US1055125A - Drying-machine. - Google Patents

Description

L. J. BLACK.

DRYING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 10,1912.

1,055,125. Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. J. BLACK.

DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY10,1912.

1,055,125, Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

avwento'o L. J. BLACK.

DRYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1012.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

wwneooeo Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

' L. J. BLACK.

DRYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Elvweukoz lee JBZQCZ' m N Hm h Ji 474 I LEE J'. BLACK, OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

DRYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters- Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

Application filed July 10, 1912. Serial No. 708,542.

To all it may concern Be it known that'I, LEE J. BLACK, a citl- 'zen' of the United States, residing at Beaumont, in the county of Jefferson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements. in Drying-Machines; and I do eclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which, it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to driers and more especially to those having a horizontal rotating cylinder; and the object of the same is to produce a machine for drying and heating crushed stone, sand, clay, ore, or any product which requires extreme caution on account of its liability of being burned in the process of drying and heatm such as bituminous rock or a mixture 0 rock, sand, and asphalt.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction of a machine of this character, to which end it consists in the details hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed and as shown in the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of this machine complete; and Fig. 2 a central longitudinalsection through the same, with its trucksin side elevation; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Fig". 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear end elevation with the heater in section; Figs. 5 and 6 are cross sections on the lines5-5 and 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Mounted on any suitable supportsuch as the trucks 1 and 2 is a base comprising arallel. sills 4 carrying the necessary cross cams or supports for the instrumentalities hereinafter described. By preference I support said sills on a bolster 3 over the rear truck'and an adjusting mechanism of any suitable type over the front truck, herein shown in Fig, 3 as consisting of oppositely threadedscrews 5 depending from the-sills 4 through nuts 6 constituting the hubs of beveled gears 7, which are connected by a cross shaft 8 having beveled gears 9 at its extremities, and this shaft may be turned in either direction by any suitable means such as the application of a wrench to the squared portion 10. This adjusting mechanism may be replaced by any other, or

'might be omitted entirely, but when used as herein specifically illustrated, it serves to adjust the base and the instrumentalities carried thereby, so that the main cylinder shall incline a littleto the rear of the machme for a purpose to be set forth below.

However, if this improveddrier is mounted ona fixed support, the bearings for said cylinder will be so disposed that it will incline as mentioned, and then of course .the trucks and the adjusting mechanism will be dispensed with.

Mounted in bearings 11 and 12 carried by the base is a tubular shaft 13 which is plugged at 14 and 15 near its front and rear ends respectively and perforated at 16 just outsidesald lugs and through hubs 17 surrounding the s aft where it is perforated lead tubular spokes 18 (four in each group are shown) w ose outer ends ass through the inner shell 19 of the cylin er. The latter is composed of said inner shell and an outer shell 20 spaced therefrom by rings 21 located at intervals, and each ring is perforatedv as at 22 to allow the free passage of heat through the annular jacket thus formed between the two shells. tremities of the latter are connected by solid rings 23 and bolts 24, and .the bolts at the front enga e and hold in place a head 25 which is pierced with a central opening 26 The exaround and larger than the shaft.- The' rear head 27 is a cast-iron hood fixedly.

mounted on the .base as by being supported on cross beams 28 restin on the sills 4, and this hood has an annu ar flange 29 surrounding the rear end of the outer shell and a central opening 30 through which the shaft 13 asses. It is also provided below this openlng with another opening 31, in which is secured a delivery spout 32 out of which the heated material falls and from whiclnit maybe delivered into a suitable receptacle or possibly onto the pavement or to the place of use in case the machine is mounted on trucks as illustrated.

The agitating mechanism comprises a number of series of spiral wings o-r flukes thereof, carry it around within the inner shell to a point where it drops ofl each wing and again falls to the bottom thereof, and meanwhile feed it toward the rear or delivery end of the cylinder by reason of the inclination of the latter and the spiral dis position of the wings. The agitatlng mechanism furthermore includes a series of cross paddles 37 bolted as at 38 to the inner shell, and by preference disposed adjacent the inner end of the wings of each series above described; and'their function is to break up the substance being heated or dried and prevent it from balling while in a moist state, as it is well known that any substance of a sticky nature that is rolled with a circular 4 motion will form into balls or clods which prevent the heat from penetrating to the center of the same. I The agitating mechanism might be said to further include the radial spokes 18 which connect the shaft 13 with the inner shell and which of necessity revolve with said shaft and cylinder. With these exceptions the interior of the latter is free fort-he passage .of the material from the inlet to the outlet end thereof. The material of which the cylinder is composed is i preferably sheet iron, with metal tubin for the shaft and spokes, but the nature 0 the; material and the size and exact proportions of parts are immaterial, and changes in the; details of this machine throughout all its parts may be made so long as the-spirit of the invention is retained. If the length of; the cylinder is sufficient, it may be wise to surround it by heavy bands'or' ways 40 resting on grooved rollers 41 -suitably supported on the base, and this detail will support the cylinder between its extremities or between the hubs 17 where it is supported on the shaft and will additionally brace the outer shell by reason of the surrounding ways.

