Abstract: A machine for drying textile materials, which comprises a casing, electrically driven means for feeding the textile material through the casing, electrically driven means for circulating hot gas within the casing, a gas turbine engine, an alternator driven by the gas turbine engine and providing electrical power for said feeding and circulating means and trunking for feeding the exhaust gas of the gas turbine engine into the interior of the casing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bulk tobacco curing and drying structure that comprises an elongated main housing having a cross sectional area substantially arcuate shaped and adapted to receive and support bulk tobacco or other crop material therein for curing and drying. In one embodiment disclosed herein, the elongated housing is of a generally cylindrical shape and supported by an underlying cradle support structure. Defined internally within the cylindrical housing is a drying chamber having laterally spaced supports for supporting a plurality of bulk tobacco containers or racks therein over a defined plenum area within the cylindrical housing. A forced air furnace system provided with the curing and drying structure acts to circulate air vertically through bulk tobacco contained within the drying chamber, and generally maintains a desired temperature level therein during the curing and drying process.

Abstract: A dryer apparatus is disclosed for drying sheet materials by contact with a drying fluid which is deflected towards the opposite surfaces of the sheet by deflector members spaced longitudinally along such sheet. A major portion of the drying fluid consists of internally generated superheated drying steam above 212.degree. F, to vaporize the water in the sheet material and remove it to produce the steam used for drying. A minor portion of steam is removed from the drying fluid and discarded to maintain pressure equilibrium. The drying steam is produced within the drying chamber from water evaporating from the material being dryed and is either heated to form the superheated steam within the drying zone where it is in contact with the sheet material or is removed from the drying zone, heated to form superheated steam and returned to the drying zone for contact with the sheet material during drying.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for subjecting commodities to treatment through contact with fluid media including a plurality of movable conveyances having walls and being arranged so as to form a conveyance train which forms a part of a single endless fluid conveying duct.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for drying separate units of moist fibrous material. The method may include the steps of flowing under a pressure greater than one atmosphere in a closed circuit a gaseous medium through both units of material, such that the gaseous exhaust from one unit is the gaseous intake of another unit, and heating the gaseous medium subsequent to its passage through the units of fibrous material by compressing the gaseous medium. The apparatus may include two containers each of which has a support for the fibrous material to be dried, the material being positioned on the support to divide the interior of each of said containers into an inner and an outer chamber which communicate with each other via the material, and a circulation system having a gaseous drying medium therein.

Abstract: A concurrent-countercurrent air flow grain dryer of the type having an enclosed bin with a wet grain inlet at the top and a dry grain outlet at the bottom includes means for introducing hot air near the top of the bin to serve as a drying medium for the grain in a flow concurrent with the grain. Means are provided at the bottom of the bin to introduce cool air which flows countercurrent to the grain flow. An exhaust is provided intermediate where the hot and cool air are introduced. A manifold for the exhaust directs parts of the exhaust air through the hot air inlet portion of the dryer. In this manner, at least a portion of the exhaust air is recycled prior to ultimate exhaust from a vent associated with the exhaust manifold.

Abstract: A drying installation for the drying of molded blanks, such as plank bricks, large surface structural members of ceramic material and the like, having a substantially closed drying chamber separated into a plurality of adjacently arranged parallel drying channels, an air supply coupled to each of the parallel drying channels for supplying dry air having a different temperature, humidity and flow rate, and a conveyor for moving the molded blanks through the drying chamber, the conveyor being guided perpendicularly with respect to the flow of the dry air through the adjacently arranged drying channels.

Abstract: A tiered container for use in an autoclave of an apparatus used in a process for increasing the filling capacity of tobacco, said process utilizing a compound to impregnate the tobacco and a hot gas to vaporize the impregnating compound.

