US2074458A - Apparatus for drying short alimentary paste - Google Patents

Description

Make 23 1937. N. J. CAVAGNARO 2374,458- APPARATUS FOR DRYING SHORT ALIMENTARY PASTE Filed Jan. 29, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR IQ flficolas Jam 411mm,

BY 2 a ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29[

INVENTOR Mchlas cf. kz a lmra,

I ATTORNEY A JL N. J. CAVAGNARO APPARATUS FOR DRYING SHORT ALIMENTARY PASTE March 23, 19 37.

March 23, 1937. N. .1. CAVAGNARO APPARATUS FOR DRYING SHORT ALIMBNI'AR PASTE Filed Jan. 29,

1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 nnnulnumnnu".w IIII -llll A m a m N 5! R v/m m ma m w m JM Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR. DRYING SHORT ALIMEN- TARY PASTE New York Application January 29, 1935, Serial No. 3,925

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in method and apparatus for drying short cut alimentary paste, and also for drying egg noodles and similar paste products.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a novel method of drying paste products, and especially for drying egg noodles, whereby not only is checking or souring of the product avoided, but its color is maintained against bleaching during the drying treatment.

The invention has for a further object taprovide a novel apparatus by which the various drying steps may beautomatically-carried out,,i. e. preliminary drying, annealing, and final drying steps are automatically and successively applied to the product under the most sanitary and efficient conditions, so that during the processes the product is untouched by human hands, and is finally delivered in finished state free from dust and ready for immediate packing. The novel apparatus, according to this invention, is designed for continuous operation, subject to full control of desired conditions attendant upon each treatment step.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are 50 shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. l is a side elevation of the novel drier apparatus per se and as adapted to carry on the novel method of treatment according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the apparatus; and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on line 4-4. in Fig, 2. 'Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing a modified arrange- 40 ment of the apparatus.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, one form of the 45 novel drying apparatus, as shown in Figs. 1, 2,

and 3, comprises a cabinet or housing 6, the intcrior of which is horizontally divided, by partitions I and 8. to form therein an upper preliminary drying chamber 9, an intermediate anneal- 50 ing chamber I0 and a lower final drying chamber H. Extending longitudinally within the preliminary drying chamber 9 are a plurality of horizontal endless conveyer aprons, preferably at least two in number, viz. the upper apron I2 and 55 the lower apron l3, the latter being spaced below upon the receiving end of the lower apron I3; 10

these aprons running in opposite directions, e. g. the upper apron l2 running from left to right and the lower apron from right to left. The aprons l2 and B are made of wire mesh fabric so as to allow air to unobstructedly pass therethrough. 15 Arranged at the top of the cabinet or housing 6, above the receiving end of the upper apron I2, is a means for delivering the material to be treated into the preliminary drying chamber 8 and onto the receiving end of the upper apron i2. 20 This means comprises a conduit I6, through which the material may be moved from a source of supply either by gravity or pneumatically. Connected with the inner end of said conduit I6 is a delivery nozzle or chute ll, which is arranged 25 to oscillate about a vertical axis, whereby its discharge end is laterally swung from side to side. across the apron l2, thereby to spread out the delivered material upon and across the latter. Any suitable means may be provided for producing the desired oscillatory movement of the delivery nozzle or chute l1. Illustrative of one such means, said nozzle or chute I1 is provided with a pivotally mounted bracket l8, adapted to turn on a pivotal support l8, and extending from said bracket is a lever arm IS. A driver shaft 66, of the subsequently described power transmission means, is provided with a crank-portion 20, which is operatively connected to the lever arm l9 by a connecting rod 2|.

Connected with one side of the cabinet or housing 6 is an air intake box 22, the interior of which provides an air chamber 23, and the wall of the cabinet or housing 6, intermediate the preliminary drying chamber 9 and said air chamher 23 is provided with-one or more communication openings 24; In connection with said air intake box 22 is a hinged cover 25, which can be adjusted in more or less open condition to admit air from the atmosphere into said air intake box. Within said air chamber 23 is suitably mounted a source of heat for warming the air, the same preferably comprising a steam radiator 26. Mounted on transverse shafts 21 journaled in bearings 28 are air impeller fans 29,

which are respectively positioned at the comof which serves as a driving shaft.

is located a drop chute'or hatchway 30 which extends through the partition to communicate with the interior of the annealing chamber l0. Extending longitudinally through the interior of the annealing chamber it], is a horizontal endless conveyer apron 3 I, the receiving end of which is disposed beneath the drop chute or hatchway 30, to extend therefrom through the annealing chamber to and through an exit opening 32 in an end wall thereof. This conveyer apron 3|, which runs from left to right, is preferably made of canvas or similar flexible sheet material, and the same is supported at its ends upon rollers 33, which'are fixed upon transverse shafts 34, one Arranged within said annealing chamber Ill is a steam discharge pipe 35, low pressure steam to which is supplied through a delivery pipe '36 from a suitable source; said delivery pipe 36 being furnished with a control valve 31, if desired.

