..

169

THE ENGINEER
clo not ('1\tail tlw

11>40

of

divi>~ion

tlll~' rrcpnrntor~ rmwhinc~

"l

do not vnr.' with I h<' nature of thE' H<'<'cl !wing

THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- of the firilt divi~ion. On tlw olhN' hand, cotton >-<'C'd dPn lt with, for hr tlw tinH' thE~ :-::eod rN\<'h<'R thE'm

MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.

frequent!~ . unci palm kernels n<'arly always. rc.quirP it ha" lost all it" outqtanding original physical f<ature.<~,
Xo. Til.

PRf:P \It \TORY \1 \('fll '\FHY

Fuc" I he

point uf

tflgtfltCl'tiiJ,!

\It'\\

I hi'
0

of mnchinP~ of all thrPE' kinds. ThP and \\hatt>,er it was to hPgin with i ~ now in thP form
nuwhitw .... of tlw Ar....t di\il'lion nrc in g<'nPrnl of 1\ o( mort or l<>s"' fin<' rneal.
"lll'l't:l li ....<'d nnttll't, tlt11t i.... 111 "1\\,
tlw' arc in IIIO"~l ~ \\'t no\\ 1Hhs to n cJp.,.c-ript ion of tlw IIWI'I' ,,. It,.:;~

t hl'

IIIIHhilltt'\

HP'I<'

.,

'

'll

<:)
(\J

4 .J

..,

't:r't-~

Cl.

'

Q:;

c
.....

IZd1a 30CO!JS I~Pllch

t;t. Back

2.l

,.,_.

10/1 -

'

---

...,.

;~ 1

4.

'-Jll-.

PI an .

4"

. '-

;'T

._. 4 ,_

"""""
-

_l
~ I

. ill
-

- _j_

GUide fo r Nuts.

,...v
3i~

r
J

I-

".;

loose
; I-

K>

'

l~ll

.~

"'I

6RaT
.l.:~
- 1 -9.,.,.

I1-:' _,
ct .

............

'

- 4

F.Jst

'!...Jk"....,'

'--31"~

.a::n.

llll r.r -,

.,.

17

......__:. z~,. . :_..../

ft

u.u

2"2~'-

i II

...

f.

_j-

1'3 dtt~Jlutstd~

'

4"

li "

G rfal- ~

!."Pt...,ts
lPdch

~ .

-'l:.

210;.."

IO

0
I

"T

'I

"'

Front

Elevatton .
Fig. 1

:
";":(',t

1-2~r

: I~ 3

I'

0
t

,_,..

,?

-"'

..

-:.
......
.~
....

l:d

.. ,

!'4 )a"

.J

"\,

.,

. ..

- I 0 dra

Hopper

..'

1-

Stde Elevat1 on
COCO A-NUT

SPLI TTING

MAC HINE

R OSE,

DOWNS

AND

THOI'rlPSON

nncl plant nl'IP!l in th<' production of \'<'gPtnhl<' oil>~ mn,y (fix<'x <'lH'h clc ... igtlC'Cl to ciNtl \\ilh cnw partictthtt' cht"~" ~prciati ... <'d prl'j)l\rntory nuwhi rwr.v in " "" w d t s i~m l'l l
ccmv<'niently he clividcd into fo111' dns.-;c:o;. Fil'l-lt we nf xccc t. 'l'l11 ltutchinc"' of f he sccotH I di' i"'inn Hl'l' fot t h I rc111 llll'llt of <cttni n illljlOf'll\111 oil -lw:uin,g
hn,vc wh1\l tony lw cnlle>d the prcptun.tory rmwhitwr.\,
.... ..
tlw plant. that is to xn~. "hich llt>n l... with tltf' -;ec>d .....
IIliis or fruit as rN<hC'd frorn the gro" cr,.;, and rcclucps
1 hcIIJ to 1\ fc'r"' SllltuiJlc for trNltnwnt in tlw :-.ub-;cq ucnt oi I re>covcr~ pro<<'>l'l<'" Xc"<l '' <' hn ' '<' tlw
pres!lcs whf'r<'in tlw 11111t crial xo prcpnrC'd is cru.,h<cl.
T hi rclly, tlwr<' is th<' plant cmplo,\Pd whC'n tlw oil
8
i-; cxlm<'lcd hv
clwmicnl
sohC' nt"~. t:itlwr ali an HllN'
A
nnt iv< to <rushing or a::; :-. uppiPmentar~ tlwr<'to.
Fourt hi.'. t hCir<' i... t ht plant eJTl ployPd to rf'fitw t h<'
A
wl. ' l'o t he... P four clas..,.es of oil mill machinen unci
...
e

plnnt a fifth ha"' to he addt>d. Thi"' is not xo HHtdl

c-oncC'rned "ith th< production of the oil a.."l "ith tlw

production and tr<'atm<.> nt of the cak<.>.
Of tho machinC'r) in the prc:-paratory class it rnay
- - _ _t.=::!l
h<' said that ther< arC' three distinct cli\if.!ions. I n
I
I'
the first of the"'e "e ha,e the machint>" ancl appliancE>"'
~--- 2 31 - - - -..1
u..,PCJ in the separation of the oi l hE>aring portion of
6
t
I he natural p roduct from the non -oil hNuing portions.
M from secondar~ 011 hearing portions "hich it i. .
I
oI I I
~
Ill!
d< .... i~d to treat apart from thf' fir... t. The port ion~
...
thus sE'parated have in gf'nE'ral to be prcparecl for I he
0
0
g
8 (\ 0
lo
0
pr<>s."!N; by cnL"'hing, i-!hredding. and otherwise reducing
lo ..~
tll<'rn to a JON\1 of suflici<'nt lin<'rl<'<;"! to prespnt tlw
I
0
minute oil vesiclc"' in th<' be.~ t form to the aC'tion of
l
o--o
tlw prE' s. The> machine" thu.-; Nnplo~pd form tlw
,...,
"'
lo
s<con<l o f our thrc<' divisions. Th< third dh ision
'
<ruhmc'E""' mac h i nE''~ and applianC<''l concenwd "ith
lo
0 0
~
0
0
0

0
tho manipulation of the meal jlt>'t h<'fore it goes
into the pre"'~ The-.o manipulations include th<'
I
;...J
hC'ating of the mc>al to a suitabl<> temperature and
"
its rough moulding into !!lab or cake'! for inHt>rtion
"tthin th<' pre"'~ It will be nnder...tood, of cours<.
l
SwAIN St.
that this i"' a gE>rwral outline on I~, and that all oil
lwnring vegetabl<' product" do not necps~rily requin
Fig. 2 MAGNETIC SE PARATOR POR CO PRA.'I. ETC. ROSE. DOW NS AND THOMPSON
t lw "hole run of t h<> applian<.'<'"~ t httR in<UcatNI.
'f'hu'i lim~ee<l, rapCI Heed. and similar Rmall need~
\'Cry Ri Ill ilnr nmong t h<'m>-<'1 VI's " hn t ('\'<'r t hi' -;ccd or Ruh.,tnn< t'"~ HPfor<> doing Hn wo <le>~irc to nu\k<' two
nut h('ing tnnt <d. ThP olfHhin<'" of t h< third fr('JH'l'l\l l'l'lllllrl\~ \\ hirh II 1\V 11\'0id fl('C't\SjO I\ for
No. IT. nppe:tred Fobruar)' lOth.

....

rr- -

JT

,.

TH E ENGINEER'

170

mi'l\tndC'r... tanding. In t h~> first place C'~>rtain of t hf'

maclunh ct~ ... tri lwd twlow art' -..mtubh for trt:a tin~
sub-.tancc-.. utlwr than that Jllfntaon(-'d in the- !wading
undt>r wh1ch tlwy uppcar. ~lC'o ndh, thP fact that
any g'l\en machine i'i mP.ntlo ned a ... b-mg made b'

FEB.

2.1 r 1 , ol 11 t wn"' pcr minutr. A mort o r lc s:; N10iC'al

-..IH 1'1 llll'tul Jwptwr i-.. fht ll "' tr tlw knan .... Tlw
kJJI\t'"' pu-.-1 thruugh O JW IIIIII?" HI thf' -..icJ<'.., uf tiJi..,
laopptr Thrtl' bt-111 plutt'-. 11r knt'f'..; urt' attncIHcl
to tlw m ... aclt of t ht hoptwr tu act a-. guid e-. f(Jr tl w

I111n1
pnul h y
a

23, 1917

\\l't~ht.

nntl on tl(en ...ion clo not ...r, ruplt to

di ... IHIIII'-.t JWnny. ~lony brt,tkdo\\ 11 ., .,f
u:H hiflt r.' IUJ\'t httJl c,HJo-Pd " '' tlw undtll'<'ted
prt..t'th'l' of _-.uch fort-i~n 11u1tttr in th~ 111 uttrial
t rta t td . part acularl~ "'0 m the ca-.P. of mills hand lin~
copru, and ot lwr ~ ub ... tance, "hich a, part of thA
pn para~o~: proce~., ha,-e to be ground. To remo,e

t ht ohwct to nablt' sub tancC'~ re~ort is conunonlv

wadt to hand puking th1 tnaterial heforP. anvthing
, . ,.,,. 1... tlww to 1t.
Tlus proct-ss i.s :-olO\\ and 'rnonot onous, -;o that 1t i-; not surprising that modf'rn
pru<"tict HIIOuld cnll for scnnC' IIIC'<'hanical mcan:-. of
Jll'rforming tlw optrnt ion.
An appliun('e o f this nature, a magnetic RE'parator,
tlltt<ll' b) How, I>rm ns and Thompon, Limitcd, i'l illu-..
t rall'tl in Fig. 2. 'l'lw material t o be~ tr<>ntf'd is dcli\ f'rotl
011 to a " luping l'llwet metal tru y !iUpportc-cl on four
flt'\ihlt s pri11g rorls A and rapidly ,ibrat<'d b~ m ean,
of a countcting-rocl B, and Rhort- throw trank ,haft
Tht s laukiug acIJCitl o f thiH tray diHtribute- the rraaterial
uniform!), unci furthf'r cau"<"' the htoe.,~ iron ingrtdwnt,; to sink h~ gnwit~ to thC' bottom of tlw bat<h.
Sorrwttlrlt-.. tlw tru~ can lw rnadf' in the form of 11
scrt<n, wlwn 1t will ...ern tlw additional purpo... 6 of
stparating an~ fint-- impuritie..;, ;,and, <hips, and ~<o on
Pir. 3- PRELIMINARY BREA KI NG MACHINE- MANLOVE, ALLIOTT
from tht> oil-btaring suhstance. The materJQJ ll'U\'ing
the trM foil-.. on to u pO\H'r-dri\'en magnt>tic harr,.J 0
Ruch ancl c;\l(h a finn doC's not nC'c<>sQ&::-ily mean that nuts ancl l<>ad tlwrn to the c<>ntrc of thf' h o ppPr. pro\ iclNl "it h "'"' t-ral r<m..., o f s tuds, each row Iwin~
it is mndC' onh
Tlwr<> thcy arc cau~ht hy tlw kniH'" and ore cut and mount('(! on n !o.Cparatt comrnutator I>E"ction of till'
. In. that firm.
carriPd dcm n\\ ard .... to fall on to t lw bru e platc of t lw barnl. Tlw ncm-tuagtwtt< tttatf'rial is carriNI ruund
PRF.P \H \TOHY ~r \('fll~F.RY FOR COPRA.
rn1whinl". About 2 horst-powcr i., required to dri\ c tlw hurr<'l und drops ofl at tlw front into a ... uitablt'
Tlw <'Ocoa-nnt'i ns gat lwrt>d ha\'e first to hP this lllfl<'hitw. Its o11t put mU,\' lw rctltrnPd nt hopptr. Tl w iron tnt rutltrs art> carrif'd round to the
split opcn.
ThC' split nut-; art> thE'n SE't in t h<'
sun, pln<'Pd in n kiln, oftl'n of rude constn1et ion or.
8-'l iq now bf'Nnning tlw practice, deposited in a
I
I
light 1,\' built. gal\ ani cd iro n h ouse beneath the fl oor
I
7Hoppu ~clju3tm~

I
I
of~ hwh s t earn-h t-o ting pipes are disposC'1l.
In eit lwr
Scrr: w e
~
~
of tht>se wavs
tht- 1noisturC' contaitwd in the Acsh of
--------(()

I
I
the nut, amounting to nhout half tlw o riginal wcight
~
'(
r. i\
')
of thf' Rt>sh, is clrivcn ofT nnd t lw ftC':-;h itsE'lf becorr'l<'S
r-c
r
~
-1
loosen t>d frot11 t lw s h e>ll. ThE" d r it'd fl er.~h-<'opra i..~
}~
1.:
thE'n exportccl. C:rtnt carc il-l nt>cessary in carQ ing
out the dryi ng proct-s>~ , for thC' natE-rial can rc>adil.' lw
~ ---~ ---.$. --~ --- ~
:..
s poilt b y attcrnpting to drivf' ofT the tnoisture too
rapidly, with the rf-'"!u lt that the flf's h i."l di!-,c-oloHred
/
/
..- _,_
and the oil rE'C'O\ crtcl fr01n it i'i dinicult to refint>.
On t lw other hand. tlw not ural moiblure in the fl<" h
~
must n o t hf' allowNI t o rcntain undut_,. long in contact
-1
With thf' o il in t lw fl('sh after thE' nut., ha\'1' hcen split .
If this is p<'rmittf'd tlw \\at<'r \\ill h y dro lise th<> oil.
~
131
/0\
that i.'l to say,
it will pnter int o dtNnical combination
10\
~

with it and E>plit it up into two elemt>ntc;, namely .

/
glycerine and free fatty acicl.

The splitting of the nutq wa.c;, and s tili is, frt>que ntl.'
performed s imply "ith a. hammer. ) for e scientific
Sw"'" Sc.
means arC> now, ho\\ ever , b<"ing introduced. In
Fir. 5-SHRE DDING AND CRUS Bl HG ROLLs-CRAI G
Fig. I WE' giv<' t h<> gf'ne-ral arrangement of a. ma.chine for thf' purpose made hy Rose, Down<~ and
Thompson, LimitE-d, of Hull. This machine deals 2000 nut s pC'r h our. Jt will, in fact, Rplit thE' nutq ha<'k until the>~ rcach a p o int at which tht:> '*'<'tion of thP
with nutl'l aq gathered, that iH to say, it treats them a.~ fa!-olt as ont man (an fcNI t htm to it.
hn.rrt>l to which t hcy arE' adht>ring i-. automatiC'all~
with their out<r husks s till on. By m eans o f thre<>
The copm as rpceiv{'d at the oi l mill in this or Rome clf'mng~wti'INI for a monwnt to pt>rl'!)it thC'm t o drop
circular knives hnving saw-like t eeth, and spacNI at other count ry is in t II(' fonn of lumps of con;';iclPrahle> off. Tlw Hi?.c of machin<> illu!'ltratE'd ha.~ an output
120 deg. apart, it Puts through hus k, RhPII, and kerniC' size'. Tht>14C1 hiWCl t o lw nchl('f'cl t o thE' form o f " nwal " of from 1 to q t o n s pcr h o ur. It i. drivt>n from the
and dividE-'s t he \\hole into thrN' parts. The knivf?s h ,v vnrioul'l ~o~hrN ldinf_rH oncl grinding~. BPfor1 doing slllnll pullcy nt the cttcl of tlw Ahnltt>r crank "haft,
"llich xhurt is rotutccl Hl :300 rcvolutions pE'r rninute..
Ahout a hor~P - J>O\H'r ix uh"orh<>d in driving tile
llltH-hitw. The ctJrrcnt rcquirC'd for thE' magnetic
hnr-rPI is 7 arnp(rcs at W 'olts. and can h<> convenit>ntly
"iiiJlplitcl h~ 1\ "II lit II ht-11 -cl rivcn cl,\narno prm idt>d for
t IIC' purpo,;c.

c.

t
.-----------

~l

~1m

til

1-

- ~

Pir. _4-SBREDDING- AND

CR USHING ROLLS FOR

COPRA,

ETC.

A. F . CR AIG

are mountC'cl on thrt><' shaftA forming a ttiangle in so, h owc,cr, it il-l nNcssar .y <losch
. to f'xamine tlw
plan, and gcared togethcr by lwvel "hPe ls.
One> rnat<rial for it is frecpiC'nt ly fonnd to contain an odd
of the knifP s hafts i-, d r ivcn O) spur" hNI and pinjon 11~!-mrtttJcnt of scrap iron, stiC'h as harnHtPr hl"nd:-;,
Tlw native' and
from a belt -driven countershaft carrying a Ay-wlwPI. bolts, nut.,, horxP'IhOC''I, nl\ils, &<.
The knives arP 1ft. !;in. in tliaulCte-r , nncl run at a.bo11t othcr gat h t> rcrs of pnllll nut~. coprn. and ~o on. are

lt

)L\( ' III ~

I

- I~

I': S FOR HEDl.TI ~(': <'OPRA. &c.

Thl" rNltwtion of copra a'l import.,.cl t o th<> form of

nwnl forth(' prt>....~ rf'CJIIIr<-. ... pccinl con ... icll'rat um. The
coprn is gctwrall~ rccci\'f'd in pi<'cf'... o f -..wh a ... i7CI
that it hns to lw rPclii<'Pd in t hrt"f'. fo ur. or ,., <>n fin
..,,.pnratt- .... tngc~. l"sunll~ thE>..;c rl'ductimh ar, tITtcltcl
h\ 11wnn-.. of rolls. F o r I lw fi r.... t rcd uct inn, hcmt\'tr.
rolls mu~ he dispctlsccl "rth ancl n prthruinun
lmak111g nuwllirw. Fig. 3. ns made h~ ~ (nnlm t'
\lliott nncl C'o . Limitcd, c,f Xottingharn, tNd in thcir
pltH'P. Thi'l machin( i..; c lainlE'tl to h t- consiclt>rnhh
c-lwapt>r t hnn l'oll.., hoth in first cost anti in mnintcnnrwC', nnd to run without nttf'ntion so long '"" it
is fccl cvclll,\ . Tlw ('thing of 1hf' machine is a Nlst
iron hMrtl ri h bN I in t<rna 11.' to p rpven t t hf' coprn
rotating As a mn=-." within it. Thf' ca.sing contoin'~
n powC'r-drivc>n x('gmPnta l worm having a coar<:C'
pit<h nt the.- fped E>nd and a fin<:'r pitch at th<' dt>liwr~
(nd. At t lw Ia I tf'r t-nd ther<" i'i fittt>d a hardt>ne-cl
twrfomt cd ..,l (>t'l plnt e th.rcH1gh which thf' partially
hrokcn coprn i., fo rcccl hy t ht- worm. A four-hlacltrl
knift> rc, oh (',; agttilhl tlw worm ..,jcJt of thi.., plait
nncl cu t .., t lw copr11 n,; it past>" through t lw pt>l, orat 11111-.. ht..,Hit>s H ....sr....t ing i h pn-..,...ag<> through t hc..c hot.-..
Tlw \\orrn ~ haft ,..., fittt>d \\ith Hoffmann 111111 thnht
ht'aring:-.. Tlw J><'rforat<>d plat<> can he rf'ad1ly
clwng{'d nnd Oil I' "it h !-.lllllll<r holf'-. suhstit utt>cl for
1t. Th1s chang<> JWnnih of the machinC' hf'ing u ...ed
\\ ith cqual rucility for thf' hrC'aking of palm kcrnels.
Thf' nml <>r1nl as t hu-.. di..,intE'gratNl is n t'xt redurl'd
n. <,I PJI furt hcr h~ nwan:-. of roll ... whi('h -.;hrecl and cru... h
it. A "'ct of rolls suitahlc for this purpo...f', a'i madt
by A. F . ('raig and <'o., Litnitc>d, of PaisiE'y, l'i
illust ratNl in Figs. 4 ancl .). ThE' exampl<' lwrt' rE'pres<>ntNI ha'i two pail':-; of rolll'l, the upper pair of "hl(h
iq fhtt(cl longi t uclinnlly, thP lowf'r pair b<>ing plain
Tlw roll..,, ns i.., \Nilll, arc of c hiliNI C'Mt iron ancl are
h~clraulicnll~ pl'tssed on to 1-llf'f'l :-.haftl'l. OnP roll
in <'ll<h pnir runs in fbod h rnrin~s. tltf' othPr running
in ,.Jidmg benting" "hich arc acted upon b) relief

F EB.

33, 1917

bprtng>; ,<!i.. . pos<'cl "athm cmuln~ bo'\:;s on. tho framo

::.Hie,.., 1 ho forc< of th<sc :-.prmg,., as uclju~tnbl<' to
ga H' the rNtllll'<d d<~l'<'<' of prps... uro bPt\\ N'll Uw rolls.
lt~ a. tomnHm :-.IZl' of .uwhnH', OHl' cn,Mhk of cl<>alm~
'' ath 1~ ('\\ l. of tnnttrtn l (11'1' hour, ll_'<' n _
>ll:. t~ro 4< in.
lon~. fhc lo\H' l' rolls un <'tH'h 11m. m dttllll<.'t<'l'.
and nut a.L nhout l
l'<'\ ulul_ions p tr minute.
Til('
upper roll .... tHo of dafT<.nnl daumctcr:-. und r o tate at

:w

THE ENGINEER

171

1 .\bouL 15 hmlw ho~<'PO\H'r is conl"wned in dri,ing

n beL of rolls of th<' ~o-izo m<ntio n<'cl in thi pnrnszrnpJ.i.
A t-<l of rolls mado h) ~IaniO\'<', Alliot L and 'o.,
Limiltd, for tlu :-.utll<' purposo as tho abO\'O i-; n pn~"<' nhd in Fig. li. Jn this casc ther<' an llutc p t\lr"
of dulkd <.ast iron rolk .\11 Aix arc of tho NUll(' :-.i:w,
tttda btmg 15iu. in dinut<'l<r nml :Juin. long. Tlw
l\\ o top pHlf'l{ nrc "Pimlly fhattd all(.! arc dri\ cu from

and in lh<'ir dri\ ing <'oH .... utu<' frotn ' to 10 brakt'l
ltot'l'-(' j>O\\ C'r .

Tlw finn! r('(ht<'t um of till' lllnl<rtal lo llll'al of tlw

prop<r dcgr<'<' of fiH<tus.-; i .... <nrriecl out in powerful
m ils, of "hi< !a an l'~ampl< mado by :'ll<'s..... rs. Manion,
.\llwll ,, tllw.trnt C'd in Fig. 7. The t\C:lion nquircd
i-; om of roll111g not of grinding. Tho fh e roll,., in
tit<' mtl<'hitw illu .... tm.t<d arC' ~>ta<:ktd Y<'rli<ally,
and

un drl\ <'n po~it t\ <'I) hy lll<'atL'i of a doublo lwlicnl

gear\\ h('(l nl <'a< h <nd of <'ll('h roll. Tho rolli> rotato
t\L <'<tUtti sp<<'d s tHad nro ~ilhcr p lain or lightly flut<'cl,
b ot h :-.t.\ l<s twing ofl<n found in tho samo mad1ino
a.l oH<'<'. Tho mnl<rial ktwing tho hopper aL tlw
top is guid<d in o. :-.inuous <'OUI'l{C tluough t.ho r oll!i
b) llli'Hns of fou1 inclinod plat<'s 1<'1 into lh<' mad1iuc
ft't\1111'\\ ork oil nltt>rnal< s id<s of Lhc rolls. T he IO\\ (\sL
roll1-1pincll< <ntTi<s t\\O fas t awl two loos< pull<'.\"
.\ si ntpl< b<'ll shifl<'l' is provicl('(( wJtieh J>Cl'lllits o[ tho
t" o lwlts bciHg utuvtd sintultan<ously. This twoids
tlu ri~->k olh<'l'\\ iso ptcscul of <'Hit.siug dnmn~n by
ta;ut ... millillg lhn <h'i\'11 tnlir<'l) tluough lll<' g<'tll'ulg
ttl ntw l'nd of llw rolls. The output. of llal':iO rollo
'urus fro111 t U to 20 C\\ t. p1' r hour.
I'HEI' \lt.\ IOH\' lrtt :.\ I ~IE'\ l' OF L l =':-;t;EU.

..

Fie. 6- ROLLS FOR FURTHER REDUCTION OF COPRA- MANLOV E,

diff(\rcnL "PC<'d,.,, Tlw laq.!<'t' roll '" Jlilll. lll dmtHCl<-1',

and rWl'i nL ahnut 110 1'1 ' \olutHHt"- 1w Jninutl', the
oma.IIC'r ro ll bem~ 12m., Itt tel t'lliHllll$1: ~~L about 4 i
re\'nlutiOn~". Th< J><'npll('rtd :-.JWN l of tit<' largt' l' roll
is thw.. nbouL thr<<l tunC's lltttl of tit<' ~"-na ll('l'. ..\ 1-1 a
rc .... ult. tho partia.ll ,\ rNhtctd nlN'it\1 fallmg from tl)(.l
h oppN' bcl wf'<'n t l111 lop oil" is s lu<dd<'ll by tlw
fluted ~-> ltrfnc<'>-4. Fnlling h<'l '' el'n tho plain lo\H'r

ALLIOTT

tltc l)('lt puiiC',\ tlL ll11 ~Ill - hand end o f the madull(.'
lh1ouglt double h r-lical gNuing. Thl" two rolls m
ctu:h of llws<' uppcr pau,.; rotate' aL dtff<'rent t-ped,..
"'o lhnL tho adion J~>- a Hlll'C'ddmg and grinding o tw.
Tlu' l\\O lowN' roll~" aro plain and ar<' s<parat<'ly
driH' II <1ll'IJIUtl ~-'Jl<'<'d s by tllC'. b<'ll pull<'y at the ldtluuul l'JIII uf llw tudtittt. Tlw ultl.lcrial at. tlus point

~\c.

Lill,..l'l'd, J'H)Il' "<'I'd, uwl "1111ilar :-.nwll "<'<'ds t'C'CJIIU'I

'<'1'.' ltttlt- " luctul pr<pnrnt 1011 for pn'""i"E! Bt~ oml
'C'f'l'l'lll llg to 1'('1 110\ (' fOJ'('IJ!II IIU\llC'J' :-.uch :-.1'('11,.; JUt\ l
o ul ~ lo lw 1'1'11-.IHd IWl\\l'<'ll roll"' to l'Oll\l'I'L llt<'JH
to llll'ttl "L II(ahll fol' (>l'l'S"IIlg .
\n uppltn1w< fo r >-<'I'<'<'HIIIE! IJJl"-<'C'C l and :-.11111lar
"''I'd " lllHd<' h ) Ho . . c, I )O\\ " " Hlld TIVHII I hOH, Lmlllf'd.
<lf J I ull, I'- tiJu,...ll'<ll<d 111 Ft~. 8. Th1" lllHC'him cnn,...,.,h
of n <n:-.l iron l'l\-.lllg c<mluining a ~"- l o" '' rntal111g
I'\ ltudn<td :-.<ncn into llw iul<'rior of '' hidl lJl(l ~>-l'<'cl

1~-> cl<lt' <'J'<'d .

I 11~"-idc tilt M'r<.cu is a fa,.,t mO\ m~
paddl< \\ 1111'11 throw:-. tit< seed agaiust tit<' intcrior
"-l ll'htc< of Ill(' :-.tI'< 'l'll. The sttd is d<'liv<'l'<'d lo thc..
muhitu 111 the ori!iee A, nnd is <.arricd into lJI(I s<r<'<'ll
h) lit<' nC'liou of 1t 1-' ltorL '' orn fixed on till' l'tHI of tlt<
pnclclll'slmft. Tho s<netling sc..trfHco is foml('d of
(H' J'fOntll'd :-.111'1'1 :-;l(tl ttlld ('0\'CN the HCl'(Wil frttlli('WOI'l<
ftun tlw lim ll B lo tlu line '<..:. 'l'h<' screened S<'<'d
falling lhmugh lh< p<rforations coll~;>cls \\illtin tlw
'1'1':-.tcltoJH'd ltoppl't' for111<'cl b y the lower \\tdls of
t !l(' IIIHII\ l'tl"iug nucl i .... C'tlrric<l b,\' a. r otating '' ortu
<'Jlhc..a to tlw oull('l D o r the out let. E , according to tlw
formntwn ~t\ <'ll to the worm. Tho tailings fail to
pH,....., tltr<Ht~h tlw p<'rforations of tho scn'<'n nwl ur<
ch'lt\ <'r<cl I hrough the gap l<ft be~ ond tlw lim ( (
to Ht\ wtficl' }<' dt\ td<d from tho o rifice E by a parlitiou.
Tlw tmultuw j.., dri' l'll from tlw right-hand ('nd of
llw pttdd I< :-.ht\ ft. Tlw d i,.;cl ulrging worm is chi \'('II
h ,\ l)('ll fro111 llw lc..fl -hund t'JHI of th<' padcll< shafl 1:11111
tl .... <'lf dn\ <'" lim <'\ hndri('al "<rc<n b\ dtain and
.... prmkl'l '' ltl<l.... Tit<' lltttdtittl' illu:-.trat<'d h th Hll
uulput of :!H to :w C'\\ t. )H'r h o ur and rNtuir<,... about,
:J brnk< hor..c -po" ct to drh l' it. Tho padcllr t-hafL
l'llll.... ttl I no )'('\ nlutHHl~ J>l'l' 11111\lll(', the hCl'C(.' U ttL 1 ~.
and lit<' ciJst'llttl'gtHg \\ot'lll alabout 4 2.
On o<cHston tt :-.cl'<'<'ll of lht:-; l,,-p <' i~"> required t o deal
'' ith Hl'<'d,., or oliHt Midi lllt\lcnal o f 'ary111g t'IZC,
and t o ~'~'ptH'ttl <' a b tttch into l" o portion" b estdf':;
lh<' huling~o-. F or lll" lunco, thl' lcft-haucl Jaalf of the
Cl'l'l'lll'd s1ufm<' nuly b o per fo rated , ,in. Hlcsh, and

.'
"'l

II I

:1
J

I.

ti

.J

(J

~~ ~v

v v

I.'
v v v v v, 6 :.t

VVVVVVVV YJ

,.. f

(I' - - -

:;;y

~II

l.

I::I,;

-jo~]~
~

All

I~

I 1-

--

II

--

I-

f--

--.

Ftc. 7- FlNAL BEDUCTIOB ROLLS- MANLOVE, ALLIOTT

rolls 1t ,, .-.ttlJ farther r cdu cld b) a cru,..hing action.

Each of tho four roll>! is provid<..d "ith a ...crapcr
workmg agam.... t 1ts lo\\ cr portion.
Th feed hopp< r
co~istd of a. trough formed O\'er th(: ,..mall<Jr of t h<
two top roll.... At thll front a fi::-..cd plato extt-nds
from it to thu 1trfncc.. of the roll. At the back a
hingod plato. ad)ll .tabk b~ m<'an. of on~;. or t\\ o
Rcrt:ws nnd hand "h( f 1-.. }wrmJt , tlw q wtntity of
mater1al pa, ... mg out of the hopper to be regulated.

':,,.:i/

....A...
lin

Fl1. 8- SC&EEBINO MACHIB E

IOORr.
per Mm

n
r~~F-- o~

rkJ
u

\,.

FOR

LINSEED, ETC.-ROSE,

"
DOWNS

AND

'j.. "

TBOliU'SON

is r olled r at hor than ground. A:; b e fore, tho rolls tho raght-hand p ortio n ~ in . The hopper iA then
uro fitted ~ tth ....crapH,;. Tho foed hopper is provided thvtdcd by a purtihon t~uc h ali at C, und tho di.s\\ ath an adJ u:-.tablc s hutter und a power-drivt:ln ftcd c hu.rg ang ,, orm ~~ nutdo m two corre::.p ondmg portion.~:~,
In this way the
roll 'duch cn,.,urcb tho mutenal bt:a.ng deliver~d e\'cnly one rJ~ht, tho othl'r ldt-hunded.
ulong thl.! length o f tho roJI,.., an tmportant itum m hn< r .,t:wd ht~.;d,., uru deliYcrud through the orificf:l D,
bUCC" ,..:>fnl \\ orkmg.
Thht< roth. are made in 'a n o us thto war,.,(or Hl. E, nnd thu tallmg~ e.t F.
A F>tlt of rollH t-.ttitahle for crushin~ linseed , &c. 1
,..tze.oo~ to trt~at from 12 to 20 cwt. of material pf:lr hour,

172

THE EN G INEER

made by )fanlove, Alliott and Co., Limited, of Nottingham, is illustrated in Fig. 9. The rolls are five in
number, measure l6in. in diameter by 42in. long,
are stacked vertically and are quite plain on the surface. As usual, they are ground with great truth
and are forced on to their shaft by hydraulic pre ~ure,
being thereafter keyed at both ends. The lowest
roll is driven at both ends and is provided with two
additional pulleys, from which belts are; taken ~ to
similar ~:tized pulleys, at each end of the third and
fifth rollA. The bearings for all the rolls except tho
lowest are free to slide vertically in their housings.
Consequently the pressure exerted on the seed being
reduced increases with each step in its descent from
the hopper. The second and fourth rolls are driven
simply by the friction between them and their
neighbours. Tho com;oquont slip of these rolls is

Pic. 9-R OLLS FOR LINSEED, ETC.-llllABLOVE, ALLIOTT

relied upon to give the grinding action which, to a

sm.a.ll e::\.'ient, should accompany the crushing action
of the machine. l\Ieans are provided whereby the
two upper rolls may bo held slightly raised so as to
increase the feed. Additional means are also provided
whereby if de ired the dead weight of the rolls may
be assisted by the action of tightening screws and
springs. The capacity of the rolls illustrated is
about 15 cwt. of seed p or hour.

BRITISH RAILWAYS IN 1916.

NoT since we dealt with the figures for the year

1913 have we reviewed the annual reports of the
railway companies of the United Kingdom. Those
for 1914 and 1915 did not afford the usual satisfaction
to be found in their s tudy, for the reason that the
receipts as returned were not the actual receipts, but
were adjusted so that the companies received, in
accordance with tho agreement arrived at in
'eptember, 1914, and as modified in February, 19 15,
the same net amount as in 1913. By our undertaking
a study of the figures for 1916, it must not be unders tood that any change has been made. We are led
to do so by the hope that the present year may see
the~ termination or modification of the present
relations between the railways and the State. A study
of the financial results will also act as a. reminder of
the magnitude of the business done by our railways.
During the present weok many of us have, in connection with the War Loan, been talking in hundreds of
m illions, and the noble sum raised, 700,000,000 of
new money, provides us with a scale by which to
measure the expenditure on our railways. Thus we
find that last year the eleven principal companies
consumed between an eighth and a. n inth of that
colossal swn. With a. view further to impress upon
our readers the va'ilneSl:l of the business done by the
railway companies--points that must be considered,
if the p re-war relations of railways to the State and to
each other are to be disturbed-we have given in the
review that appears elsewhere in this issue some of
the varied items th.a.t are to be seen in the general
balance sheet which concludes each report. Take the
London and North-Weotern for example. We find
that on December 3 1st lru>t that company had
564,005 in cash at the bankers and in hand,
2,538,337 invested m Government securities and
250,084 in other railwa) companies. The value of
the stores and materials on hand was nearly three
millions sterling. Trac.Lc.r owed 1, I 30,013, and the
l~ostmas l or - ( :c>ut-rul,
.1:71 ,:H).). I u lh~ c:otnpan.\ ,.,
1>8.\ ng~> hank "err i !J l ,iHU, and !.4,224,309 m the
s uperannuation anrl p'ro\ 1dent fund..,, and in the
general renerve fWld , 1,100,000.
As to the figure.-; for receivt:., expendlture and net
receipts, we would $&y that the only actual figures
are those that s how tho expenditure. Anomalous
though it may t>ound, it is the expenditure figures

that detcnnine what Hhall be shown for the grol'S and

net receipt. To undenstand th.i , we must remind
our readers that the Go"emment guarantees the
companies the Rame net receipts that they had in
1913. Two sets of figure: are therefore known- the
actual expenditure for the year, and the net receipts
in 1913. From the latter is deducted th& 25 per cent.
of the fin;t \\ ar bonus-taken, we are told, by the
deputy-chairman of the Fume s Railway , as 6! per
cent. of the net receipts-and the remainder, added
to the actual exp<>ndituro, become the amount of
receipts s hown in tht> report. But whiiHt the Hum
shown for receipts is thus a. fictitious one, the amow1t
given as net receipts is the actual sum provided by
the Government for distribution. The term "actual
s u.1n " is open to modification, as it is more or leRs an
estimate, provi~ionally agreed to by accountantA
repref'lenting tho Government and representing the
companies. " ' ith such vast business transaction.<> as
pass between the two parties, financial disputes mu.'lt
continually arise. Whilst the administration of the
railways is left to a large degree to the companies
themselves, every pound is more or le
crutinised
by the Treasury, which may, for instance, query the
n ece sity for an item of expenditure. A it is quite
out of the que ... tion to dihpo:e of all these mattC'r:;; hy
the end of the year, the amount shown as received from
the Government i" an agreed provisional swn. Xo
oth<>r course is po,..,ible, nor could any other method
have been adopted :-;o ~atihfactorily for arriving at
the amount due to the companies for distribution
among the proprietors, for payment of fixed
charges, &c. But in one particular it is unfortunate,
i.e., the receipts do n ot Rhow the busine s the
companies aro doing. That the amount shown is
altogether out of proportion to the amount of traffic
carried was revealed at the ~ l idland Railway Company's annual meeting on the 15th inst. The
chairman told tho :-;hareholders on that occasion
that there wa an increase of 113,000 in the
passenger receipts for 19 16 ovt>r thol:le of 1913, and of
65 1,000 in the goods receipts. But when we compare
the report for Ia t year with that for 19 13, we find
that the n et receipts are 134,323 lower. Another
company thai furnishes further proof of this anomaly
is the Furnc . The deputy chairman, speaking on
Friday last, said that the company carried about
5,000,000 tons last year. W e find that in 1913 it
carried about 3,400,000 tons, and yet the net receipt.
for 1916 are about 3000 lower than in 1913.
orne idea of the greater cost of \Vorking the railways may be judged from the fact that the eleven com.
panies, the reports of which aro reviewed in this issue
have increa ed their total expenditure from
6 ,15 1,597 in 1913 to 7 ,764,613 last year. This
increase is mainly accounted for by the greater cost
of coal, material and labour. The last item covers
the war bonus, which was until eptember Ia t 5s.
per week to men and 2s. 6d. to boys, but is now
double those ~:;urns. The point may be raised that,
owing to scarcity of labour and material, and to tho
companies boing engaged on other work, less money
is being spent on the repairs and renewal of the track,
locomotives, rolling stock, &c., and that therefore the
expenditure s hould be lower. This is so, but any
amount so saved has been added to the e:-.-penditure
and p laced to reserve. More remains to be said on
this subject, and we shall revert to it in a. moment,
after we have dispo ed of the n et receipts. These,
we would say, were, for the eleven principal companie.'1, 35,835,631 for the year 1913. When the
financial arrangement was come to between the
Government and the companies in eptember, 1914,
there was a. proviso that s hould the net receipts for
the first half of 1914 be lower than tho e for the first
half of 19 13 there s hould be a. corresponding reduction
in the amount to be paid b y the Government for the
year 19 14-. This ca.u.~ed the net receipts for tho
eleven companies for that year to be 35,008,286.
In February, 19 15, this proviso was withdrawn on
condition that the companies paid 25 per cent. of the
war bonus to the staff. This gave b etter results for
the companies, and tho eleven railways referred to
had their net receipts increased to 35,113,581. In
September last a further bonus was given, but the
companies no more than the 25 per cent. of the
original s um. For 1916 tho net receipts of the eleven
companies totalled 35,273,777, an increase which is
principally duo to a concession made by the Government during tho year.
There have, in fact, been two concessions, b oth,
however, long overdue. Taking first the one that has
contributed to an increase in the amount of the n et
receipts. We would again refer to the agreement to
pay net receipts as in 1913.
ince that date most of
the companies have brought capital works, such as
new lines, widening:;, &c., into use which are earning
additional money-additional for the tate, of course,
and not for the companies. But whilst the State ha.s
had the benefit of the moneys so earned the companies
h.a.ve had to pay the interest on the capital. This,
hownver, the Uovernmcnt is now refunding, by paying
mtPr(,.,t on \\ u rk~ brought iulo u."e ~uwe 1912, and Jt
1~ tlw pa~ mPnt of thA intPre!St that accounts for the
tDC'rca ~e m thP uot rcce1pts of 1!)16 over 1915. As,
howe' or, the ele' en compaiUes alread) referred to had
their total capital increabed by over fifteen nulhons
sterling in the two years 1914 and 1915, and the total
increases in their net receipts for 19 16 over 1915 is only
16,000, it follows that the question cannot have been

FzB. 23, 1917

dbpo cd of, and that further such sulll.b may 00 e _
pccte~l. The other concessi?n relates to u;o vcx~l
q_uestlon of arrears o~ ~tenance and renewal.
As has alr~ady been sa1d, owmg to scarcity of lahour
and matenal, and to the companies' shops ancl rue 1
being engaged on. other work, maintenance and
newaL-, have got mto arrear, and, sooner or lntf'r
must be overtaken. B y the time that morntnt
arriv<>s labour and material will be d ea rer than tht>r
would have b?en had th~ _work been taken in han;l
~t the usual tlme. Prov1510n to meet thti! need ha~.
m fact, been made by the re erves already indicat~l
but more ha!i been sought from the Government and
in the reports now appearing large sums are enter<'<!
in the general balance sheet for railway depreciation
The total increase under this head during the past
year is 7,400,87 5 for the eleven principal compani01;,
the Great We tern getting 1,676,912; Midland
1,3 7, 5 ; North-Eastern, 1,324,850; andLondo~
and 'orth-\\'estern, 67,746. The report o{ the
last named company says that further claims are ~>till
outbtanding. It may, in conclu.'3ion , be remarkrd
that the present reports are very much emru culated
even \\hen compared with those for 1914 and l!H5:
No d<>tails aro given as to the capital expended during
t~o year, ~ncl of tho prop?~ future capital expeu.
d1turc>, whilst all the statlStteal tables are omitted.
This is commendable economy, as it 58.\'e.~ clerical
labour, pap<>r, printing and po tage.

r:.

WATERWORKS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

H .;u. TMoE <.:ornmissioner in outh Africa. has forwartlud
to the Board of Trade Journal exLract.s from the local
Press, frotn whteh the following notes respecting proposed
water and irrigation works in South Africa. are taken:A Board of Engineers, appointed by the Cape Town City
Council, ho.s made a. report on the augmentation of the
water supply of tho city to tho following effect : In order
to obtain an addition to the city's water supply ae early
as poiSSiblo, tho Board recommend the enlargement of the
Muizenberg reservoir. This measure is only designed to
afford o.n incr~a.so in the present supply until a. larger
work can be completed. It is estimated that by the enlargement tho storage capacity of the reservoir would be in.
crca.sod from 20,000,000 to 200,000,000 gallons; the cost.
of tho work would be 205,000. In addition to t.hts
makeshift proposal, however, the Board recommends t.be
carrying out of a. larger work, known as t.he Wemmer
Hock scheme. The cost of this scheme is estima~ a.~
600,000, and, when the piping is completed, it is believed
that Cape Town will have a. water supply, even during
the very driest season, of 7,000,000 ga.llons per day, as
compared with about 5,000,000 at present.

The East London City Council bas resolved to ask

the ratepayers' consent to a scheme for the a.ugment.a.t10n
of the water supply of that city. If; is proposed to duph.
ca.t.e the present pumping plant, which pumps water from
the Buffalo River a. few miles away, and to construe~ a
storage reservoir in such a. position that the water can
gravitate to all parts of the city. The capacity of the
storage reservoir is to be not less than 200,000,000 gallons.
The construction of a water-bome sewerage scheme is
also contemplated. The cost, including service reservoirs
and other o.cceiSSoriG~;, will be 102,000.
The Sanday's River Valley has been constituted an
irrigation district under the Irrigation Act of the Union.
The total area of Lhe new district is 21,6751 morgen
(1 morgen - 2. 11 acres), and it embraces three irrigation
schemes. lt is stated that at le&.at 20,000 morgen of rich
agricultural land could be irrigated by the river. The
idea. is to construct conservation works higher up the
river. About 500,000 h&.a already been spent on imgation works in the district, but development work has been
hampered by lack of major conserva$ion works.

ALTERNATING STRESS EXPERIMENTS.

WE givo in \\hat follows an abridgment of the paper
read by Dr. William Mason, D. c., of the Uni,ersity of
Liverpool, at tho Institution of Mechanical Enginoon.,
on Friday la.st. The paper dealt with Alternating trllb:i
Experiments on Stool, and began with a description of a
machine built for the purpose. The machine used m
these experiments is illustrated in Lhe paper to so small
a scale that the details are followed with difficulty, and
it may be sufficient to say that the specimens are held by
squared ends in chucks which are supported in gimbal.ll.
They may be subjected to torsion or bending stresses or
both. For tho former alumin.iwn levers are attached
rigidly to tho chucks. One lever is coupled to the
mechanism of tho machine and receives a. slow reciprocating
motion tending to rotate tho specimen on an axial lmo.
The end of the other lever rests betwoon the end.t; of
two helical springs '"hich resist movement. These springs
prefls against a. fu.ed block of exactly the same width at~
the head of the lever, and not till the whole initial com pres
sion in them has boon balanced by the torque does
further compression, with movement of the lever end, begin.
Bending is effected by axial extended levers projecting
from the chucks ; " the bonding movement given by -.hom
to the specimen is regulated by control ~;prings in a manner
similar to that already described for the torque.''
In conductmg a test the control springs are screwed up
by a calibrated amount to give the required torque, and
the amplitude of the t\\isting or bending le,er is regulaW<i
until the end of the measuring lever, attached to the other
>nrl nf th" Sl)f>lunPrl, Just. t.akt-.-. up t-hA irutu~l load on the
~;pnngN anrl no 10ore. Tlu" adJustment 1::. ~ffe-ct-ed by
observat-1on of t.he hne of bghl between the ends of tho
sprmgt~ and the fixed block referred to abo,e. Accordmg
to the author 1t "' uot of unportance that the mo\ ement
should be me&.aured with much accuracy, and at a very
slow speed it is allowed to vary slightly in order to a..v01d
the inconvenience of frequent readjustment. The sprmgs,
it may be ment1oned, have a. stiffness of 11 lb. per mch

TJfE

U12

EXC:I ~'" EEH

\\til he tntf"rt~ting tolwnr \\lmt tlu rc ... ult-.. hnvc hccn.

:-\o fur. '' t ltu\ ,. o11h 11 fc\\ i~trluuttw.... . 011 t ltl' THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
C'ulcdcmitut 111111'1 ,\ "'"'' tngitw .. ""''' lwott tukH fro"'
,,, 1\
Ju cn~l'r \\ orl-mg nud p111 1111 I u t lu I rtut... port of
l'lll: l'\lt\ 1'111:\ \I \I ' III~I : H\' t"' "'""''".
goocl .. nnd lnttutt ion-.. TIH FurtH' ,. currif'tl tH urh

fifty thotL..;ontl fP\\tr pa-.-.lnf(tr~ an .Tnnuan. l!lli ,

I'AI,M fRilll'.
thnn in .Tontulr). Hllfi, th<> Xorth Stafforcl,.hirt hu-.
" ' E ll()\\ ((Ifill' tO U ~t(f IIIII I of Ollr " lllljl C'f COn
txpi-rtf'nC'Pd a rc cluC'tt(ll\ of 20 pl>r ctnt. tn tt-. trtl\ PI, ctming "hiC'h 1lwr.. 1-.. 11111C'h da .. cll~ .. ion nnd 'nrlt'l _\
und t he ;\Jar;\ port nnd 'nrli 'lli of 2:; JH'r cf'nt.. '' 1111 ... 1 o opiuwu.
Ucfort protttdutg tu rnnk Hll\ rc
t lw C: r1at X ort h hf HC'ot land hn-. lcn~l uhout mw -t l11rd
11f it .. IH,okinf(>~
From thP THIT \ alt tt .... rtJIOrtPd
that t h( nnulbtr of pn-.-.tn~cN hu" dicrcnwd ll\
12 ptr ct-:nt.. t lw rccttpt-. front fnrp ... hn\'(' incr"' t1
12~ pi r cf'nt., h11t till' trnm 111tlt ;tp:P ltMIIHtfl rl'diHI'd
It~ !J 1 pc r c111 t.

)fARCH 2, l !Jl i
;\Jc ~~r. ''""'"". Alliott. :-ludt n hun~h IIIII) \\IIJ(ft
1111111d Hlut~tl 1-t }lh.
111111 lltf'lhllrP ohout J>
1llfiJl
L'
-Ill
,
I ' ' J (1111 . Hrro~... r ro111 till' I" ricurp 13 p 11{ J()
puhn oil iN 11bl.linrd, \\ hilc fnmt IIH k1n~tl I' n ; 111 11
dillf'fl' lll oil. 11<.11111 ktrttf'lllil,
i ... rrcO\ frt!l} () ..., Ill!(II I,,
)

I lu rapid dt tr>norotiCIII wluch tho f>fricun, I rr .

I
I .
.,
I IJ'S
H rtr t Iu f rurt I" gut wr"' 11 1~ nnpraetinnhl~ t(l 1
t lw "holt fr111t tn Europ< for t rc>at mflnt. 1n gf!n,_~;r
tlur< fort, t he prncllc( 1-. to rtc CJ\'(r I lw palr11 rnl frcu~
tlw p< rwtii'JIHI or lll ar thc plnntntiCin-. 111 Afrun, anti

Payment by R esults.
TH ~Rf: hn\ f" hNn mnn;\ lo(i~rn" for ouw t i11w
pn-.t t hnt thc1 nch nnt n~c . . of pll) nwnt h~ rf'-<ult,. "trt
hctnf( brought houw to thf' C:ovcrurrwHt, hut not till
t lw Prune ;\luu-tltr mtld<> hi'i long-cxpPCtcd spPich
in tlw H ouR<\ of ( 'ornrnons a wC>ck or 'iO ago had an,\
drrpct :\Iini'itf'rtal 1mpport bf'<>n ~i' tn to th<' "'Y"t crrt.
'fr. Llo\(1
C:f'orr.tc con,.id<>rlcl tlw matter onh 111

C'CIIlnf'ct ion \\ tth "hip~ arcb, hut Jw wa" a\\arC', of

cc,ui'M', that ht'i rf'marks ar<> cquall.\ applicahiP to
cngin<> ring \\Orks of otht>r kind!ool. Ilc> told the How.
t hnt wht>revf'r pa.' n wnt, by re"ult'i hnd bNn intro .
duc-c-c l there wn" 1111 incrpa"t> in t lw o utput, '"ionwtimc-.
nf t\\ f'n t y, <.onwtittlh of thirt~, nncl lo(OrnP tiniC''~ of
1 'cn
fort.\ p<>r c<nt. \\' P do not know '' hcn('(
hi' dirivtcl }u-.. fi~11rc~, hut thc>~ -<O clo!oo,tly agrpc "tth
~ tilt ist ic'l for 'lhop-. Nnployinr.t tlw prcrniurn "'' -.1111
thnt \H' arC' INI to hnpf" thnt lw hnd that sysli'lll " '
tnind. He \\Rs able to give the worl<1rs til(' H-.swnnct
t hnt f'lnploycrH hnd no intPntion of c11tting t lw nll ~'"
c\ cn if th P wn~h appear&I high, and he told
tn aplc,<'r~ t hnt if t lwy dicl tr.\ to do an~thing of t lw
kutd, " not mcrPI) tlw (:o,<>rnllwnl \\CHtlcl clcprccntt>,
hut thP H ou...c nf Cornrnon"' \\CHthl lw lwhind t lw
C:nviriHnc>nt in clcprPC'ftting nn) nt t cmpt to p1nn li-<c
t lw g(l()(l work <'I' hy rcd ucing t h~ rnt c of pR~ tncn t. "
That wn._, lw addNI, tht> grf"at folly c,f thf' pnst unci
th(\ rf'n<;on \\h) tlw f(ar of piocc1 rnt~ had hitt<'n
snto the workman'-t mind. \\'hils t \\( may rc~rrct
that thc> Primo :\Jinio.;tf'r made no n lln,..ion to t lu
conclition undPr \\ hi(h piecc> rntf"~ may he lc>git irnn t Ply lmY<>rf"cl st'i, for exnmpl<>, whPn n Ill'\\
IJICt hod ifl in t rnd IICNl- wc wplro11w h(1th hi 'I s up
port o f pnyrncnt h.\ r<>'iultH and hi'l dirNt wnrn ing
to f'ntp loycr-. thnt cutling tlw rntc-t could not lw
I Ol(rat N l.

