US1198878A

US1198878A - Sheet-drying apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US1198878A
Application number: US86835114A
Authority: US
Inventors: Washington I Tuttle
Original assignee: TIN DECORATING Co OF BALTIMORE
Current assignee: TIN DECORATING Co OF BALTIMORE
Priority date: 1914-10-24
Filing date: 1914-10-24
Publication date: 1916-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 1933-09-19

Description

W. l. TUITLE.

SHEET DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION mio ocr. 24. |914.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

il i

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. TUTTLE. SHEET DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24 1914.

1,198,878. 11111111111 sept. 19, 1916.

6`SHEETS-SHEET 2.

oo con comme man 5325 n nooo vacuna nanou unan Jr-'IE ll. TEE ...LE

zum/yy om Z 71am W. I. TUTTLE.

SHEET DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATmN FILED oc. 24. 1914,

l 1 98,878. Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Suva/1to1,

MOM 5 w. I. TUULE.

rSHEIEI DRYING APIARATUS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24l I9I4.

1,198,878. y lzlII-ntvdSvpI. 19, 1916.

6 SHEETSWSHEET 4.

WS TUTTLE.

SHEET DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLlcmoN mm ocr. 24. 19H.

1,198,878. Patented sept. 19,1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

W. l. TUTTLE` SHEET DRYING APPARATUS.

APPucArloN FILED ocr. 24. |914.

1 ,1 98,878. lutolltwlept. 19, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

mrow/Mgg UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WASHINGTON I. TUT'ILE, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO TIN DECORATING COMPANY OF BALTIMORE, OF BALTIMORE, DARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHEET-DRYING APPARATUS.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Application led October 2li, 1914. Serial No. 868,351.

To all 'l/i m11 it 'may fonc-ern.:

lic it known that l, l\'.\sii1xo'ro.\' I; Tirr- 'ri.n, a citizen of the. United States. residing at Baltimore. in the State of hf'laryland, have invented new and useful Improve- 'inents in Sheet-During Apparatus. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in drying apparatus, and while the invention involves iinprovements in drying apparatus iu general, l have described the invention in the following specification as applied to the manufacture of print-ed tins or sheets of metal used largely in the. manufact-ure of metallic containers. The sheets or blankst from which such metal containers are made are frequently printed in several colors. The application of each color necessitates a separate printing operation, and after each printing the tins or sheets must. be dried or baked in order to render the printing ell'ective and to cause the color to adhere. In the practical manufacture ot' these. printed blanks` they are handled in gre-at quantities and the rel ndling necessary to reprint and re-dry the sheets greatly increases the labor involved.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide apparatus which will greatly facilitate the handling and drying and reliandling and re-drying of such articles in large quantities.

A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the attendants of the apparatus are not exposed to a high temperature, and t\ arrange the apparatus in .such a way that the loadingr and unloadingr oi" the articles passingr into and out of the drier can be readil" :recoinplished.

further objectof th" invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the. articles being dried will be inethodieall) heated.

.\ further object of the invention is to provide apparatus ineludinr.r a drying clianibei or oren. and havin;r means imrticularly adapted for pa. ing and rcpassing articles through the drying chamber or oven in large' quantities. and to provide. an arrangement which reononiizes space in the building used for the purpose.

Further objects of ,the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists in the general combination of parts and features hereinafter' described, all of which contribute to produce an efficient drying apparatus.

A preferred embodiment of my invention will be particularly described in the following specification, while the broad scope of my invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawi-ngs.:'1 `igure 1 is a diagrammatic plan partly in 'section and partly broken away showing a dry house with the preferred arrangement of drying apparatus therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical section partly broken away,gfurther illustrating the preferred arrangement of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is an elevation upon an enlarged scale partly in sectionand partly broken away,v

and further illustrating the means for dri v ing and guiding the endless conveyers which' are a feature of the invention. Fig. 4 is an elevation illustrating the arrangement for bringing the articles to be dried, such as the tins, from auxiliary apparatus, such as printing presses, so as to enable the articles to be passed o r repassed through the drying chamber. partial section illustrating a belt tighten'er in detail. which foi-n... .1. part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4. Fig. G is a section partially broken away and further illustrating the arrangement-for guiding and dry- Fig. 5 is a side elevation and ing the apparatus shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7

is a plan of one 0f the racks which constitutes a feature of the invention and upon which the articles a're loaded in passing the saine into the drying chai'inber. Fig. 'o' is a front elevation of one of the r'aclts, only a' Referring more particularly to the parts, l represents the working floor of a dry house, havingv a roof 9.; the drying chamber 3 is preferably in the forni of a shaft or oven the walls of which extend down from the roof i2, the lower end 4- of the dryingA chamber being preferably openand disposed atan elevated point above the working lloor l. This lower end 1l.- is most conveniently placed just above the beams 5 which afford means for the attachnie'nt of hangers t3 for supporting a working plat-form which is located between the workiirgr floor 1 and the opening 4i.

