US2170547A - Pressure extraction vessel shell - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 22, 1939. J. D. cHRlsTiAN 2,170,547

PRESSURE EXTRACTION VESSEL SHELL Filed June l, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i l K w ,E 2 m wm Ex E A115 22, f1939. J. iD. CHRISTIAN 2,170,547

PRESSURE EXTRACTION VESSEL SHELL Filed June 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a press construction, particularly a press designed for continuous operation. It has been my observation that, although the art of pressing materials to extract therefrom a uid is `a relatively old one, nevertheless, in many elds today, the equipment available is not satisfactory. In the first instance, the presses are so constructed that mechanical failures are frequent. In the second instance, the construction is such that flexibility in operation is not available. For example, I have observed that with different materials (wine grapes and tomatoes) it is desirable to vary the extracting pressure employed to ensure'that the pulp is extracted but not the skins. Many press constructions do not permit of this. The press of the present invention obviatesv many of these diiliculties, being of such a construction that material undergoing pressing can be subjected to a substantially uniform and single pressure during the press operation. Furthermore, the press is so constructed that this pressure can be varied at Will if the press is employed upon different materials or material of 'diiferent grades.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide 4a novel press construction.

A further object ofthe present invention is to provide a press construction enabling material to be subjectto a substantially uniform and con- .stantly maintained pressure.

This invention also relates to a construction for a shell to be employed on a pressure extraction apparatus, such as a press employing a screw or a ram. As is Well known, a solid material con- 2.taining a iluid, Wine grapes, copra et cetera, is placed under arheavy pressure to break the cells thereof and release liquid contained therein. This is a common method of procuring wine Yfrom grapes, oil from fish, olives, or copra. During ".the operation, the pressure created is of a large order. The shell of the pressure extraction apparatus must withstand this Vsuccessfully and, at the same time, provide for draining off of the released liquid. Various constructions have been employed for these shells but, even though such equipment has been employed in industry for years, a satisfactory shell or basket is desired in many fields.

Another broad object of the present invention `jis to provide an improved shell for a pressure extraction apparatus.

.Various forms of screens and apertured plates have been employed.V The'drains provided by this are not continuousV in length. This results .1in a highA abrasion onthe` shell and too large a percentage of solids in the liquid eflluent from the press. A further object of the present invention is to provide a shell for a pressure extraction apparatus in which continuous liquid drains are provided.

By reasonof the novel basket construction or shell construction of the present invention and the type of screw employed, together with the constant pressure maintenance of the present invention, the press operates to provide a material 10 in which the solid content of the liquid extracted is relatively low if it is not in fact entirely eliminated. In otherY words, the press of the present invention is highly selective in that only the liquid is removed While the solids remain behind for 15 discharge as the press cake. This is because of the novel shell construction, in which tearing and cutting of the solid material is substantially entirely absent, the solid moving through the press without any tearing action because the spaces 20 between the members providing the shell are continuous and are not interrupted. With a shell having slots or mere apertures, tearing of the solid material between the screw and the shell occurs, as the material passes over each aperture. 25

shell, while Figures 3 and 4 are sections showing 35"*v alternative forms of construction.

In `accordance with this invention the shell 6 for the present pressure extraction vessel is made up of a plurality of T`strip members, indicated at 1. These are provided with a cross bar 8, 4,0 and a leg portion 9. As appears in Figure 2, between adjacent T members are provided channel members II. The size of the channel members relative toY the T members is such that the channels space the T members apart, the edges 45T I2 and I3 of adjacent T members, for example, being a suitable distance apart, usually about 0.02 inch apart.

The T members and channel members are made up in the form of stripsl which extend the length 50 Aalso provides the pressure cone TI.

strength wire being employed for this purpose. Wrapping the members with Wire reduces the over-all weight of the unit and, at the same time, reduces the cost of construction materially. The wire wrap is preferably placed on and secured with the wire under slight tension, so that the unit is made up tightly and the distances between the surfaces I2 and I3 and the T members is capable of close control. Bands or rings of steel or cast iron can be employed but I prefer wire.

The relation between the outer face I6 of the T cross bar and the side Il of the T is such that when all the channels are in place with the sides of each channel engaging the faces Il and a portion of the outer face I6 of the adjacent T cross bars, the members, as a whole, provide a tube which forms the outer shell for the press. The relative angle between faces I6 and I'I depends upon the number of members to be employed to make up the tube, their widths and the size of each channel.

By providing the channels, liquid forced out from material carried within the shell drains between the faces I2 and I3 and is carried away through each channel Il. The passage provided between surfaces I2 and I3 is continuous and there is no interruption of feed, nor is the material fed subject to any tearing action usual in the screen or plate type shell presses. This ensures that the solid content forced into the channels l I is reduced to a minimum.

In place of employing T members, various other shapes can be employed and in Figure 4 I have shown T members 2| employed with a half-round spacer 22.

In Figure 3 I have shown members 24 spaced apart by V spacer members 26. The inner members providing the tubular shell should always be substantially T members in cross section, having a cross bar and with adjacent cross bars spaced apart by an intervening spacer member which also carries a longitudinally extending groove for draining oif liquid passed between the spaced cross bar members on adjacent T members. In this manner the accurateV spacing of the T members is possible, so that continuous liquid drains are provided from the interior of the pressure extraction apparatus.

When the plurality of T members and their spacer members are assembled and suitably secured together by suitable retaining means, the shell can be employed in conjunction with anyV suitable pressure applying means, such as a screw or a hydraulic ram or other pressure applying means.

The relation of faces I2 and I3 can be such that they are substantially parallel, approaching or receding toward the spacer. The inner face of the T member can be coated or faced with any material desired.

