Improvements in Machines for Drying Matrices and other articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGE ALFRED DAVIS, of the City of
Waltham, in the County of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, United
States of America, Stereotyper.]
Improvements in Machines for Drying Matrices and other
articles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 machine of this invention, in substance, is composed of a closed and
stationary shell or casing adapted for admission and escape of air, a whirl located
and journalled and rotating within said shell, means to rotate said whirl, a
stationary pipe axially coincident with and lengthwise of, and having lateral
openings within said whirl, a reticulated arc-shape basket adapted to be held on
and means to hold said basket on and to allow it to be removed from said whirl,
a reticulated fender within said shell and held on and between said perforated
pipe and basket, all and separately as hereinafter particularly described and pointed
out in the claims.
In the drawings, forming part of this Specification,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central vertical section of the machine.
Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1 on a reduced scale.
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section in detail, of the whirl and other parts as
will hereinafter appear.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a plan and a vertical section, line 5-5, Figure 4
of the screen-basket.
In the drawings, A represents a stationary and horizontal cylindrical shell or
casing, closed at all parts, and at its opposite ends supported on parallel vertical
supports B, B.
This shell A at its opposite ends has air ports a for the entrance of air to it and
along its length it has a side longitudinal opening or slot for air, steam, etc., to
escape from it, and this slot has a hinged cover A² to open and close it.
C, C are two arms of similar shape and length. Each arm C, midway of its
length has a tubular journal C3, C4, and the arms at their outer end-portions are
joined by two pairs of tubes C5, C6, and C, C", respectively. These tubes are
severally axially at corresponding distances from and parallel with the axial line
of the journals C³, C' of the arms and with said arms they make the whirl or
whirling frame of the machine. C is a slot or way lengthwise of and at the side
of and entering the tube of each pair of tubes C³, C³ and C7, C8 which is the
farther removed from the other tube of the same pair. The several tubes are
open at one and the corresponding end.
C1, C¹³, Figures 1 and 2, are clamps one for each pair of tubes C³, C,
and C', C. The parts of each clamp are on opposite sides of and suitably secured
to a stud C which is held onto and projected at a right angle from the inner side
of the outer end-portion of each arm C. Both parts of each clamp project, as
at C18, beyond the opposite edges C1, C" of each stud C and those projecting
portions overlap and clamp the tubes, to which they belong, to said studs and
thereby to the arms C. C is a rod encircling the whirling frame and secured
to the outer part C³ of each clamp, C", C¹³. The whirling-frame, by its
journals C³, C is hung in bearings A³, A' of the opposite heads or ends A³, A° of
the shell and all so that said frame is free to be rotated or whirled around within
the casing A and preferably about the axis of the shell, Figure 1.

page_text: The journal C³ of the whirl has a projection C" beyond the head A5 of the shell
and on this projection is fixed a pulley-wheel D. E is a vertical belt belting the
pulley D to a larger pulley F held on one end of a horizontal shaft G turning in
suitable bearings of the lower portion of the end-uprights B, B and having a loose
vertical pulley H. The loose pulley H and shaft G are suitably adapted, as
well known, for the pulley to be clutched to and unclutched from the shaft so that
by means of a belt, not shown, belting the pulley to a suitable driving shaft, the
whirl within the shell A and through the connections described can be put into
and out of rotation as may be desired.
K is a pipe extending lengthwise through and projecting at each end from the
tubular journals of the whirl. This pipe, at one end K2, is closed and it is there
made fast to a bracket or arm-support A' held on the head A³ of the stationary
shell A and at its opposite end K³ projects from the head A of shell A and is
open and there it is in any suitable manner to be connected with a gas-supply.
The gas-pipe K within and between the end arms C, C2 of the whirl and on its
upper side has two longitudinal rows of perforations or jet-holes d at which in the
operation of the machine of this invention and as hereinafter described the gas-
supply to the pipe is to be burned.