The drying chamber is preferably placed in a cent-ral hay, the rootl 2 whereof may have skylights 2"" and ventilators il" iii the sides of'any snit-able type such as the transom Aventilators indicated. Above the roof 2 the side walls of the drying (-,haniber are preferably provided with .side ventilators 2 wliich'inay be of any desired type preferably arranged tb be opened and closed fr in below by any means such as cords 2d.

I` provide for passingr thel articles to be dried iip into the interior of the dryingr chamber, and I provide for the loading and unloading of the articles to be dried from the working floor l1 and platform 7. I also prefer to provide an arrangement for enabling the. articles to be passed and ive-passed up into lthe drying chamber. For this purpose, I prefer to provide a plurality of con- Veyers A, B, C, Dfarrilngcd end to end along one of the side walls 8 of the dryingr chamber", and opposite to these conveyors, I prefer to provide a similar set of eonveyers A'` B'. C', D. These coiiveyers are preferably of the endless conveyor type. rIhey are -similar in construction so that a description of a pair of them will sullice for all.

Referring now. particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, each conveyor preferably comprises a pair of endless* chains 5l the upper ends of which pass around oppositely disposed pairs of sprocket wheels 1t); the sprocket wheels 10 of the conveyor A. are disposed opposite to the sprocket wheels 10 of the conveyor A. @The lower ends of the chains 9 pass around guidefwheels or sprocket wheels 11, the shafts of which are n'ionnted ii: suitable liearing blocks 12, and these bearing blocks are secured between twosuitable vertical guides preferably eonsistiingr of two parallel bars 13.

Between the chains 9 of each iii\'e \'er7 I prefer to provide. a plurality of; racks or oars 14., the preferred eonstrurtion of which is illustrati-d in Figs. 7 to tl. These rarlv's preferably7 compris barks` 1.. l'ornieil ot'a Substantially rertangiilar traine presenting vertical bars` lt) arranged in pairs. and in termediate vertii-al liars li. 'l`he ioni-r lnds of the bars lt' and 1T are attached to :i bottom rail 1S.

(ln one side of the bach i 15., I provide a i'ilurality oflholders 19 for the articles which are to be" dried. and these holders are preferably arranged-in transverse horizontal rows and are preferably iii the form of skeleton brackets or shelves formed of bars bent into .substantially U-liorni.l (See. Fig. 7). The rear ends of the sides 15) of these frames or holders l) pass through ol'ienings inl` lh'e forward flange 2t) of the bars 1t" whiell are of channel forni, and beyond the flangifes these. ends are oil-set. and anchored or ii-iveted in the baek llangi'e 21 of the bar 1G.

Near the middle points of the holders or frames 10 I prefer to provi'tle braces which are attached to the vfaesof the internitaliate vert-ical bars 17. gAs viewed in .side elevation, as shown in Fig. 9, the holdersA lil all incline upward lslightly toward their outer ends.

At. the upper end-of eaeh raek and near the ends thereof, I prefer to provide outwardly 'projeetingarins 23, and on the un der sides of these arii'is I provide brackets '24 which support a spindleor rod 25 which extends longitudinally over the rack at about the middle point of the holders or shelves 19. In order to'braee this bar and the bracket, I prefer to provide inclined tie bars 2t atI each end of the rack, the lower ends of which are .anchored in the bottoni rail 1S and the upper ends of which-pass through the arms 23 and lare threaded so as to receive elainpingnr nuts 27 which 'clamp the tie rods to the. end of the-arms. y

.\t points intermediate ofthe Shelves or holders 19, I prefer to provide a plurality of vertical guard bars28 which prevent the articles, when-on the holders, from slipping laterally. These bars are preferably held in position by suitable brackets 99.

