Patent GB-255923-A (GB)
Title: Improved method of and apparatus for the extraction of oils, fats, waxes, greases andthe like from material containing the same
IPC: C11B1/10
Filed: 1925-04-20
Abstract: 255,923. Simon, L. J., Simon, A., and Simon Bros. (Engineers), Ltd. April 20, 1925. Waxes and fats and fatty oils, extracting by solvents.-Material containing oils, fats, waxes, greases &c. is charged into baskets mounted to rotate on hollow perforated shafts and is treated in closed tanks, whilst the baskets are rotated, to a preliminary, main, and final action of a solvent, the material being finally dried and the solvent expelled by passing steam through the perforated shaft and out through the material whilst the basket is rotating at a high speed. The successive operations may be conducted in a single tank. or, as shown in Figs, 1 and 2. three tanks B, A. C mav be employed, the tanks B, C being provided with heating-coils 66 and being adapted to be closed at their outer ends by doors 34 secured by hydraulically-operated bolts 39, and the baskets P being adapted to be moved through the tanks automatically by hydraulic means on actuation of a cam shaft 41 by means of a lever 63. Each basket P, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, comprises end plates, mounted to rotate on a hollow perforated shaft 4, between which is stretched a filter cloth 15, one end plate being provided with teeth on its periphery to engage a toothed wheel 31 in the tanks B and C, and the other being removable to allow the basket to be charged. Doors 3 connected to cross bars 21 mounted on screwed rods 24, 24<a> in the tank A carry rods 55 connected at their other ends to a ring 52 and spider 54 by means of which the baskets mav be supported. when in the tanks B and C, on rods 51. the doors S then serving to isolate the tanks B and C from the tank A. In the tank A is a frame consisting of end plates 1 mounted on a shaft 2. Fig. 6, the end plates being slotted at 16 to receive the shafts 4 of baskets P, and below the frame is a semicircular rack 14<a>, so that when the baskets P are carried round by rotation of the frame they are also rotated axially bv the engagement of their teeth 14 with the rack. To the axis of the doors S of the tank C is connected a flexible pipe 65 which serves to supply solvent and steam to the hollow shaft 4 of the baskets P when they are located in the tank C. The operation of the plant is as follows. The door of the tank B being open, a loaded basket P is charged from a platform into the tank B when the corresponding door S is forward, the frame 54 being engaged with the ring 52, which slides on the rods 51. Fig. 8. The door 34 of the tank B is closed and the lever 63, Fig. 2, is operated to one of its ten positions whereby steam is passed through the tank B to remove air. At the same time a basket P in the tank C is being steamed to remove the last traces of solvent from the material whilst the basket is being rotated at a high speed, the ejected solvent being passed to the tank A by a pipe A<1>, Fig. 1. In the next cam position, the basket P in the tank B is rotated slowly by the gear 31, Fig. 8. and is at the same time treated with oil-bearing solvent supplied from the tank A by a pipe E<2> to a tank E, and pumped thence into the tank B by a pump E<a>. Steam continues to pass through the basket in the tank C. In the next position of the cam. the basket in the tank B continues to rotate, and that in the tank C becomes stationary, the steam supply being shut off. The bolts 39 on the door 34 of the tank C are next released, so that the door may be opened to remove the basket P to a platfonn for discharging. The door is returned to closing position, and in the next cam position the bolts 39 are subjected to pressure and steam passed through the empty tank C to remove air. In the tank B the basket becomes stationary, and the saturated solvent is run off to a distilling tank F, Fig. 1. In the next cam position the passage of steam through tank C ceases, and in the next a valve 44, Fig. 2, is operated to pass hydraulic pressure through a valve 44<c>, Fig. 11, he'd open by a weighted lever 71, to a cylinder 67 which operates a ratchet to rotate shaft 41<a> whereby a valve 44a is operated to supply pres. sure to a cylinder 45. A rack 46 is thereby moved out to the position shown and rotates, through a gear wheel, chain wheel 49, and chains 50, 28, 28<a>, 28<b> the shafts 24, 24<a> on which are mounted the cross bars 21, Fig. 8. Thereby the doors S are moved from the position in which they close the tanks B and C to the rear of the chamber A, and that of the tank B carries with it the treated basket P to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 8. the basket being supported in halfbearings 17, 17a carried respectively by the bracket 54 and doors S. At the commencement of the movement of the rack, a pin 68 thereon engages with a lever 82 to rotate a shaft 83 carrying a lever 82a. and one 82b, Fig. 6. The movement of the latter lifts a locking-lever 16<a> out of a slot 16 in one plate 1, and that of the former engages with a pin 84 on one of the plates to rotate the frame 1. 