The head A of the shell A at which gas connection is made as stated, has a
door A that embraces substantially its lower half and this door at its upper edge
is hinged to the remaining part of said head and it is also cut away, as at A° about
the bearing A for whirl-journal C4 so as to clear same, and if necessary it is to be
further cut-away to also clear gas-pipe connection as it is swung to open and close
shell A. A 10 is a fasteuing-pin to fasten, as at A", the door A³ closed and to
permit that door to be unfastened for being opened and closed.
L is a perforated or reticulated screen or fender, placed within the whirl and
located about the jet-holes and shaped to partially encircle the gas-pipe K and it
is attached to the gas-pipe and made stationary by means of rods Ľ² which at their
opposite ends are fixed to the fender and to the gas-pipe.
M is a basket preferably made of wire-netting but it may be made of any other
material having open meshes or which is perforated or reticulated. The basket,
as shown, is arc-shape in cross section and at each side edge M2 it is stiffened by a
rod M3 held on it in any suitable manner and both rods at their ends M* project
from the corresponding end M' of the basket.
This basket M receives the matrix which is to be dried. N is the matrix. The
matrix encircles and lies by its back face, that is, its unmolded face, on the inner
face of the basket and it is entered at one of its edges under a lip M² and at one of
its end-edges under a lip M8, each at the corresponding side and end-edges of the
basket. The whirl carries this basket and the basket is placed in the whirl-(the
door A of the shell A having first been opened preparatory therefor)--by first
entering the projecting ends M of its side-rods M into the open ends of two of
the side slotted tubes held on the whirl as has been described, the slots of which
are toward each other and then forcing the basket by its side-rods along said tubes
and bringing it within the whirl and between its arms or flyers C, C, where it is
left, the door A8 closed and fastened and so far the machine made ready for
operation. The matrix basket M placed in the machine as described is within and
has its outer side toward the encircling rods C20 of the whirl and preferably as
shown, the basket is supported along its central line and from end to end by a
bar M which is fastened to the basket and as the basket is forced into the whirl as
stated, engages and slides along a rod C" that is suitably located therefor and held
on the encircling rods C of the whirl.
For the operation of a machine organized and prepared with a matrix all as
has been explained, the gas is first turned on and lighted at the jet-hole d of
the stationary central gas-pipe K and then by having properly placed the
driving mechanism for the whirl into suitable connection, the whirl is put into
rotation carrying around with it the matrix held by it. In this manner the
matrix is passed through and subjected to the air contained within the shell

page_text: heated by the burning gas at the jet-holes of the central stationary gas-pipe,
and all operating to secure, under a proper rate of rotation as stated, of the
whirl and matrix and a proper burning of gas at the jet-holes of the gas-pipe,
a most efficient and expeditious drying of the matrix.
In the operation of the machine as has been described, and to support
combustion of the gas within the shell air is supplied to the shell through the
air-ports a, at its opposite ends.
The stationary fender L located as explained relative to the jet-holes of the
gas-pipe, confines the gas-flames to and about the pipe and thereby while
positively preventing any contact of them with the inner surface of the matrix
it at the same time in no manner interferes with or tends to decrease the
effectiveness of the gas-flames to heat the air within the shell.
While gas has been described as the medium under combustion in the shell
to heat the air of the shell and thus in co-operation with centrifugal force to
assist to dry the matrix, obviously other mediums suitable for drying purposes,
such as hot air, superheated steam, etc., may be entered through the gas-pipe
into the shell, and therefore the invention in this relation, is not to be limited
to gas alone.
The perforated or screen basket M for the matrix herein described serves to
hold the matrix in shape while under rotation as explained, and also to allow
the moisture of the matrix and vapors generated therefrom to freely pass from
and to the outer surface of the matrix as it is being dried as explained. Again
this screen basket is a most convenient means to receive and to hold the matrix
preparatory to its being, and, as it is placed, and while in the whirl of the
machine, and also to facilitate the removal of the matrix after it is dried from
the whirl.
The matrix basket and the fender L are each preferably made of wire-
netting but either may be made of a perforated or slotted plate of metal or
other material-or of any other material of a porous or foraminous character.
