Apparatus for Treating or Preparing Vegetable Fibres and the like for Paper-making, Textile, and other purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Treating or Preparing Vegetable Fibres and the like
for Paper-making, Textile, and other purposes.
I, BERTRAND STAGER SUMMERS, Chemist, 100, Washington Street, Chicago,
Illinois, United States of America, 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 apparatus for treating or preparing vegetable fibres
and the like for paper-making, textile and other purposes.
I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawing in which :-
Fig. 1 is a view of the digestor in elevation partially in section.
Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.
The digestors are provided with covers a¹ 61 respectively, which can be
removed for the insertion of the material to be treated, and which are capable
of being locked in position to withstand pressure, within the digestor. Upon
the respective covers are provided the pressure gauges a b³, thermometers a³ 68
and the valves a be. Within the digestor a is a coil of steam pipes a connected
by pipe with a boiler or other steam supply while a coil of steam pipes 6 is
provided within the digestor b and connected with the steam supply by a pipe b³.
In the pipes and are the valves 67. The coils a and b are connected with
an exhaust by means of pipes at b* respectively.
A pipe c extends between and connects the lower ends of the digestors, and
has two valves on opposite sides of the pipe connected therewith and having
connected thereto a pipe d extending to a water tank or supply and a pipe
extending to an exhaust, valves being provided in the respective pipes. A
pipe e extends from the pipe c and is connected with a pipe el extending to the
steam supply and with a pipe extending to a vacuum pump or ejector,
valves being provided in the respective pipes.
The apparatus as above described is adapted to permit the same liquid or
chemical solution to operate successively upon substances in the two digestors,
and furthermore, to permit the access of a second liquid or solution to each
digestor after the first solution has passed therefrom.
The solution being in the digestor a, and the material to be treated being
immersed therein and the cover a¹ secured in position, steam is passed through
the coils to heat the solution to the proper temperature.
At the completion of the operation, when it is desired to transfer the solution
to the other digestor, the valves and e' are opened, whereby a vacuum is created
within the digestor b and the valve e' is then closed and the valve opened,
whereby the digestor b is placed in communication with the digestor a. The
pressure within the digestor a, and the vacuum within the digestor b create a
difference of pressure which effects the transfer of the solution from the digestor a
to the digestor b. After the transfer, the valves c¹ and c³ are closed and steam is
passed through the coils 62, to heat the solution to the proper degree. In order
to subject the material in the digestor a to the second liquid or solution, the
SPRI

page_text: valves c¹ af and are opened and the liquid from a tank or other source of supply
is admitted to the digestor a; or, where the liquid desired is water, the valves e
and may be opened to admit steam to the interior of the digestor, the steam
being condensed therein by the admission of water through the valve a® or other-
wise to produce the liquid. After the liquid has been conveyed to the digestor a,
steam may be passed through the coil 2 to heat the liquid to the desired tem-
perature. At the completion of this operation, the valves c¹ and may be
opened to permit the pressure within the digestor to force the liquid through
the pipes cd and d to the exhaust, or by opening valves e¹ and d³ the liquid
may be forced back into the tank. The valves are then closed and when it is
desired to convey the solution from the digestor 6 back to the digestor a, the
valves cand e are opened to create a vacuum within the digestor a and then
the valve is closed and the valve c³ opened to permit the solution to flow from
digestor 6 to digestor n. At the completion of the operation upon the material
within the digestor, the cover thereof may be removed to permit the withdrawal of
the material.
By the above construction, the manual transfer of the flax or other material
operated upon from one solution to another is obviated, and the solution itself
is conveyed from one position to another; and this transfer is accomplished by
The pressures within the digestore, whereby the necessity of manual interference
except for operating the valves is obviated. By this construction, furthermore,
the material to be operated upon may be subjected successively to several liquids
or solutions without removing the same from the digestor, so that the material
after being placed in the digestor remains therein until final completion. Thus
the manual transfer of the material to be operated upon from one digestor to
another as well as the manual transfer of the solution is avoided. The employ-
ment of two digestors with means for transferring the solution from one to the
other results in a great saving of labor, and furthermore, results in a saving of
heat and energy, since the solution is transferred from one digestor to the other
while at a high temperature and without the necessity of cooling the liquid down
as would be necessary were the liquid to be drawn from the digestor and subse-
quently returned to the same digestor and again heated. Furthermore, as the
solution is subjected to pressure, it may be passed from one digestor to the other
without excessive lowering of the pressure, thereby saving the energy which
would otherwise be required to raise the pressure to the required degree.
My invention may be applied to more than two digestors by duplicating the
piping between the digestors. Instead of employing the steam pressure for
moving the liquids, compressed air or other fluid may be employed, being
admitted to the digestor by means of the valves aº 66.
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. The apparatus substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1.
2. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communication between the
same, and means for producing a maintained difference of gaseous pressure
between the interior of said digestors to force the liquid from one digestor to
another, substantially as described.
3. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communication between the
same, and means for producing a maintained gaseous pressure in one of said
digestors to force the liquid from one digestor to the other, substantially as
described.
4. The combination with a pair of digestors or vats, of removable covers there-
for, a communication between the same, means for subjecting the interior of
either digestor to an excessive pressure at will and means for creating a vacuum
in either of said digestors at will substantially as described.
5. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communication between the

page_text: same, and means for producing a vacuum in one of said digestors to force the
liquid in one digestor to the other, substantially as described.
6. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communication between the
same, and a heater for each of said digestors for heating the interior or for
producing a steam pressure therein to force the liquid from one digestor to the
other, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a pair of digestors or vats, of removable sealing
covers therefor, a steam heater for each of said digestors, a pipe extending
between said digestors, a pipe communicating with said digestors and leading
to a vacuum producer, a pipe communicating with the digestors and leading to
a source of liquid supply, and valves for controlling the several pipes, substan-
tially as described.
8. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communication between the
same, and steam coils provided in each of said digestors for heating the interior
or for converting the liquid into steam in either digestor to thereby create a
pressure for forcing the liquid from one digestor to the other, substantially as
described.
9. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communication between the
same, a steam coil in each digestor, a steam supply pipe connected with both of
said steam coils and a pair of valves one for controlling the admission of steam
to each steam coil, substantially as described.
10. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communicating pipe between
the same, a steam supply pipe and a vacuum pipe connecting with said com-
municating pipe, and valves for controlling the passage through said steam supply
and vacuum pipes, substantially as described.
11. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communicating pipe between
the same, a steam supply pipe and a vacuum pipe connected therewith, a steam
coil in each of said digestors connected with said steam supply pipe, and valves
for controlling the passages through said pipes, substantially as described.
12. In combination, a pair of digestors or vats, a communicating pipe between
the same, and a steam supply pipe, a vacuum pipe and exhaust pipe, and a liquid
supply pipe, all connected with said communicating pipe, substantially as
described.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1899.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents.