US1871737A

US1871737A - Spray drier

Info

Publication number: US1871737A
Application number: US324559A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Richards
Original assignee: S M A CORP
Current assignee: S M A Corp
Priority date: 1928-12-07
Filing date: 1928-12-07
Publication date: 1932-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 1949-08-16
Also published as: FR679893A

Description

Aug. 16, 1932 W VIi BIQHMW I l 671 n? SPRAY DRIER Filed Dec. 7, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR l's/LL/AM ITB/CHA RDS AT ORNEYS Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES lMT1-:NT OFFICE WILLIAM r. aIcIIAIuJs, or MAsoN, MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR To s. M. A, conromrIoN', or CLEVELAND, A oonPoRArIoN or oHIo SPRAY mman application nlearecember '7, 192s. 'semi No. 324,559.

This invention relates to spray driers for liquid products, such 'as milkv or itsk components, such as caseinates, milk -sugar and the f like.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve the construction and operation of these driers, and more particularly l to provide a. system or arrangement of dust collectors which deliver any of the useful fine product which they collect upon the main floor or in a position where it may be collected and mixed and discharged with the main body of ythe material. It is also an object of the invention to improve the structure of the-dust ll collecting means and the baiiling means for the incoming heated air and at the same time avoid undue collection `of material uponv the.

baiie and'prevent it from becoming scorched or burned and contaminating the rest of the @a batch.

Various features of the invention are clearly set forth in the following description, drawings and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a View partly in vertical section and `partly in elevation showing the apparatus; Fig; 2 is avertical section through one ofthe dust collecting chambers; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section through an operating cylinder on the Vline 3 3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vsectional plan view on approximately the line 4-4, Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view partly in sec-` tion and partly in elevation, showing the manner of mounting the parts; and Fig.k 6 is a ldetail view in vertical section showing a construction alternate with that indicated in- Fig. 2.

In the drawings 1 represents a suitable iioor having a smooth surface with a central opening 2 therein and a substantiallyradially disposed channel 3 extending beyond the outer wall, as will appear, andl in which is a screw conveyor 5 for conveying the material outwardly along thechannel to a collecting bin or receptacle (not shown). Arranged upon the floor 1 and concentric with the opening 2 is a cylindrical side wall 6 .of what I term the base chamber. Extending inwardly from the upper edge of this Wall is an annular dust collector floor 7 connected at its -tainer, but the wa above the extremity of the wall 8.

ceiling wall 9. The wal1s8 and 9` together form an inverted c lindrical casing f-or onlil 9. which isi the cei ing member, is supported independently 'of the wallsv8 as by chains 10 passin overfsheaves 10a and-havingconnection wit weights 10b, the sheaves 10a .being supported on any suitable `superstructure such as that indicated 4at 11, Vsuch as a part of the building 11a in which ther drier `is housed] Fig.I 5; Thus. should an explosion occur within the' walls 8, the ceiling 9 will yield upwardl to protect the structure from the stresses w ich would otherwise result; and should the explosion have sufficient force the ceiling 9 may rise Extendingfupwardly above the wall 6 is a dust collector'side Iwall 13 having'a roof or ceiling 14 extending tothe side wall 8 of the main drying chamber. The v:annular space formed by the wall 13, the floor 7 and the ceilingj14 is divided into a plurality of compartments 15 by suitable radially extending partitions 16. In the floor 7 and grouped around the center of 'each of these compartments is a collection of openings 17, each provided'with a suitable recess 18 for receiving a resilient expansion ring 19v adapted to be inserted within a stocking or other foraminous dust collecting tube or bag 20- to secure its lower end distended. An "alternate con' struction is indicated in Fig. "6 wherein sleeves 19a are secured in the floor. 7 with portions extending there above and provided with the prongs 19b-indicated`as punched vout therefrom so that the stockings 20 may i it isrforced down andthe stockings are allowed to sag. By a quick intermittent supply pipe 28 which is connected to any suitable ex austing means. Lying below thefoor lis a heatin chamber-,29 providedwith a blower 30, eating coils 31 and an upwardly extending lue 32l vwhich projects up through and snugly lits the openin 2. Rotatably mounted .in sp1- ders 33 wit 'nthis flue 32 is a vertical shaft 34 extending out through the bottom of the line and there driven by suitable gearing from a motor 35, as by the belt 36, shaft 37 l and gearing 38. This shaft 34 projects up'- above the upper end of theue where it is provided with a balein the formof a lower cone 39 and an upper cone 40 having their bases connectedtogether and presenting their conical faces one to the incoming air through the flue 32 and the other upward toward the material as it settles down in the process, as will appear. The objectof this upper cone is to revent the line dust-like product from sett ing or lodging upon the top of the -bale and becoming scorched or burned and thereby-contaminating the entire batc Extendingradially from opposite sides of ythe lower cone are arms 41 bent down to form hanger portions 42 extending vertically along the outside of thelue 32 and then bent outwardv in radial scraper arms 43. The two vertical portions 42-maybe strengthened by a suitable connecting ring ,44. Secured to the arms 43 are suitable lrakes or scrapers generally indicated at 45. 4The arms 43 and scrapers extend beyond the skirt 12 into the annular' bay and are adapted to serve'not only that porton of the floor within the main chamber, but also the floor in the bay under the dust collectors, so that all of the material upon the entire floor is scraped up and carried into the channel 3 and is delivered by` conveyor 5 outside of the'drier. The material to be treated is near the top thereof. Thesespraying dcvices are connected to any suitable source of supply of the materialto be treated.

