and means for operating the said tilting or
tipping devices so as to cause the blocks to turn over and over and pass along the
drying floor substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. In combination with apparatus for drying peat or other substances of a frame
or trolly provided with rollers on which the substance to be dried is placed, and
means for giving rotation to the rollers or to some of them so as to traverse the
substance from the receiving end towards the delivery end of the frame or trolly
while the said frame or trolly is stationary substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In combination with apparatus for drying peat or other substances a frame
or trolly by which the substance to be dried is conducted to the drying chamber,
and a reciprocating device having projections which give an intermittent traversing
motion to the frame or trolly to bring it into position for the substance to pass

page_text: from the frame or trolly onto the drying floor substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. In combination with apparatus for drying peat or other substances a drying
floor having strips onto which the substance to be dried is deposited and to which
a tilting action is given whereby the substance is turned over and over and
transferred from strip to strip along the floor substantially as herein before
described.
5. In combination with apparatus for drying peat or other substances a drying
floor having tilting strips for receiving the substance to be dried and provided with
arms or projections and a chain or the like provided with a catch or catches
which engage the said arms or projections to effect the tilting of the said strips
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
6. The combination and arrangement of drying floors substantially as herein-
before described.
D
о
1
P
1
1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.