Extending longitudinally within the finaldrying chamber II are a plurality of horizontal endless conveyer aprons, which may vary in number, four being shown by way of example, viz. a first conveyer apron 38, a'secondconveyer apron 39, a third conveyer apron 40, and a fourth conveyer apron 4i, spaced apart .one below the other. These conveyer aprons are supported at their ends by rollers 42 fixed upon transverse shafts43, one roller for each apron being a driving roller the shafts of which are driven by a suitable power transmission means, such e. g. as that subsequently described. The receiving end of the first conveyer apron 38 is projected outwardly through an intake opening 44 provided in an end wall of the final drying chamber H, so as to be disposed beneath the discharge end of said conveyer apron 3| issuing from the annealing chamber ill. The receiving end of said first conveyer apron 38 is surrounded by a hopper-like enclosure 45, and if desired a flexible guide member 46 is mounted within the hopper-like enclosure to control the deposit of material onto the first conveyer apron 38 as the material drops from the conveyer apron 3| issuing from the annealing chamber H). The several conveyer aprons 38, 39, 40, and M are pref erably made of wire mesh fabric to allow the circulation of air therethrough, and the same are relatively arranged so thatthe discharge end of one overhangs the receiving end of the next below; alternative conveyer aprons running in opposite directions; g. the first conveyer apron 38 runs from right to left, the second from left to right, the third again from right to left, and

therefrom. Provided in a side wall of the final drying chamber II is an air admission opening 49 provided with control door 50, which can be adjusted in more or less open condition to admit air into the upper interior of said final drying chamber ll. Arranged within the upper interior of said final drying chamber H are a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally ex tending baflies 5|, preferably disposed at different levels, and adapted to deflect incoming air downwardly at different points for circulation through the chamber and the conveyer aprons therein for contact with the material carried by the latter for treatment. Connected with the opposite side of said final drying chamber II is an enclosed air heating compartment 52, within which is suitably mounted a source of heat for warming air, the same pref-.

erably comprising a steam radiator '53. The previously described steam radiator 26 of the air intake box 22, as well assaid radiator 53, may be supplied 'by steam delivery piping 54 leading from a suitable steam supply. The side wall of the final drying chamber H, adjacent to the air heating compartment 52 is 'provided with a plurality of spaced communication openings 55, leading from the lower end of said final drying chamber ll into the lower end of said air heating compartment 52, and is further provided with a communication opening 56, leading from the upper end of said air heating compartment 52 into the upper interior of said final drying chamber l'l. Inthe lower portion of the outer wall of said air 'heating compartment 52 are air vent'openings5'l having closure members 58 which canbe adjusted in moreor less open conditions' tovent some of the air from said heating compartment 52 as occasion may require. Mounted on transverse shafts 59 journaled in bearings 60 are air impeller "fans 6|, which are respectively positionedat the communication openings between the lower end of the final drying chamber H and the interior ofthe air heating compartment 52; these fans serving to drive the air admitted to the final drying chamber ilthrough he air heating compartment 52 so that the same is warmed therein, and thereupon returned through the upper communication opening 56 for recirculation through the final drying chamber H.

Any suitable arrangement for applying power for operation of the various conveyer aprons, air impeller fans, and other operable parts of the apparatus may be provided. Preferably a power source of the electric motor type is desirable, and the transmission means operated thereby is so designed on speed reduction principles as to operate the various conveyer aprons at predetermined relative speed ratios, whereby the travel of material under the various treatment steps although continuous, is nevertheless predetermined as to length of time required as to each step. Illustrative embodiments of power transmission means are shown in the drawings, the arrangement thereof being such that one motor 62 is provided to supply operating power to the conveyer aprons and fans of the preliminary drying section of the apparatus, and also to the conveyer apron of the annealing chamber section, while a separate motor 63 is provided to supply operating power to the conveyer-aprons and fans of the final drying section of the apparatus. The motor 62 is preferably mounted on the top of the housing v M, and ill through a speed reduction transmission, comprising a pulley 68 on shaft 55 driven by a belt and pulley drive 69 from a fan shaft 2?, a chain and sprocket reduction drive '50 between said shafts 65 and 56, and a chain and sprocket reduction drive ii between said shafts 66 and 61. The drive shafts it for the preliminary drying chamber conveyer aprons l2 and it are each provided with sprockets l2, and the drive shaft 38 for the annealing chamber conveyer apron 3! is provided with a properly sized sprocket '13. The said sprockets l2 and iii are driven by a chain and sprocket drive It from the shaft iii. The motor 63 is mounted on the fioor adjacent to the housing or cabinet 6, and transmits through interconnecting belt and pulley drives 75, comparatively high speed rotation to the driving shafts 59 of the air impeller fans 6!. The motor 63 is also utilized to drive transverse shafts l6 and 11 through speed reduction transmission, comprising a pulley F8 on said shaft l6 driven by a belt and pulley drive 19 from the motor shaft, a pulley lie on said shaft Tl driven by a belt and pulley drive ti from said shaft 16. The drive shafts d3 for the final drying chamber conveyer aprons 38 to M inclusive are each provided ,with sprockets 82, which are driven by a chain and sprocket drive 83 from the shaft 'l'l, the chain of said drive running over idler sprockets 8 1 mounted on transverse shafts 85, whereby a course of the chain may be alternately looped around the sprockets B2 to produce the opposite directional movements of alternate conveyer aprons 38 to ill inclusive.

