US585895A

US585895A - Lumber-drying apparatus

Info

Publication number: US585895A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 1914-07-06

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 1.

P. P. TOALE.

LUMBER DRYING APPARATUS.

No. 585,895. Patented July 6, 1897.

[WEI 20w (No Model.\ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. P. TOALE. LUMBER DRYING APPARATUS.

No. 585,895. Patented July 6, 1897.

w. b M I M, Y

TNE norms ruins co. mormlruov, wA$NmGmN. D. c.

\ ihvrrnn STATES PATENT Orrmn.

PATRICK P. TOALE, OF, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

LUMBER-DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,895, dated July 6, 1897. Application filed July 2, 1896. Serial No. 597,901- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK P. TOALE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lumber-Drying Apparatus; and I 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in kilns or apparatus for drying lumber, the object of the same being to provide a kiln with two main compartments for the reception of the lumber and a movable casing or drawer forming a partition separating said compartments, one of the compartments forming a steam-chamber having'such steam-openings in the same as to admit live or exhaust steam to liquefy and condense the sap in the lun1- ber and open the pores and the other a hotair chamber with such an admission of moisture to keep the pores of the lumber open until same is thoroughly dried. The casing or drawer has three or more ways that lead from a radiator and open into the hot-air chamber to give positive direction to the hot air, dry or moist, through and on the lumber throughout the width of the said chamber and thereby prevent the concentration of the hot air at any one point.

With the above ends in view my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the kiln, as will be hereinafter fully' set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of a kiln or 1umber-drying apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The framework of the kiln or lumber-drying apparatus is constructed to present a main building A and a smaller structure A, adj oining the same. At each end of the main building is constructed a platform A and these platforms are provided for the purpose of introducing the lumber into the kiln and removing same therefrom, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Each end of the main building of the kiln is closed by a sliding door B, which when raised presents a passage-way through which the trucks containing the lumber can be moved into and out of said main building, tracks a a 0L being provided, upon which the trucks travel. In the drawings I have shown the doors B as sliding vertically to open and close the passage-ways, and in order to provide mechanical devices for operating said doors I arrange corner-posts I), having crosspieces I), forming supports for guide-rollers 12 over which the operating ropes or connections 11 pass.

The main building A is divided into two compartments C and C by means of a casing or drawer D, which extends transversely across said main building and into openings in the side walls thereof, said casing ordrawer being mounted on rollers, so that it can be moved out upon a platform A as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l, or same can be lifted up to provide for the free passage of the trucks from the compartment G into the compartment C. This casing or drawer is provided with three or more ways d, which communicate with a casing E, located in the structure A and containing a radiator E, and said ways open into the compartments 0 side by side, presenting a series of outlets that eX- tend across the same at one end. The casing E also contains a fan F, located on the opposite side of the radiator E from the ways d, so that the blast from said fan will force the hot air through and over the said radiator to the ways cl and from said ways into the compartment C. The fan is driven bya suitable engine G, mounted within the structure A,

and the steam-pipes from the radiator are run under the compartment C and open through the floor thereof to convey live or exhaust steam into said compartment or steamingroom. The ceiling of this steaming-chamber is raised in the center. to pitch toward the sides, and is provided with proper ventilators in the top to allow for the escape of the steam, the floor having trap-openings h to carry off condensation.

The floor of the drying-compartment O at the end thereof opposite the casing or drawer D is provided with outlet-openings h, having sliding plates or cut-offs.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation of my improved kiln or lumberdrying apparatus will be readily understood, as the first truck of lumber is moved through the passage-way in front having the door B into the steaming-chamber C, after which the said door is closed and the steam turned on to effect a thorough steaming of the lumber or green boards and thereby open its sap-pores and liquefy the sap or chemical properties therein. When these boards have been sufficiently steamed, the casing or drawer D is drawn out or lifted, according to the devices provided for handling same, and the truck containing the said boards is moved into the drying-compartmemt C in position to be adjoining the casing or drawer when it is replaced, and after said drawer is replaced a second truck of lumber is moved into the steaming-compartment C, the door B lowered, and the fan and steam turned on, so as to proceed with the operation of treating the lumber. When a third truck is placed in the steaming-chamber, the first truck is moved forward in the drying-compartment O, and the second truck takes its place adjoining the outlet openings or ways 01, and so on. By this procedure each truck of lumber that is moved from the steaming-chamber G into the drying-compartment O first receives the full force of the hot air tempered with such a degree of moisture as is necessary to keep the pores of the lumber open and to remove the condensation of the sap, the drying process or action of this moist hot air being continuous until the truck and lumber thereon is moved to the rear end of the drying-compartment C, from which point it is removed from the kiln through the passage-way covered by the door B.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement of the parts, as it is obvious the doors B and B could be swinging doors or slide to the right and left instead of vertically and the casing or drawer D could be moved through the top of the kiln or beneath the floor thereof.

I claim 1. In a kiln for drying lumber, the combination with the main building A, of a removable casing or drawer dividing said main building into compartments 0 and C, the

casing or drawer having ways which communicate with a heat-supply and open into one of the compartments to present a series of outlets that extend across said compartment, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a kiln for drying lumber, the combination with the main building A and structure A adjoining the same, of a removable casing or drawer dividing the main building into compartments 0 and C, said casing or drawer having ways which open into one of the compartments 0 to present a series of outlets that extend across said compartment, and with this casing or drawer communicating by said ways with a radiator located in the structure A, and a fan for forcing air through and over the radiator and into the compartment through the ways in the casing or drawer, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK P. TOALE.

Witnesses:

L. P. OoLLUM, R. L. CoLLUM.