The movable bottom, K (Figs. 5 and 6), which closes the base of the filter during the pressing, becomes detached and drops vertically (Figs. 3 and 4), when the filter is disengaged from the press, and the oil cake is to be dropped out. To render the maneuver of this part easy, the bottom is provided with a projecting piece, N, united by a bolt with the band, I, and furnished with an articulated hand-lever, N', that terminates in an appendage, q. The upper part of the hinge is provided with a tail piece, q', under which the appendage q, places itself when the bottom, K, is brought to its horizontal position. Consequently, when the operator desires to let the bottom drop in the position shown by the dotted line (Fig. 5), after the filter has been loosened, he moves the lever, N, to the position shown by the dotted line (Fig. 6). The appendage, q, then disengages itself from the tail piece, q', and the bottom is thus enabled to assume a vertical position. As the bottom at the time of charging would not be sufficiently supported if there merely existed the lever and catch, it is further provided at its opposite extremity with an appendage, r, which slides over a catch, r'. This latter is attached to the disk, m, at the lower extremity of the pin, j (Fig. 7), and takes exactly the proper position when the band is closed at the moment of charging, but leaves it, on the contrary, when the band is loosened to allow the oil cake to drop out.
As the lateral flow takes place through the interstices of the brass lining, there is need of but one cushion on the bottom and another at the top to hold the material to be pressed. The first is a simple hair-cloth disk for preventing the seed from passing through the perforations in the bottom plate; and the second, O, of which Figs. 12 and 13 represent a segment, is formed of three thicknesses of the same material united at the edges by two flat iron circles, s, riveted together. These circles, which are made to fit the inside diameter of the shells very accurately, prevent any leakage of the oil around the presser, G, and keep the hairs from getting caught between this piece and the plates, b.
Charging of the Filter. (Figs. 14 and 15.)--The apparatus for charging the filter is of the same capacity as the latter, and is made of galvanized iron. It is placed on a slide at the aperture of the steam kettle so as to receive the warm seed as it is thrown out by the stirrer. When full, it is taken up by its handles, rested on the rim of the filter, and its contents emptied therein.
General Manipulation of the Press.--Supposing the filter in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, at the moment the seedcake is about to drop out: the operator takes hold of the lock lever, N, with his left hand, raises the bottom, K, to a horizontal position, and at the same time fastens the bolt of the lever by turning it. He then seizes the lever, M, with his right hand, and turns it so as to close the filter, having care at the same time to support the extremity, r, of the bottom with his left hand so that the catch, r', may pass under it when the lever is manipulated. The bottom haircloth is then put in place, the charge is thrown in, and its surface leveled, and the hair-cloth cushion is laid on top. The filter is then revolved around the column so as to bring it into the position shown in Fig. 1. The cock of the distributer that admits water under pressure being turned on, the ram, D, rises, carries with it the filter, and compresses the material against the presser, G. At the end of from six to ten minutes the pressure-valve is closed and the discharge-valve opened. The filter then slides down with its socket along the column, C', till it reaches the shoulder, e, where it rests. It is next swung around to the position shown in Fig. 3, and emptied of its contents by a manipulation, the reverse of that described for charging it. All these manipulations of charging and emptying require no more than half a minute on the part of an experienced workman.
The press under consideration is well adapted to the treatment of heated seed paste, and has been very successfully employed for that purpose in France, Belgium, and Holland. It succeeds equally well for the extraction of oil from nuts. Referring to the drawings, the scales are for Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 15, one fifteenth actual size; Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, one-tenth; Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13, one-fifth.--Machines, Outils et Appareils.
LAURENT & COLLOT'S AUTOMATIC INJECTION PUMP.
As well known, in every well-constructed injection pump, there is a system of gearing which acts upon the suction valve and stops the operation of the pump as soon as the requisite pressure is reached; but the piston, for all that, continues its motion, and, besides the resistant work of the pump has passed through different degrees of intensity, seeing that at every moment of its operation the piston has preserved the same stroke and velocity. We are speaking, be it understood, of pumps that are controlled mechanically. In the one that we are about to describe, things take place far otherwise. In measure as the pressure increases, the stroke of the piston diminishes, and when it has reached its maximum, the motion of the piston ceases entirely. If, during the operation progression undergoes more or less variation, that is, for example, if it diminishes at a given moment to afterwards increase, the stroke of the piston undergoes all the influences of it.
The pump of which we speak is shown in Figs. 16 to 21, and is the invention of Messrs. Laurent Bros. & Collot. It may be described briefly as follows: