Improvements in or Appertaining to Rotary Presses for the Extraction of Liquids or Soluble Matter from Solid Compressible Materials.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining
to Rotary Presses for the
Extraction of Liquids or Soluble Matter from Solid Compressible
Materials.
I, MIDDLETON CRAWFORD of Brooklyn, New York City, County, and State, and
doing business at the Cotton Exchange Building, New York, United States of
America, but now temporarily resident in England, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in or appertaining to that class of
rotary press of which the following is a brief description:
The press consists principally of a ring, or hollow cylinder suitably mounted,
preferably in a vertical plane, and a smaller cylinder or wheel eccentrically mounted
within the first, so that the space between the two may be less upon one side than on
the other. The material to be pressed is fed into the space between the cylinders at
its widest part and one or both of the cylinders being at the same time rotated, the
material is carried through the narrowest part of the space and thus subjected to
an enormous pressure, very gradually applied and removed. As the material passes
again into the wider portion of the space after compression, it is removed by suitable
scrapers into a discharge spout. Plates at the ends of the cylinders (which are of
equal length) prevent untimely escape of the material under treatment.
The contiguous faces of the cylinders are perforated at intervals and provided with
surface grooves leading to these perforations. The perforations lead to the outer end
faces of the cylinders a little below or within the perforated surfaces so that the
expressed liquid may escape readily from all parts of the material compressed. Each
pressing surface is covered with a layer of wire cloth, perforated metal, or other rigid
material and over this is placed a porous layer as of cloth; for example. The cylinders
are, one or both provided with annular steam chambers, near the pressing surfaces,
and into these steam is introduced during the operation of the press, so that the
material may be raised to any desired temperature. Steam is introduced to the inner
cylinder through its hollow shaft.

page_text: The above type of press was originally invented and applied by me to expression
of oil from oil bearing substances, but I have recently greatly improved upon the said
invention and found it applicable to other purposes, and the present application is
made to cover these fresh matters.
1st. I find the invention applicable not merely for oil expression, but also for
expressing sugar and other juices from fruits, cane, beet root and the like, for
obtaining numerous kinds of extracts by means of solvents or otherwise from plants
and other materials, said materials being first comminuted, and the solvent, if any,
mixed therewith and then the mass is passed through the machine.
2nd. I arrange the end plates not merely to cover the space between the cylinders,
but also to cover the ends of the oil ducts, and cut annular grooves or channels in
the plates or cylinders, preferably the former, connecting the oil ducts with the exit,
and as the oil and other matters are somewhat viscid and might clog up the oil
passages, I use vacuum in some cases, the exhaustion being communicated to the
channels in the plates at the ends of the cylinders by means of passages leading to
an air pump or other exhauster.
If necessary, the plates can be completely annular, the spouts or scrapers passing.
through apertures in the plates, the width of which is equal to the maximum distance
apart of the surfaces of the two cylinders.
3rd. Where steam for heating, and exhaustion for extracting are both used in
the outer cylinder, the steam is introduced into an annular duct, parallel with the oil
duct in the end plate, but of different diameter.
4th. The combined exit spout and scraper is made in two pieces adjustable on each
other by set screws, springs or other means.
5th. The bearings for the inner cylinder are carried on a standard with parallel
adjustment, so that the end plates also carried by this standard shall not be thrown
out of truth, as would be the case, if the standard were adjusted at the top only. In
some cases, this standard may be fixed, and the position of the bearing in reference
thereto adjustable.
6th. To prevent condensed water accumulating in the heating chambers, I arrange
a steam trap with its orifice pressing against the side or edge of the cylinder, and one
or more passages controlled by valves actuated by adjacent pins, having sloping ends
just projecting beyond the surface of the cylinder; a piece on the orifice aforesaid
comes in contact in succession with each pin, pressing back the valve while opposite
the orifice leading to the steam trap, and when at the lowest point of rotation thus
allowing the water to run out.
7th. To cut the cake to exact uniform sizes I cause it to pass a sharp knife on the
inner cylinder scraper, and employ an intermittent reciprocating knife worked by
cam eccentric link gear or the like from the main driving shaft, or a counter shaft
which shears the cake off at definite intervals. The scraper-knife can be supported
on springs, or otherwise have a little play so as to advance forward with the cake
while cutting.
D. 11
1
T
T
1000

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to Rotary Presses for the
Extraction of Liquids or Soluble Matter from Solid Compressible.
Materials.
