US138810A - Improvement in apparatus for steaming and cleaning barrels - Google Patents

Description

A. K. LEE.

Apparatus for Steaming and Cleansing Barrels, &.D.

' Patented May13,1873.

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PATENT QFFICE.

AROHIBALD K. LEE, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS;

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR STEAMING AND CLEANING. BARREL$'.&c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,810, dated May 13, 1873; application filed May 5, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARGHIBALD K. LEE, of the city and county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented an Improved Method of Steaming Barrels for the reception of resin, turpentine, oils, molasses, sirups, and other like liquids, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing. and the letters of reference'marked thereon makingpart of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a lon gitudinal section view. Fig. 2 is a top-plan view, the barrel-support being removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view. 7 The object of my invention is to. provide-an improved means of steaming barrels designed for the reception of resin, turpentine, oils, molasses, sirups, and other like liquids and by which process of steaming I not only wash the barrel, but at the same time free it from impurities which might injuriously color or otherwise injure the liquids; and by the same pro: cess so tighten the joints as to render the barrels better suited for the purposes intended. The nature of my invention consists in constructing the vessel with a jacket or outer cas in g so arranged as to leave a steam-chamber, and which is provided withinlet and discharge tubes arranged, respectively, at the upper and lower sections thereof, and which chamber fur-v nishes a means of heating the vessel tosuch a degree asto soften the gummy material which adheres to the barrel, and which permits of the same being-more readily removed by the jets of steam emittedthrough the perforations of the rose,and which act directly on the interior surface of the barrel. My invention also consists in arranging along the lower section of the vessel, and running parallel with thesteam-supply pipe, additional steam-pipes, and which not only serve to assist in heating tothe desired degree the inte rior' chamber of the vessel, but also provides, as it were, an open framesupport for the barrels to rest on during the process of steaming, and thereby facilitatingthe flow of all. impu rities from the barrelafter the same havebeen washed off by the steam-jets. The nature of my invention also consists in. the use of an open frame or, barrel-support so formed as to permit of its. freely passing over the steam tubes and roses and on which frame the barrels to be steamed are placed, and which affords a convenient means of introducing the barrels for the action of the steam, and of their removal after the same have been steamed and cleaned. I use in connection with the vessel two or more of these frames, so as to permit of the vessels continued operation. 7

The construction and. operation of my invention are as follows:

A is the steaming-vessel, whichis construct ed out of any suitable material and of any desired form. As represented in thedrawing, it is rectangular, with a concave bottom-,u. This style of bottom, owing to its arch formation, secures additional strength, while the gummy liquid produced" by the steaming of the. barrels is more readily drawn off. This vessel A may be of such dimensions as to provide van interior chamber of any desired capacity. I contemplate making the vessel vof such dimensions as will provide a chamber of an area'sufficient to readily accommodate and steam si,

multaneously twenty or more barrels; but, of

course, there is nothing. arbitrary about the size of the vessel or of its inner chamber, as my improvements are alike applicable to the vessel no matter what its size or dimensions may,be.- The, wall A! of this vessel. is sur rounded by an outer casing or jacket, B, so arranged asto leave a closed steam-chamber, B, and which surrounds thesides, ends, and bottom a of the vessel. This steam-chamber B is provided with. inlet. and discharge tubes G 0, one at the upper section and the other at its base, and respectively arranged as shown in Fig. 1. Along the lower section of the interior chamber ofthe vessel A runsand is secured a steam-supply pipe, D, and in open- .ings in which are secured the vertical. tubes D D, each 'of which is provided with a rose, (1. These roses dd are perforated throughout their entire surface, and consequently emit lateral jets of steam, as well as jets in all other directions; and which is important, as each section of thebarrel is thus. subjected to :the most direct .and effective action of the steam. In. the drawing only three of these tubes D and roses dareshown; but, of course, their number will depend on the capacity of the chamber. When this, for instance, is suchas to accommodate twenty barrels there will be twenty tubes and roses, and this number is increased or diminished in accordance with thecapacity of the chamber. E E are steamheating tubes, and are arranged parallel to and are in the same plane with the pipe D, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These pipesE E, besides assisting the chamber Bin properly heating the vessel so as to soften the gum on t the interior of the barrels, and which permits of its being more readily removed by the action of the jets of steam, are also important for another purpose, as they serve as supports for the barrel to reston during the process of steaming, and thereby permit the free flow and discharge of all impurities from the barrel after the same are washed ofi' by the jets of steam, and which fall to the concave bottom a of the vessel and are drawn off by the cooks e c, Fig; 1. The pipe D and pipes E E are supplied with steam from any suitable boiler, as is also the chamber B. These pipes D and E E are supplied through a common nozzle, F, and branch pipesf f, which lead to the pipes E E. The nozzle F and its tube communicate directly with the pipe D, and is provided with a cook or valve, f, which permitsof the steam being shut oil at pleasure, and thus preventing its discharge through the perforations of the roses while the frames H are being lifted out and in, and which not only prevents the waste of steam but also avoids all danger of the operatives being scalded while handling the frames. charge tube, F, and by means of which the condensed sediment, &c., are all readily drawn off as occasion may require. In inserting and removing the barrels I use a frame, H, which consists of forked side arms G G, to the base of which are secured flanged bearing-plates g.

