FR2459675A1 - Rotary drum filter to screen winemaking lees - squeezes out liquor with pressing roller then scrapes off drained cake - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotary drum filter of the type in which a perforated, cylindrical drum rotates on its central axis which is inclined slightly to the horizontal. The drum is mounted inside a coaxial, cylindrical casing which collects filtrate from material passed through the screening drum. Inside the screening drum, a mechanical linkage is provided to press the processed material against the drum interior. A further linkage is installed to scrape away material which becomes caked on the inside of the screening drum. Used partic. to filter lees extracted from winemaking vessels. In order to remove pips, skin etc. before the liquor is distilled. Maximum extn. of liquor from the lees and then positive removal of cake from the screening surface are achieved.

Description

 The present invention relates to a rotary filter.

 The technical sector of the invention is that of the material used for the filtration of food products.

We know that in the wine industry and in distilleries in particular, the lees from the wine tanks must be filtered before distillation to rid them of their impurities which are composed of such solid particles. as seeds, pulp etc ... so as not to clog the distillation columns.

 Currently, the filtration of the lees is carried out by means of apparatus called "Trommel" and which consist of two coaxial cylinders one of which, located inside, forms a perforated grid and is driven in rotation.

 In this type of device, filtration is obtained by rotating the grid. Such devices require a relatively large supply of water depending on the lees filtered, for example thirty-two hectoliters of water per hour for a flow rate of two hundred and sixty hectoliters hour of lees.

In addition, when the lees are viscous, a large part remains associated with the residues and is thus rejected with them at the end of filtration, which therefore causes a significant loss of product to be distilled.

 The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks.

 The objective to be reached is an improved device which makes it possible to filter with an improved yield of food products and in particular of the lees from the wine-making tanks.

 This objective is achieved grade with the rotary filter according to the invention comprising two coaxial cylinders slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal, the inner cylinder of which is perforated - and is mounted for rotation in the outer cylinder, which is fixed, characterized in that said perforated cylinder has inside, on the one hand, means for compressing the materials to be filtered against its internal wall and for forcing the liquid to pass through the perforations, and on the other hand means for peeling off said materials after the liquid has been expelled.

The means for compressing the materials to be filtered against the internal wall of the cylinder are rollers mounted for free rotation on supports carried by a shaft coaxial with said perforated cylinder, which rollers are mounted around axes parallel to said shaft.

 The means for removing the residual materials after they have been compressed are blades mounted at the end of supports, carried by said shaft coaxial with the perforated cylinder, which blades are arranged so that their bevelled edge scrapes the internal face of said perforated cylinder . The latter is rotated in opposite direction to that of the shaft which carries the rollers and the blades.

 The improved rotary filter according to the invention provides a number of advantages. For example, for an average flow rate of seven hundred and fifty hectoliters / hour of lees, the supply of water necessary for the proper functioning of the device is two to ten hectoliters / hour depending on the viscosity of the lees.

Given the design of the device which combines two mixing and compression functions by means of rollers and scraper blades against the internal wall of the grid, only the solid residues are evacuated by the discharge mouth. The liquids extracted from the lees flow through the perforations of the interior cylinder and are collected at the nettle of the fixed cylinder. The lees contain a certain amount of tartar in the form of crystals. By design of the filter and thanks to the compression rollers, these crystals are crushed, pass through the perforated cylinder, and are recovered with the lees. Later, they can be treated in a tartrate recovery cycle.

Among other advantages, the filter according to the invention makes it possible to save considerable time for the filtration of the lees, makes it possible to reduce the amount of water necessary for good filtration, therefore a lower volume to be distilled compared to the known apparatus, correlatively saving time and saving steam in the distillation columns.

 At the same time, it results in a reduction of around sixty-five percent of the residues discharged and therefore a greater recovery of material to be distilled.

In terms of pollution, the device presents a definite interest since it makes it possible to remove a non-negligible amount of discharge.

Finally, it allows tartrate crystals to be recovered under improved conditions.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description, with reference to the appended drawing in which
FIG. 1 is an elevational view / partial cross-section of a filter according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of FIG. i,
FIG. 3 is a right view of the filter illustrated in FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 is a schematic elevation view of a compression roller / blade assembly mounted for rotation inside the perforated cylinder of the filter,
- Figure 5 is a left view of the assembly of Figure 4.

 An embodiment of a filter according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, which consists of a structure 1 produced by mechanical welding and forming the frame of the filter. This structure consists of two longitudinal beams connected to their ends by crossbars lb, so as to form a rectangle. Columns (or feet) are attached to the four corners of said rectangle and extend downward. Their lower end comprises a sole Id. The feet lc are reinforced by struts extending from their end to a point located mid-length of the longitudinal beams la and are fixed to gussets if fixed to said beams la. 1g angle brackets are attached to the frame to connect the legs lc and the beams la. The feet lc are connected two by two in the transverse direction of the chassis by cross members Ih fixed at their lower ends, above the soles ld.

 Over the length of this chassis 1 is disposed a generally cylindrical envelope 2 whose longitudinal axis is located in a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the chassis 1. This envelope 2 is removably mounted on said chassis and is fixed to the latter by means of fixing members 3, which are articulated to the chassis 1 and cooperate with indented legs 2a integral with the casing 2. The latter is closed at one end 2b and is open at the other 2c.

 Inside this cylindrical casing 2 is arranged coaxially a perforated cylinder 4, which is rotatably mounted on rollers 5, for example eight in number, at a rate of four distributed under the cylinder on either side of the 'axis of rotation of the cylinder, which rollers are carried by crosspieces attached to the frame and arranged below the crossbeams lb. These rollers 5 are mounted for free rotation around axes, which are parallel to the axis X-X1 common to the envelope 2 and to the perforated cylinder 4, which axis is slightly inclined in the direction of the end 2c of the envelope. 2.Cylinder 4 has at its end situated on the side of the end 2b of len- veloppe 2, a grooved wheel4a around which two V-belts 6 are wound parallel to one another, also winding on another grooved wheel7 wedged on the output shaft of a gearmotor 8. This gearmotor is carried by a console support Ij fixed to the chassis 1. The direction of rotation of the grooved pulley7 is indicated by the arrow F (Figure 3 ), the drive of the perforated cylinder 4 thus being of the order of 28 revolutions per minute. Said perforated cylinder 4 is extended at its end 4b located on the side of the end 2c of the casing 2 by a skirt made of solid sheet metal, which extends outside the casing 2 and ends at a distance 1 from the chassis 1, said skirt 4b is open to allow the evacuation of the residues retained by the perforated cylinder.

On the axis XX1 is mounted inside the perforated cylinder 4, a hollow shaft 9, which extends over the length of the chassis 1 and is rotatably mounted on two bearings 10 carried by the end crossbeams lb of said chassis 1.

The shaft 9 is closed at its end 9a located on the side of the skirt 4b and is perforated on its part extending over the length of the perforated cylinder 4. This shaft 9 carries at its end 9b, extending outside the frame 1 and opposite the end 9a, a flange sleeve 11 which is integral with it and on which is fixed a flexible sleeve or pipe (not shown) by which the lees are directed towards the apparatus.

Said shaft 9 carries a grooved wheel 9c situated between the bearing 10 and the wheel 4a, on which wheel 9c is wound two trapezoidal belts 12 also wound around a grooved pulley 13 wedged on the output shaft of another geared motor 14. This geared motor is, like the geared motor 8, carried by a support in console Ik, which is arranged opposite said support Ij. The shaft 9 is rotated in the direction of the arrow Fi and thus rotates in a direction opposite to that of the cylinder 4. The speed of rotation of the shaft 9 is of the order of ten revolutions per minute.

The shaft 9 also carries arms 15/16 extending in opposition from said shaft and arranged two by two on the same diameter. These arms 15/16 are carried by collars 17 fixed by tightening on the shaft 9 and are thus perpendicular to said shaft and are distributed over its length. At each of their ends 15a / 16a, an angled support 18/19 is articulated around an axis 20. These supports pivot in planes parallel to the arms 15/16.

