AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING SOLUBLE MATTERS BY WASHING AND DIFFUSION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel of N° 28 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lane, in the county of Middlesex for an Invention of "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING SOLUBLE MATTERS
BY WASHING AND DIFFUSION "
communicated to him from abroad by Henry
Louis Joseph Parenty of Paris in the republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th March 1883.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
EXTRACTING SOLUBLE MATTERS BY WASHING AND DIFFUSION" [communicated to
him from abroad by Henry Louis Joseph Parenty of Paris in the republic of
France]
' t
According to the present invention the method of washing or separating soluble
from insoluble matter by a flow of liquid through the same, is combined with the
method of diffusion practised in laboratories, consisting in the action of a small
stream of liquid which is made to displace slowly and in horizontal layers a solution
circulating through the substance to be operated upon, the flow of liquid being
determined by means of a peculiar distributing apparatus to be presently described,
which enables the time in which the operation is to be carried out to be determined
beforehand.
.
For this purpose, the substance to be acted upon is contained in a series of
vessels, of which the lower end of one communicates with the upper end of the
contiguous one by a pipe or passage connecting the two so that a quantity of
liquid supplied to one of the vessels from a raised tank or receptacle, after
descending through such vessel, ascends to the top of the next one in order to
descend through it, and so on, until it has passed through the whole or a certain
number of the vessels, taking up during its passage a certain quantity of soluble,
matter from each receptacle so as to issue as a concentrated solution from the last
[Price 6d1
J
•

page_text: one. The water or other liquid solvent is caused to flow continuously in a thin.
stream into the first vessel so as to operate by the diffusion process, until the
substance in such vessel is entirely exhausted of the soluble matter, whereupon the
supply of the solvent thereto is stopped, the exhausted contents are removed and
replaced by a fresh charge, and the liquid solvent is then made. to flow into the
next vessel whose contents are partially exhausted, and after passing through all
the vessels, issues from the one freshly charged; and in this manner, the combined
washing and diffusion process is continued, by successively exhausting and renewing
the charge of each vessel in rotation.
For carrying out this operation, the said vessels may be conveniently arranged
round the central raised receptacle for the liquid solvent either in a circle, square,
or other convenient form, and round the said receptacle is formed a gutter having
an opening over each of the lower vessels, which openings are all closed by plugs
with the exception of the one over the vat that is to receive the supply. The
liquid is caused to flow from the receptacle into the trough through a tap having
a very small discharge opening and having fixed upon it, between the discharge
opening and the cock or valve, a vertical glass tube, behind which is a scale.
According as the tap is more or less opened, the liquid will stand at a greater or
less height in the glass tube, owing to the greater or less difference between the
discharge areas respectively of the tap and the discharge opening, and thus, by
forming on the scale graduated divisions, representing hours and minutes, obtained
either by calculation or by experiment, the duration of, the discharge of a certain
quantity of solvent from the receptacle can be previously determined by setting
the tap so that the liquid column in the glass tube will, at the beginning, stand at
the division indicating the required number of hours.
The before mentioned connection between the vessels containing the material
to be operated upon is by preference arranged as follows. A horizontal branch
tube connects both vessels near their upper ends, the one end of such tube commu-
nicating directly with the upper part of the one vessel while the other end
communicates with a tube or passage formed or fixed on the side of the other
vessel. The upper end of this tube or passage is somewhat enlarged, so that a
plug can be inserted to cut off the communication between the two, while the lower
end, opens at or near the bottom of the vessel, or by preference, in a small well or
recess formed in the bottom, in which is also situated the discharge pipe for drawing
off the solution from the vessel, thus insuring that the whole shall be drawn off
therefrom. When the charge of a vessel has become exhausted as described, its
communication with the next vessel is closed by a plug and the liquid contents,
which are either a very weak solution or merely the solvent are drawn off through
the discharge pipe, and may be added to the charge of solvent in the supply tank
again..
