US685287A - Drying apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 685,287. Patented Oct. 29, |90I.

. A. P. MENDE.

DRYING APPARATUS.

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UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER P. MENDE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRYING APPARATUS.

SPEIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 685,287, dated October 29, 1901.

I Application filed October l5, 1900. Serial No. 33,079. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER P. MENDE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, county and State-of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a drying apparatus of the class known as vacuum-driers and in which the drying operation is greatly accelerated by creating a vacuum within the drying-chamber.

The invention consists principally in so constructing the apparatus that a 'uniform vacuum and a constant temperature will be automatically maintained while the drying operation goes on, so that for the'same setting of the apparatus an evenly-dried product will result.

The invention also consists in the various features of construction fully pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an end elevation, partly in section, of my improved drying apparatus; Fig. 2, a vertical cross-section on line 2 2, Fig. 5; Fig. 3, adetail section of the vacuum-regulating valve; Fig. 4:, a similar section through the steaminlet valve; vand Fig. 5 a longitudinal section on line 5 Fig. 1'.

The letter a represents 'the shell of the drier, made of cylindrical or other form and open, preferably at both ends. These ends are adapted to be closed by heads or doors a', hinged at a2 and tightened up by the swinging bolts a?. Within the shell a, is contained a track b, placed in alinement with tracks c, arranged outside of the shell and which may be swung up, Fig. 5, to clear the doors a' when the latter are to be opened. The track b supports a truck b', that in turn supports the drying shelves. These shelves consist of coils d, arranged in horizontal tiers and connected by couplings d' to form a continuous pipe. Each tier is supported by transverse rods b2, connected to a frame b3, that is mounted upon the truck b. The steam or other heating medium is admitted to the uppermost coil d by inlet-pipe e and leaves the lowermost coil by outlet-pipe f, the pipes e f being adapted to be removably coupled to the coils d by the couplings e f'. These couplin gs are opened when the'truck is to be withdrawn for removing and replacing the material under treatment and are closed when the truck hasbeen rolled back into the shell.

The shelves d should be open, so that the drying-spaces between the shelves communicate with one another.

While the material is subjected to the action of the heat the air within the shell a is simultaneously exhausted to accelerate the drying operation on principles well understood in vacuum-driers. This air and the vapors or gases generated are carried od by a pipe g, connected to an air-pump g', the latterl receiving its steam-supply'by pipe g2. Within the pipe 'g is arranged a sprinkler g3 for vprecipitating the vapors.

With dierent materials under treatment it is of importance that the degree of air rarefaction within the shell a should be dierent. It is also of importance that any partial vacuum to which the drier has been set should be automatically maintained, so that the material under treatment and subsequent charges of similar material will be subjected to a uniform action.

The means for automatically maintaining any vacuum desired and for permitting a ready adjustment of such vacuum consists of a vacuum-valve. (More fully illustrated in Figi. 3.) The valve-casing h is mounted upon the top of the shell a and is provided above the valve-seat h2 with a suction-chamber h5. This suctionechamber is provided with a nipple h", that receives one end of an elbow-pipe h3, the other end of which enters the shell a. The pipe ha serves the double purpose of securing the valve-casing to the exterior of the shell and also for establishing communication between the interior of the shell and the suction-chamber h5. The valve-stem h4 is connected to a beam i, turning at 'i' on frame 2 and provided with a sliding counterbalancingweight 'i4 on one of its arms and with a xed weight i5 on its other arm. In use the vacuum within the shell a is ascertained by a gage j, and the Weight 4 is adjusted along its beam until the proper vacuum is indicated. This vacuum will now be automatically maintained, because when the pump g' exhausts an excessive amount of air the valve 72. will lift against the weightf4 to admit suicientv loo air to reestablish the proper vacuum. NVhen the weight 4 is so set as to counterbalance weight 5,practically no vacuum will be formed within the shell. It will thus be seen that any vacuum to which the apparatus is set is automatically maintained. It is also of importance that the temperature to which the material is subjected, and which is ascertained by thermometer m, is automatically maintained at a uniform degree. This is accomplished by a thermostat of the usual or snitable construction and which it is not deemed necessary to describe in detail.

The tube k of the thermostat containing the water or other eXpansible medium is so arranged within the shell a as to clear the truck and shelves. This medium acts by pipe k upon the diaphragm Z, Fig. 4, that automatically regulates the position of the valve l', through which the steam is admitted from pipe e into the coil d. The pressure within the thermostat, and the consequent degree of heat within the drier, is regulated, as usual,

by the hand-wheel k2.

The operation of my improved drier will be readily understood. The vacuum-valve and thermostat are set to produce the partial vacuum and temperature desired for the particular' goods under treatment. The truck b is then withdrawn, the goods placed directly or in trays upon the coils d, the truck is reintroduced, and the doors are closed. As the drying-spaces between the shelves communicate with each other, theair and vapors will be evenly and simultaneously withd rawn will also be uniform. Thus it will be seen that the material is subjected to a uniform treatment and that without constant watching an evenly-dried product will be obtained. This uniform treatment is also insured for charges of a like material subsequently introduced, while when a different material is to be 'dried the vacuum-valve and thermostat are reset to correspond to the new conditions desired.

What I claim is;- y

In a drying apparatus, the combination of a drying-shell with a pump for exhausting the air and vapors therefrom, a valve-casing mounted upon the shell and having a valveseat and a suction-chamber above said seat, a pipe h3 for securing the valve-casing to the exterior of the shell and establishing communication between the interior of the shell and the suction-chamber, an air-inlet valve openL ing within the su ction-chamber and provided with a valve-stem, apivoted beam engaged by the valve-stem, a sliding weight on one of the beam-arms, and a second weight on the other beam-arm, substantially as specified.

Signed by me at New York city, county and State of New York, this 12th day of Oc'- tober, 1900.

ALEXANDER P. MENDE.

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