Improvements in Apparatus for Concentrating and Recovering Crude Glycerine from Soapmakers Spent Lyes and for Extracting and Recovering the Salt from the same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 28th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1900 j
Improvements in Apparatus for Concentrating and Recovering Crude
Glycerine from Soapmakers Spent Lyes and for Extracting and
Recovering the Salt from the same.
I, JAMES FOSTER, of 11, St. Andrew's Drive, Pollokshields, in the County of
the City of Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
to be as follows:
This invention has reference to improved apparatus for concentrating, and re-
covering crude glycerine from soap-makers spent lyes and extracting and recover-
ing the salt from same during concentration by single or multiple effect apparatus
working under vacuum.
The improvements comprise improved combinations of evaporating plant, and
drawing off valves, and filtering and drying appliances.
The evaporating vessel into which the lyes to be treated are supplied, is fitted
with a steam drum in which are tubes for the liquor to circulate through, and
the bottom cover of the evaporator is formed of a downwardly sloping angular
shape towards one side so that the salts which are precipitated are swept down
into the filter by which the rapid circulation of the liquor under treatment.
Ports are formed on the heating chamber of evaporator and the vapor supply pipe
is carried down to about the centre level of heating chamber and by which a
most perfect distribution of the vapor and circulation of the liquor under treat-
ment is obtained.
A valve chest is fitted with a valve and is located between the bottom cover
of evaporator and a filtering vessel, and two of these are preferably used in
connection with each evaporating vessel, so that the one is alternately shut off
while the other is working. This filter vessel is fitted with a sight glass at its
one end to see when the filter is full of salt, and with a door at its other end for
removing the dry filtered salt. A steam valve is fitted for admitting steam to
a horizontal perforated tube in filter vessel and an air valve and safety valve
are also fitted on top; while a cock is fitted from whence a pipe connection would
be taken to the upper vacuum space of evaporator. The filter is fitted with a
filter bed of iron netting and copper gauze and an iron grid plate.
The action of these appliances is as follows::
In working these salt filters, when the apparatus is started to work, the valve
at the bottom of the vessel connected to the salt filter is opened and (and that
in the other filter shuts) during the concentration of the liquor the salt that is
formed is precipitated into the salt filter and when full with salt, which can be
seen in the sight glasses, the valve is shut (and the valve on the other salt filter
is opened) cock on the pipe leading to upper part of vacuum vessel is then opened
to the vacuum space in top chamber, and the steam cock is opened at the same
time as the aforesaid cock. The steam from this cock passes through the per-

page_text: forated pipes and drives the liquor through the salt, the liquor and steam being
sucked through the vacuum pipe cock up into the top chamber by the vacuum.
When the salt is thoroughly dried, which can be seen in the sight glasses the
steam and vacuum cocks are shut, and the air valve opened, and the door is
opened for taking out the dry salt.
After the salt is taken out, the door is closed, and the steam cock opened, and
when the steam has blown all the air out of the salt filter both steam and air
cocks are shut, and valve at bottom of vessel is opened gently at first, to allow
the steam in the salt filter to pass quickly into the apparatus, and after the steam
has all passed and the liquor is seen to rise in the sight glasses, this valve is
opened full. These salt filters are worked alternately. In small apparatus only
one salt filter is used, there being placed between the salt filter and the bottom
cover of the vacuum vessel, a salt hopper to receive the salt precipitated, during
the operations of drying. in the salt filter.
Dated the 27th November 1899.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Concentrating and Recovering Crude
Glycerine from Soap Makers Spent Lyes and for Extracting and
Recovering the Salt from the same.
I, JAMES FOSTER, of 11, St. Andrew's Drive, Pollokshields, in the County of
the City of Glasgow, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing:-
This invention has reference to improved apparatus for concentrating and
recovering crude glycerine from soap makers spent lyes and extracting and
recovering the salt from the same during concentration by single or multiple
effect apparatus working under vacuum.
The improvements comprise improved combinations of evaporating plant and
drawing off valves, and filtering and drying appliances.
And in order that others skilled in the art to which my improvements relate
may understand how same may be carried into practice, I have hereunto appended
a sheet of explanatory drawings in which Figure 1, represents a sectional side
elevation and Figure 2 an end view of concentrating apparatus as constructed
in accordance with my improvements, while Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal
sections as taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Figures 1 and 2.
And Figure 5 is an end view showing the hopper arrangement.
Referring to these drawings:
The evaporating vessel F into which the lyes to be treated are supplied, is
fitted with a steam drum F in which are tubes for the liquor to circulate through,
and the bottom cover F2 of the evaporator is formed of a downwardly sloping
angular shape towards one side so that the salts which are precipitated are
swept down into the filter A by the rapid circulation of the liquor under treat-
ment. Ports F3 are formed on the heating chamber of evaporator and the vapor
supply pipe f is carried down to about the centre level of heating chamber and
by which a most perfect distribution of the vapor and circulation of the liquor
under treatment is obtained.