The ends of the suspending bar have gndgeons or pintles 30 which are pivotally supported on opposite links 31 of the chains SL (see Fig. I). The racks are attached a snllirient distanceapart to enable them to swiner cle-ir of each other when the conveyor is in motion. The gudgeons 3() are disposed forward of the frame or-Vbaekof each rack .se as to be nearly over the' center of' grav it" of the loaded rack, a'j-.l this arrange nient prevents undue forward tilting of the rai-.k after being,r loaded.

1 'l`he eonrevers are preferably driven intermittently in the direction indirated by the arrows in Fig. 3. In order to arroin plish this, each sprocket wheel 10 is i-ieid with r. gear wheel 32.-; said gear wheel bein.;r

driven by a pinion 53 rigid with a worin are driven by `gears 37 from longitudinal .shafts 3S disposedon each side of the .pr-.1.- ing fhaniber.

' heaters.

' adjacent to the backs of the racks on the opposite conveyer. In other words, the racks are'back to back. This arrangement economizes space by 'enabling the conveyers to. be

placed closely together, and furthermore, it v coperates to bring about the methodic heating referred to above. In order to effect this methodic heating, I- prefer to provide heating devices40 preferably in the lform of heatingl coils which may be steam coils or similajr heating apparatus* or electrical heating Vvice,`if desired. Ihese heating devices 40 are preferably placed between the two runs of each conveyer. On account of this arrangement, it 'will be seen that as, the racks ascend, 'thebacks are toward the heatingdevices and the articles are exposed toward the 'outer side or Wall of the drying chambers. As the racks descend, near the middle plane of .the drying chamber, the holders on the racks project toward the In `this Way, Ethe articles being dried are gradually heated as they enter and ascend into. the drying chamber, and they are made to pass between the sets of'l heating devices just before they 'make their exit from the drying-chamber, and this of course,

y will be' the hottest point along their route of travel. As Athecars pass tb'eV working door 1, they are preferably unloaded and the articles placed upon truckss'uch as indicated by the numeral' 41, said trucks being mounted upon tracks 42 which extend longitudinally ofthe drier. so as t'orun past the presses a, I), c and d, on one side of the dry house, and similar presses a', b', c and d on the other side. These presses are dis- -posedA preferably equidistant and are provided with any suitable arrangement for printing the colors on .thetin sheets. The tins or sheets, after being printed, are preferably loadedupon the racks suspended from the conveyers, by an attendant standingon the platform.`

I provide means for delivering the printed sheets or tins -to the attendants on the platform `7, for which purpose I prefer to provide each press, such as the press a in F 4, with a conveyer attachment 43. which may comprise a conveyer chain 44 having `cquidistant dogs 45 which engage the Sheets or tins 46 and advance them upwardly on a track or incline 47' so as to deposit them on a continuously moving substantially liorizontai conveyer belt 4S", There are a plurality of these belts 48 corresponding to the different conveyers A, B', C, etc. The corrv veyers 43 as well as the conveyei` belts', 4S may be driven from a moving shaft 49` of their eta-responding parts. From this shaft 41?, a. chain 50 is preferably arranged to drive a gear wheel 51, said gear wheel being in mesh with a gear wheel 52 carried on an arm 53 radially disposed and adapted to be secured in any position desired by a clamp 54. The gear wheel 52 is rigid with a sprocket wheel 55 under which thechain' passes, so that the-arm 53 and this sprocket wheel 55 opera-tes as achait1 'tightener. The

sprocket wheel 55 drives the chairi-44. As*

each horizontal conveyer48 is driven from its corresponding press, when certain color presses are shut down. their corresponding conveyers also stop.

The arm 53 is preferably clamped'to a bashingv 56 which is rigid in their frameI 57, (see Fig. 6,) and which forms-a" bea-rinor for the shaft 58 which .carries the., gear heel 51, and this shaft 58 lso carrisasprpcket wheel :'19 over which runs val chainGO, to-

drive the conveyersl 48 throughthe medium of beveled gears 61, `it being understoodthat the belt 48 passes around rollers, theshafts 62 of which are driven directlyv from the bevel gears'l in some such manner asindicated 'n `Fig. 4.

The printed sheets or tins issue -from the press rolls a2 and 'a3 and pass across a guideA plate a* onto rollers@5 which-startthe sheets.

in succession up the incline 47 andbring them into a position such that their .rear edges will be engaged by the dogs 45.

In order to guide the racks. and hold them. against swingingxvhile they are beingv loaded, I prefer to provide guide arms 14u which may project out fromA the vertical guides 13 and these arms are vpreferably provided yvith rollers 14" which engage the channels 14,0n the endsl of the racks 14.

The printing presses a,'b, c and d, and a b', c', and d are preferably disposed near the side walls 63 of the dry house.l

The aforesaidshafts 38 which drive all the conveyers are preferably -both driven from a suitable motor 64, Fig. l, the driving pinion65 of which drives= a 'gear Wheel 6G on the shaft 6'?, said shaft beingarranged to drive oppositely .disposed .sprocket'chains 68the outer ends of which pass around sprocket .wheels-69 Vo'n the shafts 38.

The general mode of operation of the .dryingr app'zu'atus-will now be set forth. l The sheets to be dried are loaded individually onto the shelves of the racks 14 by opera tors or attendants,l standing on the elevated platforms the conveyrs being driven at a slow rate of speed and intermittently; as the racks reachthe lower limit of their descent, they lie near the Working floor 1, at. which point theV operators 0r attenda nts remove the dried sheets and place the saine on trucks such as the truck 41.

in g for safety. in vvoperation.

moving and carry the sheets longitudinally of the 'holders or shelves of the racks. TheI attendants on. the platforms 7 canvconveniently handle a great number of sheets inthis way, lifting theri'i' from the eonveyers 48 to the 'racks'. i

Attention'is alled to the fact that the mecha'nism. for .driving the eonveyers is p'referablyiemoved,from the point at which the operatorss`tai'1d,v which is a feature mak- On account'of-the fact Athat the lower end of the drying ehaniberor' oven is elevatedabove the `floor,'a'fi d. on account of the further fact 'that there are no doors at this point, the oven tends to maintain a 'constant temperaturel and insures thatthe heating will be carried on methodically.

The arrangement set forth for loading 'and unloading theshets, atdiiferent levels,

by reason of the working'lioor, and the elevated platform, greatly facilitates the hantiously, and attention iscalled to the fact that vthe operators are all below the drying chamber which prevents their being directly exposed to the hot'air which tends to rise in the drying chamber. The apparatus described above utilizes space whichfis principally overhead space, and which in some aspects, is to be regarded as-waste space! In "operating thefapparatus the ovens are of sufiicient height and the speed of the conveyers is such that-all theoutput ofprinted tiiisfrornv the presses can be .accommodated through each cycle of printing and redrying.

The side walls .of the Voven shaft 3 are preferably fof heat resisting material Ysuch as asbestos. rect outlet from the shaft-to the outer air and insure a slight'up'waid Vmovement of the air in the oven shaft which is highly desirable because it insures that the air, where the men are working, will remain'comparatively cool. The skylights 2 throw light directly onto the platforms 7. The v entila! tors 2 enable the hot air adjacent the shaft 3 and 'under the roof to escape and this assistsin keeping down the temperature inthe room or compartment.

Although I have described the upper end of the drying. chamber-as extending above the roof, it-need not so extend.

`Although I have described the ,apparatus as of a duplex vconstruction*involving the useof opposed pairs of conveyers, of course. if desired, the eonveyers need not be used in opposed pairs but can consist of a single, instead of a duplex. conveyor. Y

It-is understood that the embodiment of the invention described above is only one The ventilators 2 afford adiof the many forms or embodiments the in- Vvention may take, and I do not wish to be limited-in the practice of my invention nor in my claims to the particular embodiment set forth.`

,. wardlyfrom a point near the floor, an ele.

v ated drying oven surrounding said endless described i eonveyer, a plurality of racks carried by' said conveyer,*an elevated platform, aiiil to carry the so' bring them to loading-and unloading posimeans for driving the conveyer racks successively through the oven and tions relative tov the platformand the floor.

2. An apparatus of the class desc ribed,` i comprising a compartment having aweikf ing door, an endless conveyer. eatendinjgfup-A wardly from a point near said floor,.ancleV rated drying oven. surrounding said con-- veyer, a platform between the floor. and the lower end of said oven, a plurality of racks carried by the conveyer, and inea-ns fordrivf ing the conveyer to carry the racks successively through the oven and bring `them tof loading and unloading the floor and the platform.

