Direct Dryers Blog

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:11:45 +0000

Thought we would share the instructions on how to dress a Williams Direct Dryers turnout gear dryer.

Video available on the SportsDryer(tm)

admin — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:39:58 +0000

We just finished a video on our new SportsDryer(tm)! We sure would appreciate any feedback. The video can be see on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woZWjXyywr0

Thanks

Des

SportsDryer ™

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:19:51 +0000

Years ago, Williams Direct Dryers developed a portable dryer in a fully enclosed case. The problem with the original design was that it was heavy (about 50 pounds), and difficult to pack without a fair bit of dryer specific experience. Having said this, the concept, for its time was very good. So good that other manufacturers used this as a template for their own portable skate dryer offering.

Over the past year engineering has been working to improve on that original portable dryer design and now has created a patent pending multi-sport dryer. We took a ground up view and scrapped all the old ideas to engineer a larger capacity, lighter, modular and very competitively priced dryer. This very travel friendly SportsDryer(tm) is of an all aluminum, powder coated construction and partially disassembles for inclusion into a custom fabricated travel case. All in, the SportsDryer(tm) and case weigh only 25 pounds. Moreover, fully loaded the dryer holds 8 pairs of apparel.

Every dryer is electrically inspected and tested for safety by CSA and shortly, we plan to have CE for Europe as well! I’ve attached two photos of the newly developed Williams Direct Dryers SportsDryer(tm) below.

All the best,

Des

Williams Direct Dryers Sports Dryer with skates and gloves

: Williams Direct Dryers Sports Dryer with cleats

Williams Direct Dryers Glove Dryer selection

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:37:18 +0000

Williams Direct Dryers has designed and now manufactures three different styles of glove dryers each with two different capacities; a 9 pair and an 18 pair. The glove drying machine differences are predicated on the types of gloves being dried. The differences in machines concentrate on the air management system in and around the glove itself. For example, a harder shelled insulated ski glove dries very well and is supported on our standard model G18 while a softer shelled glove such as a work glove requires more hanging support with the addition of palm expanders. These added palm expanders help to prevent the wet finger portions from folding over and not drying. This soft shelled glove dryer is the Williams Direct Dryer model G18P or G9P. P standing for the addition of palm expanders.

On the fire service glove side, Williams Direct Dryers was asked to complete a glove drying study by Underwriters Laboratories for use by the committee working on the 2012 revisions of NFPA 1971: Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting using the Williams Direct Dryers model G18P as the basis for this research. What our engineering department discovered was very interesting.

The fire service glove has an integral moisture membrane that, while helping protect the fire fighter, dramatically slows drying of the glove. To solve this issue we needed to add an external air curtain and dry these gloves from both the inside and from the outside. This Williams Direct Dryer is model G9PX and G18PX.

I’ve added below our glove dryer selection protocol chart as a pdf link to help understand the differences in machines.

Des

GloveDryersSelection

Williams Direct Dryers Hockey Glove Dryer

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:15:07 +0000

Last hockey season the Equipment Manager, Mike, from the Pensacola Ice Flyers purchased a hockey glove dryer from Williams Direct Dryers and was kind enough to send me an email with the following:

Williams Direct Dryers Hockey Glove Dryer

“I have to say this is the best Dryer man can make. My players feel like they are in the NHL. According to one of them and his comments. The dryer works so great. Almost all the gloves are dry by the time the period break is over.
This is a big change from the old portable one we had and would take over night to dry the gloves.”

Thanks Mike for letting us share your photo and comments!

Release of new EOD Suit Dryer (bomb disposal suit dryer)

admin — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:00:37 +0000

Several months ago we were approached by Allen Vanguard to develop a dryer for the EOD suits they manufacture. Well, finally we are done! To say we were honored to complete this development would be an understatement. Engineering sought input from everyone in Williams Direct Dryers. The result is a dryer that we are extremely proud to manufacture.

The personnel that are trained for this occupation must have courage of incredible proportions and we are very excited to think that perhaps we can make this very difficult job just a little more comfortable, less fatiguing and a bit safer.

Dry gear safer, more comfortable, less fatiguing? Let me explain.

SAFETY – It has been determined at the Army’s Edgewood Arsenal that the penetration resistance of Kevlar is degraded when wet.
COMFORT – as moisture levels within the EOD Suit increase the balance of heat and humidity at skin level is disrupted. At low levels of moisture the skin cools and begins to feel “clammy”. Higher levels make you feel down right wet. Both cases create discomfort.
WEIGHT – at 62.4 pcf (1g/cc) water retained by the suit either from sweat or precipitation can increase the overall weight of the Suit by a significant percentage. An increase in weight will accelerate the rate of fatigue experienced by the wearer.
SANITATION – bacteria and fungi can thrive under three environmental factors: warmth, darkness, & moisture. Control of any single factor will have a dramatic impact on a pathogenic vector.
CROSS CONTAMINATION – help reduce cross contamination via an EOD Suit (e.g. blood born pathogens) (see previous).
ODOR – “locker room” odor is caused by dead and decaying microbes. Regularly dried gear reduces the occurrence of “locker room” odor.
CLEANLINESS – regular garment maintenance by cleaning is impractical without a commensurate ability to dry.

WDD EOD Suit Dryer Readied for Drying and Storage

The link to our You Tube video on the dryer is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St-uyGu13T8

Des Mayne