GB369263A - A collector and destructor for water hyacinth - Google Patents

Abstract

369,263. Destroying weeds. RORKE, M., 71, Sandwith Road, Rangoon, Burma, Dec. 2, 1930, No. 36315. [Classes 5 (i), 6 (i), and 6 (iii).] Apparatus for the collection and destruction of water hyacinth and like weeds comprises means to collect, cut up and then dry the weed, the drying being effected in stages, the dried weed being stored and used as a fuel alone or in conjunction with coal to raise steam by which the said cutting and drying means are actuated. Slotted, adjustable arms 2 hinged to the U-shaped forward part of a. shallow-draught barge direct the weed to rotary cutters 10 detachably mounted on a shaft 11 which can be raised or lowered by adjusting gear 13. The ends 15 of the cutters 10 which project a short distance above the surface of the water, are bent at right-angles so that the weed is cut longitudinally and is partially split laterally. The shaft 11 passes through watertight doors 21 on the hull of the boat, the slides 22 of the doors being held in position by pressure springs 23. The weed passes from the cutters 10 by conveyers 14, 34, 36, 48, shoots 25, 35, 37 and pressing rollers 26, 27, 26a, 27a to electric furnaces 40, 41. The conveyer platform 14 is of light section channel iron and is pivoted to rolled steel stanchions ; the lower end of the conveyer may be raised by means of davits 28. The moving portions of the conveyer comprise chains driven by pinions at the highest point, idler pinions being provided along the length of the conveyer : the chains are adjusted by slides and eccentric rollers. The pressure of the rollers 26, 27, 26a, 27a is adjustable by weight blocks, the upper rollers being sprung in slides and the lower rollers driven so that a bouncing motion is imparted to the upper rollers ; scraper arms are attached. The shoot 37 is branched at 38, 39 and controlled by doors whereby the weed is directed into drying furnaces 40, 41 through which it passes on composition belts 42, driven by a large or small winch according as one or both furnaces are in use. A platform 45 is located between the furnaces. The moisture from the weed passes through a perforated firebrick arch 61 to a flue 47. Shutters 60 to isolate any particular furnace are raised or lowered from an overhead trolley. Electricity for the furnaces is generated by a dynamo driven from the main engine. The dried weed passes from the furnaces to elevators 48 and so to hoppers 49. All the operations of collection and destruction are controlled from a platform 50.