Abstract: A lumber conditioning kiln comprising an enclosure defining a closed chamber for receiving a stack of lumber so positioned as to provide space at the top and at the ends, a dehumidifier in said chamber containing an evaporator, said dehumidifier defining a flow path through the evaporator and a bypass passage around the evaporator, a blower for inducing air flow into the flow path of the dehumidifier for dehumidifying air and discharging dry air therefrom, fans for effecting a circulation of air within the chamber in a direction such that dry air from the dehumidifier is conducted across the top of the stack to the far end and from there reversely through the stack to the one end where the moisture-laden air from the stack is induced into the flow path of the dehumidifier and wherein there are dampers for reducing the air flow over the evaporator and increasing the air flow through the bypass.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for treating wood and other fibrous materials within a hermetically sealed, heat insulated chamber comprising means for applying a predetermined mechanical pressure to said fibrous materials, means for controlling the conditions within said chamber whereby steam is generated in the center of said fibrous materials, and means for subsequently removing said steam; means are additionally provided for staining, finishing, fireproofing, laminating, forming, shaping, and increasing the density and tensile strength of said fibrous materials.

Abstract: A method for treating whole logs to prevent them from splitting as they are dried to a desired moisture content. Whole green logs are placed in a pressure vessel which is sealed. Preferably the logs are debarked before they are placed in the vessel, but they may be debarked after their removal therefrom. Steam is thereafter injected into the vessel until the wood throughout the logs has reached a temperature within the range of about 190.degree.-240.degree. F., while condensed water and other fluids from the wood are drained from the vessel. Subsequently the pressure in the vessel is released at a rate slow enough that no significant collapse of the wood within the logs occurs, and when the logs are cool enough to handle they are removed, debarked if necessary, and dried in a room whose relative humidity is maintained not less than about 45% until the logs have reached a predetermined moisture content.

Abstract: A dry wood material free from seasoning check is produced with good yield from undried wood material with water content of 50 to 200% by drying the undried wood material while controlling the rate of evaporation of water from the undried wood material by providing on its surface a barrier layer having a water vapor permeability in the specific range from 10 to 100 g/m.sup.2.day.

Abstract: An emission control system and a method of treating a gaseous effluent is disclosed. The system is particularly suited for treating gaseous effluents from a veneer dryer prior to venting to the atmosphere. The system comprises means for temperature adjustment, flow control, and catalytic oxidation of the effluent.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is an improved method of kiln drying architectural grade plywood and lumber which has been treated with a water borne agent. The improved method utilizes coated wire mesh as the kiln stickers. Use of the coated wire mesh stickers greatly reduces the incidence of sticker marks on the decorative faces of the plywood and lumber.

Abstract: A heated metal plate drying system for drying either green veneer or partially dried veneer can have a plurality of modular hot presses mounted on a frame. At a loading station, individual sheets of veneer to be dried or redried are fed into a hot press, and at an unloading station the dried veneer sheets are unloaded from the system. Within each individual modular hot press, a direct contact drying process occurs that functions to reduce the moisture content of a veneer sheet down to the desired uniform level such as within a range of from 1 to 10%. The drying process accepts veneer of different species, thickness, and beginning moisture contents and the controlled process variables include contact time, temperature and pressure.Each individual modular press can be multi-opening and has the ability to open and close on command. Specially designed heated metal plates are part of each press and each plate has substantially parallel grooves on at least one surface.

Abstract: A heated metal plate drying system for drying either green veneer or partially dried veneer can have a plurality of modular hot presses mounted on a frame. At a loading station, individual sheets of veneer to be dried or redried are fed into a hot press, and at an unloading station the dried veneer sheets are unloaded from the system. Within each individual modular hot press, a direct contact drying process occurs that functions to reduce the moisture content of a veneer sheet.Each individual modular press can be multi-opening and has the ability to open and close on command. Specially designed heated metal plates are part of each press and each plate has substantially parallel grooves on at least one surface. The modular presses are mounted on the frame such that they may be tilted at the unloading station to facilitate unloading of the dried veneer sheets. At the loading station, a loading apparatus functions to sequentially feed individual veneer sheets into the openings.

Abstract: Apparatus for dehydrating organic waste material in a rotary oven. The oven is within an insulated chamber and the oven is heated by a burner. The waste gases from the oven are recycled and burnt in the burner. The dried product is usable for soil enrichment and for feeding to animals.

Abstract: A heated metal plate dryin system for drying either green veneer or partially dried veneer can have a plurality of modular hot presses mounted on a frame. At a loading station, individual sheets of veneer to be dried or redried are fed into a hot press, and at an unloading station the dried veneer sheets are unloaded from the system. Within each individual modular hot press, a direct contact drying process occurs that functions to reduce the moisture content of a veneer sheet down to the desired uniform level such as within a range of from 1 to 10%. The drying process accepts veneer of different species, thickness, and beginning moisture contents and the controlled process variables include contact time, temperature and pressure.Each individual modular press can be multi-opening and has the ability to open and close on command. Specially designed heated metal plates are part of each press and each plate has substantially parallel grooves on at least one surface.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for simultaneously drying mechanical wood pulp and improving the mechanical strength and brightness of the wood pulp by mixing mechanical wood pulp with an aqueous solution of at least one sulfonating compound, the resultant mixture having a dry solid consistency of 20 to 50% of the wood pulp, based on the weight of said mixture and; bringing the mixture into contact with a heating gas having a temperature higher than 100.degree. C. to cause the dry solid consistency of the wood pulp in the mixture to be increased to a range of from 65 to 90% by weight.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the drying of lumber and the like. During drying, the weight of a lumber charge is continuously monitored to indicate both total weight loss and rate of weight loss. These data are employed, either automatically or manually, to adjust drying action so as to control the moisture-removal rate, and to stop drying action when the desired terminal dryness is reached. Multi-point weight monitoring is used to provide localized moisture-content data. The latter data is used further to adjust drying action so as to promote uniform moisture levels throughout a charge during drying.

