IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR DESICCATING AND REFRIGERATING SUBSTANCES AND LIQUIDS, AND IN PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF NOXIOUS OR USEFUL VAPOURS FROM VARIOUS Manu- FACTURING PROCESSES
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Rock at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st April
1871.
I, JAMES ROCK, of Hastings, in the County of Sussex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR DESICCATING AND REFRIGERATING SUBSTANCES AND LIQUIDS, AND
IN PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF NOXIOUS OR USEFUL VAPOURS FROM VARIOUS Manu-
FACTURING PROCESSES," to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to certain means and apparatus for desiccating
and refrigerating substances and liquids and also for preventing the
escape of noxious or useful vapours generally from factories and other
places.

page_text: .
grains, and glue, the precipitated matters of sewage, corn, hops, sugar,
and other matters with a cover or roof made of thin metal, glass, or
other material which will give off heat rapidly outwards, and condense
on its inside surface, the heated vapour given off by the substance being
dried; I make such roof or cover with such a slope as will not allow
the condensed vapour to drip on to the substance being dried, but will
cause it to trickle down the sides of such roof or cover into troughs
or channels provided to receive the said condensed vapour, such troughs
or channels being either attached to the roof or cover, or made separately,
as may be found most convenient. I place this roof or cover over or
upon the drying vessel, chamber or floor, in such a manner as usually
to exclude the external air from such vessel, chamber, or floor, and
prevent the escape of steam or vapour into the external atmosphere.
•
I also use the same or a similar arrangement for condensing liquids
such as milk, by removing water from them, for distilling volatile
matters from solid or liquid substances, and for proventing the escape
of noxious vapours capable of condensation by loss of heat from any
kind of substance in the course of manufacturing, or for saving volatile
products which might otherwise escape with or in the form of vapour
either whilst being dried or whilst cooling after being heated. In some
cases I use a separate condensing chamber constructed in the manner
before described, or with such variation of proportionate size and shapo
as may be necessary to receive the vapours from drying chambers, fur-
naces, or retorts, and condense them by contact with the inner surfaces
of such condensing chamber.
Secondly. My Invention relates to the construction of drying floors
or chambers to be used with my condensing covers as before described.
for drying substances or for condensing or evaporating liquids. I make
the floor and sometimes the sides of my drying chambers double, or.
I make them of rectangular tubes placed side by side, so as to enable
me to interpose water or air between the fire and the substance to
be dried or evaporated, and thus prevent it from being too much
heated. By the same arrangement I can convert my drying chamber
into a refrigerator, by simply filling the double bottom or sides, or
the rectangular pipes forming the bottom or sides with cold water,
or by drawing or forcing a current of cold air through them.

page_text: Thirdly. I use a current of cold air as last described for cooling the
lower surface of any floor or vessel containing substances requiring
to be dried after being heated, whether such floor or vessel be covered
with my condensing cover or not.