An Improved Process for Cleansing Wool and other Products, Applicable also to the Extraction of Oils and similar Purposes, together with an Apparatus for Carrying the same into Effect.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1887
Specification Accepted, 11th May, 1888
An Improved Process for Cleansing Wool and other Products,
Applicable also to the Extraction of Oils and similar Purposes,
together with an Apparatus for Carrying the same into Effect.
We IGNATIUS SINGER of Adelaide in the Province of South Australia Chemis
and MORITZ WOLFF JUDELL also of Adelaide aforesaid Importer do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CLEANSING WOOL AND
OTHER PRODUCTS APPLICABLE ALSO TO THE EXTRACTION OF OILS AND
PURPOSES TOGETHER WITH AN APPARATUS FOR CARRYING THE SAME INTO EFFECT
SIMILAR
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to an improved continuous process and automatic apparatus
for the employment of bisulphide of carbon and the subsequent recovery of the
solvent for the purpose of cleansing greasy wool removing oil or grease from textile
fabrics at a low temperature and without bringing them in contact with water or
aqueous vapours. It is also applicable to cotton waste rags and other substances and
may be used for the extraction of oils or fats from seeds bones etc.
Our invention is based on the well known solvent action on oil or fats of bisulphide
of carbon and on the known fact that by evaporating the same the product in suspen-
sion can be recovered. By the use of a continuous and circulating process we are
enabled to saturate the bisulphide of carbon employed and thereby materially decrease
the cost in fuel time and labor of treating the same quantity of material. In the
accomplishment of our process we employ a series of tanks or macerators connected
by a system of double circulating pipes and cause the bisulphide of carbon before
reaching the evaporating retort to circulate interchangeably from one to another of
them until thoroughly saturated with the oil grease or fat from the material under
treatment. On reaching the retort the saturated bisulphide is evaporated and on
being condensed by a suitable worm in the ordinary manner flows into the supply
tanks from which it has originally been pumped. The residuary oil fat or grease is
removed from the retort for such further treatment as its nature may require.
In the construction of our apparatus we so interconnect the series of tanks or
macerators that any one of them can be readily disconnected for the purpose of

page_text: emptying it or recharging it without in any way interfering with the circulation
through the remainder of the apparatus. When we find by test of the bisulphide
that the whole of the extractive matter has been obtained from the material in a
macerator we disconnect it from the series and proceed to eliminate the bisulphide.
After draining the macerator in order to remove every trace of the solvent we
connect with a steam pipe the double walls or steam jackets with which the macerators
are constructed. At the bottom of the same we provide a double coil of pipes, one
of which is connected with the steam jacket and the other which is perforated, with
an air blast pipe passed through a superheater wherein it can be raised to any desired
temperature. We are thereby enabled to pass steam or heated air or both simul-
taneously through the material under treatment and to regulate its temperature as
may be required. In the treatment of wool or other similar material where a high
temperature is undesirable we heat the macerator to about 150° F. and the air blast to
about 110° F. The current of air removes the vapours as they are generated and
maintains the temperature about the boiling point of bisulphide. The vapours thrown
off pass through a series of pipes to the condenser connected with the supply tanks
and in this manner scarcely any of the bisulphide is lost. As soon as the whole of
the bisulphide has passed off in the form of vapor we remove the wool now perfectly
dry into a revolving cylinder covered with galvanised wire netting. It is here
agitated by the revolving motion until the whole of the sand earth and other similar
foreign matter has fallen through the netting. Should any burrs be in the wool we
afterwards remove them in any machine used for the purpose, otherwise the wool is
now perfectly cleansed and ready for baling or the manipulation of the manufacturer.
In the extraction of oil or fat from seeds or any other material where a high
temperature is not of consequence and freedom from moisture is not required, after
maceration in the foregoing manner we introduce a jet of steam from the perforated
coil into the tank for the purpose of driving off the traces of bisulphide.
the operation being completed we remove the waste material and recharge the
macerator.
