Improved Plant or Apparatus for Extracting Oil or Grease from Granular or Pulverulent Material.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1891-Accepted, 29th Aug.,
1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Plant or Apparatus for Extracting Oil or Grease from
Granular or Pulverulent Material.
ERNEST
We, WILLIAM HESKETH LEVER, JAMES DARCY LEVER and
GEORGE SCOTT all of Port Sunlight, near Birkenhead in the County of Chester,
Soap Manufacturers and Chemist respectively, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a plant for extracting oil from linseed and other
meal and various oleaginous materials hereafter spoken of generically as "meal,"
by means of solvents. It is applicable for use with bisulphide of carbon, tetra-
chloride of carbon, chloroform and the like. Hitherto, as far as we are aware, the
extraction of oil from seeds or meal by means of solvents has been a practical
failure, owing in a great measure to the difficulty of separating the solvent from
the finished meal without loss, and also to the injury done to the meal by the steam
in effecting that separation. Another cause of loss in the process is that the
dissolving out and the separation of the solvent afterwards are carried on in
the same chamber. This chamber therefore has to be exposed to very varying
degrees of temperature with the accompanying loss of fuel caused by the alternate
heating and cooling and the loss of time owing to the necessity of allowing the
vessel to cool before again allowing volatile solvent to enter.
Now our invention is designed to avoid these and other evils of the present
system. We carry on the dissolving in a separate chamber from that in which the
separation of solvent from the residual matter is effected. The invention is best set
forth by describing a plant which we have designed and are about to erect for this
purpose.
It
A series of extractors are placed in a row. These can be connected up in series
or otherwise as desired. They are formed elliptical or double conical in elevation
but circular in horizontal section. They have, above, a valve for the admission of
"meal," also near the same part an outlet for the solvent and an aperture for
admitting air and withdrawing that air by means of an air pump or exhauster as
required. This air is carried to a condenser where it is subjected to heavy pressure
and cooling, thus the vapour of the solvent present in it is separated. At the base
of each extractor is a valve worked by rack and pinion or equivalent mechanism
and below this a worm conveyor connected by similar valves to the entire row of
extractors. This conveyor carries the material to a press, preferably a disc press,
in which it is pressed and as much of the solvent as possible extracted from it.
then passes on to one or more separators each consisting of a chamber in which a
revolving stirrer (such as the one hereafter described) is kept continually moving.
During this stirring the material can be exposed to heat and a partial vacuum.
The vapour separates from the material and is carried to a condensing apparatus.
When sufficiently treated in this manner a door is opened at the bottom and a
scraper forming part of the agitating device automatically empties the material
out of the separating chamber into a conveyor below by which it is carried
to the cake press or store rooin. The solvent separated in the disc press
above described can be carried to the vacuum oil pans or to the storage of solvent
to be used in a succeeding operation. The stirring apparatus before alluded to is as
follows:-
.
In
A single shaft passes up through the centre of the separating chamber.
bearings or sockets in the upper end of this shaft, two or more, preferably three,
horizontal shafts are fixed. One or more of these shafts or arms are supplied with
a revolving agitating device and a spur wheel working on to a pinion fixed to the

page_text: pedestal around the vertical shaft. The third horizontal shaft carries a V scraper
or a pair of scrapers tending to continually scrape the material into the path of the
revolving agitating device.
The mode of action of the entire apparatus is as follows:-
The extractors being empty, "meat" is passed into them until nearly full, the air,
strongly saturated with solvent vapour, which previously filled the extractors, is
carried off to the condenser. The solvent, preferably in the form of liquid or
vapour, is now passed in from below and can be forced through each of the series
of extractors in succession. When the first of the series is considered to be
completely exhausted it is shut off from the series and the solvent passed at once
into the second. The valve at the bottom of the exhausted extractor is now
opened, and the material, by its own gravity and the weight of the solvent, falls
like mud into the conveyor and is immediately passed on to the disc press by the
conveyor. The valve is now closed and is refilled with "meal and becomes the
last extractor of the series. The solvent, after passing through this extractor, is
taken at once to the oil vacuum pans, where it is distilled off from the oil held in
solution. The meal," after pressure in the disc press, is carried by a conveyor to
the separators and is directed by a valve into whichever separator happens to
be empty at the time.
