US2042676A - Apparatus for saturating absorbent articles - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1936. 5. PV MILLER APPARATUS FOR SATURATING ABSCRBENT ARTICLES Filed Nov. 1, 1952 T0 I/ACUUM PUMP I NVENTOR JZuarZ Firrme/e/V/fler ATTORNEY V Patented June 2, i936 APPARATUS FOR SATURATING ABSORBENT ARTHCILES 1 Stuart ll. Miller, Englewood, N. 3., assignor to The Barrett Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 1, 1932, Serial No. 640,655 3 (llaims. (Cl. 91-46) This invention is directed to apparatus for saturating absorbent articles, and particularly, apparatus for'continuously saturating and impregnating fibrous conduits employed to conduct and of voids per gram of tube wall to 2.8 or more cc. of voids per gram of tube wall. To determine the cubic centimeters of voids per gram of tube wall, a small sample of tube wall (say 2"x 5") is dried 5 protect underground cables, telephone lines, elecfor one hour at 100 0., cooled, desiccated and 5 tric light, and other conductors, and for the thereafter weighed. It is then immersed in keroformation of water pipes and drain pipes to rensene, maintained at a temperature of 25 C., for Her them substantially waterproof and resistant 18 hours. Thereafter, the sample is removed from to abrasion, corrosion, and conditions encounthe kerosene, drained in vertical position for 30 tered above or underground by fibrous conduits. seconds, and again weighed. The difference in 10 While, as above stated, the invention is particu- Weight represents the kerosene absorbed. This larly adapted for the saturation of fibrous condifference in weight in grams, divided by the duits, it will be understood that it may be emspecific gravity of the kerosene, corresponds to ployed to saturate small fibrous or other articles the cubic centimeters of kerosene absorbed. This requiring impregnation, such as spools, coils, etc., volume in cubic centimeters, divided by the origi- 15 asbestos articles, concrete pipes, flashing blocks, nal weight in grams, gives the voids in cubic centietc. This application is a continuation in part meters per gram. of my copending application Serial No. 619,939, It is an object of this invention to provide apfiled June 29, 1932. paratus for saturating porous or absorbent arti- The article to be saturated may, of course, be cles in a simple and continuous manner. The 0 prepared in any known manner. In the case of apparatus of this invention is of high capacity fibrous bases for conduits, newsprint and paper low in operating and equipment costs, capable pulp, or other fibrous material may be beaten of automatic operation, materially reduces satin the usual paper heaters and the resultant stock uration costs, and results in uniformly saturated 2:, screened and then pumped to paper cylinder maconduits of improved waterproofness and resistchines and there formed into wet felts or paper. ance to corrosion, abrasion, and soil pressures. The wet paper may be wound about a cylindrical Further, the apparatus is flexible and can reador other shaped tube or mandrel to produce a' ily be adapted to efiiciently saturate articles vary- Wet conduit of proper thickness. This conduit ing widely in their porosity, e. g., dense or porous may be dried in kilns to remove the major porconduits, with different saturants. 3o

40 dimensions may vary. As they, come from the lower melting point D J eS- r fe red Ditches 40 drying kilns, they usually contain from 5 to 8 av ng mel ng points of from 140 tol80 F. or per cent moisture, although considerably more higher will have a free carbon content of from than 8 per cent moisture may, on occasion, be 5 to 9 pe cent. u Ditches of higher ee Ca found present. bo content up to from 15 to 25 per cent, or

4a The porosity or absorptive characteristics of even higher may be used to give commercially 5 the walls of fibrous conduits may vary within wide satisfactory saturation under favorable condilimits from a very dense wall of density corretions, e. g., in saturating articles having comsponding to hard wood and exceedinglydimcult p r tiv y p n wall s ru t re.

. to saturate with low carbon water gas tar pitch Preferably, coal tar pitch made by a vacuum or even with other waterproofing material, such distillation process, such for example as disclosed 50 as asphalt, to a porous open wall similar in denin Patent No. 1,759,816, granted May 20, 1930, or sltyto that of roofing felt, which will readily absorb other processes minimizing decomposition of the bituminous saturants. Samples of present comtar undergoing distillation, is employed as the merical fibrous conduits have been tested and Y saturant. Pitches made by a low temperature found to vary from substantially less than 1 cc. vacuum distillation process are characterized by 55- tion of its moisture content. The fibrous base may, of course, be prepared in other known manner. Such conduits are made in several sizes, commonly varying from 2 inches to 6 inches or larger in internal diameter, have an average wall thickness of approximately of an inch and are usually produced in 5, 6, and 8 foot lengths. The wall thickness of the conduits may, of course, be greater or less than of an inch andother As the saturant for the conduits, coal tar pitch, water gas tar pitch, asphalt, cutback pitches,

' blended Pitches, or other waterproofing material may be used. A coal tar pitch having a melting point of from to F. is particularly suit- 3 able for saturation of fibrous conduits. Pitch of a-melting point as high as 225 F. may be used in special cases,.e. g., where conduits are to be exposed to temperatures which would soften the pitches are particularly suitable as the saturantfor fibrous conduits.

Besides waterproofing absorbent articles such as conduits, this invention may be employed in fireproofing, oil proofing, gas proofing, insulating, painting and. coloring such articles. For exam ple, in fireproofing an article, it may be impregnated with an aqueous solution of inorganic salts, e. g., solutions comprising inorganic phosphates, in oil proofing a resin or cellulose solution may be used, in gas proofing and insulating the articles may be saturated with resin, cellulose or rubber mixture and in painting and coloring the articles may be impregnated with paints, lacquers, enamels or varnish.

This invention is particularly directed to apparatus for the saturation of conduits in plants having very large quantities of conduits requiring saturation. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention, a tubular member of flattened U shape is disposed with the legs of the U immersed in saturant contained in tanks and thus sealed. The height of the legs is preferably made sufficientto accommodate a maximum barometric column of saturant with the upper portion of the U providing an evacuated space. Tracks are disposed in the saturating tanks running from one tank up through one leg of the tubular member, down through the other leg into the other tank, and returning to the first mentioned tank. The conduits may be placed in vertical position in cars which are arranged to run on the tracks. Thus conduits are carried by the cars through the saturant in one tank, up through the saturant in one leg of the tubular member, into the evacuated space in the upper portion of the tubular member, down through the saturant in the other leg of the tubular member, into and through the saturant in the other tank, and out from this tank. During the passageof the conduits from one tank to the other, out of contact with the saturant, draining and cooling thereof may take place.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the invention is shown incorporated in the production of fibrous conduits saturated with bituminousmaterial and the present disclosure will be confined to the present illustrated embodiment of the invention. It will be understood, however, that the novel features and improvements are susceptible to other applications, such, for example, to apparatus for saturating articles generally. Included in the scope of my invention is apparatus for saturation of conduits made of cement, concrete, cement-asbestos mixtures, or other porous or absorbent articles capable of being saturated. Hence, the scope of this invention is not confined to the specific embodiment herein described.

In the drawing, in which like reference numerals designate like parts- Fig. 1 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of a preferred form of apparatus embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of a modified form of apparatus embodying this invention.

Referring to Fig. 1; reference numbers I and 2 designate two large tanks spaced apart and each provided with a valve-controlled drawolf 3, an overflow pipe 4 near the top thereof and a pitch or other saturant pipe feed line 5. If desired these tanks may be connected by means of a line (not shown) running from the base of one tank to the base of the other or one large tank 23' may be employed into which the ends of the tubular member hereinafter described extend, as shown in Fig. 3. Extending up from each tankis a tubular member composed of legs 6 and I, each at an acute angle to the horizontal, this member preferably being of the shape shown in Fig. 1. The lower ends of legs 6 and I are open and dip beneath the saturant in tanks I and 2, the level of saturant therein being at all times maintained above the exit point from the legs 6 and I, so that these legs are sealed by the liquid saturant within the tanks against the atmosphere. Tracks II on the base or floor plate 8 of the tubular member extend through the tanks, as indicated by the reference numeral 9 onto platforms II) disposed contiguous to the tanks. Cars I2 are arranged to travel on the tracks II. The tracks extend from one tank I up through leg 6, down through leg I, through tank 2, onto platform III, and back to the tank I. A series of cars I2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are designed to travel onto the tracks being moved continuously or intermittently through the apparatus by a suitable cable or chain I3 passing between the tracks and over sheaves I4, I5 rotatably mounted adjacent tanks I and 2, respectively. Shaft I6, on which sheave I4 is keyed, has keyed thereon a pulley I1 over which passes a driving belt I8. This belt may be driven from any suitable source of power. A switch 22 is associated with the track I I to permit theremoval of cars from and the addition of cars to the series of cars running through the tanks I, 2 and the tubular member.

