USRE12448E - Apparatus for sterilizing liquids - Google Patents

Description

N0.12,448. REISSUED PEB. 6, 1906. J. c. MILLER. APPARATUS POB, STBRILIZING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17`, 1903.

FAN

2.SHEETS-SHEET 14 W i fn ess es In :fe/1to1 @ww/A ./n/m Cim/len l Jr Wj@ No. 12,448. A REISSUED PEBL 1906. J. G. MILLER. APPARATUS POR STBMLIZING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY1T,1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2` Frigo' i l /r l i f l 43 l ne. 7 'frz Y Wifn' es. y fn wen fof JJM, /l'llen' IH, l v l 1 I ilization had not taken UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

JOHN C; MILLER. OF OANTON,`OHIO` ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

'.lO THE MILLER PASTEURIZING MACHINE OO., OF CANTON, OHIO, A

kCORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING LIQUIDS.

Specification of Reissued Letters Patent.

v Reissued Feb. 6, 1906.

To a/ZZ Liz/bom, it Wto/,y concern):

Beit known that I, JOHN C. MILLER, a citi- Izen of the United States, residing at Canton,

in the'county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new andl useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sterilizing Liquids; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to -make and use the same. f'

.This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for heating and cooling iquids, and more articularly to an apparatus for treating milk to destroy bacteria and germs and to remove therefromobnoxious odors and taste, all of which may be accomplished without imparting to the milk a cooked taste, which is generally noticeable in ,milktreated by other processes and means, and, furthermore, without destroying the cream-giving properties of the milk, whereby` the cream may be skimmed from the mil treated by my process the sameasif the sterace.

This' invention consists, broadly, Vinthe construction and arrangement of an apparatus for suddenly and uniformly raising the temperature of the milk to lbe treated to a oint below the boiling-point of water-say,

I or instance, to 168 or 170 Fahrenheitkeeping the milk in constant motion and in an attenuated stream or Yfilm while it is being.

subjected to this high temperature and then immediately directing the milk from the heater to a cooler, where the said heat is suddenly and continuously without pause removed from it and its tem erature reduced to the desired degree. Be ore entering the cooler it is preferably'exposed tothe air to .liberate from, it alll obnoxious fumes and verse o'rizontal vsection on the ine a: of Fig.

l 5o' 1`. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional 0ases.

h n n A n n l l The inventionialso consists in certain other steps, which will be hereinafter described and claimed. l p

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 'a side elevation of an apparatus for carrying outm improved process. Fi 2 is a trans- View on the liney y of Fig. 2. F ig. .4`is a lend of the cylinder 8 is horizontal sectional view on the line z zof Fig. l and Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section', of the steam or hot-water injector'.

Referring to said drawings, 1 denotes the supp orting-bed, and -2 the gear-frame, the latter consisting of vertical standards 3, connected by cross-bars 4.

5 denotes the heater, which consists of the tub 6, which incloses two cylinders 7 and 8, the latter being inclosed within the former and formed with a helical corrugation 9, which throughout its entire length engages the inner wall of the cylinder 7 `and formsa feed-screw. The upper end of the cylinder 7 is formed with an annular trough 10, while the upper rovided with an overhanging flange or shie d 11, which prevents the liquid fed upward by the corrugation 9 being thrown out of the trough and also prevents the steam or hot water becoming mixed with the said liquid. 12 denotes a pipe or conveyer which leads from said trough and communicates with the cooler hereinafter described. Y

` 13 denotes-a supply-pi e, the-upper vend-of which is provided with a unnel 14, into which the liquid is adapted to be' fed, and the lower end of which communicates with a transverse vpipe 15, which communicates with the bottom of the cylinder 7 and is ada ted to supply the liquid to said' cylinder be ow the bottom of the cylinder 8.

a, denotes a vertical tube arranged centrally within the cylinder 8 and secured thereto by braces b and c. Each end of this tube' is open, and the upper end is provided with a funnel d. 1

16 denotes. a shaft fixed in the bottom of the ycylinder 8 and having its lower end stepped in a bearing 17, formed in the bottom of the cylinder 7. Thissliaft is adapted to be rotated in any suitable manner, preferably byV roviding it with a ear `e, which meshes witfi' a gear f, fixed to t e drive-shaft g, and will impart a rotary movement to the cylinder l8 to feed the liquid in the bottom ofthe cylinder 'Ziupward into the trough 10. Steam or hot water is'adapted to be injected into the cylinder 8 to raise the temperature of the liquid as it is being fed upward in an attenuated stream from the bottom'of the cylinder l 7 and between the cylinders 7 and 8 by the helical rib or feed-screw, whereby the liquid under treatment will be thoroughly heated.`

