US2596661A - Straining means - Google Patents

Description

y 13, 1952 c. F. DINLEY 2,596,661

STRAINING MEANS Filed Aug. 27, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 47 PH, A um My u u W- h 1 &3 f g; Zz h i Q 7 7 I 36 .37 I ;,.25 i" i 52 32 gig g 55 19 2055 way 515 :5 25 3 55 INVENTOR:

' 55 flazwweED/flifly,

' 16' BY W ATTORNEYS.

C. F. DINLEY STRAINING MEANS May 13, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 27, 1946 Patented May 13, 1952 UNI TED s as OE'FHQ STRAINING 'MEANS Clarence F. Dinley, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Detrex Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to straining means. More particularly it has to do with straining means intended for use in connection with solvent extraction apparatus of the type shown and described in Patent 2,447,845 granted to me on August 24, 1948, wherein continually fed divided solid material such as flaked soy beans, nuts, etc. or seeds of various kinds are treated incident to progression, by a screw conveyor, through .ilowing liquid solvent such as trichlorethylene, perchlorethylene or the like in an elongate extraction trough for removal therefrom of oils and/or other desired substances, and wherein the contaminated solvent or miscella is strained incident to withdrawal or discharge from the trough. The means relied upon in the apparatus for straining the miscella includes a screen of wire mesh fabric maintained in peripheral rubbing contact with the threads of the screw conveyor,

said screen being sinuously contoured and thus continually wiped and. vibrated by the action of the conveyor threads so as to be kept clean of adhering particles of the solid material. While the operation of this straining means is entirely satisfactory and effective, the screen fabric eventually wears out and so requires frequent replacements which necessitates shutting down of the apparatus from time to time with corresponding curtailment of its production.

The chief aim of my present invention is to overcome the foregoing drawbacks, which desideratum is realized in practice as hereinafter more fully disclosed, through provision of an improved straining means wherein a screen diaphragm surrounds a portion of the screw conveyor as before but without actually contacting the conveyor threads, and wherein a separate means continually vibrates the diaphragmto shake off adhering particles of the material and prevents the screen from becoming clogged.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following description of the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of top plan showing an end portion of the horizontal extraction trough of a processing apparatus similar to that of the aforementioned application, with a straining means conveniently embodying the present improvements, part of the trough cover having been broken out to expose underlying parts.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the organization taken as indicated by the angled arrows 11-11 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows IlI-III in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are cross sections taken as indicated respectively by the angled arrows IV-IV, V-V, and VI-VI in Fig. 1.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views corresponding to Figs. 1 and -6,'showing an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to Figs. 1-6 of these illustrat-ions, the numeral 10 designates the extraction trough of the apparatus which, in practice, may be fashioned from non-corrosive sheet metal or the like U-shaped cross section as shown in Fig. 4 with outwardly projecting longitudinal flanges l I, at the top and which is provided with a removable cover plate [2 held in place by screw bolts l-3 passing through said flanges. By suitable means (not shown) the particles of divided material to be treated are continually introduced into liquid solvent contained in the trough, through an opening Ill in the cover plate l2 for progression rightward in Fig. 1 by a rotary screw conveyor [5 whereof the threads are conformative with the trough bottom, the solvent continually flowing in the opposite direction and being maintained at a constant level L at or slightly above the top of the conveyor thread.

At the illustrated end, the trough ii.- is reduced as at 43, to semi-circular cross section of somewhat smaller radius and there formed with transversely aligned lateral ofisets ll, with resultant provision of a pocket It for reception of the straining means with which the present invention is more especially concerned. Operative in this pocket 58 is a conveyor section it of small radius to conform with the smaller radius of the trough bottom at that point, the shaft 29 of the conveyor having releasably coupled thereto at 2! an extension 22' which passes out through a fluid sealed stufiing box bearing 23 in the end wall 24 of the trough for application of suitable means (not shown) for driving it.

Fitting into the pocket, with clearance all around 18, is a strainer box 25 which is cruciform in plan and which has imperforate side, end and bottom walls 25, 2'1 and 28 and a recticulate top 29 of wire mesh screening. From Figs. 5 and 6 it will be noted that the box 25 is provided in its bottom with a central opening 30 and that its end walls 2'! have arcuate cut outs 3| to conform with the smaller diameter thread toured to extend over the upper half of the portion of IS the screw conveyor l5. The screen box 25 is supported within the pocket l8 at the region of its corners by four screws 33 which are threadedly engaged in stufiing boxes 39 at the bottom of the pocket I8, see Fig. 6. By means of these screws 38, the box 25 is, in practice, regulatable vertically to position the straining diaphragm 31 in close proximity to the conveyor, care being however taken to insure a working clearance and thus prevent contact with the conveyor threads [9 as the box is vibrated by the means about to be described. Anchored centrally of a bridge bar 40 which connects arcuate end portions 35 of the screen supporting frame 33 at their tops, is a rod 4| which extends freely up through an upstanding apertured boss 42 on the removable longitudinally-divided cover plate 43 which closes the pocket [8 and which at its upper end carries an electric vibrator 45. This vibrator 45 may be of any suitable commercial type and hence need not be described in detail herein. In order to prevent escape of solvent vapors, the protruding end of the rod 4! is enclosed within a flexible sealing tube 46 which may be of rubber or the like and whereof the ends are fitted over and respectively secured, with the aid of clamp bands 41 and 48, circumferentially of boss 42 of the pocket cover E3 and to a pendent boss 49 on the base of the bracket 50 of the vibrator 45. In order to allow free play of the rod ii, a circular opening is provided for its passage through the screen top 25 of the box 25, the edge of said opening being finished off with a reinforcing marginal band 52 of sheet metal.

The strained miscella drains from within the screen box through stand pipes 53 whereof the lower ends are threaded into tapped boses 55 at the bottoms of the olfsets I! as shown in Fig. 5, and which are in direct communication with draw off pipes 56 threaded to said bosses from beneath. In addition to serving as out-flow means for the miscella, the stand pipes 53 determine the level at which the solvent is maintained in the extraction trough l0, and in order that this level may be adjusted to a nicety, said pipes are provided at the top with regulatable tubular screw nipples 57 having polygonal heads for wrench application in adjustment. Referring again to Fig. 5, the stand pipes 53 extend through clearance apertures 58 in upstanding bosses 59 at the bottom of the strainer box 25 and are surrounded by tubular sleeves 65 of leak proof justment of the latter by means of the screws 38.

At their upper ends the sleeves 60 are circumferentially clamped by nuts 6| on the stand pipes 53 and their lower ends are engaged over the bosses 59 wheretothey are secured by clamp bands 62.

The vibrator herein shown by way of example is of course to be regarded as typical of others which may be substituted if desired or found convenient in actual practice.

In the operation of the extractor, the particles of finely divided extractable material continually introduced into the solvent in the trough ID at a uniform definite rate such that they are free to move about in the liquid, are advanced by the conveyor [5 asbefore stated, rightward against the counter flow of the solvent. Some of the smaller and lighter particles of the material will nevertheless follow the solvent into the pocket l8. In moving toward the stand pipes 53, these smaller particles must pass to the diaphragm 31 where they are strained out of the miscella. Due to being impelled by the flow of the miscella, the particles obviously tend to collect on the under surface of the diaphragm 35. However, the hammer-like blows constantly imparted to the strainer box 25 by the action of the electric vibrator 45 cause a rippling or wave effect inthe diaphragm as a consequence of which the gathering particles are shaken loose so that they can be diverted back into the trough proper I5, by the double thread i5, into the province of the main thread of the conveyor l5. By the latter, they are carried to the opposite end (not shown) of the trough for removal with the rest of the extracted material, for example, by the means and in the manner disclosed in my copending application hereinbefore mentioned. The fabric employed for the diaphragm is preferablyv of the plain single woven square mesh variety whereof the interstices are distorted by the vibration and so squeeze out the material particles and prevent their passage with the miscella to the overflow pipes 53.

In the alternative embodiment of Figs. '7 and 8, the strainer box 25a, instead of being supported from beneath as in the first described construction, is hung from the cover of the pocket at corners by suspension rods 65. As shown, these rods are anchored at their lower ends in bosses B5 welded to or otherwise formed on the bottom of the strainer box 25a, and for their passage, clearance openings 6'! and 58 are provided respectively in the screen top 29a of said box and in the cover plate 43a of the pocket I8a. Interposed between the cover plate 43a and nuts 69 threadedly engaging the upper protruding ends of the suspension rods 65 are sleeve elements 10 of resilient material such as rubber. These sleeve elements 10 snugly embrace the rods 65 and seal the openings 68 against leakage of solvent vapors through them from the pocket 18a. If desired or deemed necessary, the sleeves 10 may be bonded to the pocket cover 43a. Adjustment of the nuts 69 will, it will be seen, result in the raising or lowering of the strainer box 25a relative to the conveyer l5a. In all other respects the alternative construction is identical with that of the first described form of my invention, wherefore, in order to preclude the necessity for repetitive description, all other parts not specifically referred to are identified by the same numerals previously employed except for the addition in each instance of the letter a for convenience of more ready distinction.

