US1511400A - Process and apparatus for drying veneer - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 14 ,1924.

A. L. DALY PROCESS AND PPARATUS FOR DRYING VENEER Filed Jan. 5.- 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l me/whoa;

A. L. DALY PROCESS ANT) APPARATUS FOR DRYING VENEER Filed Jan. 5. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

`Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

PAENT QFFIE.

ALEXANDER LYSAGHT BABY, 0F STAPLETON, NEW` YORK.

PROCESS AND PPABATUS FOR DRYNG VENERE.

Application led January 3, 1920. Serial No. 348,253.

To allh whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, ALEXANDER L. DALY, 'a citizen of the United States, vresiding at Stapleton, in the county of Richmond, State 5 of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Processes and Apparatus for Drying `Veneer; and l do hereby declare 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 an improved method and apparatus for drying veneer in a uniform continuous manner.

ln the drying of veneer at the present time, it is customary to pass the sheets of veneer, carried by a belt or belts, between a long series of heated rolls. Veneer drier's Q0 of this character require a large Hoor space and are expensive to construct and operate. Jlhe improved apparatus of the present in vention is simple and inexpensive in construction and operation and overcomes the .25 objections to veneer driers heretofore commonly used. The improved veneer drier of the present invention occupies a relatively small `floor space and can be easily constructed and operated. The improved process of drying veneer, as practiced in this improved apparatus, subjects the veneer sheets or strips to a continuous and uniform drying operation, followed by a subsequent cooling operation, whereby the dried and cooled veneer strips or sheets are vdischarged at the end of the dryingand cooling operation in a condition adapted for immediate storage.

A ln the manufacture of veneer, it is custom- 40 ary to use logs of considerable length, for

example, around-17 feet long. These logs 'are commonly quartered, and, after 'squaring or trimming -to .remove the bark and youter edgings or slabs, are cut or sawed into sheets of veneer having ia length equal to the length-of the log, and having a width varying with the size of the log. The sheets of veneer thus produced may, for example,

, have a length of'about 17 feet, a width of 30 about 1G inches, more or less, and a thickness of' as little as-one-thirty-second' of an inch or less, the thicknessovf the sheet varygreen logs, it becomes of importance to prom vide for the uniform drying of the veneer sheets or strips 1n a continuous manner.

According to the present invention, thel thin sheets or strips of veneer are fed edgee wise betweenbelts, or series of belts, passing over one or more series of rolls and subjected to the heating and drying action of hot air or other heating means; and the sheets are then passed through a. cooling zone where they are cooled by exposure to the atmosphere or artificial cooling means, and then discharged in a cooled and dried condition so that they can be immediately stacked, shipped, or used.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings 'illustrative of yone form of apparatus embodying the invention and adapted for the practice of the process of the invention, but it isintended and understood that the invention will be illustrated by, but is not limited to, the specific embodimentsthereof so'illustrated and described.

ln the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectioiial view, of a somewhat diagrammatic character, illustrating the improved veneer drier;

and

' Fig.- 2 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

The apparatus illustrated has a frame Avvlor'kuofl suitable material ci which the upright end members are indicated'at l and 2, the top beams at 3, and the beams for the feed platform at e. Mounted upon the frame members et are bearings supporting the rolls 5 and 6 arranged at different levels as shown. A feed table 7a is arranged below the roll 6 andx in advance ofthe top of the roll 5.

-Suitably supported by the frame meinn bers or extensions thereof are two series of rolls, the rolls 7, 9,'andf12, lland l1 being .arranged at onevend of the apparatus, and .the rolls S, lO'and 13 at the other. Mounted upon these rolls Aare two series of belts 14 and 15. The top belts 1li pass aroundthe' feed roll 6 andthence successively'around the fous 7,` s, 9, i0, 12 and 13, and back to the feed roll 6. T he lower belts^15 pass around the lower feed roll v5 Yand thence successively around the rolls 7, 8, 9, 10, -11 and 'lla, and back to thefeed roll 5. These belts, as shown, .are not laterally continuous, but are spacedapart at regular intervals, the narrow belts of the t-op series alternatiig with thenarrow belts of the lower series, and providing a spacetherebetween.

