A New or Improved Process of and Apparatus for Separating Naphtha or other Volatile Solvent from Oil.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1896-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Process of and Apparatus for Separating
Naphtha or other Volatile Solvent from Oil.
A communication by GOTLIEB FREDERICK METZGER, of 61 McLean Street,
Cleveland, in the County of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, United States of
America, Manufacturer."
I, GEORGE CECIL DYMOND, M.I.M.E. of the Firm of W. P. Thompson & Co.
of 6 Lord Street Liverpool and 6 Bank Street, Manchester both in the County
of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick
and 322 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent, 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 a process of and an apparatus for separating naphtha
or other volatile solvent from oil, after the mixture of oil and naphtha has been
obtained from the percolator in which said oil was extracted from crushed seed by
said naphtha. The process consists essentially of heating the oil and naphtha
compound in one receptacle and a small body of water in another receptacle, to the
desired temperature by indirect heat, bringing said compound into contact with the
vapor arising from said water and separating or spreading it in such a manner that
said vapor and the heat have an opportunity to act upon small quantities and even
drops of the mixed oil and naphtha, and blowing air into the main body of liquid
whereby the naphtha not previously driven off, is removed and the remaining oil
thoroughly washed and cleansed by the remaining water until all impurities are
eliminated. An additional feature of this process is a constant suction or draught
for conducting away the vapor arising from the heated water and naphtha. The
apparatus comprises a receiver containing non-perforated and perforated troughs
in the upper part, perforated air pipes, and a steam coil in the lower part, and
fans located in the vapor exit pipes, also a tank having an interior steam coil
together with the necessary pipes and connections, all as hereinafter fully set forth
and claimed.
The object of this improvement is to provide a process of and apparatus for the.
purpose specified, which is economical, rapid in operation, free from danger, and
capable of producing a superior quality of oil. It is very desirable to employ hot.
water in place of live steam for the purpose of separating naphtha from oil, in
order to have enough moisture to sufficiently saturate said naphtha, for the rapid
evaporation of the same, to more thoroughly cleanse said oil, and moisten it for
final treatment. The use of steam for the purpose above noted not only retards
the process of separation, but has the effect of setting or fixing the naphtha in the
oil so thoroughly that it cannot always be removed, thereby leaving a rank taste
and smell, but by substituting hot water the last vestige of impurity or taint is
removed. By the peculiar construction of this apparatus so large a surface of oil
and naphtha is exposed to the action of the heat and vapor from the water as to
render this process extremely rapid, while the blowing of air into the body of the
liquid not only accelerates the vaporization of said naphtha, but most thoroughly
commingles said oil and water. This process partially treats and bleaches the oil,
thereby rendering its final treatment more rapid.

page_text: may be seen and fully understood by those skilled in the art,
reference will be had to the following specification and annexed drawings forming
a part thereof, in which-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of this device;
Figure 2 is a front elevation ;
Figure 3 a cross section on lines - Fig. 1, looking toward the rear;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section ;
Figure 5 a section through the exit pipes on line y-y and z-z Fig. 2, showing
the fans;
Figure 6 a plan view of the troughs and connections, and
Figure 7 a plan view of the air pipes.
Similar numerals of reference designate like parts in the drawings and
specification.
The receiver 1 has the semi-circular or oval top 2 provided with man-holes
closed by the covers 3, and the domes 4. The vapor exit pipes 5, 5, open through
the domes 4 into the interior of the receiver 1, from which they pass to connect
with the drum 6. The drum 6 communicates by a pipe not shown in the drawings,
with a condensing tank where the naphtha vapor is finally received.
.
Each pipe 5 has the chamber 5ª to receive the fan 7. The fans 7 are fast on
opposite ends of the shaft 8 which is journaled in the sides of the chambers 5ª, and
motion is imparted to said shaft and fans by means of a belt (not shown) passing
over the cone pulley 9. The receiver 1 has the doors 10, 10, and the sight
glasses 11, 11, in opposite ends, the oil glass 12 having the valves 13, 13, and the
cock 12, and the oil pipe 14, has the valve 15. The pipe 14 opens into one corner
of the receiver floor and through it the oil is drawn from the receiver at the end of
the separating process. The thermometer 16 in one of the doors 10, registers the
interior temperature of the receiver 1. The glasses 11 permit of an obstructed
view of the contents of the receiver 1 and the glass 12 registers the height of
liquid contained therein.
