STEAM DRYING MACHINE.—The mode of drying linen and other cloths by steam was first sug gested by Mr. Watt, who, so early as January 1781, contrived a machine of this purpose for his relation, Mr. James Macgregor, Clober, near Glasgow. This machine was erected, but no description of the in vention was ever published.
A few years before his death Mr. Watt put into the hands of Dr. Brewster several MSS. and drawings of some of his minor inventions, for the purpose of pub lication, either in this work or in his Journal of Science, and one of them was his account of the steam drying machine. The following description and re lative engravings are copied exactly from the MSS. and drawings of Mr. Watt.
Fig. 7. of Plate DX1. is an end view of the machine, the frame for supporting it being omitted.
A A the ends of three. copper cylinders.
H H two rollers to wind the cloth on and off.
Fig. 8. is a side view. A A are two of the copper cylinders 2 feet diameter, and 4 feet long.
B B two conical bell-metal sockets fitted steam tight to a hollow axis.
C C two copper steam pipes from the boiler.
D boiler two feet diameter.
E a conical valve 11 inch diameter to discharge the spare steam.
F a funnel and pipe to supply the boiler with water.
G two small cocks placed 2 inches asunder, by open ing which it is known if the boiler be too full or too empty.
Fig. 9. and 10. views of the box which returns the condensed water to the hollow axis. It consists of a circular box of copper B B, 4 inches deep, divided into 4 divisions. In two of the divisions are holes D D, which take in the water when they are at the bottom; and as the cylinder turns round, transmit it to the holes. E E in the hollow axis C C, by which it is returned through the steam pipe to the boiler, being directed by the partition G in the axis. In the other two divisions arc holes F F to admit the ingress and egress of steam from the cylinder to the box. Mr. Watt was of opinion that the hollow tube C might consist of two separate tubes, opening into each other at their extremities.