The top of tubular member constituted of legs 6 and I is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) by a line I9. Foam chambers and separators as disclosed in my copending application may be disposed in line I9 to collect foam and return any volatile oils removed from the saturant. The tubular member is of such height, i. e., the point represented by reference numeral 20, extends above the level of saturant in tanks I and 2 to such height, that a maximum barometric column of saturant may be maintained in the legs 6 and 1. For coal tar pitch having a specific gravity of 1.2 this height should be in excess of 28 feet so that an evacuated space, indicated by the reference numeral 2I, may be provided. If desired the height of the tubular member may be such that little or no evacuated space is provided above the level of saturant in the legs or such legs may be of a height insuflicient to accommodate a barometric column of saturant.

The cars may be loaded with the conduits in vertical position, as indicated in Figfl, just prior to their passage into tank I, then caused to travel through tank I, up through the column of saturant in leg 6 into the evacuated space 2|, down through the column of saturant in leg I into the tank 2, and thence out of this tank, returning to tank I. During the travel of the cars from tank 2 to I they may be passed first through heated and then through cooled zones to expedite the draining and cooling of the conduits. Tank I may be elongated so that as the cars containing the conduits pass therethrough the conduits are immersed in saturant-in tank I and soaked during their passage through this extended path. In the case of wet conduits, partial or complete drying of the conduits may thus be accomplished.

The term continuous is used herein in a broad sense and is intended to include the passage of mittently, i. e., step-by-step through the drying and/r saturation zones, the articles remaining at rest for predetermined periods of time in their passage therethrough, as well as the non-stop passage of the articles through the drying and/or saturation zones. I

It will be noted that the apparatus of this invention is continuous, of high capacity, capable of automatic regulation, requires a minimum of saturant for its operation and results in uniformly saturated conduits of improved waterproofness.

It is to be understood that this invention is not restricted to the present disclosure otherwise than defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for saturating absorbent articles, in combination, a containerfor thesaturant, a conduit composed of legs at an acute angle to the horizontal, said legs extending above the saturant in the container and having open ends immersed in the saturant in the said container, means for maintaining vacuum conditions in said conduit, guide and supporting means mounted on the interior surface of said legs, carriers for said articles disposed to travel on said guide and supporting means, and means for moving said carriers through said legs.

2. In apparatus for saturating absorbent articles, in combination, means for confining a saturant, a conduit composed of legs at an acute angle to 'the horizontal, said legs extending above the saturant in the confining means and having open ends immersed in the saturant, means for maintaining vacuum conditions in said conduit, guide and supporting means mounted on the interior surface of said legs, carriers for said articles disposed to travel on said guide and supporting means, and means for moving said carriers through said legs.

3. In apparatus for saturating absorbent articles, in combination, two tanks for saturant at atmospheric pressure, a substantially U-shaped tubular conduit, the ends of the legs of the U constituting the inlet and outlet of said conduit, said inlet and outlet being, respectively, immersed in the saturant in said tanks and thus liquid sealed against the atmosphere, means for creating a vacuum in the top of the said U-shaped tubular conduit, the legs of said U-shaped conduit being of a length more than suflicient to accommodate a barometric column of saturant, thus providing an evacuated space in the upper portion of said U-shaped tubular conduit, rails passing through the saturant in one tank, through said tubular conduit, thence through the saturant in the other tank and returning to the first mentioned tank forming a continuous circuit passing through said tanks and conduit, and cars for the absorbent articles arranged to travel on said rails.

STUART P. MILLER.

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