It will be readily understood that this improved process and apparatus may be
employed for treating a great number of substances, either by merely mechanical
solution in water and other liquids, or by chemical reaction of a fluid upon the
contents of the vessels; thus it may be used for obtaining extracts from tobacco,
coffee, chincona and other woods, alkaline ash, sulphate of ammonia & etc. When
the substances treated are in very small fragments or powder it will be necessary
to place over the point of outflow a filtering medium of any suitable material, so as
to prevent the solid matter from being carried along with the liquid.
.
As an example of the treatment with a chemical solvent by this process may be
taken the method of separating fatty matters from cotton waste or rags, or from
raw materials containing fatty matters. For this purpose, carbonate of soda is
used as a solvent, being mixed either in solid form with the solid materials or
added as a concentrated solution to the last vessel of the series; in this case, the
liquid which is richest in saponified fats is withdrawn from the middle of the series.
Where heat is necessary for carrying out the process, it will be sufficient to heat
one of the vessels containing the material, and a travelling furnace or lamp may.

page_text: The
for this purpose, be arranged beneath the vessels, so as to heat each vessel in
rotation; the chimney of the furnace may conveniently be arranged to pass
through the tank of the solvent, so that the furnace can travel round it.
vessels may also be provided with à perforated double bottom, on which the
substance to be treated rests, in which case the space below the double bottom is
made to communicate with the atmosphere by means of a pipe, in order to prevent
undue accumulation of pressure when heat is applied. The furnace or lamp may
also be fixed, and the vessels made to pass consecutively over it. When the liquid
solvent employed possesses a higher specific gravity than the solution obtained, the
action of the apparatus may be reversed, that is to say, the liquid be made to flow
from, the bottom of the one vessel to the top of the next one..
T
When the apparatus is employed on a small scale for laboratory purposes, the
vessels are constructed of inverted glass bells, the lower opening of which is closed
by a cork through which pass two vertical tubes, and the communications between
the receptacles are effected by means of caoutchouc tubing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal. Patent Office on the
'5th September 1883.
,,
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the county of Middlesex "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR
EXTRACTING SOLUBLE MATTERS BY WASHING AND DIFFUSION A communication
to him from abroad by Henry Louis Joseph Parenty of Paris, in the republic of
France.
According to the present invention, the method of washing or separating soluble
from insoluble matter by a flow of liquid through the same, is combined with the 1
method of diffusion practised in laboratories, consisting in the action of a small
stream of liquid which is made to displace slowly and in horizontal layers a
solution circulating through the substance to be operated upon, the flow of liquid
being determined by means of a peculiar distributing apparatus to be presently
described, which enables the time in which the operation is to be carried out to be 1
determined beforehand.
For this purpose, the substance to be acted upon is contained in a series of
vessels, of which the lower end of one communicates with the upper end of the
contiguous one by a pipe or passage connecting the two, so that a quantity of
liquid supplied to one of the vessels from a raised tank or receptacle, after
descending through such vessel, ascends to the top of the next one in order, to
descend through it, and so on, until it has passed through the whole or a certain
number of the vessels, taking up during its passage a certain quantity of soluble
matter from each receptacle so as to issue as a concentrated solution from the last
one. The water or other liquid solvent is caused to flow continuously in a thin
stream into the first vessel so as to operate by the diffusion process, until the
substance in such vessel is entirely exhausted of the soluble matter, whereupon the
supply of the solvent thereto is stopped, the exhausted contents are removed, and
replaced by a fresh charge, and the liquid solvent is then made to flow into the
next vessel whose contents are partially exhausted, and after passing through all
the vessels, issues from the one freshly charged; and in this manner, the combined
washing and diffusion process is continued by successively exhausting and renewing
the charge of each vessel in rotation.
For carrying out this operation, the said vessels may be conveniently arranged
round the central raised receptacle for the liquid solvent, either in a circle, square,
or other convenient form, and round the said receptacle is formed a gutter having
an opening over each of the lower vessels, which openings are all closed by plugs
with the exception of the one over the vat that is to receive the supply. The
liquid is caused to flow from the receptacle into the trough through a tap having a
very small discharge opening and having fixed upon it, between the discharge
opening and the cock or valve, a vertical glass tube, behind which is a scale.
According as the tap is more or less opened, the liquid will stand at a greater or
less height in the glass tube, owing to the greater or less difference between the
discharge areas respectively of the tap and the discharge opening, and thus, by
forming on the scale graduated divisions, representing hours and minutes, obtained
either by calculation or by experiment, the duration of the discharge of a certain
quantity of solvent from the receptacle can be previously determined by setting the
tap so that the liquid column in the glass tube will, at the beginning, stand at the
division indicating the required number of hours.

page_text: The accompanying drawings shew the arrangement of apparatus which I prefer
to employ in carrying out the said invention."-
Fig 1 shows an elevation of the apparatus; fig. 2 shews a plan with the supply
vessel A removed; Fig. 3 shews a vertical section of one of the vessels, shewing
the channel by which the liquid circulates from the one into the other, and fig. 4
shews the regulating cock.
The central supply vessel A is carried by a platform B provided round its edge
with a gutter C by means of which the liquid from A can be supplied to each of.
the vats D.
The vessel A is provided either with a guage glass E or with a float, and with
the regulating apparatus F, through which the liquid is supplied to the vessels
below. This apparatus is shewn to a larger scale at fig. 4; it consists of a glass
tube a fixed upon the pipe b, between the cock c, and the escape orifice d which
should have a considerably smaller area than that of the pipe 6 itself. Under
these circumstances, it will be readily understood that the liquid will rise in the
tube a to a height depending on the extent to which the cock c is opened. This
height will determine the initial pressure at which the liquid will flow from the
discharge orifice, and consequently also, the time it will take to discharge the
liquid contents of the vessel A, the duration thereof depending of course on the
initial pressure under which the discharge is made to cominence. Thus, by
determining either by calculation or by experiment, a graduated scale e attached to
the tube, serving to indicate hours and minutes, it will be seen that by closing the
cock c more or less, so as to cause the liquid to stand at a certain height upon the
scale, the exact duration of the discharge can be determined. From the discharge
apparatus, the liquid flows into the gutter c which may either be circular as shewn,
or straight, according to the arrangement of the vats, and which is provided with
an opening G over each vat, such openings being closed by conical plugs with the
exception of the one through which it is desired that the liquid should flow down
into the corresponding vat below.
The vats D are by preference of wood, and are supported on a platform H. They
are connected with each other at top by a connecting channel I lined with a metal
tube J, which communicates with a vertical channel K, open at both ends, formed
on the side of the vat, so that a communication is thus established between the
bottom of one vat and the top of the next following one in order of working.
The upper end of the channel K is enlarged to receive a plug when it is required
to cut off the communication between the two vats, and the lower end opens into a
recess N formed in the bottom of the vat, to which is connected a discharge pipe or
cock M. The recess may be covered by a perforated plate.
- In operating with this apparatus when it is intended to levigate substances, or
separate soluble matter therefrom, the contents of the vessel A or a certain portion
thereof, is allowed to flow into the first of the series, which contains the substance
in an almost exhausted state, that is to say, from which the soluble matter has
been almost entirely removed.
In passing down through this vat, the liquid takes up the remaining soluble
matter therefrom, and passes thence through the channels K I into the next vat,
where, in flowing slowly downwards in horizontal strata, it takes up a further
quantity of soluble matter, and so on, the liquid arriving in a more or less saturated
condition at the bottom of the last vat of the series, which has previously been
charged with fresh material, and from the bottom of which the liquid is allowed
to flow off through the pipe M, the cominunication between this vat and the first
of the series having been closed by a plug. When, by this means, the contents of
the first vat have been completely exhausted, they are removed and replaced by
fresh material. The second vat, containing partially exhausted material, now
becomes the first of the series, the liquid from A being made to flow into it. The
communication between this and the vat that has just been recharged, which is
now the last of the series, is cut off, and the latter is made to communicate with
the vat that was previously the last of the series. Thus, in making the liquid from

page_text: the vat A enter each vat D in rotation, and to flow consecutively through all the
remaining vats which contain material in successive stages of exhaustion, a con
tinuous supply of more or less concentrated solution will be obtained, while the
contents of each vat will be exhausted and removed in rotation. The degree of
concentration of the solution will depend upon the quantity of liquid withdrawn
from the last vat of the series in a given time. Among the substances that may
be advantageously treated by this apparatus in order to obtain solutions or
decoctions therefrom, may be mentioned vegetable matters such as tobacco, coffee,
chincona, and the like; also alkali-ash, sulpetre cake, sulphate of ammonia from
the residues of gas-works, &c.