P11. 1G-PAL.1111

FRUIT,

PERICARP,

NUTS,

SHELLS

AND

KERNELS

tnnrks nn it. \H' may

clirNt tlw rl'tHic r"~ ottcntion tn ..;crHl llw nut" or lunwl~ o\C'rsraq for trPntmrnt

to Fig. 10. Tn tlti-. "(' gi\'<' nn tllu:-.trt~tion \\ hich HI h!IIIH'.

w<> hnvo haclprl'par('<.l fnr tlw purpose of 'llllming thf'
'fREATMENT OF 1 II PALM FRIJIT.
fruit of th<> oi l pnlm and it" iwnpon<nt purt-t. At A
\ 'ntil rccintly, anrl "''" to a constdtmblt c'.tf'nt,
tho whcJlc fruit. a'i gntlwr<d from thi' trN. i'i .,.Jum n.
Tlw hhtlJH' und "'t.c of tlw fr111l nn, at will hc llottl't'd, tht productwn of pulm wl "n" in tlw lttmtl .... (If thr
<.ornC'\\Mt arrPgulnr. On tlw UViraw tlw frt11t i. . nati\'1'"' Tlw m<>thod tlH\. u~<c i-. crudt. ~ot o11h.
u.hcmt I lin. long nncl ~Ill. """111111111 \\1111 h . At B do tll<') losc>, hy follcming tt , from a half tu two-third~
tlw rwricnrp i'i to"'' S('Cn. Tit( J>f'ricarp Juts a "IIIOOt h of tho po~siblc oil .\ ic>lcl, b11t tlw oi l obtuimd iH apt to
A Eoard of Fuel R~search.
out C'r ~ urftH'I', h11t on the \\ lloll' <on-'ii"'t" Clf n IIIH'" of hn\"<' clivf"lopNI in it Pl<rfl('llh "hich lei\\ cr itq cornA ST I:P '' hich in o ur opi n ion ~hot~ l cl hn,c fihrN; hiiiN\J'i'cl "it h a tl1ick \ cllow oil. or, 11aor1 nwrliul vnhw. Tlw frui t '' lwn ripe i~ dclibc>ratt>l~
hNn tnkPn many yt"tlrl'! ago wa-t the nppointrrwnt corrcctly . fnt. At (' thl' nut" \\ hich tlw JH'riCnrp ullrmicl to fprmPnt in tlw prcscnc< of \\nlcr, flO that
tlw hnrcl rwricnrp 1\1{\,\ bf' s()ft('rl<'d nnd r<'adi l ~
during th<> mcmth of a Board of FnPI Hc>sc>arl'h . -.11rround,. nr1 " ho\\ n. '' lui nt 0 and Jo: rrs1 ct 1\ <h
sPpamtcd frum lhe nut. Till' st>paro t 10n '" e.fle<'t<'<l
Tlu ... hod,. hn<. lwf'n (on..,titutl:'d ' ". tiiC' ( 'ornmittc< ol
sirnpl) by h<>ating tlw soft cn('(l fruit to H pulp. and
t he Privy C'ouncil for Scicnt ifiC' and JncJu,.t rw I
t lwrlaflir pic king out the n11h from tlw '''H""' by hand.
HhcarC'h on t lw rtcornrnPndution of it'i Ach i..,on
The pulp i'i tlwn boilf'd in \\Ut<r. and th<' oil. ra,ing tn
( 'ornrnit tef'. The Dircctor of tiH' n c>w B on rei i
the top, is skimrrwd ofT. T hi1>4 method of workin~
incltiC'P'i h\ clroh Ri'l in tlw oil that iH to HI\\.
tho oil
Sir (;<'orgt> Boi Ih.\ , a nd hi.., colltftguP" will hi' Si 1

cornhirws ''it h watcr, uncl '"' <hanged frolll n rwutral

('hnrle"l Par~ooons, ~ J r. Richard Thrclfall and, ' ir Richnr '
('(mclition to an acid one~ b~ tlw hrl'akinJ.t ''"" 11 of at....
J{('(lfllA..\'I)P, the ('hie Jn.-.pcC'tor or ~finf''i. This it
ccm-.tttut.ion into frf'<' ~1.\ <<rinc ancl fr<t fut I' B<'id.
ihclf i.., a ... trong <OJnbination, hut 1t JS corl.'liclcrahh
Onc-e In clroh "I" i-. -.tnrt('(l tt iH liabiP to c-cmltnnr, '-O
-.t r~ ngt henf'd h~ tlw r<taining of ProfPssor \\'. A . Borll'.
thnt frcqwnt I) pal Ill oil i-. r('Nivc>c.J at rio; t:urop<>an
of I lw I mpf'rial C'ollege of , 'cicn('( nnd T edmolog_\.
dc ..tinntton con t aininj.{ as IIHHIt 1\s 5 0 JWr c<llt. of frpc
ns coruw ltn n l. The dutieR of t lw Board nre to in clt~dr
fntt ' t\C'i11'1. Thf" c<HIIIIli'l'(inl ,olui of tl11 oil i"
I IH invE'stigaticm of tlw nature, pr<paration 111111
pro port tOIIH t tl.' rf'clttcPd.
utali"'fltion of fu el of all k incl 'l, both in thP lahorat or\
:\Ian~ at t<napts ll.ll\ c hccn rnaciC' t o trNit tlw fruit
in a ... citnt tfic rnamwr. t lw direct ohjt<h IW111~ to
nncl, wher t> nc>c>e-tsary,
on an industrial t-cale. Su

ohta111 I lu full 'i<ld of oil frolll t hf' JWrtC'orp. mul to

C:N,rg< Beilhy, "ith t lw assistance of hi"i Board , 1
do ~-oo '' 1thout ca1L"iing tlw otl to dt>COfllJHlw, or, to IH"
to lw re . . p on..'iihle for t ht> drawing up of Rchc>mC's c1l
tlw t<'chnical tcrm, to h,, drolys<>. It is oh\iou-t that tn
r<>-tf'nrch, and wlwn thE',\' have !wen a pprovcd h) the
prPvcnt h ~ droly~-<i~ tlw fruit must lw .. uhjc>ctid to a
AdviRor v 'oun ci l n nd the C'ommittc>e of the J>riv\.
trC'attwnt which in no ''ay colls for it'i hcing plMcd
( 'ourwil he will I><' givf"n authori ty to corry thNn into
in <ontnc-t \\it h \\ atcr in on\'
form. ThiH, tlw ic!Pnl

(fTcct, and is , morf"over, to ha\'c> direct aC'C'P-t-. to thP

prO<'~'"'"'"' conunonly 'POkE'n o f as thf'" dr) " nwthcxl.
Lord Pre~iclent, "hoi. tht> r p...,pon..ihl<> ;\lini.. tf'r. J t "til
('Prtf\11\ cln " rnf'thod-.., notnhh
0 (:crmOll OOP, lunc

he rcnwmherecl that in 19 15 the Briti,..,h Ao;sociatiot .

b<"f'n propos('d, and hu' c rt(CavNl -.c111w nppltcatton ...
which hn,c not <Orrtc up to t lw iclc>al ,.;tnndnrd. fur Ill
nppointed a rt'prc . . <ntntivf' committc>C' to inquirc intc,
1sO!rl(' stag1 or otlwr \\tltl'l' m -..tcl\111 hth IHII u-.Pcllo
1he (jllf''ltion of ftwl cconomy. :'\forcover, the lt\lc
as-ti-.1 t he rccovNy of 1 h1 oil or tlw '~I'Jllll'nl ton of t ht
C:ovc>rnroent nppointecl a Coal <:muwnation ('olll
pc ri cnTJ> f rw 11 t hf' n 11 t.
rnittee in 19Hi, unciE'r the chairmanship of Lord
H a ldanE>, and, in ndclition both tlw Admiralty and
SEPAR~TJO N vfo' TilE PERJCARP.
Ftc. 11- BUNCB OP PALM FRUIT
tho ;\Jmi-ttry of ;\lunit ion" ha,e lwen making te ... ts and
Tlw chi<'f diOicult' undo11htC'Clh
lic>.., 111 t lw cflcctivf'

imc'ltigation-. into tlw ...ame que . . tion. It i.'l hop<'d

"c>purntwn of tlw fH'riC'urp \\lthout \\Uttan~ for 11 to
t hut t ht> whol< lllf\'~s of infor mation ll<'CJILirecl b.\ t he...( a rc> indiC'atNl t hc> fragnwnh of tlw nut "h<>IJ-. nwl I he> ...oftcu. Pit lwr In
. nt\tural dctcrioration or II\. frru wn
nut kernc>IH. Tlw ~-<arn plc> of fruit from '' hich t hf tntwn in pn"wnc(' of \Httcr. \\' hat ma~ IH cniiPd a
\'O rio us bod if'"~ "iII bf' collated h) t lw new Hoard ,
originalphotogt'ttph rcproducC'cl in thi-. cngnwinr.t \Hts cc" n proru i!'\c proces" mn y fir..l he dl'"~\'ri lwd. T hf'
nnd that, a'i a re ... ult , ~orne excec>clingly useful r<'iult-. preparc>cl was kindl.v suppliPcl to uq by A. F. ( 't'tli~ nncl
maC'Ititwr.' for thi-. proC'C''" ha'i been c.,uppliPd h)'
\\ ill lw obt ainNI. It i!'l e timat('d thtlt if 1.'\'en pre-.f'u t ( 'o., L irnttl'd, ( 'al<>clonia Enginf' \\'ork~, Ptu..,Jp~. \\'<
;\Ianlov1, .\lliott and ('o .. Lirmted, of :\ottinghan1.
kno\\ lf'd~t> were sy.. t<>mat ically npplit>cl to the u ...c of were fortunut<' in ..,<curing thh sample. a.s tlw fnut and \H' nrc infonnc>cl thnt good, if not ulcnlh sati-..
ftwl therf' ''ott lei he on annual "a\'ing of -.emil rapidly <.let{'raorat<.., aft<'r lwmg gatlwrf'cl, ancl i-. fucton, rc-.ults ll.ll\.C' lwf'n ohtainecl \\ 1th at. l 'nrhr
A hunch of this trwt hod o f \\ orking t lw fruit fre . . hl.\ Wlt lwrc>d 1-1
.;0,000,000 torh, tand it may well he that unclf'r the th<>refc>rE> rarch sf'cn in thi" countn.

guidn nC'f' of 'illl'lt a Boa rd a~ tlw prP"~<>nt, if it lll' palm fruit f\'i tokcn clown from tlw trc>c> is ._fum 11 in tnkcn to n rntl<:hinc' pro\ Hlcd with a r~>voh mg -.haft.
gl\cn n. r<>a~cmnhl ,\ frcc hnncl, C'vcn thi-t h ugP HI\\ ing Fig. II . for thr ori~inol of \\hich ''" MP indtlolf'clto on \\hich nrc lli<HtntPcl ,..c\t'l'l\1 ba\OIIC't-hkf' kni\1'"
l l crt tlw fr11il "it hit-. nut.., is cut ar;d churrwd up into
\\ill bt surpu .....;ccl.
~

~f ARCH ~. 1 ~ 1/
a. pulp.

T H

Th~ ma""' Hlllltc l

nlly r C'ouc(ld, it;

lll t\ cA~A pre..._, twrl pr,.""lU'C' a pplied to
nuh t\ro h~t\rrl l o b('gtl\ to C'rsc k. Th" ott
S.\\ S..) i , o f COW'bO, of good qualit.), uuL

E X (l

}~

rX

E E R

193

lhcn pla('(d I t hf' table. Ia o.l<'a.c1 tlH') srf' ~ ho t.. out tl uouglt ltniC'...
it uutil Llt(l rounrt the upetandiug lip of thn llttwhiH(I ttt.RiHg, and
whlch flow t\ro thus colle<tf"d sepa.rale l) fro11a thn pcricarp.
in quantil) Any oil which way be set.. {reo dW'ing tho bt ripping of

,I,
I

'

tf

..-H;-<1
l

1-

o_r

,-

1ng lht "PPM portio ns of tho hruJooh . Tlw bru-.1

Hpi nfiiP"' r ot at<' in twar i u~s lixNI t n lhc> ('t'-"i11 ~. anrl
jarC' drivr n through ht ' \ 1'1 gC'ariug fro111 a. ,..haft
journ.allNi ro.....,." i ...c on tlaC' 11tai n frtUIII' of llrt II UU' hinc .
Tht> ca..-.ing i ai!'>O jou.rnallccl lo l hi~ cro-.." "'haft, o t hal
it and, "ith it. tht> bru>~hC'-. 111ay b<' -.tt longitudinall)
LQ any d ired inclination. ft. i" fixd in pcJ.. tl lo n Ill
tJ~ Other CJ1U h,\' Tn('QJI.H of holt.-! J)6."'"'td tiU't ii Jjllt Oil('
o r o tJwr o f A. Rerie:-; Of holt>; roruwd in n proj ctiou l)ll
lhf' majn frame' . A t tlw driving Ntd of tlw 11uHhim
th (t\.SiJl~ i~ provide<! '' ith a hopp r, into "lti1h thr
uul"'' a r <.' fed . From thi-; tlw nul"! t'nl r <ll al ' or ,, tJwr
o f l ('n wooH' 'i formed on the undcflo.id o f the ta....ing.
The inclinalion o thc:o ca.'>iug cau._e., the nut~> to trttv<'l
d o" n Lht>-.<' groove~" t o til<' o utltt <ud, and 111 r-o doing
th<\ t\1'(1 lurll (~ct ami brus lt<tl ~11 tner bv l h< brrt.Hh
hristi C'~ , \\ h.i<'fa fo rm, as it \H'r~, til<' fowt h ~id < o f tho
grOO\('>l. Tit pcricarp fruf,{IIWnl" rt' lllll\. l'd hy tl w
bru.~J w-. ftdl into a h opJWI' lwhH<n tlw rnuiu fruuw
upnght ~.
'l'l w cleanC'd nut., t'lllf>rginJ( frm n tlr1 ('JI({.,
o f I lw grOII\ ('"' 1'\ rc ('littght in ll i-('paral ho pp<r . Th~>
11tttch.iu1 ' "' dP ... i~ed n ()urinall.v l o tltttl "at It ahn ut
12 t '\d . of nut ,.; AA~. t :J4,000 uut-. JWr h rHLr .
Ti ll' It'll groovts h ol d ut n ny Oil<' tiut(' 41)0 1111 h.
I 'l'lw nuh Ht't iu ('OIIlact \\it It tltf\ IH'II"Iu" fn r nhou t.
I I 1-f'l 'tl lltf ,.. l'tU' It . H.\ nlkrmg f hn iawi11 1H I ion of t h v
l, ru,..,h f' ... tttll l l'tt.'-iug tlw n11l put <'ttJI lw udju-.tl'd "lluu
, ., r1tHil hlltlt ".
Tht L\\O hru ... lw.... rt'\ oh t 111 nppo, ltd
t( 1rPctJnll..... uwl H f l' 1' 0\ l'rcd \\ tt It " \\ 1n ,.Jo t It '
fnruwd of ll'tll lwr. in \\ hwlt t\ffl li\.f'tl Jll't1Jt't'l 111{.; \\ ll't':,
ci '> mdJl'lllld 111 llw .,l,.ll l'l t, F ag. l G.
'1'1t EA 1'M ~N'l' 0 J1' 'I'U E N UTI:;.

Tlw JWI't(ttrp tlmR l'N'O\ ('red i-. prt....,.,l'd u l wwt. Th~>

1111h u"' l' lct~uld h) tlw bru..,Jung lltttchii H' ttrl' flJ' tPrl
f' ttl wr mtlurulh. o r 1:\rtali('Jal h. to lo0'-('11 I ltf' l,rrnf' l
I
~----......-1
\\llhin tlw ,..11('11. Tl u) Jut\(' llwn t o I){' l' l'ttlkf'd o p c u
I
Hurl tht kcrrwl -.<'parated from tlw ~ hfll fragllt f'nt-..
I

,\ <' nwki"~ twd ,.,eparatiu~ Jmlc h.inf', llttult b,\ ~ ' "'" . . r~"- .
Craig, o f PniHI ~y, it; ill w~lmlod in l'i.l(. I li. 'l'lu
hnpp('r of th.i>! rua.chino i;; '-<'<'-'4hapC'd in ~-;cc liou , and
'"' provid<'cl intenl&lly with an in'' rlccl vo MMp(d
Pic. 12- PAJAPAI' S DEPEIUCARPUf G IIACHIIIE
t- urface, "hich divides tho nut into h' o Hl rC'arrb.
1-:adl tluch t-lr arn pa."'"' '" d own a pipe A ca."'l on Uw
doC'-. n ot npr1-.<'nl thl' full o il conl nl of tllC' plricurp. t h(' p<.-ricurp is Mh t)L ugtli n" l 1t cr n J l ttud f11 "'" u" tl) out icl<' of a. HCHli <ylindricul cru-mg. whkh C'OIIt8.ill..,
a d ruu t tlri' <'11 at a. high s pet'd, abou t 1000 rt \ olulioat'>
TIH' half prc>"o.,('d nmlPrtal i~ ther for(' boil<-d up ~,ith d own the o utlet .}.
The nu t~<~ a.~ thoy l ea.vt~ tl w dcrw rcar ping lltttt'llllll' pC'r 111inult. Th<' nut-. ftd l into the inlc,r to r of li m
\H\If' l' t o rt'('O\ 1r thn rC'mainlng oil , ttnd lo compl<'l(,
the> ~cparnlio n o f thf' poricarp from t hn nut~. T lw llltty havo 8 1111lll portions o f t) l(' p<'ri('arp ,..till ad lwri ng tlrum;; unci ur ~ hot o ut by <:<n lri fugal fol'Cl' llu-o ugh
otf ,..k.j mmM Oft t h(l hoi lin~ W8 t ('I' iK nat W'ally Of tUl
tnfPrlor qualil)" t o thsl rnnning from llw prl'>t~.
rfh~el ISO Te. l.h
Palm oil L'- a. q r ' Hduablc "'ub lAnce>, awl \\Ould lw
D .- n
/6 I
-.t rll m o rC' ,..o '' "'r~ rt po .... ~ibiP t() nhtsin it in ~nod
1 nuriJt ton
in lar~n t\nd rc>gulsr ~ uppli <'~. ( 'on,.,C'
1
quPnth \\t' fi nd tl u-tl trl ll<'h A.tl('ntion hM bl'l'll, anrl"'
bf'tn.li( , rl~"' otf"rl t rl the' d P~ign o f t~ ~a t iRfac tory d PpPrt
,ttrpmg ma.<'hinC' for palm fnut which will p~>rmrl
thP wholP perkarp t o hP treat N I h.' a. l rnl) dr.v pro .
I
Tn \{p ..-.l'fl. A . F . Craig. or P al lf"y. \\'f' Ar~
lOOPhtPrl for th" partculttn. and tlltL~tra.lion<> "lurh
0 0
0
0 0 0 I
'=if 0 0 o ,
",. art> f'nabl~>d I o ~n P o f t h~>u ( 'aiPrlorus.
rlr)
pror P-.... ~:mrl o f Ow rnat lunfl>o'l rlP-.rguPd l o giYo it pffNt.
~./
24 - r:"""- :
Tho rlf'pPnrarpm.li( ma<'hinf' ""''d unrlf"r I hil'l prn('p.. ,.
...
t\J
, .. th"' patPntPd in vl'ntinn of. 1r. J:f. ( :. 1-"f\irfH:.. , HW! '"
....
JIJ~tratPd i n Fr_lj(. I ~ .
rn I ~ l.l \\ (' _1;!1\ n t\ wnrkmg
I
' r"
drawang o f tlal' ~"'' ' lll\c>nttnn . a-. l' ttfl'il'rl out on
-~ ~
~....
prRrt wal hw-. In
\IC'...... r-.. C'ruaJ!. Tht> maduut
~
'ton._t ... t-. p ......,.nttHih oft"'' part ... , IIAIIaf>l)' ~ rotalu1g
tAhlt \ . Fig. I~ . ttntl a rolallltJ! to' f' r R , lhf'l formf' t'

ruatnlltJ! q uwkly 111 ow d irrtl ion amd thl' lattC'r

Jt

..)o" h in 1ht oppot-a t ' dirp( t 11111 . Tho tahl<' cttrrif>"

I
o n
I
It ,..Ni,..., o f '''""''I) M Jl~U:tYI ctlf'\ f'd h lttriC'l'l or abrHrl ~'l'fl ( .
r ,J
I
l'hP ..,, 1' 1' , ~ for111 fld ""'t}' A t-trif'-. of wirlt>r "'JliU'Ni
0
0
.,
, o 0 o
u ppo...1tfl\ cun I'd rth-. 1>. 'J'hl' fn ut i... ft>rl int o I""
s ..... &t
(0\l'r tru:o u,li(h lht> nnnu)u-. 1-;. Hnrl pn...,...iJlg Olll\HUd -.
(Pte. 13- DEPEIUCARPUf O .ACHillE FOR PALM FRUIT- A. F. CRAI G
Tlw
111 -.1rr p(>f'<'l of 1t.. pl"raca.rp II\ I"" hladf"- ( '.
1 ounltr N an AI. ,,.,. of l hP hiHdl'" ('and t hP nh"' D ha..,,
of f'O IIr...('. tUl lluportaut mfftH'JII'f' 0 11 thP F~tnpptn~
"'' 'Ifi lL
Tht l ln-.tHf'rl pC'rll'arp ftl ll ~ hPt Wf'Pn t lw \\tthi n th' rrl'f'JliiiA.rlliC'l'> of tllt'tr "'ltr ll-.. T o J'l 't 'tl\t'r r-lnh 111 t h 11 dr'tll tt IWI'tphery. ' I rth.11rg (l)rc, b l y
. . ,.,.11 pnrtinn" tlw nut ~ ma..' hP ptl~'-'<d thro u~h tlw H~Hin~<t t l w """' r "all nf I hn urrot mrlmJ,! t H~ "'~" tho
hiMtr- ~ C' rtnd , .. ~t II I H'I" f'jtct f'rl ()Ill" Hrrl"' h.\ ('f'nt rr
fu~nl fon l' m ,.,. tlw 1d_g( o f tltt h\hlt. J lC'n ' tl fall ~ palc>nlcrl hru-.11 mschin<' ill us trstNI in l'i_g. 14. Tht ~. ~< 111'11 >- HrP t'l'llt'kNI n p l'll , Hncl \\ ith tlw l<Prll 1, fAll I J
mt 11 t(l( rccc>pltu:lt 1", "lut:ll , tu Cm:thttLt llll' tOO\ C ltk th d <'p<'n <:srpin~ ma<'luau. ubo' d f'-.t' rthttl, ,.., lh fool of ti t I:~L'-i ug-,, "h uc lltC.) ua cuwluctcd o n

p.....

--

~'

~L~

.. -

1/

I :

Fig./5~~

..-

3001\01/S

Brusll
lOFt.

perSec

0
0
0 1----0

; 0 ---.... ---

-- -- ----

-- ---------

------..__

0
r

-"- r ..,

,
~-~

-- ---

. ''
"

'

'

- -r - to

Per1carp Hopper
;

r ... .,.

'

t '

1\p. 14

a114 1&-PAL JfUt B&OSBllfO ) KACBD&-CRAJO

th
. Craig, or Ptu l ~>y . It COn.l t ' lfl tofo th
th t , nc :o ft ~ or' lmdrJr al bru..h 3ft . long und ubout
Th;-11 fti(Url'' lmiJIY th
i
m
.
m
duu
n
t
r.
r
(\Oh
llllZ:
J(ltb\
ltlf'
at
:100
rt\O
11'anttr... J t~Jh'
fh , H'
",

ment o f tlw p rit arp, i ..team heated. It will bo ID..Bdo bv )[

n otJ od that th"' t co.m) rl t Cal o l:r:t mb b n

JO( rf ( hlln hi\ If I Itt I n cC" h \ (' part Of t hf<> b}adt
Ttw n11t f\H tno Jnr A t o p6 bel\\ n the bladt- on lutaon.; per 1nmut b ne&th a l.a.,mg o r

(.0\

cr mbro.c ZloOO lo thto h otntlr ,,,. tlibl

tbe our run .1 1 ahrut ll .hOO t ~ tbe

In lt.e 11ntl ~f)mtt lm t numbu as few at
t

194

G INEER

THE E

~fA.RCH 2, 191 7

expenditure the factory can be readily fitted for ported palm oil to t~ value of 2,326,842. In the
treating the kernels, so making it possible to fill in the same y ear Germany ~ported palm kernels to the
value of 3,314,27 , while oth er countries, including
otherwise idle period, and to keep the staff together.
our own, took together kernels valued at 1 91 g- 4
A PALM A.~D PALM KERNEL OIL FACfORY.
The outbreak of war greatly affected matters ' ~
In Fig. 17 we give the general lay out of an African 1914 our imports of palm kernels were va.lu~ ~
mill working on Messrs. Craig's " Caledonia. " dry 1,411 ,92 , and_i~ 1915 at about 2,500,000. Ev:n
system. Tho equipment of this mill include ' pre- so the palm frwt mdUJ:itry may yet be said merely t 0
bo in its infancy.

inclined tray, the bottom of which is formed with a.

special surfa.co. At the lower end it is overhung on
swinging Jinks, the pivot points of which can be
varied to give the tray the required inclination. At
the higher end it is journal led to a. short-throw crank
shaft driven at. 250 revolutions per minute. The
bottom of the tray is not perforated. The shaking
action, combined with the special construction of the

THE STEAMSHIP KILAZZO. .

1\ 1/

' A.

m erchant ship, which po:e~ rnan:.

mt.erestmg features, and "-'hich is intended cbiefty
for the transport of coal and petrolewn, was recently
laWlched by the :Naval Construction Company FiaL
an Giorgio {rom the l\Iuggiano yard. This \"6SM>I
which has been named the Milazzo, bas been buil~
for the <:ompagnia. della. N'8\rigauone Ueneralc
~taJ.U:lna. I_t is claimed that it_is the larg&t boat of
1ts kind which has yet been built, and it is furnished
with. bomowh~t bpecial a.rrangei?ents for the quick
loading and dif;charge of cargoe.-,, mcluding permanenL
cl<'rricks, whkh differentiate it from the ordinar\'
tank 'teamer or collier.

The keel was laid in 1914, and although the Jt'ist.

'an Giorgio is excf'ssively busy with Go,ernment.
work, it was thought that it would not be advisable
to delay its construction owing to the war. Tho
Volturno, a similar ve.ssel, but with twin ere"~ ~
being built in the same yard, and must by now' be
very nearly, if not quite, completed.
The principal dimensions of the )lilazzo a re:

2sn

~~

l:)

~~~--~~~~ .. ~~
~_25
lJF'Rt'~-

<
/
t----__,_.---</
-~
//
td ~~I~l~~----~'---L-Lb---------~=======+========dL---1

,.
~ ,.

,..'

, 1-.

-' -

~~

'

Lon~th bct,w~on

pcrpcndicuJtlrs 150m. ( s..y 492ft. 2tn.J

lAmgth ovorall ..
156m. (say 51Ht. l Otn. J
Width out.11id c framing . . . . 20m. (><3y 65ft. 7in.)
Depth of h o ld . . . . . . . . 10 . 32 m. ( say 33ft.. lOui.)
.He~Aht of str\Jcturo 0 11 quarterdeck
. . . . . . . . . . 2.40 m. ( tilly 7ft,. lOin.)
l'llt>an i:rnmer.,ion when fully
loaded
..
. . 7 . 92 m. (say 2!ift.. )
Cross tonnage . . . . . . . . 11,477 tons
Net tonnage
. . . . . . . . 75S7 tons
Deadweight. ca{>acit.y
. . . . 14,240 tons
Fuel ( included 111 deadweight) . 1500 tons
Radius of action
.. ..
8400 mil~
Capacity of d ouble b ottom for
petroleum
. . . . . . . 3970 cubic metros
Capacity of ballast tanks for salt
water. or, if neces...c:ary, for
petro leum
.. .. ..
620 cubic melr63

,./

"--

t- /

//1-

~~

Plan with Hopper & Platrorm removed

"'

Sc

SwA I N

Fie. 16-PAL KUT CltACKiliG Aim SEPARA.Til(G .ACIIIJfE--CRAIG

bottom surface, results in the kernels being passed to

one end of the tray while the shell fragments pass to
the other . Falling over the en ds they are collected
in hoppers. The shells can be used as fuel, eith er
under a. boiler or in a. gas producer.
In general the kernels are shipped to oil mills in
Europe or elsewhere. Their pre1imin!'IJY treatment
closely agrees with that accorded to copra, much t he

Ati~~

-f:
.

I!~

I ,,

GI
I

1 ~-i ~

II ~
i ..
l

II

-~~

-(~ -tr=-

-il'.o

liminary screens for removing any sand or other

material which the natives may be tempted to mix
with the fruit, three depericarping machines, three
brush machines, six combined nut cracking and
kernel separating machines, three reducing mills,
three sets of shredding rolls, three heating kettles,
and threo crushing presses. The latter are of the ba.r
cage type, to be d escribed in a. later article, and have

11'

""

A Ot:Dt:rlt:ilrnt:rs
Brush /lfschme!l
Nu[l rc-'t:rs

~t:r,..,rS~r.tors

IC
H

'llcducmn 'i ll
Shretlifni Rp/fs
Hr,stug. Kr,ttlc
!Prchm1nr~ Pr
/nlermt:dJtc Prcs11:
tntsh1ifii

'"'li
'
lfccumulstor

s.

ZD
t

:IS
+

:10
I

PI an of Ground f'loor

Fir . 17- PAL

AJfD

PAL

same shreddmg and rt:ducmg rolls uewg used to

convert them to the form of meal. Certain considerations, however, have led the fact ories in Africa
to contemplate undertaking the work of recovering
palm kernel oil within their own walls. The chief of
these is the fact that palm fruit is n ot a.va.ila.ble..all the
year round , so that during the " off " season, if palm
oil alon e is dealt with, the expensive presses and oth er
plant must lie idle. By a. little additional capital

KERKEL

OIL

LA_R UE

IIILL-CBAIG

each thre& c::echons, namely, a preliminary, an intermediate, and a fini shing press. Equipment is also
provided for sealing up the palm oil in tins as soon a s
it has been expressed from t h e perica.rp. The
design of this factory is such as to enable it to
deal with about 50 tons of fresh fruit daily, or with
the k ernels d erived from about 100 tons of nuts.
As showing the importance of oil palm fruit, we
may remark t hat in 1913 the U nited Kingdom im-

The propelling machinery consists of a. qua.druplee~.-pansion engine of about 4000 indicated horsepower, supplied with steam by two double-ended
and two single-ended cylindrical boilers, working at
a p ressure of 14 kilos. per sq. em. (say 200 lb. per square
inch}. The designed speed, when fully loaded, was
10 to 11 knots with an indicated horse-power of
3000. In actual service we understand that the
consumption of coal for the main engines has worked
out at 0 . 65 kilos., or 1. 4 3 lb. per indicated horse
power, the average da,ily consumption of coal for
all purposes being 54 tons. In addition to the 14,000
tons of coal in the hold, there is room for 4500 tons
of petroleum in the double bottom. The whole
cargo of coal can be loaded or unloaded in 48 hours,
and during this time the petroleum can also be pumped
in or out, so that one service does not interfere with
the other .
The general structure of this ship differs so essen

tta.lly from that of other cargo steamers of the same

capacity that it was impossible to follow the standard
rules. The Shipping Register engineers from t he
I talian National Register, from the British Corporation, and from the Bureau Veritas were requested
to collaborate, and have evolved a design which
is considered as perfectly satisfactory. The whole
of the interior is divided into nine compartments
by eight water-tight bulkheads. The two at the
extreme ends, fore and aft, have capacities of 250
cubic m etres and 70 cubic metres respectively. By
admitting sea water into these the trim of the
vessel may b e regulated. The central compartment
contains the engines and coal bunkers ; the other
six, as mentioned above, have a. volume of 14,000 cubic
metres, and are the holds for the coal. These holds
are of the f ull height, from the plating of the double
bottom to the upper deck, without interposition of
any lower deck or tie bea.ms between the sides of
the ship. Amidships, above t he upper deck, is a
deck h ouse, and above this are the officers' cabins.
There is also a forecastle, and a. quarter-deck at the
poop.
The hull is built with 177 ribs, the central ones
being 900 mm. apart. This distance diminishes to
875 mm. and to 6 10 mm. at the ends. The ribs
vary, both as to type and sectional area.. They may
be divided into three classes, those of the engineroom, of the ca..rgo holds, and the extremities.
In the engine-room the double bottom extends ovf:\r
the whole bottom o f the ship, reaching from side
to side of the hull. The framework consists of
channel bars, 43 1. 8 rom. by 10 l. 6 mm. by 17. 4 nun.
by 12. 7 rom. These, starting from the double bottom,
are joined to the sides of the vessel by brackets
or knees, made of sheet steel, 12 rom. thick. They
continue to the upper deck, where they are connected
with uprights, 100 rom. by 100 mm. b y 12 rom., which
support the framework of the deck-house. The

MARCH

9, 19 17

THE EN G INEER.

2 1:3

k ern els are di tinctly s malle r than the Egyptian. the general arrangement of a cot.t.on . Peel de-lint.e r.
TBB PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- The
en graving is facsimile as to t.he size of t.he s Pecls . 'L'h<'l seE'd deliverecl to th@ machinE" at A is aclmitted
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
I n this country it is a common cust.om in the by a powe tcl1ive n feed r oller in an e ven s tream into
No.

v.

PREPARATORY M:ACH1 N F.R Y (rl)ntimm l )

C'OTTON SEED.
COTTON S EED , as we r E>m ark ed in our $C(ond
article, is, s o far as t h e oil m illing indus try is
concer~ed, of t wo varie t ies, on e b eing t h e bla c k
Egypt.tan seed , the husk of w hich as 1ecei\ed is
prac t.ically free from adh erin g cot.ton fi bre a nd

p roduction of cotton seed oil s imply to reduce the

seed as received between rolls a n d t.hen to press the
l'E."~ul tant. meal in tho usual way.
I n this wa\ the
husk!'! a n d, in t.he caqc of tho Americau seE."d. the
acll1ering cotton lint p a:-;s into t.he cake. Thcr<' doe:;
n ot a ppear to be any serious agric ult.ural objcct.ion Lo
this cotuse, for cotton Ret>d cake is in gn>at favour a s
a cat.tle food. An exct>ssiv<' amount. of lint. in the
case of the AmC'r ican sE:>od. s uch aR is som<>l imc:>s found

..

----

El evation

-~-~~IT"'T-!-o'' ----Fhll

1~-

~II

Iff~!~~-ttI~~
-L11
II
1I
1

I
I

I
I

AND

EGYP TI AN

t.h e o ther t he white American. or Ind ian s eed, t.o

whic h quite a cons ide ra ble quan tity of cotton fibre
may b e adher e n t. T he " white " seed is w hi t.e
m e r ely b y virtue of t he adhering lint. I n F ig. 18 we
reproduce a photograph of some sam p les of t h e t.w o
varieties of cotton seed , kindly supplied to us for t h e
pu1-pose of this artic le b y R ose, D own s a n d Thom p s on.
L<l. At A the American seed is sh own , a n d at B t he
E gyptia n . The husks, 0 a nd D res pectively , _art> hard
and tou~h, the Ame rican b eing, if anyt.hi ng, hardc>1'
and t oughe r t ha n the E gypt ian . The oi l.bearing k <"r

CO TTON

II

~I~

:1

'I

I
:

:;~ 'j
I
1:0
1 I;

II
II

.;,;

Fi. 18- AME RICAN

rl

II
II
II
II

r.i!

11

It~,

I'

I
I

1J

11

:!

:~ ~:

'!

:II I
11

H*=WM~-: ~--~

SEED

o n seed that. has b eE'n ha<lly gint1C'<l, would,

u n doubtedly, lower t he value of the r esultant cake.
)for eover, the excess lint has a (\istinct commercial
,alue as cotton . H ence. f01 two reasons it. may we ll
pay t h e oil mills handling AltH' rican cotton seed to
re-gin o t de-lint. it as a prel irnim'tr~ t.o trc-at.ing it. in
t.ho r olls and f'H'E"RRE's.

ff-

__

_j~L- ~

i ;~ ~: ;~ -

L~~~--~"r--t~~

+--t

1-+---i~-t -

...
f/.

I
I

a. -~If---- 36r - - -ll-ll-"-- 2~~ ;:-p ,_ _ 3tl'-~

k
- - - 1 IOa- - - ------1
1
11
T HE E ~<OI~<EEA"
PI a n
SwA I N Sc.
Fig. 19-COTTON SEED

DE-LiNTER

ROSE,

DOWNS

l'l<'l' <l box B . Om "1\ll of l- lli ~ hox <'On~i~ts of n

h'lating U t.hr(lugh which projPc t f,hp t.ips of a hug
A cot.t.on f-\<'Nl de-linting machinC' n~ tmployed nt nurnb~r of finP- t.oothed circula1' ~w:;. ThP~<' St1 \l >~
a.n oi l mill ii' nlrno~t indentical wit.h n <ot.t.on _gin "" ntllnh<>r u s unll _v lOCi. nnd nr'<' ~J>tH"C'cl npart. on t.lw
t lw

UE- LINTlNG.

4 '

I I

.''
I

I
I
I

'''

I
I

J
. --....--

l!

;~

<

I'

,
''
I

''

'
I'

..

~ .f\;

-- -.tt.

I
I

.j

'

'
'"'--------

SwAIN

Fig. 2o-COTTON

SEED

DECORTICATING MACH1NE- ROSE .

DOWNS

AND

Se.

THOMPSON

nels E. Fare soft yellow o r w hitish bodies which can employed by th<' cotto n grow~r- Tn l'ig. I ~ '"' gh< ;; haft. J) ))\' tn<'an.; of t.hin ('t\sL iron dis t.nnc<' wn ..... lurs.
~adily be cru sh ed b etween t he fingers. 'l'he Ame rican a d rawin g , the originAI~~f wlu c h wo. ~ R_uppllc~l to. u:-; Tlw ~nw ('\ lind<'l' nms 1l l :n:; l'l'\'ohrt ions j)C'I' 1\\11\\ll.t.
No. IV. appl'nr('d Mn.rch 2nrl.
by Hose, Oown.; nnd J hompRon. l.rrnl t l'd. " lHl \\Ulg T ht "l'l.'d in t.lw R(IC'd h o-.r i..: ch111'1Wd 11p h,\ t.lu '-!\ \\~ ,

T II
tho teeth of "huh <ut<h on tlw lmt OlUI rl'lllm t' 1t.
in great part from the sef'cb. The de-tinted ;.N:d
escape from the qhoot E under t~e control o.f a
hinged regulating b oard, n ot s hown m the drawmg.
The lint adherin$t to the ~w .... i picked off the t e th
b' a c1rcular b1u-.h muuntt.:d on the shaft F unci
~ ~'ohing at c.lhuul 1360 '' \ulution ... ~r witHllt
From tht-. bt"\1-.h t lH lmt "'dlflt!"ttd into a fltH <: h~
mE-an .. of 1\1\ iur dmught prnclltctcl by u fan on '' '"
..,hAft H . 'l'lw clrnugh t j.., r<gull\ttd hy t hf' chlmp(r .f

J:

E~C:f~EEH

~L\RCH 9, 191 i

-.lot t ' d Iwad-. of hnlt ... nHI mt ing imH\rd-. from tIll'
dL-.c ftangt.... In '""'' t lw fiaug<'d ciiscs ar<' E>nclo-.ed
w1thin a ... tat ionan -.heet mNal ca.sin11: to prE'\~nt
accident-... A ....irniltir method t-. adopted for ecuring
th<' brea-;t ,. kn.i\'c-, in place In this ca"E' the s lot
hlltcl bolt-. tlrf' nttnrhetl '" t.n ........ ,.. projf'ctin$t front
1111 11111iu fra111111!.!
_
' I III' f11r1 lw1 I I t,t l 1111' 111 111 I Otlull -.,td l't' lj\111"1"' ll O
-.p<i!11 rt ' llllll k. It 1-. cru-.llt'd. pnpantton to
1''"'''"'"1,1!. in roll-. <lo-.l'h -..unlltll' to or id<utical \\lth
t lw

.\ sllO<'hiw fen thi-. purpo-.e, a ca tor ...eccl .,helltr

rnado by Ro ...e, D owru. and Thomp on. Limited
i.:; repr E> ...ented m Fig. 22. The seeds are fed into ~
smhall hopp~r ..lAbat the to~ of the machine, and are
t encc carr1f'u y a rotatmg worm betwE>en a
ir
.. 1 ciJ-.C'.., H
lht cli... hlncf' bNween the-.t> 111' ,. pa
.
' IHII
Ill' 1"1'1-{11 Illlt
d II\ till' IIII'Hlh llldlC'Bt('("l tO -. 111 1 s (\
,

,. 1 1111
11ttnh. llw pod-.. 1uhlwcl htl\ntu t lw d-.< ' 1to\
., p
1 lw1 out r C't1 ... 111~ bmken . ancl e-.caping. fall thr ,
., .
I . .
( II~1I
.l ..,ptcttl I cI ...,tr1 >utwn c t>n cf' mto thl' hop(>f'r t' a
1
1 lwnc'<' pa;t 11 lungE-d r <'gulating ftap. acro-.~ ~~:.
cht~ n w l V rnto Mwther hopper E . \\' hilt thP , 11'f'a
111
, ... cro-.... ing t lw l'htuuwl )) it meE'b a hla ... t uf 111
.
tmm
t IIt' fan .1' . '1' 1H' f o r<:<> of thE' hla-.t is rcguhutdr
"'" I hnt Ow l1ghtt'1' matf'nttl only, thE\ fra,:mwnb uf
tIll' ouHr hu-.k. rna.' lw l'un ied awa~. as a t (:, illln
11 -.111 1Hhlt colhct ing l'llmbf'l'.
Tlw hea' ie1 pora 11111 ,,
t lw ht'Hlh \\lth \\ h ut hu-..k ma~ ~et adht>r< to th 1 111
P:'"'"' fro111 tlw hup1w_r E_ to a pair of 1"1111... H. tlu:
dhtHIH 1 tlpurt of \\ h1ch s... canfull.' adju ... tt>d I n , 11 j 1
n quirc'llli'llh. l.A'tl\'in$t the...<> I'Oils. th(' hl'alb lliH(
hu ... k fl"llgnwnt-. ft1ll nn to a shaking ....E'parator .J
Lt'l\\ ing l hi-. ot K . t lw material in cl<''-'<'t>nding mtct~
11 hltt-.t of'" !' from ll -.t>.(oncl fan L . This bla-.t rarr 11.,
,\\\ u~ "11 h t d o\\ 11 thf' pa...sag<' ~[ thE' lightp1 frag .
unt-. of tlw mlt-r pod yE-t remaining in the> ... tre8111
hut i... not -..utn < l(ntl~ ..,trong to pre,ent the bean~
fn1111 tl.-.. . <t-suling mt o tlw hopper X . T h<' .,peed,
of t IH' 'tliiOih part-. of thi-. mac-hint> ar(' rn1Hked 011
tIll' dn\\\ mg. Tlw 1''-lllllplt illu-.tratc>d ha-. an 0 111 .
p111 of Ill 1 C> :?II 1'\\ I. p<>r hn ut. and a b-.orh-. li to
hrakc
, .. ..... , , )()\\ 1'1'

UE(OitTlC' \TING C.C TOR .'EED.

Fir. Zl-cASTOR SEED- PODS,

nn<l t h<' hnncll< K . F l'o m thP flue the lint is del iv<>r<'d
into n .. <mHIC'Ih('l'" L, a C'a<~i ng <'ontaining a re,oh inS!
t~ linchicnl cag( of "it< c lo th, o n which thC' lint
collt>ct-.; a~ n 1'011 ancl fl'om which it is removE'Cl from
I inw to t irrw. Thi" machine ab"orb~ from 4 t.o
IHnk<' ho"t' tH\\ t'r, a nd <an tr<'at from:~ t o 20 t on~ of
-.etcl p('t' t \\ t>nt.' fo ur houN. according to the natun
oi t lw -.pccl and tlw P:xtent t o "hich it i dt>:-.ired t o
cit lint it . On t lw 8\'Prage it ma.'' be expectt>cl that
round ahuut :W Ih . of lint \\ill bP obtained from a ton
of -..ef'd. Tlw pr(...('nCE' of iron particle.:: amon$t-.t
tlw -.ctcl ftd t o thf' machine ha ... to bf' guarded agtftn:-.t.
htcau-.< of tlw \'f'n
clf'-,tructi,f' effect su c h material

\\Ould hnn' o n tlw --a" teeth. It i", thercfo<', n

comnwn praNicf' t o t-mbocl~ in the . eed box a ::.erih
of C"INto- magrwh O\'f'r which t h e <;eed i. comp('lled
t o pn....... b('fore it rf'acht>, the AAws.

BEANS

AND

KERNELS

t.h 0:-.(' u ...etl f o t Ii rt-.cccl or ('\ ('fl copl'tl

flnd !) rmll'.

.)

(' VTOR . EED.

Til( cl ....t ingui ... hing fC'llt tll't ' of c~btor ...e<.d o ...
an. o il -lwaring ... ub ... taiH'<' liP... in tht> f~c-t thtlt tlw
portion \\ hi<'h cnrTi<'-' t lw oil is enclo-.f'rl within
two outf'r C'a ...ing-.. Fig. 21. p~:-pared from ...arnplt-.
kind l ~ ... upplil'cl )), Ro-.<'. D own-> and Tho mp ...on.
Ln 11ittd. -.how ... t lw -.pfd 1\ncl it-. componPnt (Mrt -..

Tlw mac him ju... t. clt-.cribed rt'm O\"t'' t he outtr

hu-.k of t lw 'l'tcl. DuubtlE> ...s it may rtm ovp sonw uf
t lw ill I\(' I' ... twll th "el l. but for thi.:; purpo~e it "
thlll\ I to pa "" t lw -.tNl thr ough a speC'ial decorticating
rntwhinc.> tl fttr it has gone through the shell<'r. .\
cOill hin<'cl d E>cor'tictttor and ::;eparator for <'tblor
st'l'd, mnclt b~ R o,..,e, D o wns and Thomp,;on, i-.
illu-.trnte<L in Fig. 2:3
In this the bean.<; ar(l di.,.
ts-ihutPcl from a hoppe r, pro,;ded \\i th a fl ut-ed ft>NI
roll nn<L a hancl -tE"gulat ed Abutter plate. The b<'an,.,
fa ll nncl S\1'(' <rackE-d between a pair of cylindriN\I
roll-.. tlw ... ptlce be l ween whic h can be -.nitabh
n'gu lt"Lt Pd hy hand . LE-adng the rolls, tlw brokc-11
... twit ... and k.(nwl-. fall o n t o n -.haking .. eparat~~r.
Thr" ..,epa rat o r con-.i-.h of two serie., of cont rtl-.lopm,!! tra~ .... '''t f'ndi ng h<'twc>f'n flml unitt>el to ,.

I
I

DECORTICATI\'"G COTTON . EED.

F o llowing Am... rican prac tice, it is b Pcorning

common i~t thic:; countn,
in .orne ca es. to rernO\'f'

the hu:'lk-. or c-ortex of the . eeds b efore cnt;~hing a nd

pre c:;ing thE'nl. I n t.his way tho kE'rnel::;, or " mE'ats "
as t.h('y at'<' C'aiiC'd. alone> are pre. eel. The advantagt> ...

Re,:s
of t his praC't.iC'E> li<' in t.he freed om fr o m eli coloration
of the_ oil , ot hE>rwi. o liable to be produced by t he
olo unng 1~atu: 1 in the hu ks, the impro,ed qua lit~
---- ---of tlw <'nk<>, and the increa eel output of oil ohtai nf'<.l
from a pre -,,., of gi\cm size.
A deC'orticating mac hine for cotton . eed. made b ,
R o. E', DO\\'" and Thomp on. Limited, is .::h own i;1
s('(t ional E'lf'vt\1 ion in F ig. 20. The machine rnay be
de:-.cribNl a-. <'Othi... tin~ of a rotating barel ca rr}in~
t~n knive-. cro .......,\ i-.p o n it.. periphf'r_
, . , and of a fixed
~
.. hrE'a-.t " carn ing thre( -.tationan k.nhe. :;inularh
5/IRn.,._
dispO"t>d cr o ....,,~-i~e. ThE> :-.eecl i.J.; fe~l on to the bMs~l
from an O\'Prheacl hoppt-r by mean"' of a po~er-dri,<n
fluted ft>ed roll, \\ o rking in conjunc tio n with a hand regulated . hutter across the hoppe r mouth. The
" breas t .. i.J m a d e in fo ur :..ection.-;, the divbion,.,
being coincident "ith the plane of the central line~
o f the thn>e brea-.t kruves.
The seed falling
on to the r o tating barre l is caught be twee n tlw
tota.ting and fixed knhe.... 'fh<' hu k and k e rne l-.
toge ther are ca.rriNl r o und to t h e lower edge of t lw
" breas t " and are the se collc>cted. This mac hine' is
made in .....veral s ize,.,. That s ize illus trated ha 1111
out.put: of about 10 cwt<;. per hour, and to drive it.
absorbs somt- Hix lwakp hol'l>e-p ower. The> knift
barre l in thi-.; ca"e runs at 1500 r e,olutioru; per minut.f'.

Consid E"rable mc>chanical intere::.t a.t.tach e. to thE'

met h od adoptC'<l h,\ the de igners of thi. mac hine for
<ar-rying the barr(! blades. Three condit.ion havt1
t o be lll-t. FiNt, the knive" have to b e rearlily
ndj u-;table raclially to s uit p o sible variation.<> in thE'
-..izf' of ~"<'f'd cle li,ered to thE' machinE' for treatme nt.
Hf'condly,
the knhe... have to be E'n ihremo,abiC'

Fir . 22 CASTOR SEED SHELLE R-.o that they rna.' bf' taken o ut and sharpen ed.
Third!~ ' thE> knhC'~ mu.-.t bf' ra~tened in .... Olllt'
particularly 1-E'C'\tre matmer, to with.-,tand the centri- .-\t .\ tlw ..,ttd "' gJ'O\\ n i-. sllu-.trat<>d . Tlw pod. it
fugal fo r<'e o n them a.ri-.ing from thE-ir high s peed of will b<' ~nth<r<d. j._ in thrt'<' -.ect ions, B . ThE' s'E'OlO\ at
rot at ion. T o fulfil the,e r equirements . no attempt, of the> hu,.,k ( ' from f'ithe r of these sec ti on>~ t'E'\"tal:-.
it will be seen, is made to fLx the kni'e ~ directly t o t lw a clec>p-colo url'd pret.t. il~ -marked bean D . ThE' C'ortex
barrel it"'elf. The barrel is simply lotted
allow or ..,he ll B of tlw'le bt-an.., i-; thin a nd brittle. and
the knives to pa through it. ln each side frame of f'nc- l o:-.E>~ the "hit <' oil-bearing kemf'l F . Tlw engra\ .
t he machine a c ircular central h ole is formed. Through ing i.., ftH-..imil(' ll" tf1 sizf'.

these holes the e nds of the knive project.. B eyond

S JI E LLI ~G .
each fra me a flangt-d and s lot.t.ed ruse is fixE-d to the
barrel s haft. ThC' <'nd'! of t.h p knhe. a r e carric>d
Tlw ril... t RI<'P iu thl' prt> ptll'at.ion of t-lw S<.'C'C l for
through the . Jot.., in thc>s<' elise" and nrf' gripped in IH't>...s ing i"' t.lw l"l' lllO\ n l of t h out C'I' s h<'ll o r pod.

-------;;:.____ .,._ , ,, ,

,' @

-----/ (
:4 ,
0

,,,,,

,,
,,

, ,'

, E

r;

_,.
r

-----r----

to

s.c:;'

SwA tH

ROSE.

DOWNS

AND

Sc.

THOMPSON

ptu r of '<'rti<nl -.ult fmm<'-. . The fs-ame.. r<' f<'~n<l

to nrf" hung by m E'ans of e ight flat ... teel .... pl'IOg"'
from t ht' muin framing of the mac hine, four of tht>
~-p ing-... bl'ing \\ithin th< main fl-ames. and four . at
a lcm C'r h, E>l. lwiug external to them. T he 1-<'par~tor
i-.. v1bratt-d by m t-ans of a p air of flexible connectlii(Z
1od ... lying o utsid<' the main frame. , and coupled up
to n s hmt-t.hro\\ c1't\nk :~haft. extending aero,;..:; tht>
main framt>-> at th~ right -hand E-nd, as t~een i~ the
t-II' HLt inn~ in t Jw <>ngnwi ng. An air trun~ w1th l\
f1\n nt. it,., foot i... nr1angl"d bE>t\~C'f'n th<' mnm framc>-~

~r ARcn 9, U) 11

TH E

at the crank ~haft end. This trunk has four sepluatt

orifice:.. the bla,ts from whjch can b e cont r olled independently by shutters operated by racks and hand
wheels. The shells and kernel falling from the roll
travel unde r the shaking action from one tray to the
nE'xl in t-hE' series. Th( kern<>lR <"omplet<> thE' whole
cour,e, and ft~-11 off tlw st'para tor t~-t the 1i~ht. -hond
tmcl o f thE' lowE'~t tnt~ . Thf' li~hter' portion-. of tht

(i T NEE R

21 5

) l iddleton and Co., of Sheep,car F oundry, Lee<b

is shown in FigR. 24 and 2.). The d e ign is cons iderably different from that illw:;trated in Fig. 23,
but the principle of action is much tbe same. The
h opp e r from which the seed passes to the cracking
rollA iR provided with thP u Rual .screw-adjuAtt>d flap
and ]>0\\"E'r-chi Vl'll r('('d roll. The c-racking rolls
1:11'('
in. in diameter, liJ'(' of cn-<l iron. t tu'rHd HllCI

blown from a fan nt the foot. Th<' k<'mc>J-., or tlw

majority of them, succt>ed in pas:.ing nero"" thi"
trunk, and fall into an outlet hoot. The lighter
portions are carried by the a ir blast into a cluAt
chamber. At. the< fool of thi>i chamber 1s a part.rtlOu
2ft.. high. thf' poAition o f ,\]1J(h is urlju~tcd RO t httl
Oil\ kerrwl:o~ ('HI'I'il'd O\t'r \\itl1 the hlust. , hull f,lll
on. o 1w :o~i<lt- of it.. "hill' t lw du-.t and s lwlls fnll 011

(.

(/

I"

t:

Pulley ~
100 r~vs

-... c

-,

.".. _.....

'

'

..
.,..

I"

Or.vmg~

--

ij

.I

--

.. -

..

"

~ .J

"'I

,,

....

'

()

.'

"'

s ...... ,,.
Fi g. 23- CASTOR

lwuns, th<> :-.lwll fragments. under the action of tht

nit bla t. fail to complete th< ''hole course, and M<'
curriecl off m t'r tlw left- hand encl of one or ot ht>r of
the tra~n into a , erticnl pa-.,.,tlge. from the foot of
'' hich the~ are cventuall~ di~charged. D oor:-. un
JH'O\' idt'<l iu the outE.'I' wall of this pth:c-age to regulate
t.hc ~.-grc:~ of tht> air blast.
The output of the size o f nachine illustrated i:o~
20 c:wt. of bean pC'r hour.
!-;even brake horsep<l\\er is absorbed in driving it. Tho ceu:hing rolls
run at. 100 reYolution s p(r minute. the eparatot
... baker shoft at 500. the fNd roll at 120. and the fan
ut 1000.
Tt tnu~ lw rf'nHlrkcd t hnt t lw pra<-tice o f fr<'f'in~

SEED

DECORTICATOR

AND

SEPARATOR- ROSE,

DOWNS

AND

Sc

THOMPSON

Iat'<'
nutt>d. und arE' drivt>n t\t differential J)N'd-..
journalled in horizontally 1-!liding bt>aring;;.

Tl w~ 1 thC' ot.hE'r. Th<' uuwlu1w illu-..tmtNI cnn dtnl "1th

tlw 7~ C\\L of -;cfd p<r how. ond uh-.cll'h-. in ih driniiJ.!

cl i1-1tance bet ween t lw J'OJI, bE.'in~ rt>gula_tE'd b~ ~llt't\n,.,

o f a pair of wed~c-htadNI bolt-s. A pa1r of \\CightNI
lwll-cnwk Je,er:. sPI'\'(' to reg_ulatt> thC' prC';-.ur:t
C'xt>rted hy the ro lls on tlw ~<ed m the manner mdr <at.Nl in Fig. 24. l<'rom tlw ~racki n g rolh1 the l~cr-r w l -.
und huxks fall on to a sht\kmg ~eparator earned on
spri n~ rods, and vilwat<>d by a s h ort-th_tow <ran l<
:-~haft running at 2:)0 r<volut.ion:-~ per mmutc. On
the :-~haker the chargC' i-. tosst'cl about, and thosl'
portionR of the c iack<d ,lwll-.. which rna,\ ~ f:'l bl
udher-ing to tht'ir kernel:-. an i!<'parated tll<'t'<'from.
T oward" the Jo,, f'r tnd of t lw -.hakcr t lw t'IHHI!<'

n.hout t hrP< hor..c- po" PI .

============================
tho Nortl1 H ntt>olt sluue:-lwldcw:. 1111 lltP
:!2nd ult., )[r. \\' illia.m \\'h itC'IIl\\', the chairm l\n, >o~Ud I hut
whih;t. it was truC' that thot< '' ouJd pmbahl.> lw g-1Nll
dumg<>s in the poRition of tai.lway cornpani<s nft!'r tlw
,,a,r they ha.d no <<'rta.in information on tin lllll.llf'r unci
llllL'lt bt< prepared ror \lhi.rnall'ly l't'"llllllll~ ill full tlull
r1sporu ibilitie>s to th<1 public. He was un.ahlt -to ~1wnk
8'-i fr{'('))' Q.S he t-.lWuld J1k<1 .-tbOUl ~OIUE' Of lllf' !IIIIlS tallcJ
cJ,., f]c,pmc>nt'i c;f uulu"l nul lrfc nn tlw )\ur 1l1 Bnt 1-.l1
,\oJHtf:S:.nw

......
<o

<:1)

C\j
I

,"""'

'
....,.,

'

"....

Ai>;'8

I
I

I
I

r~--------~-

I..J--- ---- --~Atr Ot:sch6""'

outstd~

PIe n

of ovt1o

L-----

-~

I
~ight

to

r~9vl#t~

L:::::J:,'.!_P
v~r~ s; vr~

I,I

on n vts

Sn k er

"

<o

<o

Fi,;1. 24 and 25

t ht' cast or ::.t>ed kernel from rt" inn<'r o r- -.;econd co' to ring
J"i not. b\ an' means unl\ E.'r... al.
1t j,.. more ot le-.s

n<ce-.;sar;\. if a good, ciPJr quaht_\ o f hot-dra" n oi l

ts U<' iretl, but for man~ purpche-. tht> oil obtain(d
h,\ pressing the bean-." ith onl.\ thP outt>r pod rt>ntO\ <>cl
i" found sufficit>ntl,\ good to ju,.,tif,\' the practice.
Anot.hflr <astor seed d<corti('fl tor made by
Rob<' d

CASTOR

pa~-.E;>-.

SEED

DECORTICATOR

AND

SEPARATOR

ROBERT

on to a J><rfomtld portion of th<' bot tom.

Throup:h this tlw -.hell-., kl'rnek and du ... t PH""
'ticks. portion" o f t ht> out(r husks and _oth<'r' larp:c>~;ized extrtlneotr'l mattC'r pass acro,.:s rt. t\nd ttrt
di"<'hnrg<'d through an <>penin g in the bottom into
u Mh oot.. The Ah('lls. kC't'rWIM, and du,t leavi ng the
t-~hAker fall into n t.runk. up "hic-h a blnst of ai 1 i"

MIDDLETON

My~:>te>m,

but the dirNtors \\!'r<' ,:tiving a.tt<>ntiun to tlll'm.

Obviou!'!ly. the prO\ 1-.;wn of I(OOdt~ a.nd ]>8">'-('ll~e>r hhll 11111,.
Rlnmting yards and -..H hnj:es. must 11\\ oh <' <on-..Hitrubl<
ca.p1tal expendtturP. T o for<'Wt' "he-r<' 1111(1 he)\\ thnt
e>:..p<'nditurt- ought to h<' inrurrtd was no Nl".Y nmlttJ.
'1'1\e- task was tht' mort dilli<'ult in that. to a lo.r~t' r'ttnt.
the-y l1a.d to adopt ~'">~till_~.t l11ws nnd wol'ks t u Ill ' " nnll
nntlr('amed of ronclit l()ll'l.

TJIE

240

E NC I ~EER

tn t irfln l,r,ppt:r .. ifnnW ,,.,.r the "P ning

~fARCTI lli, 1!)I 7

h~!t \\Nn

THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- tl11 hH1 n,IJ., j., (itlf~l \\itla tl1 u ... nal p11wtr dti\111
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
ft1t! n,IJrr and ltand rP,I!IJIHtld ftrd .. }.utvr. AIJ,,ut
XCJ \ I.
PREPARATORY
A~D

ROLLS

lAC'HJ~T::n Y (<;l>n/ln>vtl)

OTBF:R RErHH'TION MAf'HJNERY.

,.,.n

THE pr"'<'('ding art irlr-.. lH,ulrl hll\"1"! &!i

t ltP. rf!ndrr
!;I)TO'' idr a r,{ hr,w (!trt.nirt irr,pr,rtant nil-lw.urir.g
, eflttahll' .. uh..tanN .. aw prf>pnrt~l f11r pr#-.....ing. l.md
rJ t hn tlf ... iflll and \\Orking r,f t h1 "l"'cial mad.int>ry
u ..t-d ft1r thi.., pTfparatit,n. \\'1 havf! by no rntan ..
''"hnu .. trtl thi ... ~ctitJO ,,( t111r ... uhjP.d, hut Wfl rnu ... t.
"''" tt,mhula it hy dos~rihing th1 Nm... trurtitm c,f a
ff!\\ adcliti,,nal and mr,rc or Jr .... "PNiaJi..t.o(l rnachint ..

tl'!n tc,rlo; of materiAl l'an bt trtatf'd per day fJ! tNI

houri with th~e roll . To dri,o th,.m rf'quim About
four hor..P-powPr. Siroilar rr,ll~ are madr b~ ~ft ... r ...
Middltton fur trPating cr,pra, palm ktmf') ,., ,\;c., but
(f,r "'''ch Jwa,y mattrial tWtJ pail-' ,,f rfJll", cmr oiJt,vt
t hf'l r,thtr, or~> providNI.
\\'lJilo it j,.. f!NH'mlly tnu> t hnt rt,JI ....,wh a tJ,,.
a how~. and t hr1;oe prt,i'"'"IY dn'<fri htle'), art in Pxt.eu .. i n
NnploymPnt f(Jr rNiudng oil-b~>aring o.,.('fd .. , ~~ . tf1 t "''
frJrrn r,{ rnral, it j., tt, hn m,t~d that , uricmq t,thtr
fnnn'i c,( cnt.. hing M di .. iutt$,.rrating machincry art
Jrtllllt nncl an in tmplc,yrntnt . Thut tITtJrt .. ..),r,tdd

FiJ I. 26 and 27- BORIZOlJTAL : SEED! ROLLS

AlfD EDGE

R OIIIIER RO BERT

fnr thf' rNl uction of \'nric,n'-1 prtparecl or unprc- hf' maclP to prc,\'irlr a lt t rnn.ti\'P mPanq of rNltwing
pnrl'll I'!Pf'd ...., fruit, &c., to thr ftirrtl o{ ntf'al.
sNd to mf'al i!i to }')(> fXpNtld, frJT the prattir~ tJf
\L-.inj:{ r()IJR invr,lw.. , rrwrc f"PNially in t hf' ca'if' ,,(
IJOR JZONTAL ~EED RO LL..
ht!a,y material -.uch M C'Opra. and pallfl kf'mf'l'-'.
Thf' rc,n.~ P.mployPc) ft,r rPducing copra. palm t Itt *'"J>i>ndit urP. ()( a Nm idtrahlc amount ,, pO\Hr,
krmtJ.., lin'-P.P-<1, cotton P.('(). <'aqtfJr sePrl, and RO on. and r(.,ult-. in the -1pa<e txcupiNl by tht rc'llucin~
nrt, J!fnl'rally c;~aking, of much thf' -.orrw clP"i~'l'l plant heinf{ gTPatf>T fWTMP" I han it nPP.tl he. \\"1
\\hntt\ cr th~ rnatf'rial trPntNl rna\
he. In t1ur haH alr<IHiy illu.. trat<d ,,,. frJrm of altf'rnatiw t11

third nrtidP WP iiJu.,.t ratNJ and dP''ribE'<l ...~wral a -.11t of toll.. , namely, the prf'lirninary hrc~kin$.!
t ~ picul f'XampiP-.. Jn Fig. 2li "r f..lj\'P a ,;,.w of n rrlfl4'hinP ma~ll b\ :\J,.... ... r ... ) lanlc,vt, AllirJtt anti .,IJ,,\\ 11

"PNiul .;ft c,( roll ... cr,n.;,tructNI h.\ RtJbPrt ) liclcllrtrm in Fig. 3 ardP. F rmJ' ht Itt r nit crMtiw~ \\ill flf1\\' ,,,.
u nd ( r,., hccp ...(ar FIJuudry, LNd "' and intf'ndNI nffrrlcl to.
Jlflrticularh f or cru .. hinj:{ tast or ..rNI and -.irnilar
mntcr ia l.
ThP rfJIJ-., t\\O 111 nurnlwr, ar1 in thi ..

in .. hwrt nrrangf'd -.idr 11\'

..
id,.
and
not
wrtiC'nlh.
Tlw
fir t r,( th1 t, 1 l11 t lttt nmntr, )m .. ltIIJ! hNJI

ll .. Nl

.,--,

MJDDLETOJI

NlgP nmncr illn<.t rntNl wa<~ (}pqignNl tn dtnl with

ahout (()ur t(JO"' ,,{ c,Jnc., pcr duy. and ah..nrh.. in ib
clri,ing ah(Jnt figltt. hc,r-.t-pr,,Hr.
OthP.r altPmntivh to tht Mdinan rr,Jl., t.akf lht>
fnrrn of "PNial f!Tinding r,r r!'ducing mill-. And l)j.,.
in t twa t()r,.
GRI N TH~G

AND

REDt"CJ~G

llttLS.

A -.pP<ial frmn r1f grinding rnill -.uit a hiP arncm~

c,thf'r thing3 for finth grintlmg pahn kPmrol!o; and
topra is illuFitratNJ m Ftg. 2 . Thi" rnachiw j., mat e
h.v Ro~. Dt,wnq and Thomp...nn, LimitPcl, hf H ult.
It t(Jntainq two pair" o{ fincly flutPd rollt r-4, th
!waring~ of.. ,~daith ..art nrt ld "P'Jfl lwr~ztmt all\'
.. '"'
..
"JiriOf!-; WhttJa Jlf'I"JIIIl tJ11 l'tJ lJ<:r.; ttJ .. .frin and tUkf> '

----.. --

'

''\

'

I
I
t

--

,
I

"

----

,
/

'

~---

L_~x:-11

'

T.-c:

E~

,::c_l1"

FiJ. 2&--SPECIAL

t ll() Ql) frr(JIII"nt ly nrr. Ti t',\' nrP. () { crullP<l or

fJt.h rr hnrrl rnst. irrm , l ig h t ,, flutcd wit.h Apim l'l,
and rrwa .. llr (\ J(ji n. in tliarnrtrr hy :Win. in ltns:.,T1 h .
'I }w r d i...tnnC'P apart i.., odj us I nhlf' within lmtit -..
Our of t hn rr,JJ,.. nm... in fixNI hfn ring,., whllf' th(' bf'aring... o f thP ot hcr ar( -.lirlnble! and are a rtPtl upcm by
... , rtmg ... prin$!' which prrwit tlw TCJIJ.., t o open i f t hP.
fNcl ; .. tnfJ hc>a,y, r,r if any hard fnrtign ub... tancr i...
rutl111rtiMNI in t ltP t>PP.cl. 'fhP. rr,JJ'"' are dri\"!'n h\
} 1cu\' \ ' rn4 irnn f!Paring and nm at frorn
0 to I 1111
nn,llltinrt.. pt>r rninutP. A -.tN I "'''l'llptr is pro\ rdNI
fr 1 r tach n,ll nn d i-. ltcld u p to rt .. "t1rk 1,~ nu"llf ~"- of
o. pnrr c,f fc,rgtd llvlr'"' fi nd cu-;t uon \Hi~h t.... Till'
_
_
:s... ,. 1ff>~Drl \l.m 11 !Jth .
11'1

GRrliDilfG

MILL l. WITH

CONCAVE

PLATES- ROSE.

DOWlfS AND

in""" fnr rPdawi ng ,,jl 1-.Nd -., fruit.&(., tr, rw.ll !..llitahlt
ftJr prc...'4 ing. As crnpl r,~ cd at the oil rnm, I ltc Nlgc
runnfr difff'r-. in nc, h-"f nt ial rc.;pf'C't frtnn t ltl ftHrn
ll"'td in rnan~ t1t hPr indu-.t ric,.. Edgl' nmncr... 1\rl'
to }Jt fcJuncl in f'uplt,~ rnrHt in ch()(r,Jatr und ctmfN
tir,ncry fa(tMi,..... for rnixing rnortar. in papPr nJII-.
unchr t hf' narnr ,, kr,llrrg~m~; ftJr nduring
hrr,kt ,. paptr t() pulp. and ~>l~f'" lwrf. An c,il
mill Pdgt runnrr, a-. (c,n.. tructrd hv Hr,bl'rt :\Jirldlct""
awl C'o .. of LNcl-., j.., il111strnted in Fig. 21. It ''IHI
.. i ... t a-. u ... ual r,( two ...trmt., rnount'fl on an nxJ,.,
wltirh j., r()t atf'tl in a ),c,nztmtul plnnr h~- mf'arh c,f 11
1 ,.f'r lwnl shaft, "luch j., ..,,.t . . ,rnt\\ hat IIC'i\rtr llfll' ,,f
tl w '<fr.nc~ than t lw r,tl ur. J 11 t lw tlb' ill u ... tmlrd
t.lw .. tun~-. Or(' 4ft HI dJn1u111 r and 12in. widt.

TBO MPSO ~

with thP f(C'rl. ThP mnlfrinl i~ fNI from t hf hopp,.r

at thr top to tl11 o rwru11g httWf'P.n t bf' ftr..,f pnir of
roll.... and t hcntt pa ....., .... through an iutcrrnc>diaiP
h(Jppf'r to t ht ...Nond pair of r oll.... T lw ~ptC'iul
ff'<lturc nf tlw rrtill lit"' in tlw provi..irm, lw1wnt h n1 c
r,f lltP fit .. t pair of rr,IJ.., anti btn(ath btJi h c,f thP lo\\l'r
pair. of crmtan plath lwt\\PPn "hj<'h nod t l ~
a .....rJ(tatNl rr,Jif"'r t lu ru.tV>rial rntht pa ..... lwf(Jrf" It
proNP.d ... fo.rt lwr c111 it ... "chursP. Thr> P'' . .ition of t lw
uppf"'r concav,. phllt j., nljnstNI by mc>nn,., of t wo
... rrtwNl r()([.., prt,,itltrl with ... pring-. anrl hanrl whNI>
Thr t\HI lnwcr plntc.. art .. i111ilarl~ l1f'lrl up t o tl wtr
\\'flrl< and adj11-.t 1d 11.\' nttan'i c1f wcigh tNI l\ Pr ....
T IH' di ... rlu1rg hf
tlw wutcrial t nk,.-. phHP
J-inaultancou-tl\
frttn (uch .. idl"l of tho lower pair of

MARCH

16, 1917

TH E ENG I NEER

241

rolls. Tho mac hiuo illust.rat.<'d has l:\11 output. of from con r a ves. AILhoug h t hC' powor con s umed may n ot. treat ed. Tho roll::; of ea ch pair run at. dilTc l'<ut.ial
:Jo t.o 40 c wL. of palm krm.tlx or copra. por ltour. b o IC'ss Lo any exte nt. '' o1Lh conxidering, t.ho concave speeds, about. !50 and 80 rrvolut.ion..., p e r rninuto,
ll.s bl'lt. pullcy ruus u,t, 300 l'C \ o luLio n s per uunuLr . a t'l'a.ngollleut. n sult.s in u. <:on siden\.blo saving in Lhd s t> that t.ho a.cLiou is pa.rtl .v tt t r al'ing aw l p artly a.
crushing on<'. In u.cldit.ion, t.h<' diff<'l'c>u<e in s p<'<:'rL-..
lwoicls any t<'nd t' ncy of LIJc roll~; to l)('conrc clogg<'rl

with t.hr ma.L<tial being l'<ducod . Tho mt~.c hine i ...

marl< in two forms. 1n on<'. lh<' ligh Lcr , a conca' P
plat<', hing<'d nnd t~< lj w;t.ablc. i..-; fitt.cd lwnt>ut.h onn
of Lhc lower pair of rolls. l u t.hc otlwr forrn, iul <'udfld
for an inncas<d outp11t., t.hrcc con c:avC' plat.C's a.r~
pl'OVirJC'd. 'l'hC' llll:t<'ftlll() iJiw4rat,pfl is ('l;lj)Hhlo of
gind ing a t.on of C'opm (H'l' tltl.~. Jt.s d rh ing ab,.orbs
ttbo ut !i hor:; pO\\ cr. Tho bolt, pulk~ ruill! aL 2.50
r evolutions .

J>I SJ NT J:<.: RATO RS.

Quilt> <t diiTc rcn t t.-' JH' of rC'd11t'i11~ rna.<hino fot

<opnt, pttl111 k<'l'H~ f ,., nnd so on, tmtd<' b ,\ H os<', J)o wns
~mel 'J'hOIIIJ>>:on , Lilllit.c>d, i~ illus trat..N I iu Figs. :~()and
:31. This Il llit' hill<' j,. lwrl\\ n as 1'\ d is in t.c>grat or. H
<o111pri,.cs tt t'intda.r tas inl! \\ it..llin which t.he rc
rc>voh-cs at. a lrigh RJH'<d a disc t'ttl'l'y ing folll' flat -bat
btat.<'t ar"'" Eaclr s idc of t.Jw tas<' int01'ior is fittt>cl
\\it h <hill<'d iron sf'gnrc>nt..al limrs t,lrf' surfato of
whi(')r is \Htvtd. Till'!'(' " imilarl \' W tW E'd c hillt>d iroH
liucn,; arC' di" JH>l'C'd rmuHI lh<' t.op half o f t..lw p<Wiphery
nf the <usl'. \\ hilc tlw lcl\\'t'J' half of t hC' p tl'iphC'r,Y ib
fonrH'd b~ H ba s(' l 't'('l1 i11 t.,, o pnrLs. 'l'hC' r~ tatf'rial Lo
I)(' trcated is fed int.o the ctlsing fro111 a hoppc>r. the
I f<'cd lwing "onwt,irn<>s . as iu Fig. :30, a"sist.ed b y a
fJO\\'E'rdri' <'H worm. F alling 0 11 to t.he t>'XLJ'<'mit..v of
t h<' n <'H t.c-r 1\1' 1111-i. t.l w muL<>rittl is t.hrown violl"n t.l y
against t.hc> <'hjll('d i nm ''a wcl pla t.es or against. t.l~fl
~<t recn 11nt.il1t. is redlltc>d h) the hlo\\ s \\hith it. (.bus
l"td'ft>rs t.o a d c>grcl' o f fin<>tu>Rs s utficit>nt. t.. o f'nable it
t o pass thro ugh h<'tW<'f'n t.he bars of t he s<'l'<'<'ll. [ t
\\'J ll b<' not..icNI that t.h <> liner ancl R('rct-n R<'g ments are
cl<':o:Jgnc>rl t.o b e rRsil~ r<'placca biC'. The> si'Lc of mac hine
tllus t.rat..fd in F'ig. :m J,a,. a n o ut.put. of :!-l cwt.. of copra.
nr I:HIC'h like maL<' rial prr hour. Tlw lwH t c r ~<halt runb
at. 1700 r<'\'O hrtion ~-o pc>t rninlll<' Twc>ttt~ -<>ight brake
hor~>c- powor is a.b~>orbcd in dri,illg tho lJJ..a,Chine.

...

SPECIAL LISJ!;S FOR TIIESE r.I AC B J NE~.

Fig. 29-RED UClNG MI LL AND CAKE BRE AKE R
'J'Ir<' spc>dttl fo rrns of rt><lucing mac ltint>r,v de. cribed
in t.ltis ad.idc . with t.l10 C'xt<'pt.iou p<'rhaps o f t.he
About 2-1 bra k e h o rse-powc>r ts rcqLurt-d to dri,c s pacE' occ upied by the> machine and econ om.isel3 in ro Us illus trated in l'ig. :W. c~tn be> a nd are u sed for
ot.h er purposes t.ht\ n t.hat o f r<'d ucing veget.ablE~ oil
it. Its r o lls a r fl 16in. long an(\ l 2in . in dianw t<>r.
capit.al e-xpen d iturc and upkeep charges.
Tho object of fitting the con cMo plates b encaLh
Anothe r fonn of r educing mill with conca.ves, made b earing s ubstan ces wholly or partially to the form
of m eal s uitable for pressing . Thus the dis integrator

ju~>t described has b!i'en , we are informed . s uccessfully

applied t o the re duction of ovet 250 differ ent kinds
I
I
of material ranging from broken c r ocke1y, iron
~
~. ',If
1 4 '2
twnings a~d wood shavings to coal, shoddy, cork
4
a nd bone . 'Vith s u ch uses we are n o t here concerned,
-T
'6"2
}. "
but it may b e n o t ed that even in the oil mill,

alternative uses for the machinery described are

" "'f
found. For examplo, oil cakes from which it is
~ r"3
d esired to recover a. " second expression " oil may be
., . , ,_ -- _..
''J:.
4-z
Pulle)' 9
once more reduced to the form of meal b v means of

10
~
ror6 b
A
uto
Fee
d
. (\I
~~~P.
the reducing mill illustrated in Fig. 29. When u sed
""" Spd./700 R . '11.
.
100 RP M .
0
Lhus as a cak e brt>al<e1, this machine cau d eal 'nth
.....
? ,
about 3 tons of material per hour. Again, the cakes
.5 J"
.
tak<:'n fom the pre ~> n earl y always hav~ their edges
l ...
c..
we ll saturated with oil. for it is n ext to impossible to

