Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Desiccating Fruit and other Substances.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Desiccating Fruit
and other Substances.
I, JOSEPH LEWTHWAITE, of 4 North Villas, Camden Square, County of
London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for object, certain improvements in or relating to apparatus
for desiccating fruit and other substances.
For the purpose of my invention, I form by casting or otherwise a circular base,
above which a series of trays are arranged superposed and radially around a
central column.
The base is provided with a furnace and a flue against and around which air has
free play and rise in a heated condition through apertures provided for the purpose,
each aperture being closable or regulated as to extent of opening by a sliding or
other shutter.
The trays may be wholly or partially of meshed or perforated work, each tray
being separated to permit of the heated air passing through around and among the
fruit or substance to be desiccated or dried.
The upper or tray casing may be a fixture, or be made to revolve by hand or
power which would enable the trays to be charged placed in the casing, be
withdrawn or shifted as desired from a given position of a building in which such
an apparatus may be placed.
The flue may be spirally arranged to check rush to the chimney, or be provided
with baffle plates to retard the passage of products of combustion in order to retain
the heat as long as possible for heating the air.
By aid of doors or dampers the heat of any tray compartment can be temporarily
closed to enable the top trays to be moved downwards and nearer the hottest part
of the apparatus for finishing the drying.
Dated this 10th day of January 1896.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Joseph Lewthwaite.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Desiccating Fruit
and other Substances.
I JOSEPH LEWTHWAITE of 4 North Villas, Camden Square, County of
London, 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 :-
This invention has for object certain improvements in or relating to apparatus
for desiccating fruit and other substances.

page_text: For the purpose of my invention I form by casting or otherwise a circular base
above which a series of trays are arranged superposed and radially around a
central column.
The base is provided with a furnace and a flue against and around which air has
free play, the air rising in a heated condition through apertures provided for the
purpose each aperture being closable or regulated as to extent of opening by a
sliding or other shutter.
The trays may be wholly or partially of meshed or perforated work, each tray
being separated to permit of the heated air passing through, around and among the
fruit or substance to be desiccated or dried.
The upper or tray casing may be a fixture or be made to revolve by hand or
power which would enable the trays to be charged, placed in the casing, be
withdrawn or shifted as desired from a given position of a building in which such
an apparatus may be placed.
The flue may be spirally arranged to check rush to the chimney or be provided-
with baffle plates to retard the passage of products of combustion in order to retain
the heat as long as possible for heating the air.
By aid of doors or dampers the heated air to any tray compartment can be
temporarily stopped to enable the top trays to be moved downwards and nearer
the hottest part of the apparatus for finishing the drying.
My invention is clearly shown in the annexed drawings
Figures 1 and 2 sectional elevation and sectional plan respectively.
A circular base. B. furnace. C flue way leading spirally or otherwise to
uptake or chimney D. E, air inlet. F crown plate for spreading air when heated
by intermediate plate G, previous to passing through apertures H. H, one of which
is under each tier of trays I. I, but closable by shutters J. J, to prevent heated
air passing into either of the hot chambers K. K, which are radially partitioned
off. L circular upper structure supported on rollers M, M, for rotation around
central or pivot post N, this being under a central air escaping column P. The
upper structure is radially partitioned and formed with ribs on which the super-
posed trays I. I, bear said trays being of stout meshed wire to enable the heated
air from the hot chambers K. K, to pass freely through and among the fruit or
substance on said trays to a top chamber Q where its outflow is checked in order
that the moist heat can be partially dried before escaping into the column P or it
may escape from an open top upper structure, this being determined by the
substances under treatment or the rapidity of the air draught whether it be natural
or forced.
Each tray is removable by a drawing out action and since any of the shutters J. J,
can be closed the tiers of trays above can be shifted or otherwise manipulated
without loss of heat the shutter of any selected compartment being closed aud
opened by its handle R.
The apparatus is so made that an attendant can walk round and attend to each
tier in succession and if he rotates it intermittently he operates the trays from a
given point.
In Figure 2 I show an eight compartment apparatus with two shutters closed,
this would enable the attendants to attend to the apparatus from opposite sides.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The circular double casing apparatus shown on the annexed drawings in or
by which fruit and other substances can be desiccated or dried by air heated in the
lower or fixed casing by the crown plate over and above the flue, said heated air
passing through closable apertures into charabers for distribution among tiers of
trays in the manner and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a circular double casing apparatus for drying purposes pivoting the upper

page_text: casing containing trays upon a pivot post bearing on the crown plate of the lower
fixed casing and carrying said upper casing upon roller for rotation in the manner
substantially as shown for the purposes described.
Dated this 17th day of Jan1906
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said J. Lewthwaite.