The feed mechanism best seen in Fig. 3

'- comprises a hopper '44 whose spout 45 is directed through the inlet opening 26 in the front head25 as seen in Fig. 2, and within this spout the rotating shaft 13 preferably carries a worm 46 so that the material within the spout is forced through thefopening and into the front end of the cylinder. The feed mechanism might be said also to in clude an elevator best seen in Fig, 8, herein shown as consisting of buckets 47 mounted on an endless chain 48 which moves over sprockets 49' at its upper and lower ends,

the uppermost sprocket'having a sprocket gear 50 on its shaft connected by a belt 51 with another sprocket gear 52 which is driven in a manner yet to be described; The

lower-most sprocket 49 and the lower end of the chain are properly supported to cause the buckets to dip into a trough 53 into which the material to be treated may be dumped, or shoveled, and the uppermost sprocket .is properlysupported to cause the buckets to. deliver said material from the trough into the hopper 44, whence it is carried into the inlet end of the cylinder in a.

-- manner described above. However, I do ,not

wish to be limited to the'use of this form of scribed herein simply for purposes of illustration. g M755 is designated a steam engine driven by steam generated in a boiler 56, and. the

engine causesthe rotation of a shaft 57 on which the sprocket gear 52 may be mounted so that the rotation of this shaft drivesthe elevator just described. Said shaft also carbe any that w ries a power gear 58 meshing with a toothed ring 59"surrounding the cylinder near its front end, and hence the rotation of the power shaft-causes the rotation of the cylinder. It is obvious that the connection between the power shaft and the elevator and cylinder might be through other means, poss bly through clutches so that these instrumentalities could be rotated independently of each other: However, as these details form no part of the present invention, they are not illustrated herewith. I might also add that, if desired, suitable power mechanism could be employed to raise or lower the front end of the cylinder in a manner set forth above; but as the adjustment thereof will be but little and will occur but seldom, 1

prefer that it shall be done by hand through the attachment of some ratchet mechanism to the squared portion 10 shown in Fig. 3.

The drying or heatingmechanism or sys-. tem, which might be said to form the gistof the present invention, will now be described: Mounted on one end of the cross beams 28 at the rear of the sill or base is a fuel reservoir, herein shown as a tank 60 containing oil.

Mounted on the other ends of said beams is a an upright heater 61, herein" shown as provided with an oil burner 62 to which the fuel is led from said tank through a pipe 63 as best seen in Fig. 4, and the heater also bein provided with a hot air outlet flue 64 lea ing through the rear head of the cylinder as' shown at 65" in Fig. 2. Thus when oil is admitted from the tank 60 through the ipe 63' to the burner 62, the air admitted t rough the bottom of the heater is heated and passed out through the flue 64 into the cylinder at the point 65. Herein it is forced through the mass of tumbling material, and

it finds its exit through the inlet opening 26,

along the spout 45 and upward out the hopper 44. The heating system'may be said also to comprise the arrangement and circulation of the steam in so far as it is employed to create a draft of the hot air and to circulate within the steam jacket above described. In the arrangement illustrated in the drawings herewith, the course of the steam through proper pipes is from the boiler 56 at the point 70, through a valve 71 and along a pipe 72 into the heater 61 at the point 73,