,S
I
I
pre ,-ent som e o f tho oil from lingering b~hind at tho
, "'
,
"
'
'
1

4
_J
2
0'2
----.....,::; s 2 - - - - - -2 . 6'4 - - ..f
eclgt>s of tl1C' cak e . P artly to improve t he appearance
o f t.h e <ake. bnt <'hieAy t o a \oid wal'>ti.ng oil, these
SwAIN Sc
" T HE EN GINEER"
edges are t.rimmcd off in Rpli'cial machines. The
F"lg. 30- DISI.NTEGRAT OR-ROSE, DOWNS AND T HOMPSON
mate1ia.l thu~ r<'covor ed is r edu<ed again to the form
o f m eal and J'Otumc d to the k eLtle for mixture 'vith
the r o lls o f t.his madun<' j:, clf><\1'.
Each <:on<:ave i.t1 th1s caso b y Robort l\lidcllot.on and 1o., Leeds, fl-esh meal. A ~ uiLt"~>ble machine fol' reducing the oily
is in iL!i c tkcl. c>C'puva.lc>ot. to tlw provi.,..,ion o f an is shown in Fig. 20. This mill is fitted with two pairs edge pari.t1~:; Lo tucttl t,.., Lhe ed ge rutUter, ~hown in
additional r oll o r pHir of rolls. Thus in the caso of of t.oothed rolls bwJt up_ of plates keyed and b olted Fig. 27. Finally, in tho manuft\ c Lwe of cowpoWld

~z=zr

"

,._

~~ --.

If

'
Fig. 31-DJSINTEGRATOR , SHOWING

DEAT ER

AR MS,

WAVE D

PLATES, AND

BAR

SCREEN

the machine illustrated in Fig. 28 the ma.torial is tog"ther on mild s teel shafts . Tho d egree to which the 1 foecling cakes-a. process sometimes carried on at the
reduced to the same extent as it would bo if it were t eeth of each pair of rolls inte rmesh is adjubtable oil mill and sometimes in an entirely separate
passed between four pairs of ordinary rolls without to give the required finenes.s to the material being establishment de,oted solely to the work-the special

242
grinding mill shown in Fig. 28, or the disintegrator,
}'igs. 30 and 31, is of great service. The term
" compound cake " has boon UBed to denote a re-formed
feeding cake m.ade from a mixture of genuine press
cake and of extracted meal, that is to say, of the meal
left after seed has been extracted with chemical
solvents. As commonly used, however-at least in
this country- the words d en ote a re. fonned cake,
made from pure linseed, cottonseed or other press
cake and one or more other ingredients, the addition
of which is regarded 88 increasing the food value of
the pure cake. Among such added materials ma.y be
Joe~tioned locust beans, rice, peas, sugar, ginger,
lentils, salt, &c., besides other preos cakes such as
cocoa-nut or palm nut cake. For reducing these
materials to tht> required d egree of fineness preparatory to adding them to the pure cake material
the machines mentioned can conveniently be
employed.

EER

MABCB 16, 1917

do n ot a.flord the slighteot tsuppCirt to any tsuch con- the EmpirP a nd our Allies from di.sa.ster, and he hoped
cl usion. I t was obvious, th,,refore, that we mu'lt that tep8 would IX' taken to eOBure that the men
look to some otLer source for the fund out Clf which who built up th~> British mercantile marine to thP
these vast colonial and foreign investments have en ormous proportions which it attained hf>fore the
been ma.de. That source is the income arising from war would b~ gi'-:en .every reasonable facility and
interest on investments abroad, the earning-s of the !rood from legu,lallve mtcrference in order that tb
shipping indutstry, and of the great banking and might ~e.,torc the Briti.-.h m er chant tlePt to 1t~ form~
mercantile hou.ses engaged in international finance.
pre-errunence. Unle our position in the carryin
Shipping plays a preponderating part in the invest trarlf' of .the. world iA re-established, the outlook
meat of capital abroad. On tho ba.~Sis of t he e&tim.ate the E mptre JJJ very grave. Although it would appear
framed by Sir Norman Hill the total earnings of the to ~>? a. n Pce<l.SQry _f~ture '?f our post-war trade policy
shipping ind w;try for the year 1913, including ve els to div~rt tQ ~he {jruted Kingdom as much rJf thP ra;,.
employed in the home trade, amounted to .162 rnatena.l which bef~re the war WM exported t..-J
millions, and the analysis of working expeTU~e , interest ~erma.ny and Austna-Hunga.ry, yet in viP.w of the
paid on capital, dividends, re6Crvezi, &c., showed that inadequate resources yet developed within the
the prop ortion which ultimately reached the United EJ?lpire, it would be a. mistaken policy for the United
Kingdom in one form or another in the shapo Clf "'ages, Kingdom to shape our future economic polic~r on the
dividends, payments for coal, stores, .in.swa.nce, assw;t~ tion that W~" can depend upon the Overseas
shipbuilding, repairs, &c., could not be le... than D orruruons for th~ uee&.~ry s upplies of raw material.
100 millionB. The enormous share of Great Britain
We needed to unpart mto our economic life that
in the carrying trade of the world bas brought many ~ienti6c ~ect~on whi~h was partic.'ll.larly necessary
FOREIGN TRADE AND THE ENGINEER.
economic advantages in addition to the grosg income m conncchon wtth the mvestrnent of capital a.brood.
THE d ecision of the l nrrt.itution of Civil Engineers from shipping. In the first place, it is intimately I t was nn a. tounding fact that in thP pa.o.t the control
to extRnd it activities into tho com mercial field bound up with tho p ocition of London as the monetary of our invc>..tmeots abroad, and thercforA tho character
h88 be~n gC'n<"rully welcOJned, n ot onJy by it~ own centre of tho world, and it was a lso necessary to take !-'nd direction of our foreign trade, bad bc>('n largely
members, but by tho,e of other engineering societios into consideration the great financial and mer- m the hand8 of Gerrnan.Jewixh U...,u.ing hou.'lC"l. 1t
to whom au. htvitation bas been given to take part cantile h ouses which employ ed many millions of w~ a 1nattor of urgent public importance that the
~l the <.LU-cw-...ioM at which the' n C'\\ policy is being capital in finan cing international trade. The a.cti vi- B~tish Trade Bank, which L(Jrd Faringdon'11 Com.
maugura.ted. The fact , t()O, that these meetings, ti~ of the.-w in&titutionB would not be possible without rruttee recoTO.IllCnded, sh ould be e2,ta.blishNJ S..'i quickly
at "'hich comntf'rcia.l tCipic!i a.rf to b e debated, are the facilitiC!> a.fforrled by Briti.<~h shipping. u nder - as po....ible. The fact that although tht.'i r :corn.
t o bo open to th(} ljre."~'i, ib a fw-th e indication of the writing wa.:. one of the minor callings d epending mendation wa.s rna.de ix months ago no f'flective
reality of tho nc:m. m ovem ent, by which technical directly upon the shipping indw.try, involving :.tep-1 had yet b een taken, made it difficult to a void
wcieties are t() bEcom e tho a.l lie!i of the conunorcia.l extremely large financial operations, and producing the conclusion that thero are important financial
cuginEJer. At th( (ir.;t of the:.e rn.eetingt>, which wM a great incom e to Great Britain, no t only from the interests in the City of London which do ROt regard
Jwld on Monday la"lt, :Mr. Edgar (;rammond intro- underwriting of British Bhips and their cargoes, but the propo~ bank with approval.
The ideal economic p olicy for this country at thP
duced the Rubject of F oreign Trade and its Relation of foreign cargoes carried in British bottoms between
foreign ports, and of foreign vv...sels and their cargoes. pre...ent time is to consolidate the Empire by mea.M
to tho lnv~ trucnt of Capital Abroad .
The Preoident, in opening the proceedingB, refoncd He was sat isfied that tho revenue from the under- of a moderate tariff, a nd to endeavour to r wne
to tho change which had como over our attitude writing of ship:> and their cargo&~ in a n ormal year our old position in international trade a<i far as is
towards foreign trade, and expr~ed the hope that exceeded 20 millions, and that the capital employed coOHi.sten t with the adoption of an impeT-ial economic
p olicy, of course with due regard t o our obligations
tho old policy of r ed tape, hesitation, and delay , by exceedPd 50 millioOR.
Shipping, including i ts a.llif'd trades, is our premier to our Allies and with adequate safeguard against
which Britilih trade d evelopments had been strangled
in the past, might be su cceeded by a policy of com- industry. Shipping alone, )lr. (,'ra.mmond sh owed, German trade competition. The prosperity of the
moo sense and b~.in&;Sli.ke management, so that our employed 300,000 personB and a capital of 600 shipping industry is ab:.olutely d ependent upon
future trade relations overseas might be d eveloped millions ; shipbuilding, 210,000 persons and a capital this course, because the t rade to and from the British
with a closer regard to the interests of our great of 150 millions ; port and harbour authorities, Empire will n ot suffice to occupy m or e than onefiftb
60,000 pen.ons and a capital of 140 millions; of the British tonnage. With regard t o the proposal
Dominions.
Mr. Edgar Ora.:mmond referred at the outset to mi.scellaneollfi, including dock labourers, warehouse- to construct t he Channel Tunnel, he suggested that
the magnitude of British investments in the Overseas men, shipping clerks, underwriters, &c., 260,000 the creation of that railway link with the Continent
Dominions and in foreign countries. H e pointed persons and a capital of 100 millions. Tho shipping might have a very damaging efiect upon Britilih
out that Great Drit.a.in had been investing capital industry plays a very important part in the adjust- hipping. The p orts of Havre, Genoa., )ia.rseilles,
abroad for over four centuries, but it was not until ment of the trade balance. It was n ot perhap:> a n d Antwerp, R otterdam, ancl perhaps even Hambu rg
between 1830 and 1840, when the IM:am engine and gen erally appreciated that the value of exports and Bremen, would benefit at the experuw of Lj verp<~ol,
the factory had transformed England from an a.gri- Bhown in the J3oa.rd Of rfradO retUl'Il.I:J was f. o. b. and Glasgow, B ristol, and London.
)lr. Duga ld Clerk ~id that our engineering activi?uJtural to a rnanula.cturing country , that our foreign the value of the foreign iuve&tments. Take, aga.i.n,
ltlvedtments 8.6Sumed any consid ra.ble rnagn.itudo. the stimulating influence which these investments ties had a lways been world-wide, and he h oped that
~tatiJ.tics dPrived from the annual report of the have exerted upon the shipping and the 1>h.ipbuilding nothing would be done in thil; country to confine our
(;~nerw of Inland Revenue s howed that for indu.st~. I t il; only necc sa.ry to examine the trade developments within the limits of the Empire.
the year endl'd April 5th, 1914, the amount of income growth of shipping with Argentina, Canada, Aw,tralia., We JOW.t not be m.U;led by the saying that we were
from British, colonial, and foreign investments India., or South Airica, to see at once that so fa r as merely the carriers for tho rest of tbP world, because
amounted to 118,113,703. 'fll.i.t> annual income, the shipping industry is concerned, it has gAined tha t fact had a great deal to d o with our having
capitalised on a basis of a yield of 5 p er cent., or enormously by the economic dcwelopment which ha..i b ecome the manufacturing nation for a large part
twenty years' purchase, would repre~:>Gnt a. total capital followed the investment of British capital in the of tho world. While a certain amount of coordina.
&um of 2360 millions.
I t must be remembered, remote part.li of the world. This in turn has reacted tion in manufacturing was necessary, we did n ot want
too rigiclly to adopt the ~rma.n system of endea vour
however, that this forms only part of the total on shipbuilding and a.Uied industries.
The volwne and character of our foreign trade ing to plan everything in advance.
income accruing to Great Britain in respect of its
)[r. Harold Cox a lso depre<:ated any exce ive
foreign and colonial investments , and there is ground after the war are matters which a1Iect us all very
for the belief that the incom e from other sources closely. In the past we had n o national economic co-ordination in ind\Lc;try and trade. \\'bat was
amounts to at lea.~St 95 millions, which, capitalised policy save that of unrEn>tricted internationalism. required was a. large, broad policy of Imperial expanon the same basis, would give an aggregate capital The ordeal of battle bas shown the weakness 88 well sion, rather than the p olicy of the tied h oiJ!i8. We
sum for our investments in the Overseas D ominions as the advantage of this system. For several centuries sh ould beware of int roducing too much State control,
and foreign countries of 4000 miUions. It was it was our p olicy to throw out from the centre our or of arlopting any measures which might set up
instructive to note that these investments bad been dif!erent sources of strength. We threw down all friction b etween ourselves and our Allie<~, or affect
fairly evenly divided between the Overseas Dominions barriers which restricted the freedom o f trade, our t rade with n eutral countries. I t was nooessary
and the rest of the world, the totals for the y ear and allowed ourselves to become dependent upon to avoid the danger of using the force of our arms to
1913 being 17i0 millions for British Dominions, foreign supplies of foodstuffs and raw materials to d eprive the p eople of the Empire of the chance of
Colonies, and Po~ion.s, and 1784 millions for the extent of three.fiitbs of our annual requirements, selling their goods in prruitable markets. One heard
foreign countries, mainly outside Europe. In the and at the same time allowed ourselves to become referen celi at t imel to what was tt'rmed tho blind
early years our principal invcl>tments abroad were dependent upon Germany for supplies of commodities growth of the Empire, but it was quBlitionable if this
made in Europe, but as European countries developed, which were vital to the conduct of our greatest in- was n ot rather better d efined as the triumph of the
and the yield became less remunerative , the far- dustries. Germany, on the other hand, pursued an instinct of our people, and be would rather trust to
seeing men who directed the channels into which economic policy of centralisation. X otwithstanding that for the cultivation of trade relationB overseas
British capital fiowed perceived that Canada, the vast growth of her population, she, by means of than to any m ethod evolved by p oliticians.
lfr. W. H. Ellis (:~Iessrs. J ohn Brown and Co.)
AU8tralia, Argentina, Chili, and other distant the intensive development of her agriculture, became
countries offered a greater chance of profitable to a very large extent self-supporting in the matter expressed the opinion that a good deal o the talk
investment. France, and to a lesser d egree Germany, of food supplies. For many years she set her face which was heard as to the limitation of the power of
invested their surplus accumulationB largely in Russia., against the emigration of her people, and it is only our en emies in trade was premature. Any ruthless
Turkey, Austria, the Balkan States, and other parts within a comparatively r ecent period that she has p olicy in that direction, although it would help us in
attempted to carry out a policy of colonial expansion. those portions of the world which we can dominate
of Europe.
It is true that our old policy brought many economic to some extent, would inevitably throw other counUnder present conditions Great Britain bas
no reason to regret having invested her savings advantages. Our investments abroad have proved tries into the arms of Genna.ny, and make our position
in the development of countries which are in the of inestimable value during the war. They have been as competitors very difficult. One very necebS&ry
rna.in r emote from Europe. The great bulk of the our real war chest, and without them it is difficult reform was associated with the representation of
capital invested abroad by Great Britain has been to believe we should have been able to finance our British 6.rms abroad, and it would be well to give
applied to the construction of railways, irrigation Allies and to provide for our own expenditure. consideration to the question of cooperative repre
works, dooks, and harbours, or to the development There bas, of course, been a great change in the sentation to avoid inter-competition, and to en ore
of mines, nitrate fields, tea, coffee, and rubber plant& geographical distribution of these investments during that if a contract came to this country that it bould
tiona, oil6.elds, and every other conceivable form of the war. Broadly speaking, we have sold between be placed at a fair price. Another question which be
enterprise calculated to increase the world's supplies 500 and 600 millions of our American, Canadian, hoped to see tackled was that of devising measures
of food and raw materials. This policy haB not been ' outh American, and Japan~ investments , m ostly, so that enem y shipping should not be allowed to
condu cted on selfish lines. The additional supplies however, at good prices, and we have borrowed come into British ports on any terms which were
o f food and raw materials Lave been made accessible about 400 millions in America and elsewhere. On more advantageous than those inflicted on British
to the whole world, and it i:. difficult to b elieve tho other band, we have made new investments shipowners. On the subject of the proposed fon:na.
that the industrial development of Germany during abroad to the extent of nearly 900 miiJions b y way tion of a n ew British Trade Bank it was necessary,
the past twenty years would have been possible of loans to the Overseas Dominions and French, in the first pla.ce, to b e satisfied that the great banking
institutions of this country were either unwilling or
had it not been for the enterprise and ability of Russian, Italian, and Belgian Treasury Bills.
I t was the magnitude of our mercantile marine, unable to grant the necessary facilities.
British investors. l\Ia.ny people &till appeared t o
Sir John )lcCa.ll (Agent-General for T~)
entertain the belief that our invet>tments abroad and the fact that through its use we were able to
ba.d been made t o some extent, at least, by means call not only upon the Empire, b ut the whole world. commented on the fact that, while the Domm1on
of the export of g old and silver, but the official r eturns for supplies of food and raw materials which saved r epresentatives had been pledged to place contracts

{,!

MARCH

23, 1917

THE EN G INEER

261

THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- Lh roug h t.ho h ott om of t,hfl l<ettl<> a nd is s upportNl on t.h<> m eal , a nd facil itate's Lhr HuhsE'quen t flow of oil
an extf"nal ball thrust b earing. This con.c;iderably front it. The 111eans povidPd for with<.lrawing a
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
reduce::; t.he powf'J' r eq uirecl to drive the agitator. charge of m eal from the kettle and delivering it to
Xo. \'II.
:\ 1-; Af. KETTLES AXD )[O ULDIXt: )[ACHIXE .

\ YE. have-. n ow df'scribed t.he :;pecial prepara tory

maC'hmer,\ 1n UR<' for th<> prc>lirni mH v lrNltment of

c<>l't ain t~ piNJ.l oil-henri ng ngc-lnhlC' Hubstance~.
111\tu<l~. GO JH'tt. lin:o~PC'< l, p u ln1 fruit.. pahn l<t>l'llPI~.
col t on ~<'NI and c~\,.tor :o~C'NI. ' l' lw 1natc>ria l, wht\b-'V<'t'
iLH <wiginnl fonn, is, ns dol i\'<'I'NI fmn1 t.lw pr'<'f>nsttOJ'Y
llllwhinP~ so fn.r dN;ci lwcl, in t.lw form of " m Ntl. :.
'l'lll' nC'xli ~>~t <'J> in Lh<' pocc>~>~s is t.o h eat t.hi~>~ meal if
t haL iH to say, the> oil is. aH it. mor(' u:-~uall y is than not :
to he> <'X prf'ssecl h ot. Tho heat ing of the.> mea I iH
commonly conducted in a steam " kettle." and iR, of
course, carried out. immc>cliatt!' l ~ boforc.> the pre~s ing
takes place, so t.hat. t.he matf'J'ifll wh('n plaC'C'CI in t h<'
prt>HH may s t.ill be> hot.
The heating of tlw m <.'al grf't\t.ly fttcilitt\tt'H the
C'xprC'ssion of t.he oil fi'Om it,. fo t it, f'C>s ultH in tlw
rupt.uring o f the minute vessels o r :'lacs in. which the
oil iR naturall y conta ined within t hC' meal. I n ~"~O fM
a::- it d oes t.his it clirect.Jy re l i t-\'<'~'~ t lw pre'is <1f a
C'OI'I'E'KI>CHlding a 1noun j, Of \\ 01'1<. rJl a deli t.ion , t IW
hN\t.ing
of t.ht- nwnl na turulh rcduccs thC' 'i-;cosit \' of

tlw OJI , and t.hC'rl'foe t'<ndE't'K its flcm C'~tsit r. A third

cf)'l'(l o f hc-at.ing is nl:-~o to be not cd . An, ulbumirHHI'I
1111\ll pr preH\' llt in tire 11\C'OI will lw c.'oogulotcd or
sc,lidificd during tlw h<>tl t.in{! pi'IIC:Iss. nnd will t. hC' r~b~
lw ltll'gtl.' nt n i1wd within tlw <'H k<> IC'ft. i 11 tlw Pl'l'ss
nnd \\ill not fl m' 1\Wil ~ with t he oi l. The hC'tl (.ing

the preliminary cake moulding machine can be

gathered from l."igs. 32 and 3:3. At the foot of the
kettle, an orifice, opened and closed by a sh u t tet, is
formC'd. B rnf'ath this. a flAt board iR hnng whereon
a s t.riclding box HC<' Fig. :J:l open at the top a nd
bot tom, t'l\11 bt" I' Ull. '!'he shut t <>r it~ arranged I v h P
a ut oJnaLicall y opencrl \\ ht-11 tho ::~trick l i n g box is
JHIKhC'cl bt>rwath it, and cloxc>d when it, is withd nlWJI.
ThC' xtti c ldin~ b ox " ith itr.; <hargo iMpu lle>d em t.o t.lw
tab I<' of the rnou ldi ng machine H<'<' Fig. :J4. Tlw
agitat or ~ haft ca rTiex at. its foot a pair of arms, which
he-lp to pass t.he mea l ftom t.hp lcett.lc- through thE'
orifi ce into the Ht rickling box.
TheRe.> kettles are made in various sizes, tanging,
Hay, from 1ft.. Sin. diameter by !ft.. :lin. dec.>p to 6ft..
diamc.> tet b~ 2ft. 8in. d<'c>p.
In ~o rne inHtanr<>s.
lwo a re arranged , one.> on t.op of Llw ot.lwr. Such
a pair, m ad e.> hy :\Ic>sKJ's. ;\f an lovC'. Alliot t. ix rii10\\ rr
.l<"ig. :Ja. This al'l'angement not. only simplifieR t h e
driving g<>ar r<>qnirecl; but also facilitates the working
ancl enl'$UJ'CH that. th<> meal d eJi,erE'd to the presse~
s ha ll bC' at nn t>vcn t cmpe1uturc. B oth l<eLtle>x ar<>
"tetlin jtlC'kC'l<'d. Tlw up1Wr on<' tc-rcivC's t lw Jr'leul
in t.lw first. ins ta rwc. ll u\ ing hf'lu lll'u t ed t.o a
c(rttlin clcgT('(', Llw rrwnl is di,.;( ht\r'g<'d frorr r Lhc "PIH'''
t o tlw lowcr kc, tt.lt tl11ougl u s liclf' iu tlw hc,ttorn of
I he fo n11t't'. \\' lwn JrPu lcd, rC'rLd.' foe I ht p r1~s. it. iH
withclrO.\\Il fro111 t.lll' lttlllr in t l11 us ual \\IW . l ~otlr
l<(ttlf's cottta in ngi t a.ti ng ~<ar.

The eng.a.ving. Fig. :~ 4 . KhOWH n. 111C'nl hNLI . in~

keLtlo and m oulding machine' mndf' b~ Hohr t
)-l iddleton and ('o .. Leeds. '1'11<' view is here given,
as it. s h ow>~ very c iNt.rl~ thE' rc.>lati ve Hituation('l
in uHc of the l<et.t.le and thE' moulding machine. The
driv ing pullc~ of t.hiH kettle runH a t. ahout I :30
revo luti o n~"~ and
th<' agitat.or s haft. at a bout :JO
revolutions. , 'ornE' three horsc>-powc.>r or HO i'i
<onAu med in driving it.
\\'hen the meal is I o he PT'CKHt'd cold a heating
kf'tt.le iA, of COlll'liC', n ot req uired. It is convenient..
howe,er, to provide a receiving pan " fo the meal,
from which the mou lding rnachines rna.,v draw thel1
>~up ply.
T he kett.le i t.sc.>l f act.s as Kuch a rf>cei ving pn.n
when hot pre:o~H ing is b( ing followPd, a nd wit.h tlw
Kteam shut off fron1 tlw jaci<C'ts may Mtill :'IO >~C' r'\'C
when <old preHHing is tHiopted. If cold p rPHsi ng is.
howevE-r. the rule ratlwr than the exc<>ption. i L ix
clea.rl,\ not d e::~iJabl c to s pt-nd roorw y on a kC't.t l<' whe>n
a s irn pie,., chi" a per rec(ptacle wi ll RPI'V<' the putpoH('
('qua.lly well. T ho arrangement of a 5ft. ()in . recei ing
JHUl, by :\Ianlove. Alliolt. and ( 'o., L irnitc>d , is giv<>n
in Fig. :35. ThiH pan rnay be d escibC'u as a kettle
without the s team jacl< f' t::~ and ot.hcr hE'ating adjuncts.
J t conta.iru; a modified form of iftir ring gea r, tho
purpose of which iH simply to ens uro proper deli very
of tho meal t o t.he outlct!i at Lhe foot of the vessel.
Fig. 33 DOUBLE KETTLE - MANLOVE. ALLIOTT
1'hetc are two s uch outlets in this example, each
controllecl by an independent shutter and meal box,
I t \\ ill be noticod Lhat a perforatod box SlllTOunds t he
agitator s ha ft wh<>re it passes through t he kettle and each se1ving a separa.to m ou lding machine.
bottom. This is for t.hf' admission of qaturatc-d s t.c.>am
\\'c now paiis on to de~crib<' tho <ons t.nlC'ti on and

.SwAIU

Ph :. 32

MEAL

KETTLE

MANLOVE,

ALLIOTT

propc>r of tlw 111e>a l i:.. t-ITC'ctcd u ~ua ll y h) n wans of a

:..tf'am jacket, ~lli'I'OltJH i i ng thE' kettle'. Freq uen t ly, it
will b e found that a little steam is, in aclclit.ion ,
adruittecl direct. to the rne>al whc.> n in th<> kc.>tt.le. The
object of t his, h o\\ e\'er, iH not so much to heat thC'
rneal as to " te>mpc-r " it so as ft~tllw r to facilitate the
f1 ow of oi I.
Th<' meal i.-; withdr&\\ n from th<' k<.'tt.le in convenient
nmounl~. and i:-; immediately rough -m oulded in a
rnachino into rcct a ng ular or othe s haped s labs or
cakeR of a sizE> suitable for the pe. s in use. As
quickly as ma de thf'se cal<<':'l El l'<' tak<'n t o the pre.s, so
that they 1nay be.> pre;;scd befoe they lose thei heat..
The cakes, a fter pressing, a rc.>, of coul'. e, thoAc known
to fatmer:-~. They ae very commonly c>itht>r oblong
()I' oval, and, as trimmed, van in sizE' fro111 abou t

2 1in. t.o 26in. long by 1 lin. to J3in. wide.

A l ) pica l w<>a.l h eating kettle, made. by :\Ianlovo,
Alliott and ('o., Limited, of ~otLingham, iA illustrated
iu F ig. 32. The kettle is a C~'linchical iron vessel
j~ckc-ted round itR s ide and bottom fo heat.ing l-.Leam
nt t~ prf'ssl ll'C' of a bout 7.; lb. and contai ning power
1 lri' t>n HI i ning gen.
The sL<'am jacket. rou ncl the .~ide
j.., t'O\'C'I'ed \\ ith a layc>t of non -C'onduct ing material,
tr~clo:..NI \\ ithin a shPet m c>tal cnsing.
'flw t op of the
1<<'1 tic iH ope>n , cxcept for the> C'ast iron bridge' \\ hich
'ipa n'l it and c:arie>s the driving g<'ar. The bottom of
the k ettle \\ ith its stc>am jackC't is Jnadc> r<:>adily
dt'lac ha blc from the- rest for encwal purposel'l, as Lhis
pnr't iH that \\hie It iH moRt s uhjc.>ct<'d to wear. The
r.horough agitation of t h<> m eal in l ht> ket t.lo is
JHcc's~ry, not on!) to attain uniforrn Jrcnt.ing, bu t
ttiHo to ptovC'nt it h<'<:oming discolour('(l.
.\ feature of the> apparalul:! illmtra l ccl in F ig. :32 lies
in tilE> ftlc!i t.hat tlw ' t>rtical agitator shaft is cfU'riecl

Xo Vl. nprHared ) l ur ch 16th.

Fu~.

34 - KETTLE

AND

MOULDING

MACHIN E

RO BERT

MIDDLETON

to the mtl'l>~ in thC' ketLI<'. Tlw ncllnission of s uC'h workinj! of the m e-al mou lding Jllachinc-~.... T h<' ob je<'t
sLearn l'(''llll ts in t.he ruoi .. tl'ning or .. l<'rnpPring .. o f of the~e machine'! is t.o prP'~'l t.h(' menl inLo t.hC' fotm

262

THE ENGINEER

M ARCH

23, 1917

o f a cnke, RO n~ to fac il itat<' t.h<' filling of the main

pressec;. The moulding prec;sure ('mployed mns t not.
exceed that o.t which oil will commence t.o flow from
the meal. The n earer it app1oactw~ this amount,
however. the less will b e the work required Ruhsequently of the main press, while tit~> grcat<'r the

:\fonlding machin<>R are obtainabll' in varionFI forms. hlock i ~ ronnt <'rha.lancc<l and ioo; hingecl to turn
Tn general, llwy o.rf' optratNl by hydrauliC' prC'ssnrP np\HI-l'd~ and IHwkwardR. Tn tlw ,iew given it j.;
takcn from the aCCUlnulaton.;- thP low prc>ssun re-.t.ing upon a Hliding t.abiP, whieh fo r t.he tim~ bPing
ll('Cumulator, if there be s uch- provided for the i"' in it,.; Pxti'PnW forward po~-oition. B e fore the
"orking of the main prcsc.;e:.. They arE' c;ometi nw-. -.trickling box i'! pullPd a.crosc;, the wood block 18
dec;igned to be operated by hand, the n ecessary forC'( I ft <'d np u nd a. t.ray of o.;hPPt st Pc>l i"' placed on top of
tlw sliding tnhiP. On1 t.hi-. tray is placc-d a. length of
" pnss lntgging," 1\ WCJV<'n 1111\.t rrial. t lw naturP and
,
f11nction of which will h<' cxplainNl in du~ cour..;P.
2-8 dia. Pulley
/.JS Rev ~/min
'rh<' '" ood bloC'k i'l t he>n lowf't'Nl hnrk on t.o thP !';liding
S "Belt
tnhiC' nncl t.hf' c;tic lding hox mn ont AO aq to fill tho
I

holr> in tlw hloC'k with weal. On hinging back tho

wo(l() hlock, a gauge<l amount o f meal i'! thus l'ft
.
1-it.a.ncling on the tray and press bagging. The bagging
..
i..; of th(' !'lam<' width as the cakt" to b e formed and
.
'
of about t\nCE" t.he length. ThE' two ends a.r' foldE'cl
? I /
over t.he top o f t h e meal and thE' sliding table, with
the tray, bagging and mE'al, is puRh'd forward over

t.he hydraulic ram. ThE' s liding table supp orts t.h!'l

~~
tray round three o f its edges. \\'ht>n t.he table is
.
~
pushed ovf'r, it movf'R a levf'r opPrating t.he \alve of
L

"'
"
'
I
~~----------+-------!----! 14 G ~ . .... .. -----~t----._.,
,1
t.he hydrauU c ram, so cam;ing tht" head o f the latter to
rise again.c;t the underside of thf' tray, lift it off the

~'++----G~oJ: "
:j
table, and comprec;q the meal against thP fixed heart
of the machin('.
The table mt>anwhile iJ.; withdrawn
:
'

and made r eady for moulding a second cakt>. The>

. ~--.----1-----.---...n ~. ~ r" _
:.
llf ..t r& , lll-.---~-~..,..
,...
.
l'&rn is lowt-rPd by operat.ing tht> \'t\lve 1<'\'('r hy hanrl,
ancl the cakt> and bagging supported on t.he t.ray are
r ..___,
rc:>moved to th<> pref':'~<'S. The prt>ssure employt-d in the
h~draulic cylindt'r is from :500 lb. to 600 lb. pPr
"quare inch.
The above form of machine is thought by some to
suffer ~ro~ a. diRadvantage in that the rn<>al during
th<" s Wlllgmg up of the wood block, and during thn
1novement forward on to the ram, is liable to be shake n

with the coru equt>nt production of a misformed cakf'.

A moulding machine designed to o,ercome thi.,
object.ion, made by MeR. r s. :\lanlov~, Alliott, i.e; shown
in Fig. :37 and also in Fig. 35. J n this ca;;e, the head
of the machine iH hingt-d so that it rna.~ be Rwtmg over
nnd thus pt>rmit th<" m<>al to be moulded while ktill
'i11pportt>d round the four <>clgt's b y the woocl('n frarn<>

o1 block. The tray and bagg:ing arE' plnc<>d directly

Ja_qqe d
on top of t.he ram hE'ad, the wood frame i" swung down
Bolls
ancl the st1-ickling box i.<~ ad\'aneed to fill thE' fram<'
wit h mt>al. Th<> framE' is t.hE>n Ji fted up and again
1 lo wered a.ftrr th<> end F~ of the bagging haw lwcn
t.urned ov<'r. Th<' head is thereafter lcmcrNI so ao.;
to t'nter tho hole in the wood frame, and i:-. lockCJd in
this position by m eans of t.he s pring rod . h0\\1\ at the
--+ --- '7'1+1
front. of the machine in Fig. 37. Pr<''>Ruro is then
applied within the hydraulic cylinder to cornpre:..'-1 tho
tra.\, hagging and mt>al again-.t the machinE' head.
ThP wooden frarn<>, b<>ing pi\'OLE>d, lifts s lightly while
t hili is occul'l'i ng.
Ja.gged
Qtuck, t>asy operation h<>ing \'ery desirable in a
Bol~s
meal moulding machinP, it is natural to lind that
E'ffor ts have bE'e n directed towards making the action
Jno!'e automatic than it. is in the machine-; of the type
SWA IN Sc.
d<>scribed above.

