US2785765A - Degasser - Google Patents

Description

M. CORNELL DEGASSER March 19, 1957 Filed Aug. 3, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. MEAD CORNELL ATTORNEY lltlu r March 19, 1957 M. CORNELL DEGASSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 3, 1953 INVENTOR. MEAD 6'0R/VELL MW @TTOR/JEY DEGASSER Mead Cornell, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to The Cornell Machine Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Ohio Application August 3, 1953, Serial No. 372,129

8 Claims. (Cl. 1832.5)

The invention, in general, relates to an improved apparatus for treating or for mixing materials, including fractionation of certain materials, and more particularly relates to further improvements in equipment of the character illustrated, described and claimed in my previous Letters Patent Nos. 2,042,880; 2,203,673; and 2,273,835, issued June 2, 1936, June 11, 1940 and February 24, 1942, respectively.

The equipment and attendant processes of my aforesaid prior patents embraces the impounding of a material, or of materials to be treated or mixed, centrally of a rotating member by which the material or mix is centrifugally attenuated as a continuous, relatively thin film over the surface of such member thereby affording an intimate and thorough mixing and treating of the work material. Such materials as rubber dispersions, oil-inwater or water-in-oil emulsions, oils and greases, and detergents all have been successfully mechanically treated with such equipment and the practice of the indicated processes with resulting desirable and improved end products having no deleterious features such as discoloration or oxidation tendencies. Such prior equipment also included means for effecting the treatment or mixing of the work materials in a partial vacuum.

While all of the apparatuses and processes of the above mentioned patents have been highly efiective in their respective applications to industry, my constant study of the many problems arising in various different industries has resulted in further improving the equipment and in utilizing the improved equipment for carrying on unique and improved treating methods, and the present invention is directed to the solution of such problems and the application of the improved equipment to such unique and improved material treating methods.

Another primary object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus is characterized by a positive direct drive of a rotating member for efiecting centrifugal attenuation of the work material as well as substantially simultaneous separation and removal of the gaseous phase of the work material.

A still further object is to provide improved apparatus of the indicated nature which is further characterized by the provision of means for facilitating access to and the cleaning of working parts thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved equipment for effecting the fractionation of a liquid substance under partial vacuum.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageous features thereof, will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention in said apparatus, illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that I am not to be limited to the precise embodiment illustrated, nor to the precise arrangement of the various parts thereof, as my invention, as defined in the appended claims, can be embodied in a plurality and Variety of forms and can be carried out in a plurality and variety of ways.

nited States Patent 2,785,765 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view, partially in elevation, of one form of the apparatus embodying my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. l but with certain parts lowered from normal operative position.

Fig. 3 is a view of the equipment of Fig. 1, taken on the irregular section line 33 thereof.

Fig. 4 is a view of the embodiment taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is another view of the embodiment of Fig. 1, this view being taken from below and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 5-5 in Fig. 1.

In its preferred form, the degasser of my present improvement preferably comprises means for impounding a gas-containing material centrally of a rapidly rotating member, means for guiding the material onto said member for attenuated film projection, together with means for exhausting gases from the material during film projection attenuation on said member, means for collecting the material after gas exhaustion and for discharging the same away from the work treating area, a rotatable disk movably mounted contiguous to said rotatable member for flinging dropped material back onto said rotatable member, and a perforated sheet permitting escape of gases exhausted from said projected film of the material.

One exemplification of a preferred mode of practicing my invention preferably comprises introducing a gascontaining material onto a rapidly rotating member to effect attenuated film projection thereof and simultaneously extracting gases therefrom, and concurrently removing the gas-extracted material and the extracted gases in difierent conduits. Another exemplification of a preferred mode of practicing my invention preferably comprises introducing a heated fractionatable material onto a rapidly rotating member to effect attenuated film projection thereof and simultaneously fractionating the material while in attenuated film projection by subjecting the same to reduced pressure, and concurrently removing separated fractions of the material in separate conduits.

As illustrated in Fig. l of the accompanying drawings, the degasser comprising my present invention includes a housing 11 provided with an integral curved bottom 12, a removable cover plate or top 13, and a closure 14 at one side thereof. Supported on the cover plate 13 is a power unit, preferably an electric motor 16, the shaft 17 of which passes through an opening in cover plate 13 and extends within housing 11 centrally thereof. Any suitable gasket, such as a Victorprene seal 18, is disposed at the juncture of shaft 17 with housing top 13 to seal this joint against air leakage.

In accordance with the present invention, a rotatable member 21 is mounted within housing 11 in positive direct driving connection with the motor 16. While any suitable coupling can be employed, I preferably utilize a connection assembly comprising a bushing 22 having a tapered bore in which is removably received a tapered sleeve 23, the sleeve being provided with a key, not shown, for fitting into a keyway, also not shown, in the motor shaft 1-7. A connection assembly of this type is commercially available under the trademark TapenLock, a product of Dodge Manufacturing Corporation, of Mishawaka, Indiana. Suitable threaded recesses are provided in the bushing and sleeve for receiving screw-bolts whereby the assembly can be tightened in operative position or released therefrom. The bushing 22 is welded directly to an annular flange 24 formed on rotatable member 21.

The construction ofrotatable member 21 is such as to is a smooth and uninterrupted surface; such surface being curved inwardly adjacent to the bottom edge of the mem-' her, and the bottom edge flattened, as at 27, for a purpose hereinafter specified. The curvature of the member 21 adjacent its bottom edge defines an inner annular pocket 28 in which the work material collects and from which the treated material is removed as described below.

My improved degasser also includes meansfor delivering and impounding a gas-containing material, suchqas any material containing air or the like, centrally of t e rotatable member 21. These means comprise a material delivery pipe 31, controlled by a suitable valve, not shown, which is rigidly secured by a bracket 32 and fastening means, see Fig. 3, tothe exterior of the housing 11 and which projects into the hous ng. The inner end of the section of delivery pipe 31 within housing 11 is provided with a port or outlet 33, and such sect orrot pipe is disposed within a tube 34 so that communication isestablished between the pipe 31 throughport 33 thereof and the tube 34. In accordance with the present invention, I provide a pivotal connection between tube 34 and delivery pipe 31 in order that the tube 34 and parts connected thereto may be pivoted from their operat ve positions to the bottom of the housing 11 to permit ready access to the rotatable member 21 and other parts for cleansing operations. To this end, a bifurcated clamp 36 is mounted about the end of tube 34 adjacent its uncture with delivery pipe 31, the clamp being tightened by means of bolts 3? to provide the pivotal connection as indicated by the showing ofFigs. land 3 with the port 33 of delivery pipe 31 communicating with or open to the interior.

of tube 34-.

As particularly shown in Flg. 1, tube 34 consists of 3 2 in a relatively thin film outwardly to the annular pocket28.

The improved degasser of the present invention also includes a scoop 56 of curved contour having an orifice 0r inlet 57 disposed at the pocket 28 .of the rotatable member 21 and faced infa direction to receive the treated material. The scoop 56 is a hollowtube and communicates with an enlarged tube 58 which, in turn, communicates with enlarged discharge conduit 42 through its inlet 4-3. 56 and enlarged tube 58 can be formed'as an integral unit and welded or otherwise securely fastened to the vertical section 41 of tube 34 to present the orifice or inlet 57 of the scoop in operative position.

In order to prevent accumulation of work material on the bottom 12 of the housing, a slinger ring 61 of thin sheet non-corrosive metalis rotatably mounted by means of bearings 62 on the enlarged conduit 42 adjacent to the lower edge of the rotatable member, such slinger ring being fastened by means of bolts 63 to a disk '64, preferably fabricated of a composition of phenolic resin and Fiberglas for withstanding high temperatures and being chemically resistant to acids and alkalies. The upper surface of disk 64 adjacent its perimeter engagesthe flattened section of the lower edge of the rotatable member 21. By frictional contact between member 21 and disk 64, the latter .is rapidly rotated with the rotatable member and since the slinger ring 61 is bolted to disk 64, the slinger ring 61 will correspondingly rotate. As a result, material deflected by scoop 56 and falling onto the upper surface of the slinger ring will be flung by .centrifugal action back into the annular pocket 28 of the rotatable member 21. Yery little material, of course, will drop from time to time onto the slinger ring but if it were not present in the combination, the dropped material would accumulate on the bottom of the housing 11' causing section 33 leading to the approximate center of the housing 11, an elbow 39, and a straight vertical section 2 which terminates adjacent to the upper central portion of the inner peripheral surface 26 of rotatable member 21. Surrounding the vertical section 41 of tube 34 is an enlarged conduit 42 having an inlet 43' at one side thereof and an outlet 44 adjacent the bottom thereof, such conduit 42 serving to efiect the discharge of the work material, after treatment, through its outlet 44 into a takeofi pipe 46, see Fig. 3, exending across the housing 11 and to the exterior thereof through a stutfing-box 47. To guide the delivered material, which will continuously be impounded centrally of rotatable member 21, onto the inner surface 26 of rapidly rotating member 21, I