page_text: A valve chest B is fitted with a valve B and is located between the bottom
cover F2 of evaporator and filtering yessel A, and two of these are preferably used
in connection with each evaporating vessel, so that the one is alternately shut
off while the other is working. This filter vessel A is fitted with a sight glass E
at its one end to use when the filter is full of salt, and with a door 1 at its other
end for removing the dry filtered salt. A steam valve H is fitted for admitting
steam to the perforated tube G, and an air valve 1) and a safety valve D¹ are
also fitted on top; while a cock C is fitted from whence a pipe connection C₁
would be taken to the upper vacuum space of evaporator F. The filter is fitted
with a filter bed A¹ of iron netting and copper gauze and an iron grid plate.
The action of these appliances is as follows:-
In working these salt filters, when the apparatus is started to work, the valve B
at the bottom of the vessel connected to the salt filter is opened (and that in the
other filter shuts) and during the concentration of the liquor the salt that is
formed is precipitated into the salt filter A and when full of salt, which can be
seen in the sight glasses E, the valve B is shut (and the valve B on the other salt
filter is opened) cock C on the pipe C is then opened to the vacuum space in
top chamber F, and the steam cock H is opened at the same time as cock C. The
steam from cock H passes through the perforated pipes G and drives the liquor
through the salt, the liquor and steam being sucked through cock C up into the
top chamber F by vacuum. When the salt is thoroughly dried, which can be
seen in the sight glasses E, cocks H and Care shut and the air valve D opened,
and door I is opened for taking out the dry salt.
After the salt is taken out, the door I is closed, and cock H opened, and when
the steam has blown all the air out of the salt filter through cock 1), both cocks H
and D are shut, and valve B is opened, gently at first to allow the steam in the
salt filter to pass quietly into the apparatus, and after the steam has all passed
and the liquor is seen to rise in the sight glasses E, valve B is opened full.
These salt filters are worked alternately.
In small apparatus only one salt filter is used, there being placed between the
salt filter A and the bottom cover 2 of the vessel F a salt hopper B2 shown in
Figure 5 to receive the salt precipitated, during the operation of drying in the
salt filter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
First. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination with the evaporating
vessel, of a filter located below said vessel, a pipe connection between the evaporat-
ing vessel and the filter, a valve in said pipe, a perforated pipe extending sub-
stantially throughout the length of the filter in the upper part thereof and
adapted to be connected to a source of steam-supply, a valve in said pipe for con-
trolling the supply of steam and pipe connections between the filter and the
vacuum space of the evaporating vessel substantially as described.
Second. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination with the evaporating
vessel provided with a heating device, and ports in the lower part thereof, a
vapor supply pipe opening into the same below the horizontal central line of
the heating device, a filter located below said evaporating vessel, a valved con- .
nection between the evaporating vessel and said filter, a perforated pipe extend-
ing substantially throughout the length of the filter in the upper part thereof
and adapted to be connected to a source of steam-supply, a valve in said pipe
for controlling the steam-supply, and pipe connections between the filter and
the vacuum space of the evaporating vessel, substantially as described.
3. In a concentrating apparatus, the combination with the evaporating vessel,
of a filter located below the same, a valved connection between the filter and the
evaporating vessel, an air valve in said filter, a perforated pipe extending sub-
stantially throughout the length of the filter in the upper part thereof and adapted

page_text: to be connected, to a source of steam-supply, a valve in said pipe for .controlling
the steam-supply, and pipe connections between the filter and the vacuum space
of the evaporating vessel, substantially as described.
Dated the 27th August 1900.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.