US1409797A - Juice-extraction apparatus - Google Patents

Description

1.. I. THORNYCROFT. 'JUICE EXTRACTION APPARATUS.

APPLiCATION FILED JULY h l9l8.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ISAAC THORfNYCROFT, OF BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND.

JUICE-EXTRACTION APPARATUS.

1,499,797. Specification of Application filed July 1,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, Sir JOHN Isaac TnonNYoeor'r, F. R. S., a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Bembridge, in the Isle of "Night, Eng land, have invented Improvements in or Belating to the Juice-Extraction Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the extraction of juice from vegetable substances, and more particularly to the separation of juice containing sugar from comparatively soft vegetable substances such as beet, and the invention has for its object to simplify the con struction of such juice-extracting plant, and correspondingly to reduce the cost both of its production and itsoperation, with the result that the production of sugar, for example, can. be profitably carried out on a smaller scale than can be done with advantage by means of the apparatus, commonly used. V

For this purpose, beet or other vegetable substance from which juice is to be ex tracted, is introduced into a vessel (hereiir after termed the difiuser), and moved therein against the force of gravity, being meanwhile subjected to the action of a solvent such as water, so that the solvent and juice will naturally flow in the opposite direction. to the more solid vegetable substance and the portion of the descending stream richestin dissolved sugar or other matter, being denser. will tend to descend faster than the more watery portion, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the treatment, hereinafter termed diffusion i The material to be treated is forced into the lower part of the diffuser, which is preferably vertical, by means of a piston moved in a cylinder by suitable means. as for example, by a hydraulic rain, each stroke of the piston causing the material in the diffuser to rise, and ultimately to be discharged in a spent or nearly spent condition at the top of the diffuser, whence it can conveniently be discharged into a press by means of which any available juice remaining in the material can be extracted. During diffusion, a solvent such aswater, or previously extracted juice, or both, is or are admitted to the charge, whilst the juice on reaching the Letter P n Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

1918. Serial No. 242,735.

bottom of the diffuser drains through a filter into asuitable receptacle,

. In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, apparatus suitable for the treatment of-beetroot for the production of syrup or sugar therefrom.

In these drawings Fig. 1 shows the appa- *atus partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line AA of Fig. 1.

In these drawings the diffuser comprises a sheet metal receptacle 1 made of vertical cylindrical shape and provided with a jacket 1 of non-conducting material, for example wood. At its lowerend the receptacle 1 is provided with a downward extension 2 of inverted'truncated shape within which is secured a filter 3 made of perforated sheet metal and of similar shape to the said extension and forming therewith an intermediate annular passage 4 that leads into a receptacle 5 provided with an outlet 5. The receptacle 5 is carried by the upper end of a feedcylinder 6 and is secured to the lower end of the downward extension 2 by a coupling sleeve 7. Secured to the lower end of the filter '3 and bearingagainst the top of the cylinder 6 at 6 is a ring 8 of curved shape in section that forms with the receptacle 5, an annular passage 4 forming a continuation of the annular passage 4. The said ring is provided with inwardly extending pins Or projections 9 and ribs 10. 11 is a lift-valve,- in the form of a dished metal plate, that is normally seated on the top of the cylinder 6 at 6 and is capable of being 'aised to an extent limited by the pins or projections 9, which act as stops, and serve as guides for the valve. This valve normally closes the upper end of the feed cylinder 6 which is in communication with a hopperlike receptacle 12 through a lateral passage 13 cont-rolled by a slide 14. The receptacle 12 serves to hold sliced beet which is fed into the cylinder through the passage 13 when the slide 14 is withdrawn. The beet may be fed through the passage by the aid of a screw conveyor 15 which is so mounted that it can be withdrawnfrom the passage ample shown, hydraulic rams, each ram to a sufficient extent to enable the slide 14 to be moved into a position to close the communication between the cylinder 6 and receptacle 12 when required. The cylinder 6 is fitted with a piston 16 and is provided its lower end with a cover 17 formed w th a drain passage'18 and spout 19 through which any juice that may leak past the piston can'be returned. to the diffuser 1, or be otherwise utilized. The slide 14 and piston 16 are operated by hydraulic power as is moved upwards to liftthe valve 11 and force the beet through the annular opening formed between the valve and its seat 6 into the diffuser 1 against the weight of the superposed charge therein. When the piston 16 andslide 14 are'operated by, asin the ex- I should-be made double acting, so that it can heated condition as desired.

the feed water admitted to the diffuser.

be forced both upward and downward.

