AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FISH TO PREPARE THE SAME FOR USE AS MANURE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Deadman Cox, of Woolwich, in the County of
"
Kent, for an Invention of AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR
TREATING FISH TO PREPARE THE SAME FOR USE AS MANURE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Deadman Cox at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th June 1881.
SAMUEL DEADMAN Cox, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent. AN IMPROVED
PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FISH TO PREPARE THE SAME FOR USE
AS MANURE."
"
My Invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for treating fish
which is useless as food, also waste portions of fish, such as the heads, tails,
entrails, or the like, to prepare the same for use as manure.
By means of my said Invention 1 am enabled with great facility to bring this
fish or fish-offal into a dry, friable, or powdery condition, in which condition it is
free from objectionable smell, and may be conveniently stored and transported
without danger to health. Moreover the fish desiccated according to my Invention
will be of considerable commercial value as a fertilizer.
"
In carrying the said Invention into practice I subject the waste fish or offal to
the action of steam in a suitable vessel until it becomes thoroughly cooked, and
the albumen is completely "set or coagulated, and I then cut it up into small
particles, which are subjected to the action of a hydro-extractor, and are also, if
necessary, further dried upon a floor heated by steam or otherwise.
This process reduces the fish to a dry friable or powdery condition, and may be
effected in any suitable apparatus. I have, however, devised an apparatus, which
is so constructed and arranged that it will enable me to carry my said Invention
into practice in a very advantageous manner, and I will now proceed to describe
my Invention as practised by the aid of the said apparatus, which forms a part
thereof. I provide a hopper of considerable dimensions, whose sides or walls taper
downwardly, and this hopper is either bolted to or forms part of a chamber below
the same, and the said chamber communicates at its lower end with an apparatus,

page_text: in which the steamed or cooked fish or offal is chopped or cut up into small pieces.
At the lower part of the hopper, that is to say, at the part where the latter joins
the chamber below the same, there is a horizontal sliding partition, which cuts off
the hopper from the lower chamber, and the said partition is provided with a
number of small apertures. At the lower part of the said chamber there is another
sliding horizontal partition, which cuts off this chamber from the chopping or
cutting up apparatus, but this lower partition is not provided with apertures. The
chopping apparatus is made as follows, that is to say-I provide a box or case,
one end of which lies immediately below and is connected with the aforesaid
chamber under the hopper, and within this box there is a shaft extending from one
end to the other end thereof, being supported in suitable bearings, one at each end.
The end of the shaft which is immediately under the chamber is provided with a
spiral blade, which acts as a conveyor to move the fish, or parts of fish, as it falls
from the chamber towards the other end of the cutting-up apparatus. The said
shaft is provided upon about half its length with knives or cutters, which as the
shaft rotates work within stationary cutters securely fixed to the floor of the
apparatus. The cutting-up apparatus is closed by a hinged door at one end, which
door may be let down, so as to form a support for the cut particles of fish as they
pass away from the cutting up apparatus to a hydro-extractor which is placed in
convenient proximity to the said apparatus.
It is intended that the shaft of the cutting-up or chopping apparatus and the
hydro-extractor shall be driven by steam-power, and for this purpose I provide
suitable shafting, pulleys, and straps or belts. Hand or other power may however
be used instead of steam.
A steam-pipe in connection with the boiler leads into one side of the chamber
below the hopper at the lower part of the said chamber, and a branch tube is
carried from this pipe to a point above the hopper, and is thence curved over into
the hopper, extending nearly to the bottom of the latter, and the part of this
branch pipe within the hopper is perforated with a number of holes.
The fish or fish-offal is placed in the hopper, the two sliding partitions being
shut or closed, and then steam is admitted into the chamber below the hopper,
filling the same, whence it escapes upwards through the perforations in the
partition and permeates the mass of fish or offal in the hopper. Steam also enters
the hopper through the perforations in the bent pipe. The steam is allowed to
enter in this manner until the fish or offal is thoroughly cooked, the time required
for an ordinary charge being about 30 minutes. Then the steam is shut off, the
sliding partitions are withdrawn, and the fish or offal falls by gravity into the
chopping or cutting-up apparatus. It falls directly into the part of this apparatus
where the spiral blade is situated, and this blade, as it rotates, moves the material
forward to the knives or cutters, where it is chopped or cut up into very small
particles, and as it is cut it passes to the hydro-extractor, where the greater part
of the moisture is got rid of The mass is then removed, and if any moisture
remains, is taken to a drying floor or kiln arranged in a convenient position, and
which may be heated by steam from the boiler. The mass is now in the form of
a dry powder or friable substance, and may or may not be subsequently
ground. It is devoid of unpleasant smell and is in a proper condition for
immediate use as a fertilizer, or may be stored or moved as desired.
If a steam-engine is in any case not employed the steam must be obtained from
a boiler provided specially for affording the necessary supply.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Deadman Cox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th December 1881.
"
SAMUEL DEADMAN Cox, of Woolwich, in the County of Kent. AN IMPROVED.
PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FISH TO PREPARE THE SAME FOR USE.
AS MANURE."
My Invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for treating fish
which is useless as food, also waste portions of fish, such as the heads, tails, entrails,
or the like, to prepare the same for use as manure.
