US1344745A - Apparatus for expressing wax from petroleum-distillates - Google Patents

Description

W. C. AND F. E. WELLS.

APPARATUS FOR EXPRESSING WAX FROM PETROLEUM DISTILLATES. APPLICATION FILED APR. I2, 1919.

1 44,745. Patented June 29, 1920 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

FIG. 1.

W @uveutozf W. C. AND F. E. WELLS. I APPARATUS FOR EXPRESSING WAX ERONI PETROLEUM DISTILLATES APPLICATION FILED APR.-12, 1919.

1 344,745. Patented June 29, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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of all the parts is fixed.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- WILLET G. WELLS AND FRANK E. WELLS, COLUMBUS, OHIO.

APPARATUSFOR EXPRESSING WAX FROM PETROLEUM-DISTILLATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.- Patented J 11110 29, 1920.

Original application filed April 28, 1914, Serial No. 833,897.. Divided and this application filed April 12,

1919. Serial To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, \VILLn'r C. harms. and FRANK E. WVIJLLs, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Expressing lVaX from Petroleum-Distillates, of which the following is a' specification.

This application for patent is a division of application Serial Number 833897 filed by us on April 23, 1914, for process of eX- pressing wax from petroleum distillates, the division being made for the purpose of covering the apparatus in'this application and permitting the original application to be prosecuted separately for the process therein described and claimed, the appa-' ratusbeing clearly disclosed and described in the said original application.

The invention relates to apparatus for expressing waX from heavy viscid distillates of petroleum, shale. oils, and the like.

The apparatus universally employed for accomplishing this purpose includes filtering pads spaced apart by rings thereby forming compartments for the collection of the wax or congealed substance between the pads, the liquid passing off through. the pads. These pads are composed of a metal plate having a central opening and on each side of this plate arearranged plates having a registering central opening and perforations distributed over the plate, these perforations having a protruding edge or lip which prevents the outer plate from ly-' ing fiat against'the inner one. Over these perforated plates is placed a strong and thick closely woven cotton cloth having a registering central opening and completely covering the face of the-perforated plate.- The filter pad thus constructed is set on edge in the frame of a press, a spacing ring is placed on edge in contact therewith, then another pad is placed and another ring, and so on. When the press has been built up in this manner to the capacity desired fas-- tening means are applied and the position The distillate to be treated is chilled in its course from a pressure pump to the press distillate forces the liquid portion thereof through the cloth strainer through the perforations and it drains ofl downwardly between the plates. The wa'x of course remains in the compartments. Theoretically the entire face of each pad is available as a strainer surface, and if the practice followed the theory there would be no need of improvement. But, on the contrary, the effectiveness is much diminished by the flattening of the lip like edges of the perforations against the central plate under the pressure needed to make the press firm,- and between the threads. If the cloth is closely I woven, as would be the case in this art, great pressure is required to' force the distillate through it and consequently great strength of material is needed to sustain the pressure over the span of the perforations.

Since in this use the cloth must be strong and no material alteration can be made in the apparatus at present used for this purpose, special treatment must be given to the distillates to enable them to be passed through the press without injury. to the press. Accordingly the universal practice by decomposition to about 60 viscosity to press them, and this denotes a loss of threefourths of the natural value of the undecomposed distillates of the same petroleum.

Applicants have devised a press which will obviate this loss and the difficulties attendant upon the use of the kind of press described above. They build a' heavy woven is to reduce the viscosity of the distillates wire central frame work for the filtering pad and over the same on each side place successive layers of increasingly finer woven wire, the outer layer giving ample support to the straining cloth without materially obstructing the passage ofliquid there-" through. Through this wire structure there, is a central opening similar to that in the solid pad above described. Over this wire frame is placed a closelywoven-woolen cloth in the same manner as the cotton cloth is disposed on the pad above described, and

the filtering pads and spacing rings are arranged in the same manner also, and the distillates are fed into the press for treatment in the same manner. The results however are vastly different and in favor of be twisted it remains perviorus to liquids and forms the best conceivable stralner to separate the amorphous .or Vaseline congealing portion of the distillates. The fine wire covering of the frame of the pad gives ample support to the woolen cloth without materially obstructing the passage'of liquid therethrough, and the wire'structure for the frame of the pad gives unobstructed drainage for the liquid which passes through the-cloth strainer.

