IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDRICAL DRYING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Milburn, of Victoria Mills, Commercial Road
East, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CYLINDRICAL DRYING MACHINES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Milburn at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1881.
ROBERT MILBURN, of Victoria Mills, Commercial Road East, in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDRICAL DRYING MACHINES."
"
My Invention has for its object improvements in that class of drying machines
in which two cylinders are employed, one within the other, and a space left between
them which is rendered steamtight, and into which space steam, water, oil, or heated
air may be led and drawn away.
By means of my said Invention I obtain greater portability, better means of
regulating the heating medium when necessary, and the entire prevention of
leakage on to the goods in course of treatment. I also by means of my said
Invention prevent corrosion of those internal portions of such machines subject
thereto, and manufacture the said machines moro economically, whilst at the same
time they last longer, and the operation of drying is considerably accelerated.
I obtain these improved results by the following means:-
Instead of constructing the cylinders the whole length of the machine, as
heretofore, I according to my present Invention make them in sections of such
length, say, six feet, that the inner cylinder may be in one pin with a longi-
tudinal welded joint, thus obviating the use of rivetted joints. The ter cylinder
may also be in one piece, but this is not essential, ordinary boiler plat rivetted
together as now employed being sufficient.
The cylinders are kept apart preferably by solid rings to which they are
attached in a steam tight manner. I bolt or otherwise connect as many of these
sections together as are necessary to make up the required length, and on the end
..מ

page_text: sections I fix the bearings to carry the rotating shaft and accompanying apparatus.
If necessary other supports for the said shaft may be fixed on the intermediate
sections, so as thereby to permit of constructing a machine of any length.
By this method of construction I render leakage on to the goods next to
impossible, and I make the apparatus more portable, as the sections are more
easily transported from place to place than if made in one length. Into each
section separately I lead steam or other heated medium by means of pipes, and
take the water of condensation away by means of a steam trap or other suitable
contrivance, so that I can if desirable lead a different heating medium into each
section, or the same heating medium at different temperatures. And where the
same, say, steam, is employed by means of reducing valves this may be accomplished
automatically.
By means of pressure gauges or other suitable appliances the heat so applied may
be regulated as desired.
In machines of the class above referred to, where shelves or trays are used
inside such inner cylinders to lift up the goods and allow them to fall, I increase
the capability and diminish the wear and tear by making these shelves or trays
corrugated or fluted longitudinally and preferably of galvanized iron, so as to
resist the chemical action which often takes place in the process of drying wet
substances,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert Milburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th April
1882.
ROBERT MILBURN, of Victoria Mills, Commercial Road East, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDRICAL DRYING MACHINES."
My Invention has for its object improvements in that class of drying machines
in which two cylinders are employed, one within the other, and a space left between
them which is rendered steam tight, and into which space steam, water, oil, or heated
air may be led and drawn away.
By means of my said Invention I obtain greater portability, better means of
regulating the heating medium when necessary, and the entire prevention of
leakage on to the goods in course of treatment.
I also by means of my said Invention prevent corrosion of those internal portions
of such machines subject thereto, and manufacture the said machines more econo-
mically, whilst at the same time they last longer, and the operation of drying is
considerably accelerated.
I obtain these improved results by the following means:-
Instead of constructing the cylinders the whole length of the machine, as
heretofore, I according to my present Invention make them in sections of such
length, say, for instance, 6 feet, that the inner cylinder may be in one piece with a
longitudinal welded joint, thus obviating the use of rivetted joints. The outer
cylinder may also be in one piece, but this is not essential, ordinary boiler plato
rivetted together as now employed being sufficient. The cylinders are kept apart
preferably by solid wrought iron rings to which they are attached in a steam tight
manner. I bolt or otherwise connect as many of these sections together as are
necessary to make up the required length, and on the end sections I fix the
bearings to carry the rotating shaft and accompanying apparatus. If necessary
other supports for the said shaft may be fixed on the intermediate sections so as
thereby to perznit of constructing a machine of any length. By this method of
construction I render leakage on to the goods next to impossible, and I make the
apparatus more portable as the sections are more easily transported from place to
place than if made in one length. Into each section separately I lead steam or
other heated medium by means of pipes, and take the water of condensation away
by means of a steam trap or other suitable contrivance, so that I can if desirable
lend a different heating medium into cach section, or the same heating medium at
different temperatures. And where the same, say, steam, is employed, by means of
reducing valves this may be accomplished automatically.