In operation the several parts are set in motion. lwith air delivered to the heating chamber 29 and exhaust effective upon the supplied through suitable spraying devices 46 spaced around .the wall of the main drying chamber exhaust pipes 28. This results in heated air being supplied through the lue 32 and being distributed by the double cone baille to the main drying chamber where it rises and meets the material to be treated, which is being showered into the chamber by the spraying devices. As the spray or mist settles down through the heated air,-itvdries and collects upon the main lfloor, the draft being substantially up at the center and down at the sides to the base of vthe chamber, where the air stream passes under the skirt 12 into the annular bay. Most of the dried product settles upon ioor 1 inthe main chamber before the air stream enters the bay, but any fine product'which might be carried up and out to exhaust is stopped when the rising air current passes up through the various stockings or tu es .and is collected as a line deposit on the inner surfaces thereof. Periodically the jarring devices for the stockings are operated `and any materia-l collected in the stockings shakes down upon the main floor beyond the skirt 12, from whence it is scraped with the material in the main drying chamber and carried yinto the radial slot and is thence delivered to the outside of the apparatus.

vIn orderto obtain access to th-e main compartment,the base chamber wall 6 is usually provided with a vestibule 47 Vleading 'through a specially formed passageway 43 to the main chamber, the outer opening of this vestibule being closed by a suitable door 49.

zlifaving'described my invention, I claim:

1. Drying apparatus of the class described, comprising a hollow casing having wall portions orming a drying chamber, a ceiling membermounted at the top of said chamber and movable bodily and vertically toward .and away from the upper edge of said wall portions, andmeans for yieldingly supporting the ceiling member, whereby upon sui- 4cient increase in pressure within said chamber said ceiling member moves away from the edge of the chamber wall portions .and opens a free vent from said chamber to atmosphere.

' 2. Apparatus for drying liquids, comprisingl a floor, an inverted hollow casing having a. skirt open 'at the bottom, wall means en- Vclosing'an annular bay outside of the skirt,

said skirt terminating above the floor level to provide beneath the skirt edge an unobstructed annular entrance to the bay, the

:oorbeing continuous throughout the inner casing chamber and the outer bay chamber, Hoor scraping means rotatable about the central vertical axis and extending through the bay entrance and effective upon substantiallythe entire floor area, fine dust collecting means adapted to separate the fine'dust from the airflowing into the bay and arranged to deliver such material upon the Hoor of the bay, whereby the scraping vmeans continuously and tboroughlymixes the fine dust deposited upon the bay floor with the coarser material deposited upon the inner chamber floor, to form a homogeneous good quality product, means for spraying liquid to be dried into the upper portion of the inner chamber, and means for supplying a current of heated air to said inner chamber at a level above the lower edge of said skirt and in a direction away from the entrance to said bay, to cause the air current to travel through a circuitous path and thereby increase the proportion of material deposited in the inner chamber as compared with that` deposited in the bay.

3. Apparatus for drying liquids, comprising a floor, an inverted hollow casing having a skirt open at the bottom, wall means enclosing an annular bay outside of the skirt, said skirt terminating above the floor level to provide beneath the skirt edge an unobstructed annular entrance to the bay, the oor being continuous throughout the inner casing chamber and the outer bay chamber, floor scraping means rotatable about the central vertical axis and extending through the bay entrance and effective upon substantially the entire Hoor area, fine dust collecting means adapted to separate the fine dust from the air iiowing into the bay and arranged to deliver such material upon the floor of the bay, whereby the scraping means continuously and thoroughly mixes the fine dust deposited upon the bay Hoor with the coarser material deposited upon the inner chamber floor, to form a homogeneous good quality product` said hay having an annular roof, and said walls enclosing a series of compartments above said roof and spaced around the outside of said casing, said dust collectors being located in said compartments and discharging through the bay roof 'onto the bay floor.

4. Drying apparatus of the class described, comprising a casing having wall portions forming a drying chamber` a ceiling member located at the top of said chamber within its wall portion and movable bodily and vertically relative thereto, the upper end of the casing being open and unobstructed to permit the ceiling member to move bodilytoward and away'from the upper end of the casing, and means for yieldably supporting the ceiling member, whereby upon moderate increase in pressure the ceiling member is adapted to move upwardly within the wall portions and upon heavy increase in pressure to move beyond the wall portions and provide a. freely open vent from the chamber to atmosphere.

In testimony whereof I hereby aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. RICHARDS.