By means of my said Invention I am enabled with great facility to bring this
fish or fish offal into a dry, friable, or powdery condition, in which condition it is
free from objectionable smell, and may be conveniently stored and transported '
without danger to health. Moreover, the fish dessicated according to my Invention.
will be of considerable commercial value as a fertilizer.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I subject the waste fish or offal to
the action of steam in a suitable vessel until it becomes thoroughly cooked and the
albumen is completely set or coagulated, and I then cut it up into small particles.
which are subjected to the action of a hydro-extractor, 'and are also if necessary
further dried upon a floor heated by steam or otherwise.
This process reduces the fish to a dry, friable, or powdery condition, and may
be effected in any suitable apparatus. I have however devised an apparatus which
is so constructed and arranged that it will enable me to carry my said Invention
into practice in a very advantageous manner, and I will now proceed to describe
my Invention as practiced by the aid of the said apparatus, which is shewn in the
accompanying Drawings. In these Drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan partly in horizontal section, and
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation illustrating the construction and arrange-
ment of the said apparatus.
Like letters indicate the same parts in both of these Figures.
a is a steam boiler; b is a cylinder or chamber containing a cutting apparatus ;.
c is a steam chamber; and d is a hopper; e is a hydro-extractor; f is a steam
engine; g is a drying door.
The remaining parts are hereinafter described.
The hopper d is made of ample dimensions for the reception of the fish ; its sides
or walls taper inward downwardly, and it is either bolted to or forms part of the
steam chamber c below the same; the said steam chamber communicates at its
lower end with the chamber or cylinder containing the cutting apparatus, in which
the steamed or cooked fish or offal is chopped or cut into small pieces. At the
lower part of the hopper d, that is to say, at the part where the latter joins the
steam chamber there is a horizontal sliding partition h which separates the hopper
from the said chamber, and the said partition is perforated with small holes as
shewn. At the lower part of the said chamber there is another sliding horizontal
partition which separates or cuts off this chamber from the chopping or cutting'
apparatus, but this lower partition is not provided with apertures.
The chopping apparatus is made as follows, that is to say:-It is enclosed in the
cylinder or case b, one end of which lies immediately below and is connected with
the aforesaid steam chamber, and within this cylinder b there is a shaft b' extending
through the same and supported in suitable bearings at the end of the said cylinder.
The end of this shaft which is immediately under the steam chamber c is provided
with a spiral conveyor or feed screw b*, which moves the fish as it falls from the
chamber towards the other ends of the cutting up apparatus. The shaft b' at this
end of the said apparatus is provided with knives or cutters 62, which as the shaft
rotates work within or between stationary cutters 6s securely fixed in the bottom
or other convenient part of the cylinder or case b. This end of the said cylinder

page_text: or case b is provided with a hinged door or board which may be turned down
to form a support or bridge for the cut particles of fish as they pass from the
cutting apparatus to the bydro-extractor e that is placed in convenient proximity
to the said cutting up apparatus.
It is intended that the shafts of the cutting up or chopping apparatus and the
hydro-extractor shall be driven by steam power, and for this purpose I provide a
steam engine as shewn at f, and suitable shafting pulleys and straps or belts.
But if desired the said cutting apparatus and hydro-extractor may be driven by
hand.
A steam pipe connected with the boiler a extends therefrom into one side of
the chamber c at the lower part of the said chamber as shewn, and a branch pipe j
extends from this pipe i above the hopper d, and is bent over into the said hopper,
extending nearly to the bottom of the latter, and the part of this branch pipe
within the said hopper is perforated with a number of holes through which the
steam is distributed uniformly into the charge in the hopper.
The fish or fish offal is placed in the hopper d, the two sliding partitions h, h¹,
being closed. Steam is admitted into the chamber c, whence it escapes upwards
through the perforations in the partition h, and permeates the mass of fish or offal
in the hopper. Steam also enters the hopper & through the perforations in the
bent pipe j. The admission of the steam into the chamber c and hopper d is con-
tinned until the fish or offal therein is thoroughly cooked, the time required for
an ordinary charge being about 30 minutes; then the steam is shut off, the sliding
partitions are withdrawn, and the fish or offal falls by gravity into the part of the
chamber or case b occupied by the spiral conveyor b*, which as it rotates moves
the fish forward to the knives or cutters 62, 63, where it is chopped or cut into very
small pieces or particles, and as it is cut the fish passes to the hydro-extractor e
wherein it is deprived of the greater part of its moisture. The mass is then
removed from this hydro-extractor, and if any moisture remains in the same it is
taken to the drying floor or kiln which is arranged in a convenient position as
shewn, and which may be beated by steam from the boiler. The mass of fish is
now in the form of a dry powder or friable substance, and may or may not be
subsequently ground. It is devoid of unpleasant smell, and is in a proper
condition for immediate use as a fertilizer, or may be stored or transported as
desired.
In cases where a steam engine is not employed the steam required may be
obtained from any suitable boiler which may or may not be specially formed for
this purpose.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim.-
First. The improved process consisting in first subjecting the fish to the action
of steam, and then further treating or preparing the same in the manner and by
means of the apparatus above described for the purpose specified.
Second. The apparatus comprising the cylinder or case containing the rotating
conveyor and the cutters, and constructed or arranged in combination with the
steam chamber and hopper provided with means for the admission of steam thereto,
and with sliding or adjustable partitions, all substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Deadman Cox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundrad 1