An automatic- more correctly

a semi-au tomaticPi g. 36-RECEIVING PAN AND MOULDING MACHINE8-MANLOV E, ALLIOTT

meal moulding machin<>, made by Rose, Downs and

ThompRon, Limited. is illw~trated in Fig. :38. Thi-.
preliminar y compression ot the meal in the moulding b eing appliNl through a RCrew.
OC'rns ionnlly they 1nachine consis t R of two moYing parts, namely. a
machine, the lcRs will be the height of the main press are workf'd b y l'tPam presHure.
horizonta!Jy s liding mea<1uring box A and a ve rticalh
A h ydraulic moulding machine o f a. u~ua.l t~pr, sliding moulding box 13. The Jt10vement o f the I)(JX(;s
1equired for a given output. The mouJd ing machine
must be r eliable- and quick in its action. As each made by :\-fanlove, Alliott. a11d Co .. Limited, iti is effect.ed hydra.ulically, and is cont.rollf'd from the.>
N\ke is form ed in it, the cake is taken away
to the illuRtrated in Fig. 3U. As will have bPE'n gat.h<'rf'd handles 0 and D r esp ecti,ely. E indicat.p the lowtr

p rE'RS and a SUC'cceding <'ake moulded. The prcH al1eacly, the moulding ma.<~hin(' is placPd ciO'If' b psidt> face of the ht>ating kettle. The e nd:-. o f the moulding
mo.v
hold sixt.E>en or more cakes, and n ot till t.hese t.hP ket.t.le RO that tht> f':trick ling box fill<'cl wit.Jr rt wHI box B are op"n , RO t.hat t.ht- wmal tray and bagging

C'akes are a ll in pla('C' can the ptef':sing be> commenced. may he readi ly drawn O\'er on u, it. Ju tlw case ma.v be s lipped into t.h e box. Wit,h tlws<' in po..,ition,

(l, ?J
~'

~~~~; ; ; ; ; ; ;~
ri*~~'if-~
r 11

~~

ii

Pig 1 36 and 3'7- 0RDilfARY

Thfl moulding machine must work regularly and

q uickly, for it is not desirable to ha"e a considerable
clifTerence in the tN11peratures of the first and last
rakr>s p laeed in th e> press. \\' here cold prPM>ing iR in
fo1ce, the moulding machine C'an, of courf':e, h<> worked
more leiijur ely than is desir able with hot meal

AND

SPECIAL

FORMS

OF

HYDRAULIC MO ULDING

MACHINES- MANLOVE,

of the mac hine s hown in Fig. 3G, the> kettle woultl b<>
arranged on thf' right-hand sidE'.
The strickling box l<>Lwing he !=;upporting hoo.rcl of
the kettl e pa,..:o~es on to thE' hard-wood hlock Ol' f1tune
Rhown nt the front of th<' ma(hinf', h<>ing guidcd
thereon by the upHtanding <rlgf'-. f>f t llc block. 'l'lH

ALLIOTT

the m<'aHuring hox A is mo\'Nl intn it!'~ C'Xtl'<'ln<' lr ft

hand position and a C'harg<' of lllf'al i:-; "it.hclmwn fi'Olll
the k e t.t.l<' and i~ gatll<'r<'d int.(l t.he hul1 F in the box.
T h<> mt"as nring hox i'> thPn 1110\'Pd 0\'(1' to the right..
An~ <~urplu s nwAI "t1111ding JnOI'C' I lu1n {in. OhCl\'(' tire
Javel (Jf the tr,p {Jf tlw rll<'l\'-~Hring box is H\\ < pl ofT by

23, 1917

MARCH

THE ENG I NEER

the edge of the oblong boss G on the entablature H .

, 'uch surplus m eal is catTied back on to the plain rear
portion of the m ea. u.ring box, a nd th~Me ca n bfl
!iwept into t.ho hole F on the ne xt strokE'! . The meal
in the hole F , a s tho mea Huring box ad,anct>R, fall s
into the moulding box, whor e it. restFI on t op of tho
t.ra.y and bagging a.hea.dy there. Thl'} mPasuring box
111 now roturned t o its extromo loft ha nd position, the
bagging is fo lded over a nd the m oulding box is taised
~>o a.s to compreRR t.he meal a gains t the boss G. Care ,
M we have already said, iA requi1od t o HOe tha t the
pressing is not ttJ.rried so far that oil will be forced
from the m eal. This effect is sccwed in this machine b v
limiting the upwa rd. movement of the moulding bo~
by means of the twts a nd washers on the endR of two
rods J attached to it.
The machine iH HOmi-autOJnatic in so fa r as the
movement of the measuring box is concerned. Th<'
right-hand enrl of the h ydraulic: cylinder operating
Lhis b ox iH consta ntly open t o h) draulic proRs ur~
t.hrough the pipe K . B y rC>a.son of the presf'nce of
t.l-te piston-rod, the working a.na. ou th is side of th<'
piston is lesR than it. is on t he other. H ence, if thl'
~t~.me h ydra.ulic prossu1e is admitted to hoth ~id es o f
t.he pi~; ton , tho moa.slll'ing box will be w ovcd to th
I

Un

2G3

being twice that of a corresp onding moulding machine

of the ordinary pattern.
We have referred a.bovo to Lhe " press bagging,"
in which the cakes a.s moulded are wrapped before
heing placed in thP press. The tra.yH uAf>d during tho
noulcling operation are simpl y for Rupporting the
formed cake while it is being carried to 1\nd placed in
the presR. They are not insertecl in the press with
the cake. The bagging, on tho othor hand, is ~o
inserted and is not st ripped from the cake until the
pressing is completed. This bagging if-! made of wool ,
camel-hair, or alpaca, the first-named being the
generally preferred material. It is commonly obt.ainable in different widths, varying from lOin. to 13!in.
and weighing respectively 12 ~ oz. to 17 oz. per yard
nm. It is not simply a wrapping for the cake. I t
fulfi ls in r ea lity a. most important function, for without
its p1esence the yield of oil from the meal would b0
co n.~iderably reduced. Were its use discarded, the
Row of oil from the moa.l would cea se as soon as the
applied prf'ssure consolidated the mea.L and closed up
the interstices through which the first portion of the
oil might rw1. 'fhe oil wotLld, in fact, have to travel
tt.ny thing up to half the length of the cake tl11'ough
t ho 1110 &1 iLl;clf. With tho lnggiag in uso au oa.s}

ol' KelUr

INSTITUTION OF MEOBANIOAL ENGINEERS.

AT the meeting o f the l Mtitutiou, helrl i11 London
la.'lt Friday evenin,g, two papera, both d ealing with
the hl'at, treatment. of forgingFI, were presented and
disCtL'i!:led . The first of these, hy ~ir William Beardmore, Bart ., entitled
" TKE H EAT TREATMJ>;N'J' 011' LARGE FORC:tNG ~.''

in the author's absence read by the Secretar y .

lL will be fo und reprinted in full elsewhere in tht.~
i~;~:~ ue. The second paper, by Mr. H . H . ARhdown, of
Els wick Works, wa.s entitled
wM

" THE HgAT TREATMENT 01" HTgP.;I_., FORIHNOS, "

We hope to r<'print this paper in an early iRsue.

1' ir Robort H adfield, the fin;t speaker in t.he diS
cw;sion, romarkNl that his firm had long paid very
special attention to the heating of ingoU; and forgings.
They real ii!erl it wa~ absolutely uece. ary to take the
temporaturo during cvory ~; tage of the heating, not
only o f t he furnace, but. of the ingot or forging being
heat.od . It wa.os found eminently do~;irablA that the
forging Hhould not. be placed colrl in a hot. fu.rnacA,
huL thal the temperlltLtre of the lwo Hhould risa
togo tltor. 'J'hili ol>l;or vance was particularly neco~~ary

I
n

I;i

!-'

...

m --~-- -

[fF' ----

-1

~~

End

Floor

Elevation .

/..me

['r i ll

Il ]I

...,..

I 7}

f'ront

PI an

- -4-11

S WAIN

Fig. 38-SEMI-AUTOMATIC

MOULDING

lii!ACBlRE-ROSE,

DOWWS AND

se.

THOM.PSON

right. Whon t.he box upproach es it.s extre~e

right-band position, a. gudgeon L atta.cbec~ t o 1t
~o;trik e~; the end of a. lover M coupled up wtth the
hand lo C a.nd the valve N which this handle controls .
'l'he left-hand end of the h ydraulic cylinder is thm:1
Het to exhaust, and the m eas uring Lox automatically
moves back again to the left. . The moul~g box
must not of course, be raised unt1l the mea.su.rmg box
is fully ~ut of the way. To preve~t accid~nts, the
e nd of the rod on which the handle D 18 fixed 18 formed
with a cam incline on which the roller of a plunger P
operates. To fit the top end of this plunge: a hole
i~ formed at Q on the underside of the m ea surmg box.
fhe handle D cannot. thus be moved until the
measuring box occupies its extreme left-hand position.
The machin~; illustrated is capable of roughmoulding the meal to meet the requirements of eight
l G-cake pre.r;ses. I t is worked from the low-pressure
accumulator installed for the presseR or by any other
80urco of h vuro.ulic power at a. pressure of about
700 lb. per ~qua.re inch. Th~ f~cts that its a ction ~s
automatic to the extent mclica.ted, and that tt
dispenses with the use ~f a hin~ed wood' f:a.me, ~ke
it it is claimed, espe01e.lly Rwtable for msta.Jla.ttOn
where labour l b unskilled and result in its capacity

pas~:~a.ge

outwards is provided for the oil. The oil , in

order to rea ch the bagging, does not require to travel
through the meal for a. greater distance than half
the thickne~~B of the cake.
The expression " ba.g~g " ar?t~e from t~e act that
formerly, before moulding machines were m~roduced,
the meal was filled into actual bags which were
placed without further work into the .press. This
method of working suffered from all the elisa? vantages
which the preliminary formation of a pa.rttally compressed cake of even thickness and uniform size is
intended to overcome.
The method is still occasionally employed, notably in the <:B.Se of ~anuall y
operated presses a.nd in other. small mstalla~10ns specially intended for export t o otl-seed producmg areas.

tho Panama Canal was compleLod less than

tbroo years ago, it has ~oon discovered that corrosio,n has
seriously affected certaw parts of tho lock ~chUlory,
rendering extensive renow&J.s necessary. As .mJght almost
have been expected, electrolytic action betwoen diasim.ile.r
motnls in tho ~o.lvcs cont rolling tho lock water supply has
played an important part in the t rouble.
ALTHOO OR

El evation .

m the case of manganese st.eel, which was a very bad

conductor of heat. An ingot of that steel , if placed
cold in a hot furnace , wa very liable to d evelop
cracks. In the same way the cooling down of the
ingot or forging should be equally carefully supervised . Forgings should not be thrown down in a
heap to cool. Each should be separately and Rimilarly
supported , so that thf:' cooling conditions might be
similar. teel makers in general could not expect to
get good and uniform results without a knowledge
and supervision of t.he temperatures to which their
materials were subjected . This remar k was pa.rticu
larly applicable to t he case of nickel-chromium, man ganese, and other special steels. Dealing \Yith failure
by so -called " fatigue," it. was often ~:~ta.ted, he continued, that steel parts subjected to coTV~ta.nt vibration
would develop crystallisation on a largo scale. H e
did not believe that. The large crystalliF!ation often
seen in specimens broken under fatigue wa.<;, in hi.r;
opinion, not a development but an original " disease "
in the metal, and wa.s due to improper heat treatment
of a. local or general nature. 'teal properl y heat t reated
would not show it. In his concluding remarks he dwelt.
on the future oi the electric hooting furnace. , 'uch
furnaces, he held, would come more and more into
general use - and that on a. la rge scalo u.r; t.ime won t.
on. They permitted of an improved cont.rol o f tlw
temperature .. a.nd the establishment of unifon n <'Oil
ditions. The steel produced would be of an it~tprovetl
qu~li ty , because of the control which the w;e of sul!h
furnaces would permit the s t.eel makers to exerciJ!e
over the crystallisation of the metal.
Dr. Walter Rosenhain, of the ational Physical
Laboratory, said that he wa.s in thorough agreement
with nearly everything contained in the two pape~.
Sir William Beardmore's paper d escribed a. method of
obtaining uniform heat t reatment for unequally
proportioned forgings, namely, one in which the
:;mailer sectioned portions were insulated, a '! by
asbestos coverings, during the earlier stages of t.he
treatment. An alterna.ti\e method, known as th1-1
" double heat treatment " method, consisted first of
beating the whole forging to a.s near a uniform temperature a s possible, then removing it from the
furnace until the smaller sectioned portions a nd the
outside layers of the othor portions bad cooled down
t o some point below the critical temperature--say,
about 700 deg. Cont.- and finally ro-hon.ting tho
whole to the correct heat treatment temperature. In
this way the interior of the larger sectioned por tions
was given a start o"or the moro easily bea.tod lightor
portiow . H e rle~ired to warn steel ma.kere asains~

A PRIL

G, UH7

TH E ENG I NEER

:307

Inn st tll ltttr t \ p< of od IJI'l''" low\\ rt u" tlw <ug1

TBB PRODUOTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- and .othe r tuh aotugo::; attondaut. upon t\ vorticul
po~utton wero early recognised, and dovolopm(lut pres'i, ' Hornotlung of a r(\ r ... ion to thu ea.rlic-,t frJtlll
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
follo\\ Od in that cliroc tion. The earlier vertical
No. \III.
PRESXES.

As '~ u explained in our fin-.t articlo, vogetahlo oil..,

are exlracl~d fr~m the proporly propar<>d oil-bNuing
~ubs~n~es 11\ Nllwr of t.wo wayH, ono being by the
a.pphcatJ~n of prc~-.ure, and th~ oth~r being by the u."o
of chenucal sohnh. \\ 1th the h~tltr method we
~-> hall doal in a. H\I<'CPeding a rtic le. Tho formC'r, tho
p~e. '>uro method, and tho rnachinory roquirod for i t,
will be d ealt. with (ir!it, as it. is undouht<llv truo that
for the prc.-.ont, moro oil i-. rocovercd bv 1t than h.} th~
chemical &olvent rnc-thod.

l>EVI.::LOI'M I:XT OF 'I If!:: OIL Pl{El'iS.

A '~orcl may porhaps ho -.aid a" to the historiCal

prC''iS<'-l ~'oro d o igncd to doal with tho oil-moat in bagH,

J U!->t a-; m tho ca.'ie of the Dutc h pres'i. Tho pre:o'i<"
''NO provicl('<l 'dth two tub>! or circular boxe.., of
llll'tal. one p<rforatecl all O\'er, being placed within
I ho olhf'r, '' hich was uiiocl to catch the ex pros ed oil.
'l'ho bags of meal, with a mctal plate between each ,
\Hm deposited witrun tho inner, perforated box, and
tlw "holo, r~ting on tho head of the hydraulic ram ,
\Hl'i forced upwards againqt tlw ovorhPacl entablaturo of the prN1s, a c ircular bo~:~:; o n tho underside of
'~hich cnttr('d the p<rforated box and <''Wrci.'led tlw
n(ce>~..,ary rNl<:tion on tho JOC'al bags.
Jt \HlS soon
fo und that ttu ~ method of working could bo improved
upon if cndt bag of meal wcro prtRSed in a Hoparatn
box, and as o. rc ult tho " box pre'""" with four o r HO
Htpar ato 1-!CNl boxc~. carno into favour.

dovolopmeut of tho oil pre"" Thn ancient.-. n"cd

pre.-J~C'i oporatNl hy wcrlg<~,... or lewr-.. The C: rcoks
)IODI~RX JlYJ>RAlLH ' J>RE 'SES.
and H.orMn.'l, in tho recovcr.\ of olivo oil, employed
H(rew pros:;o-. which followocl clmwly in design tho
' p to lhi"' point it wa!i univ<rsally ilw cUHt()Jn to
lL."U8;1 for~ o f win(' pres.... The scrow t} po of pre s prc<~'l tho rnt>al in bags. ThP"C bap:s wNo a source o f
pel"lilstcd m uso fo r man} centuria~. and may Rta ll be trouble and cxpen. C' , for the.\ were rcaclil~ clamaged,
-;aid to be in emplo.\ ment in the shape of certain s m all l\nd had con...,tanlly to be rNwwod . Th('ir employhand-powor prestws having t\ capacity of Sib. t.o J 0 lb. ~n<,nt, h owcv<.,r, ''as dictated largely by the convonof seed per chargo, and t!Upplied for trial and oth er t<nco which they providC:ld in chnq:.,ring the' preH'i "ith
purpos~.
In tho scvonlt'Onlh conturv the Dutch rrwal. \\'ith the dev<.'lopment of the mC'al moulding
'>lttrrtlwr " prf'.....,. ''tt-" innmted. Although in prin- o r forming rnachinc>, modem oxamplP'I of which were

of h ox pr<">~ 1s to be oh'iN'VNI. Tho cagc pre-.,.,

derives its narno frorn 1IH' fact t.hat, rn placo of Uw
horizontal platcs of t hn Anglo-Am<'ricun H_vstern, tiH"re
is RuhstitutNl n cirC"ular--.Ntioned <'tlgH built up of
finely HpucNI upright har:-. J nsid< tlu!i cage tho rnc>al
is plucd in lnycws scpnrn,tccl fro rn ono anotlwr b)
rriC'an'i of press clotlt'l and disci'! of rn<tal. The~ cakf'-;
turnocl out b) thi'l form of pre-.., aro circ ular. Tlw
'i)litern hus rcctntly come into extNt"~JVO Ub<', and ' "
pnrticularly adapted for prt>-;sing cnstor l'lOOd , copm
and othor Hub!itan co~ of u vcry oil) nnluro, which o.rc
cornrnonly pressocl t\\ i(;('. 'flw..;e t '' o t y pe-; of pl'(-.s,
tho Anglo-Amorican nnd tlw cagc, at prC>-.cnt Jwlrl tlw
field. T) pH:al oxnruplo-. of ouch will H O\\ be d o.'i<rilwcl
and illustrated.
'I YJIC' \I. \ '\C:I.O-.\ \II~Hl(',\:-, JIHESSES.

In tlw <'ngra' info( on pngo 30!) wc> reproduce n

dru'"mg kindly prcparC'd oxprc>~sly fo r the purpo..,c-;
of thi.., nrticlo by J\Tunlovt, Alliott t:utd ('o., Li111ittrl,
of ~ ottingharn ,.;howing nn Anglo-.\mcricuu oil
pres" t~tul nomo of i~ d<'laib. This o'nmple cortsi...,h
of a cust u on hood uncl hottorrt, unitcd by fo ur forgc>d
~; tof'l column:; ha ... ing buttrc"'lthroadc>cl nut'l at each
ond, a cast stool C.\ Iinder resti ng within the bo tto m
casting, and a hollow cru;t iron ram s upporting a Nl'>l
iron tabh~ or head. The bottom ca-.t mg i-; tlangNJ nil
round to form a tray in v.luch thP C'xprC:~s eel oil i-.
caught. Between tho top an(l bottom casting:-.
fiftefln. Hteel prC':-lS plato:-~ nro arranged horizontally.
The e plates pro' ido spac<-; for s ixt<>on cake'!, ouch
-.pace, , .. h<m tlw pln.tos are full y dropped, being 2~u t.
u1 depth. Each pinto is hun~ from tlw ono abo\ o h.\
111cans of four on\1 rnild steel links s lipped over squa.n
headed ht ndAs<'r<'" <cl into the plate odg<s, the topuw"t
plate of all bcing hung :,.imilnrly from t lw t op Ct\.'-lting.

Ftc. 4G-SM ALL ANGLO AM ERI CAN PRESS, ETC.

Fie.

3~BATTERY

OF FO UR

ANOL()-AMERICAR PRESSE5-MAlfLOVE,

dplc' it. ''a.s but o. revival of the wtd~o pre~-; of the

unciPnls, it pla)<d an important part in the de\olopment. of the indW:Jtry, pcrML<!ting in u.c;c f'VOn Home
<on.'lidorable time after the c.l<.'vc~lopm<mt and application of tho h .}draulic pn..;.;;.
The Dutch prc-;s
con."i'>t('(l of an oblong wooden or ca!;t iron hox
conte.ining a p<rforated double bottorn. A hag
filled \dth meal wa.s placed nt. each <~nd of thCl hox,
h<,t.wcNl perforated iron plates. Tho ~pace bot \\Ccn
the two bag!:$ wa'i filled up with wooden block" and
wrop:e'i. Over the box WQ.'I (rccted a framework on
'~hich wn.'l swWlg a balk o f tirnber a;orno 16ft. long hy
~in. or HO ~:;quare.
Thi'i halk was liftN l and allo" Nl
to fall on one of tho wedge:c~ m tho box by mc>an~ of a
n volvmg shaft. .\bo ut fiftcen blowl'l a minute were
delivered on to the \\edg(;, the height of fall of the balk
being about 2ft. A blow delivered on t\ "econd and
inverted wedge loo~:~oned the blockb an<l bags in the
box when the pre~:>Sing wa~ completed.
The d evelopment by Brarna.h o f the hydraulic
pr~ received appltcation in the oll-,eod cru...,h.ing
industry curly in the ninetoonth contury. Tho fil'l:lt
hydraulic oil pr~M woro ltt.tle more t.han Dutch
pr~& in which hydraulic power w~ :;ub::>titutod for
t hat obtained from \H:dg >~ and a falling \\( t~ht.
Hori.GOutal oil pn~:.c~ coutmucd in lbo for biJJul'
<om.ideraiJiu tiruf', but llu tconolu\ of floor ,puce
~(1. vn. ap~ared llarcb 2JnJ

ALLIOTT

illustrated unci cl<scrib('cl in thC' prc>ccdiug nrticlc, tt

nC'w direction wa.~ given to tlw <:volution of the 011
pre-." The moulding machine permitted tlc rnE>al to
bo handled and placNJ in tho proH'I without. tht' use of
bag.... The cake's, r ough forrned, had onl) to lw
wrapped in pre:;s cloth." a nd taken to tho pre-;s on a
tra}. \Ye have already explained that the function
of the preHt~ cloths iR, not only to providn t\ filtering
mcdium, but aiHo to OfiLabliHh a pa!'!Bago out warda for
the oil when tho meal closes up under prO!<"'IIrt'. Thi..,
function wa"', o f courli<', also fulfilled h~ tho oldft\.'l~uoned bag-;, hut in conlrru;t with th<''iO the prf'-.-.
cloths aro fur loss r eadily damaged, and can b<>
rcnowed simply by c utt ing off le ngths from a roll of
c loth. 'Vith this development boxe.-. W(r( no longt'r
reqwred in tho press, and were r eplaced h.} n serie.; of
horizontal plate:;, between which the r ough formod
cake!:$ could be placed u.nd pre:;sed. This ~:~y~>tern of
pre,...'i, the Anglo-American, as it. iii universally called,
wai introduced into thit! country in 1873 by Ro::>e,
D owns and Thompson, Limited , of Hull , and was at.
fi~t. applied only to tho crwhing of lin.~eed and Himilar
small oilb(laring seedH. To-day it. is in oxtonsivo
emplo)ment fo r extracting oil from many kincltl uf
I'OOcl"i, nut.,, &c.
In u common "'lW it i, pro\ldOO \Hth
pluto.-. ::.ullicicul to Jwkc ,.ixlouu tt~kt., nt em prc-.,iug.
r oJJrC'""'ntrng 1:\ total <har((u of, Hit~, :320 lb. of Crthlwd
b~t:d .

'l'o tho innor aidCl of <'ach of Uw fo ur column,'i of t lw

prc'>-s 11 fln.t, :-.quaro-cclgecl runrwr or gludo i-. p11UH>d.
'l lw \\tdlh of tlw plntcs '" n lcw"e fit lwl\\C'f'n tlw-.c
glicl(l-;, \\ hilc o.;quarH-Iwadccl studs, a;crco\\Nl into till'
plttlc N lgts, ougng~ tlw outM 1<os of llw guid..;, nnd
pr<'\'(:'olll the plate" rtiO\ ing IC\ngth" i...c. Tlus ""'t hnd
of !:!up port mg tho plnt<o; "ocurc-. tho r N fllirocl condtlro11 ,
narnol}, tlu).t the plat , when prc-;-;ed upwa.rcls, Hlwuld
cl oso togcthcr w tthou t frictwn, o r t\t least. wi 1hou t.
cumuJativo frictional r~istnnco. \Voro this condition
hlriously departed from there would boa danger of tlw
upper cake'! being le..;::; tho roughly pre.'i.'!Od than tht
lower.
The pro::;s plutO!:$ are <orrugat.ed in the rllt\IIIH'r
t~ho'' n i11 tho ~ngraving.
The e corrugationH, t\'i
\Hll a.s the longitudinal ridge-1 which aro raised on tlu
plate, a.ro intcnclod, B'i far 11"1 po-.sible, to prevcnt tho
meal from ~;preadi ng when the pre!'lsuro is applucl.
If a brand mark iJi r equired o n the fini shed cnl<~ th11
de:iired lottor , &c., are raised o r sunk o n o ne Hid o of
c1ach pre>~'! plate. 'fhe press platC''i are in the in~-.tn r~ co
ill ustratod of 'iteol. They aro froquently rolled to tho
rc>quirocl formation. Occasionally the~ aro built "P
from fltecl plate:-!. \ V hen u. brand mark is req ui rtd
on them t hc'V
aro <ommonh made of mull cable cfht

ron. Tho l'arne pr s::;o~ may not, hc)\\C'\'Or, ahHt}..,

bo uo;ccl fo r one cln..,.,; o r q ualit.y of 11utl I' nul. (} ndPr
thoso circww;tance"!, to avoid having to chungo tl11
plate t o obtain moroly a difforont brand tnark, plate:,
are made m whith the brand mark 1"1 fom1ed on a
removable portion.
The ram of tho pro.; illustratod on pago 309 is 1Uw.
in diamolor. Tho working pro~~:~uro lS 2 toru:~ per
Kquare inch, bO that tho total force cxtrtcd 1~> oom o
100 torL.... Thb gl\o about ; -ton ptr "<tuar o mch
th tho prc .., uro exortt:. l on the wuul cake.
Th<
hyclru.uiJc pto-.,uro 1" ,ornotuuo-i tran 'I flU t tocl lo tho
nun C.\ hnd,..r b~ tn~'tllb of \\ ntcr ulonl', or of "atcr

THE ENGINEER

308
mi.xed with glyceru1o, to pro' tnt tho liquid from
freczm~ too readily. Frequentl~, ho" ever, tho working
fluid preferred is oil, and, if po ible, oil of the sam<~
nature as that being extracted, the reason being that
any lcal<ago of the working fluid from the cylinder into
tho tray catching the exprel:lsed oil is thus rcnder<d
hnnnle!'ls in its effect upon the oil being recovered.
..:\nglo-American presses are wmally a rranged in
oil mill., ill set of four, as ~->hown in Fig. 39, whE.>ro 1\
batttn,
made bv :Me ;,r:.. )lanlove, Alliott, is ill us.
tratO<.I. The fourth pre~ ul. this view is represcnttd
"ithout Jts plates. The pressc;, are entirely separat(.
Somt'times, howe,cr, they arc to be found pro,id<'<l
"ith a common gutter or tray for catching the oil.
They ttre worked separately but in unison. Thus,
whilo one press is being charged another is having tho
pl'l'SMU'O applied to it, a. third is standing under tlw
pnssurc, and the fourth i~> being unloaded. Tlw
prcsse:-. illustrated in Fig. 39 are of the same l'l ize and
gt.nt.~ral d esign as that represented in tho engraving
on pago 309. One secondary point of difference is to
he noticed in the arrangement made for supporting
the plates when the ram is lowered and the pres i,.,
rt-ad~ for charging.
Instead of tho links s hown ill tht>
drawing, the long edges of the plates are formed with
two projecting ears. The gap between these ears is
tho same on all the plates, and fits on to a vertical flat
bar fixed between the top and bottom ca tings on each
sido of the press. The breadth of the ears clecreas<'>J
from plate to plate downwards, so that they may pas-;
farther and farther down between a. pair of inclined
bars similarly fixed, and with ~Steps cut on their
facing edges. This '' ladder " arrangement, as it is
called, has the advantage that it di:.penses w-ith the
need for a ny additional means of fixing the position
of the plate . Xo runners are required on the insides
o f the four columns, for the inclined bars definite!~
fix the position of the plates cro swise, while the
V<'rtical hars fix their p osition lengthwise. J rustcacl
of :-;olid ears four pins are somet iuws t o be found on
lh{l long edges of the plates fuHilling the same fw1ction.
'l'h<' above examples may ho tak<n as r<>pr<'.:;enting
the standardised de~ign of Anglo-American presscs.
Ttus standard de ign, it may be repeated, uses a ra111
16in. in diameter, and a working pr~ure of 2 tons
per square inch on the ram. It turns out at one
pre.o;l>iug sixteen cake,, each weighing from 10 lb. to
12 lb. \ 'arious other izel:> of press are, however,
made, ranging from a t\\ elve cake to a. twenty cak<'
pre:;s. The pressure employed in the e presses is in
g<'neral the standardised 2 tons, and as a rule the
diameter of the ram in inches il:l equal to the number
of cakes made at one pressing. For sp ecial purposes
pre:>ses using 3 tons per square inch are made in the
larger ~:;izes.

A PRIL

6, 1917

moto1 b~ ih o\\ n dut<"il, 1.md the operal1o11 ,,r sl.t>tnu~

u. performed b~ di,cngagiug one or other of th~:~ b\ 0
clutche -, a.llowin~ one chain to run freely while tho
machine is dri\'en roWld it by
the other chain.

The firm of Clayton and huttleworth, Luuiteu

Lincoln, recognisutg tho advantage of the caterpilla~
system and the urgent dt>ma.ncl for tractors of Ulli;
de~cript.i on both for military and agricultural purpo1--es,
ha-; de igned m collaboration with the ) [unition.s
)led1anical Tran'> port Department of the ) l inistry of
)lunitions a machine which differ funclatncntally
ftom the Holt, and contai.ru; !'le,era.l origina.l f~ture,,
a s will be seen from tho illustrations given oolow and
in a upplement. It is a. p etrol-driven tractor in
which proved motor car practice ha,., been largely
followed b oth a-> regard'! the moti,e mecha.ni...,m and
tho sy:-;tem of control. That is to ay, a. six-cylinder
vcrt.ital petrol l'n~ine, through the mediurn of a
clut.ch and gcar box, transmits motion to a worm
driven axle and diff('l t"ential gear which, in... tead of
driving road wheels, gi' l'S motion to the roa.<l chains
by means of pocket. '' heeb. In addition to tho roa.U
chain the tractor ha..., a. front road wheei- S('(i illu:;tration-<:a.r-ried in a forkE'd })Qoll\ o bracket. Thi..., wheel
~>enes two pwpo~es.
Fir~:>t for ~:;teering, and becon.illy
to enable the machine to adapt itself to the contour
of the road, or rather land over which it i.'l travelling.
The Clayton and ' huttleworth rna.chine differs {rom
the American machine in that, instead of the bracket
being rigid with the main frame of the tractor, it is
pivoted so as to allow freedom of movement vertically.
The bracket or carriage which carries the front
t.eering whe~l is ma.de of rolled channel , 7in. by 3in.,
pre ed to hape and s tiffened by cross channel.,. It
has a. certain a.mottnt of free vertical movement
against s tiff steel springs, and can b e raised clear of the
ground when d esired by means of a. hand \\heel worm
gear a.hd segmental racks and pinioru from the driving
:-;eat. The possihl<' vertical movement iH about
15 Jeg. above ancl below tho horizontal. ::)trong
helica.l prings t.cnd to keep the road wheel Oil the
groWld ancl act as cu~;hions against. shock.-> duo to
bwnping on the grottnd, a floating connection betwoen
the s pw lifting pinions and t.he ~;egrnental rack being
pro,-ided on the tra.ns,el'be bhaft. The front wheel
i~ carried in a tee! ca.bting having a. projecting arm
to which is attached the s teering nut. This casting
is bored out and the axle forging which connects the
front end of the carriage or boom pas::.es through the
A CATERPILLAR TRACTOR.
cent.re, and the main pi,ot pin is placed in the cent re
The bearings of the front wheel are
THE road chain or caterpillar system of rottd of the \~heel.
traction, although by no means novel, is regarded h y two bronze rings, l l in. J.iameter and 3in. wide.
many people a one of the developments in r oad They are dust and dirt proof and are lubricated by

from ih hi_gh oil cont<nt , ('OIIUHonJ~ r<',.,ulh it: lhf'l

meal ~-oprcad ing lXCl'"'"'' d.\ , ho" t.wer the pn~ ....., plat<,.,
may b~ shaped . If the ~->preadiug is excessh e more
oi I wi 11 be left u1 tho cake> than is d e -irable or profit
t\blo, so that the cak es will probably h a ,e to bo again
reduced to meal, and pross(d a second time. Rcconcl
<'X pression oil does n ot , however, command ns hi~h u
price a first expros.-;ion oil. Consequent)~, as n
~eneral rule, it is tho oil se~;d crusher' endeavour to
oxtruct a., much oil as possthle at the f:in.t expre-...wn.
A second disadvantn~t' of the Anglo-Amoric:an
sy:-Wm of press is, lik~ the fir-.t, of importance onl~
"hen \ 'l'f\'
oily material is boiu~ handled. In forrnin~
'
.
such material into rough cakc-> in th('l moulclm~
machino it is difficult to carr) tlw compression as ft~r
a-; it l'lhould go without. oxpr<'l'biug some of the oil ft'Ottl
tho meal. If this unclosirable expression of oil is to
be avoided, tho rough cuke put. into the main }H'('s"'
must bo less compres-;cd, and consequently th.id.:<
than wmal. As a rClsult tho press has to bo mad<
tallcr by a corr&pondiug amount, and the mov<.m wnt
of the ram has to be incrcasNl in order to Jtlake good
tho deficiency u1 the preliminary compression of tlw
meal. t-'nder the high hyclraulic pressures in usc tl<
latter item reacts w:tfa.\'ourably on the upkeep charg<' ...
of the press generally, and of the ram and valve... in
particular, and, in addition, increa es t he amount of
pres!:lure fluid used at each movement of the ram.
It. will be gathered from the..'le remarks that thE\
Anglo-American type of pre!'IS is best adapted for
dealing with seed, &c., containing a moderate amount
of oil. For very oily seeds a press is required which,
in the first place, support<> the layer of meal round it
edges while pressure is being applied t o its faces, so
that the meal may be evenly pressed and pre,ented
from spreading, and which, in the econd place, will
be able to work without the assistance of a separate:>
preliminary moulding machine_. ~uch an appliance
is the box cage type of press, "Juch, 10 several <llfferent
forms, has recently como into extensive employmcnt.
folio'' ing upon a groat increase in the amount. of vcr~
oilv seed, &c., rec('lived fM trou,tment. In our next
ttrticlo we will illu.strate and dt>-.cribe typical oxampl<>s
of cage presses . For thE" present we need only 1-1a~
that the cage type of pre'> is itself not wholly free frotn
disadvantages p eculiar to its de,ign.

S)L\LL A....''WLO-A)lERICAX l'LAXT.

As a contrast to these regular sized presses, "e
iliU~>tmte,

in Fig. 40, an Anglo-American press, by

) (e,srs. )fanlove, Alliott, which is built to a v ery sma!J
~o>calt. The engra "ing s hown a complete self-contain(d
plant, comprising a. set of four high-chilled reducing
roll~;, a heating kettle with s team jacket, meal moisten
ing arrangement and agitating gear, a meal moulding
machine, and a twelve cuke press, operatt'lcl h~
h ydraulic power. The plant is capable of dealing" ilh
about a ton of seed~ontaining not more than 3.5 to
40 p er cent. of oil-per day of eleven hours. \\'ith
the exception of the moulding machine, which is
operated by hand, the entire plant is dri,en from the
belt pulley at the right-hand end of the o,erheacl
countershaft. The hy draulic p ower for the press j,
~> upplied b y a horizontal pump mounted on the press
head, and clri,en from the kettle agitator s haft b~
means of an excentric and a connecting-rod. It. will
be noticed that the press plates in this example arc
coupled together by two !'lets of" lazy tongs." About
to 10 brake horse-power i.'l required to drive the
whole plant. For treating \'Cr} oily material similar
--mall sized plants are mado with a press of the cage
t} p(. In both forms two presses cqui\'alent in output
to the on e ~;hown in Fig. 40 ar~ ~:;ome times ~:;upplied ,
:-o that the whole plant may be run more or le.ss
(ontinuousJy.

LI:.llTATIOXS OF THE ANGLO-.UlERICAX :lYSTE:\J.

Tho Anglo-American type of p ress is undoubtedly

t\11 ~ftici<mt piece of machin('lry, and possesses certain
well marked advantages. Thus, it is comparatively
sirnplo and s traightforward in d esign. Running in
conjunction \\-ith a modern mea1 moulding machine
it is easily and quickly loaded. It is equally easily
unloaded after the meal has been pressed, although in
thi." connection it is to be remarked that the stripping
of the press bagging from the cakel; taken from the
presl; may imohe coru iderablo labour, so much so that
in ~:;ome mills it has been thought advisable to install
:-.pecial machines which permit the stripping to be
pcrform(:,d mechanically instead of by hand.
At tho same time the general design of thi::; type of
pre~:;s is not altogether freo from disadvantages.
One
obvious drawback lies in the fact that the cake of
meal ts pre::.sed only on its two faces and not simultaneously round its edgc:s. Thi.s defect i:s partially
compensatt::d for b ) corrugating the pre:.:; plates in tho
manner we have explamed, so a:. t~ prevent or reduce
the tendency of the meal to spread. This expedient
IS more s uccessful with some materials than with
other:;. Thw, i! the material ueing crushed is castor~eed, copra, palm kernels, or s uch like s ubstances of a
very oily nature, the mobility of the material, arising

CLAYTON

AND

SHUTTLEWORTH

locomotion which has been brought about by the wa.r.

Such, of course, is n ot the case. Tractors with this
fundamental system of propulsion have been known
for many years, but until the present war the main
idea. of distributing the weight of the machine over
the road surface by means of a. chain track has
perhaps not received as much attention as it de. erves
on this side of the Atlantic. That it has advantages
over other methods the "tanks " used by the milita.ty
authorities have clearly d emonstrated. The one
g1ea.t advantage ob-viously is the distribution of the
weight of the machine over a. very large road s wface,
giving better adhesion, especially on very soft and
uneven ground. In fact, for such conditions the
car.erpillar" system seems to be the only feasible
method of d&igning a. self-propelled machine. )[any
caterpillar tractors are already in use for hauling
heavy loads such as guns on both our own ~:;ide and
on that of the enemy. The Holt lll3chine, which
originated in America., has been, and is being, extensively used for s uch ptuposcl>. In this tractor each
road chain or track is independently driven from the

CATERPILLAR

TRACTOR

means of a. grea e gun. A platform on the bracket

is provided for men to s tand on when s tarting the
engine.
o much for the construction and f\tnctiom>
of this important feature of the tractor.
The transmission system is ,ery stout and sub
s tantia.l, and is built up in one unit. A multi-disc
clutch with seven steel c;lll.,cs alternating ''-ith Ferodo
friction material transmits the revolutions of the crank
s haft through a. double leather disc universal joint
to the gear box, which provides for three forward
road s peeds of 1;i, :3 ~, and 5 miles per hour, and a
re,et-se speed of 2 miles per hour at an engine speed
of 1000 revolutioQI:). The gear wheels are of heat
treated, oil quenched ~>teel of 120 tons tensile strength.
The gear sha.fts are mounted in bearings of the
H offman roller type. The gear box, instead of being
split, has large end covers to permit withdrawal of
the gears. The change speed mechanism is del>igned
so as to dispense with cross shafts, the gears being
engaged by selector mechanism and gate conta.ine_d
in the gear box itself. The change speed lever 1S
directly above the box and on the left-hand ~:;ide of

400 - TON

ANGLO - AMERI CAN

>

HYDR AlTLIC OIL PRE SS

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.MANLO\'E ALLIOl'T AND CO., LIMITC:D, NOTTT i\G HAl\1 1 ENG lXEERS

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A PRIL

THE EN G INEER

20, 191 7

thl' Hup pltnwnt.

Tho b t\1'>

t\l't>

of T

~ection

349
"ith,

not L\\ ist or hend an cl l bat the ~pn('('o;

How thi ~ i.,
onl~ add that
the cages of s tmtlar prc.,-.;pg made by othPr firm..,
are con -.,t.rucIPd on the ..,amc prin<'ipiP.
J nuawdinttl.\ u,ho, tlw C'ILgc, at-. ,.ho\m in tlw
scctaonttl tlt,ntHm in tlw Huppltllwllt. a (') lin dricnl
cn"'t uon Jwncl h ,.,Jung faou1 the> und rr.... id<" of tlw
lop co ... tmg of t.Jw p ae>~s. Thi"' lwacl is motmte<l on
a four \\ lwtINl car1iage which Tlllh on a pair o f fixed
raik Th~ mo,<mtnt. of thE' head i'> effected b,

menn-; of a laancl wheel and pinion engaging with t~

ntck on the ]a(ttcl. Tlw rn.ck j.., slulk in t.o the t.op
of t.ho lwn<l HO t.hnt. n. plain bearing ,;urface ma~ lw
provicl<d lwt.w"l'll t.lw hN\d a n d t.h(' tnuletsicle of t lw
top C'l\st.iHg. Four H'tllM<'Iwad<'d st.11d s fixed to tiH'
rnils fcll'ln sLop'! '' hi(~h lianit. t.ho nHwcntrnt of t lw
hl'ltd. B y llw>~<' aall't\1\'! t.hc' hN\d cnu bl' lwough t.
dll't'!'ll,\ O\ ta t.h11 ct\gc '' lwn C'\'C'I'~ thing i"' rcuch
foa pat-<-<ing. oa l'l'lllO\ <d to OIW -<aclt to fncilii~Llc
tl1c loud111~ tll' 11atlwulang of f,h,. cug<' hcfort o a nfl<r
JWI..;o.;a ng.
ba.a--;

to~ hall

THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- ho\\ O\ cr. t.ho h orizontu.l limb rcduced to a. mt:ro b~t.'' <'~n t.lwan ~ha ll rcmam <on.,tant.
MBNT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
fillet on e1ther nd\. The bars are 210. deep, "hile the secured "e ha\'C explained. \Yf' need
Xo. I\:.
l'RF.SSF. (r.ut~liiiUtd )

H .\\ 1 n cJp-;(ttlwd ;uul dt~<'u ...-.t>d in oua pt'l'<'l'<lin~

nt'ti<l<'. t.ht <un ... tnl<'t 1011. ' ' utking, nnd limit.ation-<
of oil prc... ~l:'... of t lw ,\nglo-.\.m<'rt<'t\n t.qH' \H' "ill
now prorE'E'cl to dNll simih\1'1) \\ ith pn-.... t'-. of t.h<'
cagE' t. ~ J><'.
(' \(:1-:

I'RES~E~.

In cont.ra-.t. "ith t.lw Anglo-ArnNican type of

pr<'s>~. t.h( th.'!ign of \\ hich has r0ached a notabk
dl-lj..,"l'f'<' of standtndi..,ntinn. t.lw cagt' t.ype of prE'ss is
111nch. in llHlll) forta\~ "hich awe sufficitntly di ~ tinct.
t.o anl<rit. sonw sort of cla-.sirkut.iott w<'a'<' Ruch fl
coua~t lilh t.o lw of t\tl\ H\IIIP.
On t>xaaninat.ion,

hm' t'\'t' a'. it. \\Ill lw f 011 nd t.hl\l. t.lll' d i fl'tatnt. forrn"'
dtllta tnoat us t't'W\I'cl" t.lw ~l'lll'rnl nan\1\gPnwnt of
Uw IH'''"-<t"i, lt"is in t.lw clct.nJI., of t.hcir d~ .. i~n tlltd
not t~t. nil in t.ht'H' priuciph of nt'l ion.
A ... i Iha ... t.ml i ng t.ht dt "i t~tn of t\ cngt prc...... and it....
llll't hod n \\ 01king. '' tgh t in out t.\\ n-pagt :-iupplt-nwnt.
tlw al'pao< ha<'lillll of t\ dm,\ing -.pt-cmll~ JH'E'J>t\1'<'<1
fm llti-. Mlt<lt 11\ )h-.-.r-.... ){nnlm <, .\lliott.. of Xnttinl.!

fillets mca~ure ~ 111. The face:1 of the 6JJets are

macluned 'er~ hghth so as t o lea YE' alternate high
and Icm pnrlaons n t. .)u 1. ccnt r P-. t h 1'011ghout. tht'i r
\\ holt hngth. 'J'Iw bar.. "lwn lhSt'wblecl thu. b eat
tlgain':lt llwtr n<ighb<Hil'K ut <'' e ty 5in. of their Jengt.h>l,
\\hi le bPt.\\ ('PI\ t.lwso heatmg noint~ nnrrow spaces
M <' lcft
Tho "iclth of t.he>~e spares is made to s uit
tlw c lu"'s of s<t'cl t.r) be prel'!'ied, and ranges from
1/ cmth to 1 /~ 1 th o an inch. These !!paces hEwe to
1
hfl sufTki<ntL,v larg<> to allow the expressed oil to
flow nwny frc<~l,\ t.hrough them, but not so larg<'
that t.t tC Hwal niHo can pu."'l! out. of t.h() cage. Externalh tho ba.J':I ure Kt.ifT<ncd b\'
a !'lcrir~ of weldless

RtN' I l'li\)?H. ' l' hacc1 \'('rtical t.ie rod'l I~ ing just. outsidr>
thn rm~ tmitC' t.lw top nnd bot.lom cu.~tings of thP
caga. On to t h<''-<' 1\t'll slippNI n a\untb<'t' o f f<'l'l'lllr,.;
\\llich. rittiug bl (\\1'1'11 llll.l t ing~. hold tlw ... t ~lt th<'
pm pp a d i-.t mwn np:ut. Huaa'<IIIIH I ing tlw hnr>< n ncl
rinJ.:" tlwn i-; n <~ landl'icnl lugging of slwN stNI
unitNI to tlw top mul bottom <'ll-.t.Ull.!" of tlw cngt.
'1 E Ill OD OF \\ 01!1-:J \I; or A ( '. \<:F. l' R ~:~:-;.
' l'hi-< lugging P~'~'' cnts th< ' ' ()J't~Nl oil f1om ....pta... tnnl-{
Tn Ftg. -1 4 \\U gi\t n. 'it'\\ of t\ p a('-.~ o f the 1\ pP
and lwl P"~ to g11 idu it 111 to tlw collf'<'tmg t rn~ b<lo\\ .
l n Ft~. 11 Wl ).!1\ t 1\ \ 11'\\ of t '' o ... nutll cngt pa t-. ... t., -.lum 11 111 t lw Stappltanl'llt n ... tH'I unll~ tll'l'llltgtd an

Fil!. 41

T W O S MALL

CAGE

PRESS ES- MANLOVE,

hnrn "'IHl\\ ing t hf' ('(ll\ ... t.all(t ion of a cng<' pr<'""' n.-;
waclf' h,\ t ha-< fia11t . Lakt till' .-\np;l<>-.\ ntc>ricnn pa'<'""'
h) tlw -;ttntt anuk<a... il lll..;trnltd in otll' prt'\ iuu,.; tit1.i<l<'.
I hi-; Nlj(l' J H't~~~ i-; ) )I'll\ idtd with U ('tl'-~ l il'l111 lac-t\d .
fo111' fo rgtd -<l<tl colttllllh '' it.lt hut t.a't'"" t lttcnct ....
1\ cu ... [. ><lt<l 1'\ la11dC'a' unci n cn ... l in111 a.un.
Till'

hot tont of 1lu Jll'l"" I'< fornwd solull,\ \\a tit till' c~ li11dca
11 pnut.ic1 fnqutlll h follo\\td nl-<o in t hi' d<' .... tgn
of ,\n_gJo .\ IIH'ri<'HII pn,....;(.., 1111d i.., tlwnfOI'l' of
,.,,..,,.... t,.<'l. \ ctrcniHr ,u ... t ar111 1oil tn\\. prcn adt-d 1111
ll-. lllldt'l'"'tdl \\a tit foa11 lw-...c... I hro11~h \\ hiC'h t ht
co!tltall'' pu- .... n .. t-. 1111 top of tlw C',\ luvltr cn~tiuJ.(:.
Till' nun ri ........ lhroujo.!h 11 J.{luncl 1\1 tlw <tatt 1>f tlai ...
ll'lt.\ . .Jta..t nhfl\1' llto 11'11\ folll' ... plat 11111fl'., 1\1'1'
holtt cl rotnad 1lh collllllll" 111 pro\ idc ... , "I'' wlalrl'!lll
t l w l'tll.!l' 111 ih lo\\t-.1 JH"'atwn 11111\ n ... t.
'J Ill:< 0\:-.THtc I H" OF 1 liE ('\C.E.

Tlw cn~t con ... ,... t .... fia ... t. of 1\ ctt-.l -.tctl top pi1cc
nnd 1\. <'hi ..,ltPI bottont p~tct. lmn. l ctnt rnll.\

1\lld fonawd \\llh fottl tlla...oii'CII'I\I'I'"'"ItHhh ('IIIIC'II\t'd

to fit 1111 lo tlw ,,, ....,. coltllnll-<
Hd\\l't'n. tlw ...c l\\!1
cn-.(111~" urc llll'llla~cd 11 ntnn lwr of \l'rll!'al rolltd
... tt-cl lmr.... till' cud ... of \ducla 1111' nwktd 111 fit 111111
fill l\llrltalua n 1c...... in llw I op and hot torn <t~"lm#.("
11 ... (lotu h "lao\\ 11 in t lw "tct ao11HI l'lt'\lltaon $!1\'l'll 111
No. \1 11. appeareo Aprll oth.
-

ALLIOTT

Fir:. U -

nuul<' h~ ) J!'.,-<as. \fnnlr)\ r, Alliot t.. Thi ... <'llgl'l1\ ing

hclps to a11Hkt clttu' llw con'~t.nwt ion of t lw cngt.
Tlw di~taul'l.l' a' of I lw cn~< i"i ccptH.I t.u t lint of t.he rmn,
\\ hich is t Uin. j11~-ol n-; it \\11-.. in tlw ctt"'l' of thr Anglo,\ an<aicnn pa't'"" illtaMt ntt.1d in l.lw pa'l'c<ding nrticl<'.
Tht prt-.-<w c 111 t lw pn.,tnf. in... h~atct i-. t III'N' ton"
p<a "'ft unrl' llll'h 11-< coanpHa'Pd \\a tit I'' o I on-< cattplo~ <'d
in tltt <') la11dta of t.lw .\nglo.Anwricnn lll'l'"" Thi,.,
full 1''''''"'111'1' n!'ls on the ancnl, '' lwr<'tt'~ in th<> .\ nglo
'\aawricnn pa'"""' tlw pn'"'"'" 't' on tlw cnkts ,.., II\IICh
Jp.,.., tlu\11 tltt pn...... lln' in tlw c~ luultt. 'J'Iw pr<'"'"' ll't'.
rn faC't, j.., ll" \\I' -<tnl<cl hut 1\\o tlurd ... of t\ ton J)('l'
"<i"IH't anch. '' lwnah 111 tlw cttg pn-.... tllu ... t.n\tl'd
111 tl11 H11pplt'11ll'lll tl a.. t hrl'l' tcub JH'I' "'1''1\rf' inch.
Thl' tanplo) 1111'111 of "'J(h t\ hij.(h pat....,lll'l' n-. thi"' on
till' llll'lll Ill till .\nJ.{lo Alllf'I'IC'tll\ JtH'"" \\Oiald lw IW:>.t
to IIIIJHI ... -<ahlt. fcu tl \\utald cnta-.t <'' tn tlw lctbt oi l~
o f nwnl tu -.pnnd '''-I'C'""'"'" lwl\\ ('1"1\ th( pint<'"
J 1-o udoption 111 tlw !'11.1(1 ' pH''" hn-. onh U<'f'll nuul<
po-.-.ihl by 11 11 ., 1111 of t lw <tuc mu I t hnul!ht. \\ ha<h
hll\'(IWt'll gi\tlllo tilt' ('OII.,(I'IIC'(IIII\ o f tlw ('t\_g(, )t
11111\ lw ttd,tn that tlw outwnrd pat...... tllC' on tlw hna-o.;
of tlw cngf' 1.,pnwticnll) tlll'<'t' tmt-. p<t square in<h.
for tlw rwnl ct 111111 g tlaCI pn..;s an_g t\C'h ulnHhL lik1
n Jaquid fon cd 1111 t of u. c~ lind<r t hao11~h n J'f'o.;lridl'd
onfict. t'allltJ' t tll' ...l' cottdat.aous tlw gnntt ... t, C'l~ac
i" 1\1'1'1'"'"" ''.\ 111 dt... ignillj.{ t !at ct\g( to 1'11"111'1' t.lu~t th<

REVOLVING~

CA OE

PRESS

CRAIO

nn oil mill. l t. ,\ill lw notiNd thnt thl" pr('s'l iA dis

fHI"t'd nhout. lwlf t\ho\C' nnd ludf lwlm' tlw \\olkin~
floot lt\ 1'1. tt ud t hu.t. ~ lwnt.ing ktl.llt is pltutd cloSt'
lws idl' it.. \\' htll t.hc' <ttg< i-< t'tst.ing cm it.s bot.toaal
stop" t.lll' top -;tlrftl<'t' of it" IIJ>JH'I' <'''"ling i-< lt' \ l'l
''at h Uw ~<In fn<l' of t.lw plttt.c hunj.( lwntt~Lh th<' lut.t.J,,
on'' hich tlw :-;t rl(l, llll(.{ he" s lidt-.,, \\'it h Llw llH>\'t\blt
prc...,. }ICtv l r1111 back out of t.tw Wt\~ Uw :-t.ti<ldinf! box
\\alh t\ chtlagc of nwnl ctUt tlw"' lw pnll<cl O\f'l' ln
di"'chtugt ,..., <cutt<nh rnto tlw cug<'. lkfoa'l' thi"~ ,..,
d on<, IHI\\1'\ "'" C'IIC'IIIt\a' ... t,tl plnlt' i... daopp<'d into t.ltl'
!1\0tllh of tlw culo(l' -;o t hut it nul.\ comt to n..t. a
..,Jtm t ct .... t,uwt dm\ 11, on foua C'al<hPs projt:ct.ing
t lm>11gh l ht \\ltlt-; of I ht top <n-.t ing of t.ht ('Ugt.
A <arculna ..,Jattl of prt -.>~ hn~t)(ing ,.., pltwl'd cm top of
llw pltttl'. ' l'lwnuftta t.lw nwnl j., -.t rHkl<cl in a l a~,.,.
intn tlw cttJ.{t' mo11th. Tht plntc cnt<lw-. are mountf'cl
on t\ ting "" thnt tht) 11111\ lw \\ithrlrn\\ 11 simul
lotllll'oll-.h to nllcm t lw plnt1, ln\gging and ltl.~ tr of
utcnl to drop dcm 11 Cllt to t !If' lwnd of th<' rum. T ill'
fnll ullm\t'd a-< uot. gn11t, hm\t'\1'1', f()r tlw nun tn
htJ.:an \\lth '"' l'llll 11p nln11, ... 1 to t.lll' top of t.lw cngt.
t\1111 1\"4 t.IH lonallllj.( pmcctd-. i-< nllowNI to dt..,<cnd
slcl\\ 1.\ tnl<t'I'JI )11\C'I' \\ttlt till' fonnntion of tlw Jn~as of
1111'1\l.
'l'lw la,\ caot t.hll-. foranccl ddTta fl'(llll tlll' t'l\kcs pltwtd
lwl\\t 't'll t.lw plut<-< of 1111 :\ ngto .\ mcl'i(l\n J)l'l'"" an

THE ENGINEER

350
tl1P fact thnt the mcal i-; quill} lmcomprC'sc;cd. To
tnke full ad\-autagc of tlw cu.pu<l l.) of the cagt,
tl wrdor~. strickling iR contmuc:cl unt il t.he mm
r{'aches the bottom of it~ ,..t.rol<l.. In tlti'l condition
about half t.h> depth of the bottOHl cast.ing of the Caf!<
i-1 filled with meal. \\' h en p re.:;sing commences thh
meal i!'l at a n early stage forred upwards into the
<'aE!e proper and thPre, partially at !Past, makPs good
tlw red\HtJOn of 'olmuf\ ... uffr d ~~~ t l1e J!f'ncrnl
bud y of tlw wcn I.
\\'lwn t lw cn,gc i-. full) chnrgNl t lw mo,ablc hN\d
'" run hncl< 0\'('r it. Tho cmd of tiH' lwad i-; tur1wd
ton good fit. \\ith the horo of t he C'age. .Just bcfor<
Jll'l'""" ro it! applied to the mca.l hy the ram, pres;;urr
i-1 ndm..ittcd to two anxilinrv
1'1\111 c\ linclt'rs-c;co A.

f<'ig. 41 "hich, acting hcnco.t.h t.lw lower casting

11f tlw cnw, li ft, the ct\go a. Hhort diHt.ance upward
so U'l t o (au~e it" mouth t o pn"~K on to the cylin(Jl'ical
lcJHI a nd so clo<!E' t.hP joint.. l'I'C'"!iur < i-; t.hen admitt<'d
to t lw 1nain C) lin<ler. A 'I the <'~prh'<ion of t.hc oil
pmc:Nd~ t h~ ea ke>-J of meal l>Nomt bound tight h
ugn in.<~t t.lw wall-. of tlw C'ngt. Thl" f1i(tion tlm-.
clt\ elo p~d round thcir tdgt-. j,., ,.ufficif'nt. t o lift tlw
N\gP still fu rthC'r on to the hco.d as t.h<> compre-.-,ion
C1f t lw m Pal incr<'ase~. J n othfr "orclR, no pro,iHion
i-. H\ad( to hring the cago a-. it, ri!i<'S u p againRt a
dt>nd Rto p. ThiF; is an im p 01tanb point. \Y ere Ruch
a dead stop in exiAtenre thP friction rollnd the edgE'!!
of the cake would retiult in the cakes being subjected
t.o an efiect.ive prc. sure whjch would decrea e from
NJ.ke to cake upwards. All it iR the cage " float. "
wit.h the mE'al , &r., ~idE' it, and t.he> pff~( t iw prE'..,._ur(

APRIL

a rra ng1cl to "ork h\ it ,,Jf 1n ccmjunction "it l1 n

"tparnte uwal htn.tmg lwttlt.
\ \r\ f rNpiPilth,
h<JWC\cr, cnge prc:-....o-; nrt \\cwk('( ) in pairs or H I s<t.;
of tIll'<'<-\ the two or tlw t hr<e pre~:~ses in eac 11 ,.,tl
boing quite indepE-ndent, c ... ct-pt m so far a-1 they arc
fed from a common kottl<. J n Fig. 43 we gn t1
a. view of a two-prc"s -;et, wnde by A. F. Cra1g and
Co., L1mitc-d, of Pai~-oley. The general arrangement
of thi-; set is s hown 111 Fig. 4.5. Th111 engraYing
incidNltnlh
indiN\h" t lw nnt ur1 of t lw founcla t icms

u~q niroo for an oilprc-.....

Tho pn.....l'!-., t-IX('(pt f(Jr
Oil& or two obdou-. lllll\or ddllriJl(t-;, aro simtlar m
cJo.sign to that alrcad.) dt,..cr1 lwd . The rnc>thocl of
charging t ho cag<''{ is, ho\\ 1vcr, qni te cli fT1rcn t.
A lwat ing kettle i~ o.r rungl'll ovcr t lw pre-""(~s, lwing
supportc-d pnrtially on tht prr'iH hNtdR and partial!.\
011 an oxtra pillar. 'J'IIo bottom of the k ot t )1' iH
providtd wit h t wo outlot hol1'! which regiF!ter wit.h
a h ole formed a.t tho centre of l"a,.h pre~s head-'-11'("
F'ig. 45. Ea.ch out le>t. i~oo co11 troll NI by a pair of
-.hu tt~r<~, on<' above and on1 b Plow t h<> pr<'"~S lwud.
Tlw-;A two ~> hHtters nro connl'l t cl "o ns t0 be c,perut NI
~<imn l tanPOll."ly.
Thus a clouiJlo nlO\'CmE'nt. of t h<

control ha nd lP fills tho lwl1 in the p rt>o.;s hN1.d wt th

.ncal and then discharge~ t Ius mPa<~larNl qunntity
into the cage.
An alternative arrangeml'nt by 1\fanlove, Alliott.
Ellld Co .. L imited , iB ind..icatocl in Fig. 46. Th.iR flr
rangement iR pS\rticu1arly s uitable wh~re large pre!'IFWR
a ro rPquired. It consiAts of a battery of four prP<:RM,
a sep arate compressor and extractor pre R o.nd a
powerdriven travelling <arriaj!E-1. The comprrs-.or
and extra<'tor press iR p rovid<'d "ith a movable J1<>ad,
ns in the case of the pre"''-'<'S d E>Scribed abo,e, c;o that
it<l C'A~P maY rM<Iil~ hc:> chnrg('(l ,~;th ln yPr~ of rnPnl

20, 1917

nrrnnj!l"m('nt of working cn~l" prr""~"S in group .. ~~~

Ill the adopt i()n of n rot Hr) fii'IIIC'If>l(. An ( ':\Uruplt ,,f
t Ill' applic:ation of t lu'! pruw1pl i'i allu-;tratcd 111 11111
,'u pplcrunt, \\ lu.,rc \H' H!ICJ\\ n ro,oh ing ('8):(1 pr1.... .,
rnnd~ b) A. F. C rai~ nnd Co., Lim..itcd, of P aiHlc\
under Crai~ and M:orfitt's patent. A photogrnph of
!'lrrch a pre'<s is reproducl'd in Fig. 42.
The fundamental fPnturc of the dPsign liPs in the
pro,ision of three ragf\'1 nr rH n ~t'd with thPir <'entn
nt t hfl apl('f'<l of nn Np ulnt e>ral t r1 nn~IP, t hi'\\ lwh hfm~
rotatablE< a-. a IJicwk ronnel nn axis pa.<~::.ing t hrou~h
tl11' rcntrc> oft hi" t r innglc. ('orrcovonding t'l thn t hr1e
cu~c'l them~ art:< t hre< fixod prt>S~ h ea{b~ a n cl t hrN
h,\d raulic cylinder.; and ram-;, arranged with thtolr
(cn! rh nt lh<.~ tlpicE>'i of nn id('ntiC'al ~>quilsttrul
t r inugl<. During a. <'01npl<l< rotation of t hi' cagc-1
about. t lwir cormnon OXIR <'tH'h cage pll'<"!c-; in llll'll
b<l \\'ccn caC'h prco.;~ hcad ond it-1 (orrhpondin~
hydrnulic ram. 'l'lw IM'tllocl of working i'l t o fill
cagt'l A-Ree tho 'upplNnPnt~\\it h meal from on
u.djnccnt kettle, \\hill" it "tnnc)q b<'n{'Sth one of tlu
prt'"'~ Jwad'l, and to g iH tlw 111ral in it at t luq point
a pr<lirninary COHtprh'<ion. Tho cage sy-;tfm ,..,
thon rotaU>d <'lockwiRo through J 20 d fl~.. <;O R!i 1o
hrin~ cagP A bcnenth t lw "f'('(mcl prec:s hPad whc-ro tlw
m<nl is subjc>cted to an int<rmed iate cornp re!l<~ion ,
a nd AO as t o bring ragfl C into the poc:;ition formerly
occ~upiecl by cage A.
Cag('l A iF! allowed t o Rtand
und(~r preRaure w hile c:age c; i~ being e mptied and
rPchargcd with mflal. Thflrca ft.er a furth er rotation
of tlw l'nge system thl'ough 120 d~>g. brings cage A
IJentath the third pre<~s head where its m~al rec<'i\'ei
t h<' final comprcR~ion . Meanwhile, cage 0 is recci\'in,:t
it.q intermE>dia.te compres ion beneath thE' fi<'COnc l
prt>s.s hPad. while (age B h<'n<'al h thP first prec;, honu

F1g. 44

Fig.

n-

TWIN

CAGE

PRESSES- CRAIG

iti the flame on the t op a nd IJcJt t.o1u cakP-1. It i, not,

h owever, nece-,sarih thP .;arw t cm a rd-1 the middl(,
'When the cakes han s t cwd for tt sulTicient hngt h
of tirne unde r pre>c:-;urf, tile rr 1nul rarn I" ...... t to exhaust
unt1l the cage l ::l lowered on t o tlw bottom btopo;.
The auxiliary hydraulic cylmdeN ar~ a rranged to act
a~ huffe rs for the cage so as t o bring 1t qu..i~>tl.r to re<~t.
The movable press head is t I1Nl r un out. I n 1t '!
outluos t po-.ition it d oes n ot cI ..HI' N>mplf\tely tho fact"
of the top casting of the (llg~>, und tlwreforc~ forrns
a. stop which will for the timo b<i ng prrwent the~ cugo
from ris ing. Two additional HIOJ>'! uro p ro\'id f'd for
the oppo~ite Ride of the t o p eu~lwg of tlw cag<'.
Thf';;O two ~:~t op~ cOn!-iio;t of ludf capo; \\)Jich can lw
"1\\llflg round cm the pillar'! CJf tlu pr<'"" \\'ith tllC''<I'
tl1rt< Htop-. in tHtion, prp-..;url i" on e< 1norc udunlt('( l
t o the main hwJruu.lic c\. lind1r MJ that tlw 1'11111,
r1o;1ng, rna~ fmce the ( nkP<o~ out of tho cagc. T o
fucilltut< th< cjcction of I IH cnl'! the horc of t lw
cngc i ~ ~; lightl y tape rc>d, so t l1ttl its diU.11HI1r nt t Jw top
<nd io; n Hlnllll frac tion grcu I cw t luw 1~t f he IO\\'I'r Pilei.
Tl1uH 1\. Hlight Hpward liWV<'IlH'rll o ft h<~ cakpo;, &c., in
1Jw engc~ iti fm 0ici<>nt to r<licvn tllf binding pr<'-~'ill r<
round tlwir edgPs.
f n gcncral the ea keq prod uNd in n p rc>'<"' of t hi..,
t .\ IJI' lrc again rPduced to rrl<'nl '' hich, after bcmg
luut I'(J, i'l cx preo;~d a seccm<l t IIIH'. A cag< pre'"" cAn
be " "'''d for I l1is Re(ond exprcs'ii<m , but a~ the mutcr1ul
Jut" 110\\ Juul thP bulk of tl <s oil rl'fii<)\Nl, it can CJIIIII'
rtm\ Pllll'lltl} ho t r<oted in nn AngloAmc:>rican pn..,.,,

pr<'~H ju~-; 1

dcowribccl is

,,,.. 'ilwwn in F ig 44 -

PRESS

AND

from tlw acljaNn f ktl t 1<. Tlw C'agco may bP rPgnrckcl

a'i bcmg in t\\() part -.. thl lrml'r or \\hich if.l fh c>d, m
~o fnr, at leost, as the po;.~Jtw n of itR centre line> ~~
conNnu.od, whjle thr upp<r pu1t eau bt" run out 011 to
cro;.,. rails on the top of tl11 tru,ellin_g carriag1-. Tlu.;
"t r1ckJing procreds until both part'i arc- fillPd " 1t h
In.' 1rs of meul. Prr ... ~urt 1~ then applied in thr rum
C') tinder so Ul> to ccnupn .. ~ all the meal into tho
upper rno' able part of t lw cugc. \\-hfn thi, I~>
accompl i-.hcd t ht- prc>'<-.11r1 i"' r<len-;<'d, and the
movable pa1 t of tlw cuge i'i rw1 CHit on to tlw tra\ clling
co.rriagc~, which thE'n transport-. it to one of the fou r
rntlin prc-.!iP<l. The tra\c:>lling ca rria~<~ i!i pr<)\id<'d
\uth l\\ o '-'1'('1 of <ro..,.., rud'l 80 that it ma) ~uppcJI't
11 cug. rcud ~ for prE<-.~ing, "lu ll' J!"'in g a<(om modal 1011
for t hP rt<Ppt 10n of a cag< t he prc''<'im g of "huh hH'I
l11tn <ompll'l t-d. On tlw rtlum j ournP,\, thPrlf(Jrl,
t lw emTIUI(I l,rin~~:~ hack t o tJw prc>lnuinar,\ prc.,..,
u cugt from" hich the cukc'lur1 rNtdy to be f'~trud1d
TJuo.; (xtrnc-tion i-; pcr{ornH'fl Ill tlw preli m inu r~ prt ....,
111 tiHI 11 11\lll ll'r indi<at1d uln; ld,, f()r tlu single p r1"'s
IJ\ tl w 'if\IIH' rnu kcr;;.
Tllf' prtl11ninur~r prcuo~q 11'<1'11 in thi-; Ry ... ti'Hl of
wnrl<ing i-., W< think, t o lw rcg,ll'll<d proptJI,\ us tlu
<q ui' u iNl l o f tl H' IIWttlding lnnchiJw rcquind "it h an
Angi<H\ n wrican I,\ p(l <J f pr<'"'~ Jt" adoptiun ho'l th<
dio.ctinct 1uh untag< thut tlH 1111Un prc'l-;<s can bt~ mad<
"ith fi\.c'll. and not AIHJw~. lwaclR. FurthE'r, it "1ll
b1 gut lwr<'Cl f hat O'i tlw "o.cluek" in the m Nll io.; t aktn
up Ill tlw prt'lirninar,\ pr<'<s. tlw lnO\'t-mrnt , nnd
t hl'rtforP t h,. ll'ngth , of tlu rn111~ in tlw 1nAin p rc...-.(0 ...
c'm lw 1nadc ftllitc> '-llr,rt .
HJo:\' 01.\'1\(: (' \1:1:

\ L'fE H '\ATI\'E (',\QE J>H I~SS Arm\ '\C: E:\lr::~TS.

TJ.,,

CAGE

Anothrr

Hll<rc~tiug

nnd

l'JH:S~.

ilpt,rlnnt

nlt<rnr~ti\'1'

i~>

KETTLE

IN

MlLL

lwing ompti<d and rc<'largf\d. A final rotation of

thP cage s~:,ttrn bring~t cagc A hack again hNwnth
t IIH fir,;t pre" '~ h('ad for NII PI .un~ a nd rechargin~ .
Tlw rnc-al, it will be ,r<n. 1-. prPss<d in three ~cparat1
sta~eos.
It will al-;o be gntlwrt.d that tlw arrangcment
~ccures pra(t icalh contiiiUOll.'~ "orking.
I t i;; .. tnt<'d
that f'\'C"r~ tlun~ about a s<t of thf'ie pre .. -.c~ can he
worked ln one un.-.kdltd 111Un "nh the a'l-.istancc of
a. hO\.

Thr dPtaileu U("'lign CJf t l w pres'l is not f'worthy.

The HWtd hN1.tiug lwtt lc l'i 11f thf' ll.s ual type, and 1~
fitlcd with thc \1'!\IHI uwa 11" of Mtirring,lwating and
111o i~;te n..ing t lw IJIN\1.
lt i-. -;11 pported part!~ on tho
fir'lt prP"~" hf'ad und p artly 1111 two se]Jurate colunm'l.
TIIC' ,.,trHkl ing hox .,.Jiclc~ on a. AurfacP "ith gUJclmg
PdgP'~ forrnf'd 0 11 top of tl1c> fir1-1t pre-.'1 }wad.
A
circular hole oqua l m ciJUIIHtcr t o the bon of tlu"!
<ngt i'l formf"Cl in l heo pr<'""' lwntl, and i<J prond1cl "1th
four cat che.;, o pt-rfl((oU HLilllllt UntIHJ'Ily, for ( 1rnporarJI~
-;upport m~ the u unl Rtltl ell-.(' and ci rcu lnr pwc~ of
Jll't'""' tloth on to '' luch tlu IIICU.l i, d<'po..,lt<'d from
till' slricklir1g bo;.. Tl 1 \\lthdrawal o f till' cat<h1'!
niiO\\M tlw pl11tt. cloth, nn.lln,, cr of Jn<'al to fall 0 11
(IJ IJ w I'Uitl luud.
l>lll'lllg tl(' rhargin g OJ)lTO(.iOI\'i.
the r'm f.itaMing frmn ll" highc'lt po'<ition iR allo\\t'll
<o~ lo\\ ly t o full.
Charging is ('(mtinurcl until not onl~
th1 cu~~. but tlw cc)IIIJll't'""ion ch amlw r- 0 in t IHl
St~ p p lc uwnt
hNuu th 1t j,., complct<"IY fillc-d. "lwn
tlu" -;tngc i., rctl<'hf'd. n r u n out <.,)idE>, opcratcd h~
ruck~. prruons a nd hnnd "lwPI, ' " rno,rd bnc k to c'o-1
t lw opcnmg in tilt' pr<'"" lwud from t hP undf'r'< dt>.
Tlu" s lid is prO\ idcd \\ 1t h u. shullo\\ urculnr I CJ'<'i
turnc d to fjt tlw borl' of tl1n cugc~.
\\'lwn l nAtt.Pr~ t\1'1' 111 t h1-. cmHlit.i()n, t.wo Hll\.1
lu~.\
h} dra.ulic l'IUII'< I\ I'll hmugl1t int.o nct.wn

APRIL

20, 1917

THE ENGINEER

- ~

be~wath

th., <ompr<>ssion tha.mber which, lifting j ournalled in a. casting fixed on top of the lowerth1R chamber a.nd thf" c>a.gf', <.:lo~ e tbe joint twtween s tationar y-ca stings of tho three presses. The
!.hP:-(' two part. anci. also the joint nt\L\\ e~n the position of it~ a.xiHi~; fixt'd by mea.w of three horizontal
e~go uml t.ho ruu-out. ~;lid o bonea.LI1 Lho pr<.'ss h ead. roller~:; jourua.llctl on t.lte fixed roller casting a nd

I.JGRevs
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50 -~~

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-. J
.....
l

lo

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19

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Fo undat ions .
r

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be tween alternate pairs of tlu:ose atrn..;; and a.re united

thereto by m eans of rods running be tween the top
a.nd bottom cage e nd castings ancl pa.s~:~ing through
eyes in the endt; of tho urrru;. The cagel> a.to thus free
to rU;e verticall y, but. a.re compelled to rotut.t> solidly
with the central cylindrical ca.stiug.
From the spider anns ~;.i..x bracket~> - not ~:~l 10wn in
Fig. 42, but. clearly inclicated in the ::iupple mentdepend a.nd support, crinoline-wise, u fire ula.r rack
which e ncloses a.ll three cages at the level of their
bottom castings. This ring passes close ln bu t.
n;thin the out er columns s upporting th('l pteRA heads,
a.nd i,; provided with additional carrying means in.
the sha.p('l of three rollers mow1tf'd Oil the bott om
ea t ings of t.he presses u.nd bea.l'ing against. its undersidE'. Th~:~ ring- mes hes \vi th a pinion Oil a. v.-.rtiC'a.l
s haft provided with a hanrl wheel. B~, tuming this
hand wheel the ring, cPn t.ra.l ca.:4ing n nd <a.g<'~ ard
rotated us one hody fJ'OII\ om~ ...,PLI.ing to t.he next.
J n tho press illus t.ra.tod in the ::iupplernent, t he
ca.gt>~o~ a.e Hlin. in dia.mt,t.e1 a.ud !l4in. long. The
ext'ns ion chamber a.t t.he prPliminaJ'Y p reH.-; h.; 42in.
long. T hese dimens ions g ive th~ press a ca.pa.city of
a.bouL 20 rwt. of copra per hoUI'. Tho ctia.meLflrti of
the lower e nds of the fir,.;t. alld second rarruJ a.l'o less
tha.u the ctia.metcw of t ho cagP. ()on.sequoutly. the
pr~liminary and intennC'clia.to press ure~> on t.he meal
a.re le::Js t.hau t.ho p1essurC:' ad mi ttcd to the hydraulic
cylinders. The lowe1 end of Llie t.hircl ram U; of
grea.tm clia.meteJ t.han the cagE", ~;o that the final ,
pressure on t.he meal is grea.ter tlta.ll the hydrauli<:
pressure in use. Wi th a hydrauli< pressure of 2 tons
p er square inclr, I he pre Slue on the 1nf'a.l wok out
a.t the foll owing ,a.lues --Pre Umin.a.ry prE"!'::;, 11 c wt.;
intermediate press, 30 cwt.: final tH'es 60 cwt. p e1
square inch . A high final pte. w~ is thus obtained
without empiO,\"ing a n equally high hyrlra.ulic pressure.
This iR of imp0rta.nce, bcca.w;e at n prossme of :3 tons
per Kqua.ro inch the wear a.nd tear on t he pump;.; a.nd
\'alves of the hydra.uli< pressure ~< uppl y sp;tf\m ili a.pt
Lo becomf' a serions it~> H in t.hc upkeep eiLarg<:'s.
A sched ule of wodcing t ime-; for t his pre:-~s has bef'n
s upplied to llli by t ho rnuke r~>. According to thi;;,
eight minllt.C'-; a ro allowed for e mptying anrl fillin g
the tage at, the preliminary pre s. 1t iq ~.~.Jlo wed t o
~>tand und<r Jll't"Hsuro for sevon ntinute.-; ut. t.his press.
One-ha.l f minute is co1vmm ed in lowering t lw rams all threo a.rn:; nre l owen~d s imultaneously - and
A nothf'J' ha lf minute is req uired to change the po:ii tiou.l'l
of the cages. Thus thE' rneal iH Wlder presswe for
..,e,en minutes in the prelimina.r) pre!'ls, fi ft een minutes
in the inte rmediate a nd fifteen tninutEls in the final. or
alt.ogether thirt.y-~;cve n minutes out. of t1o Lota.l wo rkin~
time of for ty-eight rninutoM.
1

I
i-

351

SWAIN

Cc.

OT HE R

. \RR A1\(: E.M l~N TS

OF

('A(:J~

PRJo::-;sE:->.

V a.1iow~ other forms of <agE" pres;;ses are rna.dP.

\\' o
ca.n, however, but briefly m('lntiou two, bot-h m.a.de by
Fig. 45- TWI!f CAGE PRESSE&-CRAIG
Robert M.iddJe ton a.nd 'o., of L eods. One of these,
L ambert's patented "con t inuous" oil prE-ss, is of the
Pressure is then a pptietl beneath the main ra.m which, bearing again t the interior of the cylindrical ea tmgre\'olving t,vpe, but instead of ha.viug three cages. as
rising through the compression box compres es thE" q f' p t he plan ,;~w in the Supplement..
in l\JE'sArs. Cra.ig's press rl<'Scribed ttbove, it. has but
The t op flange of the cylindrical casting is s pla.yf"d t\\'O, one ior Lhe preliminary a.nd tlre othl:lr for the
meal entirely into the cage. A cert.a.in amount of
oil is forced' out of th<> mPa.l a.t this stage, and i>.
caught in a tray bcmea.th thP press. E \'f"n bcfoi'C' thf'
mea.J is e ntirf"ly push ed out ()f the <'OmprE>s~ion box,
t.he pr~<;surt> may be sufficit'nt with Hom A seeds t.0

express a pm-t.ion of tho oil frnm th<> mea l. F or thi>l

reason t.he t-f> P e nd of t~hE' cornpession c ha.mbf>J' 1-;
finely Pf'J'f oratrd. so t.hat. t.Jw oil Pxpressecl may escape
ELEVATION
rea.dil,\. \rlwn tilt' prCH.'> UI'f) of the main ta.m is
relie,<>d. the m eal h~ or,; L<'nri to t>xpund a little. To
ob via t.e a.tl\' t.roublf' which t.hi..-; <>xpanRiou might.
tause whe n .it. cnmeH tn totating tht ca.ges, the meal is
!'Ontpress<>rl furthC:'r iut o t.hc ca.SZP~> t.han would bP
nf>cessa.ry \\'tJe expa.n.'> ion t>bst"n t.
.
The compre Aion sufferect by t.IH' 1fi<'tl-1 m t~e
preliminar~ press iH s ufficient to bind the bulk of_ 1t
within the cage. o tba.t w hf'n the 1a.m fal ls it rem.a.ms
ther~. 'l'he stPf'l pla.tt> and th<' presA <'loth a.t. the foot
of the cage a.ncl one ot two or thB lowest layers of
meal require, however, t.o b~ suppor ted when t.he ra.m
is lowE"r<>d a.nd whilr th<' cage is b eing turned round
t.o c-om fl beneath t.h<> K<'Cond a.nd thi rd prt>ss hca.d>l.
This Rupp01t is givt"n h_y ~ pair of spti ng catches
~Ta.ngt>d in the lowN' e nd casting of the cage. These
c-a.tche>! ,:;lip in brnea.th the lowe<>t p re. s plaLe us tha
I
1,...,r - T -:-.0
rsrn falls. 'J'ht\y ar<' ~tu l, orna.t.icall y pui:!hcd back b,'
\,.)
I ~ J
t.lw l:lt'coud a.nd t.hird mm,.; wh<>n these rise into Lhe
I
I
I
I
I
cA.,ge a.nd fall iHLo a('l.ion <~gniu \\ Jwn tlws< ra.n1s ~ ~>
..... _J
lowen>d. l\Ienrti'! ha.\"0 t.o be provided ~t Lhe preliminary

'I ~~I
prP:-<t~, where by t. he>~fl cntcheR rru-..y, while the pre11s i!S
J
I
I
'
being charged, he rendered inoperative, so that they
PLAN
l' '
shall not prevent t-he chargt' from pa.Asing down into
the compression chambe r. The~>e means confl.ist of
)inks and lever~> operated from thE' long handle .F
s hown in the , upplement.
The manner in which the cages a.re mounted
requires a word of explanation. They have to be
free t o re volve toge ther about their common axis,
a nd at tho same timo have to b e free to rise vertically
a. short distance unde r the action of the a.u.xiliary
h y draulic rams, so that the joints botweon them a nd
"TH E E NOI NEER"
SWAI N Se.
the press h eads may be closed be fore the main ram
is brought into action. The support for the cage
Fig. t&-BATTERY OF FOUR CAGE PRESSE&-JIAJfLOVE, ALLJOTT
consU:.ts p rimarily of a. central vert ical hollow
cylindrical casting-G in the Supplement-within
which o.ro disposed the inner columns carrying the out into tho fonn of a six-armed spider. A littlo fi.nal pressing of t.he meal. The meal is fetl into the
stationary press heads. This cylindrica l casting is more than ha.lf-wa.y do~n a. s imilar sot of s ix a.nns preliminary press o.t tho foot instead of a.t the t op of
supported at its bottom ftange on a. series of rollers projects from the casting. The cages are situated tho cage by means Qf o. pair of circular ste~l boxes

352

T HE ENG I NEER

mounted on a table which rotates about one of the

pr~ss columns in such a. way that while one box is
beneath the preliminary press, the other is beneaU1 the
kettle_ receiving a charge of meal. In another
arrangement by the same makers, the kettle works in
conj~ction with a preliminary press much in the
way illustrated in Fig. 46. I nstead, however of the
mam presses bemg arranged in a row, they are in this
case arranged on the arc of a circle The cages are
transporte~. when filled, from the preliminary press
to. the mam presses on a turntable provided with
rails and hydraulic running-out gear.
The chief o~jection.which .can be urged against the
~ge type of OJI-press JS that 1ts construction, compared
Wlth the Anglo-American type, is complicated. Its
S';IC<'essful working depends very largely on the cal'e
giV.en to the design and construction of the cage.
This, as may be supposed, is an e>.~ensive item.
Efforts, therefore, have been made to cheapen the
cost of manufacture, while retaining t he principle of
the cag? press by substituting for tho cage, built up
of vertlCal bars, a cylindrical box of ver y finely
perforated sheet steel.

TBB USB AND ABUSE OF STEEL.

T.l:iE paper on this subject read before the lnstitu

tion of Automobile Engineers, by Lieut. -Col. Bagnali V\Tild and Lieut. E. W. Birch, on the 11 th inst., lifted
the veil. a little on some of the troubles experienct1d in
the earlier days of the war with regard to aircraft steels.
I t w~ t hen that the Royal Aircraft Factory rendered
c?ns1dera~Je service in instituting detailed specificatiOns for atrcraft steels, because prior to that time the
complete range of alloy steels had n ot been fully used
for parts requiring great strength with a minimum
of weight. It was found that in many cases firms
engaged in the construction of aeronautical corn
ponents bad practically no knowledge of the treatment
of special alloy steel, and as Col. O'Gorman said in
his eviden ce during the inquiry into the air service,
under the .chairmanship of .Mr. Justice Bailhache,
representat 1ves of such firms were encouraged to visit
the Royal Aircraft Factory and see for themselves
what could be done, and in some cases members of
the R oyal Aircraft Factory staff were sent to works
to instruct manufacturers' in the most up-to-date
methods. Something of the same sort was done by
the National Physical Laboratory sta.ff.
A year or so ago, very few firms, except in the
Sheffield district, possessed heat treatment plant of
their own, and in this branch p articularly have
great strides been made. Tho d.ifliculties, however,
were not overcome by the mere possession of heat
~reatmen t plant, and even at the present time it is,
m some parts, almost impossible to obtain men with
the requisite knowledge, because when s teels are
~la.ssifiE>d according to their mechanical p roperties,
m depcndent of chemical compositions, each composition requires a different heat treatment. Thus Col.
Bagna.U -Wild showed that two steels differing widely
in composition may, by different heat treatments,
be made to give the same physical test res ults.
Attention was called in the paper, once more, to the
need for co-operation between the steel maker and
the steel user, the lack of which in the p ast has led to
~any costl.y mistakes. Then, a great deal of delay
m p roduct10n, waste of material and financial loss
has been found to arise from want of metallurgical
knowledge on the part of some designers, and certain
losses have also occurred owing to manufacturers not
realising that alloy steels require more careful handling
than carbon steels. Jagged edges in crank shafts
have caused the development of serious cracks at
45 deg. to the angle of the web and the axis of the
pin . In the d esign of crank shafts for 12-cylinder
V type engines many difficulties have been encountered, and making shafts from a double width billet,
so ~hat the twist would n ot exceed 60 deg., was found
to rmprove matters, but did n ot entirely obviate the
doubtful structure obtained in the t wisted j ournals.
Various other methods were then tried ; cra.n ks were
cut from the round, and they were also forged from
trifoliate section . The latter method is thought to
be promising. If, however, it is possible in the
design to have, from the steel maker's point of view,
a reasonable distance between the webs, it is felt that
some form of pressing from a bar billet gives the most
suitable structure in the s haft. The Bow of metal is
t h en continued through the j ournals, up the webs,
along the pins, and so throughout the shaft. But s uch
a form of combined stamping and forging ~ n ot
possible with the very short main bearing.
The authors discussed steel specifications as a
matter of considerable importance in the light of
their wa.r experience. The custom of dealing only
with the physical properties, making no attempt to
specify the method of manufacture other than
generally to determine the process, i.e. , whether the
s teel should be an open hearth, crucible, &c., was
con d emned. In this, Dr. Wa.lter Rosenhain agreed
in the discussion, only, however, so far as the special
steels for particular purposes are concerned. This
p oint h as arisen par ticularly in connection with hair
cracks in crank shafts. Some people have expressed
the opinion that the existen ce of hair cracks, of the
kind that have to be sought with a. po,verful glass,
should n ot neces~itate "the rejection of a crank s haft,

but Col. Bagnall-Wild's experimen ts confirm the

opinion he has always held on this p oint. An engine
was tested with a crank s haft which showed certain
cracks ; it was propo ed to run the engine for
l OO hours, but the crank shaft broke after 78 h ours,
and the eviden ce is regarded by the authors as
convincing that the break developed from a hair
crack. There is no definite proof that the e hair
cracks open out during a short period of nmning, but
there is evidence that after 60 or 100 hours' work
they have in some cases caused! the 1fracture of
shafts. Furthermore, it was put! forward in the
paper that these hair cracks are derived from defects
in the ingot. As a steel maker, however, Dr. \ V. H .
H at6eld expressed the opinion that whilst it might
be right to attribute some of the t rouble t o the ingot,
he had never been convinced that the wholo of the
trouble was traceable t o that cause, and after seeing
the authors' slides, he was less convinced than ever.
"Gnfortunately, shortne
of time prevented him
elaborating the point, but he has an explanation
which he promised to give later. T he authors,
however, whilst not wishing to introduce into steel
specifications clauses that would hamper the steel
maker, advocated some clause dealing with the
dimensions of the ingot for certain purposes, and,
in addition to physical tests, analysis, within
reasonably wide limit::;, Nhould, in their opinion, be
specified. Reference was rna.de to the opposition to
the introduction of an impact test for aircraft steel
and the greater regularity of the test figures in s pite
of that opposition, whilst te ts are now being carried
out v.~th a view t o the introduction of a round Izod
test specimen. It is thought that this may be
accepted in liou of t he sq ua.re specimen.
Lack of knowledge on the part both of inspectors
and users has led t o many trouble~. and a pl('a was
put in for the iMpector t o be allowed to use some
discretion.
Considering steel specifications and production with
regard to certain essential p arts, designers were
charged with calling for higher ultimate strength and
yield point for a connecting-rod than for a crank
shaft, sufficient consideration not being given t o the
engine factors governing the stress. Another p oint
neglected by the designer is the dan ger aric;ing from
sharp corners, and considerAble difficulty has been
experienced with ea a-hardened parts where weight
is of greater importance than in ordinary engineering
practice ; in aircraft, case-harden ed p arts often
cannot be left with a solid core, and the usual tensile
test of the core is of d oubtful val ue as a r~pre entation
of the material under the cemented kin. A most
important point at the momen t is, of course, output,
a nd whilst tho steel maker is using every endeavour
to
. produce steel free- from roaks, flaws and cracks, it
JS recorded as the fRet that in spite of care a quantity
of faulty steel is deliverer! to the machine s hops,
and that sometimes a large amount of wor k is done
on it before tho defects a.ro found. Much la.bow is at
pre ent being wasted in machin ing faulty s teel.
~lil itary specifications for the milder steels used ib.
bolts, nuts and screwed part formerly did not include
an analysis nor a n impact test, but it has been found
neco sary to include one or the other. It has taken
a long time for stampers to recognise that alloy steels
cannot be t reated as easily as mild steel, and the
chief cause of the t rouble has been with overheating.
The paper gave many instances of trouble that has
beon experienced through the causes outlined.
There was a. long and interesting discussion , the
steel maker, the steel ~er, and the s tamper all being
represented. The tWJ.St on the crank shaft received
some a~tenti~n, Mr. J. H. s .. Dickenson quoting experiments m which h e had tWJ ted a shaft 120 deg. with
'/uin. gap as against the 7 l ..in. mentioned in the paper.
At the same time, narrow gaps were not generally
advocated. Dr. R osenha.in, as already mentioned,
favoured strengthening steel speci6cations in the
direction of s pecifying the chemical analysis, but he
thought that nine-tenths of the difficulties mentioned
in .the pap~r w?uld be apparent to the merest s uperficml exammat1on, and methods were available which
would overcome them.
~r.. Hatfi~ld, referring to some s ulphur prints
exhib1ted, satd that the shape of the ingot was not
everything. From the prints on e might assume that
if the ingot were made slightly broader at the top
instead of broader at the bottom, and a refractory
head was p ut on, all difficulties would be overcome.
That was n ot so, and the art of steel making was n ot
by any means as simple a.s that. Questions to be
taken into consideration were the speed with which
the steel was ~oured into t h e mould, and the casting
temperature, t.e., the heat of the metal when it was
p oW'ed into th e mould. Lastly, there was the composition; t he amount of silicon , manganese and a luminium. ~ese factors inBuenced greatly the soundn e of the mgots. H e merely pointed them out to
show that there was n o imple form of specification
which. would ensure freedom from trouble by the
adoptwn of a certain weight of ingot, or a. cer tain
amount of cropping.
Mr. J . H . Brearley was oppost>d to'' anal:}' e within
reasonably wide limits " being imposed in the
specification . A heat treatmen t departmen t could
no~ be exp~c~ t o produce uniform properties in
a.rttcles which had been machined from steels of
variable and unknown composition. The manager of
such a departmen t could produce 'the best resul ts

APRIL

20, 1917

onl_r if he ~vas able to for~ulate a t reatment and stick

t? 1t, and 1f he had no vo1ce in the matter jt was quito
trme. that ~ho~e w~o had sh ould bear this import.a.Qt
~ons1de~at10n m mmd when making their purch.ases.
The easiest and safest of all steels for handling in the
beat treatment department were the air-hardening
steels, but they were correspondingly d.iflicult for the
steel maker a nd t he. stamper. The quality of s tructur~l aUoy steels dtd not rest exclusively with the
des1gne~, .or the. steel maker. The stamper would
leave his rmpre s ton on the material whether he was
allowed a voice in the matter or n ot, and lastly, the
heat treatment should confer absolute security far
~nd a~ay bey?nd the specification imposed by the
mspectmg engmeer. To this end, the steel maker
should produce a material which would admit a
t~mperatw:e variation. ~f 25 deg. without notable
differen~e m the qualities. This s uggestion was not
tmpractlca.?le .; there was notbin~ standing in the way
except preJudice or want of mawpulative skill.
Mr. H . Fowler regretted that n o ~xplanation of
hair cracks had bee~ given by an y of the speakers.
1\fr. A. E. Berrunan referred to an American
system of twisting crank shafts in which all the twist
came on the pin. H e asked for information of
the mechanics o~ ~he stra~ that went on during
the process of twl.Stmg. This was a very interesting
question upon which some information was wanted.
.M:r. T. Clarkson asked if the Whitworth process of
fiuid compression could be applied not onJy to the
ingot but to t he casting of t he shaft. In that wa.y
a good deal of the subsequent work upon it would be
avoided. H e threw it out as a suggestion for solving
one of the difficulties in connection with latent Baw11
Lieut.-Col. Bagna.ll-Wild briefly replied.
Wo shall print the paper at length in future issues.

CHINA AFTER THE WAR.

(From a Crm'uponduu in China.)

from China might produce on the

European ~ind an .~pr~ion: of chaotic goYernment, contmued polit1cal mtrtgue and corruption,
with the very great p robabilit y of national
bankruptcy as the natural result of an empty
treasury. Those who are en tirely ignorant of the
extraordinary resilience of the country might despair
of the future. The political affairs of China have been
the nightmare of the European ministers in Peking
for the last sixty years. Yet the trade of the country
has increased by leaps and bounds. On more than
one occasion di.sa.ster and bankruptcy s tared the
:ulers of the Celestial En:;tpire and their country
m the face. On all occa.swns the breaking up of
China. was avoided. In most cases the country
actually benefited by the sins of its rulers. 1f
it had been unnecessary to borrow money from foreign
sources, the Maritime Customs Service, as it is to-day,
would not have existed. If the Mandarins could
have kept order in the country, an d had wisely
ruled the people, they might have enforced their
unprogressive views about railways and the other
n ew-fangled notions of the " outer barbarians."
Little by little the " Westerner" has carried out his
modem ideas in China.; to-day the educated Chinese
are among the most frank admirers of new inventions
and scienti1ic methods.
D uring the last few months a great deal of attention
has been given to the trade problems which will
demand immediate solut ion at the end of the war.
China. will be able to absorb a great deal of that
surplus output of the engineering works of this country
which will follow the cessation of hostilities. In
our determination to win the war we have mobilised
the forces of applied science to such an extent that
our p roduction of metal goods, when the war is
ended, will be en ormously greater than when the
Germans threw down the gauntlet. \Ve cannot
~agine that, in whole districts, the wheels of industry
will suddenly cease. \Ve know quite well that wo
shall have to find markets, and fortunately China.
offers us one that is almost unlimited. The two great
opportunities for British enterprise in the Far East
li~ in the developmen t of t ransport facilities and the
m.me . In both cases there is a certainty of an ample
return on money properly expended. In both cases
a great deal of machinery is n ecessary t o carry out
the work. Recent even ts have sh own beyond a doubt
that no really big con cern is likely to succeed under
purely Chinese management in China. It is also
apparent that, except p ossibly in Manchuria and the
T reaty p orts, the engineering enterprise under purely
foreign management will pro per in China. Tho
explanation for this peculiar state of afiairs is re&lly
simple. The Chinese find it imp ossible to stop a.
leakage or constan t " squeeze " among subordinates,
b~t ~he foreigner can do s~. Where the foreigner
fails 1S that he has no relatives among the officiah;
of the Government of the country . Therefore he
cannot keep well oiled the official wheels. I t seemB
almost certain that there must be some scheme by
means of which the Chinese and the British shall
make equaJ profits, if our own nation is to obtain
the privilege of d eveloping some of the transport
facilities and the mines of China..
It mus~ be understood that, at present, most of
the carr ymg trade of that great countr y is done by
A.DVICES

bee Tlla

E~ Oi l\l t:lt,

December 2-.!nd, 1916

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THE ENGINEER

MAT 4, 1917
ti l ra~ion ~c-.t. l<;vaporating the wat~r to dr):UC's.-;
and 1gnormg tho_ pE~rcentagt' of met~llic salts-ll'on ,
c?p~r, &c.-which ~he watEir ~1as dissolved fro~_the
o ~ p1pes and comparmg tho gramJ> of AAitl" rE\mamul~,
wtlh t~e rt' ult _when evaporating a irnilar volwno
of co~liog wator ll:> about t_he oul.}~ reabonably accurate
c herrucal methocl of fo mung an tcloa as to whore tho
leakage O?CurR .

.
~lecharuca.Uy, 1L t-. often po:-... tblo, ~-oometunes oven
qwte easy to lo<a.to tht' l c1~kag<'
.
Whe re leakage_ o wahr mto tlw od syAlt-m catutot
very weU bo tW?tded _a. .. Wt~~M l<g : c~n.-;i..,_ting of at.
lEiast 4_ft . of vorhcnl pap~-2~m . t o 4m. m daa.mete~fitt?d ~to <mo of thu .otl ttmk:-. nay clo .great aervtc<',
a~ tt w~ll <'t\l_ch the ~nu thops o r partt~Jes _of water
~arc ul t~t.."g
t hc1 oal, n1ul_ onc_o a partw~e ts ~augh t
~~~ t..h?
log 1L ct~ruwt.. ttgnm n sc1 nnd ~11x wtth tlw
ml ;_ tt goe _to tho bott o m of Lho I<~ ~vhi'.h shoul~ bo
uramod Lw.<< <'V<1l'Y 24 hot~n;.
tn~!l mstr~;~cttOil.'i
s ho uld ho gav<'ll that. iho dntm cocks 1n the oil tank
or ton~s 1-'hould bo. op~ned L\\ i('CI cycry 24 hour::;, and
twcr~ t 1 ~ 11 <' t htl tu l'lmu~ ~ tLbou t to :-.t_a rL up af_ter a rest, ;
lho drauu-; shottld b<' ktlpt, opon wtlll <:l<'an oal appears.
'l'urb~no oils ~uo uff<cl<.~l b) "t\hr if it conlaul.'-~ boiler
-.al_h m solution, IIIOJ'<' t ha11 h) <'ltm wat<.~ a_nd certain
hoiler compounds htt' <' tL ~-otmn,g <'JnU.'-~tfymg effect,
but t~e grNtl~st tll~l:ct ~o>(.'('ll\," to 1)(1 producNl_ by u~on
:-alts m ~->olut _on. I 11 \H~ttr <at.moL he lp cb: ol\'mg
...,_,me_ of tho uon d111'111~. Jt>~. a~aptcl fio,~ through the
u~l PP.<''-~, h(\UCO the d<.s:"niJlli~~ of us mg <:O~P"~ oil
111pes m profN'<'Il('(' to uo n PllW"; <:upp<'a' ,,.., lrttle
t\~tacked h.'_ "~tt<l',t:UHI tt <oppcr _:-olullon htl-. O il I): tl
shght Olll\l:-.tfyl1lg efi'NL cm thn cui w; ('CJil1J>I-41'tcl \\till
t hf'l effEICL o an iron ~-oo l ution.
(2) Solid I m purit i~. Thu di ... i.nhgn\tiH~ tlffe(t 1111
the oil t'"'"'t'd h~ fint l ~ :-.11:-.ptJHI(Icl l'!olicl i111pur it it>-.,
:-uch w; fuw n :-.t , lltutlldl\f'l'i' 1-'tmd, t~c., i'{ vory tuarktld.
T lto oil cla.rl<tns <ot lHidon\bly in colour, the acidity
imtea es n\pidl ~ ; tho oil u~~WJH'l'> a" burnt '' O(lo ur,
~\ :-~lim y dark colotuod tioposit, develops atld lodge~.
putt.ic ularly in Lho oil coole r. If, furthermor e , there
i :-~ a leakage, however Hlight, of water into the o il
sy::;tem , the oil may geL badly emulsified, much 11\0ru
than wouJd bo the case with water alone, as the oil
is in a weak~med condition due to the oxidising effect..
of the o lid impurities. 'fhi~ will explain why, when
stariu1g up a new turbine fo r the first time, emulsificatiotl of tho oil may occur even if the oil is of good
qua.lity.
\>Vhe ro tho iru;ido of tlw oil tank i'i painted,
em ulsification aocl breakclo" n of the oil usually
occl.ll'S, a..'l ther~ hardly E\xkt any paint:; that, uro
o il -proof '' under tlw exa<ting conditions prevailing
in turbine practice. The advi.<~ability of changing
the initial charge of o il will, in Yiew of what U. said
abov", n ow be fully lUlderstood, thEI Elffeci being that
I he entirE~ &y tem g<'t~ thoroughly cleaned, and that
the fresh c harge of otl \\1.11 htl\'C' \ 'E"I') much better
conditions to work uodor.
(3) A i r.- The circulating oil a.hH~oytl contains more
(Jr less air, and when the temperature is above normal ,
hay mor e than 140 deg. Fah., this air has a tendency
to oxidise the oil, a tendency that increases rapidly
with increasing temperatures. This effect will be
bet ter r ealised when consideru1g that the oil 61m
m t he bearingM is vor y thin anci that the a ir is present
iu exceedingly fill<' bubbl<.:-~. which a r e intimately
mixed with th11 oil. Tlw result is that the oil darkeM
iu colour, itt<'l'Oa es in acidity. t111d in extaeme <.'tt'-~t'S
<l. black. ca rbonaceou>~ depo it d evelop, which is
('xtreme ly dangerous, as it may choke the oil inlets
to thl' bearing~ and CtLU.'-~O :-~ luggi h working of the
gO\'Cmor gear, or ma.} oven call..tle it to s tick, putting the governor out of action. Ano ther effect of
air in tho oil s how8 itself o nly
when an abnormal

