Improvements in Apparatus for the Separation of Liquids from. Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1898

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Separation of Liquids from.
Fibrous Materials.
We, RUDOLF BODMER, of Seefeld-Zürich, and JOHANNES SCHWARZENBACII, of the
Friedheim in Horgen, near Zürich, both in the Republic of Switzerland, Silk-
dyers, 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 an apparatus for the separation and removal of liquids
from fibrous material without the application of centrifugal power.
The advantage resulting from the use of this apparatus is, that a considerable
saving in labour and material is effected, since a large quantity of material may be
treated with a proportionately small quantity of liquid and the latter after use may
be removed by pressure.
The apparatus is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same and
Figure. 3 is a view of the spiral for compression.
•
Within, the vessel P is arranged the perforated plate B, which is placed flat on
the bottom. To the side walls and vertically to the bottom are secured at short
distances from each other, the strips H reaching from the bottom to the top of
the vessel, the said strips being pressed by the perforated plate against the walls
of the said vessel. At the top, the said strips are firmly connected with each other,
for instance, by the horizontal frame E, which is made to fit the form of the vessel.
About three fourths of the vessel is filled with the fibrous material to be treated
and the liquid to be used may be forced into the vessel by a pipe passing through
the bottom, under a suitable pressure, or it may be made to flow in at the top.
By frequently changing the direction of the liquid, the fibrous material is uni-
formly saturated with the same. The liquid is then shut off and the cover I put
in place. This cover is provided on the lower side with an elastic cushion, the
thickness of which may increase from the centre towards the periphery; this con-
struction has for its object to exert the same pressure at the periphery as at the
centre, and results in an even pressure throughout and also serves to overcome any
unevenness in the layer of the material.
In the apparatus shown in the drawing this elastic cushion consists of the air-
tight hose spiral C and the endless compression hose, M, of considerably larger
iameter than the spiral. The spiral as well as the compression hose contain air
at the ordinary atmospheric pressure.
As soon as a powerful pressure is brought to bear upon the cover, the liquid will
escape through the bottom and through the apertures between the strips but under
no circumstances can it flow over the cover because the conically constructed strips
Figure 2 are so arranged that the narrow side is placed towards the inside wal's
and the broad side towards the material. This arrangement thus provides a small
opening for the escape of the liquid but at the same time a large space for flowing

page_text: off. As soon as the liquid enters this space between the strips, it flows off freely
towards the bottom, as the liquid is no longer under pressure and as the space for
flowing off is connected with the space underneath the perforated plate thus exclud-
ing the flow of the liquid in the upward direction.
The endless hose M should not be pressed into the space between the strips as
in this case it would soon become damaged. This hose serves in the first place to
hold the spiral C together and in the second place to exert a pressure as uniform as
possible at all points under the cover, which would be impossible with the spiral
alone on account of the fittings at the end.
According to the pressure on the cover the material will be as dry in from 15
to 30 minutes as by the use of a centrifugal machine.
By applying the system of strips alone there is no distribution of pressure
and the layer of material at those places where it is piled higher will receive more
pressure, and where it is lower, less pressure. To overcome this inequality a
stronger pressure would become necessary resulting in damage to apparatus and
material. This would also cause considerable friction against the strips at the
edge of the cover, which in this case must be fitted very carefully in position.
As in this case the cover would not be provided with the elastic cushion, it may
assume a slanting position, through the unevenness of the material and probably
force some of the upper layers of the material between the cover and the strips
and thus tear the said material.
On the other hand a much stronger pressure is necessary when the elastic cushion
alone is provided, since in the absence of the strips the lateral escape of the liquid
cannot take place and it can only escape through the material downward by way
of the perforated plate. In this case the outward compression lose would have to
be made very strong to resist the greater pressure. The apparatus would there-
fore also in this case be liable to be damaged.
Only by the application of both the above described novel features, which must
act in combination, can the best results be obtained and a uniform quick pressure
and drying of the material secured without undue wear of the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:―
An apparatus for the separation and removal of liquids from fibrous material,
consisting of a vessel provided on the inside with a system of strips permitting of
the flowing off of the liquid and the cover of which is provided with an elastic
cushion on the lower side, said cushion being composed of a hose-spiral surrounded
by a larger hose, so as to uniformly distribute the pressure as much as possible.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agents for the Applicant.