US793133A - Lixiviating apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 793,133. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. A. HINZE.

LIXIVIATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17. 1905.

NITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

LIXIVIATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,133, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed March 17, 1905. Serial No. 250,664.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLF HINZE, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, and a resident of Rosita, Saxe-Altenburg, Germany, have invented new and use ful Improvements in Lixiviating and asln ing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to a continuous-action counter-current washing and lixiviating apparatus for sugar and .other substances.

In order to produce commercial white sugar or to refine raw sugar to a high degree, the usual practice is to separate the syrup, as far as possible, from the raw green sugar or the washed raw sugar in a centrifugal ma chine and then to wash again with steam or water or with a purer or wholly pure liquor of sugar. In washing with steam or water part of the sugar is again dissolved, whereby the quantity of pure sugar obtained from the green sugar is reduced. If, on the other hand, a pure sugar liquor or solution is used, a considerable quantity of sugar nmst be dissolved to produce it, and this is rendered of but small value owing to its absorbing or taking up the non-sugary matters. To over come this drawback as far as possible, a preliminary washing has been introduced-that is to say, for the purification a more or less impure solution or liquor of sugar is taken and subsequently a thoroughly pure one. For the preliminary treatment the run-oft syrup obtained in cleansing with pure, clear, or fine liquor is employed. On this method there are three runnings, which renders the procedure troublesome and uncertain. The most advantageous plan is obviously to employ a single running of little relative value. lVith this object in view various processes have of late been introduced. In such processes several vessels are combined to form a battery. They can be so ar ranged that the syrup of the preceding stage always passes to the sugar mass of the next. Since the water-syrup penetrates the mass very slowly, it is sucked through by vacuum. Certain other apparatus for washing and lixiviating have also been designed, by means of which it is proposed to effect purification on the counter-current principle in a single apparatus. In such apparatus the material is run in at one end and by means of a suitable conveying device (usually of the spiral or screw type) is caused to travel through the apparatus while the washing liquor lows in a contrary direction. One of such apparatus consists of a pipe containing a screw conveyor, the spirals of which are made of line sieves. The sugar mass to be purified is to be caused to flow through the washing liquor .in counter direction. This, however, would appear to be impossible, since the washing liquor (concentrated sugar liquor) after passing through a sieve can, by reason of its viscosity, at most mix with the mass and thereupon be carried back by the latter. If, however, in such apparatus the sugar were washed with water, (which as specilic ally light liquid would seem to be the only one which can come into serious consideration,) so much sugar would be dissolved that the process would not be practically applicable for purifying sugar. In another prior apparatus, which consists of a single compartment, the sugar, in order that it may be mixed, is conveyed from one end to the other by means of spirally disposed agitators. The purpose of this apparatus is to ellect uniform mixing, whereby, however, purification is rendered impossible.

The subject of my invention is a washing apparatus which is freefroni the defects above described and which ellects purification of the sugar in the simplest manner possible.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, in which the figure is a vertical section of the apparatus.

The apparatus consists of a tank H, having a double wall to admit of steam-heating and. divided into compartments by partitions a b c. The number of such partitions depends upon the special conditions of each particular case.

In the tank is mounted an agitating or stirrmg device consisting of a horizontal shaft E, with radial arms E disposed inspiral manner. The purpose of this device is to cause intimate mingling of the massentering at A with the wash liquor and to convey it from A to B. The mass is raised above the partitions a b c by scoops G, removably secured to arms G, projecting from the shaft E. These scoops G are perforated, so that the Washing liquor may be left behind. This liquor must be a more or less concentrated sugar solution of a high degree of purity and must flow in the direction of the arrows C D counter to the mass. In order that this flow may not take place merely at the surface, the wash liquor with the aid of a suitable fall should pass through perforations or sieves F, located alternately at the top and bottomef the partitions a b 0.

Should the Wash liquor, owing to its tak-' ing up the non-sugary matters, become spec'ificall'y too heavy and too viscous,it *ca'n be diluted orthinned, for which purpose a pipe Wis provided.

It is obvious that this washing apparatus can likewise be employed for purifying and} l-ixiviating any other substances the -condi; tions of whichare similar to those of sugar. 1

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new i 1-. A counter 'curren t Washing and liXiviating apparatus, comprising a tank, partitions dividing the same into compartments, said partitions being perforated alternately the one above, the succeeding one below, a spiral conveyer mounted in the tank, and perforated scoops mounted radially on the conveyer, :sitbstantially as described.

2. A counter-current Washing and liXiviating apparatus, comprising a steam-jacketed tank, partitions dividing the same into compartrnents, said partitions being perforated alternately the one above, the succeeding one below, a horizontal shaft moun ted the tank and having s irally+disposed radial arms, and perforate scoops mounted radially on the said :shaft, sabstantially as 'described.

in Witness whereef I have herenntesigned my name, this-3d day-of March, 1995, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

HENRY HAsF-tm, WoLnEivraR HNUPT.

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