An Apparatus for Treating the Residuum from Fish Offal.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Treating the Residuum from Fish Offal.
I, THOMAS WATTS, 105, Cordova Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,
Civil Engineer, 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:-
-
My invention relates to improvements in an apparatus for finally treating the
residuum from fish offal, after the oil and gelatine have been extracted therefrom,
and it has for its general object to provide a convenient means for mixing, pulver-
izing and sifting and delivering to bags or to other receptacles, the matters so
treated, and thus converting the same into guano prepared as a marketable pro-
duct; an apparatus that will require little attention, and that will reduce the
refuse from its unbroken state to a condition of granulous form.
I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing,
in which
Fig.1 is a side elevation showing the general arrangement of my invention.
The lower part of this is sectioned at line 22 in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the last figure.
Fig. 3 shows enlarged views of the mixer and conveyor blades in different
positions.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the pulverizer, taken at line 33 in Fig. 5; and.
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the same, taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of the pulverizing knife groups; and Fig. 7
shows an end view of the same, showing the parting plates.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the revolving sifter, with the side of the receiving
trough removed; and, Fig. 9 is an end view of the same, taken in the direction
of the arrow.
Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan of the mechanism supporting the lower end of the
revolving sifter.
Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view of a pulverizer or disintegrator: and. Fig. 12
is a plan of the same with parts broken away. This is substituted for the knife
pulverizer shown in Figs. and 5, and is to be used in the event of the offal
residue being damp.
Similar figures and letters designate corresponding parts throughout the several
views, referring to which:
10 indicates a mixer shaft suitably journalled in the opposite ends of a trough 11.
Spirally arranged around the mixer shaft 10 are blades 12. These blades are set
at an angle to give a propelling or screw like action to force the matter forward
as well as mixing the same.
Arranged on either side of the trough 11 is a raised platform 13, from which
the offal may be deposited into the trough preparatory to bein converted into
guano. At a convenient point in the said trough 11. preferably. as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2, is arranged a depending recess or well 14; and suitably journalled
in this depression is a pulley 15, for a reason to be seen presently.

page_text: Mounted on and secured to a shaft 16, suitably journalled above the pulley 15,
is a pulley 17. Taking over this pulley 17 and round the pulley 15 is a belt 18,
carrying elevator cups 19. As the belt 18 is put in motion the matters will be
conveyed from the well 14 to the hopper 20, which is arranged in proximity to
and beneath the pulley 17. Movement is imparted to the mixer shaft 10 by a
belt taking round a pulley 21, secured to the projecting end thereof and over a
pulley on the line shaft, which shaft may be arranged to suit the condition;
and in like manner the elevator belt is put in motion by a belt taking round the
pulley 22 on the shaft 16.
Arranged in the hopper 20, and secured to a vertical shaft 23, is a frustrum
of a cone 24 (See Figs. 4 and 5). The lower edges of this cone lies approximately
level with the upper plane of a vertical annular recess 25; and secured to the
said shaft in close proximity beneath the cone, with its edges flush with the same,
is a wheel or drum 26. Arranged at intervals around this wheel 26 are recesses 26ª,
into which are secured the groups of knives 27. These knives are held firmly in
place by a wedge 28 on one side. For the purpose of adjusting the said knives 27,
I provide an adjusting plate 29, at their backs which may be forced forward by
the set-bolts 30, and, consequently, the knives moved outwards.
At regular intervals around the walls of the vertical part of the hopper 20
are recesses 31, these being also provided with knife bundles 32. The bearing
sides 31 of these recesses 31, on which the rear sides of the knives rest, are
placed radial with the axis of the wheel 26, so that the forward or cutting sides
of the knives are tangential to the said axle of the wheel.
The knife bundles 27 are placed within the wheel 26, in relation to its axis
as the knife bundles 32 are.
It is obvious from the above that, as the knife bundles on the wheel 26 pass
the fixed ones the space between will be in the form of a wedge, the heels or
bearing sides of the bundles passing in close proximity.
This has the effect that all matters brought between such knives will be efficiently
pulverized.
The wheel 26 is rigidly keyed to the shaft 23, which shaft rests in a step-
bearing 33 in the horizontal bottom of the hopper 20.
Secured on a depending lug on the lower side of the wheel 26 is a sweep
bracket 34. This bracket 34 is for the purpose of sweeping the pulverized
materials forward to the opening 35, whence they will drop into the chute 36.
As shown in Fig. 7, the knife bundles 27 and 32 are respectively spaced and
held apart by distance plates 32"; the whole being held together by pins or
rivets 32b.
Spirally arranged around the cone 24 is a depressing blade 37. This, as the
machine revolves, depresses the matters to be forced through the pulverizer,
and prevents the possibility of a check to the steady flow of the matters to the
knives.
The shaft 23 is suitably journalled above the hopper 20, and motive power is
communicated to the pulley 38 from the main or a counter-shaft.
Arranged to receive the depending end of the chute 36 is a rotary sifter 39.
As better shown in Figs. 8 and 9, this sifter is placed at an incline, so that, as
the pulverized matter is ejected from the said chute 36, it will gradually gravitate
to the lower open end of the sifter as it is turned over and over.
As such evolution is going on all the finely pulverized matter will he dropped
to the horizontal trough 40 beneath. The sifter is made of wire netting of
appropriate mesh, and the ends are stiffened by flanged metal bands 39 and 39",
which are supported on rollers 41 and 42. the same being arranged on opposite
sides of the said bands. The rollers 41 are rigidly fixed to a shaft 43, which is suit-
able journalled in the walls of the ends of the trough 40. Motive power is conveyed
to a pulley 44 secured to the shaft 43, whereby the sifter will be revolved by the
friction of the rollers 41, and the wheels 42 will support the sifter on the opposite

page_text: Bas the said waters passing round by the friction of their contacting surfaces
on the rims of the bands 39" and 39b.
To sustain the sifter in its proper position, I provide a friction roller 45
journalled in an incased bracket 46, which is secured to the outer lower end wall
of the trough 40. This roller 45 bears against the outer side of the flanged
rim 39b of the sifter, and as the said sifter is turned the same will pass round
without undue resistance, and provide a suitable preventative against any down-
ward inclination of the sifter.
Suitably journalled parallel to and in proximity with the bottom of the trough 40
is a shaft 47.
Secured in a spirally arranged manner on either end of the shaft 47, with right
and left throw, are coiled wire conveyors 48. As momentum is imparted to said
shaft 47, through the medium of a belt passing over grooved pulleys 49 and 50
on the shafts 47 and 43 respectively, the spiral conveyors 48 will push the sifted
guano from opposite sides to the centrally located chute 51, at the lower end of
which is arranged a sliding closure 52 which may be opened when it is desirous
of filling the treated guano into bags or other receptacles.
All matter not sufficiently pulverized to pass through the sifter is ejected from
the open end thereof into the duct 52, which will convey it back to the elevator,
which will again deposit it into the pulverizer to be operated on for the second
time or until it will sift through into the trough 40.
It sometimes happens that the residue to be treated is not sufficiently dried to
properly pulverize and pass through the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in
which case I employ the disintegrator as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. This
consists of a horizontal frame casting 53 being substituted for the hopper 20 and
the mechanism contained therein.
The frame casting 53 is securely bolted to the frame which would otherwise
support the knife-pulverizer, as 54.
At a suitable distance from the edges of the frame 53 is a depending annular
rim 55, and secured to and depending from this rim is a funnel 56 connecting
with a duct 57, for depositing the pulverized matter into the revolving sifter 39.
Rigidly fixed to the outer side of the frame 53 and depending therefrom, at
regular intervals, and placed in rows concentrically around the centre of said frame
are pins 58. An opening 59 is provided in the centre of the frame 53, and to the
upwardly projecting lips of this is secured a hopper 60 for the reception of the
offal to be treated. Supported by arms 61 in the opening 59, is a bearing through
which is passed the shaft 23, and the upper end of this is journalled in a
bearing 62.
Secured on the depending end of the shaft 23 is a disk 63, to the upper side of
which is secured the upwardly projecting pins 64. The shaft 23 and the disk 63
are supported so that the upper ends of the pins 64 lie in proximity to the lower
side of the frame 53.
The drive-pulley 38 being securely keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft 23
and lying against the bearing 62 provides the required support for the said shaft.
The pins 64 are so placed in concentrical rows that, when the shaft 23 is revolved
such pins will pass in close proximity to the stationary pins 58, whereby the
matters deposited in the hopper will be brought between the pins and thoroughly
disintegrated, and by the centrifugal force of the disk 63 the pulverized matters
will be deposited over the edge thereof into the hopper 56, from where it will
pass to the sifter 39 and be treated as aforesaid.
From the foregoing, it is shown that my improved apparatus or mill is well
adapted to efficiently manufacture large quantities of guano in a short space of
time, and of rendering the residue of fish offal, after the oil and gelatine has been
extracted, into a marketable product as a fertilizer.
