An Improved Apparatus for Nitrating Cotton and other Organic Substances.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Nitrating Cotton and other Organic
Substances.
I, THOMAS CROSBOROUGH HENCHMAN, of Poplar Hall, Stifford, in the County of
Essex, Explosives Operative, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
:-
The object of this invention is to enable cotton fibre and other organic sub-
stances used in the manufacture of celluloid and gun cotton and other explosives
to be nitrated with the minimum expenditure of time and labour the said
substances being immersed in and withdrawn from the nitrating vats or tanks
by self acting machinery.
Now according to this invention I provide a vat or tank of any suitable size,
shape and material preferably of a material not readily acted on by the nitro-
sulphuric acid used for nitrating.
The said vat or tank is provided with bearings in which rotate a shaft to which
is secured a drum barrel or pulley having the periphery thereof grooved cir-
cumferentially.
The lower half or thereabouts of the drum, barrel or pulley is immersed in
the acid in the tank or 'vat.
On each side of the drum, barrel or pulley are two or more sprocket wheels
round which passes an endless band or chain of any suitable material.
These sprocket wheels are secured to suitable shafts rotating in bearings secured
to the sides of the tank or vat so as to keep the said wheels above the level of
the acid in the tank or vat.
The shafts carrying the drum and sprocket wheels may be geared together so
as to ensure the linear velocities of the peripheries of the drum and sprockets
being the same.
The endless band or chain (preferably consisting of flat slats or bars of any
suitable material connected together by links or other suitable device which will
ensure the flexibility of the chain) passes under the drum over the sprockets and
under a flanged pulley or sprocket wheels rotating on a pin or stud in a suitable
bracket or secured to a shaft rotating in suitable bearings the bracket or bearings
being secured to the bottom or sides of the tank or vat inside the same.
In some cases the lower pulley or sprockets may be outside the vat or tank
the chain or band passing down the sides and under the bottom of the tank or vat.
I may provide also at the top of the tank on one side of the drum barrel or
pulley a suitable conveyor by means of which the material to be "nitrated" is
fed into the apparatus between the drum barrel or pulley and the chain which
conveyor may be formed by the chain itself or the material to be nitrated may
be fed in by hand.
On the opposite side of the drum are two or more rollers which receive the
nitrated material from the chain and squeeze out the excess of acid the chain if
desired may pass between the squeezing rollers.
A second conveyor may be added to remove the nitrated material from the

page_text: apparatus. The grooves in the drum are to allow the acid to have free access to
the material under treatment.
I provide also a hood over the apparatus to collect the acid fumes and convey
then to a ventilating shaft.
The tank or vat may be supported by suitable piers or it may be provided with
legs to raise it above the floor sufficiently to enable the chain to pass freely
underneath it if the chain is brought outside the tank or vat.
The driving power may be applied to the drum shaft or to one of the sprocket
wheel shafts.
In all cases the chain or band is constructed in such a manner as to be driven
by the sprocket wheels.
In the case of leading the chain or band outside the tank or vat as above
referred to I provide a suitable receptacle to receive any of the acid which may
drip from the chain or band.
1 T 1
1900
H. C. FOWLER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, Agent for Applicant.
An Improved Apparatus for Nitrating Cotton and other Organic
Substances.
I, THOMAS CROSBOROUGH HENCHMAN, of Poplar Hall, Stifford, in the County of
Essex, Explosives Operative, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement; —
The object of this invention is to enable cotton fibre and other organic sub-
stances used in the manufacture of celluloid, gun cotton and other explosives
to be nitrated with the minimum expenditure of time and labour, another object
being to recover a large percentage or excess of the acid employed in the nitration
from the saturated substance.
Now according to this invention I provide a vat or tank of any suitable size,
shape and material preferably of cast iron or other substance not readily acted
on by the nitro-sulphuric acid used for nitrating.
This vat or tank is provided with a series of tubes extending from one side
of the vat or tank to the other side thereof and the vat or tank is immersed in
a tank of water or other suitable liquid or mixture for cooling purposes, or the
outer tank can be used for raising the temperature of the acid according to
the purpose for which the nitrated material is to be applied.
The said vat or tank is provided with flanges to which may be secured bearings
in which rotate a shaft to which is secured a drum barrel or pulley having the
periphery grooved circumferentially.
The lower half or thereabouts of the drum, barrel or pulley is immersed in the
acid in the tank or vat.
At each end of the machine are two or more sprocket wheels over which passes
an endless chain or band of any suitable material: the said chain or band
passes also underneath the drum, barrel, or pulley the material under treatment
being held between the chain and the drum, barrel or pulley.
These sprocket wheels are secured to suitable shafts rotating in bearings secured
to the tank or vat so as to keep the said wheels above the level of the acid in
the tank.

page_text: The shafts carrying the drum barrel or pulley and sprocket wheels may be
geared together so as to ensure the linear velocities of the drum, barrel, or pulley
and sprockets being the same. The said chain or band preferably consists of flat slats
or bars of any suitable material connected together by links or other suitable
device which will ensure the flexibility of the chain and may pass under a
flanged pulley or under sprocket wheels rotating on pins or studs in suitable
brackets secured to the bottom of the tank or vat or to the sides thereof and inside
the same:
or the chain may simply hang loose underneath the drum, barrel
or pulley.
In some cases the lower pulley or sprockets may be outside the vat or tank
the chain or band then passing down the sides and under the bottom of the
tank or vat. may provide also at the top of the tank or vat on one side of
the drum barrel or pulley a suitable conveyor or feeding table by means of
which the material to be nitrated is fed into the apparatus between the drum,
barrel or pulley and the chain or band which conveyor may be formed in some
cases by the chain or band itself. If desired the material may be fed in by hand.
On the opposite side of the drum are two or more rollers which receive the
nitrated material from the chain and squeeze out the excess of acid suitable
brushes or other devices being provided if necessary to clear the nitrated material
from the drum barrel or pulley and the chain or band. A second conveyor may
take the nitrated material from the squeezers to the washing tanks.
The grooves in the drum, barrel or pulley are to allow the acid to have free
access to the material under treatment. I provide a hood over the upper portion
of the apparatus to collect the acid fumes and convey them to a ventilating shaft.
The tank or vat may be supported by suitable piers or it may be provided with
legs" to raise it above the floor sufficiently to enable the chain to pass freely
under it when the chain is brought outside the tank.
*
The driving power may be applied to the drum shaft or to one of the sprocket
wheel shafts.
In case the chain or band is led outside the tank or vat I provide a suitable
receptacle to catch any acid which may drop from the chain.
Instead of attaching the bearings for the various shafts to the acid tank I
may carry them on a suitable frame so that as the acid tank will probably wear
out before any other part of the apparatus it will be an easy matter to remove
the worn out tank and replace it with a new one without disturbing any of the
bearings the shafts and what is attached to them being lifted out where necessary
and replaced when the new tank is in position.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I will proceed
to explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in
which:-
Fig. 1 is side elevation of an apparatus for nitrating cotton and other substances
constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is plan of same.
Fig. 3 is end elevation of same partly in section.
Fig. 4 shows a portion of one of the sprocket wheels for driving the chain.
Fig. 5 shows one of the slats composing the chain—and
Fig. 6 is end view of a portion of the chain.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.
is the tank or vat containing the nitro-sulphuric acid.
bis the water or cooling tank in which the acid or container is immersed,
which tank can be utilized for raising the temperature of the acid when desirable.
fis the frame of the machine.
is the drum, barrel or pulley made of cast iron and provided with circum-
ferential grooves g g round the periphery thereof.
c is the chain or band which is formed of slats h having two pins or studs i
at each end thereof each slat being connected to the next by means of links j
the latter being secured in position by means of metallic thimbles driven upon

page_text: or otherwise fixed to the pins or studs. The two pins or studs on each slat fall
between two consecutive teeth on the sprocket wheels carrying the said chain
as shown at Fig. 4.
The sprocket wheel k is driven from the drum shaft by means of the pulleys k' k²
and a crossed belt or by any other suitable means.
is a rotating cylinder of any suitable material covered with an india rubber
brush to clear the nitrated material from the drum.
mare similar brushes to remove the nitrated material from the chain and
brush and convey it to the rollers o p which squeeze the excess of acid out of
the material either or both of which rollers may be covered with india rubber.
Instead of the rotating cylinder being covered with an india rubber brush
such cylinder may be provided with points of suitable material and similarly in
regard to the brushes m n.
q
As shown in the drawings the brush is driven from the shaft by means of
the chain the brush m and the squeezing rollers are driven from the shaft s
by the chaint and the belt and the brush is driven from the shaft u by the
chain v.
It is obvious however, that the gearing together of the parts shown
may be varied.
ww are hand wheels and screws to adjust the pressure between the rollers op.
is a feeding table or conveyor consisting preferably of a broad canvas belt
running over flanged pulleys y y or the table may be made of wood slats secured
to a chain passing over sprocket wheels.
zare stretching screws to adjust the tension of the feeding table.
As shown the feeding table is driven from the shaft A by the chain B.
C is a shoot of glass or other suitable substance down which the material from
the table falls into the space between the chain c and drum d.
1) is a similar shoot to conduct the nitrated material from the brush n to the
squeezing rolls and E is a similar shoot to convey the squeezed material from the
rolls to a conveyor which takes it to the washing tanks.
F is a spur wheel keyed to the drum shaft and G a pinion gearing therewith
which pinion is keyed to a short shaft H carrying fast and loose belt pulleys as
shown or a single pulley and clutch may be used.
The acid tank or container a is provided with a series of tubes I through
which water or other liquid or mixture circulates to cool the acid in the tank.
In those cases which require the temperature of the acid to be raised the said
tubes may be utilised for the application of hot water or steam.
K is a hood which rests on the top or upper part of the tank or vat on a flange
formed on the tank or vat for this purpose.
A ventilating shaft furnished with a fan is attached to the hood to remove
the fumes given off by the acids in the tank. The plummer blocks supporting
the various shafts are bolted to the frame f of the machine so that when it is
necessary to renew the acid tank the cups are removed from the plummer blocks
and the necessary shafts lifted out without disturbing the plummer blocks the
said shafts being replaced when the new tank is in position.
The tank or container may be supplied with acid at any convenient part of
such tank or container through a pipe connected with a reservoir containing the
mixed acids but preferably below the level of the acid in the tank or container.
I provide also at any convenient part at bottom of the tank a tap to draw off
the acid when required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. Apparatus for nitrating cotton and other organic substances consisting of
a conveyor or feeding table an acid tank or vat a drum, barrel or pulley partly
immersed in the said tank and rotating therein a chain passing under the
drum rotating brushes or removers to clear the nitrated material from the drum

page_text: and chain and squeezing rollers to remove the excess of acid from the said
material all substantially as hereinbefore specified.
2. In an apparatus for nitrating cotton and other substances as herein before
specified the construction and use of a chain composed of a series of slats each
slat having two pins or studs at each end thereof and links connecting the pins
of each slat to the slats on each side of it all substantially as described and shown.
3. An apparatus for nitrating cotton and other organic substances constructed
as shown by the accompanying drawings.
Dated June 9th 1890
H. C. FOWLER,
11, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, Agent for Applicant.