Improvements in Vacuum Pans.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1889
*Complete Specification Left, 17th July, 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890 .
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Vacuum Pans.
I, WILLIAM KEILLER BRUCE, of 3 Grosvenor Terrace, Dundee, N.B. Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to vacuum pans and comprises various improvements herein-
after described.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation showing one form of my improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a vertical section drawn to an enlarged scale showing a detail of
construction hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
A is the vacuum pan the lower portion A' of which is steam jacketted and is
provided with hollow gudgeons or trunnions B by means of which it is supported in
uitable bearings C in a frame D. E is the steam supply pipe, and F is the discharge
pipe. The pipes E and F are provided with stop cocks or stop valves E¹ F' and pass
through the hollow gudgeons or trunnions B, suitable stuffing boxes B' and glands B²
being provided for forming tight joints round the said pipes, A² is the upper portion
or dome of the said pan A which is provided with a flexible or other pipe A³ leading
to the air-pump, exhaust fan, or other means for providing a vacuum or partial
vacuum in the pan A. G is a chain passing over suitable grooved wheels or pulleys H
one extremity of which is secured to the said upper portion or dome A², and the
other extremity to a counterweight I. By this means when the vacuum in the said
pan A is destroyed the upper portion or dome A² can be readily raised or removed
out of the way, and the pan turned or pivoted upon its hollow gudgeons or
trunnions B by means of a handle J provided for that purpose, so as to remove the
contents thereof.
In order to form a tight joint between the upper portion or dome A² and the
pan A, I prefer to construct the said dome with a circular groove or channel K
(more clearly shown in Figure 2) adapted to receive india-rubber or other suitable
packing L. The upper rim of the pan A is slightly bevelled off, and when the said
dome is in position fits into the said groove and bears firmly against the said india-
rubber or other packing I, so as to form a tight joint. The upper portion or dome A²
is held firmly in position so long as a vacuum, or partial vacuum is maintained
in the pan A, by the external pressure of the atmosphere.
The pan A is provided moreover with a suitable guage glass, thermometer and
other fittings (not shown in the drawing) usually provided upon a vacuum pan.
Although I have hereinbefore described a convenient and advantageous method
of carrying my said invention into practice it is obvious that I can somewhat modify
the construction of my improved apparatus without in any way departing from the
nature of my said invention. For example instead of the steam jacketting herein-
before described I sometimes provide a coil or coils of pipe through which the steam
or heating the pan is passed.
Dated this 28th day of October 1889
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements, in Vacuum Pans.
I, WILLIAM KEILLER BRUCE, of 3 Grosvenor Terrace, Dundee, N.B., Manufacturer,
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 vacuum-pans and is designed to improve the construction of
-the same.
Vacuum-pans as hitherto constructed are usually provided with apertures in the
lower parts thereof governed by means of sluice or other valves, for permitting the
discharge of the contents of the said pans when desired. This arrangement is
objectionable, more especially in the case of vacuum-pans intended for the manufacture
of sweet-meats and the like, by reason of the limited dimensions of the said apertures
and the difficulty of forming tight joints around the same, and for other reasons.
Moreover access to the interior of such pans can only be had through manholes
provided with suitable doors, and all the parts are firmly secured together by bolts or
other fastenings; therefore the efficient cleaning of the pan and the repairing of the
.same are difficult and tedious operations.
An important feature of my said invention consists in constructing a vacuum-pan
with readily separable parts, so constructed that an air-tight joint can be formed
between the said parts and they will be held together without bolts or other
fastenings. I find it advantageous to make the pan with a readily removable upper
part or dome and to provide suitable means for raising or elevating the said upper
part or dome above the lower part of the pan, the latter being pivotally supported
upon gudgeons or trunnions, about which it can be swung or turned for pouring out
or discharging its contents. Moreover easy access can be had to the interior of
the pan for cleaning, repairs or other purposes, when the said upper part or dome is
removed.
Referring to the drawings filed with my application for Provisional Protection.
Figure 1 is a front elevation showing one form of my improved vacuum-pan.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of a portion of the pan drawn to an enlarged scale,
showing a detail of construction hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts in these two Figures.
The vacuum-p
um-pan is formed in two main parts, viz. :-a lower part A provided with a
steam-jacket A, and an upper part or dome A². B, B are hollow gudgeons or
trunnions provided upon the said jacket A¹ and by means of which the said pan is
pivotally supported in suitable bearings C in a frame D. E is the steam supply pipe,
and F is the discharge or exhaust pipe; these pipes are provided with suitable stop-
cocks or stop-valves E' F'. The said pipes E and I pass through the hollow gudgeons
or trunnions B, suitable stuffing boxes B¹ and glands B2 being provided for forming
tight joints. G is a chain passing over suitable grooved wheels or pulleys H and
secured at one extremity to the said upper part or dome A² and at the other extremity
to a counterweight I. J is a handle or lever firmly secured to the lower part A or to
the steam-jacket A' of the pan. A³ is a flexible pipe connected at one extremity
to the said upper part or dome A' and leading to an air-pump, exhaust-fan, or
other means for forming a vacuum or partial vacuum in the pan.
The parts A, A² are so constructed that a tight joint may be formed between them,
that is to say, the upper part or dome A' is provided with a circular_groove or
channel K (more clearly shown in Figure 2) adapted to receive a ring L of india-
rubber or other suitable packing, and the rim of the lower part A is slightly bevelled
so that it will, when the said upper part or dome A³ is in position, fit into the said
groove or channel K and bear firmly against the said packing ring L and thus form
a tight joint. Therefore, so long as a vacuum or partial vacuum is maintained in the
pan, the said upper part or dome A² will be held firmly in position by the external
pressure of the atmosphere. No bolts or other fastenings need be used for securing

page_text: together the parts A, A² of the pan; the upper part or dome A² can, therefore, be
very readily removed when the vacuum in the said pan is destroyed. The lower
part A of the pan can then be turned about its gudgeons or trunnions B by means of
the handle or lever J, to permit the removal or discharge of its contents.
The pan is, moreover, provided with one or more gauges, a thermometer and other
usual vacuum-pan fittings, which are not shown in the drawing.
It is obvious that my improved vacuum-pan may be of any suitable shape and
dimensions, and that I can somewhat modify the construction of the said vacuum-pan
without departing from the nature of my said invention. For instance, instead of the
steam-jacket hereinbefore described, I sometimes provide a coil or coils of pipe through
which the steam for heating the pan is passed. I sometimes provide, in lieu of the
hereinbefore mentioned flexible pipe, a suitably jointed connecting pipe between the
removable upper part or dome and the air-pump, exhaust-fan, or other means for
producing the required vacuum.
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 :-
First. A vacuum-pan comprising readily separable parts so constructed that, while
the pan is in use, they will be held together so as to form a tight joint without the use
of bolts or other fastenings.
Second. A vacuum-pan having a removable dome or cover provided with means for
raising it, a suitable means for forming a tight joint between the said dome or cover
and the lower or main part of the said pan, without the necessity for using bolts
or other fastenings, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth
Third. A vacuum-pan mounted upon trunnions and having a removable dome or
cover, substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Fourth. A vacuum-pan having a removable dome or cover connected by means of
a flexible or jointed pipe to an air-pump, exhaust-fan, or other apparatus for producing
the required vacuum, substantially as specified.
Fifth. The improved apparatus constructed substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawing, for the purposes above specified.
LIBYAYA
WM. K. BRUCE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.