The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-10-26
TANNEN EXTRACT.
The Process of Manufacturing Tannin
Extract from Sweet Fern.

The new tannin factory at East Machias is
completed and operations will soon be COM
menced. Up to the present time $4,000 has
been expended for sweet fem, scattering money
among the poorer classes.
The fern is housed ia sheds winged off from
the main building and easily moved when want
ed to the hopper of the cutter This is the first
step-place the fern in a cutter a machine
something like hay cutter. This cuts it quite
fine. If worked to its capacity the machine
will cut one and half tons per hour.
Two tan burners are constructed in the base
ment. The spent ferr, woody, fbrous parts are
accumulated here and used in the furnaces to
heat the water and building. This waste mate
rial is expected to furnish all the fuel REQUIRED
after well in operation. The main shed for
storage of fern is twenty-six feet wide one hun
dred and thitty-fve feet long and fourteen feet
high. Besides there are three other sheds thir-
ty-fye feet wide, one hundred and ten feet LONG
and sixteen feet high.
From the cutter the chopped fern passes into
elevator cups, thence it is raised to the fonrth
floor of the building. The cups are construct
ed quite like the cups in a grist or flour mill
whereby the meal is raised to the upper floor
On the fourth floor are four teaches; being
tanks made round and holding ten thousand
gallons each. The chopped fern is deposited in
these teaches from the elevator cups. Near by
are two reservoirs. When 10 operation these
reservoirs are filled with hot water. They hold
1850 gallons each. The hot water by means of
pump is sprnkled on to the fern in the
teaches. This is the teaching process or second
step in the extraction operation. The hot wa
ter and the steam is all passed through brass
pipes or tubes, no iron being used
After sleeping as long as necessary the liquor
| is passed from the teaches to four store tanks
The 10 tanks hold about 200 gallons each. Ia
| these tanks, which are on the third floor, the
Liquor is allowed to settle. Next it is passed to
| three condensers on the second floor The con-
| densers are semi-crcular in form, u by 10 feet
| inside, and supplied with 200 feet OF brass pine
| each one. The second condenser is higher than
| the first, and the third higher than the second.
An immense hest is forced into the liquor in
| the condenseIs by means of pipes A reyoly-
ing shaft with discs 20 feet in diameter is kent
constantly in motion, stirring and agitating the
| liquor. A cloud of steam and yapor is con-
| stantly arising, seeking to escape through the
| ventilator at the top of the factory This pro.
| cess is evaporation. When concluded only the
| pure and best tannin extract remains.
Great vigilance and superintendence are
needed at the condenssrs. The extract yaust
not be scorched or burned. A faithful superin.
tendent Is needed here. When the tannin is
reduced 10 proper consistency it is passed from
| the condensers into coolers When cooled IL is
drawn OH into barrels The barrels hold 48 to.
80 gallons each, or about 500 pounds to the bar.
REL e., Inc me extract is now ready for shipment
liquor is returned to the teaches. This serves
better purpose in extracting juice from the fern
than clear water The weaker liquor is he in
reserve after the stronger is drawn from the
tanks, the former being kept in two tanks Of
5000 gallons each; thence it is forced to the
teaches The exhausted steam from the boilel
of the driving engine in the basement is forced
! to do different duties, some of it reaching The