The thin sheets or strips of veneer are fed edgewise upon the lowerseries of belts as they pass over the feed table 7a and are carried by this lower series of belts beneaththe roll 6, and thence between the two series of belts around the rolls 7, 8, -9 and 1 0 and are finally discharged from the carrying belts upon the discharge table or receiving platform 28.

The lower'portion of the apparatus, and the' lower rolls and portions of the belts earried thereb are enclosedwithin the drying casing or c amber or compartment 16. The

' walls of this chamberor compartment are v belts carrying culated t made of metal or wood or other suitable materia'l and are provided with a suitable inlet for the introduction of fresh air and a suitableoutlet for the withdrawal` of the hot, f moist air. A conventional inlet 17 is shown at the bottom of'the chamber at'one'end thereof; and' a conventional outletl 18 is shown at fthe to ofthe compartmentat the opposite end, t is opening 18 having the discharge conduits 19 and 19'* connected thereto, -which co duits in turn lead to the exhaust fan20. S otted openings 24, 25 and' capable of variation and regulation.

In the operation of the apparatus, and the practice of thev improved drying process, the sheets or stri s of veneer are y,fed edgewise, in the manner bove described, between the upper and loweseries of belts,

and arethence carried bet een these two series of belts -around the ro s 7, 8, 9 and 10. The air -within the drying compartment is suitably heated by means. of the heating coils or piriles 21 andthis heatedair is cirugh the drying compartment or The fresh air is thus introduced chamber.

Anear the bottom of the compartment through the opening 17 and is heated by its passage over'th'e heating coils. The heated air comes v in contact with the thin sheets' of veneer and dries. them in a progressive manner.

Inas- Inuch as the supporting belts are relatively still heated condition e numberA and arrangement of these heating pipes or coils is, of course,

exposed .to the direct drying action ofthe heated ai'r. Moreover, the upper and lower belts alternate with each other so that the yentire length of the veneerstrips will beex posed either on one side or -the other. The y belts are refer-ably of canvas or fabric permitting t e circulation of air therethrou li so that they do not interfere with the esired heating and drying action. As the veneer strips are carried around the end rolls, they are reversedy so that the upper sides of the veneer strips then become the lower sides. In this way, the heated air acts .directly upon first one side of the strips and.

then the other side alternately as the strips are carried successively around the various rolls. Furthermore, the strips are kept in motion s'o that, should portions'of the dry'- ing 'chamber or compartment be warmer than 'others or shoulda stronger current of heated air be passing through certain portions of the compartment, the strips will all nevertheless be subjected t the same drying action because all of 'the successive strips will ybe passed through the drying compartment inthe same manner.

The vveneer strips leave the drying compartment through the slotted opening 25 and then pass around theroll 10 and tothe dis- "charge platform or conveyor 28. As the strips leave the dryingl compartment in s t ey are subjected to the 'cooling effect of the outside atmosphere, supplemented by any additional cooling means that may be desired, and this cooling action continues while the strips are being passed to the point of discharge. ,In this manner the strips are thoru hly cooled and freed lfrom the heat imparte to them 1n the drying compartment. Furthermore, the

cool air, in cooling the strips, exerts a ffurf ther drying influence.

the strips are' removed from the lower belt 15 by. means offin-gers 29, which, as shown, extend part of the way around the roll 11 so that the veneer strips will be forced upon 'the receiving table or conveyor 28 Vas the successive. strips are discharged by the belt.

In the diagrammatic illustration ,of Fig. 1, only a few veneer strips 27 are shown, and thesearespaced apart at more or less regular, intervals, but it will be understood'that in practice the stripsare fed continuously into the machineand that only-a suiiicient space will be left between the Jacent strips to permit the desired circulation of )air therebetween.

driving the apparatus can be At the discharge platform or conveyor 28- supplied .from any suitablejso'urce. In the a t rough the belt 30 to the roll 7 and thence` lpparatus illustrated, the power is applied l I the apparatus.

ventionally shown as solid rolls, but it will4 be evident that these rolls need not have any considerable strength or weight, provided they have a suiiicient strength to support the belts and the veneer carried thereby. @penwork rolls having a suitable periphery for the belts will operate in a similar manner. in order to assist in guiding the two series of helts,.one or more of the rolls may -be provided with uide projections, or with depressions. uide depressions are shown on roller 13 in Fig. l2, while similar depressions (not shown) may be provided on roller 11a.

In the operation of the drying apparatus it will be 'understood that the heat applied can be varied by increasing or decreasing the number of heating pipes or coils or by increasing or decreasing the temperature of the heating medium. The drying eiect can also be regulated by increase or decrease of the draft through the apparatus.

The size of the rolls 7, 8, 9 and 10, around which the veneer is carried between the upper and lower series of belts, is such that the veneer will pass around the rolls with- Aout being subjected to undue bending. Such bending as is incident to passing around these rolls will be withstood by the veneer without any objectionable cracking thereof, due to the fact that the veneer isfed edgewise, so that the bending of the veneer sheets is with the grain rather than across it. As above noted, the veneer strips may have a length of 17 feet or more and a width of only about 10 or l2 inches. The apparatus should therefore have a suiicient width to permit the long sheets to be fed sidewise therethrough. rthat is, the appara-` tus should have a greater width" than the maximum length of the veneer sheets.

l. The method 'or dryingy veneer which comprises feeding the veneer sheets edgewise between upper and lower belts, carrying the veneer between the belts through a drying compartment and, during such carriage, periodically reversing the osition of the sheetsl of veneer to bring their opposite faces alternately uppermost.

2. The method of 'drying veneer, which comprises feeding the veneer sheets edge-- wise'between upper and lower belts, with the grain of the veneer substantially perpendicular to the direction of belt travel and pass'- ing the veneer so carried bach and forth around a series of rolls in a drying compartment. l

3. The method ofv drying veneer, which comprises feeding the veneer sheets edgewise between upper and lower belts, carryin the veneer between the belts back and orth around successive rolls in a drying compartment and there subjecting the same to the drying action of heated air, then carrying the veneer between the belts through cool air, to remove the heat imparted by the dryi ing, and discharging the dried and cooled veneer from between the belts.

4. An apparatus for drying veneer, comprising a series of rolls, series of upper and lower endless belts arranged around said rolls and between which the veneer is to ,be carried, the belts in one set being staggered with respect to those of the other set, means for operating said rolls and belts, a drying chamberor compartment enclosing part of said rolls and the belts and veneer carried thereby, and a part of the rolls and belts being outside said drying compartment kto permit cooling of the dried veneer before discharge from between the belts.

5. An apparatus for drying veneer, comprismg two series of rolls, one near each end of the apparatus, two series of endless belts arranged to rotate around said rolls, a drying compartment enclosing the lower rolls and the belts carried thereby, means for circulating a current of heated air through said compartment, and the upper rolls and upper portions of the belts being voutside said drying compartment and exposed to the cooling action of cool air.

6. An apparatus for drying veneer, oomprising two series of rolls, two series of narrowendless belts spaced apart and carried by said rolls, between which the veneer is adapted to be carried, the beltsof one series alternating with those of the other so that the veneer only comes incontact with one belt of each series at any particular point of its' length.

7. The method of drying veneer-which comprises moving the sheets in edgewise relation through a drying compartment and, during such movement, causing the sheets to passrom one side of the compartment to the other and'to traverse a curving path in reversing the direction of this side to side movement, the sheets being .maintained at al] times with their grain substantially 'at right angles to the direction of their progress through the compartment whereby the sheets may be lbenty at each change or' direction without liability of breaking.

8. In an apparatus of the character specified, a drying chamber, means forcarrying the veneer through the chamber and arranged to engage the opposite facesof the sheets Vover restricted areas at points'l relativelyy far apart and staggered on the `opposite faces.

9. In an apparatus of the character speci-v fied a drying chamber, means for ycarrying the veneer through the chamber and ardry, and to reverse the veneer at the end of ranged to engage the opposite faces of the its travel in each direction whereby to subsheets over restricted areas at points relaject the opposite faces of the sheets 'to `a 10 tively far apart and staggered on the opuniform drying action.

' posite faces, said means being arranged to In testimony whereofI aiix my signature. l

carr the veneer sheets backwards vand forz War s through the chamber until they are ALEXANDER LYSGHT-DALY.

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