Abstract: The air flow in one zone of a gypsum wallboard dryer involves removal of the air from the wallboard drying section at one end of the elongate wallboard drying section, followed by directing a major portion of this air through fans to accelerate the air flow, next heating the air in an elongate plenum, through which the air passes, by directing high intensity flame angularly into the air flow from the periphery of the elongate section, thus creating agitation within the air flow to create uniformity of temperature therethroughout prior to directing the heated, thoroughly mixed air back into the wallboard drying section, at an end of the section opposite to the end from which it was originally removed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for drying materials by contact with a drying gas consisting essentially of internally generated superheated drying steam above 212.degree. F., to vaporize the water in the material and remove it to produce the steam used for drying. A minor portion of steam is removed from the drying gas and discarded to maintain pressure equilibrium. The drying steam is produced within the drying chamber from water evaporated from the material being dryed and is either heated to form the superheated steam within the drying zone where it is in contact with the material or removed from the drying zone, heated to form superheated steam, and returned to the drying zone for contact with the material during drying. A wood veneer dryer employing the invention is described as well as an apparatus for drying particulate material.

Abstract: Green malt is withered in a stream of humidified air heated to a temperature not greater than 60.degree. C. and thereafter dried in a stream of air at a temperature of up to 85.degree. C. to produce pale malt, in apparatus including a drying kiln, a temperature sensor in the outlet stream of air from said kiln, and a valve operable by the temperature sensor to recycle at least part of said outlet stream of air from said kiln to the air inlet of said kiln.

Abstract: A recirculating furnace-dryer combination including a combustion chamber, a housing surrounding the combustion chamber for maintaining a greater than atmospheric pressure within the combustion chamber, a dryer in which a greater than atmospheric pressure may be maintained, and a feed conduit through which heated gases may be supplied from the combustion chamber to the dryer. Return conduits receive exhaust gases from the veneer dryer and recirculate them through a fan for repressurization into the housing, from which they are recirculated into the combustion chamber. A fuel feed, including an air lock, is operable to feed fuel into the combustion chamber, with an air lock maintaining a pressurized condition in the combustion chamber. Temperature sensing devices in the dryer are connected to controls to operate dampers in the feed conduits to maintain a preselected temperature range within the veneer dryer.

Abstract: In a machine which uses superheated steam for drying wet fabrics vertical curtains of hot air are blown across the entrance and exit openings to prevent escape of steam and to help dry the fabric. A portion of the superheated steam is piped from the drying chamber to a preheat chamber, which is located in advance of the drying chamber, thereby to preheat the fabric before it enters the drying chamber. The moisture driven from the fabrics is collected as wet steam from the top of the drying chamber and fed to a condenser the cooling water of which is thereby heated and saved for heating purposes.

Abstract: An improved concurrent flow, counterflow continuous type grain dryer includes bottom cold air inlet ducts for counterflow of cold air, a first and second set of upper horizontal hot air inlet ducts connected with a common hot air manifold for concurrent flow of hot air, intermediate exhaust ducts transverse to the inlet ducts and connected with the hot air manifold for recycling of exhaust air through the inlet ducts, and separate upper, transverse exhaust ducts vented to the atmosphere.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for removing moisture from textile products which are sufficiently porous to permit a substantial flow of heated fluid through the product. Two separate drying regions are provided through which a web of textile product is serially moved. The textile product divides each drying region into a pair of drying zones, and a differential pressure of heated air is maintained on opposite sides of the textile product in each of the heating regions to maintain a flow of heated air through the textile product. The wet textile product first passes through an initial heating region for flowthrough exposure to air heated to a temperature exceeding the temperature at which the dry textile product is damaged, for evaporation of unbound moisture without damaging the textile product. The textile product then passes through a subsequent heating region for flow-through exposure to recirculating air at a temperature which is nondamaging to the textile product.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for removing moisture from textile products which are sufficiently porous to permit a substantial flow of heated fluid through the product. Two separate drying regions are provided through which a web of textile product is serially moved. The textile product divides each drying region into a pair of drying zones, and a differential pressure of heated air is maintained on opposite sides of the textile product in each of the heating regions to maintain a flow of heated air through the textile product. The wet textile product first passes through an initial heating region for flowthrough exposure to air heated to a temperature exceeding the temperature at which the dry textile product is damaged, for evaporation of unbound moisture without damaging the textile product. The textile product then passes through a subsequent heating region for flow-through exposure to recirculating air at a temperature which is nondamaging to the textile product.