To maintain an e ual temperature around the outside of the cylinder 7 and the inside of thel cylinder 8, and thereby subject all particles of the liquid to a uniform temperature, I provide an in`ector h, which I locate between the tub 6 an the outer cylinder 7. This injector consists of a tube h', the upper end of which is bent over the funnel d to direct the steam and hot water into said funnel. The lower end `of the tube is flared, as shown at h2, and projecting within this fiared` end is a steam or hot-water pipe ha, controlled by a cock hand connected at=its u per end to the main steam-pipe h5. A secon steam-pipe h", provided with a controlling-cock h?, projects'.`

through the tub 6 and is connected with aperforated coil hs, which is arrangedwithin the tub at the bottom thereof.

When the machine is in operation, the hot water is fed into' the tub and entirely sur-' rounds the c linder 7. The cock h* is now opened and t einjector put into action. The hot water is now drawn from the tub by the injector and fed i'ntothe funnel d and passing down the centrally-dis osed vertical pipe is discharged into the cyllnder 8 at the bottom thereof.

ature, so that the milk being fed between said cylinders will have a uniformtem erature.

overflowipe h.

After t e liquid has been thoroughly heated it is desirable to cool the same or reduce it to alow temperature, by doing which it is found that the cooked taste soobjectionable in sterilized liquids is entirely removed, and the sudden subjection of the li uid to a low temperature completes the estroying lof the germs, bacteria, and spores which may be-inV the liquid. I t is desirable in transferrlng the'- liquid from the heater to the cooler to pass it through the air-or vent it, so as to permit of the escape of obnoxious fumes and gases. The

mann er of accomplishing this will -soon* 'appear from the followin description:

The cooler herembefore referred to consists of a tub or casing 19and the cylinders 20 and 21. Within the tub or casing 19 and within the cylinder 21 is adapted to be placed a cooling agent, such as cold water, or, if desired, I ma use cold water in the tub and cold water an ice in the cvlinder 21. The inner cylinder 21 is provided with a helical corrugated feed-screw 22, which coacts with the interior wall of the cylinder 20 vto feed-the liquid under treatment upwardlyin a like manneras inthe description of the heater.

`The conductor-pipe 12 vextends from the ltrough of the heater to a feed-pi e 23, which communicates with a pipe 24, w ich leads to the space between the cylinders 20 and 21 lprovide It will thus be seen that the cylinders 7 and 8 will be kept at the same temperlcock 42, exten s throu and conveys the liquid from the heater to the I' 'rated from said li uid by the action of the heater are liberate so that the liquid when admitted to the cooler is free from such fumes and gases and is in vcondition to have any bacteria or germs therein destroyed by the shock incident to the sudden changing ofthe temperature of Athe liquid. The cylinder 21 is provided with a shaft 25 for rotatin it, and

` this shaft is rovided with a ear-w eel 25',

meshing wit a gear 25%, fixe to the driveshaft. vThe cylinder is also provided with a centrally-disposed tube 26 open at each end and having at its upper end a funnel 26. Through this funnel is adapted to be passed cold water from a pipe 27', provided with a stop-cock 272: The upper end of the cylinder 20 is provided with a trough 27, While the upper end of the cylinder21 is provided with al1 overhanging iian e orshield 28.

29 denotes a disc arge-pipe leading from the trough 27 toa point where'the liquid is to be bottled or stored.

The c linder 20 of the cooler is preferably d with a spiral strip 42, having a continuous an e 43 to form a s iral chamber and is provi ed at its upper en Ywith a trough 42, having an outlet-pipe 42b near its upper edge and may be inclosedwithin the casing 19. The tub at the lower end communicates with a vertically-dis 'osed external pipe 42d, which leads upwai1 ly and communicates with the trough 4 2.

Acold-water ipe42", rov'ided Withastopcommunicates with the upper end ofthe tub. Theice, if used as a coollng agent, is placed `within the cylinder 21 vand the water turned 27 .and 42. The 'water discharglng from the formery pi e enters the plane of the vertically-dispose tube and is di-scharged at the IOO vthe trough 42.l and i on and discharged from itfsjrespective pipes intothe vertical pipe 42 i and yis led to fthe.

trough 4 2a and discharged therefrom through vthe escape-pi e 42". I

From the oregoin description, taken in connection with-the rawin it is believed that the apparatus will be lly understood -without requirin an extended explanation.

