US234115A - Fruit-drier - Google Patents

Description

- (No man.)

R. E. BURNS, Fruit Drier.

No. 234,115 Patented Nov. 9, I880.

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- products of combustion into the flue b.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERTE. BURNS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-DRI ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,115, dated. November 9, 1880,

Application filed April 2', 1880.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. BURNS, of'

nace to the drying-room as to equalize the distribution thereof and not scorch or shrivel the fruit before drying has been effected, and also to provide means for carrying off the moisture arising from the fruit during the process of drying; second,to afford facilities for suspending the fruit edgewise on drying-frames, so that a more rapid defecation will take place; and, third, to afford a means whereby the smaller fruits can be dried with greater facility than has heretofore been possible. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the. center of the drier. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectiouthrough the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the deflecting-plate, viewing the same from the under side. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the drying-frame and suspending-rods.

The construction of my improved drier will be as follows: In any suitable compartment or building I construct my drier A preferably of a rectangular formin plan, and having an aperture, a, in the bottom thereof, through which cold air is admitted.

The furnace F has a smoke-flue, b, which is provided with a branch flue, b. The flue b enters the chimney a, and it is provided with a valve or damper, d, which, when desirable, is used to deflect the current of hot-air and This flue b is provided with a damper, e, which, when desirable, closes the passage and allows the fire from the furnace to pass off through the flue b.

In the bottom of the drier I place the drum B, so as to permit the free passage around it of atmospheric air, which enters through the opening a.

. On the rear inner side I form a ledge, f, and

on the front inner side a ledge',f. These two ledges serve to support the drying-frames G, which are passed in through suitable openings, which may be closed by air-tight doors.

The drying-room is provided at its top part or roof with an exit-flue having a damper, h, and is employed for creating a draft through the compartment and conducting away the moisture from the fruit which is being dried into the chimney 0.

The drying-frames U are made rectangular in form, and so that air will circulate freely through them. The edges of the drying-frames are provided with bent hooks i t, which support rods jj, extending from end to end, and upon which I hang the larger kinds of fruit, passing the rods through the fruit after it has been sliced.

In drying the smaller kinds of fruit, such as cherries, berries, &c., I employ two wire screens, E E, having a mesh just small enough to prevent the fruit from falling out, and upon one of which I lay the fruit and then place the other screen over it, after which the screens are placed in the drying-frame and secured by suitable clamps'or catches in an upright position in thedrying-room. These screens are provided with rods k is, to brace and steady them and prevent their bulging or sagging with the weight of the fruit, as shown.

For directing the heated air to difi'erent parts of the drying-room I provide a deflector or diaphragm, D, having short legs, which rest upon the drum B. By sliding this deflector from one side or the other the current of heated air is deflected to the opposite side or sides, and by closing the passage on one side the air is permitted to pass up the other three sides, or by closing two sides the heated air will pass up the two sides which are open, and thus the heat is transmitted from point to point to equalize its effect upon the fruit in the drying-room. The main object of this deflector, however, is to prevent the heated air from the drum coming in direct contact with the lower tier of fruit and to cause the cold and hot air to commingle and pass up the spaces around the diaphragm adjacent to the walls of the drier and through the suspended fruit, the sheet of zinc which I use being a good non-conductor of heat.

The process of drying fruit will be as follows,

to wit: The fruit having been placed between the Wire screens E E, or having been hung upon the books i i, the drying-frames are placed in the drier, and the damper 11 being turned to close the flue b, the hot air and products of combustion will pass through the flue 1) into the drum B, which it heats, the surplus or that portion necessary to keep up a draft passing into the flue I)", provided with adamper, I, and thence into the chimney c. The cold air which enters the opening-a is heated by contact with the drum and connecting-tines, and rises up and passes all around the fruit, which is suspended from the drying-frames or held between the screens, and then passes, with the steam, from the drying fruit, through the flue g into the chimney c, the object being to carry 0d the moisture from the room by the introduction of air at the bottom of the drvingcompertinent by creating a current upward and out through the flue g.

In drying different kinds of fruit at the same time, should one portion dry too rapidly, the deflector is moved so as to bar the passage of the heated air to that portion and direct it against that portion which has not been suiticiently dried.

By operating the dampers or valves in the fines g and b the heated air may be held for a longer or shorter time in the drier, and the dampers in the flues b and b can be made to regulate the supply of hot air and products of combustion to the drum B, and by opening the valve or damper d and closing the valve 0 the smoke is excluded from the drum B and permitted to pass through the flue b into the chimney c, thus giving full control of the machine to regulate the intensity of the heat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, lS-

1. In a fruit-drier, the frame 0, provided with the upright screens E E and books i t, arran ged to operate as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a fruit-drier, the chamber A, having opening a and containing the drying-frame O, deflector I), and drum B, in combination with the furnace F and fines b,b', I)", and g, provided with suitable dampers, all constructed and arranged to operate as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of March, 1880.

ROBERT EDWIN BURNS. 1,. s.]

Witnesses:

U. W. M. SMITH, HOLLAND SMITH.

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