US2023043A

US2023043A - Homogenizer

Info

Publication number: US2023043A
Application number: US691340A
Authority: US
Inventors: John A Clark
Original assignee: Manton Gaulin Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Manton Gaulin Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 1933-09-28
Filing date: 1933-09-28
Publication date: 1935-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1952-12-03

Description

- J. A. CLARK aoloGEnIzER Filed sePt- 28. 193s Dec- 3, 4935.

griffa- Patented Dee. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOMOGENIZER Application September 28, 1933, Serial No. 691,340

4Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus in which liquids are processed by being forced under considerable pressure through small apertures at high velocity. Such apparatus will be termed homogenizers.

The eiliciency of a homogenizer depends, among other things, upon the velocity at which the liquid passes through the homogenizing valve and upon the force with which it strikes the wall of the chamber surrounding the valve. 'Ihe force with which the iiuid impinges upon the wall of the homogenizing head is related to the velocity, but another factor cannot be disregarded, namely, the distance between the valve and the wall. If the distance is small the velocity of the fluid will be diminished only slightly before it strikes the wall but if the distance is great, the velocity will be greatly diminished by the necessity of passing through a volume of quiescent liquid before striking the wall.

It has been attempted heretoforeto provide an impact surface close to the valve by decreasing the size or diameter of the interior of the homogenizing head or by providing a projection upon the inner wall of the homogenizing head adjacent the discharge orifice of the homogenizing valve. Neither of these expedients have been entirely satisfactory inasmuch as they tended to obstruct the required free flow of the fluid.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a homogenizer arranged to provide an impact surface close to the valve and at the same time permit the required free iiow of the iiuid.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing:in which,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of a homogenizer embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevational view of a portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the parts of the homogenizing valve and its associated parts in position to be assembled; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken upon the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose ot description and not of limitation. and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

The invention has been embodied, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in a two-stage homogenizer comprising a cylinder head Ill having 5 a plurality of compression chambers II,V one of which is illustrated in cross section in the accompanying drawing. Fluid is supplied to each of the compression chambers Il through an inlet passage I2 controlled by an inlet valve I3. 10 The pressure of the fluid within the chamber II is raised by reciprocation of a piston I5 actuated by suitable mechanism (not shown). Each compression chamber II communicates through a discharge passage L6 with a high pressure cham- 15 ber I`I, the discharge passage I6 being controlled by a discharge valve I8. A homogenizing head 20 is suitably secured upon the cylinder head I0 by bolts 2i and is provided with a homogenizing chamber 22 arranged to communicate with the 20 pressure chamber Il. The homogenizing head 20 is provided also with a second homogenizing chamber 23 arranged to communicate with the chamber 22. Communication between the pressure chamber Il and the homogenizing chamber 25 22 is controlled by a homogenizing valve A while communication between the homogenizing chamber 22 and the homogenizing chamber 23 is controlled by a homogenizing valve B.

The homogenizing valves A and B are of iden- 30 tical construction. The valve A comprises cooperating valve members 30 and 3|. The valve member 30 is positioned in the enlarged outer end of the chamber I1 so as to abut a shoulder 33. The inner end of the member 30 is provided with 35 an annular ilange 34 adapted to be engaged by a shoulder 36 on a nut 35 threaded in the enlarged end of the chamber I1. The outer end of the valve member 30 is provided with a seating surface 31 adapted to be engaged by a seating surface 38 upon the cooperating valve member 3l which is engaged by one end of a rod 4I. The valve member 3l is provided with suitable guides 42 extending into and engaging the interior wall 45 43 of the valve member 30.

In accordance with the present invention an impact ring is secured upon one of the valve members so as to be engaged by liquid passing through the homogenizing valves. Preferably, 50 and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, an impact ring 45 is secured upon the valve member 3| and is provided with an impact surface I6 which is inclined outwardly away from the valve members and preferably is positioned at an angle of slightly more than 90 to the seating surfaces of the valve members.

The size of' the aperture or orifice between the valve members, that is, the distance the seating surfaces are separated when the apparatus is in operation, is controlled or adjusted in any suitable manner. As illustrated, the rod Il is slidably mounted in a bearing provided in the homogenizing head 20. A member 52 is suitably fixed upon the outer end of the rod 4i and is slidably positioned within the cylindrical recess 53 provided in a cap 54 which is adjustably threaded in the homogenizing head 20. The member 52 is held against a ring 55 threaded in the outer end of the cylindrical recess 53 by a heavy spring 56 extending between the member 52 and the bottom of the recess 53. A wheel 51 is suitably xed upon the outer end of the cap 54 so that it may be turned conveniently to adjust the size of the orifice between the valve members 30 and 3| when the apparatus is in operation.

It will be noted that in the operation of the apparatus, fiuid under high pressure in the chamber I1 will cause the valve member 3l to move away from the end of the Valve member 30 so as to provide an orifice 60 (Fig. 2) therebetween. It will be understood that the fluid pressure in the chamber I1 will be greater than that in chamber 22 and that the fluid pressure in chamber 22 will be greater than that in chamber 23. The fluid under high pressure in the chamber I1 will pass through orifice 60 and will impinge upon the impact surface 46 of the impact ring 45 and thus will travel only a very short distance after leaving the orifice. Inasmuch as the impact ring 45 is carried by one of the members of the homogenizing valve, there is ample space provided for the required free flow of the fluid through the apparatus.

I claim:

l. In a homogenizer, means providing a passage connecting relatively high and low pressure chambers, and a pair of cooperating homogenizing valve members in said passage, the combination therewith of an impact ring carried by one of said members adapted to be engaged by liquid passing between said members from said high pressure chamber to said low pressure chamber, the contact surface of said impact ring being inclined away from the other of said valve members.

2. In a homogenizer, means providing a passage connecting relatively high and low pressure chambers, and a pair of cooperating homogenizing valve members in said passage, the combination therewith of an impact ring carried by one of said members adapted to be engaged by liquid passing between said members from said high pressure chamber to said low pressure chamber, the contact surface of said impact ring being inclined away from the other of said valve members and positioned at an angle of not less than 90 to the seating surfaces of said valve members.

3. In a homogenizer, means providing a passage connecting relatively high and low pressure chambers, and a pair of cooperating homogenizing valve members in said passage, the combination therewith of an' impact ring adapted to be engaged by liquid passing between said members from said high pressure chamber to said low pressure chamber, said impact ring being carried by the valve member positioned farthest along the path of travel of the liquid from said high pressure chamber to said low pressure chamber, the contact surface of said impact ring being inclined away from the other of said valve members.

4. In a homogenizer, means providing a passage connecting relatively high and low pressure chambers, and a pair of cooperating homogenizthan to the seating surfaces of said valve 45 members.

JOI-IN A. CLARK.