IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUID PROM :SOLID SUBSTANCES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel Grew, of New Broad Street, in the City of
London, Civil Engineer, and George Henry Money, of Jermyn Street, in
the City of Westminster, Lieutenant-Colonel, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel Grew and George
'Henry Money at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 18th October 1866.
We, NATHANIEL GREW,- of New Broad Street, in the City of London, Civil
Engineer, and. GEORGE HENRY MONEY, of Jermyn Street, in the City of
Westminster, Lieutenant-Colonel, do hereby declare the nature of: the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING LIQUID PROM :SOLID
SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our Invention of "Improved Apparatus for Separating Liquid from Solid
Substances," relates to an improved mode of constructing the straining surfaces
through which the liquid to be separated from the solid substances passes.
The straining surface, or strainer, as it is called, consists of a metallic plate
with either a flat or corrugated upper surface, and having channels made

page_text: therein, into which the liquid matters run and pass off through holes made at
the back of the plate and communicating with the channels on the surface.
There are various ways of constructing the strainers, the particular modes
to be employed depending in some measure upon the nature of the substance
it is desired to operate upon.
One mode consists in cutting in the surface of the straining plate a
number of concentric circular narrow grooves; these circular grooves
should be close enough together to allow the liquid on the surface easy
escape from the solid matters. At the back of the plate are drilled a number
of holes to such a depth as to reach the bottom of the annular concentric
grooves. The holes should be countersunk or made funnel-shaped, so that
the liquid when it reaches the narrow concentric channels may pass down the
holes and escape with facility therefrom, and be conducted to any suitable
reservoir; sometimes we arrange the holes or perforations in radial lines, and
connect them by means of radial grooves which will allow of the escape of the
liquid from the annular or concentric grooves into the radial channels, and
from thence to the holes.
As a modification of this form of straining surface the channels may be
cut in a convolute form, so as to form one long curved channel from the
centre to near the circumference of the plate. Holes are drilled in the back
of the plate, as in the former instance, and these holes may be arranged either
radially or in any other desired manner, care being taken that they communicate
with the narrow.channels cut in. the face of the strainer. With each of these
forms of strainers we employ a backing plate made of cast or wrought
iron or steel and pierced with countersunk holes which lead up to radia) or
parallel channels formed in the face of the backing plate. The liquid
therefore as it percolates through the small holes in the strainer or upper
plate will pass along the radial or other channels in the backing plate and
escape by the holes in connection therewith to the receiving vessel.
Another modification consists in forming the strainer or upper plate with
small holes arranged together in groups of four or other number. In this
case there is also an under plate perforated, but with larger holes, and counter-
sunk at both ends, and so arranged with respect to the holes of the upper
plate that the groups of smaller perforations will communicate severally with
one of the larger holes of the lower plate, and thus the delivery of the liquid
will be facilitated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nathaniel Grew and George Henry Money in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, NATHANIEL
5 GREW, of 8, New Broad Street, in the City of London, Civil Engineer, and
GEORGE HENRY MONEY, of Jermyn Street, in the City of Westminster,
Lieutenant-Colonel, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One. thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Nathaniel Grew and George Henry Money, Her special licence that
we, the said Nathaniel Grew and George Henry Money, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Nathaniel Grew and
George Heury Money, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usė,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
-the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR SEPARATING LIQUID FROM SOLID SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Nathaniel Grew and George Henry Money, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of. their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Nathaniel Grew and George Henry
Money, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our Invention of "Improved Apparatus for Separating Liquid from Solid
Substances" relates to an improved mode of constructing the straining surfaces
through which the liquid to be separated from the solid substances passes.
The straining surface or strainer, as it is called, consists of a metallic plate
with either a flat or corrugated upper surface, and having channels made
therein, into which the liquid matters run and pass off through holes made at.
the back of the plate and communicating with the channels on the surface. '

