AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING THE EXTRACTS OF BARK FOR TANNING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
March 1867. A communication from abroad by Benjamin Irving, of
New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING THE EXTRACTS OF BARK FOR TANNING
AND OTHER PURPOSES," a communication, to be as follows, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings forming a part of this Specification:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus; Figure 2 is a
longitudinal section of the evaporating tables or flat worm; Figure 3 is a
transverse section of the same through the line a³, a³, Figure 2;. Figure 4 is
a side view of the worm or evaporating tables; Figure 5 is a section of the
same through the line a³, 3, Figure 4; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of
the evaporating tables or flat worm through the line, x, Figure 2. Like
letters indicate the same parts in each of the Figures..

page_text: A is a steam chamber, and B the bed or frame upon which it is supported;
in the steam chamber is arranged a series of evaporating tables C or flat
worm of one or more feet in width, and of about three inches more or less in
depth, and of any length and number of series of tables deemed necessary to
carry on the operation of concentrating the extract. The upper and lower
plates of the tables are formed of metal plates longitudinally corrugated.
Into the upper end or head of the evaporating tables the end d2 of a feed
pipe D is inserted, and extends entirely across the head of the table. The
object of this is to distribute the liquid extract when the same is first intro-
duced into the evaporators over the surface of the tables by means of a series
of holes d³ in the sides of the pipe corresponding with the corrugations in the
tables, so as to keep its entire surface covered with a thin sheet of the liquid
extract of varying depths according to the depths of the corrugations in the
plates, and thus obtain a large evaporating surface. As each table has cor-
responding corrugations it will be obvious that the liquid in falling from the
end of one table will fill the corrugations of the next one below, and thus con-
tinue its course to the outlet K. E is a waste steam condenser, through which
the feed pipe D passes for the purpose of heating the liquid extract before the
same is introduced into the evaporating tables; F is a steam exhaust pipe
attached to the upper end of the evaporating table, and at its lower end con-
nected with an exhausting pipe or apparatus L through or by means of a
pipe G connecting together two air-tight receiving tanks H and I; the object
of the pipe F is to carry off the watery vapor as fast as it is evaporated from
the extract, and thus produce a vacuum in the tables that the said extract
may be concentrated at a low degree of heat; K is a pipe attached to the
lower end of the tables, and at its outer end to the receiving tanks H and I
by means of a branch pipe J. The object of this arrangement is to carry off
the concentrated extract from the evaporating tables and discharge it into
the receiving tanks; to do this a vacuum is produced in the tanks by means
of an exhausting apparatus L, which by its connections with the tables through
the pipes F and K also establishes a vacuum therein. By this means the
liquid extract flows into the tables through the feed pipe D, the evaporated
water is carried off by the pipe F, and the concentrated extract delivered to
the receiving tanks by the pipe K; a perpetual or continuous operation is
M are taps in the
thus kept up of concentrating the extract in vacuum.
lower end of the receiving tanks for drawing off the concentrated extract
from them. To permit one tank being drawn from, without interfering with
the vacuum of the other, stop-cocks N are inserted in the pipes G and J, sc

page_text: that either tank may be isolated at pleasure. P is a pipe for admitting the
charge of steam to the chamber; R, a pipe for carrying off the condensed
water in it; and S, a gauge or safety valve pipe for indicating the pressure of
steam in the chamber.