It is there thoroughly agitated, heated in vacuum or
otherwise and the vapour drawn off to a condenser, and from thence passed to
the store.
6:
Dated this 8th day of Outabo 1800
"
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Plant or Apparatus for Extracting Oil or Grease from
Granular or Pulverulent Material.
We WILLIAM
HESKETH LEVER, JAMES DARCY LEVER and ERNEST
GEORGE SCOTT, all of Port Sunlight, near Birkenhead, in the County of Chester,
Soap Manufacturers and Chemist respectively, 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:-
This invention has for its object a plant for extracting oil from linseed and other
meal and various oleaginous materials, hereafter spoken of generically as "meal,"
by means of solvents. It is applicable for use with bisulphide of carbon, tetra-
chloride of carbon, chloroform and the like. Hitherto, as far as we are aware, the
extraction of oil from seeds or meal by means of solvents has been a practical
failure, owing in a great measure to the difficulty of separating the solvent from
the finished meal without loss, and also to the injury done to the meal by the
steam in effecting that separation. Another cause of loss in the process is that
the dissolving out and the separation of the solvent afterwards are carried on
in the same chamber. This chamber, therefore, has to be exposed to very
varying degrees of temperature with the accompanying loss of fuel caused by the
alternate heating and cooling and the loss of time owing to the necessity of
allowing the vessel to cool before again allowing volatile solvent to enter.
This invention is designed to avoid these and other evils of the present system.
We carry on the dissolving in a separate chamber from that in which the
separation of solvent from the residual matter is effected.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in
which
Figure 1 is a general plan of the plant,
Figure 2, elevation, partly in section, of extractors and separators,
Figure 3, vertical section of vacuum pan,
Figure 4, detail of agitating device,

page_text: Figure 5, detail of stirrer of separator,
Figure 6, sectional elevation of separator,
Figure 7, plan of same with cover removed,
Figures 8 and 9, sectional elevation of top and bottom extractor valves.
Like figures refer to like parts on all the drawings.
Referring more especially to Figures 1 and 2:-
A, is an elevator carrying the meal to a hopper at, whence it is carried by worin
conveyor a¹ to any of a row of extractors B B, preferably worked " in series."
These extractors are shown formed of two somewhat conical parts, bolted
together in the middle and supplied with a valve C above, set forth in detail in
Figure 8, and another valve D below similarly set forth in Figure 9. Near valve C,
but shown only in Figure 8, is an outlet pipe C for the solvent, and also a branch
pipe, not shown, for admitting air to the extractor and for withdrawing the same by
means of an air pump or exhauster, when required. Just above valve D is the
inlet D', Figure 9, for solvent. The inlets and outlets for solvent are joined up
with pipes and valves in the well known manner for enabling such apparatus to be
worked in series, the solvent passing successively through a number of extractors,
commencing as fresh solvent with the nearly exhausted extractor and passing finally
out at the top of the latest filled vessel.
:-
Referring now to Figure 8 (the upper valve C):-
In this, is the valve proper, provided with a rack C and pinion C³ for quickly
moving it in its guides C. is the solvent exit, C³ entrance of meal from hopper,
Ca pivotted grid, covered with wire gauze, preventing the meal from being carried
into the next vessel or from flying up on pressure being removed and suction being
applied.
In Figure 9, showing the bottoin valve, a similar arrangement for operating the
valve is shown, D1, D2 and D³ corresponding respectively to C, C and C³
above. D is the entrance for solvent. The bottom valve is preferably worked by
a steam motor.
Referring again to Figures 1 and 2 :—
E is a conveyor, into which the exhausted meal and solvent are shot through
valve D and conveyed to a disc press or to separators F, set forth in Figures 6
and 7.