page_text: t
There are various ways of constructing the strainers, the particular modes
to be employed depending in some measure upon the nature of the substance
it is desired to operate upon.
One mode consists in cutting in the surface of the straining plate a number
of concentric circular narrow grooves; these circular grooves. should be
close enough together to allow the liquid on the surface. easy escape from the
solid matters. At the back of the plate are drilled a number of holes to such
a depth as to reach the bottom of the annular concentric grooves. The holes
should be countersunk or made funnel-shaped, so that, the liquid when it
reaches the narrow concentric channels may pass down the holes and escape
with facility therefrom and be conducted to any suitable reservoir; sometimes
we arrange the holes or perforations in radial lines, and connect them by
means of radial grooves which will allow of the escape of the liquid from the
annular or concentric grooves into the radial channels, and from thence, to the
holes.
As a modification of this form of straining surface the channels may be cut
.in a convolute, form, so as to form one long curved channel from the centre to
near the circumference of the plate. Holes are drilled in the back of the
plate as in the former instance, and these holes may be arranged either
radially or in any other desired manner, care being taken that they com-
municate with the narrow channels cut in the face of the strainer. With
each of these forms of strainers we employ a backing plate. made of cast or
wrought iron or steel and pierced with countersunk holes which lead up to
radial or parallel channels formed in the face of the backing plate.. The
liquid therefore as it percolates through the small holes in the strainer or
upper plate will pass along the radial or other channels in the backing plate,
and escape by the holes in connection there with to the receiving vessel.
Another modification consists in forming the strainer or upper plate with
small holes arranged together in groups of four or other number; in this
case there is also an under plate perforated, but with larger holes, and counter-
supk at both ends, and so arranged with respect to the holes of the upper
plate that the groups of smaller perforations will communicate severally with
one of the larger holes of the lower plate, and thus the delivery of the liquid
will be facilitated.
Whereas hitherto in the expression of oils and other substances where
great pressure is required it has been the practice to employ solid plates, and
for the expressed fluids to find their way out from the substances operated
upon by way of their edges. Our improvement consists in the construction
of plates or draining surfaces applied above and below the substances to be

page_text: pressed, by which means. the whole surface of: such substances are, submitted
equally to the pressure, and admit of the free passing of the expressed fluids
from all parts of the surfaces operated upon. We accomplish this by the
.various modes as herein-after explained and illustrated by the annexed Sheet
5 of Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents an upper plate of steel and an under plate of cast or
wrought iron. It is intended that the top plate shall be pierced with holes
.about 1" diameter, and so arranged and at such distances from one another
that each set of four holes, shall correspond with one hole in the lower plate
the holes in which are to be of larger diameter than those in the upper plate.
In order to facilitate the draining action it is proposed: to countersink or
enlarge the holes.at the under surface of the top plate and the: upper surface
of the lower.plate. The upper. surface of. the top plate is also intended to
have.a waved or corrugated surface.
Fig. 2 represents another arrangement of straining plates, in which the
upper plate is of steel, but instead of a series of holes being drilled com-
pletely through it, as in Fig. 1, it is.proposed. to sink concentric grooves
into the whole surface a sufficient depth. It will be readily seen that if one
small hole be now drilled from the bottom of each concentric groove to the
under surface of the plate it would serve (theoretically speaking) to drain the
plates completely; but in practice it is proposed to drill several holes into con-
centric grooves, and thereby insure a rapid draining of the surface of the upper
plate.. Holes are so arranged in the lower plate as to take the drainage from
the holes in the upper plate which communicate with the concentric grooves.
As in. Figure 1 it is proposed to corrugate or flute the surface either in a
concentric,. straight, or curved form, as may be found the most desirable.
Fig. 3 is a similar arrangement as far as the upper plate is concerned as
Fig. 2, but in order to obviate the necessity of drilling. a great number of
holes in the lower plate it is proposed to place channels or grooves in the
upper surface of the lower plate, which channels or grooves communicate
with the holes in the upper plate. The corrugation or fluting of the surface
to be carried out as before.
Fig. 4 represents another form of grooving the surface of the upper plate,
viz., in a spiral or helical form commencing from the centre hole and ter-
minating near the outer edge of the plate; by this means one hole through
the plate could be made to drain it, but practically several holes dispersed
amongst the groove will be a better means of securing a perfect result. The
corrugation of the surface and the holes in the lower plate are to be carried
out as in the other plates.

page_text: Fig. 5 represents another and different mode of constructing a straining
plate so as to enable the plate when finished to be perforated throughout its
surface and yet obviate the expense and difficulty of drilling holes in steel or
other hard material which is for very small perforations almost impossible.
We take of rod steel or other hard material of suitable diameters or shapes
and cut them off to such lengths as would represent the thickness of the
intended plate; these rods are to be arranged side by side in a vertical
position in a suitable box or chamber, and the last ones are tightly wedged in
the interstices between each rod and its neighbour form a space or draining
.hole. The advantage of this plate is that though made of a great many
pieces its central strength is not diminished; each rod has three points
of support against the adjacent rods, and the edge or rim of the box prevents
any movement sideways. The surface can then be corrugated in the same
manner to those before described, or the top of each of the small rods may
be rounded or otherwise shaped so as to present a number of more or less
-sharp points to the surface of the material to be pressed.
.
.
Having now described our said Invention, it is to be distinctly under-
stood that what we claim as original.is,-
The special form of solid plates of steel or other hard substance grooved
or pierced or built up so as to obviate the necessity of drilling or piercing
holes' therein.
Secondly, the so arranging one plate upon another that the whole surface of
the strainer plates may be capable of forming draining surface, and yet
that the solid plates may be as little weakened as possible by unnecessary
-perforations through them, care being had that a complete communication
exists between the grooved surface of the back of the plates for the free
passage of the oil or other fluid.
In witness whereof, we, the said Nathanial Grew and George Henry
Money, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eighteenth day
of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven.