Apparatus for continuously extracting products from solid materials

Claim 1

AN APPPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWING AN EXTRACT FROM A SOLID WHICH COMPRISES AN INCLINED PRESSURE VESSEL, FEED MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID VESSEL FOR FEEDING THE SOLIDS FROM WHICH EXTRACT IS TO BE WITHDRAWN INTO SAID VESSEL WITH A MINIMUM LOSS OF PRESSURE FROM SAID VESSEL, A CONTINUOUSLY DRIVEN SCREW CONVEYOR IN SAID VESSEL FOR AGITATING AND ELEVATING THE MATERIAL THEREIN, SAID CONVEYOR HAVING A TUBULAR SHAFT, DISCHARGE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID VESEL FOR DISCHARGING THE EXTRACTED SOLIDS FROM SAID VESSEL WITH A MINIMUM OF LOSS OF PRESSURE FROM SAID VESSEL, MEANS FOR DIRECTION STEAM INTO SAID VESSEL TO MAINTAIN AN ATMOSPHERE THEREIN AT APPROXIMATELY 100 P.S.I., A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED SPRAY NOZZLED DISPOSED AT INTERVALS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY ON SAID TUBULAR SHAFT, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID TUBULAR SHAFT FOR SUPPLYING HOT SOLVENT TO SAID TUBULAR SHAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 150 P.S.I. ONLY WHEN SAID SPRAY NOZZLES ARE DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THE SOLIDS, SAID SOLVENT SUPPLY MEANS COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VALVE HAVING AN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITION RESPECTIVELY BLOCKING AND ALLOWING PASSAGE OF LLLIQUID INTO SAID TUBULAR SHAFT, A CAM OPERATED ELECTRIC SWITCH CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRICALLY OPERATED VALVE TO ACTUATE SAID VALVE, AND A CAM MOUNTED ON SAID TUBULAR SHAFT AND INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SWITCH DURING ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID VALVE, A PISTON SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID TUBULAR SHAFT, A CONTROL ROD CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON AND PROJECTING OUT OF ONE END OF SAID SHAFT, SAID ROD BEING OPERABLE TO SLIDE SAID PISTON LONGITUDINALLY IN SAID TUBULAR SHAFT TO SELECTED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO SAID NOZZLES WHEREBY ONLY THOSE NOZZLES WHICH ARE DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID PISTON AND SAID HOT SOLVENT DISCHARGE MEANS WILL SPRAY SOLVENT INTO SAID VESSEL, AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING THE SOLUTION OF CONCENTRATE AND EXTRACT FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID VESSEL.