On
It will be seen that by our circulating process there is little or no loss of the
bisulphide that the whole of the extracted oil fat or grease is obtained for further
treatment and that the fibre of wool or other similar material is not injured during
the operation.
In order that our process and the apparatus for carrying it into effect may be the
better understood we now proceed to describe the same by reference to the accom
panying drawings in which Fig. I is a side elevation partly in section.
Fig. Il a horizontal section of the same with the lids of the macerators removed.
Fig. 11I a sectional elevation of a macerator:
Fig. IV a side elevation of the revolving cage for the removal of the solid impurities
from wool.
Like letters and figures refer to similar parts.
M', to M, are tanks or macerators mounted on a suitable platform or staging
and of such number as may be requisite. The macerators M', are constructed with
double walls and provided with a false perforated bottom a, underneath which in a
cone shape baso are two coils e, and f, the latter being perforated at intervals. The
cone shaped lids of the macerators are constructed with flanges F, well fitting upon
one another and secured together by a sufficient number of bolts. In order to make
them perfectly vapour proof a water seal h, is provided inside the flange and the lid
constructed with a rim dipping into the same. In order to prevent any bisulphide
vapours that may condense on the lid from entering the seal a narrow rim l, is
attached to it near the inner wall of the macerator. The macerators are provided
with a loose perforated covering plate b, and on it is placed a horizontal wooden
cross c, the arms of which are constructed with transverse openings in their base.
The cross c, should be of such sufficient thickness that when touching the lid with its
upper edge it will prevent the plate b, rising above the overflow pipe O¹.
The supply tanks are placed at a suitable level below the macerators and the
- bisulphide is drawn from the same by a suitable pump P, through a pipe I¹, and

page_text: forced through the connecting pipe I, into the main pipe I³, from which connecting
pipes provided with stopcocks S1, S2, S3, S4, lead to the several macerators M', M³,
M³, M. The stopcock S', only being open the bisulphide is injected into M', and on
rising to the height of the overflow passes through the pipe O', and the threeway
cock, into the main circulating pipe L', and from it through the threeway cock 2*,
and the connecting pipe K2, to the bottom of M². From M2, it passes in a similar
manner through M³, into M, thence through the outlet pipe O, and the threeway
cocks Z, Z, of the main circulating pipe L', into connecting pipe K³, leading to
the bottom of the retort R. The bisulphide is here driven off in the form of vapor
by admitting steam from the mainpipe S, through the stopcock V18, and the connecting
pipe S³, into a coil provided inside the retort R. The vapors passing through the
head pipe Ds, are condensed in an ordinary worm C', and flow through the covered
cup B, and the pipe E³, into the supply tank for further use. The cups B1, B2, are
provided with glass bell covers G¹, G³, so that the progress of distillation may be
observed. The residuant fat oil or grease is removed from the retort through
the stopcock V, and subjected to such further treatment as its properties may
require..
Small test cocks M, are provided on the underside of the overflow pipes 01, 0³,
03, 04, (Fig. III) near to the several macerators for the purpose of ascertaining the
progress of the operation by the condition of the bisulphide, also taps X, for draining
off the water of condensed steam, and taps Y, to allow the escape of steam or cold
air; thermometers t, and pressure gauges g, for reference during the process and a
glass gauge V, for shewing the quantity of liquid in the retort R. When the
maceration of the material in M', is completed by turning off the stopcock S¹, and
opening the stopcock S³, the bisulphide is injected into the macerator M², and on
shutting off the cock Z³, circulates through M³, and M4, as before into the retort R.
After disconnecting M³, from the system the stop cock U¹, attached to the cone shaped
base is opened and the bisulphide allowed to flow through the drain pipe E, and its
connections E', E2, E3, into the supply tank. A small air cock q, with which the top
end of E, is provided being opened to assist the outflow. When this has ceased the
outlet U¹, is closed and the steam valve V, (Fig. II) in a junction pipe leading
from the main steam pipe S, is opened and steam admitted into the steam jacket of
the macerator and through it into the coil e. At the same time the valves V1, V2, being
opened a blast of dry air previously heated in a superheater Y, is admitted from the
main blast pipe A, into the perforated coil f.
