GB1602729A - Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware Download PDF

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Publication number
GB1602729A
GB1602729A GB3807677A GB3807677A GB1602729A GB 1602729 A GB1602729 A GB 1602729A GB 3807677 A GB3807677 A GB 3807677A GB 3807677 A GB3807677 A GB 3807677A GB 1602729 A GB1602729 A GB 1602729A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
article
mould
drying
drying agent
air
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
GB3807677A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
INTERDRI Ltd
Original Assignee
INTERDRI Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by INTERDRI Ltd filed Critical INTERDRI Ltd
Priority to GB3807677A priority Critical patent/GB1602729A/en
Priority to US05/941,183 priority patent/US4285141A/en
Priority to FR7827002A priority patent/FR2402629A1/en
Priority to JP11137178A priority patent/JPS5490655A/en
Priority to ES473272A priority patent/ES473272A1/en
Priority to DE19782839592 priority patent/DE2839592A1/en
Priority to IT7827612A priority patent/IT1098633B/en
Priority to BR7805987A priority patent/BR7805987A/en
Priority to PT68551A priority patent/PT68551A/en
Publication of GB1602729A publication Critical patent/GB1602729A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C04—CEMENTS; CONCRETE; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES
    • C04B—LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CERAMICS; REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
    • C04B33/00—Clay-wares
    • C04B33/30—Drying methods
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B21/00—Arrangements or duct systems, e.g. in combination with pallet boxes, for supplying and controlling air or gases for drying solid materials or objects
    • F26B21/004—Nozzle assemblies; Air knives; Air distributors; Blow boxes
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F26—DRYING
    • F26B—DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM
    • F26B3/00—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat
    • F26B3/02—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by convection, i.e. heat being conveyed from a heat source to the materials or objects to be dried by a gas or vapour, e.g. air
    • F26B3/04—Drying solid materials or objects by processes involving the application of heat by convection, i.e. heat being conveyed from a heat source to the materials or objects to be dried by a gas or vapour, e.g. air the gas or vapour circulating over or surrounding the materials or objects to be dried

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Microbiology (AREA)
  • Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)

