US1412763A

US1412763A - Method and machine for reducing cellulose to fibers and for transforming the same into the liquid state

Info

Publication number: US1412763A
Application number: US471220A
Authority: US
Inventors: Venter Otto
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-05-20
Filing date: 1921-05-20
Publication date: 1922-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 1939-04-11

Description

0. VENTER. v

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR REDUCING CELLULOSE T0 FIBERS AND FOR TRANSFORMING THE SAME INTO THE LIQUID STATE.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1921.

i through the cutting machine.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFHCE.

OTTO VENTER, F CHEMNITZ, GERMANY.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR REDUCING CELLULOSE T0 FIBERS AND FOR TRANS- FORMIN'G THE SAME INTO THE LIQUID STATE,

Application filed May 20,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Orro "EXTER. a citizen of the German Republic, residing at Chemnitz. Germany. have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Method and Machine for Reducing Cellulose to Fibers and for Transforming the Same. Into the Liquid State, (for which I have filed aplications in Germany April 27, 1920. and duly 8, 1920,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a special method of reducing cellulose to fibers, to a process for the transformation of the'sulphidized cellulose treated with caustic soda into the liquid state. specially for the production of artificial threads, and to a machine for carrying out the manufacturing method. The cellulose which is usually like cardboard must be reduced to small pieces like flakes of oat meal before it can be further treated.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood. I shall proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 shows by way of example a part of a machine whichcan be used for the application of the improved manufacturing method.

Figs. 2 and 3 show in front elevation and in side elevationa plant for carrying through the method in its totality.

The improved manufacturing method consists in making the material. which has been previously cut into small pieces. pass continuously through a cutting 'and mixing machine so that simultaneously with the reducing to fibers a thorough mixing is effected under pressure. A meat cut-ting machine of well known construction is well adapted for this purpose. The worm h of this machine (Fig. 1) effects the feeding of the material which, being pressed against t-he cutting knives 2' and against the perforated disk It is reduced to fibers and compressed at the same time. It is indifferent whether the cutting knives revolve and the disk is stationary or inversely. The cellulose must have, for practical reasons, a sufficiently high degree of moistness and it is therefore saturated uniformly with a sufficient quantity of a caustic soda solution. In order to ensure that the reducing to fibers be as finely as necessary the material is conveyed several times For the first Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 11, 19:22

1921. Serial No. {171,220.

passage of the material through the machine a perforated disk is preferably used which has larger perforations than the disks which are used later on. For every succeeding operation a perforated disk is used which has smaller erforations than the disk used for the previous operation. From these cutting machines the pulp of materialis fed into a convenient receptacle.

It is advisable to mount in series several cutting machines so that the material gets automatically from one machine into the other so that the desired degree of fineness can be realized at one passage of the material from one end of the set of cutting machines to the other end. It is evident that in this case perforated disks will be used in the different machines with perforations of gradu ally decreasing diameters. The different cutting machines can work at different speed.

The cutting machines can be connected with one another in such a manner that the admission of air is excluded. In each of the cutting machines several perforated disks with. perforations of different size can be used.

In order to sulphidize the cellulose saturated with caustic soda (xanthogenate) it is necessary to combine carbon disulphide with the same which can be done with the aid of a stirring apparatus enclosed preferably in a closed vessel with outlet for the gases produced. This sulphidized xanthogenate (sulphoxanthogenate) must be transformed into a pulp (aqueous liquid) which is adapted to be used for the production of artificial threads.

In order to bring the sulphoxanthogenate to the liquid state. the material is made to pass repeatedly through a cutting and mixing machine. e. g. to a machine as shown in Fig. 1. The worm a effects the feeding of the material so that it is pressed against the cutting knives 7) and through the finely perforated disk 0. it being indifferent whether the knives revolve and the disk is suance of the process the mixture has to be treated with water which is effected by conducting the mixture again through the cutting machine and by adding water until the mixture becomes sufficiently thinly liquid so that it can be treated in a stirring apparatus where more water is added to the mixture. The stirring apparatus could be omitted and the final addition of water could be effected when the mixture is conducted again through the mixing apparatus.

\Vhen several mixing machines are mounted the one behind the other the liquids can ,be added successively to the mixture till a dilution has been produced which permits of treating the mixture further in a stirring apparatus. or the proper dilution is produced in the mix-ing machines.

This improved method saves much power and time, so that such a plant works very cheaply although the output is considerable. The machines can be stationary or movable.

Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing represent a plant in which the cutting and mixing machines a (1?, a a? are stepwise mounted in a common frame 6, each upper machine being connected with the succeeding lower machine by a conduit 0. The liquefied material flows from the last machine ainto a vat d. A hopper 6 serves for feeding the material to the upper mixing apparatus a For the treatment of the sulphoxanthogenate solution of caustic soda is supplied to the mixer a through the pipe 7'. The material fiows from a to a which has a pipe g for the supply of liquid, which in this case consists of water or of a diluted caustic soda solution, the diluted material flowing then to a and so on. The mixture is thus properly diluted and thoroughly mixed.

The mixing machines can also be arranged on the same plane. Any well known drive can be used.

I claim 1. An improved method for reducing cellulose to fibers specially designed for the production of artificial threads, consisting in conducting the cellulose whiclrhas been previously saturated with caustic soda repeatedly through a cutting and mixing machine wherein the material'when being conveyed is submitted at the same time to a pressing action.

2. An improved method for reducing cellulose to fibers specially designed for the production of artificial threads. consisting in conducting the cellulose which has been previously saturated with caustic soda through several cutting and mixing machines mounted the one behind the other so that the material reduced to fibers flows continuously from one machine to the other.

3. An improved method for transforming sulphidized cellulose treated with caustic soda into a convenient state of liquidity specially for the production of artificial threads, consisting in conducting the sulphoxanthogenate continuously and repeatedly through a cutting and mixing machine of the type used for cutting meat in submitting the material to pressure and to compression, in adding to it first a determined quantity of caustic soda solution and then water in corresponding proportion.

=1. An improved method for transforming sulphidized cellulose treated with caustic soda into a convenient state of liquidity specially for the production of artificial threads, consisting in conducting-the sulphoxanthogenate continuously and repeatedly through a plant of cutting and mixing machines of the type used for cutting meat arranged the one behind the other so that the mass flows from one machine tothe other and in submitting the material to pressure and to compression, in adding to it first a determined quantity of caustic soda solution and then water in corresponding proportion.

5. An improved machine for reducing to fibers cellulose which has been saturated with caustic soda (xanthogenate). for sulphidizing the same and for transforming the sulphoxanthogenate into the liquid state comprising in combination a number of cutting and mixing machines of the type of the meat cutting machines and conduits for connecting the machines with one another.

6. An improved machine for reducing to fibers cellulose which has been saturated with caustic soda (xanthogenate). for sulphidizing the same and for transforming the sulphoxanthogenate into the liquid state comprising in combination a number of cutting and mixing machines of the type of the meatcutting machines. conduits for connecting the machines with one another, and one or several pipes for supplying-liquid to the several machines.

In-testimonv whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO VEXTER.

Witnesses Fem). IN CSCH, PAUL RonsY.