I, MIDDLETON CRAWFORD, of Brooklyn, New York City, County and State, and
doing business at the Cotton Exchange Building, New York, United States of
America, but now temporarily resident in England, 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 :-
This invention relates to that class of continuous pressing apparatus which is set
forth in the patent specification No. 14526 of October 9th 1888, communicated from
me to William Phillips Thompson. Since the filing of the provisional specification
bearing the above number and date, I have greatly improved upon the apparatus
therein set forth. I have also found that it is applicable to other purposes besides
that of expressing oil, such as, for example, the expressing of saccharine or other
juices from sliced sugar cane, from beetroot, fruits, plants, flowers, seeds, nuts, kernels
or the like, and the obtaining of numerous kinds of extracts by means of solvents or
otherwise from plants and other materials, said materials being first preferably
comminuted, and the solvent, if any, mixed therewith and the mass then passed
through the apparatus. In short the invention is applicable to almost all cases where
a liquid or soluble substance is contained in a solid compressible material.
In the following specification the entire apparatus will be described in its most
complete form and its mode of action set forth, but only those points will be claimed
which are not set forth in the provisional specification abovementioned, but which are
embraced by the provisional specification accompanying the present specification.
- To the better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the
accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus with parts broken away.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of same.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the discharge shute.
Figure 4 is a partial flat projection showing the channels and perforations on the
face of the cylinders.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus as fitted with supplementary devices
hereinafter more fully described.
Figure 6 is an end elevation of the same part being in section, and,
Figure 7 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a valve intended for the escape
of the condensed steam from the apparatus."
The press consists principally of a ring, or hollow. cylinder A suitably mounted,
preferably in a vertical plane, and a smaller cylinder or wheel B, eccentrically
mounted within the first, so that the space between the two may be less upon one side
than on the other. Now, when the two cylinders are thus placed, if material to be
pressed is fed into the space between them at its widest part, and if the cylinders be
at the same time rotated, the material will be carried through the narrowest part of
the space and thus subiected to an enormous pressure, very gradually applied and

page_text: →
removed. As the material passes again into the wider portion of the space after
compression, it is removed by suitable scrapers C (Figure 1) or (110 (Figure 5).
Plates D which extend all the way round on each side or end of the cylinders,
prevent untimely escape of the material, and are each provided with grooves or
channels E (Figures 2 and 7) and with a discharge orifice E¹ (Figure 2) connected
therewith for the flowing off of the expressed liquid, as hereinafter described.
The contiguous faces of the cylinders are perforated at intervals, as at G
(Figures 2, 4, and 7) and are provided with surface grooves F F leading to these
openings. The perforations G extend for a short distance below or within the
perforated surfaces of the cylinders, and from their inner ends ducts G¹ lead to the
end faces of the cylinders, and open into the channels E in the end plates D, so
that liquid matter may escape readily from all parts of the material compressed. Or
the grooves or channels E may be formed on the ends of the cylinders instead of or as
well as on the plates D. Each pressing surface is covered with a layer I of wire
cloth, perforated metal or other rigid material, and over this is placed a porous layer
such as I¹ of cloth, for example. The cloth prevents the passage of solid matter with
- the expressed liquid, and the wire cloth or perforated sheet prevents the cloth of the
porous layer from obstructing the surface grooves F.
In cases where the extraction of the liquid or soluble matter may be facilitated by
the application of heat, one or both of the cylinders is provided with an annular steam
or other heating chamber J (Figures 2 and 7), near the pressing surfaces, into which
steam is introduced during the operation of the press, so that the material may be
raised to any desired temperature. By thus applying high heat at the instant of
compression, the matter to be expressed is made more soluble in its solvent, or is
rendered more fluid, or is otherwise so acted upon that it is more perfectly extracted.
Steam may be introduced to the inner cylinder through its hollow shaft S.
If the outer cylinder be also provided with a steam chamber, the steam may be let
in through an annular plate similar to the plate D but outside the diameter of the
latter, or formed in one with it, the said outer plate having an annular groove on its
inner face, connected with a steam supply, and the cylinder A, having one or more
holes leading from the said groove to the steam chamber within the cylinder. Or the
groove may be in the cylinder, and the hole or holes in the plate.
Describing the apparatus, as delineated more minutely, K is the foundation plate.
Upon this are placed standards K¹, carrying the bearings of cylinder B, the exact
position of the standards on the bed plate can be regulated by causing them to slide in
a slide K², and by adjusting them by means of strong serowed bolts L at their upper
ends, which take the ontire strain of the crushing. Or these standards may be fixed,
and the position of the bearings in reference thereto may be adjustable. By this
means the distance between the centres of the two cylinders, and thus the degree of
compression, can be exactly regulated without throwing the plates D attached to the
standards, perceptibly out of truth with the inner cylinder. M is a heavy casting or
forging carried by the bed plate and rigidly connected to the standards K', by the
bolts . It carries guide pulleys M¹ to support and guide the outer cylinder, and
resist the heavy strain caused by the crushing. A further pulley or pulleys M² can
also be used to bear the weight of cylinder A. The block M has lugs M³ projecting
over plates D, so as to hold them firm against each side of cylinders A and B, the
pressure being regulated by the set screws m. These plates are also supported by
the standards K' and are fixed to the standards by screws D¹, D¹ in such a manner
that the pressure of the plates against the cylinders may be regulated. The plates D
are supplied with channels E, as aforesaid, corresponding to the ends of the channels
or ducts G¹, and forming complete annular grooves round the plates. A pipe O
covering the discharge orifice E¹ of each plate D, leads to the tank or receptacle for
the expressed liquid or solvent. This receptacle may have, if desired, a partial vacuum
maintained in it by an air pump or equivalent device to assist the running away. of
the liquid.
To prevent the steam chamber J in the cylinder B from filling with condensed
water, I make use of an apparatus such as shown on an enlarged scale in Figure 7.

page_text: T is a spring closed valve, closing an orifice T¹, leading to the outside of the
cylinder end. Either one or both ends of the cylinder B may be fitted with valves T.
In Figure 5 the cylinder is shown provided with four such valves arranged equi-
distantly. T is the valve stem which projects a trifle beyond the end surface of the
cylinder B. T³ is a projecting piece on the plate D, which lies against the cylinder
end at or near its lowest point, and in the path of the stems T2. The projection
contains a recess T provided with an outlet pipe T, leading to any ordinary steam
trap. As the cylinder B revolves, each stem T2 successively strikes the projecting
piece T, which is preferably inclined on its under surface, and is pressed backwards
so that the valve is opened as the orifice T¹ arrives opposite the recess T, thus
allowing the condensed water to be discharged into the steam trap when the valve
arrives at or near its lowest position. The face of the projecting piece is preferably
inclined outwards at the point where it strikes the stem T2, and a cross piece T® is
provided which prevents the stem springing into the recess T.
If the cylinder A has also a steam chamber, it also may be provided with escape
valves or with other equivalent arrangement.
P is the discharge spout which is combined with the scrapers CC passing through
a gap d in one plate D, the combined spout and scrapers being formed in two parts so
as to be adjustable to the varying widths of the space between A and B. It can be
adjusted by springs or by bolts, wedges, or other adjusting device, or by slot and
set stud, as shown in Figure 3.
The delivery spout delivers the material to be ground into the space between
cylinders A and B. This spout passes through a gap in the other plate D nearly
opposite to where the discharge spout is placed, and delivers its material into the space
just scraped by the-scrapers CC, or by the scrapers CC hereinafter described.
Referring to Figures 5 and 6:
When the nature of the discharged material will admit of it being formed into
cakes, the following arrangement may be adopted whereby the material may be cut
into cakes of a uniform length as it issues from the apparatus. CC are two sharp
edged scrapers, which are supported by a frame P1, and bear against the faces of the
cylinders B and A respectively. The scraper C' is preferably spring pivoted as at c,
so that it may readily adjust itself to the cylinder B, when the position of the
latter is varied by the bolts L. The scraper is preferably provided at its opposite
edge with a salient edge c¹. A reciprocating knife also supported on the frame P1
is arranged to reciprocate intermittently past the edge c', and forms with it a shearing
device which cuts off the material into lengths or cakes as it issues between the
scrapers CC. The knife may be brought down upon the material at regular
intervals by means of any suitable device such as the beaked cams C4, which are
driven from the main gear wheel R by the wheels R1, R2, R3, or from any other suitable
point. The cams engage bowls R carried by the rods R³, which are connected
to the outer ends of the knife C³, and are with it returned to their normal position
after each operation by the springs R. If desired, the scraper-knife can be supported
on springs, or otherwise have a little play so as to advance forward with the cake
while cutting. R is the driving toothed wheel driving the cylinder A and consequently
the cylinder B by means of an annular rack Q, and driven by a shaft W, and
gearing Y. The cylinder B may also be driven by separate gearing if desired. S is
the hollow shaft by which steam enters into the annular steam space J. The bed plate
is preferably of a trough form, to catch any possible leakage of liquid that may occur.
T is a standard attached to the bed plate and carrying the platform supporting the
spouts and the scrapers CC. It also supports the plates 1), and by means of projecting
lugs and set screws d' the faces of plates D are kept firmly against the cylinders.