The projecting pins M at one end of the matrix-basket facilitate the intro-
duction of the basket as explained into the slotted-tubes of the whirl. Furthermore
the rod M of basket in co-operation with its rest upon the encircling rod or
rods C20 of the whirl, add increased stiffness to the basket to resist the tendency
and liability thereof to be forced outwardly from the action of centrifugal force
thereon in the operation, as has been explained, of the machine.
The construction of the matrix-basket at one end and one edge to overlap the
matrix at its corresponding end and edge, obviously not only facilitates the proper
placing of the matrix on the basket but also acts to retain the matrix in place.
The air inlets are essential if combustion of gas or such like is to be had within
the shell, but if hot air, superheated steam, or such like is to be entered into the
shell through the central pipe K then said air-inlets could be dispensed with
although even in such cases it might be desirable to use them.
While the mechanism comprising this invention has been described in connection
with the drying of type-form matrices it is to be distinctly understood that the
invention is not to be limited to that especial purpose as it is plain that it may be
used for other purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a machine for drying a type-form matrix, etc., the combination of a
closed and stationary shell or casing adapted for admission and escape of air, etc.,
substantially as described, a whirl located and journalled and rotating within said
shell, means connected to a journal of and adapted to rotate said whirl, a stationary
pipe extending axially and lengthwise of said whirl and to the outer side of said
shell and having lateral openings along its length, a reticulated basket of arc-shape
in transverse section and adapted at its inner side to receive said matrix and to be

page_text: held on said whirl and means to hold said matrix on and to permit it to be removed
from said whirl, substantially as and for the purpose and operation described.
Second. In a machine for drying a type-form matrix, etc., the combination of a
closed and stationary shell or casing adapted for admission and escape of air, etc.,
substantially as described, a whirl located and journalled and rotating within said
shell, means connected to a journal of and adapted to rotate said whirl, a stationary
pipe extending axially and lengthwise of said whirl and to the outer side of said
shell and having lateral openings along its length, a reticulated basket of arc-shape
in transverse section, and adapted at its inner side to receive said matrix and to be
held on said whirl, and a stationary reticulated fender held on and located between
said perforated pipe and said basket, substantially as and for the purposes and
operation described.
Third. In a machine for drying a type-form matrix, etc., the combination of a
closed and stationary shell or casing, adapted for admission and escape of air, etc.,
substantially as described, a whirl located and journalled and rotating within said
shell and composed of radial arms, and of tubes joining and held on said radial arms
and each having a longitudinal slotted way leading into it, a reticulated basket
adapted to contain the matrix, etc., and to extend between and to be entered
endwise into and along and at its edges to lie within said ways and the tubes and an
intermediate rod encircling the outer side of and held on said tubes, substantially
as described, for the purposes specified.
Fourth. In a machine for drying a type-form matrix, etc., the combination of a
closed and stationary shell or casing, adapted for admission and escape of air, etc.,
substantially as described, a whirl located, journalled and rotating within said shell
and composed of radial arms and of tubes joining and held on said radial arms and
each having a longitudinal slotted way leading thereinto, and a reticulated basket
adapted to contain the matrix, etc., and to extend between and to be entered
end wise into and along and at its edges to lie within said ways and the tubes,
substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
Fifth. In a machine for drying a type-form matrix, etc., the combination of a
closed and stationary shell adapted for admission and escape of air, etc., substantially
as described, a whirl located, journalled and rotating within said shell and composed
of radial arms, and of tubes joining and held on said radial arms and each having
a longitudinal slotted way leading thereinto, an intermediate rod encircling the
outer side of and held on said tubes, a reticulated basket adapted to contain the
matrix, etc., and to extend between and to be entered end wise into and along and at
its edges to lie within said ways and the tubes, and a rod lengthwise of and held on
the outer side of said basket and adapted to bear on said encircling rod of said
whirl tubes, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.
Dated this 16th day of March 1893
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.