The diffuser 1 is supplied at or near its upper end with water fed into it through a wa ter heating vessel 22 of any convenient con struction provided with a water inlet'23 and a steam inlet 24, which can be adjusted, so that the water will enter the diffuser in a 26 is a socket on the vessel 22 in which a thermometer can be placed to determine the temperature of The diffuser is maintained at a suitable temperature, as for example by means of a steam or hot wvater coil 25 of any convenient construction arranged within its non-conductwater,

ing jacket 1 and having its inlet and outlet at 25 and 25 respectively. "At its upper end the diffuser is provided with a hood 2? through which the spent beet is discharged into a press or other receptacle.

The difiuseris furnished at an intermedi- .lets for the introduction of a solvent such as hot juice or water. Each inlet may have associated. therewith means for circulating the juice or water through the beet in the dif fuser. In the example shown, there are three inlets with associated means for circulating juice or water in a transverse direction through the beet in the diffuser. In each case the circulating'means comprises a pump case 28 with inlet 29 for juiceor a rotary impeller 30 and chambers 31' and 32 connected to the wall of the diffuser opposite diametrically arranged sets of apertures 33 therein, the said chambers P being connected respectively to the inlet and outlet passages 34 and 35 of the pump case, and the impeller 30 being arranged to be rotated through a'spindle 36 and belt driven pulley 37. Each chamber 31 and 32'is provided with a removable cover 38 to admit of its interior being inspected and cleaned. The arrangement is such that juice or water supplied to the inlet 29'through a valve controlled pipe, can be caused by each pump to circulate transversely through the beet in the part of the diffuser opposite the corresponding sets of apertures 33. The inlet 29 will also serve for the introduction of a thermometer to determine the temperature of the juice at the corresponding part of the difi'user. V

The solution of sugar extracted from the beet finally passes to the filter '3 through which it flows to the passages 4 and 4 receptacle 5 and outlet 5? to a valve 40 whence it can pass through an outlet 41 to a second valve 42 and thence to a storage receptacle. If desired, the outlet of the valve 42 could be connected to an exhausting device to facilitate the passage of water and juice through the mass of beet or other material under treatmentin diffuser 1.

43 is a cylinder connected to the outlet 41 of the'valve 40 and to the inlet of the valve 42 and, by a pipe 44 controlled by a valve 45, to the bottom of the cylinder 6 and fitted with a piston 43 adapted to be operated by the plunger of a hydraulic ram 46. The arrangement is such that by closing the valves 42 and 45 whilst leaving the valve 40 open, and raising the piston in the vessel 43 by the hydraulic ram at 46, juice collected in the cylinder 43 can be forced back at any desired intervals through the apertures of the filter 3 for the purpose of clearing these apertures of obstructing nutter. The cylinder 43 may be jacketed and heated by steam or hot water to-heat the juice and render it the valve 45. and raising. the piston 43 in the cylinder 43. after the cylinder 6 has been charged with beet chips and the slide 14 closed, hot juice or water can be delivered into the lower end of the said cylinder 6 so as to drive out air therefrom before the piston 16 is raised, the air beingallowed to escape through one or more valves 6 which may be hand controlled. 'Hot juice or water can also be forced into the lower end of the diffuser 1 through the cylinder 6 past the valve 11. Or, hot juice and water can be forced into the lower end of the diffuser '1 through the pipe 41, valve 40 and filter 3, as above described, but not necessarily for cleaning the filter though this will nevertheless take place should the filter'be clogged.

The use of apparatus such as described does not change'the nature of the several operations necessary for the production of beet silver as now carried out, but it secures great s1mpl1e1ty 1n the construction and operation of such apparatus for diffusion in comparison with apparatus at present commonly used, the slow upward movement of the column of beet within the diffuser 1 whilst the stream of solvent water and juice moves slowly in the opposite direction, having the same effect as a battery of many cells charged and emptied in rotation.

The difluser may be of considerable height, and the force of gravity will then afford sufficient pressure to ensure the efficient flow of its liquid contents.

In some instances the slide 14 and piston 16 could be reciprocated automatically and successively and by power other than hydraulic power. The lower end of the beet recentacle 12, may in some cases, be connected to the cylinder 6 byv an inclined passage through which the sliced beet can fall by gravity from the receptacle into the cylinder, when the slide 14: is withdrawn, and the screw conveyor 15 dispensed with, but the arrangement shown, in which a screw conveyor is used, preferred. Also, more than one feed hopper and cylinder and more than one annular filter and lift valve may be provided in connection with a single diffusing chamber. The arrangement described may obviously be also consideraby modified in other respects whilst still remaining within the scope of the invention.

hat I claim is l. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser. a centrally arranged lift valve located within the lower part of said diffuser and normally closing the lower end thereof and adapted when lifted to form an annular opening between its peripheryand the inner surface of said diffuser, means for limiting the upward movement of said valve, a vertical feed cylinder located directly below and connected to the lower end of said diffuser, a receptacle having its lower end connected to the upper end of said feed cylinder by a lateral passage through which solid sliced beet or like material can enter said feed cylinder, means adapted to open and close said, passage, a vertically movable piston within said feed cylinder adapted on its upward stroke to lift said valve and force sliced beet or like material, previously admitted to the feed cylinder, into the lower end of said diffuser through the annular openin formed between the lifted valve and the-inn 1' surface of said diffuser, means for suppl lug a solvent to an upper part of the diffuser andw neans for drawing off juice from the low part of said diffuser.

2. duice extracting apparatus comprising a stostantially vertical diffuser having a truncated lower end portion, a centrally arranged lift valve located within said lower portion of said. diffuser and normally closing the lower end thereof and adapted when lifted to form an annular opening between its periphery and the inner surface of said diffuser and direct material entering the truncated lower portion of aid diffuser outward against the inner surface thereof, means for limiting the upward movemert of said valve, a feed cylinder connected to the lower portion of said diii'use means for supplying sliced beet or like material to said feed cylinder, piston movable within said feed cylinder and adapted on its operative stroke to lift said valve and force the contents of said feed cylinder into the lower end of said diffuser through the annular opening formed between its inner surface and the periphery of the lifted valve and against the inner surface of the lower end portion of the diffuser. means for supplying a solvent to an upper part of the dif fuser, means for drawing off juice from the lower partof the diffuser, and means surrounding said diffuser for heating the same and its contents.

3. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser, a centrally arranged lift valve located within the lower part of said diffuser and normally closing the lower end thereof and adapted when lifted to form an annular opening between its periphery and the inner surface of said diffuser, means for limiting the upward movement of said valve, a vertical feed cylinder located directly below and connected to said diffuser, a piston vertically movable in said feed cylinder, a hopper-like feed receptacle having its lower end connected to the upper end of said feed receptacle by a lateral passage, a rotary withdraw; ble feeding device for forcing sliced material to be treated through said passage from said receptacle into said feed cylinder, a vertically movable slide for opening and closing said passage when said feeding device is sufiiciently withdrawn, a reciprocating; rod to operate said piston, a reciprocatrod to operate said slide valve, means for supplying a solvent to the upper part of said diffuser and means for drawing off juice from the lower part of said diffuser.

Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser, a feed cylinder ith piston connected to the lower end of said cylinder, a centrally arranged lift valve located within the lower part of said diffuser and normally closing the lower end thereof and adapted when lifted to form between its peripher and the inner surface of said diffuser an annular opening through which material will be forced against the inner surface of the diffuser when the piston makes its operative stroke, and means for causing water or juice to circulate transversely through the diffuser and the contents thereof at a part betweenthe top and bottom thereof, said means comprising two chambers having removable covers and arranged at opposite sides of said diffuser and in communication therewith through a plurality of apertures in opposite portions of the wall of said diffuser the inlet for liquid to one chamber and the outletv for liquid from the other chamber extending in thev same direction from one side of the diffuser,

and a circulating pump comprising a casing fixed to the wall of said diffuser between the said inlet and outlet and having its delivery and suction connection respectively to said inlet and outlet, and a rotary lmpeller in said casing adapted to cause liquid to circulate continuously, directly and transversely through the contents of the diffuser adjacent to the perforated sides thereof, said casing also having an inlet for the admission of liquid thereto from an external source.

5. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser, a feed cylinder with piston connected to the lower end of said cylinder, a centrally arranged lift valve located within the lower part of said diffuser and normally closing the lower end thereof and adapted when lifted to form between its periphery and the inner surface of said diffuser an annular opening through which material will be forced against the inner surface of the diffuser when the piston makes its operative stroke, and means for causing water or juice to circulate in a transverse direction through the diffuser and its contents at differentparts thereof between it top and bottom, said circulating means comprising a plurality of independent pairs of chambers each with an associated circulating pump, each pair of chambers having removable covers and being located at opposite sides of and connected to the diffuser and incommunication therewith through a plurality of apertures in. opposite portions of the wall of the diffuser, and each associated circulating pump being attached to the diffuser and having an inlet for water or juice and its suction and delivery passages directly connected to the associated pair ofchambers.

6. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser, a vertical feed cylinder located directly below the diffuser and central therewith, a centrally arranged lift valve that normally closes the upper end of said feed cylinder, a seating therefor, an annular filter arranged above said lift valve, a piston vertically movable in said feed cylinder and adapt-ed to cause the contents of the feed cylinder to lift said valve and to passupwards into the diffuser through the annular opening between the lifted valve and its seating, means for supplying a solvent to an upper part of the diffuser, means for drawing off juice from the lower partof said diffuser through said filter, and means for forcing liquid backward through the filter for the purpose of cleaning the same. 7

7. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser, a feed cylinder located belowthe diffuser, a centrally arranged lift valve-that is located within and'normally closes the lowerend of said diffuser, a filter within said diffuser and above said valve, a piston vertically movable in said feed cylinder and adapted to cause the contents of the feed cylinder to lift said valve and to pass upwards into the diffuser through the annular opening between the lifted valve and diffuser, means for supplying a solvent to an upper part of the diffuser, a conduit for drawing off juice from the lower end of said diffuser through said filter andprovided with two controlling valves, a juice transfer cylinder connected at one end to said conduit at a part thereof between its two valves and adapted to receive juice from saiddiffuser and a piston within said cylinder adapted to force juice from said cylinder back into the diffuser through said filter. 7

8. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser, a feed cylinder located below said diffuser, a centrally arranged lift valve arranged within and normally closing the bottom of said diffuser, means for limiting the upward movement of said valve, a piston movable in said'feed cylinder and adapted to cause the contents thereof to lift said valve and to pass upward into the diffuser through the annular opening between the diffuser and valve, a valve controlled air outlet atthe upper part of said feed cylinder, means for supply a solvent to an upper part of the diffuser, a juice transfer cylinder adapted to be connected at one end to the lower end of the diffuser and to the lower end of the feed cylinder and valve means controlling each connection whereby juice can be fed into the transfer cylinder from the diffuser and afterwards be forced into the feed cylinder for the purpose set forth.

9. Juice extracting apparatus comprising a substantially vertical diffuser, a filter with-' in the lower end of said diffuser, a vertical feed cylinder located directly below the diffuser and having a valve controlled air outlet near its upper end, a, centrally arranged lift valve'ad'apted normally to close the communication between said ldiffnser and the upper end of said feed cylinder, a piston vertically movable in said feed cyl-V inder and adapted to cause the contents thereof to lift thevalve and enter the diffuser between the lower end thereof and said valve, means for supplying a solvent to an upper part of thediffuser, a conduit provided with two control valves for draw,-

lower end of said diffuser or to the lower end of said feed cylinder, at will, and ac- 10 cording to the position of the said control valves.

Si 'ned at IBembridge in the Isle of \Vight, aforesaid, this thirtieth day of May, 1918.

JOHN ISAAC THORNYCROFT.

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