The mode of action is as follows:
:-
The two cylinders being adjusted to the right distance apart for the material to be
crushed this distance can only be arrived at for each material by actual trial-the
steam (when employed) is turned on, the partial vacuum formed (if necessary) and as
soon as the rolls are hot enough (if steam be used) the feeding commences.
outer cylinder A slowly revolving draws along the material fed in and presses. it
The

page_text: against the inner cylinder B. This latter then begins to revolve with the friction,
and as the material is pressed tighter and tighter between the rolls (being heated
where necessary at the same time) the liquid is pressed through porous cloth and
through the perforated plates, wire, gauze, or other rigid porous layer, and its flowing
off is further assisted by the partial vacuum, if such be used. The material exhausted
of its liquid is scraped out by the scrapers C, C, or C, C, cut into lengths, where
practicable, by the knife C, and delivered by the spout P, leaving the space between
the cylinders and beyond the scrapers, ready for a fresh supply of material.
In those cases where a solvent has to be added to assist the extraction of soluble
matter, the said solvent can be put in with the material, or by a pipe a little beyond
the feed spout, the said material being first preferably comminuted.
It will be seen that this apparatus differs from existing presses in that it is con-
tinuous in its action and also differs from most presses in that it heats the material
while under pressure, which is a great advantage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I here make no claim for a
press such as described in the above mentioned provisional specification No. 14526 of
1888 when applied to the expressing of oil from oil bearing materials, but I declare
that what I claim is :-
1. A rotary press consisting of an external pressing cylinder and an internal pressing
cylinder eccentric thereto, one or both of said cylinders being grooved and perforated
on the pressing surface, and lined with porous and rigid filtering material in com-
bination with a pair of end plates D preventing the solid material escaping under
pressure, but allowing the liquid matter to escape freely at the ends of the cylinders
through the said perforations, and with gearing for driving one or both of said
cylinders, substantially for the purposes set forth but subject to the above disclaiming
clause.
2. A rotary press, consisting essentially of two contiguous revolvable cylinders B, A,
placed eccentrically one within the other, and having their grooved and perforated
pressing surfaces covered with rigid porous filtering material I, I', gearing for
driving one of these cylinders so as to effect the rotation of both, mechanism for
regulating the distance between the centres of the two cylinders, and fixed end
plates D, which prevent the lateral escape of the solid material under treatment, while
permitting the expressed liquid to be run or drawn off freely through the various
ducts or grooves at their inner faces, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In combination with a rotary press having a pair of pressing cylinders placed
eccentrically one within the other, and provided at their ends with a series of ducts G¹
for the escape of the expressed liquid from their pressing surfaces, the plates D bearing
against the ends of said cylinders and covering the outer ends of said ducts, the
grooves E formed in the bearing faces of said plates or cylinder ends, and com-
municating with said ducts, and the exit pipes O connected with said grooves E, and
also preferably with an exhausting device, whereby the lateral escape of the solid
material under treatment is prevented, and the expressed liquid may be run or drawn
off, substantially as set forth.
4. In combination with a pair of pressing cylinders, such as A B adjustable in
their distance apart, a fixed scraper C2 bearing against the surface of the non-adjustable
cylinder, an adjustable scraper C, bearing against the surface of the adjustable
cylinder, and an intermittently reciprocating knife C³, working past the heels of the
said scrapers, and adapted to cut off aniform lengths or cakes of the residual material
as it issues between the scrapers, substantially as described.
5. In combination with a pair of pressing cylinders, such as A. B, adjustable in
their distance apart, a combined spout and scraper P C divided longitudinally into two
parts, one part being fixed and having its scraper bearing against the non-adjustable
cy inder, and the other part having its scraper bearing against the adjustable cylinder,
an 1 being adjustable upon the fixed part, so that the said combined spout and scraper
may be adapted to the varying widths of the space between the cylinders.

page_text: 6. In a rotary press such as herein described having one or both of its cylinders
provided with a steam heating chamber, one or more spring pressed escape valves T
on one or both of said cylinders, in combination with a fixed, hollow, striking pro-
jection or projections T3 adapted to press back each of said valves as it arrives at or
near its lowest position, whereby the condensed steam may be periodically discharged
from the said steam chamber or chambers, substantially as set forth.
7. In combination with the inner and outer pressing cylinders B and A, the rigid
frame M supporting one side of the outer cylinder A, the central bearings of the inner
cylinder B adapted to be moved in a plane parallel to the axes of both cylinders,
and the screwed bolts L connecting the said bearings or their supporting standards
with the said rigid frame, whereby the said inner cylinder may be adjusted in a
straight line to or from the outer cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
8. In combination with a revolving pressing annulus A having a heating chamber J,
a fixed plate or plates D bearing against the one or both ends of said annulus, and
provided with one or more grooves or ducts communicating, on the one hand with a
heat, supply, and on the other hand with one or more ducts in the annulus opening
into the said heating chamber, substantially as described.
D
1211 1
amber 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.