Method of and Apparatus for Cleansing and Recovering Grease and Oil from Cotton and other Waste and Wool.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 8th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov.. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Apparatus for Cleansing and Recovering Grease
and Oil from Cotton and other Waste and Wool.
We, GEORGE EDWARD WRIGHT, of Wollaton, Nottingham, Electrical Engineer,
and WILLIAM MONк, of 428 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-.
Our invention consists in a method of and apparatus for cleansing and recovering
grease and oil from cotton and other fibrous waste and from wool in the natural
state.
A convenient apparatus for the purposes of our invention consists of a hydraulic
or other press with a vertical box and two rams, one fitted at the top and the other
at the bottom of the box. The ram at the top of the box is hollow and the press
is provided with a distributing plate through which liquid can be discharged over
the surface of the fibrous waste or wool in the box. In the box are a series of
perforated platforms connected by chains or other suitable flexible connections to
the top ram and the waste or wool to be treated is placed on the platforms through
a door or doors in the press box. The hollow ram is connected to a circulating
pump or equivalent device in communication with a tank which is supplied from a
reservoir containing a volatile liquid solvent and the movable bottom of the press
box is connected by a jointed pipe to the tank to receive the charge of liquor
circulated by the pump through the material to be cleansed. This tank is connected
to a second or settling tank placed preferably below it.
When the press box is charged with material suitable valves are operated to
place the circulating pump and the first tank in communication with the press and
the pump being set in motion, the liquid solvent is drawn from the tank and
discharged through the hollow ram and distributor on to the material in the box,
through which it passes through the movable bottom and jointed pipe back to the
tank. This circulation is continued as long as required, when the valves are
operated and the dirty liquid is squeezed out by operating the rams and allowed to
run off from the press box into the settling tank. A fresh supply of the liquid
solvent is then admitted to the first tank from the reservoir, and this second charge
is in like manner circulated through the material in the press.
The liquid after standing long enough in the settling tank to allow dirt grit and
other solid impurities to deposit is drained or pumped into an evaporating pan
which is steam jacketed or otherwise conveniently heated. The spirituous vapour
arising is drawu or forced by a pump or fan into a condenser where the vapour is
condensed and the liquid solvent thus purified and recovered is returned to the
reservoir while the grease and oil remains in the pan.
To collect any spirituous vapour as well as to partially dry the material in the
press we propose to pass preferably intermittently at regulated intervals a current
of hot air from a suitable heater through the saturated material in the press box
and then to conduct this current of air over the surface of liquid in the evaporating
pan to the condenser.
To enable the air to circulate freely through the material in the press we employ
an arrangement of horizontal chains or equivalents which we actuate by means of
a hand chain and sprocket wheel or similar device so as to lift and agitate the
material and form a free passage for the air.

page_text: After hot air has passed through the material for a sufficient period to collect
all the spirituous vapour therein an arrangement of valves acts preferably
automatically to close the passage to the evaporating pan.
When the cotton waste or wool in the press box has received its last charge of
liquid solvent this charge is reserved in the tank. The press box is then charged
with a fresh supply of material and the reserved charge of liquid solvent is pumped
from the tank over the material for the first washing. This liquid having a
considerable quantity of grease and dirt is then run into the second tank for
settlement after which it is pumped into the evaporating pan for recovery as
already described.
A fresh supply of liquid is then taken from the reservoir and pumped round, as
before, as many times as necessary. The last charge of solvent being by preference
always reserved for the first wash of fresh material in the box.
The washing being completed the box is shut off from all communications or
connections with any part of the apparatus which contains solvent or vapour and a
valve on the top of the press is opened to the atmosphere.
The circulating pump then draws the air through and discharges it again to the
atmosphere thereby removing any vapour that may remain in the box.
It is obvious that the details herein described may be considerably varied or
modified without departing from the essential features of our invention.
Dated this 20th day of November 1895.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.
A Method of and Apparatus for Cleansing and Recovering Grease
and Oil from Cotton and other Waste and Wool.
We, GEORGE EDWARD WRIGHT, of Wollaton, Nottingham, Electrical Engineer,
and WILLIAM MONK, of 428 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, Engineer, 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:-
Our invention consists in a method of and apparatus for cleansing and recovering
grease and oil from cotton and other fibrous waste and from wool in the natural
stale.
In the accompanying eight sheets of drawings illustrating a convenient construction
of apparatus for the purposes of our invention―
Figure 1 is an end elevation showing the general arrangement.
Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations, certain parts being omitted in each view for the
sake of clearness.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the lower part and Fig. 5 is a plan of the top of the machine.
Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 but showing some of the parts omitted in the
previous views.
Fig. 7 is an elevation of the middle part of the machine showing the parts
relating to the recovery of the spent solvent.
