Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Vegetable and Animal. Fiber with Liquids.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Vegetable and Animal.
Fiber with Liquids.
I, JAMES FRANKLIN LESTER, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at 7 Whitehall Street, Atlanta, in the County of Fulton and State of
Georgia, U.S.A., Bookdealer, 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 :-
Fig. I, is a side elevation partly broken away to expose the interior portion to
view, of a digester according to my invention for cleaning vegetable and animal
fiber.
Fig. II, is a rear end view of the same with the end of the shell removed.
Figs. III, IV, V, VI, are detail views in section of interior pipes.
The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for treating vegetable and
animal fiber with solvents and solutions for the purpose of degumming, bleaching,
washing and coloring the fiber, and otherwise preparing it for market.
It has for its object the construction of a device which will bring the solutions
or solvents in contact with the fiber, and will force them to circulate through it
under high pressure, in such a manner as to insure a uniform treatment of the
fiber independently of its location in the apparatus. To this end my invention
consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a "digester for
cleaning vegetable and animal fiber" hereinafter described and claimed, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-
10 represents a shell like that of a steam boiler preferably cylindrical, with the
cylinder located in a horizontal position, yet other forms and positions might
answer the purpose in this respect.
11 is a carriage made of wrought iron or steel and provided with small wheels 12
adapted to roll upon tracks 13 which are fixed to the shell 10, and 14 is a
continuation of the tracks outside of the shell for the carriage to be rolled out
upon.
15 represents the door of the shell which is adapted to be sealed steam-tight by
screwbolts 32 or other suitable means, upon the shell while in service.
16 represents an opening in the track to admit the door 15 in place. When the
door is removed short bridges may be placed in the tracks across the openings 16
for the carriage to travel upon.
17 represents a series of pipes located upon shelves 18 which are fixed longitudinally
within the carriage at one side.
19 represents a series of pipes similarly located upon shelves 20 along the other
side of the carriage. All the pipes 17 are connected with one vertical pipe 21
from which a horizontal pipe 22 extends to and across the forward end of the
boiler and thence leads to an inlet pipe 23.
24 is a union coupling in the inlet pipe. All the pipes 19 are connected with a
vertical pipe 25 leading downward to a horizontal pipe 26 which extends to the
forward end of the boiler where it is connected with the outlet or discharge pipe 27
by means of the union coupling 28, see Fig. II.
A series of transverse pipes 29, are each mounted in journal bearings trans-
versely between the pipes 17 and 19, having open connection with the pipe 17 but
being closed at the end towards the pipe 19. Each of these pipes 29 has

page_text: perforations into it tangent to its inner periphery, in order that when fluid of any kind
is admitted within the pipe under pressure the discharge of fluid at these tangential
perforations will cause the pipe to revolve on its axis on the Barker wheel
principle, delivering the fluid in all directions around the pipe, and those delivery
perforations are located spirally along and around each pipe 29 in order that the
Auid may be delivered under pressure throughout the length of each pipe 29.
30 represents a series of pipes alternating with the pipes 29, both in horizontal
planes and in vertical planes, but they are connected with the outlet pipes 19 and
closed at the ends next to the inlet pipes 17, and are perforated radially to receive
fluid. These pipes 30 do not revolve. Drawers 31 made of open wire cloth are
slid in at the door of the shell upon the pipes 29 and 30.
The inlet pipe 23 and the outlet pipe 27 may be connected with overhead tanks
or with pumps as usual for circulating the fluid required.
In operation the door 15 is to be opened, the drawers removed be filled with
fiber to be cleaned and be returned upon the pipes within the shell, then the door
is to be closed and secured and the fluid required he let in through the pipe 23 and
running along pipes 17 into cross pipes 20 the fluid is thrown in spray into the
mass of fiber both from above and below the revolving of the pipes 29, distributing
the spray so forcibly in various directions as to loosen and work the fiber thus
greatly aiding the disintegration or cleaning as the case may be. The liquid being
drawn out through a great many apertures in pipes 19 distributed all through the
mass.of fiber not only tend to equalize the action but prevents the formation of
currents which would cause clogging. I have mounted the circulatory system of
pipes in the carriage.11 so that the whole system may be readily rolled out upon the
tracks 13, 14, for proper adjustment to keep the many joints in working order.
33 represents a discharge or drain pipe for the boiler or digester shell. This
boiler or shell may be provided with the usual water and steam gages and with a
steam dome 34.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a digester shell a series of pipes located one above
another along one side of the shell and connected with an inlet pipe; another series
of pipes located along within the shell at its other side and connected with an
outlet pipe, and perforated transverse pipes crossing from a pipe of one series to a
pipe of the other series and alternately communicating respectively with the
opposite pipes, one with a pipe of one side and the next with a pipe of the other
side, substantially as described.
2. In a digester for cleaning vegetable and animal fiber, a series of transverse
pipes journaled to revolve each on its own lineal axis and perforated tangentially
and connected with an inlet pipe, and another series of transverse pipes alternating
with the pipes of the first series and radially perforated and rigidly connected to
communicate with an outlet pipe and drawers mounted upon the said transverse
pipes, substantially as described.
3. In a digester for cleaning vegetable and animal fiber, a shell or boiler; a
series of inlet pipes and a series of outlet pipes located within the boiler along its
sides, both the outlet and inlet pipes being provided with branches crossing the
boiler, the said branches being perforated at their sides, substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1896.
JAMES FRANKLIN LESTER.