amount is present; the effect i known as" fuming. "

Fumes issue from the main bearing and oil tank,
notwithstanding that, the bearing t eroperatlll'e are
quite n ormal ; the fumes may be drawn into the
gener ator windings tmd cause clisa trous res ults,
The cause of the " fwncs " is that the fine air bubbles.
wit h which tho oil is h eavily charged, burst in the
bearing cavitiel:l and in the oil t ank, producing a
very fine :-.pray of oil that, oozel:i o ut in the form of
a. nuHtr tho o il " fwnes." 'fho o il wil l be fotmd
c reeping aU ovot tho outsidt1 of the bettrings and
h ubino bcd -pla.ll', forning n nry th.in film, and the
l o~!i of oil may ho quito coH:~idera.ble, t>ovoral gaUons
pe r 24 h olll'H. The r<1mody is to pr event, as far as
possible, the oil from gettu1g churned together with
the air. Perhaps the churning takes place between
oil throwers and baffie plates inside the bearings, or
the oil gets violently disturbed in the sight-feed
a r rangements in the return pipes, or where the return
branch pipes join the main return pipe, &c. If the
~pray i'i for med ut.-.iclo tho bcaringl:i the e s hould be
"entilated, a large pipe connection being taken from
the all' space m the bearing ca' rties to the oil return
tank ; the '' fumes will then go through these pipes
instead of oozing out of the bearing ends ; sometimes
enlarging the oil r eturn pipes will get over the trouble.
The m a in roturn oil tank shottld alwayd have a ven t
p ipe, at loa:.t l io. in <liamet.er, to prevent accumulation of oil fumes " in Lhi.:i lank a nd in the r eturn
oil pipes. l<'rot.hiog may ah>o occur temporarily when
a considerable perconta.ge of the oil in circulation is
r en ewed at one timo. say, 50 por cent. ~ew oil
~'~~ould always bo addod in small quantiti~:~s at tho
hmo.
(4) E lectric A ct1on.-If in the ca~o of the e lectric

";!t!l

395

g<'n~ra.tor

there i.':! a a, light. lea.lut.ge of olect,ric c urrent.

from the generator-direct-current generator- or if THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY
t,ho magnetic field ili out of balance-alta.-ua.tinf.(
MBNT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
current generator- and produceli induced CLUTent"
.,.J
X
.1'"t0. "'
in tho turbine Hhaft, the result i.-; that, an elect r i<
'l' IIJ~ AHitA. Q.I!;~mNT o~ OlL MlLLS.
current, p~ >~e~ through the shaft, down through one of
the mnin bearings , through the bed-plate, and up
.HA' u.G dea,cnbad u1 the Lwo preceding a rtacJ ...
through t\nolh<>r main bearing back into tbo Ahufl . the con.:;truction and \\ orking of t.ypical modem o tl
The offecL o n tho oil is that it quickly darken." in preh. c::~, it, ia d e~ira.ble lhaL wo s hould now brif' (ly
colour, increases in acidity, and throws down t1 deal with tho gt-ncra.l t~l'l'a.ttgeuwnt of oil mill.t; ~~nu
doposit, which conts nll part:-s of the turbine \dt.h with some of t.ho mnchines and appliances '~ hich,
\\ h.ich it comos in conta.ct, lodging particularly in the u t add it ion to t ho roll:>, kottlel:l, mouJcl ing maclain c:-~,
oil cooler. 'J'ho depos it. is of a. fairly hard. brittlo un<l HO ou nhw~dy d e!-tcribcd, arc commonly to be found
nature, a nd of do.r k c hocola.to colour; it is exceedingly uu~tn ll cd thoroin.
tlitii.cuJt to rell\ove, and therefore very objectionable'.
The renwdy is completely t.o iniiulaLe olectrically ono
MW 1.0-J\ ~I 8HlCA ' OH.. ~llLJ...
of the 111ain bearings from t..ho Lurbine bed-plato,
induding Lho connoctiou.'l bot.weon tho oil pipes and
Irt Fig. 47 wo givo a. cr oss-sectional clcv\l ion of a
that, parti<'uhw hl:\a.ring. '!'hili iUHulation will provc,nt.. Lypicnl ui l mill 1\tTungomenL us carr ied o uL hy Hose,
the formation of an olech ica.l curr<lnt and conso- U owns, tmd 'l'homp on, Limited, of Hull. 'J'ho plt~nL
quently the formation of dcposit.'l will ce~e. On rart ttii OWH can treat.. pea hour 15 to 1 cwt . of Jin)oiOOU
occnHiOn.'i local gah a ruc ('urronts 11 ,ay caw;e corTo:o~ion ot ~imi lm "' nail xt><'d r<q uiring only Qnc pl't:H~>ittg.
of tho oi l tubt>l:i in the oil <oolt1r or of the turbinn ALA is ~hown a. t:wL of 5-IJigh Cl'll..tlh in.g roll;; of stan1la.n l
s haft. uno b(\aring..., 1\nd <W<'ll in lh~ govoruor, causinl-{ d el;igu. The indi"iuua.l rolls a te :~H. Uin. lou g,
the oil-operat.ed pi"~ton to ~:~tick, or may cat away the and hM o un av<rogo ciiurnotor of about 16in. 'l'ho
s harp edge of the pilot, valvo.
~Cineml tlc-.igu i~ i 111ila.r t.o that, of the e.K.l\ruples
(5) Addin!{ New Oil. - \\' horo pmcticaUy n o wuhr illltliii'Utcd nn(l de.'>CI'ib<>d in t\ previoll..tl lll'ticle.
onters the circulation ~-'Y~:>t<.m, and \\ heore ptact.icall.' 1"01n llw-.u rolls t..bo crtu;hed s<. d i-. con veyed by a
no wa!'ite o r i<'akago of oil o<cuJ-s, HO that, tho amount ~->lltall d1ain bucket e le\'ator H int o t.he Jnool-hea.ting
uf nt'\\ oil adcl!'rl t o thC\ "~~tom per week is o nl.\ ver~ kl'l tin ('. 'l'hl' k<'ttlo followl:l the uRual de~>i~u, and
:-.mull. th oi l in time hocorm.~ \~ty durk in coluur, ~~~~~ j,.., :ifl. in inll'l'llt\l di~mtl'l' by 2ft. 2in. deep. J t i,..,
tlu twidit .' ill<'f\'ll'f'~'~ cowidl:\mbl~. In s uc h ca.':lns j l11ggf'd \\
ltai ftlt ami is pl'OYidcd wit lt n s tPUIIt

tl

8
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SwAI H

Pi. t7-

CROSS SECTIOlf

OF

A lllllLL WITH

AlfGLO -AM.ERlCAlf

it, has been fo Wld that, when add.mg new ou a dark

deposit is thrown down throughout the system, owing
to the action of the old oil on the new, and this is
more particularly the ea. e '' ith heavy oils rather than
with light oils.
'peaking generally, deposits a re a lways inc l.med
t.o accumuJate in the mos t dangerous places, such
as the oil pipes leading from the main oil pipe
into the main bearings. A p artia l choking of
the oil inlet would r educe t..he oil feed, the bear ing would heat up quickly, a.nd if not observed
in time t..he b c1aring l:lurfacell would with a ll cerlainL.}
be destroyed, which might. have very serious coru;equences, owing to the high !:ipeed at which aU turbines
operate, and particularly so on account of the time
it takes- half an holll' o r more for the turbine to
come to rest from full speed. If d eposits get into
the oil pipe feeding the governor gear, the governor
may fail to act, and consequently the turbine would
gradually slow d own or increase in s peed much above
the normal :-~pood . 'J'he parts in1~ide the governor
gear in contact \\ith lhe oil art> ver.} ~;ensitive>-with
s maU c learances-and the oil must be absolutolv

clean and good in o rde r to make tho parts work

smoothly.

result of tho microscopic study of steel, says

Iro1~ Aye, is the con clUhion that the electrical conductivity
of a substance is primarily dependont upon the shape and
distribution of the fundamental grains or particles comprising the substance, and even upon the presence or
absenco of thin fa.lms of secondary material on' eloping
these ultimato grains.
A

STRIKISC

PRESSEs-ROSE,

DOWlfS AlfD

Se.

THOKPSOlf

reductng 'uh <' ~ud t~ ~<teaau lrup fo tlw PXlt f

condensed watN. 'fhe moulding machllle D recet,e-.
t he hot meal from the kettle in t.he manner we ha.v~>
ulrt>ady described, and r educes f>ach charge of meal
from an tmconsolidated layer 3in. thick to a rough
formed cake l iin. thick. The four pre es E MA
of the Atanda.rd Anglo-American de ign and Rize.
Enc h iH <apable of making at a. c harge 16 (ukt>:~,
m ea-suring about 2 in. by 12in. and weighin~ 10
to 11 lb. each. 'rho press rams a.ro l6in. in d it\mewr
nnd wor k undor a ptesswe of 2 t.oalH per squal'e i nch.
'l'ho p1e:;se.'i l'!Lt\nd iu 1\ St<'ol t.nnk s unk into t he fio01.
'l'ho expre~"led oi I iH ca.ugh t in t.h is tank and i~ dtaw 11
thence b y an oil ptunp and forced into s tora.go
ve sels. 'hes~; vcs::~ols have a capacity of 50 tons,
and are provided with oil taps and with additional
taps whence may be drawn any mucilage whi<'h
m o.y settle out from the oil on s tanding.
The cakes taken from the pre " are stripped of
their bagging, nnd one by ono are placed on the tablo
,,f ~ power-clrhcu pming mac hin .. I<'. With t !J,....,,.
maf'hinP~ "e ''iU d eal present!~
Theu ftmctiou 1 ,
to po.re off the extra oily edges of the cakes so as to
trim the cakes to a more or lc:ss uniform size, and
further, to r ecover the oily edge portions for additional
treatment,. The parings are passed into an edgo
runner G whero lhey o.re reduced again to t.ho form
of m co.l. '!'his m eal is Lhon returned by means of
the e levator H t.o tho lcettle C, where it is mixed with
a fresh chargo. The edgo l:lt..ones aro of D erbyshire
grit 4ft. in diamotor by 12in. thick. Besides reducing
tho pa.rings lo the fo1m of mea.l, they are a.lso ust-r\
No. L'<. apJ)eared April 20tb,

THE ENGINEER

396

and to tho moulding rnachuw. Tho latter, m tlw

ab~nco of a low-prc~uro o.ccwnulator, lta.S to bo of
tho Ht<'.am-operated t.) p<'. The whole plant rllw~t rntod occupicl:! a room measuring 34ft. by 28ft.
hy 18ft . hjgh, and ongugcs p~r ~:~hift tho a.ttonlicm
of thrco mon, not counting tho boiler and cngino
a.ttonda.nt.

JJ
~

h~

I'"

Boile r

.r

H r-

K~

'I

[g]

5"

rk-l
M

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-

1917

kind of bood or nut. lti do:,ignod ca.pac1ty is 10 cwt.

()f copra per hour f onc1 prChsing only is givon to tbo
material, and ~ to !) C\\1. if it has to bo prc!l'>~
h\ ico. The cage prC.,kf\'1, l\\ o in number, a.re fod
w1th hot meal from tm O\ crhea.d kettlo, the a.rrango
m<'nt boing in general on lho lines of tho pall" of
pr ~cs by Me rs. Craig, illustrated in Fig. 4 5 of
cmr preceding articlE>. Each cage iM 19in. m mtc~rnal
CAGE AND .\.NGLO-A:'III:HIC;\ ~ PHER~ES IN
cltamotcr by lOOm. long. The ram-. are l !m. in
CO~IBI ~ \TION.
diameter and work \UU!<r lL prc,.sure Of 2 tons f~r
The ground plan of a. miJI also by Rose, DO\\ n .... , -;quare inch.
u.n1l Thomp on- for trC'a.ting !>E'Cd~ which require
The material is fir t par...,ed through a sot (){
to ho prc !red twice, it~ "'hO\nl in Fig. 4 '. Tho ~ocod reducing rolls 1 in. wide. From the o it is ra.U;ed by
n<'<'J\ od at A is paS!:!Od through a set of rolls B and an elevator and dropped into the hopper of a. bOt of
ahr Niding and crushing rolls, 36in. "-ide, of the type
illw;trated in Fig. 4 of our t.hird article. A oocond
(l]e, a tor th<'n lift~:~ the ma.tcrial to the meal kettle a t
t ho top of the fH'<'~SC!i. 'fh(\ c.>xpressed oil collects in
1\ n<(i' ing tank and iH thcnce forced by an oil pwup,

to treat likewise any broken or damaged cakes

ar.lhmg from the working of the prc.~es.
H ) draulic pre&-ure is s upplwd to the presses b.}
a ROt of horizontal belt-drivon pump!! J . No accwnulaton; are UHed. The b~o of the;~e pumps forrr!H a
cUitorn, whence the pwnps draw their s upply of
prcllsuro flwd- oil usually-and to which the exhaw~t
from the p1 e~es is delivered. I n workmg oil pret!HOs
there are two distinct period~:~ . During the tir1:1t
lho meal and p ress ba~ging are closing up. Tho
n~istance experienced by tho pr<'"S ram is an increasing quantity, and the mo,oment of the ram 18
considerable. During tho <>cond pt>riod the meal i~o~
loft standing undor preosur~. Tho J'<'sistanco on

M AY 4,

.i

J.