Figs. 8 to 11 are detail views illustrating the construction of one of the presses.
The frame of the apparatus consists preferably of iron girder work 2 supported
on suitable pillars 3. On the upper part of the frame are two hydraulic press
boxes 4 each fitted with two rams 5 and 6 one at the top and the other at the
bottom of its press.
We have shown and prefer to employ two press boxes 4 in order that while the
washing and degreasing of the material by means of the liquid volatile solvent is

page_text: proceeding in one press the drying of the degreased material may be carried out in
the other; but for convenience of description we will describe the machine in
connection with one press box, it being understood that wherever necessary the
parts are duplicated and similarly applied to the other press box.
The ram 5 at the top of the box is hollow and fixed in the cross head 7 while
the ram 6 at the bottom is fitted in a hydraulic cylinder 8 passes through another
cross head 7 and is connected to the movable press bottom 9. The ram 6 is
actuated by a hydraulic pump, not shown, which is connected to the cylinder 8.
On the fixed ram 5 is secured a platen 10 grooved on its under side to form
channels, as shown best in the detail view Fig. 10, corresponding in position to
perforations in a distributing plate 11, see Fig. 11, which is secured to the under
side of the platen, as shown in Fig. 8. Below the platen are a series of perforated
platforms 12 suspended by four chains 13 depending from the four corners of the
platen 10. The press box 4 is provided with a hinged door 14 to give access when
required the door running on rails indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6 and
being fastened when closed by suitable shackles or other fastenings 15, shown in
Fig. 9, which preferably extend round all four sides of the door.
The hollow stationary ram 5 is connected by pipes 16, 17 to a circulating pump 18
which is driven by a pair of fast and loose pulleys 20 or it might be to any other
suitable appliance in communication with a tank 19 which is supplied from a
reservoir 21 containing a volatile liquid solvent through a connecting pipe near the
bottom and not shown. The branch pipes 16 are controlled by valves 22 and the
pipe 23 which supplies solvent from the tank 19 to the pump is controlled by a
valve 24. The pump 18 is also connected by a pipe 25 controlled by a valve 26
and by a branch pipe and valve 27 to a collecting tank 28 near the bottom of the
press. The movable press bottom 9 is connected to the tank 28 by a pipe 29 which
is made in two pieces jointed together at 30 as well as to the press bottom 9 and to
a branch pipe 31 leading through a valve 32 to the collecting tank 28 so as to allow
the pipe to follow the movements of the ram and still maintain an open
communication with the bottom of the press. Below the level of the collecting
tank 28 there is a settling tank 33 which is connected by a pipe 34 controlled by
a valve 35 to the branch pipe 31; also the top of the tank 28 is connected to the
top of the tank 33 by an air pipe 36. The settling tank 33 is connected by a
pipe 37 to a centrifugal or other suitable pump 38 driven by a band 39 from a
pulley 40. The pump 38 is connected by a pipe 41 controlled by a valve 42 to an
evaporating pan 43 heated by a steam jacket or otherwise conveniently heated.
The pan 43 is connected by pipes 44 to two condensers 45 which are cooled by
circulating cold water through them by means of a pump 46 and pipes 47 and 48.
The condensers 45 are connected together by a pipe 49 which is connected by two
branches 50 to an exhaust fan 51 driven by pulleys 52 and bands 53 from a shaft 54
driven from the first motion shaft 55. The fan 51 is connected to the top of the
evaporating pan 43 by a pipe 56 which terminates inside the pan in a double branch
pipe 57 above the mouths of which are placed the pipes 44 leading from the pan
into the condensers. The pipe 49 which connects the two condensers 45 together
is connected by pipes 59 to the tank 19 and reservoir 21. The air circulating
pipe 56 at a point above the evaporating pan 43 is connected by a pipe 60 to an air
heater 61 which is heated by steam pipes or other convenient means and is connected
by a pipe 62 controlled by a back pressure valve 63 to the hollow ram 5 of the
press and the banch 31 connected to the jointed arm 29 at the bottom of the press
is connected by a valve 64 and pipes 65 to a vacuum pump 66 which is driven by a
crank disc 67 pulley 68 and belt 69 from a pulley on a shaft 70 driven in any
convenient way from the first motion shaft 55. The vacuum pump 66 is also
connected by a pipe 71 controlled by a valve 72 to the top of the evaporating
pan 43.
The press box can be placed in communication with the atmosphere by means
of a pipe 73 controlled by a valve 74 actuated by a handle 75 and the vacuum

page_text: pump 66 can be placed in communication with the atmosphere through a valve 76
and exhaust pipe 77.
The evaporating pan 43 is also connected with the collecting tank 28 by a pipe 78
controlled by a valve 79.
In addition to the chains 13 by which the series of perforated platforms 12 are
suspended from the platen 10 we employ an arrangement of horizontal chains 80
placed on each platform 12 and connected at their ends to vertical chains 81 each
of which is attached at its upper end to the periphery of a flanged pulley 82;
two of the pulleys 82 are fixed on a shaft 83 carried in bearing brackets secured
inside the press box and the other two pulleys are fixed on another shaft 83 at
the opposite side of the press box; each sbaft 83 passes through a stuffing box
and has fixed on it outside the press a spur wheel 84 in gear with a pinion 85 fixed
on the axis of a chain wheel 86 which is capable of being turned by a hand
chain 87 so that by actuating the chains 87 alternately the vertical chains 81 draw
up the horizontal chains 80 first in one direction and then in the other so as to
loosen the material on the perforated platforms.
Referring to the back pressure valve 63 which is kept normally closed by a
spring inside the casing and controls the pipe 62 connecting the heater 61 to the
hollow ram 5 of the press we prefer to arrange for the valve to be opened auto-
matically at suitable intervals. To effect this we employ any convenient arrange-
ment of mechanism as for example a revolving cam wheel 88 acting on a lever 89
connected by a rod 90 to a lever 91 which passes through a loop in the spindle 92
of the valve 63 and is fulcrumed at 93.
In operation the door 14 of one of the press boxes is opened and the waste or
wool to be treated is placed on the series of perforated platforms 12 when the
lower ram 6 is in its lowest position as shown clearly in the detail view, Fig. 8,
and when this has been done the door 14 is closed and secured on all four sides
by the shackles or other fastenings 15. Then the valve 24, see Fig. 2, is opened
to put the circulating pump 18 in communication with the tank 19 and the valve 22
is opened which controls the passage to the hollow ram 5 of the press box 4 now
in use and the pump 18 being set in motion the liquid volatile solvent is drawn
from the tank 19 and discharged through the hollow ram 5 and passes down
through the distributor shown in the detail views, Figs. 8, 10 and 11 through the
material on the perforated platforms 12 through the movable bottom 9 and jointed
pipe 29 through the branch pipe 31 and valve 32 (which is preferably an automatic
non-return valve) into the collecting tank 28 and the pump 18 continues to run
until this tank contains a sufficient charge of liquid volatile solvent for the first
washing.
Then the pump 18 is stopped, the valve 24 is closed to shut off the supply
tank 19, the valves 26 and 27 are opened to place the collecting tank 28 in com-
munication with the suction side of the pump 18 which is then re-started to
circulate the charge of liquid volatile solvent through the material in the press
box. This circulation is continued as long as required then the valve 35 is opened
to put the collecting tank 28 in communication with the settling tank 33 and the
pump 18 continues running until all the solvent has been drawn from the tank 28
and been discharged into the settling tank 33 when the pump 18 is stopped the
valves 22, 26 and 27 are closed, and the dirty liquid is now squeezed out of the
material in the press by operating the lower ram 6 and raising the movable press
bottom 9 the dirty liquid running through the jointed arm 29 pipe 31 and valve 35
into the settling tank 33. The valve 35 is now closed the ram 6 is lowered
and the valves 22 and 24 are opened and the pump 18 set in motion to draw a
fresh supply of liquid volatile solvent from the supply tank 19 and discharge it
into the press and this second charge is in like manner circulated through the
material as before described.
When this has been carried on for a sufficient length of time the pump 18 is
stopped and the circulating valves are closed, the valve 79 is opened, the ram 6

page_text: again raised and the second charge of liquid volatile solvent is run from the press
and collecting tank 28 into the evaporating pan 43 where it is dealt with as herein-
after described. The ram 6 is again lowered and a third charge of liquid volatile
solvent is drawn from the tank 19 by the pump 18 and circulated through the
material in the press as before described, then the pump is stopped and the
circulating valves closed, the automatic non-return valve 32 is held open by screwing
up its spindle, and as the ram 6 again moves upward the solvent is squeezed out
of the material into the collecting tank 28 where it is retained to form the first
washing for a fresh charge of material.
The ram 6 is now lowered and when in its lowest position the horizontal chains 80
are actuated first in one direction and then in the other by the hand chains 87
and chain wheels 86 to loosen the material on the platforms 12 and when this has
been done the valve 64 is opened and the vacuum pump 66 is started to draw air
from the pipe 56 through the pipe 60, heater 61, pipe 62, back pressure valve 63,
press box 4, jointed arm 29, branch pipe 31, valve 64 and pipe 65 to the vacuum
pump 66, thence through the pipe 71 and valve 72 into the evaporating pan 43.
The back pressure valve 63 is kept normally closed by a spring as before
described but is opened intermittently by the connections from the cam wheel 88
and consequently the hot air circulated by the pump 66 does not flow continuously
through the press box 4 but only whilst the valve 63 is held open. While the
valve 63 is closed the pump 66 continues to exhaust air from the press box 4
thereby creating a partial vacuum therein and so causing a thorough scouring
action due to the sudden inrush of hot air at each opening of the valve 63. The
air being highly heated in its passage through the heater 61 very readily absorbs
the spirituous vapour arising from the liquid volatile solvent contained in the
saturated material in the press box so that the material is rapidly dried and the
vapour thus collected is discharged into the evaporating pan over the surface of
liquid therein to the condensers 45.
The press box 4 is then shut off from all communications or connections with any
part of the apparatus which contains liquid solvent or spirituous vapour and the
valve 74 is opened to the atmosphere. The pump 66 then draws air from the
atmosphere through the press and discharges it again through the valve 76 and
pipe 77 to the atmosphere thereby effectually removing any vapour that might
remain in the press box.
After the material has been thoroughly dried the air valves 74 and 76 are
closed the door 14 is opened the clean material removed and a fresh charge of
waste or wool introduced to be cleaned, the door is again closed and secured the
charge of liquid solvent retained in the collecting tank 28 is then circulated
through the press box 4 by the pump 18 and the process of cleansing the material
is continued as before described.
As soon as the second charge of liquid volatile solvent has been run into the
evaporating pan 43 as hereinbefore described, the purification and recovery of
the spent solvent is commenced by heating the pan 43. As the solvent evaporates
the spirituous vapour is drawn by the fan 51 through the condensers 45 where it
is condensed and the liquid volatile solvent thus purified and recovered flows
through the pipes 49 and 59 into the reservoir 21 while the grease or oil removed
by the volatile solvent from the waste material or wool in the press remains in
the evaporating pan 43 from which it can be drawn off through a cock 94. The
dirt and solid impurities deposited in the settling tank 33 may be drawn off through
a cock 95 at the bottom of the tank. It is obvious that the details herein
described and shown may be considerably varied or modified without departing
from the essential features of our invention. For example, we might employ a
single press box, or more than two press boxes with corresponding connections and
appliances. Also instead of employing the vacuum pump 66 to circulate air
through the press box 4 we might employ a force pump either with or without an
accumulator to force hot or cold air under pressure through the press box either
intermittently as described or continuously and if continuously we should adjust

page_text: T
constantly open.
Again, instead of the series of suspended platforms 12 and separate horizontal
chains 80 we might combine the two in one part so as to form a flexible porous
support capable of being actuated by vertical chains or like connections to loosen
the material thereon.
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: -
1. The method or process of cleansing and recovering grease or oil from cotton
or other fibrous waste or wool which process consists in circulating say three
charges of liquid volatile solvent through the material contained in a suitable
press, then by the press ram squeezing out the spent solvent and subsequently
recovering the grease or oil and purifying and recovering the solvent by evaporation
and condensation and simultaneously circulating hot air through the press in order
to absorb the spirituous vapour and dry the cleaned material substantially as
herein set forth."
2. The apparatus for cleansing and recovering grease or oil from cotton or other
fibrous waste and wool which apparatus consists in its essential features of a press
with two rams one a fixed hollow ram and suitable connections to a circulating
pump and supply tanks containing liquid volatile solvent in combination with an
evaporating pan condensers and fan as well as an air heater and vacuum pump
or equivalent appliance all arranged and operating substantially as herein set
forth.
3. In apparatus of the kind specified, the combination with a press box having
a fixed hollow ram in communication with a liquid volatile solvent supply tank,
as well as an air heater and pumps or other circulating appliances, of a movable
ram connected to the movable press bottom which by means of a jointed pipe
and suitable connections is in communication with the solvent collecting tanks,
evaporating pan and circulating appliances substantially as herein set forth.
4. The combination with a press box provided with a fixed hollow ram 5 and a
movable ram 6, of the platen 10, perforated plate 11, series of suspended perforated
platforms 12 or equivalent porous supports and means such as the horizontal
chains 80 for loosening the material all arranged and operating substantially as
herein set forth.
5. The combination with the press box 4 and suitable connections thereto, of
the vacuum pump 66 or an equivalent appliance such as a force pump for circulating
air through the fibrous materials in the press substantially as and for the purposes
berein set forth.
6. The combination with the press box 4, air heater 61, pump 66 and suitable
connections for the circulation of hot air through the press, of the valve 63 and
the means shown or equivalent means for opening the valve intermittently
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.
7. The general construction combination and arrangement of parts constituting
an apparatus for cleansing and recovering grease or oil from cotton and other
waste and wool substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.
Dated this 19th day of August 1896.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.