US1412762A - Apparatus for use in treating cellulose compositions with solvent vapors - Google Patents

Description

K. C. UNDERWOOD, J. E. CRANE, AND J. M. KESSLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1919.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN TREATING CELLULOSE COMPOSITIONS WITH SOLVENT VAPORS.

TATQJYGQ.

Newark, in the county of Essex and State" entree stares rarer eerie,

KENNETH C. UNDERWOOD, OF NEWARK. NEW JERSEY, JASPER E. CRANE, OF WIL- MINGTON, DELAWARE, AND JOHANNES M. KESSLER, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW

J'EY, ASSIGNORS T E. I. DU FONT DE NEMOUBS & COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A GQBQRATION OF DELAWARE.

Area Remus non. USE IN TREATING ennaunosn ooiurosrrxous WITH SOLVENT varons.

I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apt. llll, 11%? Application filed May Q, 1919. SeriaI No. 294,826.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, KENNETH C. UNDER- woon, a citizen of the United States, of

"-ofNew Jersey JAsrnn E. CRANE,a citizen of the United States, of Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, and JOHANNES M. Knssnnn, a citizenof Germany, of West Orange, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey,

1 vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Use in Treating Cellulose Compositions with Solvent Vapors,

and do hereby-declare that the following" is a full, clear, and-exact description thereof.

Our invention relates particularly to an apparatus by ,rneans of which cellulose compositions may be treated with solvent vapors for the purpose of providing smooth surfaces for the same. i

The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which cellulose compositions, and particularly compositions which have been made from cellulose plastics, such for example as pyralin or celluloid, may be treated with solvent vapors, as for example, vapors of methyl alcohol, so that the surfaces thereof will be sufliciently softened in this manner to enable them to be provided with smooth surfaces, by the application of pressure from a highly polished plate. In the manufacture of sheets of cellulose compositions, as for example, pyralin or celluloid, it is customary to out said sheets from a pressed block of said material. The cutting of these sheets, however, leaves certain knife marks which it is necessary to remove, as

otherwise there would remain upon the sheets ridges rendering the surfaces thereof rough and .semi-opaque when made from transparent materials. It is the object of our invention especially to provide a convenient, effective and economical apparatus means of which these knife marks and the surfaces of similar unevennesses in these sheets may be removed. A further object is to treat the sheets of material at a constant and greater velocity and more uniformly than is to avoid the detrimental effects due to have -in= formerly. Another objectv the presence of moisture, which if present produces white spots owing tothe precipitation of pyroxylin-in the pyralin or celluloid;

workmenbecause of vapors escaping into the atmosphere.

. lint-general,- our invention comprises an apparatus 'which'is designed tov apply to such sheets of material a current of heated solventvapors, such for example as methyl alcohol vapors, so as to superficially soften the surfaces of the same, while at the same time effectively recovering unused vapors supplied, to the apparatus, vapors which are adjacent to the treated surfaces, but which have not entered the same. Further objects of our invention will appear from the detailed description thereof contained hereinafter.

While our invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms, for the purpose of illustration we have shown only one form of our invention in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a' rear elevation of an apparatus made in accordance with our invention, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a portion of the same.

In the drawings, we have shown a plurality of uprights 1, having a platform 2 thereon, supporting an alcohol vaporizer 3, which is shown as provided with a steam inlet pipe a, a steam outlet pipe 4, and an alcohol level gage 5. Said vaporizer is preferably connected'by means of a pipe 6 to a narrow vapor applying chamber? having a steam jacket 8 surrounding the same, which'is shown as provided with a steam pipe 9. Said vapor applying chamber 7 preferably has entering the same an inlet opening 11 and an outlet opening 12, which are provided with lower and upper guide plates 13 and 14. having perforations 15 and 16 respectively to permit the passage through the same of the methyl alcohol vapors. The guide plates 13 and 14 are designed to guide sheets of a nitrocellulose composition, such for example as pyralin or celluloid 17, which are preferably forced through the same by means of a pair of heated rollers 18 and 19 including the 1 heated with a current of steam supplied by means of inlet and outlet pipe 20 and 20 the interiors of said rollers being shown as connected by means of a pipe 21 through, swing joints or glands 20 located at the other end thereof. In advance of the rollers 18 and 19 there are shown two additional guide plates 21* and 21 to guide the sheets 17. The rollers 18 and 19 are shown as drivenby a gear'22 meshing with a pair of gears 23 and 24 on the rollers 19 and 18 respectively. The gear 22 preferably has attached thereto a sprocket 25 carrying a chain 26 which, in the embodiment shown,

passes over a sprocket 27 on a shaft 28, which shaft 28 carries a pulley 29, driven by a belt 30 from a motor shaft'31, carrying anotherpulley 32. Adjacent to the lower and upper outlet opening guide plates 13 and 14, there are shown two suction boxes 33 and 33 having perforations'34- communieating with the opening'l2, said boxes beingshown as connected by a pipe 35 to the suction side of a suction pump 36, driven by a pulley 37 and a belt 38from a pulley 39 on the motor shaft 31; The vapors which are thus drawn into the pump 36 may pass out by a vapor pipe 41 to a coil condenser 42-supplied with an agent such as cooling water by means such as pipes -13 and 44.

The condensed methyl alcohol preferably passes out from the condenser by a pipe 45, and any uncoudenscd vapors may escape by a pipe 46 therefrom, to be recovered in any suitable way, if desired.

In the operation of the described embodi ment of our invention, sheets of pyralin or celluloid 17 are fed between the guideplates 21 and 21 to the heated rollers 18 and 19,

These rollers are heated to prevent condensa- I tion of alcohol vapor'with consequent softenmg and sticking-of portions of the pyralin .or celluloid "sheets 17 thereto, inasmuch as such condensation, softening and adhesion passes out of theichamber 7, it is broughtwould occur 'if 'the rollers were not heated.

They, furthermore, force the sheets through the chamber 7 in, the desired direction over [the perforations '15 and 16, so that a current of i the heated methyl "alcohol vapors is brought into contact with the under and upper surfaces thereof Asjeach sheet 17 1 1' through the suction boxes 33 and 33, where alcohol is; collected ,the residual methyl j v I not many suitable manner, asdesired. The

any vapors adjacent the surfaces of the sheets are removed, and are conducted to the suction pump 36, and driven by the same into the condenser42. The. condensed methyl from the pipe 45, while alcohol vapors are conveyed'away by the pipe46 forfrecovery or surfaces of these'sheets having now been softened by v vapors, said sheets are subjected. to pressure the application of the solvent between polished metal plates, so that in this plates containin way all of the superficial roughnesses present in the plates as they come from the cutters are removed.

While we have described our invention above in detail, We wish, to be understood that" many changes may be made therein a without departing from the. spirit thereof.

Claims: '1. An apparatus comprising a solvent Wtpor applying chamber, means for passing a through, and means to recover vapors which do not pass away with the sheet.

por applying chamber, means forpassing a sheet of a nitrocellulose composition there- 2. An apparatus comprising'a solvent va-- sheet of a nitrocellulose composition therethrough, and means to recover vapors which; do not pass away with the sheet, comprising a vapor outlet pipe from said chamber, and means directly connected therewith to condense said vaporsobtained therefrom.

3; An-apparatus comprising a solventvapor-applying chamber, means for passing 5 'mounted to feed the sheet in between the said plates. y

, 5. An apparatus, comprising a solvent vapor applying chamber, means for passing a sheetof material therethrough comprislng perforations positioned within the cham "er, rollers provided with heatin means, said rollers beingmounted to feed t e sheet in between the said lates, and plates for guiding the sheetto and from the'rollers.

6. 'An apparatus comprising a vapor applying chamber,1a plate within the chamber having a perforation therein to guide a sheet of a nitrocellulose composition while being subjected to said vapors, and heated rollers for feeding said sheet into the chamber, and means to recover solvent 3 vapors comprising a suction device adjacent the point of exlt'of the sheet from the chamber and'a. condenser connected thereto.

7. An apparatus comprising a solvent vapor applying chamber, means for passing a sheet of material therethrough comprising plates containin perforations positioned within the cham er, rollers provided with heating means, said rollers being mounted to feed the sheet in between the said plates,

plates for guiding the sheet to and from the rollers, and means to recover solvent vapors said. sheets to the rollers and from the rollers comprising a suction device adjacent the to the plate With the opening. point of exit of the sheet from the chamber In testimony that We claim the foregoing and a condenser connected thereto. We have hereunto set our hands.

8. An apparatus comprising a vapor ap- KENNETH C. UNDERWOOD. plying chamber, a plate Within the chamber JASPER E. CRANE. having a perforation therein to guide a sheet JOHANNES M. KESSLER. of a nitrocellulose composition While being Witness as to Jasper E. Crane: subjected to said vapors, rollers provided P. E. STRICKLAND.

with heating means for feeding said sheet Witness as to J. M. Kessler: into the chamber, and guides for conducting K. UNDERWooD.

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