IM- PROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM AND DRYING POROUS AND FIBROUS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Sharples, of Crawshaw Booth, near Rawtenstall,
in the County of Lancaster, Madder Dyer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM AND DRYING POROUS AND FIBROUS
in the County of Lancaster, Madder Dyer, for the Invention of “IM-
PROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM AND DRYING POROUS AND FIBROUS
SUBSVANCED,
Sealed the 1st November 1858, and dated the 12th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Sharples at the
Offico of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th May 1858.
I, JAMES SHARPLES, of Crawshaw Booth, near Rawtenstall, in the County
of Lancaster, Madder Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM AND DRYING POROUS AND.
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in extracting moisture from and drying
fabrics or other substances by forming a partial vacuum on one side, and
admitting air, either heated or otherwise; at the other side; the partial vacuum
may be obtained by an air pump or other equivalent means, and the current
of air passing through the fabrics or other substances removes the moisture
therefrom or dries them. In performing my Invention, I prefer to place the

page_text: fabrics or other substances on a sieve or perforated false bottom in an open vessel,
and to connect the pipe from the air pump to the chamber below the sieve or
false bottom. By this improved apparatus, or any other apparatus of the
same nature, as soon as the air pump is set to work, the current of air through
the fabrics or substances is established, and it is kept up until the fabrics or
substances are dried, or until the moisture is sufficiently removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Sharples in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SHARPLES, of Crawshaw Booth, near Rawtenstall, in the County of Lancaster,
Madder Dyer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Sharples, Her special licence that I, the said James
Sharples, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Sharples, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, aud Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
EXTRACTING MOISTURE FROM AND DRYING POROUS AND FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Sharples, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Sharples, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement (that is to say):-

page_text: The nature of my Invention consists in extracting moisture from and drying
fabrics or other porous and fibrous substances, by forming a partial vacuum on
one side, and admitting air, either heated or otherwise, at the other side; the
partial vacuum may be obtained by an air pump or other equivalent means,
and the current of air passing through the fabrics or other porous and fibrous
substances removes the moisture therefrom or dries them.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and
Jetters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2 a plan, of an apparatus
suitable for drying cops of yarn. a is a cylindrical or other shaped vessel,
made by preference of tinued iron; 6 is a perforated false bottom placed a few
inches above the bottom of the vessel a, to which is attached the pipe c, which
is in communication with an air pump or other suitable apparatus for extracting
the air from or forming a partial vacuum in the under side of the vessel a;
the disk d is placed above the pipe c. The mode of operation is as follows:-
The cops of yarn or other porous and fibrous substances to be dried, or from
which moisture is to be extracted, are placed on the false bottom b, until the
vessel a is filled or partly fillel therewith. The air pump or other apparatus
for extracting the air from the space between the false bottom band the
bottom of the vessel a is then set to work, thereby causing a current of air
(which may be heated or not) to penetrate from above through the porous or
fibrous substances in the vessel a, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1; the
object of the disk is to distribute the current equally through the substances
to be dried. The current of air is kept up until the cops or other porous or
fibrous substances are sufficiently dried, or until the requisite amount of
moisture has been extracted therefrom, The time required for producing
this result will depend upon the nature of the substances under operation, the
force of the vacuum produced, and the temperature of the air passing through
the porous or fibrous substances in the open vessel a. The form of the
apparatus employed must be regulated according to the substances to be
operated upon, and may be considerably modified.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I am aware that
attempts have been made to dry fabrics by placing them in a closed vessel, and
then extracting the air therefrom; I therefore limit my claim to drying or
partially drying porous and fibrous substances when placed in open vessels, by

page_text: forming a partial vacuum at one side, and admitting air at the other side, as
described, or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Sharples; have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight....j
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
JAMES SHARPLES. (L.S.)
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