US3149930A

US3149930A - Drum drying apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3149930A
Application number: US72931A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hans J Behncke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-12-01
Filing date: 1960-12-01
Publication date: 1964-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1981-09-22

Description

Sept. 22, 1964 H. J. BEHNCKE DRUM DRYING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1', 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //7 FEM/0k 24 67/75 f/ryen fie/vnc (e Se t. 22, 1964 H. J. BEHNCKE DRUM DRYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1960 United States Patent 3,149,930 DRUM DRYING APPARATUS Hans J. Behncke, Munich-Putzbrunn, Germany Filed Dec. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 72,931 Claims. (Cl. 34-415) This invention relates to drying apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for drying materials in sheet form, especially such materials as can easily be damaged during drying. The invention also relates to a process for drying such sheet material.

Wadding in sheet form, as used to pad clothes and as filler for pillows, etc., is usually provided on one side or both sides with a coating of glue or any other adhesive to give the loose material such firmness as is required during subsequent handling. The glue is ordinarily applied by spraying liquid glue onto the respective side of the sheet material or by covering the side with glue in form of foam, and wadding thus treated is subsequently run over a drum drier.

When wet non-woven fibrous sheets are dried, approximately 100 grams of water are evaporated per sq. m. When sheets of greater thickness are dried, a part of the steam developed during drying passes through the sheets to the outside, while a part of the steam will be retained in the sheets. In the case of very thin and permeable sheets, for instance, of a thickness of 1 to 2 mm. only and a weight of 30 to 50 grams only per sq. m., the sheets lack the storing capability for steam. When wet wadding contacts a hot drying drum, water is explosively converted into steam and tears the wadding.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome the damaging tearing effects of the explosive conversion of water into steam and to provide apparatus which will ensure the formation of undamaged finished wadding and similar materials.

With this object and such other objects as will be apparent from the following description in view, my invention relates to apparatus for drying materials, such as wadding in sheet form. The apparatus includes rotatable drying drum means and hollow pressure roll means, the latter being mounted so as to allow the sheet of material to be dried to be fed between the drying drum means and the pressure roll means. The shell or shells of the pressure roll means are apertured. Such apparatus greatly help prevent an explosionlike formation of steam during drying and, thus tearing of the wadding.

The invention provides further an association of the referred to drying drum means and pressure roll means with an exhausting device. When a drying drum and a pressure roll are used alone, it happens that steam forms deposits on the pressure roll and wadding, which at times makes the wadding cling to the pressure roll, and this, in turn, may result in breaks and clevages of the wadding. A device which draws off the steam as it forms prevents water from being deposited on the wadding and pressure roll and this precludes tearing and splitting in an absolutely safe manner.

According to another aspect of the invention, I provide means to blow steam as it forms away from the pressure roll and the sheet material.

Generally, the present invention aims at improved apparatus for the manufacture of sheet wadding and similar flat loose materials to make sure that the occurrences during drying will not lead to a damaged finished product.

The referred to features and their attendant advantages, as well as other features and advantages of this invention, will be fully appreciated as the same will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates schematically and fragmentarily an apparatus according to the invention for drying sheet wadding and the like;

FIG. 2 shows also schematically and fragmentarily a modified apparatus;

FIG. 3 shows a detail of another modification of the apparatus of the invention; and

FIG. 4 shows a detail of still another modification of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings now in detail, sheet wadding 1 is fed between a rotatable drying drum 2 and an apertured pressure roll 3 in the direction of the arrow shown next to the dash-dot line indicating the wadding. The wadding is pressed onto the drum 2 by the roll 3 which is carried by two arms 4. These arms are mounted to swing about an axis 5. Below the roll 3, there is a steam-exhausting device which includes an exhausting head 7 and a number of conduits 6.

The head 7 is mounted so that steam will be drawn off both from the pressure roll and the wadding a short distance following the passage of the wadding between the drum 2 and the roll 3. The head 7 is preferably of angular shape.

The swinging mounting of the pressure roll 3 makes it possible to adjust the space between the drying drum and the pressure roll to the thickness of the wadding and to other requirement as they exist in each specific case. The pressure roll may be positively driven or may idle.

In the case of the construction of FIG. 2, a sheet 8, for instance, of carded cotton, on the left side of which (looking at the drawing) a liquid glue has been sprayed, is pressed onto a drying drum 2 by means of a pressure roll 3. The shell of the roll 3 is shown to be apertured. The apertures may be of any suitable shape. Interiorly of the pressure roll, there is a solid conduit 11 for air. In the showing selected for illustration, the longitudinal axis of the conduit 11 makes an angle with the line connecting the axes of the drum 2 and roll 3. The upper end of the conduit registers with the opening of an air supply pipe 12 provided outside the roll 3. Air passing through the pipe 12 strikes first upon, and thereby dries, the shell of the roll 3. The air passes on through the conduit and leaves the pressure roll below the nearest distance between the drying drum and the pressure roll. As the air leaves the conduit 11, it presses the sheet 8 onto the drying drum.

It is within the scope of this invention to narrow the exit end of a conduit which is otherwise similar to the one designated 11 to ensure a nozzlelike effect and thus an increased air emergence speed. Also, it is possible to arrange for the conduit 11 and the pipe 12 to be movable relative to the roll 3 and the drum 2 within certain limits, so that the place of the air discharge may be varied.