In the bottom of the receiver 1 the steam coil 17 is raised slightly above the
floor on the supports 18. Above the coil 17 are the perforated hot water
pipes 19, 19, resting upon the supports 20, and the supports 21 carry the perforated
air pipes 22, 22. Live steam is admitted to the coil 17 through the pipes 23
having the valve 24, and said steam passes from said coil into the waste pipe 25
which has the valve 26. The perforated pipes 19 receive their supply of water
through the pipe 27 outside and the pipe 28 inside of the receiver 1, the former of
said pipes having the valve 29. The pipes 22 are perforated only in their under
sides in order that the air forced through said pipes shall be directed downward,
otherwise oil as well as vapor might be driven upward and carried away through
the pipes 5. The pipes 22 are centrally connected by short pipes with the
pipe 30 and the ends of the former are capped. The pipe 30 extends vertically
from its connection with the pipes 22 and then passes horizontally out of one
side of the receiver 1, the horizontal portion of said pipe being provided with the
valve 30°.
The shallow, imperforate troughs 31, 31, are supported by the brackets 32, 32"
from the ends of the receiver 1 and. by the central hangers 33 from the top 2. The
shallow perforated trough 34 is supported below the troughs 31 by the
brackets 35, 35, from the ends of the receiver, and the hanger 36 which is a
continuation of the hanger 33. The trough 34 is located midway between the
sides of the receiver 1 while the troughs 31 are situated near the sides of the top 2,
and the capacity of the former is equal to that of the two latter. The bottoms
of the front ends of the troughs 31 are in open connection with the front end of the
trough 34, through the pipes 37 and 38, the latter being provided with the valve 39
having its stem extending through the front end of the receiver 1.
The tank 40 is a little remote from the rear end of the receiver 1 and has the
door 41 in its rear end and the oil, glass 42 with valves 43, 43, and cock 42°, at the
front end. The height of liquid in the tank 40, is registered by the glass 42 and, .

page_text: when necessary, the condition of the contents of said tank may be ascertained by
opening the cock 42, and drawing off a little. The cock 42" answers a similar
purpose in the receiver oil glass 12. The steam coil 44 rests on the bottom of the
tank 40 and connects at one terminal with the live-steam pipe 45 having the
valve 46, and at the other terminal with the waste pipe 47, having the valve 48.
The vacuum-safety valve 49 is centrally mounted on the top of the tank 40 and
provided with the valves 50 and 51, the former being perforated. Too great a
pressure in the tank 40 produced by over-heating its contents, overcomes the
resiliency of the spring above the valve 50 and, by raising said valve, is
relieved; while the opposite extreme approaching a vacuum resulting from
quickly drawing off the contents of said tank, overcomes the resiliency of the
spring controlling the valve 51 and, by drawing said valve downward as it were,
admits air through the perforations in the valve 50 into the tank. Thus the
valve 49 obviates any liability of an explosion or collapse of the tank 40. The
pipe 49" is in open connection with the top of the valve 49 and serves as a
conduit for out-going vapor and in-coming air. The oil and naphtha mixture is
admitted to the tank 40 by the pipe 52 having the valve 53. The pipes 54 and 55
connect the bottom of the tank 40 at the front, with the rear ends of the troughs 31
and the former pipe has the valve 56.
The operation of, this device and the process are as follows; all valves closed
except as otherwise specified.-Open the valve 53 and admit the mixed oil and
naph into the tank 40 until it is nearly full, and also open the valve 46 and 48
to admit live-steam through the coil 44. While filling and heating the tank 40
open the valve 29 and admit water, preferably hot, into the perforated pipes 19,
until an amount equivalent to 5%, more or less, of the holding capacity of the
receiver has been run into said receiver and then shut off the water supply,
meanwhile the valves 24 and 26 have been opened to admit live steam through the
coil 17 for the purpose of heating the interior of the receptacle 1 and vaporizing
more or less of the water contained therein. After the contents of the tank 40
and the receiver 1 are heated to the desired temperature, open the valve 56
permitting the mixture from said tank to enter said receiver where it is first
received in the upper troughs 31. The shallow construction of the troughs 31
causes the mixture to spread out so as to subject a large surface of the same to the
action of the surrounding heat and vapor whereby a considerable portion of the
naphtha is driven off. The fans 7 are set in motion as soon as the mixture is
admitted to the receiver 1 and they continue to revolve and create a suction or
draught during the entire process thus serving to quickly remove the vaporized
naphtha. The troughs 31 incline slightly forward and their remaining contents
flows through pipes 37 and 38 into the perforated trough 34, the valve 39
having first been opened from the outside. The trough 34 not only spreads ont
the mixture contained therein, thus exposing it as in the troughs above, to the
vaporizing elements, but the perforations in said trough permit the liquid to
slowly trickle through and fall to the water below thereby rendering the elemental
action still more potent and rapid because of the separated condition of said liquid.
A small percentage of naphtha still remains in the oil after it strikes the main
body of liquid in the bottom of the receiver 1 and in order to drive off the last
vestige of impurity and thoroughly wash and cleanse the oil, hot air is forced into
and through the perforated pipes 22 when about 50% of the mixture has been
admitted to the receiver 1. The hot air is now used continually until the oil is
ready to be drawn off. The air forced through the pipes 22 may be cold, but
better results are obtained by using it hot. The liquid is thoroughly agitated and
commingled by the air which forces the water into and through practically every
drop of oil, not alone rendering said oil sufficiently moist for final treatment, but
actually treating and bleaching the same in part at this stage of the manufacture.
The results obtained by employing water and air in the manner hereinbefore stated
cannot be obtained with live steain injected directly into the oil and naphtha
compound or into the oil after the naphtha has been driven off. During the last

page_text: half of the treatment evaporation of naphtha takes place both at the top and
bottom of the receiver 1, as will be readily understood from the foregoing
description. When all naphtha and impurities have been eliminated from the oil,
stop the fans 7, shut off the hot air supply and the steam, and remove the oil from
. the receiver 1 through the pipe 14.
A greater or less draught in the exit pipes is obtained of course, by regulating
the speed of the fans 7. The shape of the top 2 and the domes 4 is conducive to
the easy and rapid removal of the vapor through the pipes 5 before condensation
takes place. If more water is needed in the receiver 1, during operation, it may be
admitted as before through the pipes 27, 28 and 19. During the process the. mixed
oil and naphtha are run into the tank 40 through the pipe 52 as fast as the same
passes into the receiver 1, from said tank, and the troughs 31 and 34 are kept full
by regulating the flow of liquid through the medium of the valves 56 and 39.
A sufficient amount of moisture is always present in the receiver 1 to render the
separation of the naphtha from the oil free from danger. This process and
apparatus are applicable for the treatment of animal as well as seed oil provided a
volatile solvent is employed in the extraction thereof.
My correspondent does not wish to confine himself to the exact number of pipes
and troughs shown and described, since that number may vary in apparatuses.
which differ in capacity. Water may be introduced into the receiver 1 through
an ordinary pipe, thus dispensing with the perforated pipes 19, or in any other
suitable manner, but said pipes are preferred because of their utility when necessary
to replenish the water during the active stages of my process.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The process herein described of eliminating a volatile solvent from oil, which
consists in independently heating the mixture and a separate body of water to the
desired temperature by indirect radiation, in introducing said mixture in an
extended and separated condition into the presence of the vapor arising from said
water and subjecting the same to the surrounding heat, and in rapidly exhausting
the resulting solvent vapor, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The process herein described of eliminating a volatile solvent from oil, which
consists in independently heating the mixture and a separate body of water to the
desired temperature by indirect radiation, in introducing said mixture in an
extended and separated condition into the presence of the vapor arising from said
water, subjecting the same to the surrounding heat and commingling it with said
water, in introducing air directly into the mixture and water, and in rapidly
exhausting the resulting solvent vapor, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
3. The process herein described of treating oil intermixed with a volatile solvent,
which consists in independently heating the mixture and a body of water by
indirect application of heat to a temperature high enough to throw off vapor from
said water and mixture, agitating and commingling said water and oil by direct
application of air to further vaporize said solvent, wash and moisten said oil, and
exhausting the resulting solvent vapor before condensation, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
4. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a
receiver, one or more inclined shallow imperforate troughs supported in the upper
part of said receiver by brackets and hangers, and one or more perforated troughs
of the same holding capacity as said imperforate troughs supported below the
latter by brackets and hanger or hangers, said imperforate and perforated troughs
being in open connection with each other through pipes, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
5. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of, a
receiver, one or more inclined shallow imperforate troughs supported in the upper

page_text: part of said receiver by brackets and hangers, one or more perforated troughs of
the same holding capacity as said imperforate troughs supported below the latter
by brackets and hanger or hangers, pipes connecting said imperforate and
perforated troughs inside of said receiver, and a valve in one of said pipes operated.
from the outside, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
6. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a
receiver having an oval top surmounted by one or more domes, chambered exit-
pipes leading from said domes, the rotary fans 7 in the exit pipe chambers, one or
more inclined shallow imperforate troughs supported in the upper part of said'
receiver by brackets and hangers, and one or more perforated troughs of the same
holding capacity as said imperforate troughs supported below the latter by brackets
and a hanger or hangers, said imperforate and perforated troughs being in open
connection with each other through pipes substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
7. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a.
receiver, one or more inclined shallow imperforate troughs supported in the upper
part of said receiver by brackets and hangers, one or more perforated troughs of
the same holding capacity as said imperforate troughs supported below the latter
by brackets and a hanger or hangers, said imperforate and perforated troughs
being in open connection with each other through pipes, and a steam coil on the
bottom of said receiver, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a
receiver, one or more inclined shallow imperforate troughs supported in the upper
part of said receiver by brackets and hangers, one or more perforated troughs of
the same holding capacity as said imperforate troughs supported below the latter
'by brackets and a hanger or hangers, said imperforate and perforated troughs.
being in open connection with each other through pipes, a steam-coil and the air-
pipes 22 in the lower part of said receiver, the latter perforated in their under
sides, and the air conduit or pipe 30 connected to said pipes 22, substantially as.
and for the purpose set forth.
9. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a.
receiver having an oval top surmounted by one or more domes, chambered vapor
exit pipes leading from said domes, the rotary fans 7 in the exit pipe chambers,
one or more inclined shallow imperforate troughs supported in the upper part of
said receiver by brackets and hangers, one or more perforated troughs of the same:
holding capacity as said imperforate troughs supported below the latter by
brackets and a hanger or hangers, said imperforate and perforated troughs being
in open connection with each other through pipes, a steam-coil and the air pipes 22:
in the lower part of said receiver, the latter perforated in their under sides, and the
air conduit or pipe 30 connected to said pipes 22, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
10. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, a receiver provided with
one or more imperforate troughs, and a steam coil, in combination with a tank:
having a steam-coil therein, connected by pipes with said troughs, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
11. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a
receiver having an oval top surmounted by one or more domes, vapor exit-pipes
leading from said domes, said pipes having chambers therein, rotary fans in said
chambers, one or more imperforate troughs and a steam coil in said receiver, and a.
tank having a steam coil therein, connected by pipes with said troughs, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
12. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, a receiver provided with.
one or more upper imperforate troughs, one or more lower perforated troughs
connected to said imperforate troughs by pipes, and a steam coil, in combination
with a tank having a steam coil therein, connected by pipes with said imperforate
troughs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
13. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a

page_text: receiver having an oval top surmounted by one or more domes, vapor exit-pipes
leading from said domes, said pipes having chambers therein, rotary fans in said
chambers, one or more imperforate troughs and one or more lower perforated
troughs connected to said imperforate troughs by pipes, and a steam coil in said
receiver, and a tank having a steam-coil therein, connected by pipes with said
imperforate troughs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
14. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, a receiver provided with
one or more imperforate troughs, a steam-coil, and a perforated air pipe, in
combination with a tank having a steam-coil therein, connected by pipes with said
troughs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
15. In an apparatus for separating oil from naphtha, a receiver provided with
one or more upper imperforate troughs, one or more lower perforated troughs
connected by pipes with said imperforate troughs, a steam-coil, and a perforated
air pipe or pipes, in combination with a tank having a steam-coil therein,
connected by pipes with said imperforate troughs, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
16. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a
receiver having an oval top surmounted by one or more domes, vapor exit-pipes
leading from said domes, said pipes having chambers therein, rotary fans in said
chambers, one or more imperforate troughs, a steam-coil and a perforated air pipe
or pipes in said receiver, and a tank having a steam coil therein, connected by
pipes with said troughs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
17. The combination in an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, of a
receiver having an oval top surmounted by one or more domes, vapor exit-pipes
leading from said domes, said pipes having chambers therein, rotary fans in said
chambers, one or more imperforate troughs, one or more lower perforated troughs
connected to said imperforate troughs by pipes, a steam-coil, and a perforated air
pipe or pipes in said receiver, and a tank having a steam-coil therein, connected
by pipes with said imperforate troughs, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Dated this 13th day of July 1896
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.