US654647A - Process of washing fibrous materials. - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 3|, I900.

E. KOPPELMANN.

PROGESSOF WASHING FIBROUS MATERIALS (Application filed 110v. 11, 1899.)

' (Nu mum.

If'pul [Doienr WITNESSES INVENTDR wjqgpzw ATT'Y establishments for filtering liquor.

PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE KdPPELMANN, OF NEW roan, N11.

PROCESS orwAsl-lmcrlsaous MATERIALS.

srncrrzcanon forming 5m of Letters Patent No. 654,647, dated .m 31, 1900.

Application filed November 11, 1899. sent! No. 736,692. (No speolmensi) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE K5PPELMANN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Bronx, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Washing Fi brous Materials, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the cleaning of fibrous, granular, or other finely-separated material employed in the various arts and manufactures.

I have invented a new process and method of cleaning any material when in a loose state wherever that result'may be accomplished by a direct and turbulent agitation of the material and either with or without the additional application of water, hot or cold, steam, or either of them.

Many different kinds of raw material require cleansing before use, and many kinds are used as media for straining, purifying, and other purposes in the'different arts and manufactures, particular reference being made to the use of a fibrous pulp in brewing- It is the custom in brewing maltous liquors immediately before shipment to strain the liquor as it comes from the storage-casks through filtersunder pressure in order to clarify it and remove any sediment or other impurities resultant from the brew of the same. This is done by passing the beer or other liquor through filters in which are placed layers of different substance-such as a pulp of fibrous material, either cotton, wood, or any other suitable fiber, or charcoal, sand, sponge, and like material, closely packed'-which is designed to catch said impurities and to strain and filter the liquor when it is forced through the same by pressure. The media after frequent use must be washed and thoroughly cleaned,

move extraneous substances foreign to the same and leave the fiber in its proper clean condition. The dirt so removed may be carried oif by means of water or other suitable medium.

I have limited the illustration of my process to the cleansing of fibrous pulp; but this is done without limitation and with the statement that the process is just as effective with all other media. Purely mechanical means of agitation by means of revolving paddles have been found to injure the fiber and to make the same lumpy and often unfit for use.

The object of my invention is to provide a method of cleansing material of a fibrous, granular, or separated nature by means of a rapid, uniform, and continuous agitation of the material, whereby n0 inj ury will be caused and the material after being cleaned will be in a separated and fiuify and good condition. I have illustrated the mode of practicing my invention by an apparatus especially designed for the application of the same to the cleansing of filter media used by brewers and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout both figures.

Figure I is a longitudinal section of an apparatus used in my process. Fig. II is a cross-section of the same above the supplypipes.

1 is a tank provided with systems of piping for the introduction of air, water, hot or cold, and steam, all under pressure, of such an amount determinable upon the nature, condition, and volume of the material to be cleaned. sieves 5 6. l

5 is a cylindrical wire sieve extending around the inside of the tank and resting upon The tank is supplied with two an angle-iron secured to the interior of the shown in Fig. 1-1, for the purpose of e rercisebullient condition. The introductionot the mass of material, whatever that mayconsist on and either hot water or steam is introduced tangentially, so asto direct' the pressure of fiber andkeeping the same well separated.

as coldthrough the same pipe. 7 One set of these piping systems is introduced into the tank on the side and near its bottom, but directly above the sieve 6. They are connected the supply in substantially thatdirection,

ing a'pressure upon the internal mass in or-- der to give it a revolutionary motion.- Another system is connected directly to the bot tom of the tank, with the supply directing its pressure upward. These pipesare all provided with suitable valves for regulatingt-he supply. Pipes-are also provided at4 and 2 2 for drawing oil? the foul water andcleansing.

thesieve. .The pipe 14 will draw ofi all wa'-..

ter in the tank, and drain the media before're-z moval after. the same are cleansed. V The pulp or mass to be cleaned'is put into thetank and thoroughly soaked in cold wa-= ter and at the same time air undera pressure of about ten pounds is introduced through all the ports. The entrance of the air and water through the bottom of the tank has a pres-" sure directly upwa'rd and keeps it well sepaa] rated. and the entire mass in a turbulent and water and air from the side ports, they being tangentially arranged, causes the mass to revolve and whirl in addition to its motion from" the upward pressure of the lower parts. The result is that the mass is thoroughly and rapidly agitated, the water and air reaching every The pressure of air, steam, and water must be usedin .suflicient quantity to keep the of, in a violent state ofv turbidityand agita-. tion". The dirty 'orfoul water is continually flowing off. After themass is well soaked and such impurities as may be removed by cold water disappear the cold water is turned in addition to the air to more thoroughly cleanse the mass from impurities by means of a higher temperature. This hot water or steam, together with air under pressure, is allowed to circulate in the same manner until the mass is in a proper condition, afterwhich the pulp or media is taken out.

It will be noticed that the principal cleans ing factorin, this system is the air, and experiment has shown that the fiber will absorb a considerable amount of oxygen from the airthus introduced, the efiect of which is to freshen the same andgive it considerable life, which it otherwise would not have.

be as clean and pure as possible. The use of air in connection with cold water, hot water, or steam is an advantage of considerable importance. Many materials while being cleansed may be injured by the applicationof too much heat, and if water or steam alone were used-to get an ebullient eflfect upon the massof material it would be necessary to raise the temperature of the water to boiling-point v To get a the best eflfects from the air, the same should '-.in order to do so. The introduction of vair [under pressure causessuch an i ebullient ef- -fect at'any temperature which may be necesand no injurious effects to material can result. This treatment gives the fiber a cer- .tain amount of elasticity, which prevents the 7 same from packing too closely when placed in zthefilters, and. in this'way makes better straining media? Where granular or finelydiyjidedmaterial is to be cleaned, the eiTect of thelintroductioniot theair under pressure is I found in the.thoroughcleaningof each indi- .vidual grain and? particle, as the mass is kept fcontinu'ally in'a" divided or separated state h e ei sh amiaware that priorto m-yinvention fil-,

to ghavebeenin-vented and'used with appaandiwaterto cleanse and purify the bed'of the fi'lter-while in use in such filter, and I do not :5claim. any application of my process to use. qThe fundamental feature of my proci'slthe rapid and-violent ebullition and.

ag ifi tionfof, theentire mass by means of a ratu's-joon'nected therewith for applying air.

any'filter:or-fllter-bedwhilethe same is in.

tauge'ntialand. perpendicular application of force operating on the said mass coming from the {introduction of air, water, and steam with sufficient pressure to accomplishthe desired result. Thetangential pressure causes the material to revolve and work toward the center-of the vessjehand the perpendicular pressure continually lifts the material from thebottom and drives it toward the sides of the vess'el,while tlie'opposing pressures, together with the ebullition caused by the passage of the air through the water and mass cause the fibers and particles of the media to keep separate and travelin all directions ters Patent of the United States, is-

within the vessel-with great speed, resulting 1. Themethod of treating finely-divided material while contained in a suitable vessel,

which consists of a tangential application of airand water to said material, uudersuflicient pressure tocause the material to be violently andrapidly agitated. Y I I 2.:The method of treating finely-divided :material. while contained in a suitable vessel,

which consists of a tangential and perpendicular application to said material of water and air-under such pressure as will causethe same-to be violently and 'rapidly'a gita'ted.

3. The. method of treating finely-divided material, while contained in a suitable vessel, which consists of a direct tangential and per pendicular application to said material of air, I

and steam under such pressure as will cause said material to become violentlyand rapidly agitated.

4. The method of treating finely-divided material, which consists of a tangential and perpendicular application to said material, of air, water and steam under such pressure as will-cause said material to become violently .water until said material is properly cleaned, lo and rapidly agitated. substantially as and for the purposes de- 5. The method of cleaning finely-divided scribed. material, which consists of a continual appli- Signed by me at the city of New York, N. Y., cation of air and water at a proper temperathis 1st day of November, 1899.

ture, to said material under such pressure and EUGENE KGPPELMANN. in such a. manner as .will cause, the material Witnesses: to be rapidly and violently agitated and dis- GEORGE M. S. SGHULZ,

turbed, and the continual removal of dirty- AUGUST 0. DAUM.

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