Sw Se

Fie. t&- PLAN OF llliiLL WITH OAOE AND AN OLO-AMERIOAN PRESSEs-ROSE, DOWNS AND TBOMl'SON

the ram i1:1 now constant, and itH movement is practi cally zero. Jt is distinctly economical to us~ a.
low preasure on the ram during the first period,
followed by a hlgher presstU"e d uring the second .
In addition , it is found d irable to use a low pres.~uro
during the <'arlier period, because if a high pressure
lli usod the chances of the mee.l spree.din~ are increaH<'fl
and the press bagging is likely to he quickly damaged.
Theijo consideration~:~ a.ro a iRo of importance a.t t ho
moment when the rhaogCI ovor from low to hi~lt
prelll:llU'O iH being made.
Tlto change should not be
made suddenly ; the pre86we, rather, BhouJd grow
gradually to its lllliximurn \'tJ.Iuc. ThiH i'> Hl'<"u rcd

is conveyed by an elevator (' to a kettle D. If tho

fll'St prelSSing is to b<' <'O.ITi<'d out cold no ~;team rH
~ul m.ittcd to the jack(ll.K of this kettle.
The meal,
hot or cold, iH distribut<>d from it into two ea~<'
prcsse.<; E E beneath it. Tho round cakes left aft t'J'
the first pressing arc brok<'n up in a cake breaker 1',
mul nro ta.k<'n by an elevator <~ to a disintcgrator H ,
wJwrn the pieces aro r('(luct>d to meal again. An
clo\ a.t m .J then conducts tJJ(I meallo a. second kettle, K
and a. motLliling mach.Uw L. Tho second prEIH'>ing i~
conductcd in a set of fou An.l(lo-America.n prN;ses M.
'l'ho paring ma.chino iH HIHJ\\ n at N tl.nd tho hydrnullc
ptunps ut 1'.

Pie. 50-0 IL

PRESS PUMP- CRAIG

\\it h a. ram 3in. in d.iurnetor by 3in. stroke, iuto a

t~torage vessel. The whole plant is driven by a
50 brake horbe-pow<r, single-cylinder, horizontal
enginn Rupplied with steam at 100 lb. pressure by an
18ft. Cornish boiler. The labour required to oporale
t he p lant consists of two men for the presse~:~ a.nd a
man or a boy to attend to tho reducing and crushing
rolls. A second shift, similar to the above, is required
for rught working, as the plant is, as wmaJ, rW\
continuously. In addition to these, two men aro
required to look after the oil, the cakes, and the storage
of the copra. These mon, however, work only dunng
the day shift.
HYDRAULIC

PU.MPL~O

EQUIPMENT.

As in the case of the mill arrangements illUMlratod

in Figs. 4 7 and 48, the presses represented on page 397
nre operated directly by pumps without accumulators.
Ea.ch press has its own pump, so that it ma.y bo

..

'
I

- - 2 6 --;!4;Jl~J -

\
\

I
I

'
tt--!i--t~--'-'fio:-:~ ~

-.....

1- .-

Low

oJ --:z':"":"i::;._----rt

'0

..

Fir. 61- 0 IL llliiLL ACCUII ULATOR8-ROSE. DOWXS AlfD

TBOIII.PSOX

SwAI N

Pie. 49

BlOH

AlfD

LOW-PRESSUR E

usually hy employing regulat.ing valves of a suitahlo

typ{'. ' l'ho pumps in t he inHLulla.liou illUMtra.tcd
in l<'ig. 4 i have two low-prcs~;uro barrem 3in.t in.
diameter and two high-pressure barrEils 1 tin. in diameter.
The whole plant is dr1ven b) a. ~;i.ngle-cylinder
horizontal engine of 45 inclicatod hon.o-powor running
at 100 ro"olutions p er minute. The steam s upply
is obtained from a Lancashire boiler 20ft. long by
6ft . cliamoter. This is m ore than large enough to moot
the d emand!! of the engine. It has, of courbo, in
adclition to &uppJy bteam for lho heating kcttlo

So.

OI L PRESS P UIII.P- ORAJ G

'J'ho oi I mill arrangements roprmmntod in FiS!i. 47

L~wl 4 way bo regarded ('lither a~ complet.o in LhNll1:1<11vE'>~ or as units of larger mil IH.
CAGE PRESS OIL :'IIlLL

On tho opposite page wo reproduce the general

arrangement drawing of an oil mill equipped with cage
prc.ssos, a ll the machinery for which was supplied b)
A. F. Craig and Co., Limited, of Paisley. The mill as
bores h own was specially designed for treating copra,
but by l:!wta.bly varying the preparatory crushing
portion of t he plant it can be used for treating a.ny

\\ orked entirely independently of the oth er . In

Figs. 49 and 50 we give the reproductions of a
drawing and a photograph, which will enable the
construction of the pumps to be understood. They
are of a horizontal, belt-driven type, and are mounted
on top of a cast iron s uction tank for tho hydraulic
fluid . An additional fmct.ion Lank, it will be notic<>d
from the geneJal arrangement drtl.\\ r.ng, is al~:~o providocl
for each pump. Each pWllp has four rams, a.U or
3in. stroke. The rams are .rcc1procated b) a. crank
shaft nmning at about sixty ro,olutions p er minute
o.nd working within blocks, which can slide vertically
m crosshood.s, to which the rams, suitably guided, are
attached. On ono side of the crosshead the ran"UJ
are 2~in. in diameter, and generate the low pre.t~o~~w'O
required during the early stages of the pressing, as
abo,e explainod. Tho two high-pressure rams on
t ho oth er side of tho cro~hcad are lin. m diameter.

MAY 4, 1917

TH' E

ENGINEER

397

CO P RA OIL MILL WITH C AGE TYPE PRESSES

A. F. CRAI G ANU CO., LU111'EO, PA ISLEY, ENGf N ElmS

S c le or r eel
0

10

12

"

.'

I
I

I
I
I
I

llyo'r~IUtC

Volvc
I I
I
I

: I
I I
I

Jll. I
1

11
11
'-L--

I' r- -I I

I,

ot l l

111 1

Ill

I I
1:11
1

'I I

11 I

I
I

1
I
I

I
I

'I I

I
ll
11

11
d
,, I
11

11 1
I

~-- ~

I.,

I 11

11

11
1

I lo

I 11

---------1=-" 2'6,.
8~0

'll,'

1~~',,
11'1
111 1

-------

11 I

-----------------------------------

I~

II

__ .1

IIJ

_T:;."T -------- --L---~J.o,

-------

iI ::
IJ

rl--t-+r---JiJ
u l
I.
I I
I !
:~~ ::.:: =~~
1----n.,--, --i-t!---,
I

:
- ----~

Cornish Bo i ler 5 6 d i a':' ,. 18 0 I on 9 .

Flue 2 ' 9" d 1a r.

Ta n k

----------- fo-.1

Eng i ne C_ylinder 13 Oi&-ll. 26 Stroke . 0 B.H.P.

' '.

~ ----- -lXI --- t---7

1 ~---- F ---

E I e vat or-

Hytlr o vli c
ll;zlve

A vJ(t/tll ry

Tan!<

- - ----~----1---:~

-- -- - -- ---- +--"....

THf

SwAOII
[ HOI HttA"

9e.

THE ENG I NEER

398
.\11 lo1u ~.~111.., dr.~" {nuu tl11 IHUi tp tt,..terH tlnuu~h
""JllU.IIt pipt ... l''l111diu~ dll\\ll\\1\rd ... fnun tlw H\h t1
bo:\
'l'lwi1 t\1 I toll ~;. uuit1d d111 ill I! tlw 1a1lu I' "I agt
nf I lu Jl~"~'"""jiiJ.!, hut \\ htJl .~ JII~''"IU'l' nf iiiO Jl1. j..,
rl'lwlwd in till' 1111 ,...., I'.' liuclt1, I htJ )cm -prt'""'un l'nlu.....
arc ~~utonmtic,~ll\ .... 11ul
"hilt, tlw lu~h-Jil'l'''"~'~'
''~"'"' c cmt uuw t'lw \\ nrk 11111 il thn final prt,..,lll'l' of
:! 11111" 1,.. nt~dlf'll. 'J'hi-. l'lll'l'l ,..., nht.~illt'd h.' llll'all,..
uf .~ \\tiglat1d 11'\l'f 1111111tlt1d 1111 top uf tl11 \t~h1 lu"

cl"''"

A< ('

\l

J, \ I 0

~fAY 4, 1917
,\t <'U\Illl, \TOit JU\fl':-t

H~ .

Tho uwtl1nd of\\ wking h.\ dn~ulw oil JH'~'N:>e" \\at l10ut
1~('('111111111\ICII'" l').:l'lllplifiPd ill I hn aho\ 11 null arrtWj.!l'
1111'111~. tnh~al"' tl111 1a...1 of ~~ ..,llpar.~ll pwnp fm c1Wh
pn ,.,..., af I lu Jll'l'""''"t\1'1' to lu cap1lhl1 of bc>iug op~'"d
lllllcpl'lldtutl~.
Xt~turnll,\. Ounfon. Ou-. Jlll'thod a...
h t-.t. ""'ltd to tlw ta-.t n l nd will ... h<\\ 11\j.! hut fl'\\
pl'l'"'l'"' ln ,.,ll(h t'U.'I'" l1tt lt, 1f all,\ lluug. i-. I o ht
J.:i~illt'd h) t~lopl111g iU'I'IIIIIIIh~tnr-.; i~tdttd, ()1('-..1' IIUL.,\

'J'h plllHJl" I'III)JIO) od IH toum.'<:tiuu \\it la t 111

1\-t't:wnuh\tHr .... ill an oil mill nm lbuu.I.Jy of a nrtiliLI
nciprcwating l11lt -dri' I'll I.' I~~' An 1':\1\lnplt 11)
) [anlo\ o, Alliot t.. nwl 'o., Limited, i.., illthtrated 111
Fig..i:J. ' l 'h~ ta,.,l iron bt~.,., i-. iu t h~ form r,f a tauk
iuto \d1ic-l1 thu hyrlruulic lluicl frcun I IIf' pn... .., xlut.tt-..11>
t\lltl fr1111l whith t l111 pm up dnm" it ...... upply.
A hridgu
" cn... t wro..... tlw top nf I hu tank, t\Uti ou I hi ... ,u,,
ri, ..d the ""I frmw ... tarr,,iug tho drt\1111! ... Jt.tfl.
Tht ,.,jrJo fnlllll'" an fi"d lo tho tauk h't 101'1\ll.., of
hult .... \daidt l''llud r ight fl'lllll th" cl.Jh of tho drh i111!
... h.~fl hc,Lrin~... to I l1o uudtr,..,iclc of tht lu1dgt. 'l'l1

Plc. 52- ACCUMULATORS

Ili'

AB

OIL JIIILL-IIAlfLOVE,

ami rmuwtltd h.' ,\ rntl 1Lnd le\ tr to 1\. rod pa....... in~ up
~"<Lth luw-pH'""IIIl' ''" 111111 JIIJll'. Till' lt\tltt rorl ~w l ...
upou tlw lm\ 1"''"''"1 "lll'tlnn \aht>-. in :-.ueh ~ """'
lh~t \\)ll'nll J'hi'" 11 thnm ,.,. 1111',1' Hll\( ... nul nf fWIIIJtl
illlll ('t\11 ...1'... till' dl'll\ ('I\ ft Hill I lw In\\ j)ll"'"lll'l' I'<LIIl...
to pa.-....., ha1k llj.!ILIII 111111 tlw fi-..tl'lll. Tlw ri ... r of llw
\\Ptj.!htod lt'\1'1 \\ 11111 "illll Ih. Jlll'""''ll'l' ,,.,. t~wlwd. ,,.,
IJ11111~l11 uhotll lt\ ~~ pltlllj.!l'l' <ll'l lltf,! hl'lll'iLI Jt 11 l'ltt:-.t l11
Jh flllt l'lllll.
. \ "I'I'OIId \1 o1ght .-cl h' I' I' on t In l11glt

Plr. 5)- ACCUMULATOR I P UIIIP- IIIAKLOVE,

AL LJOTT

pr<'S!:>uro srdc of tho vah1 box <'Oru;titute.s the workin~

element (1f a. ::;af<!t ~ n~h " "lueh pr~vent~ tho prc-..:.tU'l
gonorat(d frorn ri~ing aho' o 2 tvru; ptr b({uafO im h.
The puntp~ aro providtcl '' tth fa t and loo~c b llt
pullo,r:s, but during a t-pl'll of working they can h
allowed to run contiuwJu:.ly, thr 1r delivery when n ut
actu.a.ll,: rq um.:d at t h" pre."e" lcmg r cl w-ned at t h~
prc~s control 'ah {'l-1 back into th~ auxiliary su<tion
tanks.

ALLJOTT

\\tll Ill' hut au ;\ddtd ctunplwnltou, <\llll tut.Lil 1111'

pro\ j,.,IH of 111111'1' flno1 'JIHI'I' <lltcl III'<Ld 1111111 than i ...
,..trwt 1.\ ('('lllllllllll'<LI. \\ htll. 1111\\1'\ ('1'. 1111' llltlllhl'l' ,,,
p1'1''"'1'' 111 t lw null ''"'I'""" ,L t'l r(;Lill ligtn't', a po1nt 1...
ret\clwd f\1 \\ hwl1 lu1t lt fiJ-...r l'o ... t 1\nd floor "Jlt\.l't' \\ tll
h~ l'l'llllOJlll;.l'tJ h\ Jll'll\ ldlllJ.! <U'I'IUttUit\(on..
\\lorkl'd
it,\ 11111' 01' l\\ o f111111J . _ 1'1\tiWJ' I lt1111 "I'JIUraJ (' JIIIIIIJI"
fot wit pn'"" l'mrl ll'f' in1plw,., t lmt I hi-.. po111l , . .
111 ~t'lll'ml nwl.rdl'd a-.. la~n 111g '"'''" I'WWlwd, "lw11
llwr1 xn l'lj.!hl Ol' 111111 p:-.,.,1'" ill t lw 1nill.
\\ l1111 Hl'l'lllllldt~llll'tt Hl'tl III,.,IHIJtd, it i" II"IHd ltt
li11d o11C' HI'I'UIIgtd for <L IIIJ.!IIJll'l'""'n't' ~IIJIJlh \\ orklltg
111 cnlljlllwlloll \\lilt c1111' o1 llllll't fw u 111\\Jil'l'"''n'l'
""PJlh . J\u ~orhllt"'~~l tLch <~lttagt of w.tll.! atc11n11
lato1.., m 11\l'J.!C' tnlll~ liP-. in tlw fud that tlw lo\\1'~'~'"'"1'1' ""JlPI~ f'ILil lw 11t tll,..t'd for \\ orkllll! t Jw
nu~l-ntouldlllf.! lltacltllll'" 1f tlw ptc...-.c ... ~ut' uf tlw
.\ng lo-.\ llll'l'lt't\11 1,\ JW. t lw "' cllnulit" takt-tliiHHUIIJ!
ttlf\C'Iti lll'" nft'ITI'd to lattr llll 111 tin ... ;lrtic-lt, nud l\11\
l1 \ dra11ltt lft.., \\ 1th "huh tiH' 111ill IIUl.\ ht l'ct"'JlPt'd .
l t i,... fii'(JIII'IIIh "li\ltd that 1\ "1 111 ft nthta adHLIIIt\j.!f'
i\lltIIIIJilj.! I l11 "'''' of ..~crulltUII\tm-. 1... I lw f1,11111l in
I 111'11' "NLfll.\ -\ 1\h I' mt 11111," fw Ill J!l'lll'rtLI it ,..,
iiiiJifl"'"lhll' to .~d11111 to I Ill' p ,. ,. , ,., lllldl'l' 1\.nol ir ..
tlllllll't'llllll.., 1L )11'1'''1111' j.!I'I'HII'I' llt1~11 lltat fotl \\)litJ,
rlw <L<'I'IIIIll llnlol ,.., dtlthtI"H.III.' lnu.dcd. Tlw 1111plil'rl
oi!LIIj.!l'l', Jto\\( ' \ l'r, lll't'd lw 1111 j.!I'I'ILII'I \\ tlJa IL JII'IIJ)I'I'I.\
.~l'l<liiJ.!I'd "':-.I t'll I of indq)(Jidtnt JHIIII)" tl11\.11 it i...
\\ 11 h tU't'IIIHUit\.1 or....
Till' acculltlllntm-.. '"''cl Ill oil uull:-.tU't' in1w <,..... tntml
rt' ...l)('tt dlfftrNtt ft'Oill tho ...c IJ:...td for oliHt JHII'JIO"'''
Tlw l1m Jli'C...lillrt' tl.<cutnlllalo - x1c J<'1g ..) I uu~o-, ht
lm\.d td "tlh C'l\."t iron \\t'il-(hl~, l>11t u~-owl.ll) it i>l londtd
:-;imiltl.l'!) to t lw higl t-prcs~UJ'C' t\I'Ct llrtllh~ot or xlum 1
nJ,...o iu Fig. .; 1, nnmcl.' hy mN\.11~ of a m.ild hlt1l
pll\1 ccl ('A."<' fi ll<d "i I h ~-ola~, xa nd, o1 ot lwr nw.t cial.
Th<.' c~ lincltr is o f cA.... t irou, fmm<>d <xternall,, "it h
l\\o ribH, on "hi<-11 the wcight ('f\'<C' i~ guided. Tlw
weights arc> hung from a cast iron <ros>lhea.d fixed to
the top of the ram. 'ometim<''> matter-. are r e\'er..,ed.
the ram h<'ing fixed to the Aoor and the cylinder.
"ith tlw \\E'ight ca.sc f\ltnchcd to it, f;(jding on tlw
rnm.
'J'Iw lo\\ Jll'l'"'lll'l' ,lt'l'llllllll.tt 111' .up l'lllllllllllth
d-..a~wd 1111 L Jll't'.-.""'" of :)1111 Jl,, '" 411111 ll>. JWI
ptaH.' uuh
l'JH.'II' lllliJ:o> ma~ ha' 1 a tuamete1 of
fwm m tv lJin., and a :stroke of from 8ft. to 12ft.
Tho hJgh -pr<'~::.url accumulator::; gin> a wCJrking
pr1~bW'l' of 2 or 3 t on:s p<:l' ~-oc1uan incb, accc,rt.l.ing
,\., lho prl""l" <\l'l. of tlw ...\.nglo-.\.nwricu.n or of the
cagu typt. Thoir ra1o::; var..' m dianHtcr from 2!m.
to Jm., and m strol~l' from ,)ft. to l 21t. In Fig. J2
"o g" o a viow o f thr<u accumulator, by ) l anlo' <,
.\lhott u.nd Co., Luni t,.d , un <'r' ctcd ut u.n oil mill.
lltro th.-ru an:~ l\\o low-pn~::.ur< 1, mutator,., ea" It
with o. ~treAt< of lCift .. tuu l 0111 lHgh -pre,sure accumulator '' ith a stroko o f 5ft.

F1 g. 5t - R ELJEP

VALVE

DETAlLS- MABLOVE,

ALLJOTl'

dl'l\ 1111-( "l111rt t'ILITII'.._ 1\ll l''l'l'llllll' a( I'Hl'h 1'1111. 'J'I 111
l'"'l'll(rll' ro.J.., l~rt of I'H"t '11'1'1 t~llol l'acJa l'I'I'IJII'oi'!Lll'"
.~ c'l'll""'l"ad to \\l11ch '"" null" ,1n ,tlt.whtd. Thn
r.~111,... \\Oil, \\lll1111 frll'~td ... lt'l'l hlul'f...,... fitl1'cl Jll lo tlut
t up oft Ill' l<~llk. Till' "111'11111\ \ tlh , .... <LIId tlw tltla\ t.'l',\
\uhc ... an httl'd '"tl1 t't'III'\Hlhlt ,...1ah ,,r nrc-kl'l
... tf'tl. ' I ht tlth\t'r\ 'HI \ I ... an. a-.. "'"""' in th11
l'llh'l'IL\ lllj.!.IIITtlllj.!l'dlll I\\ 11 ,(tcl hJ.wk-.. ...o tltt\1 ILI'I'I'-.'t
IHtL\ naol1h (,.. had tn I I wilt. Tlw hi1f puiut of
llllJIUI'ItUII'I' In IM\ .~lltlll ion I 11 Ill 1111' dt'"IJ.!II uf
""''" a IIIIIIIJI .~ .. 1111 ... i... 1111' .utl''"ihilit-, of tlto ..,
)MI'h linhl" to \\; 111 111 J.!"l 11111 nf ol'dtt.
Otl lllill:-.
'"'IILII..' Lr r111t hut h Hil!hl anol dn..'. "'" thal f\1\~

Pig. 65--CAKE

PARING

MACIIIlfE - ROBERT

llillDDLETON

npnir-.. l't'ljllioPol l11 I lto llllt'hill''l'\ ""' ' tu l111 tffotltl

Ill I ht ""'I ltt"ll) I 1111" I oppag<',.,
.-\CCti)l L.\ fOR RELIEF V.-\.L \':::,.

be

As u:.ual, mtan... ha.vo to

proviclt~<l "hereby
tho pwupm~ up uf the accwnulatorb i.s :.toppod
"hn their ram... n ach a ctrtain height. EL:.owhC'ro
tllli. h; fnttucutly offccttd by autouaatic tmatU>
wh.ich :;top tho pwnp:.. In oil mills, howovcr, it is
cu.:.tornary to kcop tbo pump:. running continuou,..ly
and, when rlqwrod, to duft~t their delivery back
throu?h a. r~luf 'ah l. mto th"' oupph tank. An
automat ic'l.ll v. o r ked rehef 'al e arraugt>ment by
~Iel:>J)rs. ~Ia.nlo' f', Alho tt l.S illustrated tn F1g. 54..

M AY 4, 1917

TH "R ENn T NE "RR

399

l'a t 11'11lu ~ .. r tl11 Nmr...,.,,( t ruultHif untl1lw ' "''" u\ l.'tlt,l,l.

Hl ll'l'l'l>d tug ft~ok lll'i 1~11' ft lllllllt'd t Jw pd1 riHt'H infiJ f ill'
lu;llu\\ lop IJf tllr uuuJun h wat.tl, wH i t t'tLI'Il ft'~'>~ h uk u '"a.\ ),.. lnu l '' '"" tlt1 Pruii'IJIId uf t ill' ~r,rtlttunptort
ln ..fltuto, ( 'llkll\\ oll , Loud1111, K('. I
fld t o Uu klufc, u. trimntod caka iMJ'Hud y to b t- t'f;mov cd l'oly!ff'hntr

ft'"'" t lw t o p of t JH, pil' 'J'J.., a.m i-. c;m\'oniell t.l,\

Wt1l'kt<d frt1111 tlw luw f11't''i.'1l ll'o IL!'f'lllltldO.tOI', b u t 11
Llt111'a ili n11 KUC'h AIHII'C
'I' Of ily dra.uJic AUppl ,\' th11 tuQIItllll'
THE NATIONAL SHORTAGE OF IRON ORE
l ,..m hfl fl..,,..i~ra,.rl t o utJiattn Ht f"tl.tn prP-1-1111'11, :-lilullt,t.r
SUPPLIES.
amulunll'4 t_l\ll aw~d1 (,, . pa.l'ing Auglo t\ u 11~ai 1at 11
J'ltf111 ;'4'1111t \\', (:, J'f:ARN!iiiii:H, Htll'l\'
J'rort>.;H()I' ~of

l'tLkt H. r11 I "''"'' of ; ()lfl 'ri(', I h P u.<:tim iH 11111' ,,f

CtIIICJf(\ 11\ n... Hlulliltl l11tH'Irliif y , gtn till' lit'l'll of I\\ 11
pu ro rilll'~ing , I ho I'ILIW>~ l>1i ng forrw l up fLgn.it l><f H fi WO.I'Il LNttU'I'!i ut lht H oy1~l HmiHly 11f Arl~t, tutl\IIIILIW)'.
on t)w Hubjf'ICt IIJUHNI ahow,. T lw firKI l1rl Il l'!' wu>~
f 'llllfiHN I I 1J 1.L d uUK!iion 11f f111 ll\ uilublt lwlllf\ Hup phl',.
o 1rcm 11r0 anrl thC'I 14fNmd, wllicl will lw 1lr l i v~1'Nl nP'I.I
Monday, will lm IUVOif'fl to lhH IJVfrHN~Ii imnftroltiH whiclt
Hupply tho BriliRh rna.rkcl .
F rom J 904 tr; I!) J 4 ( :r-rrnany, AAitl P wf. F rarru;id 1s,
inl'rPil'tNI hr,r RtNI p rorhwt ion from1~bout. 9 million ton" JIN'
unnlt.tn t o J9 million toM; F ranrr' from two to ftvo miiJ ionH ;
s~ncl Anlgium to a Hirnlllr nxlfln t , hut f\lthnuglt lhh H aiti~tlt
out pu t hall grmo up, it. had not. rlom Hll propc,rtionu.t c.ly.
'f11f figurPH in ptg ir1111 H)WWI'd rL Jil !11 of tlH hiHtory or
li1PHH HovrrrtNit >4. Ot rnany lto.rl imrcBRNl lwr nutp111
or }1ig iron fr11m lNl tni llion tliiU4 tn J!J()4 to nin~tllll
ltltllll tm\1! in J!IJ:l, u.ntl th11 othtr NmntriP>I )ul.ll ra.i1<11l
tlHtrH tu n C'Wl.14HLrul,lt 11:--tcnt, l111l (:rrrLf Hritulll lultl
t~nly ulfn u!ifd IHr" (rtma H~ Hli ll itlll 1 1111~ HI t!IO.J In f\ ltttl
vrr tnnullllic111 IIHU4 1r1 19 J:t
IJaling "l)(ftfirnlly \lil lt tl11 pmition in C:rPO.f Hril!.'ut
fl111 ll(fllrOr I(IL\1' figiii'I'S dlll!4frfllillg Jl111 ru.l'f fhlll j11 l)w
uly 1ghti r~t tlu IIIJ JIIt- Jlrmlurtiou ,,r " '"' ' t.r wa'4 Vf'r~
,.,,nJiidr<rably J(l'l~t fw tluu\ it iH a t. p rl'-11111. 'f'hu unpcwl
of trtJII 11r11 l lliH h~>An tct~Miily riHing. Tuk iuJ( tllf or.prmluri~~~ Nll lfl t itH HNitll i 1fi, '' wul4 p oi ul~d 11u t t hut V ork
,.)111'11 htlo(l Hllllifl (irHI for fift y yrarH. 'J1H'I fitfd l14 NmtinUOIIH
111Hl1'1 the whr,IH c1f thc ncH'Iltl'm part ()f ('Jrw4-land , tlu
tJ.icknt">S varying frcun 17ft. down t r1 7ft. a.ncl 0\'flll lf'tll'4.
ProfGA!Wr Lt>Uill, wlH1 rnNl..'UU'Pd up tltfl a vaala.hlt orr ( o r
t.hA purpo~~e M tlw JntNnationo.l CongreAA <l>ltima.tf', ra.an,.
to UtA Nm<'lnAilm 1hat. th~;ro are :WOO million Im'IH of
>4imilar Ml lq ually a<ff>~>~ihi A in G'JAvflland, 110 tlli~L in thnt
purl, or lhA Nmntry thom 111>4'd ho (l0 fpar Cif B ~hortO.gf'.
11a rhinf diffirulty tA thal of r<<ll ing the nc.;rr.oAA&.ry labt'111 r
to 111int- the ore>. In l !l l!i tltH outpu t wa.<~ fiva milllcm l llltH
agtLt MI fli X million tOM in JIH :J. '11liR, AA id J1 roft'IW11'
F e>arMidi'K, wa."' cmo Ci f tlH~ diatricU. ''' '' hirlt \\1' Hltottlo l
havfl to look f'hi ofty for an imrN~'IC in our f;rf Hupply u11d .
Pilt. 56 - HYDRAULIC CAKE PARIR G MACBlNE- MANLOVE, ALLIOT'l'
IOOrf'liVt r, ore WM rninf'C) Vflry rhNI.)lly Lhl'r, \'11.. , Ul !iH. 4tf .
p(\1' luu in 191!i. Only u. ~rnall q nan111 y M or~ wu.. min~d
rrom thf f'CJQ.IJ nM~'IurP!! Ill Vorkflhirn nnw, tJnJy 2:l,(JI)0 1011'1
ltLitll' fu.IJ ,. tL$(tLin llw luLr A , Fig. !i2, H lrik >~ t lw 1\(J~ fl>ur r.xcd knivr11 o.rra.ngcd at. Uto odgea
having been produrerl HI 19 I I.
Jll'oJ~>l'!ing <'O.II l<\ lt' ( ', 11111\1>~ it i11, n.nd allc,wH Lh1 lo.t ~<ra l n p1niug in 1h" ma(hin1, head.
In N orthamptoMh .,.,. 1hPrt wor11 nlw; pol'41ii bil itiet~ ,,f
' ' ....ght t 1f t h~ ' "".,.'' J) I o pull <IIJWTI t lw l1vor R and
a.n incree.&"d 11upply , al t h(JUJZh, lll"'t"l ,. the fuN 1h at the or...
...u rE'tlet s t h t~ anu.ug('rnfln I . \\' hen tJ w lover 1> iH
r,( th a t C'ounty wa-. pul mto thc 1rurk anorc f'h eaply, 11
w&.'l n ot flne.lly so C'heap M tho ( 'IIVAian(L ort rm account
rt1.iRPcl tlv- deliver y from I h< IJIUrtp is dofiPcted frotu
t h e a cc'\u nulatora back I o t lw Hupply tank. \Vhen THE TRAINING OF DISABLED SAILORS AND nf the diAtanl'e fr01n thE\ NJal mtneH. Tiltort \\ ort, indeE>d .
SOLDIERS FOR BLBCTRICAL SUB-STATION foMiderabl~> quanli t il'll of N tJrthampltm i rt~ltHHme whic),
1ht> lever falls a.ga.in the d e liw'.\ to t h<> a.Num ula.torl'l il'l
111 p rA.war tlayR it ha.d not po.id t c, WtJJ'k.
LmcolMhirt
WORK.
J'fl'iumcd. Th t~ a,.tual ra.jaing o f I he wc>ighted )eo, tor
a lHc, wM away frolll th" f'Oalflfllchl, but Ill thfl Jo'rodingharu
iH not ~fff'Cifll l,y thEI rha.iu and l'tHl but. by a plungt't'
RrNCE June. I !H G, nn imporLant oxperiment has b een i11 tliHt rict I her~> ha d b N\11 l(rN~t cxleM ifJJ'U4 in thA iron or.
bt-nca.th it. A by-pa.s.<t Hupply uf low-presRUJ'A ftujd pro)ll'eSR, whil'h WWj first conct>iv('d m F ebruary, 19 16, by induatry i rL rPf'l'nt yf'arH. Th iR or11 r11nt ai atf' rl a q uan t 1I..)
JK a d m it l ,..cl h P111a.th th.iK plung.-r l>y a pis t on va.lv11 E thu lAAtitution or Electrical EnginearR, wh ich app roe.ched of lime, and t>OnA~(jUflntl y wa." ~>I f flux.ng, and in thtK
OJ)('J'atNl whlll tin~ IIWw B iK air<td . l>lll'ing I he and ob tainPd the Rympathctit> h elp of th A E d ucation Ql'f'L\ there \\M1 }HJ)lfP4 11r I'III IJtid MI).)))II (<XINU41011. JH
J'l'l(tti n g (I{ thu Ul'ri.LitgNf\(111. I hiK piHI W 1 vu.IV(< url K ('(,mmittPA of the L ondon C<.tunty Council. (t wa.a held Hoane po.rtAihe flrH wa.'4 aiHw~t. {l{!uivo.lf<nt to I he Cleveland
that a pr1liminary perio(l of tech nical I raining under ()I'C. F'rt1ltl ( 'lll nfu,rlanll \\11 Clhla.inNI th 11 fillf'!lt. HUpply
u.'l o. da<~h po L and pri-vfltll ~ the, r ulirf valv11 froii L bting
<'apable inl!t ru<'tors in an institution h A-ving up -to-date of hr,,w.til u ,,n1 Ill thtt wcwltl, hul , unforl unate1y , ou
drop prd violf'nf ly mt I o it H KE<tJ.I ing.
rlectrical laboratory equipmen t. might Anable men of forflfo.thor~t nt'edNl tlar!!t! Ol'ft<, ~~nd t ho developanAu t
various gradOB of cducation t() qualify as Rub-st.a.tion hacl prol'eeded to Hu<'h an r.x tfnt. that. it. did nr1t. Hlftll
C'AJ.;t:.'fKl MMJN(; MA(' HT ~ I:H.
at.tenda.nts in a much Hhorter p eriod than oth erwiM lik ly we c:ould I' Xpc'<t v11ry much more from them.
would have b('on n eeded, and might give them an enhe.nceou
( 't,t.kc-triumrjng rrw.chines, aR wi ll ha.vn blrn gu.llwrf'll value duri~ the period of Mtation training. The exp eri - H n heliflvNL the Roma.ru~ fLI'I ually W!l'd thiFI ore, and tlu
fcJrn what ha."! a lread y been Aaid, form quite irrt pc,rta.nt rn('nt waR project~d to IP'It. thfl p o88ibilit.y of Ru ch p r,.. supply o.llained its ma.ximur\ juxt a t. the tiro& wh en th;..
procell!l or Rt.ool rnaking ma.cl(l it. f'f'J'Ia in that. iron from thc
i tflmJ'I i 11 1he C'conomy of o i I mills. They ar<:l rna.de liminary t.rainin~.
coal rnea'lur~ had got. lo hc l'cpll).('l'd . The rna.ximurll
'J'he NorthD.mpton PolyfflChnic I 011tit.ute was ~l ecwd production o f h Pma.tiU nrH wa.'4 111 th11 ea rly eightiPH,
in a variety of form ~. A Aimple arrangemE-nt for
parin g the edges o f Htraight Aided cakeR, rnadC' by as a rmitable t raining C'entre in London, and th e oxp eri 1hA amount producNI t h fln bfing tonRiderably greatN
R oberf. 1\fid d let.on a.nd Oo.. iK Hh own in F ig. !>!>. ment wae Pntruated to the F.J(>ctrical Engineering Depart- tlll\n in rPCnl yC'arH. \Vfl had now r oBCh ed thA tirn'
t. of that JMtituw. 'T'ho training, which ia inwnsi ve, wlu11 thn 1mpplie~~ we>ro nearly t1xhauxted. Bnd it wnulrl
' l'hil'4 rllil.chine iH tJ.ttcmdf'd hv
. two .'ou t h K and ra.n men
1a'l~ only thrt>u weekR, a new l'O IJJ'8e being held eA.Ch C1l1l) h i' hy a progrPIIIIiVO drweJopment in front O f I ho
pa.r e t.wo cakeH at a tirru. lt. COlll}JJ'iHel'4 two knivC'H
month, and tho number of students in each course being
rrtfJV('(l by p f>WC1l' along t lu Pd geH of ~~ ~tlc,t. ut. tlaf limited to 20. The RCventh COUI'80 o the seri~s ended in actual mcchl that a uniform production (ouJd be obtamed .
rf'n trc~ of itfi ta.blr. ThA oily paringfl ft~ll into thc March, 1917, and the eighth ill now in p rogress. St.a.tiRtih; Thfl output waR lol!l4 than I ! mi ll ion tmiJ! in 1913, and i11
J!JJ(, it wa.-4 onJ y 1,300,000 toM, and it. clid n(1L ROOm J.kel~
-.tot , \\ ltPrr lhny fLrl caugh t. in n trCJug h nnd are of these courses are BR followR : tho.t the ou tput would ever r~>ach two nu llion tOM a gain .
brokcn llp and H HJ \ 'Nl {(lrwa.td tu tlw ttp ()u t. by o.
f...<irAAtorAhirr Rupplie>-1 were drawn frorn a continuatiou
~ericH nf HIPPI C()n veyor knives m ounted o n a power- N,rnJ,,.r of A ppliral i<J1111 for AtlmiiJirion from. .June. HI HI, f1f I he Linl'ol n11hir0 hPtlic, and there w('rn po!lllibi li tie~
drivf'u Hhaft within I)H, (.r ough. A KirnilaT type of
trJ Marrh 30th. Hll7.
of incre&JI(~ ; Hlmilarly, Lanl'ILshire mw.t. hfl consid ered
C
'o11r"'
f':r ~'u~,. e ,.~~r.... c,:r l 'o,~r~., , .,~~
lHa.chin n iH Trta.do by R0'411, DoWIUI nnd Tliompdon,
u<t ~.Ln exwlll!ion 11f Cumherluml.
U n til 11aoartH wore found
7.
.,.,
.,.,
(c,r dPaling with the Mf' lmcli,.,. undernt'&lh the lriRh Sea.
Limit ed , ex cept that o.ll I hr- dri ving gl'a.r itt co.rried
:! I
Lunr:a'lhiro <'ould not AArJr)uRiy increali6 11 14 p roduction.
fill two sta.nclarciH b oltPd to 1h o ta.bl& top, t ha idea
\ ' " ""'' r . I rl r~alf !/ f 'u mmt:~tr.i ng flu. C:f.lltTIIf.
HI a.fTorrl oriH and Lho'IE\ obtained frtHu the S<'ottildl
hf-'i ng t ha.t in t h iA wa.y thA working p a.rta canno t
('(Jiffil i08 Wfll'l1 very Rimilo.
A great. deal or theAA or&>!
:!11
11$
:!:1
Ill
Id
I I
I H~corne ()(,gged with oil) C'O.ke parin gf!. A machine
waR to.kfln from the coal measureR. The ores were clay
Vu ntlJr r A ppr(lt)e</ for fl}mpl~ymerll.
,,f this type if! inrlica.tNJ in tlw mill O.l'rl\.ngement,
ironstonM, of which it w&l4 eMt iroatod thMc~ W(lre 33,500,00fl
11
)()
:!11
18
13
IK
Fig. 47.
toM in varioWI part!i of lh~ country, a.nd the110 must b..
Varirm ... dP-1i gu~ ,,f uutowf~tic cakepariug ma.chitLeH
rogo.rded B't a nataonal M!let. UnfortllllAtely it cot~t
SumlJrr . l rturlli!J PlanA.
I ItA. per Ion to bnng theHe orOH to ba.nk, and a<t they ha.d
~re n ow coming wtt; nAf'.
J n a. t y pical t-xa.rnplc
I (>
!.!11
114
I ~I
17
I :
to f'Ompote, ~-<xcept for a vC>try limited market. for p uddlect
I he ca.ke!'l , o n e h y on1 from a. pi lP, arn moved forward
iron, with ore from othM part'! of Lho C'Ountry producNI
u.ga.inat. tw() kniw<t t10t at 1h e dcsirNl d.is ta.nN n.pnrt. 1
X 11mhrr of Applir.atiou11 frm,~ ltJm ployers.
W<'h Jnr,rc, ch ea.ply, they had not much ch ance. H
T h Pir movement. Jli then continn('d a.t right. o.ngleu
11
-1:: !Jv~>r 50 Ovt:r 411 Over 45 Ch~~r 35 Over :J'ratluw Htllipucted a iEto thaL thoro wa.'! Rome othpr dj ,..
1,, t he fi r&t tra.verlif'\, AO tha.t the I wo r!'maining NJgPs
Totalll for Sevm Oour11M.
udvunlag11 with theso ores ; but., at any rate, thPrA we.<~ 0.11
11f t ho ra.kP~ ma.y he pa.H8erl b('l t Wf'en a. AeC'ond pair
'"'"'"r 11t appiJcatlontJ tor adml11tlcm . . . .
lU~
unormous qll6nlaty uvaila.biA now 1\1 a. prt(!j'. l n 1 88:~
,,f k niveR. Hu ch a. me.chinc f' Btt rPnrlily d Pn.l with
..
11ctuaUy commencing the cour.w . . . . 130
thH (JUBI)tity Of lh"sr' clay irOMt()O" 1Jr(f4 Obt.aillfd Wa>4
1h irteen l'a.kA"' p m mj 0 ut c~.

... Uflfltoved
for employment
.. .
114
IIVflr fivfl uuJii(m tM\8, hut it wt~!i n ow down to le!'41i than
urtuaiJy placed . . . .
108
t W!J millioM. Therr tnUI!t. IJr~ HfJillH 1mportant. rN~ROII
1'hMe iM sometimPli a. Jittlo diffic ult.y iu got.t.iug
.,
otnrmllcatlonll from ernploy"r"'\r .. 205
a clean cut <ciao with th e~ n.hovo rnachineH. Furtheor,
\ t ..w or th088 npproved ror employm~>nt ttht:,lntl wt,rk JrlvniIY: r, ... lhe.t, and 11 rlid not appear tho.t. wo Y> ould coun1
,
"11" r.r two ll3d to return lo h011pltal.
tlu~ N1al rncBRIIrH JrOJ\l'llnnPMBH ~tt important r.-.serv1.
t lwi r (,pPra.t ion call A (or a. l'Prta.in amount.~f Hkil~~nu
Tho diAe.blements which have bl'en found n ot. Io fliR
J11 Oxfor1114hir. th tonditimU4 wontNl t o be Rimdur
JU<l~Ntt ' a.nd l,lh cutting .knivf'~ ha.vn to fl care ly c.rualify for aiJ p ORt'l of the kind u.l whiC'h t.ho I raining auna tu tholi6 in JA.oiC'I',.IMI!lt ir<, and tlul'" wM ne, rPa l reBI!un
JookPd af.tPt'. Jlwf!O conR!dera.lt~ns hll.W1 l~cl to I ht are tot.a.l disablemf'nt of one am or one 1~1(. or a. partiAl why the fi<'ld Hh ould I lOt llavr~ tlnvclopPd 8.>4 rapidly.
tnt rnd llC'll(lfl of hy dra.ullr: parin g wa.chines. An disablement or OM limb. Disa.hiC'd mrn HufTering from 'r'JH, Glamorgan <1rN1 wtre compurahlr., 1o thn hornatilf
vxa.rn ple uf IIIIH rlas<t, rru:Ld11 h y l\lanlovf', Alliott. und l llh(lll 11 hork, h owevPr, cannot be a.ccopterl.
ort" of Cumberland a.nd I h f\ C'IPvhland ori'R. Tile yea
C'o .. L mrilrd, for pa1ing t.hr- r ound cakt>!i (Jbfained
Up to the pr<>Mnt time the whole of tlH mon who have ,,f uto.ximum produC'tion wBH I !IO:l, hu t the (111lp ut " 0.'4
fl'lll ll l'a.ge prt'Hfi(M4 iR ill uMh'a.tNl in Fig. IllS.
rn thiM te.kfln Rllilkie!'t adve.nt.a.~'! o the t._re.ining to ~<'~ro the now t.'Ct.ending. Tlw re was uo rowu,n geologirally wh .'
ma.c hinfl the cakPfl, one ut 1 ~ tim~> , a r f> puMhPd o.ga.iMt rec?f!lm<l':lclBtt? n of thn JOmt comm1tt.oe u nder whtch tho lhfll'l' Rhould tw t. I ~ a lo.gq o:-- tNmiou of t hfl Antrim MQH.
' ' op '4 on thP t a. biB nndf-rn~'<~:~.t.h a power-clrivfln revolv- tro.trung 111 .hflmg man&gf'd . hava beN\ pl~rd ~ut, ~nd hut lubour difTI(ult iP'4 o.ml ra.dwuy fB<'i liti(}S had boon 1111'
\Vhon it. il 1llUA iJt there !lre 11.1111 many ~acan~eFI to fi ll , ~ut, m~rea\itng dt~- drawiJQ4')o.. WiltAhir uliglat HNm\ " 1uri111tH plB<'(I 1"
111 g kni fe ha.\ ing 14aw-likfl 1f'f1 tlt.
. .
.
. .
.
. . .
. l'ulty IJ! be mg fo und J1\ placmg rnen_ w1th f!e.rtOUR arm daH- find iwn IJJ'H, and 1f tho arl'u wor wt HO far frnrn tlu
) JCI>~J lt on p1 et~-1lll A JH o.drru tt ed I o ~~ hy<.l rauhc c .vlmdeJ
1 1 mt>ntR It il4 ~tuggesled that m l'..ertam case'! Ruth coo.lftAicU. 11 \HilLicl he " fin1 pr,poRi t icm Ifl farry that oro
lwn~o.tlt t h o labln.. Thn :arn h~acl fo;"~'~ I h1 ,.ak1 ~n:~ might stiU bo utilised for thi11 ~ork by simple ~1H~~lifka to tlt! hl~t - furll.Q(~>i. It \\M cht>aply obtaull'd and rath~r
ILgamHt. t ho t'C'volvmg krufP, \\ hl('h trnnH lh ~< cak1 tions of parts of the Rwitehgear, and the p a.trlOIAm of low in pho'lphCJnU4, and 11. ~ i mil1~1 matArio.l n1ar thr. NJO.I hy a. combinecl Hh Pa.ing and cutting o.c tion. Tho Atation f>ngineenl throughout the country is appea iNl t o llelr.ls would bo val uahl~.
Althmgh adjoirung ( 'Hu.l11 rh~nll . llll' 1Jurha111 ,,.,.-1
f'l\ke, u.flfiJ' twi11g I rimmed , l'fll'O&inli \\ ith in I he c:il'fular to fnnsider cart>f~Jy t he p oi!SibiJity of employing mon
werc~ "r quit 11 clatT"r""' l)'pu, britg thn 1.y.pr11tl1wl I ;(
k lllff hfliug hi Id thfrH hy 1\11( ()Jnfll it ('At c hc>i. AH wltn ha.w lnRt pnrltnlly fir\\ h r,lly t hr I! !ill nr f >nl'l Brm .

\ \JWH f,),"' \\I'I JLJ. f, I'U ~I 11f f)u IU'I'II IIIIII t~lrH' rtau-)11'>1
Il l'S [>l'C!:I<rtbtd hui~ltl, 11. lmt lilt 11" ft'ul!dtl'tLI I, Hlto\\ 11
a.L A in Fig. !i:l, Rtrik~H Um cnd ,,f Uw lh\ 1'1r H , l<'1g. 54,
uwl puaheH tL Uf)\\tl.l'dH. ' rltt oppo'i.ilt' tnd ,,r thi-1
I.-\ tt IH rCJJIIII I'tf!d b~ I\ t lu~in , &o., iu tlw lltUIIlll'l'
dlOWO I 0 I ilt' Wtaghttd ll'\ tl' of fill' nllt'f \'lLh t',
' rhHt Jt, \ ..,. ll'i lhtT'KfoH Jawved up. l l IH !111ld ll)J h.'
t iH t"tum r;l I),,. t'tl.tH itvl't' 0 w luch. tul\ inK out undf't
I Ith 11 tl1 lWIII'tl r ~ HJil'll\g p h m,f.{l'l', ; ngo.gc>~ t " " piu
~< I Hm 11 CJil flu tw it of 11t1 IPvfr H.
\\'htll I ltc 1 ~1'1' 1111111

--

MAY

THE EN G INEER

11, 1917

of !.run.ll '"'''"tlllnt"' dt"'i~ud h) C:tJ'IItnll.\ fw t lw

'lfJt'('lal pUIJICI t of la~ 111g 1HIIIt''i, 'l'JUI'( I"' I ('Q'iOII
t o be liPv('l that o. very consid<'ro.ble nurnber of these
boatR he.R been built in the 1Mt two years. They
are of modPRt dirn~>nAion s , and tlu wmkma.nship iH
t'Xtrnordnmrrl) uo lt, tt ftltt t hut ~PI ~~'H~""~ 1u ~uggt>~t
\ 1'1) r ..p ul t'IIIIMI r111 11011 . To I lw >~Hilll' t hl""~ IHItmgtd
tlw l ' ('
!;, '' hwh \\U'i <uplund bv n Bttl l"'lt dt'41nJ\ 11'

m Aprrl tn..t \ t,u, awl aft l'n\lud-. plattd ott t,lulut 11111
in L(mduu. HhvltN '' ho '""l'''tttd tlu" prz llll\)
rt'tall lwt rough. llufini..,Jwd ''f'JWanuu t, tlH' ""~'"'""'
rl\l'liug. 1uul lwr gtrur~o l nppl't~oruuct o f ltuving hccu
h111ll 111 j..'l't'ILt hn'ltt b) u11-.ktlful \\tll'k1111n. ' l'lw
tlto;igu 1'4 t\ultntl,\ u "'l!uulan l wu, judgntg fnu11 tl11
f lww H1111tlnl'il) lwl\\t'l'll t lw l ('!; tu ul tlw l ' ('l2.
Ou I lit' Hlll'fll!'l' I lW,\ d ixplnf( I no I Oil M, nnd 21 () I ()Ill~
\\ lwn MIIIHIII't'J(t't l. ' 1'111 ltttg'llt is upptoxittn~otc l )
11 Oft., und tl1t 111U'Ci11111111 diu11wl ,.,. I Oft. Fot kllrftuf'
)JI'tJplll>~illll tlwn IK 11. fout I'\ ltlldtt !Ill ltor-.1-po\\ rr
J )w.,el t'II.I(IIH', \\ ltitlt tlri\ fo; t lw l~tu~l r~t a "'l'""d ,,f
li k11111.,, lwr \tloct~ lwlr,\\ wull r lw111,1! ''"1.' -' k11111".
Apart friHn n dhTHtllllltnlrlt tunchlfw ,l!llll f>u rwd
cm a tnpod lwf(Jr< tlw NttJIIIIJ.! ''''"'I' tlll'n i"' 1111
1\I"IIUUIIf'tll, hut 'ii "\ "cJit; Uti' f'l'll\ tdl'tl i11 1)11' f11r1
}lfLI"l IJf IJII' \to""CI, ('Hfh of \\hlf'JI I'CIIIItLIIIS l\\fl .,.. Jr .
lllt\1'1111 llllllt''i, \\ l1ich rut nltn"t'd ~~~ 1~ I'CIItlrol
CJpcro.ttcl frtJIIt I ht l'lllmin~ I''",.,.. \\ rnJi..,s npptLI'Ill 11>1
i"' IIHIIU.ll,\ filtcd, u nci t}H coneplct~lf'lll <r~tJsiHI -4 ,,r
1\\1) ofTicct 11 llnd fiflNn nwn.
'l'l11 ( ' ( ' 12, lWCordin~ to htr lcrg-hnok, wns Cllll'
trf tlw fit>~l h\o rnirw-ltHIII$( Hllhwurim,; \\lti(h
C:trtrtlill) pltwNI at tlw cli-..pc,"',,.l of Aw~truJ.-lf11ngrw~
fCJJ I lw \\tLl' agai11"t Jtul) . Sill' \Hl-4 lnult at llll'
\\'"'tr \ nrd, Bl'<rnf'n, ull llf'r trtllnml fit till#(>! )wing
f<ltUrq wcl \\ ith tlu- IJf\1111' or HitIIJ('IIl'\ '(fiiJckf'rt.
Tlu lm11ll'h took pin('( nl llu lw,~ti1ming of "!\In.~, I 91 !;,
~rul IL f,.,, dn.' K lnttr t h1 bunt l"'occl'dcd t hrtlltf!h t lw

417

'illhtwuuat at 11. dl'pth of rwarl)- J()(Jft . Tho cxplrrcioll

ltud blown h er vractHall) Ill t Wll. The extrE-rnilWd
'' t>rP not much m jured, but, arnid~Jhips the havoc
wn." vPry great, a s Will bf' HNn b) the illustrations
$(1\'1'11 herPwith and on pagn 42 0. The bodil'!! of
fr,ltt'lt n c,f tltf' rl't-" \\1'1 found. F'ra.grnt>ral ~ uf
unfu1111'4 ""''' cJ,..,.,,, .. ,...rt, towtler with hadgl"i,
fnp J'thhon R, and IJI lwr uti wit>~. \\ t.wlt ltft 110 doulrt
a~ I,, t lw ukt~tit v of I lw liw~f IUtd ht'l' crt\\ .
A

lllll.f'llltll' ,1!1111 \\11.-.. lll"'u l'I'!'IJ\I'I'td pnwliN~IJ _v llltutt .