It-.may be Well to ay stress upon-the fact th'at" the process carried out by this apparatus is a continuous one and that there are no periods of rest,`thereby enablin me to operate the machine without waste o time, which is common to machines used for similar purposes,

raised to a certain temperature-it is held at that temperature for a certain period before it is passed to the cooler, thus necessitating a halt in the process, and consequently reducing the capacity of the machine. By my apparatus the liquid under treatment is fed to the heater in a continuous stream and flows from the cooler in-a like manner thoroughly sterilized.

It will be noticed that I herein refer to the apparatus at (comprising a number of parts) as a heater, and mean to be understood as referring to and including apparatus capable of accomplishing the first step in pasteurization, which, as is well known, requires .a relatively low temperature (such as that hereinbefore referred to) in comparison with the Irelatively high temperature that is required when the entire work of sterilizing is .to be accomplished in the heating' apparatus.

AsI understand it one part of the total operation of destroying bacteria, spores, &c., is (where relatively low heating, such as I herein mention, is employed) de endent upon the sudden and continuous coo ing of the liquid at as early an instant as ossible after thev heating of it. This imme iate, sudden, and continu ous cooling not only removesthe heat from the milk, .so that it cannot injuriously affect the cream-raising ualities thereof, but

wherein the liquid'ifnder treatment has been brings the temperature o the milk down to a point below' the growing-point of the deleterious bacterial organisms or spores andv prevents the multiplication of those spores and highly resistant forms of bacteria which may have escaped the influence of the heaterthat is to say, according to my resent understanding the two parts of t e apparatus shown,y the heaterandthe cooler, coact asa sterilizer or pasteurizer. y i

With an apparatus constructed substantiall as is that shown and described there are ormed two hollow annular or cylindrical -films of milk, one at the place of heating and one at the place' of cooling, the milk passing immediatel fromwthe pl cey where the heating-film is ormed to tha where the coolingfilm is formed, and it will be seen that the milk constituting these iilrns passes upward in each case and that there is a maintenance of a hydrostatic pressure in each of the two parts of the apparatus. The film-like character of the u Ward-rising column results from the excee ing closeness of the inner cylinder 8 in the heating apparatus to the outer cylinder 7 lthey ybeing only a small fraction of an inch apart. As there is relative motion of the surfaces which form one the inner side p Vwall and the other the outer sidewall of the passage-way for the milk-film, the surfaces themselves act to preventl the formation of any filaments or particles of coagulation which may tend to form, particularly where there is surface present u pon which they can comthe therefrom.

coagulating o the milk or the collecting of it as a coat upon either of the walls is prevented, for the rotation of the wall keeps up such a motion among the particles (though not an agitating motion) as to prevent the collection of coats or filaments. The screw device 9 assists in performing these functions, but is not absolutelyessential therefor. The closeness of the thin straight metallic Walls, as Will be readily seen, results in a species of horizontal helical movement being imparted to the milk particlesI as they travel upward, thus elongating their path.

Prior to my invention many different styles of apparatus have been devised both for heating and fori cooling milk; but I believe that I am the first `to discover a heatgoverned process for pasteurizing or sterilizing milkwithout injuring its cream-giving qualities and to invent a complete continuous apparatus for carrying out this process in which all of the elements are so correlated that all of the particles of milk to be treated are first suddenly and uniformly raised in temperature to the degree required to kill germs or bacteria of certain deleterious species and then immediately'u on the partlcles being sufficiently heated t ey are subjected to a cooling action which suddenly and continuously without pause removes all of the heat from them which would tend to injuriously affect the cream-giving ualities of the milk, and the temperature of al the particles of milk is further reduced to the point 'at which the multi lication of such spores or. bacteria as may liave escaped destruction b the heat is prevented. During both the ,su den and uniform raising of the tem` erature of all of the milk particles and the su den and continuous cooling thereof I have found it highly desirable to cause them to travel in a relatively thin attenuated stream or film, and in the raising of their temperature in order to insure vthe uniformity of temperature of all of ply eat uniformly to both sides of said'relatively thin attenuated stream or film from the moment the particles enter the region of heat application until the yare delivered I have found 1t especially desirable to remove the heat from the milk as rapidly, suddenly, and thoroughly as posroo riol

particles I have found it desirable to ap- Y through cooling-chambers whose walls are so 'arranged as to permit it to flow therethrough sible, or, in other words, as nearly instantaneously as possible. In the cooler herein describedI avoid the exposure to the air during the cooling stage, and thus avoid reinfecting the milk with the bacteria or the spores with which the open air is well known to be charged. QI effect a quick, thorough, and uniform cooling by passmg it upward. in an annular or cylindrical film, as above described, this being greatly superior to the cooling of the hot body of liquid while remaining in bulk or by allowing it to pass under the action of gravity in voluminous currents or streams of large cross-dimensions.

` the tu hot-water-discharge pipe located in the bot- Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an apparatus of the 'character described, the combination with a heatercomprising a tub, two cylinders placed within the tub oneA within the other, one of said cylinders being provided with a feed-screw which works against the other cylinder, of asteam or hot-water pipe located within the tub exterior to the cylinders, and an inector located in the tub to eject thefwater-t erefrom and inject it into the innermost cylinder whereby a uniform temperature is maintained between the two cylinders, substantially asset forth. 2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a heater comprisin a tub and two cylinders placed within the tu one Within the other, one of said cylinders being provided with a feedscrew which works against the other c linder, of a steam or hot-water pipe locate within the tub exterior to the cylinders, and an injector located Within the -tub to eject the water therefrom and inject it into the innermost cylinder whereby a uniform temperature is maintained between the two cylinders, substantially as set forth. Y i 3Q In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a heater comprisin tub and two cylinders placed within one within the other, of a steam or tom of the tub exterior to the cylinders, and an injector leading from thc tub to the innermost cylinder, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a heater comprising a tub and two cylinders placed within the tub one within the other, of a steam or hot-water coil located in the bottom of the tub exterior to the cylinders, a vertical. pipe extending downwardly and in close proximity to the bottom of the innermost cylinder, and aninjector leading from the tub and adapted to dischar e into the vertically-disposed ipe within t e cylinder, substantially as set orth.

5.l The combination of a cooler comprising a Water-pipe communicating with the inner cylinder and the tortuous `passage of the outer cylinder, a pipe communicating with the lower end of the tortuous passage and the last-named trough, substantially as set forth. 6. In a mechanism fortreating milk and other liquids, the combination of an outer water-holding vessel having a thin wall on the outer side of a milk-passage, a' duct leading milk to the bottom of the said milk-passage, a trough or receptacle for the milk at the upper end of the said passa e, an inner rotary vessel ada ted to hold a ody of water and having a t in wall forming the inner side 'of the milk-passage, and a shield carried by the said inner vessel ,and extending outward over the said milk-trough and turned down to leave its outer edge in vertical lines which are outside of the vertical lines of the milktrough and adapted to direct the overflowr from the inner water-holding vessel into the outer one, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus for treating milk, the combination of an inner water-holding vessel, a second vessel, the adj acentwalls of said vessels forming a relatively thin passage-way for the milk between them, and the said inner vesselbeing adapted to hold a body of water normally cut off from the outer vessel, means for rotating one of said vessels relatively to the other one, an outerwater-holding vessel arranged to hold a body of water around said second vessel, a water-heater in one of said water-holding vessels ada ted to heat the water therein approximate y to a predetermined temperature, and a watereater adapted to continuously su plylieated water to the second water-holt ing vessel of substantially the same temperature as that of the heated water` in the iirst waterholding vessel.

8. In an ap aratus for treating milk, the combination of) an inner water-holding vessel and an outer water-holding vessel with their IOO IOS

IIO

from the said body of water in the said outer water-holdingvessel, a water-heater in one of said vessels adapted to raise the temperature of the water therein to the desired dcgree, a water-heater for the other vessel adapted to continuously deliver Iheated water to it from :the first vessel, and means for rotating one of saidvessels relatively to the other one;

9. In an ap aratus for treating milk, the combination o an inner water-holding vessel, an outer water-holding vessel, the inner wall ofthe latter and the outer wall of the former being arranged to provide a relatively thin passage-way for the milk between them, the said inner water-holding vessel being adapted to hold a body of water normally cut off from the body of water inthe outer waterholding vessel, means for continuouslyisup pl ing water to the inner water-holding vesselrnear the bottom thereof, means for continuously supplying water to the outer water-holding vessel, means for feedingthe milk to the bottom of said milk passage-way,

means for collecting the milk at the top of said milk passa e-way, and means for rotating one of sai water-holding vessels relatively to the other one, substantially as set fort 10. In an apparatus for pasteurizing or sterilizingmilkwithout injuring its creamgiving qualities, the combination'of means or causing the milk to be treated to travel in a relatively attenuated stream or film, means for suddenly and uniformly heating all of the particles of said milk while it is so traveling, means for causing said milk after it has been i heated 'to iiow in a second relatively attenuated stream or film, means for immediately directing the saidheated milk from the delivery-point of the said first stream or film to the receiving-point of the said second stream or lfilm, and means for suddenly and-continuously without pause removing the heat from thel milk while it is traveling in said second stream or film.

11. In an apparatus for treating milk to pasteurize or sterilize it without injuring its cream-giving qualities, the combination of two closelyadjacent heat-conducting walls arranfged to form a relativel thin passa eway or the milk between t em, means Ier substantially uniformi/y heating said walls to the same desired degr e, means forintroducing the milk to be treatedbetween said walls, means' for causingit to flow rapidly therebetween to the point. of its delivery `from said passage-way, whereby all of the' milk particles are suddenly and uniformly heated, a cooler having a heat-conducting surface, means for immediately directing the uniformly-heated milk from the deliver -point of said heated-milk aassa e-way to t e said heat-conducting su ace o? the cooler, means for causing the milk to travel along said cooling-surface in a relatively attenuated stream or film, and means for maintaining the said cooling-surface. at the necessary degree of temperature to suddenly and continuously without pausersmove the said heat from all of the particlesf'of the milk and to reduce the temperature of the milk to the desired deree. g 12. In an apparatus for treating milk to pasteurize or sterilize it without injuring its cream-giving qualities, the'combination of two closely-adjacent heat-conductingwalls arran ed to form a relatively thin passageway or the milk between them, means or substantially uniformly heating said walls to the same desired degree, means for introducing the milk to be treated between said'walls, means for causing it to flow rapidly therebetween in a circuitous path to the point of its delivery from said passage-way, w-hereby all of the milk particles are suddenly and uniformly heated, a cooler having a heat-conducting surface, means for immediately dia recting the uniformly-heated milk from the delivery-point of said milk passage-way to along said cooling-surface in a relatively attenuated streamer film, and means for maintaining the said cooling-surface at the neces- .i

,sary degree of temperature to suddenly and continuousl without pause remove the said heat from a l of the'particles of the milk and to reduce the. temperature of the milk to the desired degree.

13. In an apparatus for pasteurizing or sterilizing milk without injuring its cream- Giving qualities, the combination of a pair of heat-conducting walls arranged to form a relatively thin passa e-way for the'milk to be treated between t em, means for substantially uniform] heating the said walls to th same desired degree, means for introducing the milk to be treated between said walls, means for causing the milk to flow rapidly therebetween to the point of itsdelivery from said passage-Way whereby all Vof the particles are suddenly and uniformly heated, asecond air of heat-conductin walls arranged to orm a second relative y thin passage-way for the milk between them, means for cooling each of said last-described walls tol the de- IOO IIO

sired temperature, means for conducting the 4sterilizing milk without injuring its creamiving qualities, the combination of a pair of eat-conducting Walls arranged to form arelatively thin passage-way for the milk to be treated between them, means for substantially uniformi heating the said walls to the same desired egree, means for introducing the milk to be treated between the said walls,-

means for causing the particles of milk to flow rapidly in a circuitous path therebetween to the point of their delivery from said passage-way whereby all of its particlesare suddenly and uniformly heated, a second pair of heat-Conducting walls arranged to form a second relatively thin passage-way for the milk between them, means for cooling each of said last-described walls to the desired temperature, means for conducting the heated milk from the said rst milk passage-way imaround said outer cylinder, means for rotating one of said cylinders relative t0 the other one, means for maintaining the' water around the walls of said milk passage-Way heated to substantially the same temperature, means for supplying milk from arelatively high level Ato the bottom of said milk passage-way,

means for collecting it at the top thereof, a second pair of concentric cylinders having their adjacent walls arranged to form a relatively thin passage-,way for the milk between them, said passage-Way being arranged at a lower level than the level of the iirstdescribed milk passage-way, means for rotating one of said last-described cylinder-walls relative to the other one, means for supplying cooling medium ofthe desired temperature to each of saidV walls, and means for. iinmediately directing the heated milk collected at the top of the first-described milkpassage- Way to the bottom of said cooling passagewav.

in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. MILLER.

Witnesses:

I-IoMER GIEssEN, WM.` J. PIERO.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature I

Images