IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING THE EXTRACT OR SOLUBLE " THEREFOR PORTION FROM TANNING MATERIALS AND IN APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hutchings of Warrington in the county of
Lancaster for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING THE EXTRACT
OR
SOLUBLE
"
THEREFOR
PORTION
FROM TANNING MATERIALS AND IN
APPARATUS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hutchings at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1882.
JOHN HUTCHINGS of Warrington in the county of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN OBTAINING THE EXTRACT OR SOLUBLE PORTION FROM TANNING MATERIALS AND
IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
•
In extracting the soluble matters from Bark, valonia, or other tanning materials
except Gambier Cutch etcetera which require heat it is usual to place them in
leaching pits or vats and transfer the water which has partially absorbed the
tannin in one pit, to the next, and from that after further absorption to the next
and so on each vat in succession containing fresher material until the last has only
tanning matters hitherto unoperated upon. The spent tan when no longer able to
give out an appreciable amount of soluble extract is thrown out and the pit or vat
filled with fresh material when it in turn becomes the final one of the series and is
treated with the most concentrated liquor
Now the disadvantage of this plan is that the materials swell and to some extent
cake together, and hinder percolation in the vat, and consequently a long period of
immersion is required as well as necessitating one or more castings over into other
vats in order to loosen them and bring them more effectually into contact with the
liquor Now my invention consists in supporting the vats on axes or trunnions
so that they can be oscillated, and arranging them in series so that the same motor
can alternately oscillate each one in the series If a large number be employed,
the engine is always employed, but only oscillating one or more tanks or vats each
one being oscillated in turn for a short period followed by a longer quiescence and
so on intermittently The effect of the oscillations is to extract the tan so rapidly
and effectually that the time is very much shortened and the solution highly con-
centrated in strength, and also the labour of throwing out and wheeling from one
leach to another is saved

page_text: There are various ways of performing the oscillations, one is attaching to each
tank an eccentric rod from a shaft above and so arranging the clutch apparatus
that one vat shall be thrown out of gear the moment another is put in, or they can
be connected or disconnected by hand, or any of the well known methods for
giving intermittent reciprocal motion can be employed
To dissolve Gambier the oscillation of the. vat is rendered more effectual by
frames hanging parallel to the sides of the vat from fixed pivots overhead and
worked by contact with the sides of the vat as it oscillates. These frames propel
the Gambier from side to side of the vat over spikes fixed underneath or working
on rollers, so rapidly wearing away the bale and helping it to dissolve in a few
hours without any application of heat

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Jolin Hutchings in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
March 1883..
JOHN HUTCHINGS of Warrington in the county of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN OBTAINING THE EXTRACT OR SOLUBLE PORTION FROM TANNING MATERIALS, AND
IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
"
In extracting the soluble matters from bark, valonia, or other tanning materials,
except gambier, cutch, et cetera, which require heat, it is usual to place them in
leaching pits, or vats, and transfer the water which has partially absorbed the
tannin in one pit to the next, and from that, after further absorption, to the next,
and so on, each vat in succession containing fresher material, until the last has only.
tanning materials hitherto unoperated upon. The spent tan, when no longer able to
give out an appreciable amount of soluble extract, is thrown out, and the pit or vat
filled with fresh material, when it in turn becomes the final one of the series, and is
treated with most concentrated liquor.
:
Now the disadvantage of this plan is that the materials swell and to some extent
cake together and binder percolation in the vat and consequently a long period of
immersion is required, as well as necessitating one or more castings over into other.
vats, in order to loosen them and bring them more effectually into contact with
the liquor.
Now my invention consists in supporting the vats on axes or trunnions so that
they can be oscillated, and arranging them in series so that the same motor can
alternately oscillate each in the series or all in turn at each revolution of the shafts.
If a large number of vats are used the engine is always employed but only oscillating
one or more tanks or vats, each one being oscillated in turn for a short period
followed by a longer quiescence and so on intermittently. The effect of the oscil-
lations is to extract the tan so rapidly and effectually that the time is very much
shortened and the solution highly concentrated in strength, and also the labour of
throwing out and wheeling from one leach to another is saved.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown two methods of oscillating the
tanks. Fig. is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan showing the mode of driving
I prefer to employ and which from the experiments I have made gives the best
results. Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevation and plan showing an alternative mode
of oscillating. Like letters represent like parts in all the views.
In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a vat or tank arranged for dissolving gambier
and although gambier is only secondary in importance to other tanning materials
this arrangement is described first as I consider it best illustrates my improve.
ments. A is the tank B the pivot or centre on which the tank oscillates C spiked
rollers mounted inside the tank D hinged or pivoted frames for propelling the
gambier from end to end of vat by an automatic motion imparted by the rising of
the vat. E connecting rod and F pulley to which the connecting rod is attached
for imparting the necessary oscillating motion to the tank or vat.
The mode of operation is as follows :—
The gambier and liquors are placed in the tank A on the rollers C, and
between the frames D, these are parallel with the sides of the tank and are
so connected thereto that as the tank oscillates they are caused to propel the
gambier backward and forward over the spiked roller C, so rapidly wearing
away the bale and helping to dissolve it without the application of heat. The
oscillating motion is imparted to the tank A from pulley F (on a convenient motor
or main driving shaft) through connecting rod or beam E attached to the upright
piece a of the tank A. The tank being pivoted at B, a simple and direct oscillating

page_text: motion is thus obtained, which oscillation is continued until the gambier is
dissolved when the solution can be run off into suitable tanks through openings or
orifices provided in the tank A.
For extracting the soluble matters from other tanning materials the above
described tank and oscillating mechanism may be employed and when preferred
the hinged frames and spiked rollers may be dispensed with. Also in some cases
such as for loosening bark during extracting it may be found preferable to employ
the two hinged frames fixed close together near the centre of the vat and coupled
together said frames being pivoted overhead and moved to and fro by the tank.
At Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a modified arrangement for imparting the oscillating
motion to the vats, and may be employed when the vats are worked in pairs at the
same time for conveying or imparting the motion to any required number of vats
arranged in a line with each other. In this arrangement the connecting rod E
upright a and pulley F are dispensed with: and in place thereof I employ two
shafts G and H carried in suitable bearings g and h mounted on the framing I.
On these shafts are mounted and fixed any required number of cams J and K,
these engage or come in contact during their revolutions with a plate L bolted to
the side of one of the vats. Motion is conveyed from any convenient source to the
shafts G and H through shaft M worm N worm wheel. O and spur gearing P. It
will be readily seen that the cams J and K are so timed in their rotation that
cam J will cause the tank to be tilted downwards whilst cam K is employed for
raising the tank and tilting it in an opposite direction. The agitation of loose
tanning material may be aided by the application of hinged or pivoted frames
suspended as in the previous figure with the addition of flaps working on hinges at
the bottom of each frame. These flaps being applied in order to lessen the
resistance in the return movement of the frames.
Various other modes for oscillating the tanks may be employed one being
attaching to each tank an eccentric rod from a shaft above and so arranging
the clutch apparatus that one vat shall be thrown out of gear the moment another
is put in or they can be connected or disconnected by hand, or any of the well
known methods for giving intermittent reciprocal motion can be employed but this
will require to be varied according to circumstances as will also the speed of
oscillation, which may either be fast or slow, but I have found that 15 to 20
revolutions per minute give the best results.
Having now described my invention and the best modes known to me of
carrying it out I claim under the Letters Patent :-
1 The manufacture or extraction of the soluble extracts of tanning material by
digesting the latter in water and at the same time causing the water and tanning
materials to surge to and fro by means of oscillating apparatus substantially as
set forth.
2nd The apparatus substantially as described and illustrated for extracting tanning
extracts, namely (a) the oscillating vats actuated and used substantially as
described (b) the hanging frames or levers for helping to move about the material
in the vats and (c) in conjunction with said cscillating vats said levers or both the
: system of spikes, spiked wheels, or roughened bottom substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said John Hutchings have hereunto set my land
and seal this twenty fourth day of March in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.