 The support 18 is bent near the axis 20 and has two parts, one of which 18a which is furthest from the shaft 9, carries a blade 21 at its end and that 18b which is the closest to the said shaft is connected to the arm 15 by a spring 22.

 Said blades 21 are perpendicular to the support 18 and parallel to the shaft 9 and under the stress of the spring 22 are in contact with the internal face of the perforated cylinder 4. In this position, they are substantially parallel to the arms 15 and attack the internal face of the perforated cylinder 4 while being substantially perpendicular. Their edge 21a is bevelled.

 The support 19 is like the support 18 bent near the axis 20 around which it pivots and has two parts including that 19a which the furthest from the shaft 9 carries at its end a roller 23. This adopts the shape of a cylinder and is mounted for free rotation in a yoke 19c around an axis 24.

The part 19b of the support which is closest to the shaft 9 is connected to the latter by a spring 22.

Under the stress of the spring 22, the rollers 23 are held in contact with the internal face of the perforated cylinder 4.

 The blade 21 and the roller 23 are substantially the same length. During their rotation they describe bands and taking into account the arrangement of the arms which are fixed at equal distance from each other, so that these bands are justaposées, all the internal surface of the cylinder is covered by the device carried by tree 9.

The lees are brought into the filter by the shaft 9 connected to the lees storage by a flexible pipe, fixed to the flange sleeve 11.

 The shaft 9 being perforated, the lie is admitted into the perforated cylinder 4 and is compressed on the wall of said cylinder by the rollers 23 which, as has just been described, move in rotation in the opposite direction to that of the cylinder 4. The liquid flows into the envelope 2 and is then collected. The residues compressed by the rollers 23 and adhering to the internal face of the cylinder 4 are peeled off under the action of the blades 11 which, like the rollers 23, move in rotation in a direction opposite to that of the perforated cylinder 4.

 Due to the inclined arrangement of the cylinder 4, the residues are collected at its outlet which includes the skirt 4b. The rollers 23 and the blades 11 operate simultaneously.

Of course, without departing from the scope of the invention, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to the device which has just been described only by way of example.

Claims (10)

 to take off said materials after the liquid has been expelled.  liquid to pass through the perforations and secondly, means  compress the materials to be filtered against its internal wall and to force the that said perforated cylinder includes on the one hand means for rotating in the outer cylinder, which is fixed, characterized in  with respect to the horizontal, the inner cylinder of which is perforated and mounted 1 -Rotary filter comprising two coaxial cylinders slightly inclined by 2 - Filter according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for com  priming the materials to be filtered against the internal wall of the cylinder are  rollers mounted to rotate freely on supports carried by a coa shaft xial to said perforated cylinder, which rollers are mounted around axes  parallel to said tree. 3 - Filter according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the means  to loosen residual materials after they have been compressed are blades mounted at the end of supports, carried by said coaxial shaft  to the perforated cylinder, which blades are arranged so that  their bevelled edge scrapes the internal face of said perforated cylinder. 4 - Filter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that that the perforated cylinder is rotated in the opposite direction to that of 11 shaft which carries the rollers and the blades. 5 - Filter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that  that the rollers and the blades are arranged in a step, along the length  of the perforated cylinder and move inside said cylinder in description  in front of bands, which are all juxtaposed. 6 - Filter according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the supports which carry the rollers and the blades are articulated on extending arms radially to said shaft. 7 - Filter according to claims i to 6, characterized in that said sup ports are articulated around an axis crossing them substantially in their  middle and are connected to said arms by springs fixed at their end  opposite to that which includes the rollers and the blades.  8 - Filter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that that said arms extend two by two over diameters and in that each arm on which a roller is mounted, is opposed an arm which comprises te a blade and on either side of the plane in which the arms are located. 9 - Filter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that  that said arms are angularly offset so that the rollers  and the blades are located on helicoldes. 10- Filter according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the perforated cylinder is rotatably mounted on rollers located on either side of the vertical plane passing through its longitudinal axis.