Description

(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING ARTICLES OF CERAMIC WARE (71) We, INTERDRI LIM1TED, a British Company of Newport Lane, Middleport, Stokeon-Trent, Staffordshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to the drying of articles of ceramic ware and particularly flatware articles such as plates, saucers and the like.
After production of ceramic flatware in a mould the articles require to be dried both to release them from the mould and to impart sufficient strength to the articles to enable further handling. In conventional drying techniques hot air is directed on to the articles, but this suffers from the disadvantage that the central parts of the articles are dried before the rims or perimeters so that cracking occurs. The uneven distribution of the hot air over the surfaces of the articles can also give rise to distortion.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of drying articles of ceramic ware supported on a mould, said method comprising inducing a flow of a drying agent over an exposed surface of the article between the exposed surface of the article and a member disposed adjacent thereto and extending at least partially thereover, the flow being introduced substantially at the periphery of the article and extracted substantially centrally thereof.
According to the present invention there is also provided apparatus for use in drying articles of ceramic ware when supported on a mould, said apparatus comprising a mould support, a member provided adjacent to, but spaced from, the mould support so as to define a gap between the member and the article, means for introducing a drying agent substantially at the periphery of an article, and means for extracting the drying agent from substantially centrally of the article.
Advantageously the member is a substantially flat plate, and means may be provided for adjusting the velocity of the drying agent.
Alternatively the member is a profile which corresponds closely in shape to that of the article to be dried.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a vertical cross-section through one form of drying apparatus according to the invention.
Referring to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a support (not shown) for a mould 6 on which an article of ware in the form of a plate 7 to be dried is supported with the underside of the plate directed upwardly.
Mounted above the support is a member 8 which comprises a flat baffle plate, for example of steel. The member 8 is supported on the lower end of an air extraction pipe 9 which opens through the member 8 centrally above the plate 7.
An air inlet pipe 10 has an opening coaxially arranged with respect to the extraction pipe 9 and opens above the member 8. Means (not shown) is connected to the extraction pipe 9 to enable extraction of the air therethrough during operation of the apparatus.
In operation a drying agent in the form of heated air is introduced through the air inlet pipe 10 and passes over the upper surface of the member 8. At the same time vacuum is applied to the air extraction pipe 9 and this induces the hot air passing over the upper surface of the member 8 to turn around the outer edge of the latter and travel over the upper surface of the plate 7 between same and the member 8, the air then being exhausted through the central extraction pipe 9. The velocity of the incoming hot air can be increased as necessary when the diameter of the plate 7 is substantially greater than the diameter of the member 8 such that the hot air in turning around the outer edge of the member 8 will travel over the periphery of the plate 7.
Cool air is drawn from the surrounding atmosphere over the under surface of the mould 6 and into the gap between the plate 7 and the member 8. This flow of unheated air serves to cool the mould and this enables hot air at a higher temperature to be utilised for drying without fear of cracking the mould itself.
By virtue of the use of vacuum to draw air over the article to be dried the pressure of the hot air can be relatively low compared with conventional hot air drying apparatus. Moreover by diverting the incoming hot air so that it first acts on the perimeter of the article and is thereafter drawn towards the centre and discharged, improved drying is obtained compared with conventional arrangements in which hot air is directed centrally on the article, and cracking and distortion are reduced. Moreover tests have shown that release of the article from the mould can be achieved after five to ten minutes drying compared with approximately thirty minutes by conventional methods.Since the mould is protected from the hot air by the article to be dried itself and is cooled from beneath by the incoming unheated air, it is possible to utilise hot air at much higher tem- peratures than hitherto without cracking the mould. In tests temperatures of 500"F have been utilised without damage to the mould compared with maximum allowable temperatures of about 1500F using conventional techniques. Moreover because of the rapid drying which can be achieved articles can be released much more quickly from the mould and hence a reduced number of moulds are required compared with conventional processes.
In a practical form of apparatus a series of mould supports may be moved sequentially to drying stations either on a conveyor belt or turntable. As hereinbefore described the one flat member 8 can be used for different moulds and their plates with variation in the velocity of the incoming hot air. It is envisaged that normally the gap between the article to be dried and the member 8 will approximate to 3/8 inch but this can be varied considerably depending on the article being dried, the air temperature, and other factors. Moreover in some instances it may be desired to commence drying with a greater separation between the article and the member, the gap being reduced as drying progresses.
A further advantage arising from the arrangement described resides in the fact that the member itself becomes hot and hence contributes to drying by radiating heat on to the article.
In a modification, the baffle plate may be a plate identical in profile to the plate 7 but which has been subsequently fired and subjected to shrinkage as a result. It is necessary therefore to provide for each mould support to be elevated at a drying station to raise the article into close proximity to the profile plate. Alternatively the profile plate maybe lowered into close proximity to the article for drying.
Various other modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the member may be made from a material other than metal. Also the air passing over the under surface of the mould, instead ofbeing cooled, may be preheated to any temperature below 1500F to help keep the mould dry.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of drying articles of ceramic ware supported on a mould, said method comprising inducing a flow of a drying agent over an exposed surface of the article between the exposed surface of the article and a member disposed adjacent thereto and extending at least partially thereover, the flow being introduced substantially at the periphery of the article and extracted substantially centrally thereof.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the drying agent is introduced from the side of the member remote from the article thereby to pass over the member before entering between the exposed surface of the article and the member.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein when an article has a greater dimension than the corresponding dimension of the member, the velocity of the drying agent is increased to enable the drying agent to reach the periphery of an article as the drying agent passes over the member.
4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the drying agent is heated air.
5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein unheated air is drawn over the mould and is induced over the exposed surface of the article whereby to effect a cooling action on the mould.
6. Apparatus for use in drying articles of ceramic ware when supported on a mould, said apparatus comprising a mould support, a member provided adjacent to, but spaced from, the mould support so as to define a gap between the member and the article, means for introducing a drying agent substantially at the periphery of an article into the gap, and means for extracting the drying agent from substantially centrally of the article.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the member is a substantially flat plate.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein means are provided for adjusting the velocity of the drying agent.
9. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the member is a profile which corresponds closely in shape to that ofthe article to be dried, 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the profile has a slightly smaller dimension than the corresponding dimension of the article to be dried.
11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein means are provided for raising and lowering the mould support relative to the profile.
12. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein means are provided for raising and lowering the profile relative to the mould support.
13. Apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 12, wherein a first tube passes through the member and opens above the article to be dried,
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (17)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. By virtue of the use of vacuum to draw air over the article to be dried the pressure of the hot air can be relatively low compared with conventional hot air drying apparatus. Moreover by diverting the incoming hot air so that it first acts on the perimeter of the article and is thereafter drawn towards the centre and discharged, improved drying is obtained compared with conventional arrangements in which hot air is directed centrally on the article, and cracking and distortion are reduced. Moreover tests have shown that release of the article from the mould can be achieved after five to ten minutes drying compared with approximately thirty minutes by conventional methods.Since the mould is protected from the hot air by the article to be dried itself and is cooled from beneath by the incoming unheated air, it is possible to utilise hot air at much higher tem- peratures than hitherto without cracking the mould. In tests temperatures of 500"F have been utilised without damage to the mould compared with maximum allowable temperatures of about 1500F using conventional techniques. Moreover because of the rapid drying which can be achieved articles can be released much more quickly from the mould and hence a reduced number of moulds are required compared with conventional processes. In a practical form of apparatus a series of mould supports may be moved sequentially to drying stations either on a conveyor belt or turntable. As hereinbefore described the one flat member 8 can be used for different moulds and their plates with variation in the velocity of the incoming hot air. It is envisaged that normally the gap between the article to be dried and the member 8 will approximate to 3/8 inch but this can be varied considerably depending on the article being dried, the air temperature, and other factors. Moreover in some instances it may be desired to commence drying with a greater separation between the article and the member, the gap being reduced as drying progresses. A further advantage arising from the arrangement described resides in the fact that the member itself becomes hot and hence contributes to drying by radiating heat on to the article. In a modification, the baffle plate may be a plate identical in profile to the plate 7 but which has been subsequently fired and subjected to shrinkage as a result. It is necessary therefore to provide for each mould support to be elevated at a drying station to raise the article into close proximity to the profile plate. Alternatively the profile plate maybe lowered into close proximity to the article for drying. Various other modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example the member may be made from a material other than metal. Also the air passing over the under surface of the mould, instead ofbeing cooled, may be preheated to any temperature below 1500F to help keep the mould dry. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:
1. A method of drying articles of ceramic ware supported on a mould, said method comprising inducing a flow of a drying agent over an exposed surface of the article between the exposed surface of the article and a member disposed adjacent thereto and extending at least partially thereover, the flow being introduced substantially at the periphery of the article and extracted substantially centrally thereof.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the drying agent is introduced from the side of the member remote from the article thereby to pass over the member before entering between the exposed surface of the article and the member.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein when an article has a greater dimension than the corresponding dimension of the member, the velocity of the drying agent is increased to enable the drying agent to reach the periphery of an article as the drying agent passes over the member.
4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the drying agent is heated air.
5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein unheated air is drawn over the mould and is induced over the exposed surface of the article whereby to effect a cooling action on the mould.
6. Apparatus for use in drying articles of ceramic ware when supported on a mould, said apparatus comprising a mould support, a member provided adjacent to, but spaced from, the mould support so as to define a gap between the member and the article, means for introducing a drying agent substantially at the periphery of an article into the gap, and means for extracting the drying agent from substantially centrally of the article.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the member is a substantially flat plate.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein means are provided for adjusting the velocity of the drying agent.
9. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the member is a profile which corresponds closely in shape to that ofthe article to be dried,
10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the profile has a slightly smaller dimension than the corresponding dimension of the article to be dried.
11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein means are provided for raising and lowering the mould support relative to the profile.
12. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein means are provided for raising and lowering the profile relative to the mould support.
13. Apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 12, wherein a first tube passes through the member and opens above the article to be dried,
means being provided for applying suction to the tube.
14. Apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 13, wherein a second tube opens above the member to direct the drying agent over the upper surface of the member to the peripheral edge thereof where the drying agent is induced therearound. into the gap.
15. Apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 14, wherein means is provided for admitting untreated air beneath the mould.
16. A method of drying articles of ceramic ware supported on a mould, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
17. Apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware supported on a mould, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
GB3807677A 1977-09-13 1977-09-13 Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware Expired GB1602729A (en)