3. An apparat-us of vtheclass d escril'ied i comprising a compartment having a working floor, an endless conveyor' positions relativel td extending .upf l rated d'iyiii'goven 'through which tlieend less conveyor travels,

-ai i. elevated platform f located between-the floor andthe lower eiidV of the o veii, a com' c yer. for transferring., sheets from a `point adjacent to the 'floor to' f the platform, anlfm'eans'abovcthe platform I and vbelow the bottom of the oven for eonallel with the platform.

veyiii'g sheets in a plane substantially; par! 4.. A drying apparatus coii'iprisiiig a rooiii oi' compartment having a -workiii'g loor and au oven shaft 1n the upper part of the room or coii'ipaitiuent, said shaft being open at its lower end, an endless conveyor movable vertically in the o ven shaft, af'plurality of racks suspended from the endless coijireyei,

each rac-lg provided with .sheetsupportiiig shelves, and means fij'r-irioving the endless coii\'e "cr toi-ausi: the racks to travel through the oven shaft and to be brought successively oven.

6. A drying apparatus comprlsing a room i or compartment havingia working floor, a

drying oven in the upper part of said room or compartment, the lower end otlsaid oven being spaced apart from said working floor, an endless conveyer movable upwa'dly in said oven, racks carried by said convliyer, an elevated platform and means for ldriving the conveyer to carry the racks successively through the oven and bring them to the loading or unloading positions relative to said floor or said platform.

7. A sheet drying apparatus comprising a room or compartment having a working door, a drying oven in the upper part of said room or com artment, said oven being spaced apart rom said working floor, an endless conveyer having two endless chains within said drying chamber, sprocket wheels within said drying chamber over which said endless chains pass, means for driving said sprocket wheels to actuate said conveyer, a plurality of racks carried by said conveyer adapted to move in succession past a loading point between the door and the lower end of said oven, and a heater Within said oven disposed betweenthe runs ofsaid chains.

8. A sheet drying apparatus comprising a room or compartment havinga working vfloor, a drying oven in the upper part of said room or compartment, said oven having its lower end at a point above and spaced apart from said working floor, an endless conveyer mounted in said drying oven and having one of its runs disposed. toward one side of the drying oven, a second endless conveyer in s'aid oven opposite said endless conveyer and having one of its runs disposed toward the Yopposite side of said oven, a plurality of.

racks attached to said endless conveyer, said conveyers extending below the lower end of said oven so as to carry the racks successively past loading and unloading points between said floor and the lower end of said oven.

9. A sheet drying apparatus comprising a room or compartment having a working door, a drying oven in the upper part of said room or compartment, said oven having its lower end at a point above said working floor, an endless conveyer mounted in said drying oven and having one of its runs disposed -toward one side of the drying chamber, a second endless convey er in said drying oven opposite said endless conveyer and having one of its runs disposed toward the opposite side of said oven, a plurality of racks attached to said endless conveyer, said conveyers extending 'below the lower end of said oven so as to carry the i'acks successively past -loading and unloading `points between said Hoor and the lower end said oven, and heating devices disposed respectively between the runs of said conveyers for heating the interior of said oven. 10. A sheet drying apparatus comprising a room or compartment having a working floor, a drying oven in the upper part of said room or compartment, said oven terminating at a point above the said working floor, and endless conveyers within said oven, a plurality of racks carried thereby, said cars having backs and a plurality of holders for the said sheets projecting from said backs on one side thereof, means for actuating and guidin said conveyers so that said racks ascend into said drying oven from a point below the lower end along the outer side of the said oven, and descend ad.- jacent the middle plane of the said oven, the backs of the racks of oppositely disposed conveyers being disposed adjacent as they descend.

11. A sheet drying apparatus comprising a room or compartment having'a working floor, a drying oven in the upper part of said room or compartment, said oven terminating at a point above the said working floor, a plurality of endless conveyers within said oven, a plurality of racks carried thereby, said racks having backs and a pluirality of holders for the said sheets pro- "jecting from said backs on one side thereof, means for actuating and guiding said con'- veyers so that said racks ascend into said drying oven from a point below the lower end thereof along the outer side of the said oven and descend adjacent the middle lane of the said oven, the backs of the rac oppositely disposed conveyers being disposed adjacent as they descend, and heaters on each side of the middle plane of said drying chamber, said holders being arranged to project toward the said heaters as they move past the same.

12. A sheet drying apparatus comprising a room or compartment having a working floor, a drying oven in the upper part of said room or compartment, the side walls of said oven terminating at a point above the said working floor, an endless conveyer movable vertically upwardly in said oven, racks carried by said conveyer, and means for driving the conveyer to carry the racks successively through the oven and bring them to loading and unloading positions below and outside the said oven.

