Title: Clothes dryer with heat reclaimer

Do you think this is a good invention? Vote now:

Votes so far: For:(0) Against:(0)
Claims: What is claimed is:

1. A dryer comprising the combination of air baffle walls shaped in part to define a cylindrical drum chamber, a drum mounted for rotation in the drum chamber and having perforated cylindrical walls disposed in close proximity to the air baffle walls, a burner operable for combusting fuel with ambient air and a box shaped housing surrounding the burner and having wall structure for directing the combustion gases through an opening in one air baffle wall to the drum chamber, duct means for directing gases through an opening in the other air baffle wall from the drum chamber to the outdoor atmosphere, a tee connection in the duct means operable for diverting part of the gases therein for discharge other than to the outdoor atmosphere, a reclaiming housing having wall structure disposed in outwardly spaced adjacent relationship relative to the burner housing to define therebetween a tortuous passageway isolated from the combustion gases but in heat exchange relation therewith, manifold means for directing the diverted gases downstream of the tee to and only to the reclaiming housing passageway, said passageway wall structure terminating as an opening in the one air baffle wall immediately adjacent the opening therein for the combustion gases and downstream therefrom relative to the direction of rotation of the rotating drum and the burning housing and reclaiming housing wall structures including a common divider wall between said openings for the combustion gases and the diverted gases, and the latter mentioned wall structures further including opposing outer faces disposed parallel to one another and to the common wall and terminating just short of the cylindrical drum wall and being disposed approximately normal thereto for providing a directional discharge of the gases for penetration into the drum interior and minimal side slip of the gases around the drum.

2. A dryer combination according to claim 1, further including means to regulate the temperature of the combustion gases at the baffle wall opening to approximately 600.degree. to 750.degree.F and the reclaiming housing passageway being such as to heat the reclaimed gases at the baffle wall opening to approximately 200.degree. to 300.degree.F.

3. A dryer combination according to claim 2, wherein the reclaimed air constitutes approximately 1/2 to 2/3 of the total air flow through the dryer.

4. A dryer combination according to claim 1; wherein the manifold means is located adjacent the burner housing and includes a wall sloped to effectively change the interior cross section of the manifold means from its largest area at its inlet to its smallest area at its terminating end, and where such manifold means opens to a part of said passageway that is of relatively uniform cross section across a major portion of the burner housing.

Other info:

Inventors: Thompson, Richard D. (Cincinnati, OH, US)

Application Number: 549167
Filing Date: 1975-02-12
Publication_date: 1976-07-13
Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company (Elgin, IL)
Primary Class(es): 432/105 34/86, 34/131, 34/606, 432/107
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

2867430	Jan, 1959	Hullar	432/107.
3624919	Dec, 1971	Miller	34/133.
3831294	Aug, 1974	Freze	34/133.
3861865	Jan, 1975	Grantham	34/133.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Sprague, Kenneth W.
Assistant Examiner: Yeung, James C.
Attorney: Lind; Charles F.