Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Fats and Oils.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Fats and Oils.
I, CHARLES GRAHAM HEPBURN, care of Messrs. Hepburn & Sponden, Patent
Agents and Consulting Engineers, of Sydney, New South Wales, Engineer, 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 relates to apparatus for drying, air blowing, and cooling fats and
oils. It has been devised chiefly for treating hot liquid fats, such as tallow, which
have been obtained by boiling, to extract residual water from them and to reduce
their temperature; but it is usable generally for drying, cooling, and air blowing oils
and fats which are capable of being heated or ærated without injury.
According to my invention, the oil or the fat, heated until it becomes freely liquid,
is sprayed by a centrifugal action device, and the spray intercepted by a series of
circular baffles which drip it as rain through an ascending current of air at a
regulated temperature. The apparatus consists of a cylindrical chamber with
annular casings or jackets in which the air is warmed, or warmed and dried; an air
propeller for inducing a current of air; a centrifugal sprayer; and baffles encircling
the sprayer. There are certain structural features which will be hereinafter referred
to in detail.
In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a fragment elevation of the apparatus ;
Figure 2 a sectional elevation; Figure 3 a vertical section through same; and
Figure 4 a vertical section through a modified construction of same.
The interior barrel or shell A is reinforced by rings A¹ and by angle-irons A³
which are produced to form standards. An external shell B is built on light angle-
irons B¹ sprung from the shell A or its reinforcements.
The shell A terminates at
the head in a funnel or exhaust piece C of diminished diameter, in which an air
propeller D is placed. For the air propeller D there may be substituted a centrifu-
gal blower arranged to draw air from the interior of the shell A; or a centrifugal
or other blower or air propeller may be arranged to blow air into the annular space E.
The bottom of the chamber A is formed of thin metal to the shape of an annular
dish or tray F, from the bottom of which refined oil or fat is drawn off through a
pipe R.
This dish or tray may be provided with a water jacket by means of which
its temperature may be confrolled and the temperature of the oil or fat contained in
it thus raised or lowered. The annular space E is open at points E¹ about its unper
part, and through these apertures El air passes into it from the external atmosphere.
Said air is heated by contact with the convolutions of pipe G through which steam
is circulated, and after being so heated enters the inner chamber A through the
apertures H in the shell thereof. The efficiency of the heating coils G may be
improved by arming them with radiating disc-G₁. Thence the air current.passes
upward through said chamber, acting upon a. falling rain or spray of fat or oil
therein, to the air propeller D. and thence into the atmosphere through C. The
apertures E¹ should be of ample dimensions and clothed with a fabric which will
exclude dust but pass air. The pipes G are arranged in three parallel sets served by
separate valves G³ so that any one or more of the coils may be thrown into action as

page_text: which a current of air is made to pass upwardly, a spraying device in the upper part
of said chamber for finely dividing the liquid fat or oil, and a tray in the bottom of
said chamber for collecting the treated liquid, substantially as described.
2. Apparatus for the purpose set forth consisting of a vertical chamber through
which a current of air is made to pass upwardly, a spraying device in the upper part
of said chamber a distributer below the sprayer, and a tray in the bottom of said
chamber for collecting the treated liquid, substantially as described.
3. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, consisting of a vertical chamber through
which a current of air is made to pass upwardly, a spraying device in the upper part
of said chamber, a distributer below the sprayer, a tray in the bottom of said
chamber for collecting the treated liquid, and an annular chamber E in which said
air is heated, substantially as described.
4. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, consisting of a vertical chamber through
which a current of air is made to pass upwardly, a spraying device in the upper part
of said chamber, a distributer below the sprayer, a tray in the bottom of said
chamber for collecting the treated liquid, an annular chamber E in which said air
is heated, and an annular chamber N in which said air is dried, substantially as
described.
5. In apparatus for air blowing oils and fats substantially in the manner set forth,
a centrifugal sprayer such as J coacting with a distributer such as L, substantially
as described.
6. In apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of chamber A, air
propeller D, heating chamber E with steam pipes G therein, tray F, sprayer J,
distributer L, and spindle K, substantially as described.
7. In apparatus for the purposes set forth, the combination of chamber A, air
propeller D, heating chamber E with steam pipes G therein, tray F, sprayer J,
distributer L, spindle K, insulating space M, and air drying chamber N with cold
pipes N¹ therein, substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of December 1897.