Improvements in Percolators for the Extraction of Oil by the. Naptha Process.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Percolators for the Extraction of Oil by the.
Naptha Process.
1 HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of the firm of Herbert & Co. Patent Agents of
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C. in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a cominunication to me from abroad by
John William Evans of Cleveland Ohio in the United States of America Manufacturer,
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 percolators designed more especially for
the extraction of cotton seed oil by the naptha process.
My present invention is designed as an improvement on a percolator for which
letters patent of the United States No. 245,365 were granted to the communicator
August 9th 1881.
My former percolator patented as aforesaid was of considerable height usually
twelve feet or more in the clear.
Inside of the percolator was a section of radial arms or so called breakers having
steam pipes attached underneath. The breakers were supported at their inner ends
by a centre piece and the other ends were hinged to brackets, the latter being secured
to the walls of the container some five or six feet from the bottom of the latter.
The brackets had hollow trunnions that connected with the corresponding chamber in
the breakers and so arranged that the perforated steam pipe connected with the
breakers, and the supply pipe connected with the brackets were in open relation. By
depressing the centre support the breakers and attached perforated pipes were
turned down alongside the wall of the container without breaking or separating the
aforesaid steam connections. This part of the apparatus I employ in my new
percolator.
Owing to the fact that cotton seed meal packs much more densely than linseed
meal, better results are had by building the percolator of less height than formerly
say about seven feet, more or less in the clear and making them of such a large
diameter as will give the necessary capacity. It is also found to be necessary to
provide additional breakers located on a lower plane, and cross bars located still lower,
each having perforated steam pipes attached to introduce steam into the central and

page_text: lower portion of the mass. A slightly conical false bottom is made of perforated plate
and between the perforate and imperforate bottoms is located a heating coil. A system
of pipes leading up through the bottom of the percolator is arranged with suitable
valves and branch pipes by means of which these pipes are used to admit steam for
heating and are also used for drawing off the oil. Various other improvements are
had in the details of construction which are more clearly shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved percolator portions of the side wall
thereof being broken away to show the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a partial plan
view portions of the wall being broken away to show the internal mechanism. Fig. 3
is an enlarged elevation of one of the doors of the percolator. Fig. 4 is an enlarged
elevation of the cover of the man hole and the tramway for removing the cover.
Fig. 5. is a side elevation partly in section of one of the breakers E and supporting
brackets E2. Fig. 6 is an elevation in section on the line of xx Fig. 5 looking to
the right hand. Fig. 7 is an elevation in transverse section on the bent line y y
Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a portion
of a cross bar F showing the manner of connecting the steam pipes fand e². Fig. 9
is a plan view partly in section showing the manner of connecting the pipes e e.
Fig. 10 is a bottom plan of the blocks H. Fig. 11 is an elevation in section of the
block H.
A represents the container or body of the percolator, and is made usually of heavy
plate and mounted on legs A¹. The container- has substantially a flat bottom A² and
a conical top A³ the latter being provided at the apex with a large man hole, and man-
hole plate or cover a. The flange a around the man hole is of considerable depth to
make room for a cross bar a² that is secured to the inside of the flange out of the way
of the cover.
The cross bar supports the centre piece hereinafter described. The
cover a is usually three or four feet in diameter and is consequently too heavy to
handle. I have therefore provided a tramway for moving this cover, the samo
consisting of a rail B supported on legs B₁ the latter being attached to the top A³ of
the percolator. A flanged carrying wheel b travels on the rail and the yoke of the
wheel has a depending swivel bolt ! that screws into the centre of the cover a by
means of which the cover may be raised from its seat and carried to one side on the
tramway. The 'container is provided with one or more doors A* usually two in number
and located on opposite sides. These doors reach to near the bottom of the container
and are usually three or four feet square, more or less, so that workmen can easily
enter the doorway for shoveling out the contents of the container. Some distance
above the line of the door is a large steam pipe C, that encircles the container and
from which branch pipes lead into the container at different points to wit the pipes c
lead to the breakers D, and the pipes c¹ to the breakers E and the pipes c² to the cross
bars F. The breakers D are hinged to the brackets D¹ the latter being secured to the
container inside thereof. The brackets and trunnions of the breakers are chambered
with suitable openings connecting the chamber when the breakers are in a horizontal
position. The chamber in the bracket is connected with the pipe c, and the chamber
in the breaker is connected with a perforated pipe d that is secured to the under side
of the breaker. The breakers, at the inner end, are supported by a centre piece D²
the latter being supported by a chain d¹ that is detachably secured to the cross piece a.
When the parts are in working position an open passage way is had from the pipes c
through the chambers of the bracket and breaker to the pipes d. When the centre
piece D is lowered by unfastening the chain; the brackets D can turn down by the
side of the container. These breakers are arranged so that none of them come in front
of the doors. The breakers D and attachments are substantially the same as were
described in my patent aforesaid and therefore it is not considered necessary to give a
more detailed description of them in this specification. The breakers E are located
on a lower plane and consequently have to be shorter than the brackets D in order to
fold down inside: The centre piece E³ that supports these brackets is therefore
correspondingly larger in diameter. The brackets- have perforated pipes e attached
and are arranged substantially the same as the bracket D except that a bracket E
.

page_text: comes in front of a door and when turned down would be in the way. I have there-
fore made these breakers that are in front of the doors with a trunnion E' on either
side and the brackets E are bifurcated to receive the breakers and have only half
boxes to receive the trunnions as shown, in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.. The trunnions and
bearings of the brackets have ground joints by reason of which the weight of the
bracket and of the material resting on the bracket are sufficient to hold the breakers
down to their seats in the bracket and form a steam joint. When these breakers are
turned down they may be lifted out of the brackets and removed. The pipe e is in
open relation with the pipe c¹ when the breakers are in a horizontal position. The
centre piece E is supported by a chaine that is attached to the centre piece D².
Perforated pipes e¹ are loosely secured to the part 3 so as to be movable end wise.
The pipes e are provided respectively with couplings the outer end of which is
made large enough to slip onto the unthreaded inner ends of the pipes e. Of course
such joints will leak steam more or less, but in place of such leakage doing any damago
it only saves perforating the pipe at this part.
On a plane about midway of the height of the doors, or perhaps a trifle lower, aro
located the cross bars F. These bars are supported at their outer ends by angle
plates F and are supported at the centre by the shoulder E of the stand pipe G.
The bars F have respectively attached underneath perforated pipes the latter
having elbows at the outer ends, that present downward and engage the upturned
elbows at the pipe c². The end of one elbow is made conical and the end of the
opposing elbow is made correspondingly concave forming what is known as ball and
socket elbows. These joints are of course ground together, and the pipes f stand off
from the bar so as to cause the elbows to be pressed firmly together when the bar F
rests on the supporting angle plate. The pipe c² is branched as shown in Fig. 3,
on the outside to lead to the two bars F that are supported from the door, and above
the door, the pipe 2 is provided with a sleeve union et by loosening which, the pipes
connected with the door are removed with this door. At the point where the
branch pipes join the main pipes a short perforated pipe may lead through the
door and discharge steam just inside the latter. The standard G is perforated and
rests on a hollow block H. The latter is shouldered on top and the central portion
extends
up
into the pipe G a short distance to hold the latter in position. The
block His held in place by dowel pins h. This block on the bottom side, has
channels leading into the central hole of the block, through which channels oil
can be drawn from the container.
Perforated plates I rest on the bottom A2 at the inner periphery of the container
and the inner ends of these plates rest on the shoulders of the block H. Between
the bottom A2 and the plates I are located coils of pipe J for heating. A large
pipe K is secured usually by means of a flange to the under side of the container
in position to register with the passage ways through the blocks H and stand
pipe G.
The pipe K has a valve K' and a manifold K and branches L and L' the latter
having respectively valves and . From the manifold lead the pipes J' that
connect with the coil J and the pipes m that lead up through the bottom of the
container near the periphery of the latter.
These pipes are provided respectively with valves j and m¹. The pipe K and its
branches are used for admitting steam and for draining oil from the container, the
different valves being opened and closed accordingly.
N are large escape pipes leading from the container to condenser not shown.
Through these pipes the evaporized naptha passes off.
In operating the percolator, the container is filled with meal or other material
from which oil is to be extracted the same being admitted through the man-hole.
The man hole having been closed hot naptha is discharged into the container in
sufficient quantities to cover the meal or other material. This naptha and the mass
are kept to the desired temperature, say from one hundred and fifty to one hundred
and eighty degrees Fahrenheit more or less for perhaps three days more or less or
until the oil is extracted from the mass. During this time the solution of oil and

page_text: naptha is drawn off from time to time and fresh heated naptha is supplied, until the
oil is entirely extracted from the mass, after which the oil and naptha are drawn off
from the container and steam is admitted to evaporize the naptha that was left in
the mass.
The doors are then opened and the residuum is shoveled out. The bars F,
the breakers E that hang in front of the doors and the perforated plates I may all
in turn be removed if desired to clean out the inside of the percolator. The plates,
bars and breakers are then returned to their place and the doors are closed, after
which this percolator is ready for another charge. The percolator although especially
designed for the extraction of oil from cotton seed is well adapted for extracting oil
from linseed, or in fact from any substance that contains oil.
I am aware that it is old in rendering tanks, to provide the tank with a perforated
conical strainer and with steam pipes for admitting steam into the space between the
strainer and bottom of the tank and also that it is old in rendering tanks having
perforated conical strainers, to provide the kettle or tank with a steam jacket the
latter forming a portion of the bottom of the kettle or tank and hence I make no
claim to such construction.
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.
1. In a percolator for extracting oil the combination with so called breakers
hinged to the side of the percolator, a depressible centre pièce for supporting the
inner end of the breakers, said breakers having perforated pipes attached under-
neath, of corresponding perforated pipes connected with the centre piece the latter
pipes being made movable to couple or uncouple with the pipes of the breakērs
substantially as set forth.
2. In a percolator for extracting oil the combination with breakers, perforated
pipos and centre piece substantially as indicated, of supporting bifurcated brackets
having hollow seats forming half boxes corresponding hollow trunnions on the breakers
for engaging the said seats forming steam connections between the outside pipes and
the said perforated pipes and arranged substantially as indicated whereby the breakers
are detachable from the brackets.
3. In a percolator, the combination with cross bars, perforated pipes connected
with the cross bars, of ball socket elbows connecting the perforated pipes with the
supply pipes substantially as set forth.
4. In a percolator, the combination with perforated plates forming a conical false
bottom of a heating coil located between the perforate and imperforate bottoms
substantially as set forth.
5. In a percolator the combination with cross bars and the perforated pipes sub-
stantially as indicated of a perforated stand pipe the same having. shoulders for
supporting the cross bars, a block for supporting the stand pipe and the inner ends of
the plates of the false bottom said block having channels on the under side thereof
substantially as set forth.
i.
1
e A
1 1000