The novel method of drying, according to this invention, and as carried out by aid of the novel apparatus above described, consists in the following treatment. Assuming that the material to be dried is an egg noodle product. This product possesses. a characteristic yellow color, and it is highly desirable that this color be retained in the finished product, i. e. not alone is it necessary for the product to be thoroughly dried without checking or weakening of its structure, but tendency of the desired yellow color to bleach out during the drying process should also be prevented. In treating an egg noodle product, the freshly formed noodle elements issuing from a cutter, or short paste products issuing from the;

press are delivered, as e. g. through the conduit it, to the delivery nozzle or chute N. This nozzle or chute being oscillated from side to side over the receiving end of the first conveyer apron it in the preliminary drying chamber 9 of the apparatus, efiectively delivers the noodle elements upon said conveyer apron inspread out arrangement over and upon the surface thereof. By operation of the apparatus the conveyer apron l2 slowly carries the thus outspread noodle elements through the preliminary drying chamber ll, said noodle elements falling from the discharge end of the conveyer apron it onto the receiving end of the conveyer apron l3 so that the elements twice traverse the length of the preliminary drying member 9, and are consequently thus subjected to preliminary drying treatment over an adequate period of time. In the preliminary drying warm air is delivered by the impeller fans 29 from the air intake chamber 23 into and circulated through the interiorof the preliminary drying chamber 9 in contact with the noodle elements travelingtherethrough, such air exhausting through the controllable ports 2%. During this preliminary drying treatment the warm air currents tend to absorb and carry off moisture nearest the surface of the noodle elements, leaving, however, a considerable amount of moisture within the internal parts or core of the paste dough. If such surface drying is continued too long, the surface of the paste dough is likely to become-hard and brittle, and would tend to check and crack with the consequent weakening of the noodle structure and ultimate spoiling of the same for commercial handling and distribution. Furthermore, the drying tends to bleach color from the noodle dough, leaving the product pale and whitish, instead of possessing the bright yellow color so highly desirable in an egg noodle product. For these reasons, the preliminary drying must be terminated, both to arrest bleaching action and to give time for the still residual moisture of the core parts of the noodle elements to work out to the surface. Ina continuous treatment process, as here involved, the period of pre liminary drying efiect is determined by the speed of travel of the conveyer aprons I2-l3, and is automatically brought to a timely end with respect to the progressing portions of the noodle elements by discharge of the latter from the conveyer apron 13 through the drop chute or hatchway 30 into the annealing chamber Ill. The noodle material thus delivered into the annealing chamber ill falls upon the receiving end of the slowly traveling conveyer apron 3|, so as to be carried thereby through the interior of said annealing chamber. In this chamber air circulation is substantially eliminated, but steam in suitably controlled amount is injected thereinto to permeate the still atmosphere thereof. This steam treatment is especially desirable in connection with an egg noodle product, since the moist warm atmosphere produced thereby tends to check all tendency of the product to bleach and restores thereto the desired characteristic yellow color; while at the same time the warm comparatively still air tempers the surface of the noodle elements against cracking or checking, while sufiicient time is allowed, during the travel of the product through the annealing chamber, to allow the moisture from the center or core of the paste dough to workfoutwardly to the sur face portions thereof. The travel of the conveyer ,a'pron 3| is so timed that it will accommodate all the material discharged from the preliminary drying chamber 9, and will at the same time move the received material at isuch speed through the annealing chamber as to assure attainment of the treatment effects above mentioned. At the end of the tempering and color restoring treatment, the noodle elements are discharged from the conveyer apron 3| onto the receiving end of the first conveyer apron 38 of the final drying chamber H. The aprons are so arranged that this transfer occurs exteriorly of the final drying chamber ll, so that direct communication between the interior of the steam filled annealing chamber l0 and the final drying chamber II is avoided, to the end that steam from the former cannot enter the latter and deleteriously effect the warm dry air which is circulated through the latter. By the operation of the driving transmission the conveyer aprons 38 to 4| slowly carry the noodle elements back and forth through the final drying chamber ll. Here the noodle elements are subjected to a final drying step produced by the circulation around and in contact therewith of currents of warm dry air. These air currents are induced by the action of the-impeller fans 6i, which drive the air taken in through the admission opening 49 into and through the air heating compartment 52, returning the warm air into the top of the interior of the final drying chamber ll through the communication opening 56 for continued circulation in drying contact with the noodle elements. In order to assure the circulated air against too great saturation with moisture and to renew more or less the volume of dry air, the openings 51 may be opened, to such extent as best adapted to maintain desired conditions, so that some moist air may escape therethrough to be replaced by additional incoming air admitted through the opening 49. The effect of the dry warm air, as-thus circulated in contact with the noodle elements traveling throughthe final drying chamber II, is to gradually remove the remaining moisture from the paste dough, until, by the time the noodle elements are discharged through the passage 41 by the last conveyer apron 4|, the same are thoroughly dried and hardened into that condition necessary to permit packing and commercial handling thereof.