-thence through a coil 74 located within the heater above the burner 62, thence outward through the shell of the heater at the oint 75 and back through a pipe 76 to the out of the machine where it is led into the front end of the shaft 13 through a suitable stuffing box 77. By this arrangement the temperature of the steam is brought up to a point of approximately nine hundred degrees F. where 'it enters the shaft. In the latter it asses out the openings 16, through the tubu ar spokes 18, andinto the jacket between the two shells formin the body of the cylinder; and within the acket it goes to the rear through the perforations 22 in the rings 21 and heats the entire cylinder;

directed along the center of the inlet flue 65;

whereas the lower arm of the T-couplin 80 connects with a pipe 84 b means of w ich the steam is again led bac to the front end of the machine, and through a valve 85 into vthe steam chest of the engine 55, and after being used therein it is exhausted into the air at the point 86. It will be observed that this system of piping the steam causes the same to be super-heated within the heater which for convenience I have located at the rear part of the machine, then the steam is used to heat the steam jacket surrounding the cylinder, then the steam branches within the T-coupling 80 and part of it is used as a jet to create suction on the air which has been heated within the cylinder and to force said air throughout the length of the inner shell to dry and heat the material therein, and finally the remainder of the steam passing through the Tcoupling 80 is led back to the engine and utilized to cause the rotation of the cylinder and to do other work if desired' With the understanding, however, that I do not wish to be confined to the recise details of construction, it will be c car that the power shaft might be rotated by some other form of engine, as for instance one driven by gasolene. The gist of the invention lies in the fact that I utilize the flow of steam through the jacket to heat the cylinder, and then jet it into the air inlet pipe both to create a draft within the air and a flow of the I latter through the cylinder, and to moisten the air because it is well known that steam will smother a flame without destroying the heat, and it might be possible that some of the particles in the substance being heated or roasted would become so hot as to ignite. My system, therefore, essentially uses the steam for three purposes (to heat the cylinder, jet the air, and smother fire), and lIlCldentally may be used for a fourth urpose which is to drive the engine whichdmves the machinery. My system also uses the heater for two purposes, viz: heatin the air which is to be jetted into the cylinder, and superheating the steam. My system therefore 80, uses both the steam and the air in conjunction with each other for a variety of purposes, all tending to the same end which is as stated at the beginning of this specific'a-j tion. 5

What is claimed as new is 1. In a drying machine, the combination with a substantially horizontal rotary cylinderncomprising concentric shells with aspace between them and mounted on a tubu- 5 lar shaft, and provided with an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other; of series of tubular spokes connecting said shaft and space near both ends of the cylinder, a plug within the shaft between the series, means for feeding a hot fluid agent into oneend of the shaf, along said space, and out the other end of the shaft, and means for simultaneously feeding hot air into the outlet end of the cylinder, throughout the length 100 of its inner shell, and out the inlet end thereof. j V

2. In a drying machine, the combination ,with a substantially horizontal rotary cylinder comprising concentric shells with a space bet-ween them and mounted on a tubular shaft, and provided with an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other; of series of tubular spokes connecting said shaft and space near both ends of the cylinder, plugs within the shaft between the series, means for feeding super-heated steam into one end of the shaft, throughout the length of the space, and out the other end of the shaft, means for feeding hot air into the rear end of the inner shell, throughout its length, and out its front end, and connections between the outlet end of the shaft and the inlet end of the air-feed for carrying a portion of the steam from the former to the latter and jetting it into the inner shell along with the air.

3. In a drier, the combination with a substantiallyhorizontal rotary cylinder having a jacket throughout its length, a front head fixed therein and provided with a central opening, a stationary rear head rovided with an outlet and another opening, and feed mechanism for delivering the material to be treated through the opening in the front head; of an air heater, a fine connecting it with said opening inthe rear" head offthe cylinder, means for feeding steam throughout the length of said jacket, and connections between the jacket and the opening in the rear head for conveying the steam from the former to the latter and jetting it into the cylinder along with the hot air. I

4r. In a drier, the combination with a substantiallv horizontal rotary cylinder having a'jacket throughout its length, a front head fixed therein: and p'rovided'with an inlet opening, a stationary rear head provided with an outlet opening, and feed mechanism for. delivering the material to be treated through the inlet opening in the front head;

of an air heater, a flue connecting it withthe rear opening in said cylinder, a coil I [along with the hot air.

within the'heater, a steam generator ,connected with one end of the coil, connections between the other end thereof and one end "of said jacket, and connections between'the other end ofsaid jacket and the rear open- 'ing in the cylinder whereby the superheated steam is conveyed from the' former into the latter and jetted into the cylinder 7 5. In a drier, the combination with a substantially horizontal rotary cylinder comprising shells with a space between them, a tubular shaft, two series of tubular spokes connecting the shaft with said space near the extremities of the cylinder, and plugs in the shaft between said series; of bearings for the ends of the shaft, stufling boxes in said ends, a heater, a flue leadingtherefrom into the'rear end ofthe inner s'hell, a coil within the' heater, a boiler, an engine, a pipe leading from the boiler'to said coil, a pipe leading from the coil through said stuffing box at the front end of the shaft, apipe leading through the stufling box at the other end thereof and branched, a pipe leading from one branch thereof to said engine, a

- pipe leading from the other branch thereof, and a jet on the extremity of this pipe for conveying steam along with the hot air into "the interior of the inner shell.