Should it be found necessary to add any chemicals or enriching matters to the
offal being treated, it will be a simple matter to do this while the offal is in the
mixing trough 11.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a mill for making guano from the residue of fish offal, the combination
of a mixer and conveyor arranged in a trough with means for passing the stuff
so mixed to a pulverizer, and through a rotary sifter to a chute 51, substantially
as and for the purposes specified.
2. In combination with an apparatus for reducing the residue from fish offal
to guano, a mixer 10 journalled in a trough 11, mixing and conveying blades 12
secured in a spiral fashion along the shaft of said mixer, said blades being at
such an angle that the material in the trough 11 will be driven forward, a well or
recess 14 for receiving the material, means for conveying the same to a pulverizer
arranged in a hopper or receptacle, means for passing the said material thence to
a rotary sifter, and so repeating the operation until the whole is deposited into
a receiving trough, and means for passing it to a chute 51, as specified.
3. A pulverizer for reducing the residue from fish offal, the same consisting
of a hopper 20 having a vertical recessed bottom portion 25, laterally disposed
pockets 31 therein, knife-bundles 52 securely fixed in said pockets, the inner
edges of which project within the inner edge of the vertical recess 25, a shaft 23
vertically journalled in a step 33 in the horizontal bottom of the hopper, a wheel 26
rigidly fixed to said shaft having recesses at intervals around its periphery, and
knife blades secured in such recesses, the edges of which pass in close proximity
to the edges of the fixed knives 32 on their way round, and means for depositing
the matters to be pulverized between the fixed and revolving knives, as specified.
4. A machine for pulverizing fish offal residue, a vertically placed shaft 23
suitably journalled in a receptacle having a flared mouth, disintegrating knives 32
arranged in recesses in the walls of the said receptacle, cutter members 27 arranged
in pockets on the periphery of a wheel 26 secured to such shaft, the bearing or
rear sides of such knives or cutting members 32 and 27 being placed to the axis
of the wheel 26, an opening 35 in the bottom of the receptacle, and means for
sweeping the pulverized matter into such opening after it has passed through the
knives, as set forth.
5. An apparatus for pulverizing the residue from fish offal, consisting of a
receptacle having a flared or hopper mouth, a shaft turning vertically therein,
cutting devices arranged around the walls of the receptacle and other cutting
devices arranged on a drum or wheel 26 secured on the said shaft and made to
pass in close proximity to the fixed cutters, a frustrum of a cone 24 secured on the
said shaft on the upper side of the wheel 26 carrying the cutters, and a spirally
formed depressing blade 37 on said cone, whereby the matters to be pulverized will
be forced downwards.
6. In an apparatus for the purpose described, in combination with a rotary
sifter 39 placed on an incline, means for depositing the matters to be sifted into
same, a horizontal trough 40 for receiving the sifted matters and oppositely
arranged spiral conveyors made to turn in said trough, whereby the materials
treated will be conveyed to the chute 51.
7. A rotary sifter mounted on rollers 41 and 42, the rollers 41 being rigidly
mounted on a shaft 43, and means for imparting rotary movement thereto, a support
roller 45 journaled in a bracket which is rigidly fixed in proximity to the end
of the said sifter, so that it will retain its proper position.
8. In combination with a rotary sifter for the purposes described, a means for
passing the matter to be sifted to the same, whence the sifted material will fall
into a receiving trough 40, in which right and left spiral conveyors convey the
material to a duct 51 a chute 52 at the lower open end of the sifter which returns
the unpulverized matter into the elevator mechanism to he returned to the
pulverizer for further reduction.
9. In an apparatus for disintegrating the residue from fish offal, in combination
with a frame 53 having a passage through its centre, depending pins arranged

page_text: in concentric rows on its under side, a vertical shaft passing through the said
opening, a disk secured on the depending end of said shaft, the upper plane of
said disk being in close proximity to the depending pins on the frame 53, pins
secured to the upper plane of the said disk and made to pass between the depend-
ing ones, and means for supporting the shaft and disk and for rotating the
same.
10. In an apparatus for disintegrating the residuum from fish offal, in com-
bination with a fixed frame 53, having an annular depending rim 55 arranged
around an opening in its centre, a contracted chute 56 secured to said rim, pins
depending in concentric rows within the rim 55, a shaft 23 journalled in suitable
bearings and passing vertically through the opening in the frame 53, a disk 63
secured on the depending end of the shaft 23, upwardly projecting pins on the
said disk and arranged in concentric rows between the rows of pins on the
frame 53, and means for imparting motion to the said shaft.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1898.
WILLIAM G. TRETHEWEY,
Agent.