From the above description it will be apparent that the noodle elements while continuously under uninterrupted. movement through the apparatus, are nevertheless automatically subject to the required successive drying treatment steps, viz. preliminary drying, intermediate annealing and color restoration treatment, and then final drying. All this is accomplished automatically with a minimum necessity for attention, and without need for intervening human handling of the material. By reasonof this the process is one which especially commends itself from sanitary standpoints and cleanliness, since handling of partially dried material, or exposure thereof to dusty or unclean surroundings is entirely eliminated.

While the method and apparatus involved is especially adapted to the drying of egg noodle products, it is also generally applicable to the drying of short cut paste products of various kinds; and in the latter connection the steam treatment may be omitted in the intermediate annealing step, and during this step submitting the product merely to dry and comparatively still air, so that moisture from the central parts or core of the cut paste elements may work out to the surface preparatory to final drying treatment.

,The apparatus in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is arranged to provide the preliminary drying, the annealing and the final drying chambers in successive levels as parts of a single unitary housing or cabinet, as 6. In some factories, the

55 ceiling height may be too low to admit of installation of the apparatus so construed, in which case the housing or cabinet may be divided into two sections as A and B schematically illustrated in Fig. 5; section A to contain the preliminary dry- 60 ing and annealing chamber, and section B to contain the final drying chamber; a suitable intermediate conveyer, as C, being utilized to transfer the material under treatment from the annealing chamber of section A to the final drying 5 chamber of section B.

It will be obvious that various changes could be made in the construction of the apparatus, and that widely different embodiments of the invention, as well as variations in the steps of the 70 processing treatment involved, could be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It is therefore intended that all mattercOntained in the above description and'shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted-as illustrative and not in'a limiting sense.

Iclaim:

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, means to provide a series of superimposed segregated enclosed chambers to provide in successive order from top to bottom a preliminary drying chamber having means to circulate air therein, an intermediate chamber to contain relatively still air, and a final drying chamber having means to circulate air therein; a plurality of traveling mesh screen belts withinsaid preliminary chamber over which the material treated is successively passed, said belts being of such number as to determine a relatively long period of submission of said material to the circulating air within said preliminary chamber; a single traveling belt within said intermediate chamber over which the material is passed for a relatively short period of submission to the still air ofsaid intermediate chamber; a plurality of traveling mesh screen belts within said final chamber over which the material is successively passed, said belts exceeding in number those of said preliminary drying chamber so as to determine a period of submission of the material treated to the circulating air within said final chamber longer than that in said preliminary drying chamber; and means to transfer the material by gravity successively from the belt means of one chamber to that of a succeeding chamber.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described as defined in claim 1, means for charging the still air of said intermediate chamber with steam, and means to heat at will the air circulated respectively in said preliminary and final drying chambers.

3. In apparatus for the purposes described,

means to provide a series of successive enclosed chambers comprising a preliminary drying chamber having means to circulate air therein, an intermediate chamber to contain relatively still air, and a final drying chamber having means to circulate air therein; a plurality of conveyer belts within said preliminary chamber over which the material treated is successively passed, said belts being of such number as to determine a relatively long period of submission of said material to the circulating air within said preliminary chamber; a single conveyer belt in said intermediate chamber over which the material is passed for a relatively short period of submission to the still air therein; a plurality of conveyer belts within said final chamber over which the material is successively passed, said belts exceeding the number of those of said preliminary drying chamber so as to determine a period of submission of the material treated to the circulating air within said final chamber longer than that in said preliminary drying chamber; and means to transfer the material successively from the belt means of one chamber to that of a succeeding chamber.

4. In apparatus for the purposes described as defined in claim 3, means for charging the still air of said intermediate chamber with steam, and means to heat at will the air circulated respectively in said preliminary and final drying chambers.

NICHOLAS J. CAVAGNARO.

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