Abstract: A method of forming a prechar-layer on wood to cause it to become fire and rot retardant. In an air or a low oxygen concentration atmosphere the wood is uniformly charred at a depth of at least 3 millimeters by a high-intensity radiant heat panel. Normally the heat panel is spaced from and moved with respect to the wood. The relative velocity of the wood past the radiant panel and the panel's emitted heat flux are used to control the depth of charring. Preferably fire and/or rot retard chemicals and/or treatments are added to the formed charred layer to further increase the wood's fire and rot retardancy.

Abstract: Activated carbon from carbonizable, e.g., organic materials is produced in either two physically separated drums which include means for transferring the superheated steam from one drum to the other or in a single drum provided with a longitudinal, axial separation wall that separates the drum into two drum halves or cavities. The separation wall can be opened, e.g., with hinged gates defining the wall, to transfer the materials from one cavity to the other. Suitable piping and valving is disclosed to effect the quenching of the non or incompletely activated carbon in one cavity and to activate the carbon in the other cavity with the superheated steam generated during the quenching of the carbon in the first cavity.

Abstract: A dryer is described, including elongated drying and steaming chambers through which wood to be dried travels. The wood is impinged with air and then steamed to a predetermined moisture content. Drying defects are minimized by humidity control, restraining devices to reduce warpage, and post-steaming of the wood for stress relief to reduce casehardening, checking, and collapse. The dryer is capable of adjusting to accept widely varying thicknesses of wood as well as long holdup times by the use of reversing switches on the drive to convey the wood through the dryer.

Abstract: Green bark particles are conveyed slowly downward through a drying chamber countercurrently to rising hot combustion gases in a surrounding annular combustion zone. Bark discharges from the bottom of the drying chamber as fuel into the combustion zone. Hot combustion gases leaving the zone are utilized to supply heat or power to a sawmill.

Abstract: Air is vented from steam-charged heating pipes of a tubular rotary dryer via connector pipes and a collecting pipe which is disposed circumferentially around the dryer drum. Holding blocks provided with inwardly-biased rollers support the collecting pipe for longitudinal movement on the exterior wall of the dryer drum.

Abstract: A detachable mounting and support arrangement for the stationary spray tube which extends through a rotary drum. A tension cable extends through the spray tube and is anchored exteriorly of the drum and spray tube at each end of the drum.

Abstract: Surface accumulation of crystalline treating agents, such as pentachlorophenol, and water insoluble extracted wood resins, developed during solvent removal after pressure impregnation, and readily removed by contacting the so treated wood while still in a heated condition with liquid solvent thereby causing ebullient boiling of the solvent at the surface effecting a cleaning action and dissolution of the removed crystalline agent in the body of the solvent. If the solvent is contacted with the hot surface and removed immediately following cessation of ebullient boiling no additional post treatment is necessary to remove solvent from the surface of the wood. If desired a light (short duration) post steaming, however, may be employed without adverse effect, i.e., bringing more treating agent to the surface which would again permit crystallization of the agent at the surface.

Abstract: Wood is impregnated with a solution of a preservative in a vaporizable, water-free, organic solvent and thereafter treated with a warm high-boiling oil composition under subatmospheric pressure conditions effecting evaporation of the solvent used in the impregnation step.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for accelerated drying of green lumber employs high voltage dielectric heating at subatmospheric pressure to effect a rapid removal of moisture from the wood without splitting, checking, case hardening, honeycombing or similar damage to the wood structure. The invention combines the advantages of both dielectric and vacuum drying techniques without inefficient and destructive corona, arcing, or ionization effects which have heretofore prevented combining such techniques. When desired, the use of subatmospheric pressures in the drying process also permits injection of suitable chemicals for fireproofing or other specialized treatments of the wood allowing the combination of such treatments with the drying of the wood in a single process.

Abstract: A rotating drum type muller is described for initial conditioning of mined tar sands by the hot water method for separation of bitumen from the sands wherein ablation of mined tar sand lumps into pulp is effected through the addition of hot water, steam and caustic.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for decreasing the moisture content in wood which comprises the step of maintaining the wood in a vapor atmosphere made essentialy from sap until the center of the wood has substantially reached the temperature of the vapor, then gradually raising the temperature of the vapor atmosphere to a degree and during a time sufficient to bake the resinous substances inside the wood and reduce the moisture content to a predetermined percentage and subsequently reducing gradually the temperature of the housing to the temperature of the vapor, wherein the vapor is maintained during the process at a pressure slightly above the atmospheric pressure. The wood boards are disposed vertically to form vertical channels and the source of heat is located to obtain a vertical circulation of the vapor through the boards.

Abstract: A rotating drum type muller is described for initial conditioning of mined tar sands by the hot water method for separation of bitumen from the sands wherein ablation of mined tar sand lumps into pulp is effected through the addition of hot water, steam and caustic.

Abstract: A method for producing clean surface treated wood by subjecting the wood, containing the treating agent and its carrier, to steaming under pressure thereby to cause the solvent in the atmosphere about the wood to condense on the wood surface during the steaming, thereafter reducing the pressure to about atmospheric pressure, removing the carrier vapors from association with the wood as they form, and continuing the steaming until the carrier is substantially removed from the wood.