GB402100A - Improvements in or relating to drying kilns or like apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

402,100. Drying-apparatus. BURGESS, A. H., South Eastern Agricultural College, Wye, near Ashford, Kent, and BIRD, W. H., Brewer's Hall, Addle Street, London. May 24, 1932, No. 14766. [Class 34 (ii).] Hops, malt, grain, or other material is dried in a kiln shaft along which it is fed by gravity while a drying gas is passed in the opposite direction, the rate of discharge of the material from the kiln shaft being regulated by a device comprising a number of baffles on a carrier whereby they are successively carried into a position across the path of the material, then along the shaft towards the outlet at such a speed as to retard the rate of discharge of the material, and finally are withdrawn from the kiln shaft. The device may be situated in the lower end of the shaft ; ir it may extend along the shaft so as to control the flow of material down the shaft, e.g., it may comprise an endless conveyer carrying baffles and having its return run located outside the kiln shaft. In a preferred form the apparatus comprises a kiln shaft 10 about 1 ft. square in cross section, and projects into a closed chamber 11 provided with a wheeled bin 13. Hot air supplied to one or more boxes such as 16 enters the shaft through openings 15, while sulphur dioxide is supplied at 18, and the gases are withdrawn by a fan 26. On opening the door 22, material is supplied from the channel section tray 23 which is provided with a triangular extension 24 for even distribution of the material ; or the feed may be automatic. On each side of the shaft is a discharge-regulating device 29, comprising blades 40 mounted on bars 35 carried by slowly rotating wheels 31, 31, 33, so that the blades are always horizontal, and enter and leave the kiln through vertical slots in its walls, thereby controlling the discharge of the material.