The method of converting petroleums and shale, oils into commercial products without impairment of their constitutions as described, for lnstance, in our Patent No.v

877620 issued January 28, 1908, produces wax distillates of more than ten times the viscosity possible to be pressed by the above described presses in common use; to prepare these viscid wax distillates for the market with the presses in common use requires decomposition by heat whereby the distillates lose more than three fourths of their intrinsic value, and their broken substances must then be evaporated oif sufficiently to form a residue having thedegree of viscosity to meet requirements.

The apparatus we use may now be briefly described. In the drawings hereto attached and hereby made a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows our press. in side elevation; Fig. 2 shows the filter mat with parts broken away to disclose the layered construction; Fig. 3 shows the ring spacer; Fig. 4. shows a section of the mat and contiguous ring spacers on a greatly enlarged scale for the purpose of illustration; and Fig. .5 shows an end view of the apparatus partly broken away.

Referring to the drawings the press frame supports are shown at 1 and 1, the sup port 1 carrying the platen 8 which may preferably be integral with the frame. Frame rods 2 and 3 are mounted atone end in platen 8 and at the other end in the frame support 1 Tie rods l, 5, 6 and 7,

in such number as may be desired, are secured at one end in the platen 8 and are inserted at their other ends through the platen 9 which is movably mounted on the frame rods 2 and 3. The filter pad 10 is composed of the layers of wire of different fineness ofmesh shown at 11, 12 and 13, and additional layers of progressively increasing fineness may beused if desired; both faces of this built up .pad are covered with a closely woven woolen cloth appearing at 14.- and' 15. A central openihg 16 pierces the filter pad 10 for the admissionof the dis tillates and also for compressed air for drying the residue if desired.

These pads'are set on edge vertically for use andbetween each two -is arranged a spae- '1ng ring 17 to separate the pads thereby providing a compartmentintowhich the distillate; is fed under pressure for filtration and in which the wax residue is deposited. The ring 17 is provided with the diametrically disposed rods 17. and 17 which give rigid lateral support to the body of the filter pad and prevent any warping or sagging of the pad'under the pressure of the distillate or the air used in the process.- Hangers 18 and 19 takeover the frame rods 2 and,3,to position the spacing ring thereon and similarhangers are shown at 20 and 21 for the pads.

When the desired. number of pads and ring spacers have been placed in the frame the end platen 9 is forced into moving contact with them by the hydraulic cylinder 22 and when they are firmly positioned the nuts are run up on the tie rods 4, 5 and so on to fix the platen. I The press is now ready for use and the distillate is introducedthrough the opening 24. in the platen 9 into the central longitudinal registering openings designated at 16, whence it passes into the ring spaces and under the pressure is filtered through the woolen covering of the pads and through the wire layers and the resulting liquid drains down through the wire structure and drips out at the bottom of thexpress into the pan ,or receiver 25. The pressure applied to the distillate may be regulated as desired to produce the proper degree of dryness in the wax thus'expressed. Ordinarily the introduction of distillat'e' is stopped before the run is com-' pleted and afuniform degree of dryness is given'to the charge by the use of compressed air introduced in the same. manner as the distillate. The press is then knocked down, the wax removed and the. press may then be set up for another run, and this may be repeated, obviously, as often'as required.

The increased beneficial results of the use of our press over the presses in common use both in respect to its'eifectiveness in dealing with distillates and also in respect to the character of distillate which it successfully operates upon, have been above set forth, and we desire to have the benefit of any variations in the construction of the apparatus which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

l/Ve claim 1. A filtering pad comprising a frame of coarse woven wire, a covering of finer woven wire imposed thereon, and a woolen fabric strainer disposed upon the face of said cov-' ering, which structure uniformly and adequately supports said strainer and affords unrestricted drainage therefor.

2. A filtering pad for a filter press comprising a frame of coarse woven wlre, a cov'- crlng of finer woven wire imposed thereon, a woolen fabric strainer disposed upon the face of said covering which structure uniformly and adequately supports said strainer and affords unrestricted drainage therefor, said pad having a transverse opening thc rethrough, and suspending means for said pad carried on said frame.

witnesses.

\VILLET C. WELLS. FRANK E. WELLS.

Witnesses:

GEoRcnM. PARSONS, WILLE'I H. WELLS.

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