- from into the near end of the inner shell,

a coil within the heater, a boiler, an engine,

a pipejleading from the boiler to said coil,- a

pipe leading from the other end of thecoil through said stuffing box at'the front end 'of the shaft, a pipe leading. through the,

stuffing box at the other end thereof and the inner' shell.

branched, a pipe leading from one branch thereof to said engine, a pipe leading fromthe other branch thereof, a jet on the extremity of this pipe for conveying steam along with the hot air into the interioraof the inner shell, connections between the engine and the cylinder for rotating the latter, and feed mechanism comprising a hopper whose spout deliversinto the front end of the cylinder, a trough, and an elevator conveying the material from the trough to the-hopper and driven by said.engine.-'

7 In-a drier, a cylinder comprising concentric spaced fshells, rings between them" having perforations throu h their bodies,

solid rings bolted between t e extremities of saidshells, a front head having a central opening anda radial flange engaged by the bolts of. the front ring, a non-rotary rear head havinga flange inclosing the rear end of the outer shell, and a shaft extending as. I

loosely through both heads and having series of spokes'connected'with the inner shell near the extremities of the cylinder; combined with means for-directing a blast of hot,fluid agent through the space between J said shells, and means for-directing a blast of hot fluid agent throughout the'length of 8. In a' drier, a cylinder comprising concentric spaced shells, rings between them having perforations through their bodies, solid rings bolted between the extremities of said shells, a front head having a central opening and a radial flange engaged by the bolts of the front ring, a non-rotary rear head having a flange inclosing the rear end of the outer. shell, a tubular shaft extending loosely through both heads and mounted in bearings, the shaft having perforation's' near said heads, plugs within the shaft between,

said perforations, hubs fixed around the of tubular spokes connecting each hub with the inner shell and establishing communication between one'set of perforations inthe shaft and the space between the shells; combined with means for feeding a hot fluid shaft outside said perforations, and a series agent into one end of the shaft, throughout the length of the jacket, and out the other end of the shaft, and mcans'for feeding a blast of hot fluid agent throughout the length of the inner shell outside of said shaft. I I f 9. In a drier of the class described, the

cylinder having concentric shells with an annular space between them, a front head fixed within the inner shell and having a central opening, a shaft journaled in bearcombination with a substantially horizontal ings, hubs on the shaft, and series of spokes radiating from said hubs to the inner' shell;

of a feed hopper having a spout extended through said opening in 'said head, a-worm on the shaft within said spout, a non-rotary rear head having a flan e loosely surrounding the rear end of t e outer shell and pierced with an opening for said shaft and an outlet opening beneath it, means for directing a blast of hot fluid agent throughout the length of said space, and means for directing a blast of hot fluid agent throughout the length of the interior shell.

10. In an agitating mechanism for a drier of the class described, the combination with a substantially horizontal rotary cylinder having an inlet at its front end and an outlet at its rear end, and means for feeding the material to be treated into the inlet oof said cylinder; of a shaft extending throughout the axis of said cylinder, series of radial spokes connecting said shaft and cylinder, means for feeding a blast of hot fluid agent throughout the length of the latter, two series of spiral wings secured within the cylinder respectively neat the ends thereof and disposed so as tofeed the material from the inlet toward the outlet, and two series of cross paddles fixed within the cylinder between said series of wings, for the purpose set forth.

11. In an agitating mechanism, the combination with a substantially horizontal rotary cylinder, and means for feeding the material to be treated into its front end; of means for rotating said cylinder, means for directing a blast of hot fluid agent throughout the length of its interior, two series of spiral wings secured within the cylinder respectively near theends thereof, and cross paddles fixed within the cylinder between said series of wings, for the purpose set forth.

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEE J. BL'ACK.

Witnesses:

CARR P. COLLINS, JOHN L. BAKER.

. Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. 0.

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