In these, is the chamber of the separator, formed preferably of cast iron or
steel; F, entrance for meal; F, manhole and cover for withdrawing the meal on
finishing the operation. G is a vertical shaft passing up through the bottom (in
some cases, it may be preferable to introduce it from above and put the entrances
for meal well to the side). This shaft is slowly rotated in any convenient inanner,
and carries a mitre wheel G' and socket G2 on which is the bearing of a horizontal
shaft G3 having mitre wheel G gearing into G¹. On this shaft is fixed a series
of rakes or stirrers G. This shaft and stirrers are shown in detail in Figure 5.
The end of the shaft is supported by a toothed wheel G7 running on a circular
rack F, bolted to the sides of the vessel. On the opposite side, a scraper G³ G
is fixed in a similar manner. F, F and F are openings on which pipes are
attached, connected to the condenser I, Figure 1, from which the solvent passes to
tank 11, by means of a pipe 12. The vessel F is steam jacketted at F³, or otherwise
heated in any convenient manner, a large part of the solvent, however, falling
into conveyor E, is collected in trap H, Figure 1, and passed back, by means of a
pump, to the solvent tank or to the extractors.
The saturated solvent from the extractors is carried to the vacuum pans J J,
which are kept at a sufficiently high tension by any suitable vacuum pump K.
The vacuum pans J are set forth in detail, Figures 3 and 4. In these, J is the
pan, J revolving stirrer. A section through X X is set forth in Figure 4. Je is
steam jacket, J exit and valve. Revolving stirrer J¹ can be supplied with a
compressed air or steam jet, if required, as shown.
Referring again to Figure 1
1. is the solvent pump, M air compressor, N high pressure air receivers, P low

page_text: pressure receiver, Q low pressure receiver, S S lines of piping. The arrows indicate
the direction of travel.
The extractors being empty, "meal" is passed into them until nearly full, the
air, strongly saturated with solvent vapour, which previously filled the extractors,
is carried off to the condenser. The solvent, preferably in the form of liquid or
vapour, is now passed in from below and can be forced through each of the series
of extractors in succession. When the first of the series is considered to be com-
pletely exhausted, it is shut off from the series and the solvent passed at once into
the second. The valve at the bottom of the exhausted extractor is now opened,
and the material, by its own gravity and the weight of the solvent, falls like mud
into the conveyor and is immediately passed on to the disc press by the conveyor,
or, if there be no disc press and it is not necessary, direct to the separators, as
shown. The valve is now closed, and the extractor is refilled with meal" and
becomes the last extractor of the series. The solvent, after passing through this
extractor, is taken at once to the oil vacuum pans, where it is distilled off from the
oil held in solution. The "meal," after pressure in the disc press if such be used
is carried by a conveyor to the separators and is directed by a valve into which-
ever separator happens to be empty at the time. It is there thoroughly agitated,
heated in vacuo or otherwise, and the vapour drawn off to a condenser, and from
thence passed to the store.
The air carried off to the condenser is treated under heavy pressure to a suf-
ficiently low temperature to condense the solvent; for tetrachloride of carbon we
use a pressure of about 30 atmospheres and a temperature of about 18° Centigrade.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
An improved plant or apparatus for extracting oil or grease from granular or
pulverulent substances having any or all of the following particulars:
1. The combination of extractors worked in series or otherwise, a device for
carrying the mixed meal and solvent to the separators and independent separators
whereby a high and narrow or equivalent vessel can be used for extracting, and a
vessel having large bottom heating surface or its equivalent, preferably with stirring
mechanism, can be used for separating, substantially as described.
2. The combination of the extractors with valves above and below and means for
withdrawing the vapour-laden air and condensing the vapour independently of the
ordinary solvent condensing apparatus.
3. The extracting, separating and vacuum pan apparatus respectively ench with
its internal fittings substantially as described and illustrated.
GUCK UK v
WM, P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.