'l'lw tnp nhhon~ hor Ktlf'll dt\ wt-4 ll-4 " S.)f S
\' ul knn.
K \I .S. St t'ttll.
S. \L l .11 f(J'MI'I'bout
vr.. 2 )lttti'II Abttilllll$(, . AI.
At fir~l ~ight tlw \\TNkrl.)4' Ht't'llll'd toc, fmupltt
lo Ud1111t of Hll.hll.$(<', but H tlo'il'l' 11111'\'1.\ ('1111\ IIH't>d
I J.r I I 1~ltutt 1111.\11.1 lllgilltft'>! t lml I lw tcc()JIKinwt 1011
c,f t ltt lr11rLt "ould tJilt no irex qwtu.lrlt difTi11111 i t''~
'l'lw \\l'ltk \\a'i u1tordangl.\ n~oao;td. 111 il>wlf 11. ln'il<
nf 1111 IIII'IUI IJJ'dl'l, ('IIIISJtltt'lllj.( I Ill' )1'1'11.1 tlipt lt
I lw \\tlltt. 1uacl phu-td 1111 11. .. lttr fol' l'f'Jmll'. Tlw
tnltf..,Jaip ..,,.,.,ton. \\ t.wlt luul I'ILIIJ(Itl I lw full fol'tt
nf tlw ,.,,,l,.,.i,HI. luul to l11 tttl tnh rt-IJtlllt, \\ ltdt
11.1 I he l11m lllld -.ttt'll Ill'\\ plrl.l t" \\l'l't' fillrd. I Ill'
" ' ell'uplruu"' llnd J'ntld-. ltphu-Pd, n.nd t lw ,.Jmfl 111g
l"tpatrf'tl. It ,.., to ht lll'l''illtrtld tt.11.l I lw ot tgitud
pt'OJHIIIIt,l! rntultinfr~ \\ll"' lurpt lt'"'HI.\ dnmagtd , llltl
011 I 111.. point llwtt 111 1111 ddilltt' infonml.lio11.
'l'lllougltout I lw wrwk KJWIHd trl.t'l' MI'C' IIIH to Jeaw~ lwtn
tu,ktn I Jll'l'>~tt'VC\ tlw rlmrutl i11tic: fl'altrJ'hl tJf I lw
di'Kign. \\ lta.t J'ClfJII.illrd of I he C'IHIIIin,~t U>WI'r \HJ."~
Aki/full} t'I'Jitlirtd, IHld "'llllt fjt I ingK 6'1 \\<1'1'(' AltJI
twn i<'t>tl.bf,. "<'I'I' re>~
I. 'l'h1 I ll'ik wa"' (j na.l h
l'tnrtpltttd, awl it will IH nnclth tIIJW('(]NI that th,.
t(su lt, ll"~ cltpittcd Ill our t11grr1.\ in~, rcRcct-4 great
1ndit, cm n.ll <'Ont(rtwcl in tiH W()rk. 'fhr U 0 l 2
iH 11ow ll<'n. in~ 0.'4 n. unit ()( t h1 I tnlirl.tt nA.vy, though
dnuht lt o;'i uncll'l' 1\ nt\\ llllrrH nnd un1 l<s>e s uggt"'l ivr

.,r

c,

I,,.,.,

TBE

U C 12 IN

TB E SE RVICE

OP

TBE

ITAUAlf

NAVY

1\"o.i ...,.,. \\'ilh1lm ( 'nnnl to Kwl, ")J(r<' flhP nrrivf'd Cl( lwr Ttlltflni( Crrl,l!tn. I t iK intrrf"~l in~ to nolt
Ull I hc I it lt. awl o.t onN t'111lmt ktd ~ ttLJ',I!II crf mirw>~.
t.l1nl , llf'f'tJrdtng to an offitial Ktllltl' rorntnuniq111' of
A uHmllt IILt ~>r, i.P., o.ftl't' ftuh '4 dtclul't~lum of wur ,f O.Iliii\I',Y J:!th , BllOtllll' l'lll' lfl} l<llbiiiiLI'IIII', tfll' ( ' J~,
cm Aw..tt 111., Hlw \\aS di ~1euua1 ltd, divid1d intCJ fou1 wltif'lt wu~ ISIUtk, h~~o.-. Hiuc~ lwrn I'IU.h !d und pluNd
kltl Hmk, u11d pluNd on a trnna, 1\t'ri,ing t~t Polu on ill COIIIlnik~ion. 'fht~ SLJl)WtLT'>I I 1J bt- O il~ CJf tJw
.Junf 24 t h with lwr <rrw anti ('IJtrll tUJ.IIcltr. I fcr< ln.rgh (:cr'IIJA.Il huilt. mtrur -g<Jing Hllbrnarinf'K o f I()()()
kh~' '' U."~ l'I'O.'-'"~t' lltbl c:d itt fc,ttr dt~ytJ, und ugain I O()l< ICIIIH cltHphtefml'ttl, \\ luth hud hNm cwdtJed by tl11
to tllf wuti'J', intact o..o; ut fi1.,.t, l~ottd, n-. tlw Jtuliu11 A11~o~ttian (:o\rrmcwnt. in 1912, and wf't'r tlue t o bt
( :"' t-l"luawn t. 11b~n C"', " ( :rl'tllall 111 I'\ tr.\ tit in~, dtll\ l'rtd m Hll.). So fm U'4 tlw 1:11111\lltr U () 12 i-4
frow t hP nupnut Kui~c l lt<'llf' \lunrlf' on t'\ tn cotwtrnNI, 1111' Jtaliun tun1d uutlwntit'i art- to lw
chart to I lw C:E-nnan I tnt,.rtul I'I'O\Hl tJl'llatrwnllllg I'IJIIJ,!T'lLilllfl.lCd IJJl t)Jf' higltl.\o Hlll'l'f'"Kfu} Clmtplc-t ICJII
tlu- t uhlt '<t'l'"\ iN, and from t lw cup rrhhon,. of tit( ,, u pucfJ of ....uhagt< n.nd l'vuir \HJI'k "ltich ob\ iou-.1_,
fJt\\ \\ith tlal' thrtc lt'ttcJ>I B.A.J<. Btklcidttng,... culltd for no c,rcl111ar.\ dtj...l'l 11 of prll Wilt'~' und tcc-lrtJiflll
Abtc tlung. KiE-1- to till' mmwtuu-. J nm Clc,"'>~~'"~
found inlwr int(rior." On .Jul} 2!3tlt allcl August I 5th
8hf' viAit od I lw rwigltbtlltl'lJOcHI of u.n lt o.lian ruwul
baAP, and t ~lfrf' laid t \\'11 harticJ'H of mini''~ In
th<' following J>NI'rrthcJ tdw wa.'l at ('nttu.ro, tul<ing THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYcw hr.artl a 1'11rg'' c,f riflt"~ nnd arumttrttt i()n, dt>~tinN I
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
fur tlu- rthtIIJOII'i Arub~ 111 L \ hru. 'l'llf,r \\f'l'f' dui"
lu.llclttl ut Harc!Ja, nPar Hoilu11a. 1111 tiH> NH~'It. ,;f
r.-. ....
c1rT. 11,. l tlt~'' IC ' \1. "<,ol.,r.,'l.".