Now referring to Figure l, the shell 6 is mounted upon a suitable supporting plate 3I flanged as at 32 to receive the shell, a retaining ring 33 being interposed between the shell and the plate. The rings 33 are employed to retain the several members 'I and I I together prior to the wire wrap being placed thereon.

The several channels I I drain through the plate support 3| into a receiving member 34 which This member is suitably ribbed as at 36, the ribs being apertured as at 3i to provide for a liquid drain, the liquid being drained out of this member through a pipe not shown. The plate 3| is secured upon member 34 by suitable bolts 38 and nuts 39. The

bolts 38 extend into a base structure generally indicated at 4|, which provides a support for the entire press. This base includes a bottom plate 42 secured thereto as by studs 43. A bearing 44 is carried in this plate while a like bearing 46 is carried in boss 41 of the base structure, this portion being joined by portions 48 so formed as to provide a cake discharge chute as will presently be described.

The bearings 44 and 46 provide a support for a shaft 4S which is employed to rotate the press screw, as will presently appear. Secured to the shaft 49 is an internal ring gear 50, a spacer 5I being interposed between this ring gear and the bearing 46. A liquid seal 52 is placed about the shaft above bearing 46 to prevent entrance of liquid from the press. The ring gear 50 is driven by gear 53 carried upon a shaft 54. Shaft 54 is carried by bearings 55 and 56, bearing 56 being supported in casing base portion 48 while bearing 55 is carried by a plate 51 secured to the base structure by suitable means not shown. Formed integral with the shaft 54 is a flange 58 which carries a beveled ring gear 59 driven by beveled gear 6I on shaft 52. Shaft 62 is driven by any suitable power input means to rotate shaft 49. Shaft 62 is carried in bearings 63 and 64 and is suitably sealed in place by a stuiiing gland 66.

Returning to shaft 49, a press screw 'Il Vis mounted thereon to cooperate with the basket 6. A plurality of splines I2 provided on the shaft 49 ensure that the screw rotates with the shaft and is slidable along the shaft. The screw includes a plurality of screw threads thereon indicated at 73. These are respectively spaced apart a decreasing distance as one progresses down through the tubular basket 6, so that as material is advanced the pressure is maintained substantially uniform because, as the liquid is forced out of the material, diminution in volume is cared for by the decreasing distance between adjacent threads. This is also cared for by providing several of the threads upon` a screw body of increasing diameter, the body increasing in its diameter from about its midpoint to its lower end, adjacent to` pressure cone 'I1 provided by member 34. Between the screw thread and` the shaft is positioned a spring 8 I. This spring engages the screw at one end and a nut 82 carried upon threads 83 on the end of the shaft. 'I'he nut is formed as at 84 to receive a suitable wrench, the nut being engaged by member 86 which is in turn secured by screws 81 to the press screw. A suitable cover 88 is secured tol member 86 to protect the end of the shaft. The upper end of the basket carries a hopper indicated at 89. 'Ihe position ofthe nut on the shaft enables the end of the screw to be adjusted relative to the pressure cone. As the adjustment of the press is shown in Figure 1, the press provides application of maximum pressure to any material, the screw being in engagement and rotating so closely adjacent to the pressure cone that the material can only pass between the screw and the cone by lifting the screw against the compression of spring 8l. However, if desired, the nut can be so adjusted that a free space or passage exists between the pressure cone and the end of the screw. Under these circumstances, so long as the space between the screw and the shell is filled with material, the material passing between the pressure cone and the screw is subjectV to that pressure necessary Vto overcome lifting of the screw, because the tendency of the screw is to force the material down and between the pressure cone and the screw, and thus place on the material the pressure of the spring. The nut 82 permits this to be adjusted as well as the position of the screw in the barrel. So long as the press is illed with material, all material ejected from it is subject to a predetermined and substantially uniform pressure. By changing springs, different pressures and ranges of pressure are secured.

Mounted upon the shaft below the end of the screw is va cone 9i carrying a blade 92 which serves as a press cake discharge blade, sweeping about the cake receiving portion 93 of the base structure and forcing the cake out through the cake discharge chute indicated at 95. The liquid forced between the Various T members drains `down through the channels and oi through niember 34 for removal through a discharge pipe not shown.

Because of the operating coaction between the particular basket structure employed and the screw, the discharge liquid is substantially free of any solids.

I claim:

1. A shell for a pressure extraction apparatus comprising a plurality of substantially like T members and a plurality oil? substantially like channel members, each channel being positioned with its open face toward the cross members on adjacent T members and with the spaced opposite sides thereof abutting and spacing substantially parallel stems on said T members and with the channel dening faces thereof engaging adj a.-

cent cross-members on said T members with said T members spaced apart and dening substantially uniform and continuous openings into the channel spacing said members, and means securing said T members and said channels into a tube.

2. A shell for a pressure extraction apparatus comprising a tubular shell including a plurality of T strip members, the horizontal bar in said T in each member forming the inner side of said shell, and a plurality of spacer members having a groove extending along one face of each of said members, each spacer member being inserted with the groove therein facing the horizontal bar on adjacent T members to abut sides and the outer face of said bar on adjacent T members to space continuously the ends of said bars apart, and means securing said members together.

3. A shell for a pressure extraction apparatus comprising a. tubular shell including a plurality of T strip members, the horizontal bar in said T in each member forming the inner side of said shell, and a plurality of spacer members having a groove extending along one face of each of said members, each spacer member being inserted with the groove therein facing the horizontal bar on adjacent T members to abut sides and the outer face of said bar on adjacent T members to space continuously the ends of said bars apart, and a wire wrapping about said members securing said members together.

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