Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Heating Minerals and other substances.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Heating Minerals and
other substances.
I, ANTHONY HARRIS Vulcan Works Middlesbro' in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to machines or apparatus in which the drying and heating
of minerals and other substances and the simultaneous moving or conveying of the
material to a different point of exit to that at which they are received into the
machine is accomplished.
For the above purpose I provide a cylinder or other conveniently shaped vessel,
mounted on trunions or bearances or reclining on rollers in such a way that it may
be readily caused to rotate or revolve by means of gearing provided for that purpose
(preferably a worm and pinion).
When the cylinder is required to be of great length it is supported towards the
center of its length on two or more rollers.
One end of the cylinder is open and butting against this provide a hopper or
other means of introducing material into the cylinder, and provide suitable self
closing appliances, and an exit to a fluc or chimney. the cylinder being free to
revolve while the hopper remains stationary. At the other end of the cylinder, I
provide openings in the shell through which the material is free to drop into a shoot
or truck after having been treated, and 1 provide a self closing door to prevent
the ingress of air as the material escapes. To move the material along the cylinder
and at the same time roll it over so that every part of the material is subjected to
heat I employ a fin or worm secured to the walls of the cylinder (and rotating
therewith) in a spiral form so that on the cylinder being caused to rotate, the
material is guided to the further end and it falls through the openings provided for
that purpose.
In some cases prefer to feed from both ends and provide the openings in the
center and in this case the fin or worm is right & left handed.
The cylinder is placed over a flue connected to a furnace in which the heat is
generated & preferably I tighten the side walls of the flue and enclose it over the
top of cylinder by a covering of metal plates or a brick arch.
Thus the whole of the external surface of the cylinder is subjected to heat but as
it is slowly revolving-no portion can become over heated.
When external heat
only is required, communication is made direct from the flue to the chimney, but
when internal heat is required, or both, the heated gases pass from the flue through
the holes provided for tlie escape of the material, two or more of which are always
uppermost, pass through the cylinder, and so out into a chimney connected to the
filling hopper. When a central bearing is necessary, preferably I provide a belt
round the cylinder to take the wear off the rollers and remove the rollers further
from the heat and sometimes I use liners in the shape of a false bottom to receive
the wear of cylinder, and incline the cylinder at a slight angle.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drying and Heating Minerals and
other substances.
I, ANTHONY HARRIS of Vulcan Works, Middlesbro' in the County of York
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 to machines or apparatus in which the drying and heating of
minerals and other substances and the simultaneous moving or conveying of the
material to a different point of exit to that at which they are received into the
machine is accomplished.
The manner in which this is carried out will be understood from the following
description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which―
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section ;
Figure 2, a vertical cross section; and
Figure 3, an end elevation of my apparatus.
I provide a cylinder or revolver A, or other conveniently shaped vessel, mounted
on one end on a pedestal B and at the other end supported on rollers & in such a
manner that it may be readily caused to rotate by means of suitable gearing, such
as a worm and worm wheel, as shown. When the cylinder is required to be of
great length, it may be supported towards the centre of its length on two or more
rollers. One end of the cylinder A is open, and butting against this, I provide a
hopper C or other means of introducing material into the cylinder, and I provide
suitable self-closing appliances, and an exit c to a flue or chimney, the cylinder
being free to revolve while the hopper remains stationary. At the other end of
the revolving cylinder A, I provide openings a in the shell through which the
material is free to drop into a shoot or tramway or other truck D after having been
treated, and I provide a self-closing door d to prevent the ingress of air as the
material escapes. To move the material along the cylinder and at the same time
roll it over, so that every part of the material is subjected to heat, I employ a
worm secured to or formed on the inner walls of the cylinder A and forming a
helix, so that, on the cylinder being caused to rotate, the material is guided to the
further end and it falls through the openings a provided for that purpose. In some
cases, I prefer to feed from both ends and provide the openings in the centre, and,
in this case, the worm is right and left handed.
The cylinder A. is placed over a flue F in communication with a furnace fin
which the heat is generated, and preferably I tighten the side walls of the flue and
enclose it over the top of cylinder by a covering G of metal plates. Thus the
whole of the external surface of the cylinder is subjected to heat, but, as it is
slowly revolving, no portion can become overheated. When external heat only is
required, communication is made direct from the flue to the chimney, but, when
internal heat is required, or both, the heated gases pass from the flue F through
the holes a provided for the escape of the material, through the cylinder A, and so
out into a chimney connected to the filling hopper. When a central bearing is
necessary, preferably provide an external belt round the cylinder to take the
wear off the rollers, instead of the wear coming on the cylinder itself, and the belt
allows the rollers to be moved or placed to each side of the flue and so escape the
greatest heat. Sometimes I provide liners formed to answer as an internal false
bottom to protect the cylinder from the wear of the material as it is moved along,
and to facilitate the material in moving 1 also incline the cylinder at a slight angle.
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 1
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for drying and heating minerals and other substances, the

page_text: combination of a rotatable cylinder or other conveniently shaped vessel, provided
with means for moving forward the contents from the charging to the discharging
orifice, and a stationary flue for applying external or internal heat (or both) to the
vessel aforesaid, substantially as described.
2. The use, in combination with revolvers, for drying or heating ininerals or
other substances, that have openings for charging and discharging, of means
whereby the material can be fed into the revolver for treatment therein and
removed therefrom after having been treated substantially as described.
3. The general construction and arrangement of parts forming my improved
apparatus for drying and heating minerals and other substances, substantially as
described.
Datad this 10th day of October 1800
WM. P. THOMPSON,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agent.