1 to bring one basket P between levers 20<d>, 20<e> and carry the others one. step forward through the solvent in the tank A. The rotation of the frame ceases when the lever 16<a >engages the succeeding slot 16. At. the end of the outward stroke of the .rack 46, a pin 68<a> thereon operates valves 69<a> to supply pressure to a cylinder 67a whereby the shaft 41<a> is rotated further to operate a valve 44<c> to supply pressure to a cylinder 70 which raises the lever 71. Thereby a lever 73 rotates a shaft 73<a>. and through a chain wheel 74, chain 75 and chain wheel 74<a> a shaft 20<b>. Levers 20, 20<a>, 20<d>, 20<e>, Figs. 6 and 11. are thereby rocked, The lever 20 rocks the bearings 17, 17<a> to allow the lever 20<a> to remove the shaft 4 of the basket P therefrom, and the basket is then carried bv guides 17<c>, 17<d>, 17<b> till the shaft 4 enters a pair of slots 16 in the nlates 1. The levers 20<d>. 20<e> remove a basket P from the plates 1 and transfer it along guides 17<b>, 17<d> and a lever 76 to bearings 76<c>, 77<a> on the frame moved out from the tank C. At the end of its movement, the short arm of the lever 71 depresses the rod 78, and closes the one valve 44<c>, whereby the plunger of the cylinder 67 is returned to normal position by a counterweight. and the rod 41<a> is rotated further by a ratchet at the end of the rod 78 to operate a valve 44<a> to release pressure from the cylinder 70. The lever 71 is then returned by a counterweight 71<a>, whereby the levers 20, 20<a>, 20<d>, 20<e> are restored to their original positions, and the other valve 44<c> is again opened to supply pressure to the cylinder 67 whereby the shaft 41a is again rotated to supply pressure to the return side of the cylinder 45, the return of the rack 46 operating the screws 24, 24<a> in the reverse direction to cause the doors S to return an empty frame to the tank B, and the second frame to the tank C, carrying with it a basket P. The pin 68 now slips over the pivoted end 82d of the lever 82 after returning it to normal position. In the next cam position of the shaft 41. the' basket in the tank C is rotated rapidly and clean solvent is fed from a tank D, supplied from a tank H. through the pipe 65 to the inside of the pipe 4 and passes through the material into the tank C and thence by a pipe A<1> into the tank A. In the next cam position all valves of the tank B are closed, and in the last position, the bolts 39 of the doors 34 of the tank B are released to permit recharging, the cycle of operations being thus complete. A collector U and condenser I, Fig. 1, are provided for dealing with solvent vapours from the tanks B. C, and the distilling-tank F, from which a pipe leads to a battery of distillers. In a modified form of the plant shown in Fig. 16, the material is treated in a single tank B, C, a battery of three' tanks for simultaneous working being shown, fitted with the necessary pipe and valve connections. The banks BC are closed at one end, and the pulleys driving the baskets P are adapted to be driven at a slow speed for the initial and main treatments, and rapidly for the final treatment. A cam shaft driven mechanically is provided on the side of each tank BC for effecting the required sequence of operations, the cam shafts being adapted to take up sixteen positions in each revolution. In operation, the loaded baskets are charged into the tank and steam passed through them to remove air. Rotation of the cam shafts then commences, and the baskets P are rotated slowly whilst a measured quantity of solvent solution from a tank S06 is passed through them from the shaft 14. The tank S06 is replenished from a tank S03 supplied by a pump E<b> from a tank S01. When the rotation of the baskets is interrupted, the solution from the tans is run into a distilling-tank F. Next the baskets are again rotated slowly, and treated for a, longer period with solution from a tank S05, the rotation being then interrupted, and the solution being passed from the tanks to the tank S01. The supply tank S04 for the tank S05 is supplied by a pump E<c> from a tank S02. In the next operation, the are rotated at a high speed and are treated with pure solvent from a. tank D. the solvent being forced through the material and passed to the tank S02, whilst the coils 66 in the are heated. The baskets are then rotated at the lower speed whilst the material is dried by the heating coils 66. the tank D being meanwhile refilled from the tank H: Finally, steam is passed through the baskets for a short period whilst they rotate at the higher speed, and thereby the last traces of solvent .are removed and passed to the tank S02, whilst any vapours pass to the collector U and condenser I. The cam shaft having now made a complete revolution, automatically comes to rest. and the treated material in the baskets may then be removed.