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Old 2nd Apr 2020, 7:52 pm   #1
Paul_RK
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Default Electric sock dryer

Before our recent return to the territory where I grew up, I was a frequent volunteer at Ushaw, a former Catholic seminary a few miles from Durham. A recent newsletter from there features this press coverage of a curious item, an electric sock dryer, which seems to have acquired a higher profile than it had as I don't remember seeing it at the college:

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/ne...aundry-duties/

Must admit the rudimentary construction with cast ends inclines me to think of a date earlier than the '60s, but it's not a class of appliance I've met before either as an object or in a vintage catalogue. Has the team any light to shed? I'm sure any information would be gratefully received.

Paul
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Old 2nd Apr 2020, 8:12 pm   #2
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

Institutional laundries used to use all sorts of weird equipment, and Catholic institutions are generally rather conservative. I wonder if there was some special procedure for dealing with priests' socks? I vaguely remember some reference in a Father Ted episode about it.

Anyway, I agree that the dryer looks earlier than the 60s, though I suppose it may have been still in use then. By the 60s I'd expect them to be tumble drying washing like any other commercial laundry, but who knows?
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Old 2nd Apr 2020, 8:18 pm   #3
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

Hmm. Are they sure it's electric? There seems to be a copper plumbing type fitting at the bottom which could suggest it connected to the radiator plumbing circuit. There's no obvious cable or termination point on it.
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Old 2nd Apr 2020, 10:08 pm   #4
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

I agree, but it's strange that there's only one connection. I'd have expected a flow and return.

What are those "weights"? dangling down for? It looks like they rotate those oblong plates.
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Old 2nd Apr 2020, 10:15 pm   #5
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

Are we also assuming that the socks have to be taken off before being dried?

No, it's bizarre enough without that thought.

Someone gave me an electric wellie dryer. It was a base containing a blower and a heater, exhausting through two tall plastic chimneys. The idea being that you took your riding boots off and up-ended them over the two towers. Nice idea but too powerful, not good for leather. Prob OK for rubber wellies provided you remembered to take them off.

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Old 2nd Apr 2020, 10:21 pm   #6
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

I would think it's heated by steam, like much laundry equipment. There seems to be a stopvalve on the pipe connection and what appear to be unions in the pipes linking the sections together. There would have been a steam trap connected to the outlet, which allows condensate out but not steam itself, so that the whole surface works as a condenser and holds a steady temperature.
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Old 4th Apr 2020, 7:04 am   #7
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

Quote:
Originally Posted by Station X View Post

What are those "weights"? dangling down for? It looks like they rotate those oblong plates.
Looks like the weights are linked directly to the hooks on the top, one either side of each dryer, probably used to stretch the sock over the frame.
Possibly to try and prevent shrinkage of woollen socks?

Peter
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Old 4th Apr 2020, 9:15 am   #8
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

The article says it's electric.

To my eyes it looks like each sock goes over two shaped loops of metal-clad heater element - an outer one to stretch the sock, and an inner one to spread the heat more uniformly.

The dangly bits would seem to be connector blocks of some sort, and wiring. I rather hope it had a cover for the bottom.

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Old 4th Apr 2020, 10:13 am   #9
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

Assuming this establishment was on nominal 240v AC, i wonder if they had an additional lower voltage system (possibly DC) with dedicated plugs and sockets to avoid confusion. These type of establishments seem to have retained weird systems for much longer, because of the lack of outside influence presumably.

The Father Ted reference is about colour: Priest's socks should be black, not very very very dark grey. 'Don't go to an ordinary shop for socks Dougal, they'll shaft you every time'

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Old 4th Apr 2020, 10:35 am   #10
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

I have spotted an area of rust on the crossbar under the table below what looks like the bleed valve where the condensate from steam heating would have dripped into a drainage channel below where it was sited.

I would still go for it being steam powered with the input port not visible at the camera angle.
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Old 4th Apr 2020, 10:43 am   #11
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

I agree. I've blown up the picture and the connection appears to be some kind of water or steam shut off cock and not an electrical connection. The heating pipes are connected in series with the exhaust not visible.
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Old 4th Apr 2020, 10:52 am   #12
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

OK, now I've blown it up, there's a damn great pipe fitting and valve below it all.

Steam!

Par for the course for newspaper articles, I suppose.

And the dangly bits are weights to pull on the little hooks to stretch the socks.

The steampunks would go a bomb on this!

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Last edited by Radio Wrangler; 4th Apr 2020 at 10:53 am. Reason: fittinf? a bit of a confefwe!
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Old 4th Apr 2020, 1:03 pm   #13
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Default Re: Electric sock dryer

Oh dear, thoroughly OT for the forum then! My apologies, and thanks for everyone's contributions. I'll forward the news with a link to this discussion to the folk at Ushaw, where there may be some interest even though it seems ever so probable that the notion that the dryer was electrically powered was introduced by the journalist.

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