Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Treating Myrobolams for Obtaining Extracts therefrom.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Treating
Myrobolams for Obtaining Extracts therefrom.
I, SAM SMITHSON, of Bright's Cottage, Heckmond wike, in the County of York,
Drysalter and Dyer, 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 improvements in machinery or apparatus for treating
myrobolams and like materials of a hard gummy nature, for obtaining extracts.
therefrom employed for dyeing and other commercial purposes.
Hitherto it has been customary to place the myrobolams in a tank filled with water
and after allowing them to be steeped therein for several hours the water is then run
off, and the extract of the dissolved myrobolams obtained therefrom by ordinary
methods. This operation has to be repeated two, three, or more times according to
the quality of the myrobolams operated upon. A varying but increasing amount of
extract being obtained therefrom after each steeping operation.
Now the object of the present invention is to employ means for either keeping the
myrobolams constantly in motion, or employing steam pipes for heating the liquid in
which the myrobolams are dissolved, thereby saving time and cost in dissolving the
same.
In the drawings bereunto annexed
:-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of apparatus for dissolving the myrobolams without
the application of heat.
Fig. 2 an end elevation of apparatus shown at Fig. 1 with the end plate removed.
Fig. 3 a plan looking at the top of apparatus shown at Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 a sectional plan of apparatus adapted to dissolve the myrobolams by the
application of heat.
36
A is a cylindrical tank or receptacle-hereafter termed, and included in the term
tank," of any suitable diameter, constructed of, say. wrought copper plates-or of
wood or any other suitable material-in a similar manner to a steam boiler, and
provided, though not necessarily so, with dished ends B as shown. The ends B of
the tank A are stayed together by any desired number of tubes or bolts C. In the
drawings three tubes C are shown, and they are preferably made of copper.
The tank A is either fixed so as to be stationary as at Fig. 4, or it may be
nounted upon the flanged rollers D mounted upon shafts E E' shown at Figs. 1 to 3.
Two of the flanged rollers D are mounted upon shaft E to which a rotary motion is
mparted from any suitable source through pulley F mounted upon driving shaft G
carried in suitable bearings) worm H mounted upon shaft G, and worm wheel I
mounted on shaft E. When the tank A is mounted upon rollers D it is provided
with the rings J, the peripheries of which pass between the flanges of roller D and
mpinge against the peripheries of the latter.
The tank A is caused to revolve by its friction contact with rollers D.
At or near one or both ends of the tank A is a manhole K of a similar size and
onstruction to those employed on Cornish boilers, by means of which an entrance is
rovided to the interior of the tank. The manhole K is covered by a lid L. secured
position in the usual manner.
In order to prevent the myrobolams remaining at the bottom of the tank, its
ternal periphery is also armed-when it is made to revolve-with any desired

page_text: number of blades M for causing the myrobolams to be carried up above the axis of
the tank, say to about its zenith, and then acted upon by the pistons to be hereafter
described. The blades M are fixed longitudinally to the internal diameter of the
tank, either parallel to its axis or at an angle thereto.
Each end of the tank A, when it is made to revolve, is provided, on the exterior
thereof, with a gland N which is secured in position by the stay bolts C. Through
the glands N the piston rod O works, and its inner end is attached to the slide
block P which reciprocates in the slide Q. A reciprocating motion being imparted
thereto from any convenient source of power, through disc plate R on shaft R',
pin S, and connecting rod T. Within the tank is mounted on the piston rod O any
desired number of pistons U which are arranged to reciprocate between the stationary
bearer plates V. In the drawings, at Fig. 1, three reciprocating pistons U and four
stationary bearer plates V are shown but the number of each may be increased or
reduced as circumstances require. The pistons U are preferably arranged to, say,
within one inch or so of each bearer plate V, but this distance may vary as
circumstances require.
The bearer plates V may be attached to the stay bolt C by means of caps v,
and the said bearers in addition to retaining the bolts C in position also act as
blocks between which and the faces of the pistons U the myrobolams are crushed.
When the tank A is made to revolve the action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The required quantities of myrobolams and water are passed into the interior of
tank A through the manhole K. After the manhole lid L has been secured in
position the tank A, which rests upon the rollers D and by the frictional contact of
the rings J is caused to rotate. A rotary motion being imparted to the rollers D
from shaft G as previously described. At the same time that the tank A commences
to revolve a reciprocating motion is imparted as described to the piston rod O and
pistons U mounted thereon. As the tank A revolves, the myrobolams are carried up
by the blades M and when in or about the position of the upper left hand blade,
shown in Fig. 2, they will descend, and in their descent the greater portion, if not
the whole will pass between the stay bolts C and be crushed between the faces of
the pistons U and bearer plates V. The operation of raising the myrobolams and
crushing them between the faces of the pistons and bearer plates is continued until
the soluble matter in the myrobolams has been extracted. The liquid can then be
run out of the tank A through tap or valve W, and conveyed to the still or
other apparatus to be further operated upon, if so desired, in the usual manner.
When the tank A is not made to revolve, then it is provided with a perforated
false bottom Y, as shown at Fig. 4, upon which the myrobolams operated upon rest.
Above the false bottom Y are arranged one or more circuits of steam pipes Z
provided with suitable steam valves or cocks for controlling the admission and exit
of the steam which is employed for heating the water or other liquid in which the
soluble matter contained in the myrobolams is dissolved. In this arrangement the
pistons U, bearer plates V, piston rod O, glands N, rollers D and parts connected
therewith are dispensed with.
By the use of the herein described apparatus, myrobolams may be treated and
dissolved in one supply of water in about the same time as it usually took to treat
them with the first "soaking" or "steeping" under the old process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The method of obtaining extracts from myrobolams by placing them in a
revolving cylindrical tank partially filled with water, and causing a portion of the
myrobolams to be carried up by blades,-fixed to the internal periphery of the said
tank, and in their descent to be acted upon and crushed between reciprocating pistons
and stationary bearer plates, substantially as herein described.
2. The method of treating myrobolams for obtaining extract therefrom, consisting
of placing the myrobolams in a tank partially filled with water, said tank being

page_text: provided with a perforated false bottom and one or more circuits of steam pipes for
heating the water, substantially as herein described.
3. In apparatus for treating myrobolams for obtaining extracts therefrom
substantially as herein described consisting of a revolving tank such as A, provided
internally with blades, such as M, reciprocating pistons, such as U, piston rod, such
as O, mounted in glands such as N, stationary bearer plates, such as V, and stay
bolts such as C, and the means described for rotating the said tank and reciprocating
the said pistons, all arranged and combined substantially as herein described and
illustrated at Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In apparatus for treating myrobolams and obtaining extract therefrom the
combination of a stationary tank, such as A, provided with a perforated false bottom Y
and one or more circuits of steam pipes, such as Z, all arranged substantially as herein
described and as illustrated at Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.