It is to be understood that I do not consider myself limited to the precise details of the two constructions which I have shown and described for the purposes of exemplifying my invention, since these are susceptible of considerable variation within the scope of the broader of the appended claims, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the solvent extraction art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a round bottomed horizontal trough, a rotary screw conveyer coaxial with the trough bottom fcr advancing divided solid matter therealong suspended in treating liquid, and a discharge outlet for maintaining the level of the liquid somewhat above the top of the conveyer thread; of a straining element in the form of a box supported within the trough over the conveyer and the liquid outlet,said box having side and end walls; and a diaphragm of finely meshed screen fabric at the bottom arched over a portion of the conveyer with intervention of a substantial working clearance to prevent contact with the conveyer, and means for vibrating the straining element.

2. The invention according to claim 1, in which the trough has a cover; in which the straining element has a stem extending upward through the trough cover; and in which the vibrating means is connected to the protruding upper end of the stem.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which the trough has a lateral ofiset in which the outlet is located, in which the outlet is in the form of a stand pipe, in which the strainer box extends into the offset of the trough over the stand pipe and has a solid bottom portion with a clearance opening through which the stand pipe passes, and in which a sleeve of flexible finely meshed fabric loosely surrounds the stand pipe with its lower end secured around the clearance opening in the bottom of the strainer box and its upper end secured around the top of said stand pipe to permit vibration of the box.

4. The invention according to claim 1 further including a plurality of set screws threadedly engaged in the bottom of the trough and adjustably supporting the strainer box from beneath.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which the trough has a lateral offset wherein the outlet is located, in which the outlet is in the form of a stand pipe, in which the strainer box extends into the offset of the trough over the stand pipe and has a solid bottom portion with a clearance opening for the stand pipe, in which a sleeve of flexible finely meshed fabric loosely surrounds the stand pipe with its lower end secured around the clearance opening in the bottom of the strainer box and its upper end secured around-the top of said stand pipe to permit vibration of the box, and in which the stand pipe is provided at the top with an adjustable extension by which the level of the liquid in the trough may be regulated.

6. The invention according to claim 1, in which the trough has a cover; in which the straining element has a stem extending upward through an opening in the trough cover; in which the vibrating means is connected to the protruding upper end of the stem; and in which a sealing means forms a fluid-tight connection around the opening in the trough cover.

6 7. The invention according to claim 1, in which the trough has a cover; in which the straining element has a stem extending up through a clearance opening in the cover; in which the vi-.

brating means is connected to the protruding upper end of the stem; and in which a flexible sealing tube freely surrounds the stem with one end secured about said clearance opening in the trough cover and the other end secured about a pendant boss of the vibrating means.

8. The invention according to claim 1, in which the trough has a cover; in which the straining element has a stem extending upward through an opening in the trough cover; in which the vibrating means is connected to and supported upon the protruding upper end of the stem; and further including means whereby the straining element and the vibrating means are vertically adjustable together in respect to the trough.

9. The invention according to claim 1, in which the trough has a cover; in which the straining element has a stem extending up through a clearance opening in the cover; in which the vibrating means is connected to and supported by the protruding upper end of the stem; in which a flexible sealing tube freely surrounds the stem with one end secured about said clearance opening and the other end secured about a pendant boss of the vibrating means; and further including means whereby the straining element and the vibrating means are vertically adjustable together in respect to the trough.

CLARENCE F. DINLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 939,576 Wheelwright Nov. 9, 1909 1,024,230 Turner et a1. Apr. 23, 1912 1,971,090 Zivicky et a1. Aug. 21, 1934 2,066,364 Rafton Jan. 5, 1937 2,090,767 Sayers et al Aug. 24, 1937 2,146,692 Tiedman' Feb. 7, 1939 2,167,236 Gieseler July 25, 1939 2,183,837 Hamilton et a1. Dec. 19, 1939 2,230,397 Hutchinson Apr. 21, 1942 2,447,845 Dinley Aug. 24, 1948

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