g, and which serve as supports for two or more horizontal rods or plates, G G. These are on the same plane and parallel to each other, and are so arranged as to leave an unobstructed space at the center, sufficiently large to permit of the tubes D and roses (1 readily passing therethrough, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In eyes at the upper section of the forked side arms G G are secured the bail-arms H H, and which are united at their upper section by the eye of the hook h, and which arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 1. This hook it affords a convenient means of handling the frame, either by lever, pulley and cord, or other equivalent means.

I propose to use in connection with each vessel two or more of these frames, so that while one is supporting the barrels in the vessel and which are being steamed, another setof bar rels is being arranged on frame'No. 2 to be placedover the roses so soon as frame No. 1 is removed, and which permitsof the work be in g carried on without interruption. These frames are constructedof any suitable mate- These pipes all lead to a common disrial, and their dimensions depend entirely on the size of the vessel in connection with which they are desired to be used. When the vessel is of capacity and is so arranged as to steam twenty barrels simultaneously the base-rods G G of the frame must be of length suflicient to support and hold twenty barrels in a row; and so in regard to a greater or less number, the size of the frame depending entirely on the dimensions of the vessel.

From the foregoing full and detailed description the operation ofmy improvement will readily be understood. The cook or valve f is to so sit as to prevent steam passing to the pipe D, and steam is then, from a boiler or other vessel conveniently arranged, supplied to the nozzles (J and F, theflrst filling the chamber B and surrounding the wall A of the vessel, and the nozzle F, through the branch pipes f f, filling the pipes E E. The steam from this chamber B and the pipes E E soon thoroughlyheat the interior chamber of the vessel. The barrels having been previously placed on the frame No. 1, and so arranged as to leave their bungs or open sections, through which they are filled, turned down and in position readily to be passed over the tubes D and roses (1, the frame is lifted into the vessel and lowered down into its interior chamber, the bars or rods G G resting on and being supported by the pipes D and E E, and the tubes and roses entering the barrels, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The heat, of the vessel now soon softens the gummy substances and all other impurities that may have adhered to the surface of the barrels. The cook or valve f is now opened, when instantly the steamrushes into the pipe D, up through the tubes D D, and out through the perforations of the roses d d, and being dashed in r all directions, soon thoroughly cleanses the barrel, while at the same time the joints between the staves are by the moisture so caused to swell as to become tight the barrels being held by the pipes free from the bot tom of the vessel, the steam, &c., readily runs out of the barrels, and is drawn oil by the cooks e 0. So soon as the barrels are thoroughly cleansed the valve or cook f is closed, and frame N o. l with its barrels is removed. Frame N o. 2, having previously had barrels arranged therein, is now inserted and lowered over the tubes D D and roses d d, when the operation just described is repeated. The steam is drawn ofi' from'the'chamber B and pipes E E by means of the cooks G and F, as occasion may render desirable.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The vessel A having a steam-chamber, B, pipe D, tubes D D, and roses (1 d, the whole being combined and arranged to operate substantially as described.

' 2. A vessel having steam-pipes D and E E arranged to heat the same, and at the same time serve as a supporting-frame for. the barrels, in combination with the tubes D Dand 13s,s1o 3 roses d d, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. The vessel A having a steam-chamber, B, formed as shown, pipes D and E E, tubes D D, and roses d d, the whole being combined and arranged to operate substantially as described.

4. In combination with a barrel-steamer, the frame H, constructed and arrranged so as to operate in connection therewith, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AROHIBALD K. LEE. Witnesses EDWIN J was, J 0s. T. K. PLANT.

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