In the pressure roll 3 shown in FIG. 3, an air pipe 14 does not end short of the shell of the pressure roll, as does the pipe 12 in FIG. 2, but enters the pressure roll. Air admitted in this way passes through the conduit 15 and escapes at both ends thereof. Air escaping at 16 presses the material to be dried onto a drying drum, and at the opposite end of the conduit 15 air escapes over a curved structure 17, thereby drying the pressure roll both from the inside and the outside.

In FIG. 4, a pressure roll 3 is provided with two air chambers 13 and 19. From a common air supply line 22, air flows through a branch pipe 20 to the chamber 18, and through a branch pipe 21 to the chamber 19. Air flowing through the chamber 18 serves to dry the pressure roll, whereas air flowing through the chamber 19 dries the material to be dried.

It is believed that the construction and operation of the apparatus of the invention, and the many advantages thereof, will be understood from the foregoing detailed description of a few forms for practicing the invention.

The invention uses a pressure roll which is apertured and furthers the escape of steam formed during drying. The invention, according to one aspect thereof, provides the use of an exhausting installation to dry the pressure roll and to make sure that it stays dry. The exhausting device draws off steam continuously and prevents the sheet material from sticking to the drying dnlm and pressure roll. Similar beneficial results are ensured by blowing air according to the invention onto and into the pressure roll. Air flows over the outer and inner faces of the pressure roll or any desired portions thereof and, in a directed jet, toward the sheet material near after the passage of the sheet material through the narrowest distance between the drying drum and the pressure roll. Preferably, air under pressure is used. The air may be heated for good results.

When using a pressure roll that is adjustably mounted to be movable relative to the drum, the pressure to be exerted by the pressure roll upon the drying drum may be varied. This makes it possible, with the use of low pressure, to obtain sheet material having a glue surface of usual appearance and properties.

When using increased pressure, sheet material having a perfectly smooth surface is obtained. Such smooth surface is equal to calendered surfaces, so that calendering whenever calenders were used so far may be omitted.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in a few preferred forms, many changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for drying materials in sheet form, including a rotatable drying drum, a rotatable apertured pressure roll, said drum and pressure roll being in peripheral pressure relation with one another, allowing the sheet of material to be dried to be fed between the drying drum and the pressure roll, and air supply line on the outside of the pressure roll, leading toward and terminating near the shell of the pressure roll, a conduit for air within the pressure roll, the conduit having one end register with said terminating end of the supply line, and its other end directed toward the sheet material at a point near after the passage thereof between the drying drum and the pressure roll.

2. In the apparatus according to claim 1, the air supply line and the air conduit being movably mounted.

3. In the apparatus according to claim 1, said other end of the air conduit being formed in a nozzlelike fashion.

4. Apparatus for drying materials in sheet form, including a rotatable drying drum, a rotatable apertured pressure roll, said drum and pressure roll being in peripheral pressure relation with one another, allowing the sheet of material to be dried to be fed between the drying drum and the pressure roll, a conduit for air within the pressure roll, an air supply line entering the pressure roll from the outside and leading into the air conduit, a curved structure on the outer face of the pressure roll, the air conduit having one end register with said curved structure, and its other end directed toward the sheet material at a point near after the passage thereof between the drying drum and the pressure roll.

5. Apparatus for drying materials in sheet form, including a rotatable drying drum, a rotatable apertured pressure roll, said drum and pressure roll being in peripheral pressure relation with one another, allowing the sheet of material to be dried to be fed between the drying drum and the pressure roll, an air chamber provided on the outer face of the pressure roll, an air chamber provided inside the pressure roll on the inner face thereof, two air supply lines, each leading to one of said chambers.

References Qiterl in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,693,818 Lorenz Jan. 15, 1929 1,755,066 Krull Apr. 15, 1930 2,061,976 Merckens Nov. 24, 1936 2,209,760 Berry July 30, 1940 2,784,652 Hornbostel Mar. 12, 1957 2,919,495 Underhay Jan. 5, 1690 2,952,033 Goodwin Sept. 13, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 56,513 Sweden Oct. 26, 1920

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR DRYING MATERIALS IN SHEET FORM, INCLUDING A ROTATABLE DRYING DRUM, A ROTATABLE APERTURES PRESSURE ROLL, SAID DRUM AND PRESSURE ROLL BEING IN PERIPHERAL PRESSURE RELATION WITH ONE ANOTHER, ALLOWING THE SHEET OF MATERIAL TO BE DRIED TO BE FED BETWEEN THE DRYING DRUM AND THE PRESSURE ROLL, AND AIR SUPPLY LINE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE PRESSURE ROLL, LEADING TOWARD AND TERMINATING NEAR THE SHELL OF THE PRESSURE ROLL, A CONDUIT FOR AIR WITHIN THE PRESSURE ROLL, THE CONDUIT HAVING ONE END REGISTER WITH SAID TERMINATING END OF THE SUPPLY LINE, AND ITS OTHER END DIRECTED TOWARD THE SHEET MATERIAL AT A POINT NEAR AFTER THE PASSAGE THEREOF BETWEEN THE DRYING DRUM AND THE PRESSURE ROLL.