GB388555A - Improvements in and relating to rotary chamber drying machines - Google Patents

Abstract

388,555. Rotary-drum drying-apparatus. CHERRY TREE MACHINE CO., Ltd., Cherry Tree, and DOWELL, G., 7, York Terrace, Shear Brow, both in Blackburn. Jan. 30, 1932, No. 2790. [Class 34 (ii).] Rotary-drum drying-machines particularly for laundry and dry-cleaning purposes, are provided with means for the passage of heated drying air such that at will or automatically the air may be passed once through the drying chamber and then discharged, or may be continuously circulated through such chambers. In operation, these alternative systems may be arranged to alternate ; and at the end of the drying operation, provision may be made for the passage of cold air through the materials. As shown, the machine comprises a perforated or wire mesh drying cylinder or cage a, Fig. 1, rotatably mounted in a casing b, a circulating fan e, a heating chamber d fitted with steam coils, and a discharge pipe h ; the several parts of the machine are connected by or enclosed in passageways provided with valves or dampers such that the air supply to the heater is controlled by a valve i which in the closed position permits of the entry of a relatively small quantity of air, a hot air damper e<1> which controls the passage of hot air to the fan e, then after passage of the air downwardly through the drying cylinder it meets a valve j which determines either its entire discharge to the outlet g communicating with the pipe h, or its return to the heater and by means of an extension j<2> on the valve its partial discharge through the outlet g ; and a further valve l controls the entry of cold air directly to the fan. The several valves may be actuated individually by hand or they may be interconnected by links k, n provided with slots as shown at the ends and by an actuating-rod l<2>, the arrangement being such that when the valve j is open the valve i supplying air to the heater is closed, and that the opening of the cold air supply valve l simultaneously closes the hot air damper e<1> and also maintains the valve in its closed position. The necessary changes in position of the valves i, j may be performed automatically ; thus, a cam r, Fig. 3, conveniently actuated from the drying cylinder through ratchet mechanism s, t oscillates a lever connected by a link p to an arm q connected to the valve j, Fig. 1, itself connected by a link k<2> to the valve i, Fig. 1 ; the lever is provided with a handle o<1> and a locking quadrant o<3>, and by means of these parts the lever may be raised clear of the cam and into a position which then permits of the rod l<2> connected to the cold air valve l and the hot air damper e<1>, Fig. 1, being moved into a position that causes cold air to be passed through the drying cylinder, during which time the quadrant o<3> rests on the part l<3> on the rod l<2>, so maintaining the valves i, j closed. The machine may be fitted with a screen, and this may be provided with a wiping attachment y, Fig. 1, as described in Specification 386,711, which attachment may be actuated either by the drum or by the mechanism used for actuating the valves.