By means of gauges and other suitable appliances the heat so applied may be
ascertained and regulated as desired.
In machines of the class above referred to, where shelves or trays are used
inside such inner cylinders to lift up the goods and allow them to fall, I increase
the capability and diminish the wear and tear by making these shelves or trays
corrugated or fluted longitudinally and preferably of galvanized iron, so as to
resist the chemical action which often takes place in the process of drying wet
substances.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings,
more fully to describe the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section; Figure 3 is an end
elevation, and Figure 4 is a cross section of my improved cylindrical_drying
machine. a, a, represent the inner cylinder, and b, b, the outer cylinder forming
the body of the machine; between these cylinders is a space c into which steam or
other heating medium is introduced for the purpose of heating and thereby drying
the contents of the cylinder chamber or inner cylinder a, a.
Instead however of constructing the cylinders a, a, and b, b, the whole length of
the machine, as heretofore, I according to my Invention make them in sections A, A,
of such length, say, 6 feet, that the inner cylinder a may be in one piece with a
longitudinal welded joint, thus obviating the use of rivetted joints. The outer
cylinder b, b, may also be in one piece, but this is not essential, ordinary boiler
plate rivetted together, as indicated in the Drawing, and as now employed being
sufficient. The cylinders a, a, b, b, are kept apart preferably by solid rings c³, c,
to which they are attached in a steam tight manner. I bolt or otherwise connect
as many of these sections together as are necessary to make up the required length,
three of such sections being so shown in the Drawings, and on the end sections 1
fix the bearings d, d, to carry the rotating shaft e and accompanying apparatus. If
necessary other supports d for the said shaft e may be fixed on the intermediate
sections, so as thereby to permit of constructing a machine of any length and at the
same time afford efficient-support-to the shaft e.
By this method of construction I render leakage of the condensed steam or
water on to the goods next to impossible, and I make the apparatus more portable,
as the sections A, A, are more easily transported from place to place than if the
drying chamber were made in one length.
Into the space c of each section A I lead steam or other heating medium by
means of pipes c³, c, and take the water of condensation away by means of a steam
trap or other suitable contrivance (not shown), so that I can if desirable lead a
different heating medium into each section, or the same heating medium at different
temperatures.
And where the same, say, steam, is employed, this may be accomplished auto-
matically by means of reducing valves. By means of gauges and other suitable
appliances the pressure and heat so applied may be ascertained and regulated as
desired.
In machines of the class above referred to, where shelves or trays f, f, are used
inside such inner cylinders to lift up the goods and allow them to fall, as shown in
the Drawings, I increase the capability and diminish the wear and tear by making
these shelves or trays corrugated or Buted longitudinally and preferably of galvanized
iron so as to resist the chemical action which often takes place in the process of
drying wet substances.
The trays ff, are fixed to wheels e¹ keyed on the shaft e in the manner well
understood, and the bearings d, d, are made adjustable by means of screws d', d',
as shown, in order to enable the same to be lowered when the shelves or trays f. f,
become worn from scraping the bottom of the inner cylinder a.
In some cases it is desirable in lieu of one or more of the iron shelves or
trays ff, to employ a wooden shelf or tray, or a wire or other brush or flexible
scraper, so as more effectually to scrape or brush the bottom of the inside of the
machine at each revolution, and thereby prevent the possibility of burning or
charring the material being dried; g, g, are lugs by which the sections A, A, are
fastened together. The grain or other material is placed in the hopper h from
which it is carried by the feed screw i through the opening j into the machine,
through which it is carried by the rotating corrugated shelves or trays f, f, until
it emerges in its dried or partially dried state at the outlet k, but this arrange-

page_text: ment for feeding and discharging the apparatus forms no part of my present
Invention.
Having thus described the nature of iny said Invention, and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
First. Constructing the cylinders of drying machines in sections, the inner
cylinder of each section being made in one piece with a longitudinal welded joint,
and such sections being connected together, substantially as herein shown and
described and for the purpose stated.
Second. Constructing the cylinders of drying machines in separate sections and
leading steam or other beating medium separately into each section, the cooled
water or water of condensation being led away by a steam trap or other suitable
contrivance, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
Third. In cylindrical drying machines of the character described forming the
shelves or trays thereof of corrugated or fluted metal, substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purpose stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Milburn, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
ROBT, MILBURN. (L.B.)