13. A sheet drying apparatus comprising a poom or compartment having a working fioor, a drying oven in the u per art of said room or compartment, t e sald oven being open at its lower end and the side walls of said oven terminating at a point above and spaced apart from the said working floor, an endless conveyer movable vertically upwardly in said oven, racks carried by said conveyer, and means for driving the conveyer to carry the racks successively through the oven and bring them to loading and unloading positions belo-w the lopen end of the oven.

14. A dryingA apparatus comprising` a. room or compartment having a working floor, a drying oven in'said compartment havin its lower. end terminating aboveand space apart from said floor, a plurality of racks for carrying the articles to bedried, means -for advancing and guidingV said racks upwardlyA into the interior of said oven and downwardly below the lower end thereof to enable the racks to be loaded and unloaded between the lower end of the oven and said working floor, and means for heating the air on the interior of .said oven;

said oven'having communication with the outer air near the upper end thereof whereby a slight upward movement of air isideveloped in said oven to maintain a relatively cool temperature' near the loading and un loading positions between the floor and the 15. A drying apparatus 'comprising' a room or compartment having a working floor, a drying oven in said compartment having `its lower end terminating above said floor, a plurality of racks for carrying the articles to be dried, means for advancing and guiding said racks upwardly into the interior of said' oven and downwardly below the lower 'end thereof to enable the racks to be. loaded and unloaded between the lower end of the oven and said working floor, anv elevated platform between Said working door and the lower end of said oven, means for heating thev air on the interior of said oven, said oven having commu- -nication with the outer air near the upper end thereof whereby a slight upward move` ment of air. is developed in'said oven to maintain a relatively cool temperature near tlicrloading and unloading. positions between the floor and the oven, and a roof for'the rooml or compartment having a skylight substantiallv over said platform.

1G. A drying apparatus comprising a 'roonner compartment having a working lioor, a drying oven in said compartment having its lower end terminating above said tloor, a plurality of racks for Carrying the articles to'be. dried, means for advancing and guiding said racks upwardly into the interior of said oven and downwardly be low the lower end thereof to enable the racks lo lie loadeitand unloaded between' the lower end ol the oven and .said working floor, means for heating thc air in the iuterior of said ov'f'n, .said oven having cominiinieation with ine outer air near the npper end thereof \\'hereli y a slight upward inoveniiiit ol' air is developed in :said oien to maintain a relatively cool temperature near'the loadingr and unloading posit-ions support, arack for carrying sheets to be dried carried by said support, said rack comprising a frame having a. plurality of substantially U-shaped bent bars projecting outwardly therefrom and forming shelves for supporting the sheets to be dried.

18. In va drying apparatus, a rack for carrying sheets to be dried comprising a frame having a plurality of substantially U-shaped bent bars projecting outwardly therefrom and formin shelves for supporting the sheets to be dried, and substantially vertical guard bars disposed between said shelves for preventing displacement of the sheets therefrom.

19. In a drying apparatus, a. rack for carrying a plurality of' sheets consisting of a frame having -a plurality of substantially parallel shelves projecting therefrom ar-..

ranged in transverse rows, and a pair of opposite gudgeons near the upper part of said frame and from which said frame may be supported, said gu'dgeons` being disposed forward of said frame and over said shelves` to prevent unduev tilting of the frames when loaded.l

20. In a drying apparatus, a rack for carrying sheets to be dried comprising a l frame having a plurality of shelves project# ing outwardly therefrom for. supporting the sheetstc be dried, brackets projecting forwardly from said frame over said shelves, andinclined tie bars attached to said brackets and extending downwardly and attached to the lower endof said frame.

21. In a. drying apparatus, a rack for carrying sheets to be dried i comprising a frame having a plurality of shelves projecting outwardly therefrom for supporting the floor and spaced apart therefrom, a conveyer loeatcd partially within the oven and eX- tending partially below such oven, an ele rated platform located adjacent the portion of the eonveyer.extending below the oven,

and article. supporting racks carried by the4 22B. An apparatus of the class described comprising an elevated bottomless oven, a. vertically disposed conveyor -loCated pai`- tially within the oven and extending downward below the oven, article Carrying racks for the conveyer, and an elevated platform located adjacent the portion of the conveyer the oven.

projecting below of the 24. An apparatus comprising an elevated oven, an elevated le oven. and a.

platform located beneath tl class described my hand.

WASHINGTON I. TUTTLE.