Priority Applications (9)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB3807677A GB1602729A (en) 1977-09-13 1977-09-13 Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware
US05/941,183 US4285141A (en) 1977-09-13 1978-09-11 Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware
FR7827002A FR2402629A1 (en) 1977-09-13 1978-09-12 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING CERAMIC ARTICLES
JP11137178A JPS5490655A (en) 1977-09-13 1978-09-12 Method for drying article in ceramics and its device
ES473272A ES473272A1 (en) 1977-09-13 1978-09-12 Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware
DE19782839592 DE2839592A1 (en) 1977-09-13 1978-09-12 METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DRYING OBJECTS MADE OF CERAMIC MATERIAL
IT7827612A IT1098633B (en) 1977-09-13 1978-09-13 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING CERAMIC ARTICLES
BR7805987A BR7805987A (en) 1977-09-13 1978-09-13 PROCESS AND APPLIANCE FOR DRYING FLAT CERAMIC ITEMS SUSTAINED ON A TEMPLATE
PT68551A PT68551A (en) 1977-09-13 1978-09-13 Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB3807677A GB1602729A (en) 1977-09-13 1977-09-13 Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB1602729A true GB1602729A (en) 1981-11-18

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ID=10401009

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB3807677A Expired GB1602729A (en) 1977-09-13 1977-09-13 Method and apparatus for drying articles of ceramic ware

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB1602729A (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2121938A (en) * 1982-06-16 1984-01-04 Budapesti Mueszaki Egyetem Drying apparatus

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2121938A (en) * 1982-06-16 1984-01-04 Budapesti Mueszaki Egyetem Drying apparatus

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Date Code Title Description
PS Patent sealed
PE20 Patent expired after termination of 20 years

Effective date: 19980525