preferably utilize an element 48 which aptly may be termed a buttering ring. The battering ring 48 is a cuplike element having a sleeve 49 thereon for mounting the same in operative position on the upper end of the vertical'section 41 of the tube 34. The sleeve 49 of ring isaifords a slip-fit connection with tube section 41 and the butteiing ring is thus freely mounted for rotation. l also provide a coil spring 51 for urging the buttering ring 48 axially along the vertical section 41 of the tube 34 toward the rotatable member 21; the spring 51 being seated upon the top of enlarged'conduit 42 and engaging the underside of the buttering ring; As materialis delivered, the buttering ring 48 is initially in close proximity to the rotatable member and the ring guidesthe material on a smooth angle outwardly to the inner periphery 26 of the member and spreads the material in the same manner as the spreading of butter or the like. Due to the rapid rotation of member 21, the material frictionally engages the buttering ring at its rim to cause the ring to rotate and at the same time the ring moves undue labor for cleansing operations.

It is to be observed that the slinger ring '61 and the disk 64 are arranged in spaced relationship and it is also to be observed that I provide a plurality of openings 66 in disk 64. This arrangement and construction is to atford the gases extracted from the work material to escape from underneath the rotatable member 21 into the space defining the housing 11 from which space it is con t nuously evacuated. To this end, I provide a conventional vacuum pump '71, see Fig. 1, which draws air or other gas from within the housing 11 through a conduit 72 which communicates with the interior of the housing through an opening 73 in the cover plate 13. Thus, the work material can be treated in a partial vacuum, and l preferably arrange for a negative pressure of the order of 28 to 29 inches of mercury. A suitable vacuum gauge 74 is mounted on the cover plate 13 and placed in communication with the housing interior to afford visible indication at all times of the vacuum condition. 7

A second material delivery pipe 76 is provided in my 7 improved equipment leading into housing 11 from the opposite side thereof to the connection of pipe 31, and

15 secured to the housing in the same manner as materialv normally immiscible liquids can be deliveredthrough the separate pipes 31 and 76 and impounded together centrally of the rapidly rotating member 21. The action of rotatable member'Zl effects attenuation of the combined materials and a thorough intimate mixing thereof to render the same substantially miscible. This treatmerit of two different liquids can be carried on at normal temperatures and pressures, or can be carried out with the space defined by housing 11 under partial vacuum,

As shown in Figs. land 4, the-conduit'42, scoop using the vacuum pump 71, to effect withdrawal of air or other gas entrained in the liquids.

In accordance with my present invention, a single liquid capable of fractionation, such as a liquid fuel including petroleum or sea water from which potable water may be extracted in vapor phase for subsequent condensation, can be preheated and delivered to the housing through either pipe 31 or pipe 76 to be impounded centrally of the rotatable member 21 which is started and rotated rapidly in all cases prior to the impounding of any material centrally thereof. Simultaneously with the pumping of the heated material into the housing 11, the vacuum pump 71 is started and the pressure within the space defined by the housing 11 is materially reduced. The component of the heated delivered material which boils and vaporizes at reduced pressures of the order of 28 to 29 inches of mercury will be withdrawn in vapor phase from the attenuated material as it is projected along the inner periphery 26 of the rotatable member 21, and will pass through the openings 66 of the sheet or disk 64 and be drawn through conduit 72 by the vacuum pump for delivery to a suitable condenser for recovery as a liquid. The other components of the material will be picked up from the annular pocket 28 of the rotatable member 21 by scoop 56 and delivered through enlarged conduit 42 to the take-off or discharge pipe 46 for storage or transfer to other points. Fractionation of materials can readily and economically be thus effected in my improved degasser and improved process of treating materials.

The closure 14, see Figs. 1 and 3 can be hinged to a wall of housing 11, as at 81, and can be held in closed position by any suitable latching means, such as a C-clamp 82 regulated by screw 83. Not only the joint between the housing 11 and closure 14 but all other joints, such as between the housing 11 and cover plate 13, are sealed to render the housing air-tight, and preferably by means of D-tubing 84 of rubber which is fitted into suitable channels formed in the housing walls for receiving the tubing.

Due to the properties of the materials treated, and they are sometimes quite viscous and gummy, certain of the parts of the equipment become gummy and otherwise deleteriously affected. To effect speedy cleansing action, without undue labor and other expense, the improved degasser not only affords delivery of a cleansing solution whenever desired, but also affords ready access to soiled parts through closure 14. In order to permit the pivoting of the tube 34 and connecteclunits and lowering thereof to the bottom of the housing 11, that portion of the discharge pipe 46 extending from the outlet 44 of conduit 42 to the outside of the housing is conveniently made up in sections. As shown in Fig. 3, I provide an inner end short pipe section 91, which is welded to the conduit 42, and a relatively long section 92. Suitable unions 93 and 94 connect long section 92 at one end to short pipe section 91 and at the other end to the discharge pipe 46 adjacent to the wall of the housing. By such sectional construction of the discharge pipe 46 within the housing 11, it is only necessary, when desiring to bring the tube 34 and connected units to the bottom of the housing for gaining access through closure 14 to parts for cleaning operations, to remove long pipe section 92 by applying a spanner or other suitable wrench to the unions 93 and 94 to disconnect section 92 from the remaining pipe sections, thus affording sufi'icient space to swing the tube 34 and connected parts downwardly.

To insure alignment of units and proper, as well as efiective, positioning of the scoop S6 at the annulus 28 of the rotating member during operations to efiect the picking up of treated material at the annulus, I provide a support member consisting of a yoke, the legs 96 of which are pivoted by means of bolts 97 to brackets 98 secured inside and at opposite sides of housing 11, see

Fig. 1 of the drawings. Only one leg, one bolt and one bracket of this pivoted support member are shown, it being understood that the yoke is symmetrical. At the top of the yoke, I provide a cradle 99 which preferably is integral With the yoke or which can be a separate part either welded or detachably secured in position on top of the yoke. At one side of the cradle 99, I provide a detent 100 against which the elbow 39 of the tube 34 abuts to prevent displacement of the parts. Upon swinging of the tube 34 on its pivot 36 and delivery pipe 31 to bring the vertical section 41 of the tube into axial alignment with the axis of the rotatable member 21, the yoke is raised to bring the cradle 99 thereof just under the elbow 39 of tube 34. The yoke will support the tube 34 and its connected parts under operating conditions, and detent 100 of the yoke serves to prevent movement of these parts laterally or out of axial alignment. Preferably, the brackets 98 of the yoke are disposed just off center of the transverse center of the bottom 12 of the housing to the end that the action of the detent 100 is effective. When it is desired to lower the tube 34 and its connected parts, the yoke is pivoted on its pivot bolts 97 and laid along the bottom of the housing, as indicated by the dotted line showings of Fig. l, and in this pivoting of the yoke, the detent 100 will slide under the elbow 39 readily since the tube 34 of which the elbow is a part is pivetally mounted, as above described, and the elbow will rise sufficiently to slip the cradle and detent past the same.

It is to be understood that the appended claims are to be accorded a range of equivalents commensurate in scope with the advance made over the prior art.

I claim:

1. A-degasser comprising an air-tight housing, a member rotatably mounted within said housing; said member having an uninterrupted, inner peripheral surface, means for impounding a gas-containing material centrally of said member adjacent to said peripheral surface, a buttering ring axially movable and rotatably supported adjacent to said peripheral surface for guiding and spreading said impounded material onto said peripheral surface, means for rapidly rotating said member to effect attenuation of said material in a projected film radially outwardly along said surface, an annulus defined by said member for receiving the projected film, a slinger ring rotatably supported below said member for receiving deflected material and for flinging the material back into said annulus, a perforated sheet secured to said slinger ring in spaced relation thereto, means for extracting gas from said material as it is projected in an attenuated film on said surface; said means for effecting a partial vacuum in said housing and the withdrawal of extracted gas through the perforations of said sheet and from said housing, and means for collecting the attenuated projected film from which gas has been extracted and for discharging the same from said housing.

2. A degasser comprising an air-tight housing, a member rotatably mounted within said housing; said member having an inner arcuate periphery and having an open bottom bounded by a flattened edge, means for impounding a gas-containing material centrally of said member adjacent to said inner periphery, means for guiding and spreading the impounded material onto said peripheral surface, means for rapidly rotating said member to effect attenuation of said material in a projected film radially outwardly along said periphery, an annulus defined by said member for receiving the projected film, a perforated sheet rotatably supported adjacent to and engaging said flattened edge of said member; said sheet being adapted to be rotated by said member, a slinger ring connected to said perforated sheet and arranged above and in spaced relation to said sheet; said slinger ring being adapted to receive deflected material and to fling the material by centrifugal action back into said annulus, and means for extracting gas from said projected film of material and withdrawing the same from said housing through the perforations of said sheet. I

3. A degasser comprising an air-tight housing, a mem ber 'rotatably mounted Within said housing; said member being generally "dome-shape, opening at the bottom thereof and having an uninterrupted, smooth inner peripheral surface, means 'for impounding a gas-containing material centrally of said member adjacent to said inner peripheral surface; saidmea'ns comprising a material delivery pipe projecting into said housing, a tube pivotally connected to said pipe and communicating therewith, a tube section on said tube arranged in axial alignment with the axis of said member, and means for securing said tube to said pipe 'to maintain said tube section in axial alignment with the axis of said member, and means directly connected to said member for rapidly rotating said member to effect projection of said material radially outwardly along said inner periphery in the form of an attenuated film, and means for extracting the gas from said material during its attenuation on said member and for removing the gas from said housing.

4. A degasser comprising an air-tight housing, a member 'rotatably'mounted within said housing about a vertical axis; said member having a smooth arcuate inner periphery and having an opening in the bottom thereof bounded by afiattened edge, a material delivery pipe projecting into said housing, a tube pivotally connected to said pipe and communicating with said pipe, a tube 7 section maintained in axial alignment with the axis of said member; said pipe and tube and tube section serving .to impound a gas-containing material centrally ofsaid member adjacent said inner periphery, a buttering ring mounted on said tube section for axial and rotatable movement with its rim supported in' close proximity to 7 tion and engaging said flattened edge or said member for I rotation thereby, a'slinger ring rotatably mounted on said tube sectionin spaced relation above and connected to said sheet; said slinger ring being adapted to be rotated with the rotation of said sheet and to fling -deflectedm'aterial back into said annulus by centrifugal'action, means for loosening the pivotal connection between said ma-' terial delivery pipe and 's'aidtube whereby'said tube, tube section, buttering ring, slinger ring and sheet may all t be lowered from operative positions to the bottom of said housing to enable parts readily to :be cleaned, a

closure hingedly secured to one side of said'housing for gaining access tothe interior thereof, and means for extracting gas from the gas-containing material while in projected film condition on the inner periphery of said and from which gas has been extracted, and means for discharging the collected degassed material from said housing.

6. In a degasser of the character described, the cornbi'na't'i'on within a housing of a material delivery pipe section, a tube pivotally connected to'the inner end of said,

pipe section and communicating therewith, and a tube section on said tube supported'centrally of the housing, rotatable units mounted on said tube section, and a means for permitting the pivoting of said tube and said Z tube section carrying said rotatable units to lower the same to the bottom of the housing. 7 a

7. A degasser comprising an air-tight housing, a sub stantially completely closed rotating casing within said housing, means for feeding material to said casing as a film for centrifugal attenuation, collector means for dis placing and removing the attenuated film material, a vacuum connection to said housing, a bottom portion of the casing having ports therein for evacuation ofgas and vapor from the casing, and a rotating slinger member a spaced inwardly of such bottom portion, said slinger member thus partially obscuring the ports. and serving to defiectm'aterial falling thereon. a a

8. in a degasser of the character described, -a rotating casing having an annular material working surface and an opening in the wall thereofbenea'th such surface, means for feeding material onto said surface-as a film for.

centrifugal attenuation, means for collecting and dis charging "the attenuated film material, a closure for such opening "of the casing including inner and outer rotating f members spaced slightly apart on a common axis of rotation, the outer member having a plurality of ports therein within the projected area ofthe inner member 7 for gas and vapor passage from the casing, and means mounting said members for swinging movement as a unit away from a normal position closing the casing, thereby to provide access to the casing interior.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS Borden Apr. 24, 19 2s a

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