When the materials are in the form of very small pieces or powder, it will be
necessary to confine them between filtering or porous surfaces, such as woven fabric,
asbestos fibre, or finely perforated metal. When the liquid solvent-employed is of a
volatile nature, the vats will have to be closed by means of covers having hydraulic
or other air-tight joints.
In treating substances by means of chemical solvents in the said apparatus, a
liquid containing the solvent in solution may be employed, but in this case, a
portion of the solvent would remain in the substance, treated, and would thus be
lost; in order to obviate this objection it is preferable to add the solvent to the
last vat of the series only, either in a pure state or as a very concentrated
Bolution.
As an example of this treatment may be taken the levigation of fatty matters
contained in wool, cotton-waste, dirty rags and raw-fats. It has been found by
experiment to be possible to carry on a practical manufacture of soap obtained by
means of liquids containing fatty matters in solution, when these are sufficiently
concentrated. In this case may be used. as solvents carbonate of soda mixed in
solid form with the dry matter to be treated, or added as a concentrated solution
to the last vat of the series; or carbonate of Potash may be used, or both bases in
the caustic form. The liquor richest in soap is, in this case, withdrawn from the
middle vat of the series. The crude soap is obtained by evaporation of the solution,
and by precipitation in salt and alkaline water, curd soap is produced. If the
solution be made to flow upon a mixture of carbonate of soda or caustic soda and
tallow in small fragments, there will be obtained in place of the saponified matter
previously mentioned, a porous mass of curd soap retaining the form of the original
tallow.
It will be requisite to add an excess of alkali in order to prevent liquefaction of
the mass and consequent obstruction of the passages. In employing hot liquids for
effecting the solution, it will be sufficient to heat one of the vats of the apparatus,
for which purpose a portable fireplace may be arranged under the apparatus, the
chimney of which might conveniently pass centrally through the vessel A, the fire-
place being made to travel round upon circular rails, so as to be made to heat several
vats in rotation.
With this arrangement, the substances to be treated would be placed upon a
perforated double bottom, and the space below this would be put in communication
with the atmosphere by a pipe or channel; so as to avoid explosions due to accumu-
lated pressure when heat is applied.
It will be evident that the fire-place might also be arranged stationary and the
vats be made to travel round over it, and for apparatus on a small scale, a lamp
may be substituted for a fire place, or any known arrangement may be employed
whereby a circulation of hot. liquid may be obtained at a desired moment through
any one or more of the vats.
When the liquid solvent has a greater density than the solution, the direction of
circulation can be reversed, the solvent being made to pass from the top of one vat
to the bottom of the next one.
When the apparatus is used on a small scale for laboratory purposes, the vats are
replaced by inverted glass bells, the lower openings of which are closed by a cork

page_text: through which pass two vertical tubes, and the communications between the
receptacles are effected by means of caoutchouc tubing.
-
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim-
L
First: The herein before described improved method of extracting soluble matters
by levigation and diffusion, whereby more or less concentrated solutions are
obtained according as more or less of the liquid is drawn off at each operation.
Second: The combination of the ordinary levigating process, consisting of the
passage of the levigating liquid successively through receptacles charged with the
material to be treated, with the process of diffusion consisting in the use of a small
stream, of liquid which is caused to displace very slowly and in horizontal layers &
solution circulating through the substances to be operated upon.
Third: The herein described apparatus for regulating the supply of liquid to
levigating apparatus consisting mainly of a glass tube having a graduated scale
denoting intervals of time, fitted on the discharge pipe between the supply cock.
and the very restricted orifice thereof.
Fourth: The herein described constructing of levigating apparatus consisting
mainly of a series of vats, the lower. part of which is connected by tubes or
passages with the upper part of the next following one in the order of working.
In Witness whereof I the said Charles Denton Abel have hereunto set my..
hand and seal-this twenty ninth day of August in the year of our Lord, one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
CHAB D ABEL (LS)