The bisulphide vapours thrown off by the heat escape through the delivery pipe D,
leading from the cone point of the lid and thence pass through the stopcock R', into
a common receptacle J, to which similar pipes from the macerators M³, M³, M, are
connected, they are then condensed in the worm C, and flow through the observer B',
and the pipe E³, into the supply tank for further use.
The air and any gases
meanwhile escape by Z, and the pipe Z, which extends upwards through the roof of
the building.
On the whole of the bisulphide being driven off the stopcocks V³, V+, are turned
off. The macerator is opened emptied and recharged. Meanwhile the maceration of
the contents of M², will be completed and by means of similar stopcocks it is dis-
connected for treatment as above. The bisulphide is now injected from the supply
pipe 13, into M³, and overflows into M, and thence by manipulations of, the three
way cocks passes through the overflow pipe N, instead of 0, and into M', from which
it flows through the cocks Z³, Z, Z, into the subsidiary main circulating pipe L³, and '
through the cocks Z, Z10, and the pipe K³, into the retort as before described, the
intervening threeway cocks Zo, Z, Z14, being so set as to admit free passage along L',
whilst isolating it from L'. By means of this system of double circulating pipes and
three way cocks the bisulphide can be circulated interchangeably from tank to tank
backwards and forwards at pleasure. And a continuous supply of fully saturated
solvent carried to the retort for treatment.
The wool on being removed from the macerator is placed in the revolving cylinder
(Fig. IV) which is constructed of wood or galvanised iron bars covered with

page_text: galvanised wire netting. The cylinder is then revolved at a slow speed and the
constant agitation of the wool causes sand earth or other solid impurities now loosely
adhering to the dry fibre to fall through the meshes into a pit provided for the purpose.
The wool is now perfectly clear from oil grease or solid matters and unless burrs are
required to be removed may be packed in bales and otherwise disposed of. By
reference to Fig. II it will be seen that we connect the steam pipe S, and the air
pipe A, by branch pipes and valves. By this arrangement we are enabled to admit
into the macerators through both coils air or steam as may be necessary in the
treatment of material where a high temperature and moisture is not of consequence.
We wish it to be distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the use
of any particular number of macerators or retorts. Neither do we claim as new the
cylinder for removing the solid impurities or confine ourselves to its use as a mechanical
means of effecting our purpose. We are aware that bisulphide of carbon has been
employed for similar purposes in a system of macerators and that in the construction
of the latter a flanged lid or a waterseal has been provided in order to render them
vapour proof.
Having now particularly described and explained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First-In the employment of bisulphide of carbon for the cleansing of wool and
other purposes the method of obtaining complete saturation of the solvent by a
process of circulation substantially as herein described.
Second-The method of causing a circulation of the solvent to any desired extent
by means of double circulating pipes and macerators interchangeably connected
substantially as herein described.
Third In the process of removing the bisulphide of carbon from wool or similar
material the simultaneous introduction of a blast of cold or heated air into the
macerator whereby the evaporation can be carried on at any desired temperature
substantially as herein described.
Fourth In the construction of apparatus for the treatment of wool by bisulphide
of carbon the double circulating pipes L', L³, interconnected by suitable threeway
cocks and the pipe N, substantially as herein described.
Fifth The combination of the double circulating pipes L', L2, the pipe N, the
outlets O¹, to 0, and the macerators M', to M', substantially as herein described.
Sixth The interconnection of the steam pipe S, and the air pipe A, whereby steam
or air as may be desired may be admitted into the coils e, and f, or either of them
substantially as herein described and for the purpose indicated.
Seventh In the construction of the macerators M³, to M*, the combination of the
flanged lid F, with the waterseal h, substantially as herein described and for the
purpose indicated.
Eighth The whole apparatus as a combination of parts.
Ninth The combination of the cylinder Fig. IV with the apparatus Fig. 1 substan-
tially as herein described and for the purpose indicated.
Dated at Adelaide this Thirty first day of August 1887.