improvements in and relating to Dischargers for Filtering Apparatus to be Used in the Purification of Sugar-liquor.
Year: 1886

page_text: improvements in and relating to Dischargers for Filtering
Apparatus to be Used in the Purification of Sugar-liquor.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 apparatus for purifying sugar-liquor.
In continuous filters for filtering sugar-liquor by the process of upward filtration
through bone-black, a discharger is employed for the gradual removal, from the
bottom of the filtering chamber, of bone-black which at that point becomes
gradually charged with impurities and loses its decolorizing power; the supply of
fresh bone-black being kept up by feeding it into the upper part of the filtering
chamber.
The present invention consists chiefly of a bone-black discharger in the form of
a grate, which is adapted to be reciprocated in a horizontal path at the bottom
of the filtering chamber, and which is provided with grate-bars having the capacity
of rotation upon their longitudinal axes.
In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the application of the invention to
apparatus for purifying sugar liquor by the process of upward filtration through
bone-black.
Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the filtering apparatus, shewing the
filtering chamber surmounting a receiving chamber, which communicates with the
bottom of a well containing an elevator for removing the exhausted bone-black
delivered from the receiving chamber.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line x, x on Figure 1 shewing a top view
of the grate or bone-black discharger.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the grate, on the line y,
positions of the grooved grate-bars at the end of the forward reciprocate of the
Figure 2, shewing the
grate.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on the same planc as Figure 3, shewing the positions
ssumed by the grooved grate-bars when the grate has completed one quarter of
ts backward reciprocation.
Figure 5 is a vertical section, on the same plane as Figures 3 and 4, shewing
he positions assumed by the grooved grate-bars when the grate has completed one
alf of its reciprocation in either direction.
Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line y¹, y' Figure 2, shewing one of the
rate-bars partly in elevation, and partly in central longitudinal section

page_text: Figure 7 is a vertical section on the line z, z Figure 2 shewing in elevation one
of the stationary racks and one of the series of toothed wheels, affixed respectively
to the trunnions of the grate-bars.
The apparatus re resented in the drawing consists of the usual filtering chamber A,
Burmounting & receiving chamber B which communicates with the bottom of a 5
well C, provided with a chain-and-bucket elevator D.
The bottom of the filtering chamber is a horizontal grate E which has a quad-
rangular frame, and is of greater horizontal area than the horizontal area of the
filtering chamber.
The grate-bais F are preferably in the form of troughs, the sides and bottoms of 1
Each bar is provided at its
which are concentric with their longitudinal axes.
opposite ends with the horizontal trunnions f. f, which are provided with bear-
ings e, e in the opposite side members e, e of the grate-frame. Each of the
trunnions projects entirely through its bearing, and upon its outer end has
affixed to it a toothed wheel f¹. There are thus two series of toothed wheels upon
oj posite sides of the grate-frame.
The two series of toothed wheels are supported upon and engaged by the
horizontal racks G, g respectively. The racks G, g are firmly secured to, and
supported by, the upper portion of the side walls of the receiving chamber B.
The tops of the side members e, e of the grate-frame are, respectively, immediately
under the lateral extensions a and a of the shell of the filtering chamber, which
extensions constitute portions of the top of the receiving chamber.
The side members e, e of the grate frame have affixed to them the inner ends of
the horizontal rods H, h, respectively. These rods are adapted to slide in suitably
packed bearings H¹, and h¹, formed in the end wall of the receiving chamber. The
outer ends of the rods H, h are provided with the cross-heads H², h², respectively,
which slide in suitable horizontal guides H³, ³, and are linked by means of the
pitmen H, h, respectively to the cranks I, i, of the operating shaft I'.
When the operating shaft is rotated, which is effected by power applied to the
shaft in any convenient way, the grate E, at each complete revolution of the opera-
ting shaft, is moved first forward and then backward in a horizontal path.
As the grate F is supported upon wheels f¹, f¹, which roll upon the stationary
racks G, g, respectively, the effect of the forward movement of the grate is to
cause the rotation of the grate-bars in one direction, and the effect of the back-
ward movement of the grate is to cause the rotation of the grate-bars in the
opposite direction.
The range of movement of the grate is fixed with reference to imparting to the
grate-bars a complete revolution in one direction during the forward movement of
the grate, and a complete revolution in the opposite direction during the backward
movement of the grate.
The side members e, e of the grate-frame, which serve the purpose of transmitting
motion to the rolling grate-bars, in addition thereto preserve the grate-bars in their
proper equidistant parallel positions.
When the grate-bars occupy the positions in which they are represented in
Figure 1, the spaces between them are not wide enough to permit the super
incumbent bone-black to fall between them into the receiving chamber; but
when the grate-bars are so far rotated that the mouths of the troughs formed in
them occupy a vertical plane, as shewn in Figure 4, or a plane nearly vertical, the
spaces between the bars are widen d sufficiently to permit the bone-black to fal
between them. If, therefore, the grate is moved slowly, a larger quantity of bone
black will fall through the spaces between the grate-bars during each reciprocation
of the grate; and, on the contrary, if the grate is moved rapidly, less time wil
be afforded for the fall of the bone-black between the bars, and a less quantit
will fall.
It will be seen that, at the end of each reciprocation of the grate, the grate-bar
are brought to rest with the mouths of the troughs uppermost, in position to cuabl
the troughs to become filled with bone-black.

page_text: During each reciprocation of the grate the troughs are turned with their mouths
downward, and discharge their contents into the receiving chamber, and are thus
prepared to be refilled when they are rotated sufficiently far to permit the super-
incumbent bone-black to fall again into them.
It will be understood that the grate-bars, instead of being grooved, may be
made solid, having portions of their surfaces flattened in order to prov de for an
enlargement of the spaces between the bars during the reciprocation of the grate.
In apparatus of the class to which this improvement is applied, the sugar-liquor
to be decolorized is continuously supplied through the service pipe J, under
suitable pressure to enable it to force its way upward through the column of
bone-black contained in the filtering chamber to the level of the outlets K
therefrom, through which it is discharged; and it is intended that during its
passage through the filtering chamber it shall be acted upon by a sufficient quantity
of bone-black to decolorize it to the extent required.
decolorizing power of the quantity of bone-black through which the sugar-liquor
It is also intended that the
is forced shall remain substantially unchanged, by the gradual removal of the
exhausted bone-black and collected impurities from the bottom of the filtering
chamber, and the concurrent feeding of fresh bone-black into the top of the
filtering chamber.
It will therefore be seen that the rapidity or frequency with which the dis-
charging grate is operated will be governed by the proportion of impurities present
in the sugar-liquor which is being filtered, and the quantity of exhausted bone-
black hence requiring to be discharged from the bottom of the filtering chamber.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention 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
First. In apparatus for purifying sugar-liquor by the process of upward filtra-
tion through bone-black, the combination, as herein set forth, of a filtering chamber
surmounting a receiving chamber; a bone-black discharger, consisting of a grate
provided with grate-bars having the capacity of rotation upon their longitudinal
xes; means for reciprocating the said grate in a horizontal path, and for rotating
he said grate-bars, for the purpose of effecting, when required, the discharge into
he said receiving chamber of the exhausted bone-black from the bottom of the
olumn of bone-black supported upon the said grate; and means for removing
he said exhausted bone-black from the said receiving chamber.
Second. The series of horizontal grate-bars F, having upon their opposite ends
runnions ff, which are provided with bearings in the side members e, e of the
rate-frame, each of which trunnions has affixed to it a toothed wheel f¹, in
ombination with the horizontal racks G, g, and means for imparting reciprocating
ovement to the grate-frame and thereby causing the rotation of the grate-bars,
3, and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. In combination with a filtering chamber for containing a column of
one-black, a device for supporting the said column and for effecting, when
quired, the gradual removal of bone black from the bottom thereof, consisting of
reciprocating grate provided with a series of horizontal grate-bars in the form of
oughs, having the capacity of rotation upon their longitudinal axes; and means
r causing the said grate-bars to turn upon their longitudinal axes during the
ovements of the reciprocating grate, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Dated this 9th day of D.L
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.