IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING BOARDS AND OTHER 'LUMBER
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Philipp Pfeffer, of the City, County, and State of New
York, one of the United States of Ainction, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING BOARDS AND OTHER 'LUMBER'"
Sealed the 20th March 1877, and dated the 27th January 1877
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Philipp Pfeffer at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th January 1877
PHILIPP PFEFFER, of the City County, and State of New York, one of the
United States of America "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING BOARDS
AND OTHER 'LUMBER.'
"
My Invention relates to an improved apparatus for drying lumber of varying
thickness within short time by the influence of pressure and heat, and it consists in
introducing the boards or other pieces of lumber between press plates heated by
steam and provided with a perforated face lining, with connecting grooves at the
inner side for admitting the escape of the moisture in the lumber
Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved press for dry-
ing lumber, Fig 2 is a side view of the same partly in section, to show grooved
and perforated face of press plates, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the interior side of
the grooved and perforated face lining
In the Drawing A represents the press plates of my improved lumber dɩying
machine, which are made hollow, and of suitable size and strength, according to the
size of the lumber to be dried thereby The plates are heated by permitting steam
to enter at one side and leave at the opposite side The press plates A are provided
with additional face plates or lining B of brass, copper, or other material, and
screwed or otherwise attached thereto The face lining B has a number of perfora-
tions a that are connected by grooves b at the inner side so as to leave spaces or
channels between the lining and press plates, which connect the perforations to the
side of the same. Lumber of any size and thickness, according to the purpose re-
quired, fiom vencers to one or two-inch boards, or more, is introduced between the
press plates and exposed to the joint action of the pressure and dry heat of the press
plates The moisture of the lumber is thereby changed into steam, which passes

page_text: through the perforations a of the lining and issues through the channels b to the out-
side, producing within a short time the perfect straightening and complete drying
of the lumber The compression of the lumber fibers and the extinction of the
moisture render the lumber not liable to waip, but cause it to retain a perfectly
straight and smooth condition, capable of being instantly worked up in the tandes,
thus doing away with the expensive modes of seasoning and drying lumber
heretofore used
•
I have found by actual tests that boards of one inch in thickness are completely
seasoned by being exposed for about ten minutes to the combined pressure and
steam action of my press The cessation of the issuing of any steam from the
channels indicates when the process of drying is completed
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim as new is,
1 In an apparatus for diying lumber, press plates adapted to be heated, and having
vents opening upon then opposing faces for the escape of the vapourized moisture
of the wood, substantially as described
2 In an apparatus for diying lumber, hollow press plates adapted to be heated by
steam, and having vents opening upon then opposing faces for the escape of the
vapourized moisture of the wood, substantially as described
3 In an apparatus for diying lumber, the combination of the heated press plates
with face or lining plates having perforations and connecting channels for the escape
of the vapomized moisture of the wood, substantially as described.
In an apparatus for dying lumber, the combination of hollow steam-heated
press plates A, and face or lining plates B, having perforations and connecting
channels between press plate and lining for the escape of the vapourized moisture of
the wood, substantially as herein shown and described
In witness whereof, I, the said Philipp Pfeffer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of December, m the year of our Loid One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six
PHILIPP PFEFFER (LS)