(..YT~'ttlltf'tl. , n.rt1r w h i(h Kht r1turnrt 1 to tlw Adrtalw.
.-.....
'
~
At tl11' Jwrwcl \\ hPrl tlttn \\I~" a11 tl.lm''' rru\l lliiiiJIIllt,
\\' 1 lW\\ pa ..,. Ill\ to clt ... trtiH tlw ,.,.Nrnd Hll'l h"d 11f
t,( twilit htt\\fcn tlw t\\1) ... twn -. tf tlw Adriatw i11 rtco\ .. r"''-' oil~ frmn 'tlo{Hal,lt ~uh,.,tunct" rUlnHI~.
coruw1'111111 \\till llu trun>~}HIIt of tl11 Scd)tl\tt urtu), tl'i tlutr f"\lnu-tum " ' 11 w 1~ 11 -c of thrtawul xol\t' lll "
iwptdurwlltn nnd p1 itHHHr, rLil ttltfrpl't"'' "hlf'll, 'itll'll H .. Jw 11 ~..trw, f'IIHt', chlttofor.. ,, ct~.dmn cli-..ulphtdt,
h} tlu \\U). \\1\1< co.nitrl out ''it ho11t I lw lo>~ ... 1f 11. 111 rho 11 ltl mchlomli ( ('1 1 tttul li'lmrlillmthu.tw
klltJ<Ih KIIIJI tlw l ' ( ' l 2 \\U>~ f'I'IIIKtll.l( ofT J>wuz~.u. ( 't('lll ~. Tle idtt\ ,,f wclltlo{ Moh lnt 'i for 1111,..
IL11d dt .. trihu tillg 1niiii'K lilwndl,., in t l11 rwuh;llutl. ptti'J"'"'" j,.. hy 110 1111 , 1 ltt'~ IL n ctlll orw. 1t. WU"~ i11 t rc1.
~~~~~~ ,,f t1JC'4c, IHJ\\1'\'f'J', tluiuwd 11. \icl1111. Afttr dtwl'd u .. !1. 111urtical pnwe -.'4 IL'i long UJ-'O uo; IXI:l.
thl'i \UIIlll.ltE'mpt K)lf, )lll.icl atwllll't' \i>eil to ( 'attaro, " ' Ft .. llf'r of B irrllillghtLIII. rt l'i 111'\'frlh~<lc"''{ lrut
fLnd tlt111 lrttktcl abo11t for tlnct dll.,\"1 at tlw tlltruttc< tiutl o nh 1t<tntly Ju..l'i tlt1 Jll'lll'l'""' co 11 11 to lw 1'"\tttt
to I l1to lt ulm11 lm"i( \\ lwn ;clw lrud fir..t, put in ll.ll "" tl) 1uloplld, for it. IIIIo'~ luul to o;tJu,~tglr u~ntra"'t
n.ppcaru~ttt. Jlrrt, it, rtu~.-., kll(' fottlc cl (UIC of IHt tlu prtjudwt"' 11 riuriltd froJn tto; tai'IHI' und udrutlttcll\
emu rrmw>~ cw blurulcI'NI 111tu th''"" \\ltlf'h hud l,ltn HnJwrf..ct \\ork 111g. Tlw-.r pnJtllllf(..,. art' not \"t-<1
lutd fur tlw deftrw< c,f 1111 Jmrt. At all t\C'nh, n In JUt\' 11 wuus 11tad, and t'\tll tttl1xt -hoc1k" uf lugh
dull c 'PIO>~JOn wa-. lw~:~.rd , foll iJ\\I'tl h) n.n iuuntn-.c> !1im 11 1 i~l,l! stulltHt'lll'< nm tu h f1111111l cOJtl't1rning tlw
coluu111 11f \\ultr, 0.11(1 tlu puttt,l "'""~'I" ut <Jntt< 1 rtslllt-. of 1 lw prot(-4-4 \\hwlt ~;1r 1 n to lw bU'4td 011
an I\"PO t o i1n t"itigatf' t "'"' phtno11wrw11. DJ\,.,.,.
who w~re RE-nt tlo,,n carue upon tlw \\t'Pck of tl10

"'"'"

,,.,,,,,,c,, (>r

rnio;inforlllf.il ion a'l to it-4 morlem 'ito.to o f develop1111111 .

OBJECTIONS ALLEGED Ml \T:\ST

THJ.~

PROCESS.

BefCJrt' prorNding t n d... "'rrib~ m odern Hxa.mpiA-4

o f '!tJh-tmt. uxt rnl't ion pln11l rt i.. ,.,.r,\ ri A~i rttbi H 1 h 1.t
,,.., -.hould deul \\it h I lu c,JrjcrIHJI\.'4 whi(h I taw IHI'rl
u.wl "'tt ll art tiJ'gNI A.gu.inxt tht~ proN'"~"~ \\'11 raw. \
tmfuct' 11111' rttiiUrk"' uttd (r thi'i hcucl by '<Lying that
t11 britif t lw protlt-4'4 I'IHt.'iiKt" () ( ullowing om M t lw
"""'hilt'~ ruuntd a.bo\ t to pMcc,lutE' through tlw "~t-t-d
Ill' rrwar in a dfl'~t'd vf;c;cc>l, lwntNI or cold, of druintng
o0 th~ -.oh..rll and the' oil which it ha.'4 diAAohl>fl
fro111 t lw 'ill'd, of tranKftrring t lw liquid to o. h t-ut11d
Hti ll , ruul ()f tlw n driving ofT thu volatiln HOh-~<llt
'4() U.'i to lttwo tlw 11il h~lund .
Tht "~''"'lnt. driven ,,ff
i-. ccJJrcl+-wwcl and ttKHd rflJWI\t F-c Uy.
Tlu objcl'l ion,.. ull1gcd u~uinMt, I lw prmF-'1'4 fnll
I11 I" tlmo prifwi pal cn.l {IJ(OrH.'!. r ll t ht (ir'4t pi Ill fA
tl i'i nrguNI t !11\1 it 1xt rart "~ 1hfl r,il '40 f'fffl'ti\'1'1,\o fro111
tl11 '-Nd tltat tlw rt"'tdw of JHN\1 i-. llf'XI I n U"~t-lt-"'~
u-. ~ 1at tit fr,od nttd ut Jwo;t i-4 fit, onh for rnn.nurt.
S('(c:mdl.\. it ;, o;fut.-cl tl111.l it i>~ dtffif'ttlt or i11tp(,s'4ihlt
htll trth (() fliminatc nil trnNl c1f tht '-~ohent. ltK!1tl
both fmm tlw or I and t IH rt"'id uc1 o f rnE<n.l, xo t ha.t t htt
wl i-4 rmul+- unfit fM N lihlc> fHIJ']IO~e~ n.ncl (it oul_,.
for MOI\)I rnnking and kindrtod IIIWli, \\hilt> the nauxPOII"~
t mct u or }HJi>~onoux a.ction o f tlw Holvt>nt le ft in thf<
llll'td providf.'! o. llf'<'Ond rca<~on wh,v Huch mPa.l Aho11ld
11()1. ho ftt~l to ca.ttlf'.
In tho third pla.('(o~ not on& of
I h1 Holvmrt-. uxcd, it iR HBid, i~o~ frN~ from lt>chnital
thjtdioruc. 'fhuJoJ f<t he-r and <hloroform are far 1on
1"\pl'nMi\'(1 t o J>f'rmit or their tmc~ <ornrnercially. Tlti'l
., , ,,,"~to lw a -;omul cont<ntion. ('arhon t.E>trachloruJ,
tl J'i urgccl. is n.J ~o 1-'xpcn."'ivn and i'l n.pt to f'XI-'rci"'t
~ poiHollouo; I\( I ion on t h11 workeN att.f'nuing t lu
r'tf(n cr) pllmt. Fu rl lwr, whill-' o.drnittNII.V ll()n111(11\lrttllld)lt, it ~n tiTtl'"' frorrl I h~t grN~t diHach antagt'
t lu1.l iI VI'I',\ rNid tl ,\' nl1twl<11 1nH til:4. Regarc.J ing
Nll'l11111 di"'Hipltidc, it iM ll.rlo{IH.W I tha t while if. iK a Vf'l')'
go1HI KtlvcJil it i"' diflic-nlt. t.o ohThin purf! antl I.Jaat tl
,,.. ~JII to ""l'nrt 11\'tn I o "~llltp ttllttlr from cri I E-xt ract 11d
\\ ttlt tl lUt liii)Jit-a...aut 'illlphuroll'i ru,ull. I I iR furtht'r
't'r\ r~udth inflt\ltUnnhh,allfl liktlll.rhon l f'trachlo rrdt
1'"\Crtt .. ,.., l~ pmo;onou.'i tlf'l ton ott t hn"''' working with 11
-\gum-.t httt:t.bllf' tiH c-fupf c.bjtct tun 11'\'C:.IIt'd i~ it
tnfh.uwnal~tltt\.
In o.dtlrtHIII tl i'i -.tatNl to ha tlw
' """' dttlirull fJf n.ll tht "~" " ~>nt-. to c li~~tin ntt' fr.<~rn
t lu oil und tr~ eul. Ttt nwhlorctluHIP i"~ a Hol\'unt.
,,f rtctllt llltrodutl inn . So far n.'i we know it. i-. uot
u-.. \ H in vxtfnxiv< IIKH f()r t.l11~ c,traction of oil'~
It Kf'CJn.'!, how(\'t"r, t o JIOHHOH!i Nrta.in ftaturf"! whi1h
rraa.y in ti111f IPatl to tl "~ wiclc B(lopt.ion. Thtlil, i t "~
cotn tntrtial prod uct ion np p<ar;~ to he "'i mplt<r tha n I hut
1Jf turhcm I tt rtwhloridr, " hilt it .. rwt ion on mf'tal"~ ,,.
lllllt'la ,,........
11 Htlt.~t lw n.tlrnittNI thn.t ctrtain of tht~ abo\'t'
1111'111 lfllll'd ohjNtiuu.. 11.ru ptrf<-ctly <.,fiiHHI whun
npplwd to t hf' prc,c~<J O."~ carri.-d out "'it h old -fa-;hiCHwd
nppan1tus frl-'q ur ntl~ of C:,~l'rnn.n 1mgin - and ltKin,~t
curi111H di .. ttlphidl' O..'i ;Jw KCJlvcnt. A~; appliE~<I t 11
rrHHitrll lktti... h rr u\df\ pln.nt. uKing lw 1t~krW. M in tlw
NL.-41 of I he 'i) "!U111 t.c, In flt--.trilwd, the.\' app&n.r
111 h11 qui to out ()f cln.tc and in dirf"<'t confl i<:t with
t'4hd,J iHfll'd fad. lt iK \llldCHihtNJI V trut' tha.t t.hf'
prtwc>~'i, U'~ it cn.n now hu currit'd <Jut, i,. rapidly
h11ing adoptcd cm n.n txttn"'i\c o.; calf', a circulf\Jitll.IIC't'
"ltwh "~'11 \'i to uiTord ttmclu.'ii\'1' fwidencc thnt tilt
ohjrrt "'"~ '41111llllllristd nl"" t nr< now rccof.n\i"~l'tl
11'4 lw111g no lungcr \ alul.
THE Oll.lf-:('TrO"S rtEFTTP.f>.

ln r1futntion of tlw t1hjcc-tion'i urgecl n.gn.inqt. tho

p rtJ("t'"'"' it t~oy lm dirtctl:r HIUtf'd that. (x t rf.l.ltc-od
'"''n.IK rwc duily bcing towcl in largC< qunnt it.icK J,crt h
"' till>~ cotmtry and abrond tl"~ food for cattiP, whih~
n ttiiJrtl){'r "f l_)la n t-4 o.r nt wc,rk in t hi11 counlr~ u-.ing
the chuwicul soh ont cxt rtu-t ion prrw1-..-4 and producing
tlllLiung but oil of c-odihl qunlit.), U'i, for in."'t.an<f', otl-l
" ltwh arc n."'e<l in the lllllnufa(ttiJ'c of fiNt grad11
~rulr,~turirw.
Hcro we ha,o lwidonc& th.n.t all trn.c(l'~
of tlH ..,oJ\'IIIlt usod cn.n now J,.., fJhrninate-d, both from
tlu ml and t h.e mool. \\' lwt hf'r or not the enttrt
~""''"t't' of c,il in ext.ral'tNI rn&o.l IO\\ t<N tho value of
I hu rt~ itlu<' a.-4 a food xtufT iH n. very dchn.table point .
Tlurn ur! di'lt in(t, ind i<ationx Lhn.t. o. rnarkod pf'rf'entngu of 1111 in a c-att le' food i"' not q uit f' a~ great an
nclvantago Q-4 it wa'4 at one time b t1lieved to he. Thi'i
"~''~'"'"~ t,o bt rc-c<Jgni,..c..cl hy rr mtt.\ catt lf'- feecleN I hN n..... h ,... u.nd i"~ supportNI h.\ tho 'ic1w-4 lx prf'o;'4f'cl in tlw
rtltnt npurt Cif thc c;c,v<rnrr wnt ( 'umrnitteo on Otl
!"11d ... , '' hwh 'i(w-4 t i'IHI to t lw rl'cornrncndo.ticm
"" n. N\.tlh food of N.tro.ctNI nwal t>\'{n " lwn nc"\1
to tllltrtl) frto from oil. In uxplnnation of t hi'i 11
tnll.,\ bu pui11tutl CJut. that, \\ lult1 uil i'i a hcat fornwr
tl ,,.. tlw albuuwnc,id'l in I hc1 1nutorinl that count frutn
thu n.f'l,lln.l fowl m (l,..,lt . form ing point of vit~w, nnd
tlmt, rx trul'l!tl 11WI.l.l iH r i <lt~tr in thexn nlhw1wtwid ..
t ha11 tlw tnlw procurMI b y prcM~ing t ho Kll.trHI Hl'(tfx.
Apnrt frotn thi"~ qtH"'tion it i-. to be not cd t lu\t
no wl cako i"' f&d by iLKttlf to t' l\.tllt~. H i-4 d ilutE-cl
"1111 hru.rj or CJtlwr Hllh'it an<:!. Thf' " ot hf'r "~llh
sturwt1" tnuv
. v<-n. \\tll bt t-<xtro.(tod mf'al, which IIIU\'
lru 1111 xc-d ''it h tlw cnk11 I o givo n. food ~-oliLIT of 1lu
d t'-.ir!d oil <on tent.. f n nny e\'ent the u.rgwuont
uguitt'il, t tu., f>x tra<-tion pt'O('t-'"~'4, '' hich i-4 ha'Jt'd on t ha
clffittf-lrlf'\ of oil 111 t ht- rt-''4iclue, 1-!ntir~>k
fa.! I-. to tlu;

JerotuHl "lwn \~& OU"~t'r\ c thul 11ntlt'r nwd~;~rH condt t.JOWI the op<-rator tL'Iing t hi"' prul'tl-4'~ <n.n armng~-< to

THE EN G INEER

418

MAY

11, 1917

leave a.q mnC'h or nq lil.tlo oil in tho rt'<;icluf'ln.q ho may SPNl <'ontaining 24 pPr c>C'nt. of r)il o1iginnlly will, a ftet to o.dvise as to 11 ubjects of proctical int ere.!t to the iron nnd st<~l
m dustriee, on which tho Co Wlral can orgu.n.ise discW~~:Jions at
cmshing. nppt'tll' u~
desire.
genero l m~tings, o r which llUI) rvqwro investigatton und

research. p,,.e such commtttee~ have been formed to deol woth

the following I'UhJccts :-( I) Oreo~, .Fut>l. Refractories ; (2) Bla&t
34 lb. oal : va lue, at 53 per ton
4 11
Fumacee; (3) .'tool and ts .Mecharucol Treatment and F orro
I
9
I
92
lb.
cake
:
vaJue,
at
1
5
10
.
per
ton
.
From the technical p oint of v iew the chief advanAllo}'ll; (4) Iron and Steel F o undry Proc uoo ; (5} Metallography,
Cht'miStry and Physics.
tages att(lnding the adoption of the process lie first
2 1 6 10
2:H O
F or mo.titm o.f o Cku of A 680CiOtt8. - By resolution of Councl
in th~ comparallvf\ Himplicity and cheapnes of the
Cake : I 0 pe r cent. oal.
a. new class oi membe1"8, t.o be 1..-nown 11.:1 Associates. has bf.t.n
plant required ; HPcondly, in the small amount of power
4 !I 4
formed, particuJa1"8 of wh ich have alre&Oy been published.
l h9 )b. oo l : \'Bl ue, at 63 f~r t o n
Oo.()perotion with Kindred butitutu.-Tbe CoWlcil have ol~o
ab orbed in dri ving the plant ; and thirdly, in thA
X 12 r;
1703 Ih. clr~ rl':~iduc : \'&llW. ut i 11 7:!. l"'r ton ..
hllfi in mind the possibility of establ i'lhing a closer roletion.~ho 1l
fact that tho labour d emanded for its attendance
between the eeverol Institute<! in the COWltry whose work L'!
13 1 !)
l 92
need not be highly slcilled. From the commercial
chiefly concemod with tho o.d vancem ent of the technology of
point of view it,<~ fu ll advantages can only be asse.. od Clearly thon , so far as tho monf'y realised by his pro- iron anti stool. W ith this purpose in view, an invitation has been
by a careful s tudy of certain factors which vary ducti'! is concom ed, it do<>s not matter to the oil extendod to the presidents of the following I n.stitutes out!
So('io< t ies t o ottond, d~rin,g thoir tonn of offioo, meeting!! of the
from place to place and from time to time. If it C t'tL<~ h er how much or how litt.le oil h e leavf's behind Comuil
of tho Iron and Stool l DBtituto, and t.o take part in ~
be a ques tion whethfw t he pras."' or ext.raction sy~t.e m in hi ::~ cakes. H e g(~ts t.hl'l sam e price fo1 thP oil dt'>lob!'rotion.c; :Thl' Clevolo>nd In.stitutio n of E nginoore.
.
s hall be adoptod, nvnry thing tmns upon whether wh<.t.hPJ' h e rcrovt>l'r; iL or a llows it t.o t'<'lnain in the
The Hhuffield Society of Engm oors and Metallu rgist!>.
or n ot t.ho scod t.o l>o t.real('d yi1~l ds a rPsidue which, cakl". W<>1e ht1 to adopt t.ho solvent. extraction pi'OThe StaiYordshire Iron and Steel Inqtitut.e.
quHe apart from the prorm~~ of recovt'ry used, i.'! ('E'SR ho would not realise a penny more for t hc1 oil
The \Vost of cotlund Iro n and Stool I M titute.
in demand a..; a cat.t,lo food . Thus rape soed, even contained origina lly in th(;) sPed .
B y this means o. link uotwoon the seve ral I nstitutes ha.q boon
formod, and a n opportunit y i,q nffordP<.l fo r the considt'> ratiwo uf
when trfla.tcd hy th ~ cn iAhing procflss, is n ot greatly
At the pre. ent moment in this coun t ry liHsPE>d and any
sugg<>St ions that muy un corH.lucive to the odvaut.ogo of ull
valued a.'3 a catlltl food. I n s uch ca.<~f'>~ t.h~ only
cot.ton
seed
are
rl'llshed
rather
than
e~'i.ract.ed,
bt>Nl>lL~P

o r any of thi'm .
p roduct p rimarily to be con.<<~icl !1rP<l i1:1 the oil. This a demand exil;t." for lin seed and C'otton St>t>d press cakE>
A ppointmrnt of Oorrupolldillf} ~Iembers in Brituh Domi11io118.
natmally point~ to the adoption of the solvent containing a considerable percentage of oil. Rightly - In thoso British Dominions whore a. membe1"8hip ull'rO<Iy
extraction proct-s;; a.'~ t.ho bett-er method of treating or wrongly,little or no demand exists for linseed and exists the Council has d('cidoo t.o appoint one m ember to be
" Corresponding Member " for the Institute, whose dutiM wll
such material in iew of the considerably higher cotton SE'ed extracted meal. On the other hand, rape consist m advising tho Council of any Arrangements which at
yield of oil which it secures. A secondary considera- seed is extracted rat h er than crushed, because no might bo to the advantage of the m('mba1"8 living within hi~
tion points in the- same direction. If the r esidue d emand exists for rape seed pre s cake. The oil left in district to make, und in furthering the u1terests of the I nstitute
ony way that may seem deeiroble.
of the seed is l.lfll';uitable as a cattle food, its only s uch cake would represent a sheer loss. for the cake in Propo1ol.
for New Accommodation of the Imtitute.-PlaOB aro
other important outlet i.<J as a manme or fertiliser. could n ot be sold at a higher figure than t.he extracted under discussion for the nccommodation of the Institute, jointlv
Press cake ha." to be brokon up and reduced again meal. In addition, the oil lt>ft in the cake would, as with eeverol other f!cient i.fic and technical I nstitutionJ!, in on'e
to meal before it can be u.qed for this purpose. we have already stated, lower the manurial valuo of building. with a commoo mootin~ room, library, and roa~
room. The Tn.stitution.s of M.inin,tz and :\Jeta!lurgy, and Mining
Extracted mPal is s nitablt> for it as soon as it is taken the- residuE>.
Engineers, and the I nstitute of Metals have been approocbf'd,
ou t of the extractor plan t.. F ar more important
B y way of conclusion to this brief discussion of t he nnd the question of co-operoting in securing joint occomaood.utio n
than t.hi~, h owever, is t he fad , now well estabJjs hed, relative merits of the two processes, we n eed only with these l net itutions 18 under considerotion.
C()mmittu of the Privy Ocmncil fnr Scienli{u; ou.d bidWitriol
that grea. e or oil in. a fertiliser preven ts the soil foods remark that they should not be regarded necessarily Ruearch.-A
grant of 100 was o fJerod t.o the I nstitute by tlau
from being absorbed by the soil for, if present, it as rivals. The solvent ext1action process has a ve1y <'ommittee fo r Scientific and Industrial Research t.o meet th e
acts to defend the fertiliser against the attack;; of distinct field of its own. Worked side by side with t he cost of preparing for th e Cormnittoo a statistical s uney of tht;
those organisi'JUI which convert the constituents of crushing ptoress, so as to recover the last p ortion of suppi,Y of rnw mutoriol-exclus ive of fuel -for UHe in the iaon o.utl
steel mdustries. The offer having boon accepted by the Vou ncol,
the fertiliser into immediate soil, foods. Clearly, oil f1om thu HE>t>d , it is of very great value in certain e. rl'port dealing with the irou o re resources o f the United Kong
t hen , the extraction p rocess, eliminating as it can particular caHt>t-:, ts, fot l'xamplc, when the matt>rial d om Mid the British D ominious, and wi~h the principal aron ore
be made to do practically all oil from the residu.e, to be treated is oli ves. As a direct alternat ivE" to resouroos o[ other COWltries, as fu.r o.s information WBB availaiJI,..,
compiled nnd subm itted to the R cseo.rcb Council in Oecean.
has very great cla imA to attention when the residue crushing its importan ce is rapidly increasing. \\' hen woa
bar. A further section of the a-eport referred to ~h e occurren(e
ha to be used as a fertiliser.
t.he true value of extracted m eal as a cattle fC>tding and production of the o res (>(other m etnll! U1!ed in the industry .
If the seed residue, on the other hand , is suitable s tuff b ecomes mo1e generally recognised t he riva lry such as ch romium, cobult, manganese, molybdunuu1, nick~<l.
Lot.n nium, vunndiu on, and zirconium.
for cattle feeding purposes, t.he fi rs t point to consider of the process with the crushing mt'thod will n o doubt tungsten.
Andrev <'omj>gie Ruoorcll Fund.- ,Vith regard to the odmini>~
is whet h er there is a local market for it in this form. unde1go great. clevelopm<>n t.
!ration of the ('a rnegae Fund the Council have foWld tlont. owmg
It may well be t hat there is n ot, and that, in view of
t.o th<~ rt';~lri<'lion imposed on the age of ca.ndidote.'l, opp!Jcstaun"
for gr antil for resoarrh work have not been couu ng f'.lr ward u"
the cost of s hippin g the residue to t he nearest market.,
'T'TT F. l OE.\T. OF THE PROCEX~.
frooly AA tt,'! ual since thu beginning of the wor. 'fhey t hl'n'fore
the balance is in favout of using the re idue as a
The iciC'al solv<>nt. Pxtraction process, it can b C' said, communicated with Mr. ('amegie on the s ubject, who \\liB gou l
manure. Here agai n the adoption of the sokent
to reply that bo wouJd be pleased to lravo t h,.. rnstter to
;;hould
:-.t'('lii'P
the
complt>t
t>
rt>c<>\'f'ry
of
a
ll
t
hP
oi I in l'nough
the judgmont or those 11\ who.ie hands the &Omin.istration of th ..
extraction proce~ is indicated a:s desirablP. The
llll' st-f*d o1 as m uch of it as it is dPsi rPd to reco,<>Fund had boen placed. nnd t het he would be sat isfied with'' hut
conditions here touched upon arise very often wht>n
in one ,.;tage, a nd . hould leave the residue of the :;<><'cl ever action tho CoWlcil might tuke in the matter needing conthe rPcovery of the oil in the ne ighbomhood wherP the
sideration.. 'fhe Cou'nciJ thereupon d ecided to suspend the age
iu
a
dry
s
tate.
J
t
may
be
remarke-d
that
ce1
ta.in
oil-bearing seed is grown is under consideration. This
limit of thirty-fi ve for the preaent.
e:<t.raction
proces.'ies
fall
s
hort
of
this
ideal,
iu
so
far
In con.sadering the allocation of grants the Council w ill b
p ractice is d esirable in itself, for the seed, being fresh,
a.; t.ltl." nu-A.l a ft c1 ext.raction has to b e separatply driPd. guided by the naturo of the subjects proposed for inveiltigataon.
will almost certainly produce a better oil than it
and will give proferonce to those which. in th1>ir judgml'ut,
would after d eteriorating during its journey to some
appeor t o he of the moqt pro('tirn l ud,an tage to the iron nnd
PRF.P.-\RATION OF T R F. 1\rATF.RJ.-\L.
:!lteltLnu a ll il'd industries.
d istan t factory. There is, however, probably no
ADVA 'TAC E S OF THE PROCE. .

!!
13

s. d.

Palm I'I'IWL"!, copra, ~oya bPans, and similn1

materiaL; t\1'(' JJrepald for Lh~ extraction p rocess in
prerisely t.h n ~me way u.H for cr ushing, the only
differt'lnce bning that. t.hC' fl psh need n ot be reduced
or s hredded to qui t.e the same degree of finenC>s:o;.
Seed;; Huch as rape sel:'d, linseed, &c., n eed only hP
light ly rollf'd. ( 'otton Reed, castor seed beans, and
similar Jnat.c~ 1 ial ('011\lnon ly decorticated before bt>ing
cnu;hed can, i f cl N~ind , be ext.ract<-d in a.n undt>C'OI't.icat.ed s tat<>, t he R<'<>d being simply rollt>d so a..q to
CO:\fM F:RCI AL ASPF:GT O F THE PRO<"ESS.
lweak the <ol't ex. '!'hA saving of the expense of
cl<'<'or1.ic:at ing 1esult :-~ in consid<>rahle econ omy if the
'\Ve tlm!~ see that t.he solven t e-xtract.ion proces.~ hM re:iiclufl is I o be- ust>d tlH a. fp1t i Iiser, or if the sk in m
distinct claim.c; to attention wlwn
s hE'll of t.hp l'lf'<'d b~ing treated po~;;(':-~sC'~, tl'-~ is ;.:ouwt imcs
(a) The rPAidueisnot usa.blt> as a cattle food by reason 1hP cn:<~<>, a dis tinct feedi ng vah w.
of the nature of the seed i tself, and wh<>n
(b) The reAidue, although s u.it.a.ble for cattlE' feeding,
is not usable in this way by reason of therc> being no
market for it situated conveniently near the mill. A
IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE.
third case a rises, namely, when
No. I.
(c) The re-sidue is usable as a cattle food, and can
Tnr.: annual mPC'ling of the Tron nnd , tP(') T n~ti
be conveniently d isposed of as s uch. Thee condi tions are met with, fot example, whPn it is a question tut.e wns lwld at tiH' h ousp of tltt~ Ins titution
of Uivi l J ~ ngi J Wt' l'"' on :\ fu.~ :lnl nnd 4th. tutdPJ' the
of t reating linseed 01 cotton seed in this COlmtry.
Which process it is best to adopt under these pi'('Sidency of Sit \\' illitun BPa1dnHH'C'. Tlwre was
circumstances is a matter for very close study . t\ gooc L atl PIHittn<e of HWtnb<;;.
'J'hC' President. nw,cd llw n.dopl ion of t hC' r('port
Several factors a1'e involved. But in inves tigating the
matter a cottain line of argument frequently advan ced of l h<' C'ounci l for t.hP year H) I H.
by those interested in the solvent extraction process
REPORT OF CO'L'Nt1 L (oiJritlgPd).
s hould n ot be too readi ly accepted. According to this
r r wl'r(l forty-niue m<~ onlwl'lf olr<-Wd <lurine thr yrnr. nnd
argmnent it is p oor p olicy to dispose of oil as a con- thi'' l'hr
l oftl l nH-11oht~r:~hip of tloc )n.. titul (' 0 11 J),.,. .... olwr :1t " t , I!H(i.
stituent of oil cake fetching 12 to 18 per ton, when, , ... t}.l.l by extracting it completely, it can be sold for 40 to
1
P ntron . .
. .
60 p er ton. This a rgument appears t o b e fallaciotL"',
I louorury :111'111111'1'1!
.. . . . .
G
t,ofc, i\11mhtl'll
G>l
..
- in so far as it overlooks the fa ct that it is the custom
180 1
Ord11lliry :llculhl'r:!

of tho oil se<>d crus hing indus try to charge for the oil
cake in such a way that the oil in i t r eaps the same
Toto!
..
1 72

price as the bulk of t he oil separated from the seed.
In arC'ordnnr~> with t.ho poweri! conf!'rred on the Council Wlder
Thw~ a ton of linseed containing 40 per cent. of oil the n<> w hylil" confirmoo ut th(\ IM t un nuaJ meetin~. tbe namos
of m embers of t'n(lmv nntionnh tv still rt>maininA: on the list et tho
originally, a fter being crus hPd, appMrs roughly aslocal or conveniently adjacent market for the residue
as a cattle food, and this, up to the present, has led
to the shipping of enormous quantities of oil-bearing
seed for treatmen t in this and other countries remote
from the country g1owing t he seed. B y adopting the
solvent extraction process the grower can sa ve freight
charges by shipping nothing but oil, and can dispose
satisfactorily of t.he rPsiduP by using it as a mamue on
his own plan t a t.ioltB.

74 7 lb. oil : value, at 53 per t o n

14!!3 lb. rnke: vnlue, at 19 J)('r ton

. . ..

..
..

2 2~ 0

17

12
30

Cake : I 0 por CC'nt. oil.

149 Ih. oil : value. at 53 JWr to n . . . .
1344 lb. dry r!'~idut' : vnluo, nt 1!i ' "' r,.l. prr ton

3
!)

12

1<193

Similn.rl.v, n t(ln of tmdecort ico.t;Qcl Egyptio.n

end of 19 15-1!6 in nil ho\o brim stru('k off the roll of the I M titute, t lw toto I numbtr at tlau blgi nuing of the wn r lun ing ht>en
R. d .
I 07.
13 4
'fh(\ llCCount<~ show t hnt tho l otol receipts of t ho In.' ltitute fo r
13 4
the y11or, excludmf' the rncomo of the Camt'~ie R~rch Fw1d.
were 4 767, and the expendaturo WllB 4208. The &xces.'! of
income ovt>r 11xponliturc on the .~~:cnt'rol a ccount ill thus 55!1.
G
Tho receipts on accouut of the Curnl'gie Rt>search Fund wcr"
.1: 98, and tho e xpenditure wos 675, the surplus of income over
I0 R
expendaturo heing 323.
Appointment of 'l'telmicol Commituvr.-The qu11stion of the
2
more efficient o rganisation of the work of l ho I n.stitute h as b0en
und1r 1ho l'aroful conaid!lrotion of tho Counl'il during the pa.<~t
13 4
year, and it hoa been thou~-:ht that 1ho t~ff~>rl ive coope ra tion of
thG mombe~ in the work or toe J nHtitulll migh t h0 incl'l'o<~od by
~ottnn. the appoln tmont of a cortl)in nu ml)')~ of 'J'e<>h!'lio~l C<>mrn.it.t"'''

:'\lr. \\'a.ll ('r Dixon, in seroncling th<> r<"Rolution,

c>xp1'esst>d the general Rt~ti:-.fact ion of t.he members at
the ~t<>ps takon to appoint. technical committt><>s i11
con1wction wi t.h tlw Jnst.itutC'. H e hoped tha&
thcs~ conunit.tt-PI'I would tnk~ an active part in tlw
work of t.ho l nAti!.ute, tuld Sttreeed in getting things
d01w. The steps bei ng takfln to s<'Clue co-operation
wit.h kinclr<cl im;titut ionK W<'l't' allso a mat tf'r of
sat isfaction, and wonld H<'l'\'<' the intPrests of t he~
imn 1tnd s t NI indw~t.1 ie-s.
:\fr. (;eo1ge Hatton pn>po. pcl the a.<.ldition to the
Irou and Rtecl Foundry P ra c ticc Committee of )ft>.
.J. Arthw H ampton a 1{cl :Mr. E. L t>. ter, both repre;;enting branch es of the indust.1y at " 'est B 1omwich.
The President Rn.id ho welcomed t.he proposal to
s t1t>ngt hen tho 'ommittee in this way, and the
-.uggpstion would lw considPrc<l by tht> Council nt.
it.; next me<>ting.
'.fhe n Pw by-law, t.hp drafting of which nro~e out
of the clP:-irl' to nwk<' J>l'ovision for the <>xclu.'iion of
Pnemy membPrs, and which came up bt.> fo re t.he
laHt. a utumn HW<' I ing fm consideration, was put
bP fore the mccI ing on the motion of the Pl't>sid<>n t,
and fotmally a.dctp tNI.
T he nf'xt. businPss wn;;; t.he pre-sentation of t hC'
Besseme,. l\JpcJal, which had bC'<'n awattlt'cl t o :\fr-.
Androw L amberton.
'.fhe President, in making the prC'SPntat.ion, F:Oicl
that Mr. Lamberton was well known as t.he head of
l.he finn of 'lesi'II'S. Lambert.on a nd <..:o., of <..:oatbridge. H is WOl'k in conner t.ion with thf' iron a nd
st<>t'l indus t.ry had be-C'n mainly in the d irE'dion of
the development of t.he p1incipal mechanical engint>cring applinnCC'S in u se in the manufa.ctlUe of i1on a nd
s te-PI. H e was the autho1 of 1nany important improv<'
ment s in rolling mill machinf'ry, by which t.he cu.pacity
of mills had be<>n incrt>asNl nnd the co;;t. of pl'oduction lowc>led. From time t o time hP had coll\mtmicatecl to the ln.!>titute YA.luabiP papers dealing
with t.lw p1oblems rt>lat.ing to thE' driving of roll in~
mills a nd their cle-..ign. It :-.hould be explained that
the- fonn of the pr(''iE'ntation differed in one impot'tant
re pect from the tL"'tt.al form. :'\f 1' .La.mberton had,
for patl'iotic rea...-..ons , for<'gonp thC' acceptance of a
medal Htruck in gold , and the In~::>titute w~ presenting
to him only the diploma, with the us ual nl('t.al
replica of the medal at.tachecl. H e a. ked )Jr.
Lu.mbPI't on to accept that. token of their recognition
of his C'tni11 C'n t. ~-;<>ni cC'~ in tho d e\<>lopmcut of
nwdtunicn.l ongin<'f'l'ing u.s applied to .t.he 11\a.nufac
turo of il'on and ah el, and wou I<.I )('lok forwn.rd t.o

THE EN G INEER

MAY 18, 191 7

4 39

THE PltODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- I whan hot extraction is ndoptec.l, U10 AolvMt admit.tPd working, quite dry a.nd can, if tequirl"d, be fed direct1y
MENT or VEGETABLE OILS
t\."1 u. liquid lHUiit at. lPa:-~t. in ptut Ul'('Orne VU.J.lOI'iHI'd. t o catt.le ot horSt'l, if the seed baing t reatB<.l render~
No

xn

'.

.
E\TRA<'TlON OF OH, t:n CHEMICAL ~O L\ ENTS (o .td.).
1::-l our last artich \\t\ discu~st''<l tho general princi
pl\"1 of the E'xtro.ct.iun uf o il b y thtllllicnl !'lolvents, and
we now procNd t n dt"sctihc t't 111tt hod u.ncl n plttn t.
u:-~(>( 1 in pra<t ico.
THE " (' 01'1'"

EXTR.\ t:'I'TO~

]>L.\:o- T .

One of th~ b est .known font.'~ uf ... u lvtnt. cxt rtwl ion
plant i-. that work in~ vn tlw .. ~~ot t." s~ ...t<>m. nu cl
m tHie by Geurgp ~<u ti nncl Son ( Loudon). Lirrriltd,

Pig. 57- BENZENE

SOLVENT

'l'ho cott " sy-;ltrn. tht>t'tfon, may be Raid to

cotnbint> tlw ad,turtngts of h ut. Pxt.nwtion with th11
'*\fcty of cold t-xtnwt ion.
On page 441 "~ reprodnN' o. chawing, sprcio.lly
prepared by l\IC'i!-II"X. Scott., fo r llw purposes of I hi"'
rwt.icle, showing in iliagram.rna.Li< f o rm the plani. wwcl
tuHier the " ~ko t.t. " system. L'ij.,TH. 57. 58 nud !i!l
1-1how viE'WI:i o f twt.ual in stalla.tiom~, whilc> in Fig. no
n small f'XIrtHIion plant s uit.ahl< fot trial nnd similar purpos('"' r-; rl1prc-;ented. Rt>f\'r'l'ing t o liH' lnr<
cng~a, ing. it \\tll b< t>en that. <Lwh txt.ractor i:-~ ftd
"it h nwnl tlu c11r_gh n d oM at thf' I op f1om o.n mcf'lw,td

EXTRACTION PLANT- SCOTT

Kingsway RousE', Kingsway, L ondon, W .C'. tTndN hopper. Tht> d oors are, as indicatE'd in Fig. 58. pro
this syott>m tlw solve nt. commonly used is bf'n - \ ricled with hing<'d bolts, so that tlwy may. whon tlw
z~nfl
extract or is charg<'d, be readily an.d tightly fastened
B E>nzene or bN1ZOI, as it is l'l t.ill rrl1que ntly called down. The hopper system of feeding t.he extmc::t.ors
in commerce is. when pure-. a colouriC'l:l'l liquid havin~ L<onomises labour, but en.t.ails tho erection of a fairly
a specific gra"ity o f about. 0.8 at 15 dt!g. Cent.. and ht-twy supC'r:-.t uct urt. In largo 11ti lis it is somet imf':-~
boiling under noruu~ol pres ure at about 0 deg. Cent. found COn\'t'll iClnt. IO wspense \\ ith hoppers and to
It is very slightly soluble in water. but is solublE' in pro\ id<.> instt>ad a <onveyor '' ith n suitable offt akP
a lcohol, t-t her, carbon disulphide, &c. On thE' otht>t' t o e:1ch extrnclo1. This met.h od ha"' o.n additional
hand. it very readi ly dissolve-; rt'si n t~. sulphur. advantage ovt tlw hoppet systt'rrr, in that by its
phosphorus, fats, oils , and rna.ny a lka loids a nd othE>J' adoption it is J'N\tlJly possible to fNd the ext1actorH
wit.h a mixt.un of s<'Pds in any J'l'<prirccl proport.ion.
organ i1 compound."'.

Figs. 58 and 59- SCOTT

Two ff"atureR o f the "Scott " s .yqtE'm ml\\

. here bC'
set down. In thE' fh1-t place. the f'xtroction iR
performed in thE' cold, t lwrf'h~ pmct icnlly e liuunat ing
all dangt-r ariHing from thf' in Attmma.bl<.> nat.ur<' of tlrl'
ROivflnt mwd. f.it><ondly, tlw cxt ro.clion iR efTPCI('(l
pMt.)y by th1 Rolwnt in liquid fmm nnd part!~ by it
in the fonn of n \'aponr. In thiR r't>Hpcd, tlw R~-1lt'm
dtffet"H from otlrtor:'l. Jn gt>nNul I ht soh-t>nl i'l "holly
in thE' fonn of a lrq uid. although i I is ,., icl..-n t t hnt
No. X r.

ap~ared

)J,\y Ill h

SO LVENT E XTRACTOR S WITH AND

WITHOUT

tlri'l pra<-ticablt..

C:F.'\ER \J,. YETHOD OF \\'ORI\."'NO.

During tlm p e1iod of exttaclion. the solvent, with

th<~ oil it hM dissolvE'd, is dra.inrcl off from the foot of
t. h~ E-xtractor t.hf'Ough the pipo A. PM. ing along tho
pipo B it. ri"Mhe'l a steam -h eated tubular vapori'ler .
Ht're a pottion of the solvent is driven off as vapour,
o.nd rio;;ing up the pipe 0 this port ion en tf'rs the
exl ra.dor at the top to act, a~ we ha\'f" explaint>d,
in conjunction "ith tht> solv('lnt admitted ns a liquid.
'fhe remaining portion of the solvE'nt with all the
tlissolved oil ltJavcs the foot of the vaporiSE'!' at D,
and flowing a.lr>ng t.h e pipe E rencht>'l a pump which
lifts it up into a sti ll -feed tank. L<'twing this by way
of thE' pipt F t.he liquid flow"' l hrough a. ht>l\tflr
<ondenS<'r-or " h t'at exchangt>r' " - and so rPtuhes
th~ continuous still appE'aring like a <olUJnn on tlw
tight of t.h<' E'ngnwing.
Tht> construction of lhit-~ st.ill will be rt>fcrr<'<l to
Hhottly. .For the time being it is sufficient to say
that. it complotely drives off tho aolvent from the oil.
Tho finished oil leaves the still at the foot as indicated.
'rhA . olvf'nt vnpour finds it.s exit at the top through
tho pipe G. Flowing through the hcater-condent~er
it is partially conden sed by t.ho contra-flo\\mg liquid
pa~... ing to the still, and at tht t-~ame time a ssists th!:'
work of tho still by pre-hea.ting the incoming supply
uf liquid. Leaving the heater-condenser the pa.rtiall.'
cond ('ln sed HOivont vapour is reduced completely t o
liquid in two condensers. On the way through the
"'lill, as we shall :-~t>e presently, it has picked up some
water. It i1, tlwre fore, taken by way of the pipe H
to a water separator. The action of this separator
dapE'ndR upon the differe nce between the sp ecific
g t'U.\ itit!~ of the Holvent and wa.t<.>r. The water f!O\\"S
of)' a.t the pipe J. The liquid solve nt pas e along the
pipe K into a s t ore tank ready for r e-u se.
It will thuR b e seen that of a gi,en amount. of
solvent introduced into the extractor a portion i"
returned dire< I ly to the extractor as vapour, and a
portion is dt>h\f'red into the store tank r<'ad y for
rt> -use. The former p ortion E'mt-rging fronr thE'
e:~..-tra.ctor a~ IJquid containing oil in solution again
r<'aches the vaporiset. PatL of it is retumed once
more as vapow to the extractor, and the remainder,
pa s ing t.hrough the still, i1 rl<.>ancd of dissolved oil
u.nd j oins thu fir:st portion of tht> original charge of
solvent in the st.ore t.ank. Obviously, as time got.>~
on, unle. s something is done, practically all t.h e
original charge of solvent will bCI found in the store
tank; no vapour worth speaking of will be found
ascend1ng the pipa C, and the axt.,aclion process ''ill
come automatically to a Rta.ndl'ltill.
'
This condition may or mo.y not. <ort'E>Sponct with th(.>
complete rerov<'ry of the oil fi'OJU the seed or with
th~ d egre<> uf rPcovery d e. ited.
If it. does not, a fr('lh
quantit) of clco.n soh ent is paRsed into t hf' Pxtra<'to r
to complete th~ proce s or carry it a stag<> further.
Tho mannet in which this fresh quantity is inttoduct>d
is the Ramf' n-; that. in which t.ht~ original amount d
Holv<'nt. is t\clnriltt'd into tlH' P-xtrtwtm at s tarting up

AGITATING GEAR

\Vith many mn.tNinls it is d <''limhh' t.ho.t the mo."'S in

tlw E'xtractor :-~hould b e agitattd whilt the solvent. iH
at work. Figs. 57 nnd 5 and t.lw diclgram toprc>S<'nt.
plt\n t s pro,id(ld \\it h agitat.ing gNw d l'ivon by 11\t'nnH
of a brlt. pullc~, worm and \\Mm wlll'~l. Tho plnnt.
When tlw
sh0\\11 i.n Fig. 59 has no ngitn.lor.
t't rue lion proN'""~ i"' <omphhd, tlw dischargfl dooi'H
n Nll' Ow foot of t lw Pxt.ractor'li f\l't OJWIIE'd so that tlw
ugitntor ma~ ut>ll\ PI' the rPsidu<' u f the meal on to
o. tcm\ e~ or which ruol' past t lw door::~. Thio;; rt>qidue.
it. iti to be nolld, is, undcl' tho "tkot t." nwt hod of

It is conduC'tcd n.q follows :- The workman tc:'mporarily

closes tho valvo L o.nd opNt~ the val,es M and N.
Clt>an solvent. from the~l o re tank now Aows down the
pipe P to tlw vaporiAPJ'. Pa.rt.ly as vapour it risC'"' up
the pipe (J t o tht~ t-:~..tra('tor, and partly as liquid it
flows out o.t. I) to tlw pump which, lifting it., sends tt
along L!l(l pip~ Q pn..,l tlw nllvo N into tl w oxtrnc tm
at R. \\' lwn suffitif'nt fl'esh Hoht>nt hns thu"' ht,n
int rodu('cd, tlw \tlh cs ar't' n..,tt r.md the fornwr
p1oct>s-; i-; resunwd.
JL i"! fcuncl t lmt '' ht'n t lw <.>'\ t I'!\<' I 10n of t lw otl from

TH E

440
the meal is nf'arly comple ted, the AOivPnt drawn ofT
from the extractor contains vf'n little oil. It is n o t
economical to pass tbift poor liquid into the still.
It is therefore sent into a " half-spent" solvent
tank-not shown in the dtagram-and is re-used as
the first charge of solvent for a fr~h charge of meal.
CLEANING TllE MEAL OF SOLVENT.

When the extract ion is quito c-ompleted, and boforo

the dischar ge dool'IJ are oponed, the valves L and S
nre shut down and the valve T is opened. Steam,
m a dry contlition but not superhc>ated, iR than
admitted to tho extractor thruwzh the valve U. Blowing through tho meal this steam carries off all tracc>4
of the solvt>nt from the m(al. Thu 'ltf'am and "'olv<Ht
vapour rising up tho pipo V r<.-a<h the <"Onfhlltk(1rl4,
and travcrqing tho watM S('parator a'4 bflfc,re ar11
pa""*'U r ospoctivtly t o wnsto aml to thtt ~toro tank.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF WORKINO.

The abovo df'wription relat~ t~ tho working

of one f'xtrncl or . The other extractor iR worked
qimilarly, th1' vaporiser and it!J connPcting piping
being duplicatNl for this purpo"'e. Our d~cription,
furthar, covcflf only one method of working tho plant.
)fodiflcationA are pro.,..jded for. ThUR the vaporiser,
once the original charge of solvent has b<'On introduced
into the extr&.C'tor, can be complotoly c-ut out, so that
the extraction may be parformed entirely hy liquid
"olvent. To achiE>ve this the valve L iR h1ld c loRod
and tho valvOR \\' and the vahe X oponN I. Tho
Rolvent with it!J diR.qolvf'd oil now rNuh<~ t h'' pump
without passing t hro uf!h t hn \ aporsor, aml i!i Rent
back to the extractor along tho pipo Q. Aftetr it ha..i
b<>en circulated throuf.?h tlw mMI a Ruilicinnt number
of times it iR s tmt 11\tCJ tho ... till f&td tank b y clo~ing
th& valve N.
R.\FETY '\"AL\.ES.

With plant o f thi~ natur11 it i,. wry important

ENG I NEE R

vo.lvfl fo r anv
rt'a.qon fai l t o Mt. So fnr aii )fc -;.'1~.

Scott know th<"'>O d oadwoiglat. Hnfr;ty valve!J ll&..VIt

nevor yet on any of thoir plants bNn called upon
t o fuJ(il their function.
THE

CO~TI!\'UOUS

STILI.

Tho RCtparation of the solvMit. frr11n tho oil i.'4 begun

in tho vo.poriRer. ThiR i; dowt Btrnply to tako
incidental advantago of tho td1tlTn r(K{uired to
gonorate t ho vapour for tho c,trac:tor. The main
and final 11oparation takf"'l plato in tho Rtill. This
Reparation is a most important foaturo of tho proce"'~
for on it.q completeno;;R muHt largoly depend the
commercial value of tha oi l r1covorod . Very fro
qU<mtly this Reparation 1 18..~ bNm att ampt1-<l in Rtil.lg
of tho pot or bu1k chargo typu. Thi-. method of
working oc-c-upi~ a conHidnrablo amount of time ,
a fact important in itself and a iHo iu itq hearing upon
the efT(,Ct which contact with Jwat for a prolonged
period Jw..q upon most oila. In addition, towards
tho end of the operation thcwo i~t little ~tol vent to
romove,so that during this tirno tho !-ltaarn \lf\00 todrivo
off the solvent cannot be URod with full efficiency.
Thus fuel is wasted, and an unnecessary tax is placed
on the cond ensors which collect the Rteam and solvMt
vapour.
The still shown in tho diagram is of a form r<'r<'Dtly
p atented by MesRrs. Scott. A numbor of th1-4o
stills aro already satisfactorily at work on the pro
duction both of edible and o f tra.do oil'!. The
"Scott " still i.q divided into a ruunbor o f fl(jctioM,
each of which is a still by ito.;olf. The oil and Roh-t111t
mixture heat-ed in tho " lwater-cond<mi4M " to
approximately the diHtilling L<11nperaturo antN"H the
top section o f the Rtill and p as'!f'"i downward~o~ 111 Lurn
through each of the otherti. In KO doing it come~
into direct contact with an Mconding currNtt of
Rteam admitted below the bottmn sectiou of the
still and baffled in such a way a.'! to cau~ it to t ak1 a
tortuous course through the dc"'Nmding liquid . A"!
the Rteam rises it liberates the f!olvtut a.o.; vu.pour,
which vapour assists the steam in dt~tllling the -.ol\'lmt
from the~ liquid passing through tho nnxt higlw...t
Hectiou o f the still. It will bo KNm that under this
HIHtho1l o f working the frNth<'lit Ht1au1 iH ca.uood t.o
act upon tho ljquid with thu IN~"'t amou11t of sol veut in
it, that iF! to say, in the liquid at. the time when it con.
taiiUI thoo.;o la.c;t tracea o f sf>lvent whi<-h a re the m ost
dflicult. to rornovo. At thu t.op of tht At ill the Ht~am,
partially usod up, iH given the aa.o.;i<"'t work t o do,
name ly, to attack the liquid wh1'n it is rich1..t 111
>W h cnt, and tlmroforo ha.H the low<llit b(Jtling point.
WORKING CHARGES.

It iH claim{!(( for tho " Scott" Ry-;tMn that vflry

little labour i >~ required to run the plant. 'fh&
proportion whic h tho labour chargtm will bc~ar to the
othur working co~tt."' dapendli, howevE'r, 1m th ~iU1
of the pla.nL, for while tho size varieo.; tlw nurnbf'r
of men rortuirecl t o opc.rat6 it N rwir04 con.'itant.
I t is statt,cl t.hat the very largc-~t plant>~ corMiHtin~
of many ext raclorK can bo o perated by two m eu.
Economy of steam consumption is another JJIJint
conn1cted with the plant to which the mo.kcH"I'l ca.ll
attention. The coal rcci uired p or ton of raw mat urial,
we a ro informed, may be Het down a.q from 2 to 3 C'\\ t..
The only othcr item o f working coHts t o be coru-iciMI'(I
re lates t.o thu solven t. I t i!J found that in operallon
a corta.in a111ount o f HOlvont dili&.ppl"arl! ; whon 1t
goo11 to i.; by 110 meaM cloar. ThiH loK.q may b11
r eturned at. 1 ~ gu.llon.'l per ton of material trco.tt.U.
I t iR, perhap~o~ , wMt.h adding that tha Kolvnnt
extraction proc<lili lt.ax to-1lay u. vt"ry widh fi,Jd o
application out.'lide o f the v1gotable otl ind UHlry .
It iR being employud for the fiXt ract wn or ncover.'
o f grea~e, oil, or fat, from many HII'~Cc llnrwou-.
s ubHtancaH, such B..'i wool wa."'tC, IJcuw... , IN\tlur ..,.ru.p,
rags, fQ(tory ~twf'epi ngH , and rf1fiJ!iC' of ull ..orh.

Fie. 60- SIIIA LL SO LVElfT

PLAlfT

to provide Ra.fety valv014 o.t all pointq whr-ro pr~s.uro

might conceivably Q.('Cumulato, o.nd at t ho Ra.mo t1me
to provide meanA whereby thJ'4 pr<'""'tro rnay be
relie ...ed without allowing any o f tho inflamrna.lJio
Holvf'nt vapour to ~capo mto tho ntrnokphorc.
The point.~ at which BXCO!IS prt ....uro might po~J..ibly
accumulate are in the vapori:-cl'li, in t hu c'xtr actorl!,
and in the still. Safety valve!i are therefore providod
at X, Y, and Z, respoctivoly. It will bo nc,ticod
t hnt tho two Hnfoty valv~>q X o.rtt connN:tf'd by a
h orizo ntal pi pet having union wJth thn pip1~ V, up
which tlto ciNwing ~;t eam pa..w~ at thH t1r1raiw~tion
r,f the o"t ra<-t ion procf'"'~ BxcE>... -4 .,. tlf' CIIlf pa....i ng
tho flf.Lfcty valvcR X doei not escapu into thn a.t 1111111
plwro but into thiH horizontal pipo, and >~o ret.u-lw-. t lw
towlonxorH. A Hirnilar arrangNnf'nt iH provitiN.l for
the tmf<,ty , aiW4 Y. The ..aff'ty valvo Z fM a Hirnllar
rf'a.,on 1'4 nrrangtl on a h y- pa""' hri1lging thH 11top
vo.ht fiJr thf' Hti ll, nnrl dtlhtN o.ny ttxc:c"'" \apour
r...caping flil"t it thriJuf!h the hE'ator-conclcm~(r inlo
tho 1nain condonilorll. Tlwro i.-. littlo dangur of any
o.<clunulation of prc ~14111'0 withan th11 Nmd11nj((<r>4 or
store tank. But., in o.ny evl'nt, th1' watM I'Opara.t or
a<t"' a"' a rwal to bo th, and thMcfr,re fH an ~m<rgwu-y
pr("'4ure roljo~ing d ovico. On tht top of each 'upow
pipe' C a c1Nl.4 lwaight 11o.foty valvo i!. priJVided \\ t h
CJIIt ltt dircct 1o t Jw ntrnosplwr
Tlal"' ~ a pIrnly
pr('eantiona.ry tnNhuro. Thh valw i" sct tr> a fcm
p oullfl'4 abow' I lw r1l1a ...o pr1 ..-.ur<' CJf tlto vah o X,
u11d ., intendcd to Nrno 11110 11-<0 "'J.ould tho lu.tt~r

IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE.

No. l i

ON the IIPcond day of t 111~ mNting a paprr, flf

which we givu a preri8, wao.; IH"tHIrlld b} ~ , .. .r. X .
Kilby dculiug with
STEfo:L l NC:OT T>Jo:F EC:T!-1.
A good pnrf'.ontng<' of the defco('l~ 111 llt.f~l lll.lftl f'Olllf' urul r
th~ follownv htad.s : l'lpH, H('l(nti{U.t 1011 :
Oc dt~d oofl <lu.,; :
l'' luxrod linCiuy (oNdud(d): " Luppuw " : ( 'rwk .
/'1 Jll'. - :il(t(J rrtU k<ll"!l, 6 ft.ftr l ltorough Ill\ I ~ll$(6lHJII, Ill Ual cHN f>l
1111, IIIOUI<.I Wllh thu \0 11J0 NUJ UfJ wt thO IJfl(f N HIOUI'I\ h WJ IIIIIIIIIIUIII
l"fJO. 'l110 longer tl w iugot m f>rcJportum lo tt.~ trOI<il HttJnul
ILrN~ tho wo1110 thu trouiJlo ~ 1t 1 th, old rllirrtJ\0 -uruJ up t~ I"'
\lould type. and method CJf CUIIlmj(, 11h1.1uld Lu uuul '""' of tl10
rn011t important. pomt.8 of I!Wel "l""'licut.wu.
\Vith the uxoopt1on of giving tlw pitrnNI nntl l"runomn a
frurly aMy t.imu them! doo11 not. uppur ~ 111111(10 Jl'''"t 111 (u\ 1111r
uf tho narrow-nod-up typo.
Putk.r 1/uuu.- After tlto qur..tion of mould typJ, ono hll'l
Lo COli <ttlcr th& n~'f'hi~Jt.y of WIIOJ( U ftllocilr l11u.<J umJ 1.) J.ll' IJf
th& eano. The type of fcod-,r h oad doo11 not. u111Wr a gr~-t&t
d11o.l, intu~rnuch wt ruducing ptpt> Ill concrrm>d, rrovuJt-tJ fl, i>:~ of
~ufricnrt. c.npacit.y adequately lo frf'l t.ho clul porttcm.
Tho 1o11t. of prodmtion turn~~ upon how much of tlau pipod
porttc:.n of tha " uuft>rl " ingot 114 utllU!I'II M llhuiJh IIVd.
lfn~rU4t th, co~t of tlu feeder hou.d a11d t" S(l\111 w Y' ltl. Th~>
tQO t Of ~ fi'O<Jor hi'UJJ fJI' f ton Of IJW<t:J VQrJI
jl'rtutly lif'COrdmg
1.(1 ~Jtl' of 1ngot. and oleo llf'COrdJn~ 10 t.ypl' ()( hUtl UlluU ; !Jut 11.
would llflfH'ar thnt feedor hoo.dJI uro rcout>fllll dly C'AAl!lll 1111
uvon {or what '' torrnet1 tho " ord mnry " IJV'ol
Oulu.d,.d Slau. Ar.id ()pen.-lbart/1 . -Auy oxtl~' of irttn
adrnJXPd n 11INI exert" l..,lf WJ a l(rtut durun Uf""' tl&n 111httm
Xo. 1. UJ.!JIIl.HtliJ \li)' Ill h.

MAT 18, 1917

And manf(anlliO addition.e juat. prior to lapping, and upon th$
aluru!u1u111 aft.er 14ppmg, forrrung p..ruclllll of " ala.p;." 11Jo
author oon!Alnw thure ore two 10~ whereby oxtd ea
may t.e t.aku and rrt.u.mud m t.he ~1. vu.: ( I) That forrmng
dunng m,.Jtma of thtJ charg~t and nr,c, aubauquontly removed :
(2) that. tntroduCild by 6Ic-ivo or orrattc f-lmg of ore. In
tho author' opuuon the ar.t -nttal m acid open-hearth
manufacture ahou1d be t.he one of oorrect and conat~t.ent. coo
dtt1t,,.,. at. the m t'lted etage. A charjlO going t.o boil by virtue
of tho ox.ido formod durmg t.he mltmg down t~e 111, t.o 14ly
tho lllNt, not. conducve t.o yielding a at.eel any thmg hka fn'>IJ
of olticte. and alag inclu.aiooe. No matter what. au!Aequoot.
method of deoXIdation be reeorted to, the author cont.und.e
th~re 11 a great. danger of a llignifice.nt. ,.idual port1on.
two important factore up to t.he " melt.ed" etage are :
( 1) Quit-k m,.Jun~r ; (2) 001 roct etat.e of ~ and bath al. mtltm~~:.
The author haa found that a 2. 00 r " r o. ot .Woon baail ,. a
guod one t.o work t.o. By th.ia Ut m.e,ot that. tbe whole charj/ 11
ehoulcl have an available !ilieoo conl ,., t of 2.00 per cent. Lll.ku11t
the 1ilicon in the pig iroo, and DM~~mg the di1Jeronoo UfJ hy
addmg lllag m with tlio charge.
Efftr~ "' LimuiiJM. Acid 0M1111Wrlh - The Ill-'\ or hrnl' ton(J
m tho Gl'ld O))"'n-hrarth proee~~~ lA m of th~> groat.eo-1. mponunce.
a.t a loo th~ ponod at. wh1ch add1t .,,._ ~hu Ill oo madf<. A lugl,ly
ewot'Oua alag low in Jo'tO may I>< .,e,.,..,.,,., ttuckly aft.er bo1lm,i.
A elog of " fini11hing C4'mdJton f"ru''"l ~.,., aftlr thn clltlrJ(u
haa gone t.o boil by oorrOI't. u<lclel""' ' tun t..one. If tt '"
advantag,.oua lo work with a 11lu~t ..r u lul'll) ouhef'I>WI chai"U(J.-r
t.owar<Li the end or tho boil, 11unly till' tott.tlll'r 11t.ag"e would '"''
benofit.ed by such eiDUJar condttll>luc. Tit rate of fall m carbon
is more rogular and con.eilt!A'ul "1th ICJ<o<l ""'ult11. Altlwu~th
tho slag ill appanntly moro mt,lotln, ~ "" r;ly wdcav m th...,
circumllt.antIOof a ~rfc-et 11lai.O of flux tUid <:o~>rroct. N'l.il'tJon..
Loppinu in lngo~.-Bottom-<l&llt. ateel poured at. too low
a t.omporot.uro or too alow a ap8Pd t.endl to c&DA't " 1appintlll8 "
or " fold.e " m the tnjlOt. Ordtnary carbon et.eell of coui"!M' do
not. .ufler much !rom this conditoo, 11nc& af the 1~1 Ut 10 e<>ol
as t.o lap " badly, t.be chanooa aru much l(l&lllt the UJguu.
lllling. Chrome steels nod high ruhcon ateela (the latter up 1.e1
2.60 por ~nt. tnlicon) are almollt alwayiOJ" t.o IUbJ&ct. thc~h ~
t.o lappmJt m a more or 1088 de~ZJ'N'. fht' ap~nce of Jlta
mgot. may ~ive eome idea. as to wheth-r t he lappmg 11 gowj(
t..o be a eeriou.11 defect. or not, but on tbe to.hole 1t JIJ a m&tter
for furth"r mvetotgation. The author 11 of tbe opmion lhut
ADY c:wly or ~ht in a rolled o r forgod bar haa no relat&oOJ<tup
whatever With lapping in the ingot. Thill opuuon 11 baaed UJ'XIII
a number of ruckel chrome and chrome lJlllOtl, carefully wat~hbd
throu~~:bout thl'ir mnkng, and on a careruJ comparilon of the
0001t. of chtppmg out of B.a.ws (nino in each cut ~~eparat.oly) m
the 6ni.lhed bo.t11. Som., of ttJb beiJt ca.u appeared t.o b6 tlw
wont aa rogart.ll lap11, and summing up one couJd not eay lhat
tho lnppm$t waa 8.'1 Porioua &11 wouJd b6 11uppoeed.
Flu=d RunMr Bricu, etc.-In bottom-cut ateel the flow
of t he m,.wl 10 contact w1th the fire clay trumpet pipe and runner
bnckl cuu an f'roe1on. the product of wtuch 11 carried along
into th' m~ot . Tb~ author eonwrtd.e that &11 bottom-poured
at.ool U. uhJI<Ct t.o I>CclucJod flux('() runnr .,ricks. and that it IJI
prhut. 111 t h' Jni!"IJt. 111 VllriOUll po llJOu,., !Jut prmc1pally from
tho ak.Jn ,.,, ll df'pth of a few inchect.
Cr(J("u w J,./]fJIA. A cid Open-1/wrth. -ThPra are two po~itiona
in wh1ch crudu are cluefly oxpcrll'n<'N.i m m~tot.IJ : ( 1) (.'ro- '
16Ctlonal ; (2) vert1cal, ond prmc1pally ut tbo coml'l'll oflllluurtt
or octa~rona l ingot. Around tho llubJoct th,re r~M><~ tl1o l)()lflt
of Cl\8ltn~. t.Noperature. M d wemm~ If~.
The vat uo of pyromctry oa a ml'llrll of con trollull( furn.ae6
or cu.otwv temperoturo is wafortunu wl) vry mull w thu IIA'(I
mak~>r, and ho hn"' to bo guidud by bt oxperwnoo of the appr~r
nnl'o of the furnace, elng. and spoon lllltnpll:lll. In a oumoor of
the workM V1011t<>d by tlto author tlw actual ~d~~ timl:l<l o(
wei~ht. of t<teel per mmuto ll&\ c IJI>~n little at
ond tht,
r<u.~tm for crockud mgote 1\8.8 nvurutbly 1,1-en attributed t.o hoot.
The onJy f'XOt.-pttoniJ to thm VII" llli\ U ~JOln wbero spoed wta..~
t.horoujZhly CO(\.Ijidered. The qulllllton of
and weig_ht. uf
mgot. and woi.,rcht or !!tOOl t.o be ca~tt. o.ro all factors for conaid&tll
t1 on, M ot-o th6 WIO or and thu compositton of tho 1teel.
:\[r. .J. FJ,.trhPr Aaitl the j)(~p~: r \\'a"' an exc~~dingly

,,,J

z.e

uswful oue. Tho14e who \\ <re. not th~hes manu

farturf'N, and had tO do with bought ingots, hiul
occ-u..~icmally ,-~ry difficult. 111att<-rs to deal with.
A
point \\ hich appPal'd particulaly to him wali that
brought o ut in thP 11Lag diagrum,. ~hown in the pap<'r.
and it. appt>tlrcd to hi111 that. 1f tlw~ Wf're ~xarruru.d
closel y 111 thu light. of rnoUf'J'II IUJowledge of Hlag'l a
gr1at.dN1I could be l<arut. fro111 tlwm. :\lr. Kilby had
dN\lt \\ 1t h nl&..l tcl"!'l whic~h IJB hup<d the HU't'l makl-'r
woultl tukc ~wio~.mly int11 clmMd<:ratJOn. On tlw
o.dc.Jitiou of liine to the Hlng tl1f'H \\118 an opportwuty
of reducing the amowtt o f F h 0 , and at th~ Hame tuno
making a ttlight B<lditiou lo tlw p<rcontagr of ailJCon
m the slag. The chemical rc-a<'lions wcro of con
"iderable intere."'l t both in Uw acid OpPII hearlh and
acid 'i<mPnR furn acf"i.
Th1 Ntuilibrium point
rt>ferrll to I" ~Ir. Kllby a p1warcd t.o be well edlab
l i<~lted. 'fhut had a grNlt chal to do with the elimina
tion o f ~tlag pa t.i cl~~ in the RtPI'I. The matters dealt
with in tho papr had long ago rf'ceived attention
in Germany.
l>r. \V. H . IIatfield complimPnted the author on
having madr~ a uotabl11 addition to the subjf'ct of
'lt.Nl 1ngot defects. ~tE>f'l make~ woulcl agrc-o \Hth
tho bulk o f what ~{r. Kilby had writt<u. He, lao\\
t-vo r ,_ aptp~ared to _,Ia ,(e , o:e rloohik_odh hthe(D paHptt"'
pu 1[)1IH w< m I
unu 11!l >~ w1t 1l w c
fl
r. a
fif'ld) was asiociaud, and which c.ltRc~.;od the act.Hm
of <~ lng upcm awel. JJ~t~ing that inH-;ttgatioll it wa"
brought out very cleal'ly, and thr fu.ct had ~tine bren
coufirrnecl, that if it worr H'l'illiiUcl that the Hlo.g uf Htt-1-'1
rruult- in th( acid furnar< co"".,ld uf Sil icate~>~ bf iron.
U"~ tllh carb(Jn reduced tlu irtm uud ,.,nt up the 'lihca
couleut, a point of equilib1 111111 wu; rt>achc>d, and that,
with fw-th~>r reduction of tlw irou conl<'nt, the ~tilita
in tlw slag wa"' actually Hpht up and tho Ri licon w&ut.
bark into the ~trt l. 'J'Iw diugnun.-1 ttivrn in the pap<r
would br nwr1 valuable~ 1f tilt' uutlwr could Mhow tilt'
tnfttwncf llf tlu: add1t.ion of a fa1rly large qua.nt.it) tof
lime ou tlw ciWIILiltd rt1utiou takmg place be twetJI
thf' !-!lag and tlw Kt PPI. ft -.ce1rwd obvious that tlw
addition of a large quuutity o f lime would mov( tlw
pf'rcen tago p(Jm t at. '' Itit"! 1 t h~; .,j licon went back i 11 t"
t ilr "t or I.
)Jr. E. JI. Saraihr, rcff'rring to what Mr. Fhtclwr
~icl o.~ to d~>ftl't-i iu it~got-1 deli\'lrNI at the forga, Htlltl
it wu-; not nr1co.;-mrv to as'iUJnl t hu.t. the~o c.lt-f~>tt o.;
wcn m.udt' 111 ca;ting, ao.; it waR ve1y eu"'y for the111 ~o
h" dcwlorwd at n 'lub"'NJnent -.tag~' uf tfNLlml'nt ut
lwat 1111( up o.t tlw ftJI"J(I CH' ()I h11"' .-.~.
:\lr. 0. U . Hi(hdale tmid that "lwn limo wa"' added

90 1

BEN.ZENE SOL .VENT

EXTRACTION

PLANT FOR VEGETABLE OILS

>
~

GEORGE SCOTT AND SON ( LONDO N), LIMITED, LONDON. ENGIKEERS

(For ducritJitiJII let

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TH E

462

ENG I N EER

Rtnt<'d in the imoice, beyond certain pre~cribed limits

of crror. Official agricultural nnalyRts and l'amplerl'l
arf' appointed to assist in the nclnunistration of the
Act. and the B oard of Agri<ulturo is empowered to
mnko regulations for t.h o purpoAo of carrying the Ac-t
into Clxecution. It is generally ngr<>ed, h owever, that ,
with f<'w exceptions, the county and borough authorit ic>~.; concernod have practically ignored it, and beyoncl
appointing officials a!-l required by the Act ha,e given
thc-m little or nothing to do, so that offending trader"
arc- rar<'ly brought to justice.
Ff'etl inq Stuffs.-Among the principal artlficially
pr<'por(>d feeding stuffs for cattle and sheep may bo
nwntioned cotton cake and m<>al, which are very rich
in nltmrrunoid.s, as aro also cako and meal from th<>
ground nutandChineReAoya bean,and lins<'edand rapo
ca.ke, prflpare d from the marc or rC'fUFe from cruRhing
for o il. Othflr industrieR providCI foocl matE~rinl, R11ch
a-. brc>"'N'I'I' g:rainR, molt dw<t oncl yNst. ancl lw<'t
"ngn fibrow~ \\"aSt(>s.

ncJCl being present is the prime rca on "hy veg'tahle

01IR aro not in favotu- lU4 lubJ'I <'nnt<~.
J n addition to the remo.,al of mucilage. of colotu mg
mattor, and o f free fatty acid, oi l r(\fining frequently
inchad<>R a fourth clas'i of opPration. On a cold clay
c<'rtnin qualities o f olivo oil "ill be noticed to throw
clown a Oocculent whitiHh dcpoHit. Cotton seed and
otlwr oiiR likewise become cloudy when the temperatu.rCI falls. This deposit is " Atearine or " rnargarint>," M it is frequently and ROmewhat unfortunately
called- and its removal is desirable in c<>rtain

C'lrcumRtances, notably
so if the oil is to be u.,NJ for

burning, lubricating or edible> purposes.

The
" stearino " itself is a. valuable substance when
isolated, and is made URO o f in the manufacture of
cnn clles, margarine, margarine ch<>eRt> ancl lard
Aubstit..ut<'.
The proc('sses employed in oil rc.>tining arc cithor
m('chanical or chemical or a combination of both.
Thus mucilage i remov<'d rn<>chanically. Bleaching is
111 gcueral t>ffected C'hemiC'ally, but is frequently
arcompll->lwcl b~ what IS r<'all.' a mechanical proces"'.
l<'n( fatt \' acids ar<' rerncnccl by
a chemical r<>aC'tiou .

THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY " DP-margarination " ., mo"t frt>quentl) f'fft>C'tPcl h)
MBNT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
ph' .;ea I prCJC'E' !-lt.>-;.
'\o XIII .

OIL HE1'1.XI.:\G.

now corn<> to a section of OUJ' Hubject concerruH,g

which a g~'<~at. deal of secr<>cy is commonly excrcitwd.
Od r<>fining is usually carried out in wori<H CJuit<>
!Wparate from the mills produciug tht> oil. It ma~,
in f~;wt, b e propel'ly rPgard('(l a~ con&t it uting an
indw~try b) itself.
I t. I'PquinH the pOt>He sion of a
conoiderable knowledge of cherru&tr), for each oil in
gPneral has t o be treated in a special maru1er. 'fho
refining may be carried out to \'al"}'ing degrees of
completeness. According to its d egree, so does tho
C'nhanced price obtained for the oil vary. As a
rottgh guide, however, it may be said that refining I
" 'f:

MAY 25, 1917

wards until they meet the support of the plateR.
Tho fares o f the> platC'~, a<J flhown in Fi~. 62, are
formed with vertical woo,es connected by short
horizontal groove'l, RO that tho oil filterin~ through
the c loths may triC'kJo d ownward s into a guttE'J'
formed along the plate juRt above the lo w<>r raisNI
c>dge. From this it ill conclnctc-d through throe hole~
into a central passa~o wa) .J, Fig. 63, and so through
cock~> K, Fig. 61, into a collecting trough.
Instead o f joining the two clothR Jor each plate by
a ring o f cloth, the cloths may be enti rely ~-;c>paratP.
The central holeR in the cloth'> arc the n nipped to thf>
Nlge of the feed hole in tho plate by means of a (')If)
c.>ither of a screw o r bayonet-fastening type. Y <>t
another alternative m<'thod, ono finding considerable>
favour, is to fonn tho raised edges of the p late'! a"' n.
separate frame having lu~, like those on the plat<>'l.
for th<>ir indep<>nclont support on tht> two h orizon tn.l

I'HELDIIX \RY HEFlX11\G JX THE OIL )[JLL.

A c1rtuin amount of prclirrunal"}' refinin~ iH

ccmunonh conducted on the oi l before it leav<>" Ow
oil mill. This refining aimH onl.\ at the removal of
tlw lllliCilage, &c., in tho oil. Formerly, it was
coHductcd s imply by storing the oil for prolonged
pcr1ods, sometimes E'XtC'nclin~ to years, in btoragC>
tanks, wherein the forcign rrultter gradually ft-ll to
tlw bottom, leaving tlw clcar oil on top. )[odern
practicE' now make>i use of filtcr presses, and so wn
grc>at l) t-conorruse~ both tJrnc and Apace.
Fi f.Tf:R l'RE . ES.

'l'lw filt! prc' ""

1.,

tt.-.Pd iu many incltmtric>-; for

Fig. 62--FILTER

bars. This dehign of prc >t'i is that actually Hhown in

Fig. 61. The feed h ole:-., a ... indicated at. L in Fig. 63,
arf' in this form placed near the upper edge of the
plates, and are continued through the loose frame-. :\1.
A hole N conduct'i the oi l from the ft>ed pa. !'!age> into the
chambers between llw plates. The cloths are placc>d
b etween the IcoHe frn11W<~ and the plates. I n thiH
wa.) the edges of tlw plu.t<>s and the feed h o le!i aJC~
sealed simultaneow;l,) "h<>n the press i~:~ !-lCrC>wed ur.
Thif! design ha certaiu ach'antagcs when it i~-; d<>->ir<>d
to remove in one p i<>c<> the cake left on the c lothH.
The method ado pted fo1 c losing the press plateH
also varies a good dC'al. Thw; it may, in addition
to the manner sho\nt m Fig. 0 1, b e effected by mc>anR
o f a central scre" or a compre, ed air cylinder, or a
h,\ draulic ram. In conuNt ion with the> fPtdmg o f
the pre s with crude oil con~>idt> rablt> attention has
to be de,oted t o th<> fact that the filtration toward'i

PRESS PLATE

Fls. 61- FILTER

PRESS

FOR

increast>s the value from, ba.), 5 per ton, a~:J in the cas~
c,f rapt> oil, to anything up to I 0, as in the case of
C'Ot ton ~.eed oi I.
A p<>rft"ctly pure oil iH a d<>fiuite chemical body.
Jt Jnll,\ hE' regarded as being fo1mcd b y the union of
a molt>culo of glycerine with a molecule of fatty acid
aC'companied by the withdrawal of a molecnle of
wtttN. The glycerine is definitcly constant frolll oil
to oil. The fatty acid varies from oil to oil, and
b.' its variation gives the oil its characteristics. All
piU'(' oilA, such as we are for the moment considering.
an probably identical, in so far as they are colourleHs,
oclouri(Rs, and tas teless. Crud<J oils differ from purE'
oih; 10 three principal resp<>cts. In the first plaN,
th<>) may be coloured. Th<' colouring matter iH
dcJiv<>d either from the fteshy p o1t ion of the seed frolll
"hich the oil is recovered or from the hURk of the seed,
if thiH is crushed along with t.he ftes h y portio n.
HPcondly, crude oils contain vegetable fibrous mat.t or
or mucilage or other fore ign bodies crushed out of tht.>
HePch~ along with the oil.
Such mucilage is simply
snHpended mechanically in the oil. Thirdly, they m.a~
contain free fatty acid and free glycerine, caused b~
hOIOI-' portion of the oil absorbing water and splitting
up. This splitting up proct>ss or hydrolysis, as it ill
cnllt>d, iH frequently caURPd b,\ careless or cruel<
nwthocls of manufacture, as in the case> of palm oil.
Ev('n, however, with the moHt caJ'E'ful manufacttu-e.
Hom< fatty acid is nearly ce1-tain to be present in
the crude oil, the reason !wing, apparently, the
h) dolyRiA of the oil by natwal proeesseR in the se<Jd
itself before it is cruHhed pot-.l'llbly <ven before it ill
gatherPd. The presence of fr<'(' glyc<.ri1te in an oil ill
rnrPI,\ objectionable, for it is colOlU'lt>ss, tasteless and
odcmrl<>ss and stable. The p1cscnce of free fatty
ac1d IH ncarl) a lways obje<-tionablf>, for to such may
tHmally
bE' attributed the characteristic taste and

t-.mPll of an oil, while> in addition, its dc.>comp osition

turnH tlw fat or o il rancid. Tlw possibility of Much
l'lo. XII. a ppeared M11y HH b

OIL- MANLOVE,

ALLJOTT

effectin g the t~epa.ration of Holids from liquidl3. It iR

mad\ in several modifications, but always follow:-.
the principle o f forcing the lictuid t o b e filtered throug h
a layer o f c loth, swansdown or twill. A filte r press
suitable for use in an oil mill is illustrated in Fig. 61.
It consist s pl'irnarily of a series of cast iron plates
fol'm N I with a lug at t.>nch sido, which lugs s upport the
plates on a pair of steel rods- usually circulart'xtcnding bt-tween the two 6xcd ends or pedestals
of the pr<>ss. In tlw form of plate s h own in Fig. 62
an edge is rai ed up all round the periphe ry of each
fne< , HO that when two plates are brought together
the dished centres form a chamber between tht>m .
Through the centre of each plate a circular feed holf'
il'l formc>d for the oil. The method o f working will,
perhn.ps, be understood with the help o f the sket ch.
Fig. 63. F or each plate thcr' are provided t.wo
liltel'ing <loths A B formed with central holes and
tmitecl 1ound the edges of these holes by means of a
AhOI't. cylinder or ring of cloth C. The cloth A can
r<'adil,\' be I'Olled up, s lipped thro ugh the central h o le
iu the plate and spread out. flat on the other sid e.
The two cloths to facilitate the assembly of the plate->
are then held at their upp(' r edges b y meana of clip'! D
pa<;~ing on to a rib formed acrosR the top o f tht.> plat<'.
Whe n all the> plat ('~, thu"' clothed, ha,e b PC>n
nss<mbled in the fram<J\\ ork o f the prt>ss, th<> pinion
B, Fig. 6 I , is rotate(L b.) m<>a11s o f a tonmt~ - btu
ins<>rtcd in holes round its flange. ThiH pinion
engag('S with a rack E>xtonding fwm t}w s liding hcad F,
HO that the action rc-s ult1-1 in t-h< pr<>H"' plate~ and their
clothll be ing closed up together. The final closwe o f
the plate~:~ is e ffected by t u rning d0\\' 1\ the half -covers 0
and scre" ing up thP hand whe<'ls H b~ means o f lc,er~->.
The chambers be twE>en the plutts are thw; sealcd b~
nipping the cloth H btltwet>n the raised edges. Cruel('
oil is now pumped into the press at the right-hand
<'nd, and Bowing throu~h tlw C'ntral feed h o les fills
all t}.e chambers beh\'<'Pn the plates. Und<>r th<'
p1 <'<lf..lre of t hP oi I tlw fi1 t 1'1 (ICJt h,.. M<' prE'Nd ha( k -

SwAoll

Pie. 63

TWO FORMS OF FILTER

se.

PLATES

thP Pnd of tlw o pPration bf'comc>s s lowt>r, HO that 1\

lpo.;.,t-ned feed is requirf'd. Tf the press i., fed by nwan'i
of a b elt.-dri,en pump, a rPiief ,ahe should be pro, idC'd on tlw f<>E'd pipf', .,o that with the pump running
uniformly some of the fe<>d may be by-passed when
t..h<' speed of filtration fall ~ ofT. A steam-driven pwnp
can be itself regulated to s uit this r<>quirement, and
the re fore doe~:~ uot requi1<' th<> provision of a relief
valve. A better method than either see m~ to b(
the adoption of a fo1cing 1am woked h) co rnpl'(''i~<'d
air. The flow in thJs cu"lc ~~ l'ltatecl t() h( E'ntireh
~;el f -adjusting.
As u:-.uall) ~uppl ud th(,( filtt>r preo.;~P'! ma~ have>
an~ thing from si}l. to 4:; chnmbcn;. the di~awnMon.;
o f the plates nll'~ ing frolll J:lin. to 40in. :-.quare>.
The tlUC'k ne~;s of tht> cakP~ l<>ft in the m iH frmt an inch
to I Jin . LittlP <an lw Slllllll'i to tlae outpnt, f<H' thiS

lf1AJ 25, 1917

T il E

EN G I NE ER

I
to 1ts prevtoUR treatment, and whether or not it is A

var~es from_ oil to oil, and with the one oil, according is treated so as to separate the bulk of the oil from it.
fil~ered hot or col~. As a guide, h owe\er, it may be
sa.t_d that a pre ~ ~th twenty-fo~ chambers and plates
25m. square--gtvmg a total filter~ng area. of 208 square
fE't>t:-may be exp ected to filter ~n 24_hour, 140 c"~t.
of linseed, cocoanut, or freRh ohve 011; lOO cwt. of

common method of effecting this separation i.'i

by the employment of a. " centrifugal " s uch as is
shown in Fig. G5. This machine consists of a cast
iron casing enclosing a. basket of tinned s teel wire
with a pressed s teel top ring and bottom. The
ba~ket is mounted on a Yerti<-al s haft supported at

Pig. 6i -WASIDNG MACIDNE FOR

crude cotton oil; 70 C\'01, of crude rape or

stale olhe oil. or 16 cwt. of castor oil. The length
of time for which the prel!iS will work without being
opened for cleaning also depends upon the nature of
the oil being filtered. In the case of linseed oil the
press may be run continuously for about a week.
I t would then b e allowed to s tand with the pressure
umoved from it for, say, three hours, at the end of
which time it would be opened up and the cakes
formed in the chambers removed. Thereafter it is
readv
for a further run.

FILTER CLOTBS- MA NLOVE,

ALLIOTT

the top and bottom on 1.1bll bearingH, and driven

through friction cones from a horizontal cro s-shaft.
The peripht>ral speed of the baqket is usually about
9000ft. per minute. The slurry is placed within it,
and in a very s hort time the bulk of the oil is driven
off out of the baskc>t. This oil may be mixed with

FILTER CLOTH WASHING MACHINE.

Occasionally, and particularly when the production

of edible oi ls iR in question, it iR desirable to remove
the press filtN cloths and wash them. A washing
machine for this purpose is illustrated in Fig. 64.
l n this machine the cloths are treated in a hot dilute
. olution of caustic soda which, combining with the oil,
produces soap and so cleanses the cloths from
mucilage and dirt. The machine has an outer casing
of ga.lvarused steel fixed to two cast iron ends. The
internal rotary was hing compartment is constructed
of hard-rolled braqs plates perforated from the inside
in a special me.nne1 so as to avoid the creation of
burrs. Five lifters or rubbers are provided inside
the drum, while in the larger sized machines such as
that illustrated there is a central partition. The
outer casing and the inner drum are both provided
with segmental doors sliding in brass guides. Handturning gear is p1ovided for bringing the two sets
of doors into alignment for loading and unloading
purposes. The Ahaft carry ing the washin g compartment passes through glands in the cast iron ends of
the caRing, and is Rupported externally in adjustable
roller bearing11. It is driven t.hrough a silent rocker
chain from a !ihaft at the back of t he machine. This
shaft carrie.q two looRe ptLlleys for crossed and open
belts, and a fix ed belt pldley. A worm and a. worm
wheel gear is proviclt>d automatically to move each
belt alternately on to the fixed central pulley, so that
the direction of rot.a.tion of the wa~hing compart ment
may, d'uring a run, be reverst-d at regular interYals.
team and hot and cold watt>r val vt>~ are arranged
on the caRing in order that tht> cloths may be wa hed ,
boiled, and rinsed. A full bort> waste outlet is also
provided . After tht> cloths have been removed
from the machint> the~ are placed in a centrifugal
Fa,. ~CENTRIPUOAL EXTRACTOR FOR "FOOTS."
hydro-extractor, which removes the bulk of the water.
Thereafter they may be thoroughly dried, if thought
nece!'l~ry, in a stRam-heat<'d hot -air rotary drying that t>xtraclNl in the u.'luul way or sold separately.
The r<sidue in the baskt>t i>; found to contain about
machine.
the sarn1 pf'rcentagt> of oil a-.; dot>s the original st>ed
THE TREAnJE);'T OF " FOOT ."
before prt>ssing. It is th<'r<'fore returned to thE' mE'al
I n all oil mills, whether tht> presses in use are of kettle and worked back to the pre.s with the fr<'Hh
the Anglo-Aroerican or the cage type, a considerable mt>al.
amount of meal sahuated with oil escapes from
the press and accumulates in the tanks in which
the presses stand. the oil dis hes, and 80 on. This
material is kno"-n as " foots ," and to avoid waste

463

INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS.

AT the meeting of the In~titution in London Jaqt
Friday, a paper entitled " Notes on the Construction
of Turbine Pumps," by :\1r. A. E. L. Chorlton, of Lincoln, 'va.c; read and discussed. The first portion of it is
reprinted in this issue. After reading it, Mr. Cborlton
remarked that the efficiency of the turbine pump waq
still less than that of the water turbine, but that it
was gradually driving out of existence all other rival
forms of pump. The greatest enemy it possessed
was prejudice. H e thought that the perfortll.6nce of
turbine pumps might, with great advantage, be made
the subject of research, for if by research the
efficiency of such pumps could be raised, say, by
3 to 8 per cent., the total saving, translated into term~
of money, would be very considerable indeed.
The President, Mr. Mich~l L ongridge, in opening
the cliscus'lion, remarked that the paper was of a type
of which he desired to see many more embodied in
the " Proceedings," namely , one describing the
O\'ercoming of practical difficulties. I t formed a
\'ery fitting supplement to Dr. Unwin's classical paper
on the centrifugal pump, read before the Institution
of Civil Engineers in 1877. 1\fr. Chorlton's paper wa'~
also a warning to young engineers coming s traight
from college, that all practical problems could not be
solved by mathematics. He regretted that the
author had chosen to illustrate his paper with
cliagrams rather t han with drawings. Possibly, trade
c;ecrecy had something to do with this, but be sincerely
Moped that the time would soon come when manufa cturers would cease to practise secrecy to the extent.
now followed.
Ho fel t convinced that British
engineers would distinctly benefit by giving freer
publicity to their ideas and practice. In his reply
later, Mr. Chorlton associated himself with Mr.
Longridge's ploa for less secrecy, and stated that
diagrams had b oen given rather th.e.n drawings
simply because they were more easily prepared under
present circumstances.
Professor E. G. Coker questioned the author
regarding the laying down of the tangent s for the
throat of the guide passage, illustrated in F ig. 5.
H E' desired infonna.tion as to how the point from
which t he tangents were drawn was selected. Mr.
Ch orlton intimated that the sketch in question wM
a poor one, and that he was not positive it was correct.
P1ofesc;or Coker a lso aqked the author if he could gi,c
the efficiencies of recent designs of turbine pumps at
different powers and under different heads. B y way
of reply, ~Ir. Chorlton ~aid that some of his audienct'l
might bt> able to give the required figures more readily
than he could, but that a 500-gallon per minute
turbine pump might be expected to show an efficiency
of about 76 per cent. A similar sized water turbine
would have an efficiency of from 80 to 84 per cent.
The diRcrepancy was sometimes explained by saying
that t he turbine pump ran with a divergent Bow and
ceated eddies, while the water turbine ran with a
convergent flow and suppressed eddies. He did not
quite agree that this was a sound explanation, and
would not accopt it as a reason for believing that it
was impossible to bring the efficiency of t he turbinfl
pump up to equality with that of t h e water turbine.
Mr. T. G. Sherwell agreed with the author that.
rt>search work in connection with turbine pumpR
would be profitable. Manufacturers for the moment.
could not spend any time on such work, but there was
great r oom for independent research. Efficiencies as
high as 85 per cent. had been obtained with turbine
pumps, a nd, in his opinion, an efficiency of even
90 per cent. could be secured. D ealing with the
question of the " ring " ver8U8 the " cylindrical " type
of casing for turbine pumps, he said that in his view
too much had been ma.de of the difference. In hi~
('xperionce he found them equaiJy good and had had
no trouble with either.
Mr. Munro asked the author for information as to
how long the initial efficiency of a turbine or centrifugal pwnp was maintained. In a reciprocating pump
it was, he believed, maintained indefinitely, but in a
centrifugal type of pump the tips of the impeller
would wear or corrode away as in dealing with acid
water- and 8 0 lower the efficiency. ]\'lr. Chorlt on , in
his reply, a dmitted that this wa.'i an important point.
in connection. with wa.tenvorks practice, but did not.
give any figures a.q to the probable duration of th<>
initial efficiency of n turbine pump. H e said that it
was n ot now cllf!toma.ry to pump gritty waters such
as formerly wore handled. Modern practice t-ended
towat'd.'i the inRtallation of a settling plant through
which the water was passed before being led to tlw
pump. The genflral practice as regards the avoidance
of wear which he.1,dvocated in connection with thf'
d<.!-!ign of t urbine "l5umps, was the increasing of thl'
stiffncs~ of the imp(11ler shaft.
This permitted fin<>
cleara.ncc:i to be givon between the impeller and the
ca<~ing interior. Tho finer thE> clearances, tht> les~
would be t ho flO \\ of \\at er through them, and
con'~equ('ntly the less would be the wear.
It waR only
uec<'ssUJ'Y to glanct> at tht> development of the . team
t urbin(' to se<~ th<~ irnpoMan<'e n ow attarhed to shaft
stJrr nc>s-1.
)Jr. Pel'(y Oriffith, speaking from the water Wt' do not 1nlte follow .Mr. Chorltoo lo this nraument. 'l'lw
rP<Iuctlon or the clrurnnrc~ In n turbine pump IDOl' reduce the Oow
throu~th them, but \\Ill IL not lncrcae lhc "eloclty oil he flow ? 'l'hr
,elorlt r or t ht' n hrndlnsr pnrllclc> hM u' mu r h to do with the "ear
ll~ tllf'ir omuunt
Ell Tn ~;

THE ENG I NEE R

486
r

nion-Cnstle boat - was torp<'<loe<l in thf' ~I<>dit f'r

ra.nea.n on t ht> 26th. AlthO\Jgh t.h<' \'t"R~t'l wM
torpedoc:d hdcc within an hour all( I t\-hal f. all the
patients, Rtaff. and cr t>w on boarrl wer<' Raved. with
the exception of six of t hP latter. On t.ht> sam<' dat (
it wa al o inti matt>d tha.t the armed mt>rcantile
truist-r Hila.ry- a. B ooth tt>a.mslup Compa.n~s ,el'lsPI
- had beE>n torpedoed a.nd sunk in the X orth ea,
"ith the loss of four live$. and that a. B rilisn torpedoboat destroyt>r had been in collision, a.nd h t\cl Aunk
wit hout lo.. of life or otht>r casualties.

The Civil A erial Transport Com mittee.

I.

thE' H ous<' of Commons on April 26th,

during thE" Air Board dt>ba.te, th<' Pa.rliamt?ntar~
errete.ry to the Boerd, :.\la.jor Ba.ird, it; will he
reca.lled, indicated that the novernment deemed it
E:-xpeclient that s tep should now be taken t owards
thE" s tudy of civil aerial t ransport after t-he war.
On :\lay 23rd , the composition of the Committee
to which tht> duty of inves tigating the matter will
bP ent l"\lSted was announced b~r 'Major Ba.ir< l. Tht>
Committee will be uncl<'r the C'ha.irmanship of L ord
N orthcliffe, with Major Baird al'l deputy-chairman.
The membership iz; in ever y way thoroughly reprPsenta.tive of all the interests concerned'\n the question.
The Treasury, t he F oreign-office, the Navy, the Army,
the B oard of Trade, the B oard of Customs, the Postoffice, the Colonial-office, the India-office, t he
i\Jeteorologica.l-office, and, of COtiJ'l'!e, the Air Board
itself, will be represen ted . The Dominion of X ew
Zealand, the Union of outh Africa., a.nd, it is hoped,
1.ht> D ominions of Canada. a.nd Australia., will a.lso
have representatives on the Committee. On the
scientific a.nd manufacturing sides the Committee
is particularly st-rong. I n this connection we may note
among it~ memb ers the names of Mr. A. E. B erriman., Mr. C. B. Cockburn, and l\Ir. G. Holt-Thoma~.
of t-he Aircraft 1\-fa.nufa.cttll'ing Company, Limited ;
:\lr. Cle.ude J ohnson, of the R olJs-Royce Comp any; Mr.
1<'. \V. La.nchester, Lit>utena.nt-Colonel O'Gorma.n.
)fr. J . . 'iddeley, l\'lr. T. Sopwit.h, lVIr. H. G. Well!=~,
and Mr. H. White Smith, Chairman of the Societ.v

of British Aircraft Constructors. The Committee

is to report with rE:-ga.rd to ( I ) the steps which should
be taken with a. view to the development a.nd regulat.ion, after the wa.r, of aviat ion for civil and commercial
purpo es, from a. domestic, a n Imperial, and a.n
international standpoint, a.nd (2) t.he extent to which
it will b e po. sible to utilise for t he above purpoRe
the trained personnel a.ncl t he aircraft which the
conclw ion of peace ma.y leave over and abo\'e the
requirements of the Kava.l a.nd l\'lilita.ry .rur Service~
of t he L'nited Kingdom a.nd Overseas Dominions.
A similar Commjttee, it may be added, has bt>en set
np by the French i\Iinistr~' of Commf:'rce .
1

J CNE

THE PRODUCTION A.ND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- bottom, while the oil ri.-;es as a. clear liquid to tho top.

The clear oil is then drawn off for f\lrthE>r treatmt~nt.

The re-sidut~ a.t. the foot of t-he kettle, containing as it
does a rPrta.in amount of neutral oil be id>. the soda.,
&c., is remo,ed sE:-para.t<'l~. a.nd is sold to the oap
maker a'!" soap stork.'' To facilitate the 8c ttlin~ out
of the soap, &C'., from thp oil, salt is sometime thrown
into the kettle-, for Roda ~oap is insoluble in salt water.
'T'hE' dear oil ha'i next to be wa. hed with water to
rE>move all traces from it of the soda.. 'fhEirea.fter it
is t rented in a. vacuum . till to drive off a.ny volatill."
fatty acids which may li nger in it, as well as the la:.t
t.race!'l of moisture left in it by the wa rung procefll.:.
A vacuum st.ill i.<J used in order that the volatile acid'4
a.nd the moisture may be d riven off a.t a. tempera.tnrC'
below that which " ill clelet>riou<dv
affed the oil.

MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.

No.

xna.

addition to the peliJuinnry ow pt~oration tJf Jnerht\ni- I

ca l impurities carried out as mentioned in our prececl ing article, the refining of oil compl'ise. the rpmoval of
free fatty acids and of bleaching to get rid of the
colowing matter. Broadly, it ma~ be said that the
removal of the free fatty acids is necessary if thE'
oil is to bP used for edible pwposes, and that bleaching
is desimble if it. is to be Ullt>d for the manufa<h1rC'
of paints or ,arnishes.
fN

RE~!OVAL

OF FREE FATTY ACIVS.

B y removing the free fatty acids from the crude

oil, the oil is deprived of the elements ,.,_,hich give it
its che.aC'teri t ic odour and taste, and wluch rendt>r
it liable to decomposition. At the Hame time its
colour will probably be improved. fot the free fatty
acids a.re e. cause of discoloration in addition to
the colouring matter absorbed by the oil. dwing its
extraction, from t he husks of the seed!$.
The sta.n da.rd method of removing Lhe fatty
acids is to t reat the cwde oil with caustic soda.
solut.ion , carPfully regulated in strength and amount,

BLEACHIXC.

Tht> oiJ may or may not now have to be bleacht>d.

If it is to be used for edible purpo. es, it is desirable
that it should be bleached by means of ftlller's-ea.rth,
or such-like absorbent material. For othet purposeR,
chemicals liberating chlorine Ot' oxygen may be w E>d .
Treatment with fuller's-earth , animal charcoal, &C'.,
not only helps to bleach the oil; it also assists in
oeoclorising it. The prorN!S consiRts in thoronghly

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1/ttri,c l A 1r Co,pressor

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1:

Cond,.t>$4r

0 . Wet Yacvum Pump

R . .. Ory
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Ooor

Refractory Materials.

ADDITIONAL evidence ha.s been ftll'nishecl

during the month tha.t questions cqnnected with the
supply of refractor y ma.terie.ls are receiving serious
consideration, a.nd t he progra.mme of wor k which is
nbout to be undertaken encourages the hope that
not only will it be po sib le to provide the ra.w
materials of the refractory ma.terie.ls industry from
home or Empire sources of s upply, but that the
re. ea.rch wor k which is about to be undertaken will
Jea.d to an important technical advance in ma.nufa.C't uring methods and in the quali ty of the product.
At the meeting of the Iron and Steel In. titute l\Ir.
Co m o J ohns presen ted a. paper in which he set
forth the specia l requirements of t he iron and steel
t rades for refractories, a.nd at the meeting of the
Ceramic Society at Stourbridge the . ubject was
again discussed. I t is clear t hat t he pioneer work
clone by the Faraday ociety is bearing fruit, and
t.ha.t the attempt now in progress to make Brit is h
indu try self-supporting with regar d to s upplies of
refractories will find all clas e. intere. tf:'d- ma.nufa.cturerz;, users, and research wor kers-in clo. e co operation. The Geological \ IJ'vt>y ha. tmder ta.ken
the t a. k of compiling da.ta. a.s to home d epo~it s of
ra.w materials, including their p etrological and
mineralogical cha.racteril'ltics, and their chemical
and phy. ica.l prop erties, and it is hoped that the sa.me
valuable wor k wit-h regard to Empire s upplies vill
be undertaken by the I mperial I nstitute. A practical
s uggestion which arose out of t he discussion at tourbridge is that t h e co-ordination of rel'learch work
s hall be secured by placing it under the cont.rol of
the Central School of Science a nd T echooJogy at
Stoke-on-Trent, where a. good dea.l of work has
a.lrea.dy b een carried out, a.nd establishing ot.her
research centres for special branches of inve tiga.tion
a.t Sheffield , Glasgow, outh W ales, B irmingham, a.nd
in London, where attention is being given t o the
s u bject a.t the I mperial College of Science and the
National P hvs ical LaboratorY.

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p.,, ( S

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R~li'ncd O.t Tnk

H . ___ ,,
N .... Ya c vvm

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F . SIU Clllt>,.ml T#nk

C .. N .S. N vcd?" Tank

.<o.

=~

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. . CI A cid Tnk

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R E.F'ERENC.E
fof . S . M/_.,,.9 Tgnk

1, 1917

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I:
II
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S w AI N

Fig. 66-COTTON SEED

OIL

R EPINERY- MAHLOVE,

and at a carefully regulated temperature. 'fhe

soda solu tion combine with t h e free acids to. form
a soap, but is not ufficient in a.mow1t to go farther
and saponify a.ny material amount of the neutral
cil. It is h ere to be noted that more caustic soda
has to be added to the oil than is theoretically
necessary to neutrali. e t.h e p ercentage of free acid
revealed by analysis in t h e crude oil. The surplus
soda. does not, however, attack the n eutral oil unless
of course it is permitted to be present in an altogether
exces i,e a.mount. The reason both for t he procedwe
and of t h e res ult lies in the fact tha.t the action
between a. given amount of caustic soda. and e. given
amount of oil will cease at a point, short of completion,
at which a. state of equilibrium is e ta.blished between
the amount of soap formed and the amount o oil
and of caustic soda still left uncombined. The
point in questicn is influenced by the temperature at
which the reaction is con ducted.
On the ne ut ralisation of the free fa.tty acids being
completed, there is thus left in the refining kettle a.
mixture con sisting of soap, acid-free oil a nd caus tic
. oda in solution. This mixture i allowed to stand
for some h ours to permit the soa.p, soda. solution and
a.n y mucilage or albuminous matter to ~i nk to the
toto. Xl U. avoeared llay 2..>1h

S e.

ALLIOTT

stirring the dry a bsorbent powder into the oil when

gently heated a.nd, after agitation for a. short time1
in passing the liquid through a. filter press s uch a.s we
ha.ve described above. The earth or charcoal wit h
the absorbed colouring matter is retained on the
filter cloths, while the clear oil is drawn off. The
filter press is usually arranged to permit steam to be
blown through it after filtering is completed. In this
wa.y the cakes are washed free from oil , so that on tht>
press being opened the earth falls out as a powder.
It ma.y surprise some to learn tha.t oils can be
bleached in the above purely mechanical manner.
The e:A-planation of the matter lies in the fact that
the colouring substance in the original seed is, in
genera.!, in the form of a. powder, and passes a.s such
into the oil. It ca.n therefore be. absorbed a.nd held
back by the earth or charcoal. I t will b e n oticed
that this method bleaches t he oil by t he direct removal
of the colouring matter. A similar end is a chieved
by t.he s ulphuric acid method , which is applied
occa.::;ionally for blE-aching certain oils. The a.cicl
dehydrates or chars the colouring matter and othor
impurities, a.nd cause!" them to coagulate, so that t.hey
may readily b e removed by filtration or sedjmente.tion .
This treatment incidentally ecures t he temova l of
a.ny moisture in the oil, by rei\MH1 of the t.trong

J t' Nl

487

THE ENGINEER

1, 1917

attraction for water possessed by sulphuric acid. As, washed with water to remove the caustic soda the production of the best edible oils two or thr<'e
however, some acid may remain behind in the solution remaining in it. 'The water is distributed wa~hings may be required.
bleached oil, the mt-thod is not uFmnll~ arloptPd if uniformly O\'Pr the s urface of t.he oil, which, as before,
If the oil is for edible purpoRes--sa.y for the manu
facture of margar ine or lard substitute - it will e ither
be passed without. being blea.chec.l into the vacuum
pan N or will be bleached by the full er's-earth
method already referred to. Oils for other than
edible purposes are passed from the washing tank
into the bleaching tank B. H ere they a.rt> agitated
in the usual way and are subjected to the joint.
action of hydrochloric acid delivered from the ea t
iron tank E, and of bleaching powder solution
drawn from the s late tank F. \\' hen bleaching i ~:~
completed, the charge is retwned to the tank H ,
wherein the bleaching ch emicals and t h e salts formed
by them a.re wa!'lhed out of it. The procedure may
be slightly varied by passing the oil direct from.
the tank A into the bleaching tank. This a,,oidH
the first \'O'a!:lhing, but res ults in a ce1ta.in amount of
acid b eing wasted in t h e neutrali~~ation of thf\ cau.'ltir
soda solution remaining in the oil. ThiR neutralisation
it may, however, be noted, res ult~ in the production
of sodium chloride, the presen<:e of which in the oil
is by no means harmful, but frequently o r a.!!siste.nce.
The oil drawn from the washing tank is n ow
passed into the vacuum pan N- sbown separate ly in
Fig. 67. H ere it is mocha.nicf\lly agitated and h eated
under a vacuum, so as to drive off the mois ture and
any free volatile fatty acids which may yet remain in
it. The expelled product~'! are caughL in the con denser P . 1f the oil is an edible oil, a nd if it iH
required in a bleached condition, some refiners combine
the fuller' s-~arth treatmen t with the treatment of the
oil in the vacuum pan. On leaving the pan. t he oi I
is, in such a ea "'e>, pa <~sed through a filt e r prNc~. whPrefor the market.
aft('lr it i-. rf>ad,

<'OCOANUT OlL REFI:O."'NC.

A small r~?finery for cccoanut, palm kArnel a n<i

similar oils, iH illw~tra.ted in Fig. 68. The procedure
in this case iH, in principlt:, s imilar to that followed
in the cotton oil refinery described above, except that
no provision is made for bleaching the oi ls chemically
since they are hee inte nded solely for edible purpoRes.
The oil, as received, is first pa<ised through a filtf> r
press A to r emove muC'ilage, &c., and i~ t hence run into
a storage tank B. Forn this it is pa-."!ed by j:{I'M ily
into the refinin{Z tank C s ituated on thC' floor b<~low,
Fie. 67- VACUUM PAN AND CONDENSER
where it iP hcat<>d, agitated, and treated with caustic
soda. solution from the tankR D in the u!'lual wa\'
.

thP oil is to be Ufled for edible or lubricating purpoRt-H. is violently agitated b~ rMans of compresHed air jets. After settlin11, the mucilag(' and other re:~id ue iH
Bleaching by mean!'! of <'hlorine or oxygen d oes not On allowing the C'hargt- to H>ttlP, thP oil t'iHPH to tlw drawn off into the pitch-pint: tank E sitUI\.ted on th)
l-.ecure the rC'moval of the colouring matter. Thl"
coloumtion is dcstroved
by
the oxidation of the

F'l!t t:r Press

colouring matter, but thiH, when oxidised, is allowerl
to remain behind in the oil. The chemicals used are,
in ~f>neral, such as to rC'nder the process unsuitable
for application to the trC'atment of an edible oil. In
moRt cases the oxygen or chlorine is generated by

rhE'TTtical r eaction within the oil itself. Thus bleaching

by means of oxygen may be effc>cted by adding to tho
Or11u to
SttJom tr11p
nil manganese dioxide and sulphuric acid. imilarly,
chlorine may be generated by adding blenching

powder and hydrochloric a cid. In ono case man~anese sulphate, and in the other calcium chloride, is
lt>ft behind in the oil, and has subsequently to b e
removed by washing. Further, in both cases tho
rPnction of the C'homiC'ala results in the formation of
"ater.
Many othPr methods of blPaching oils by means of
chemiC'a.ls, or othcrwi:iC", nre practised or have been
proposed. It iA not ne<>e<~Rary for us here> to ruscUAa
thE"Se, for they belong more to the chemical than to
the en,lrin>ering aide of our subject. \Ye need only
rt-mark that ono of thCI oldest and one of tho ,cry
lwst methods i8 b;r (xpo<~ing the oil to the action of
f>IUJ light and air. 'fhis procc>ss results in the natural
oxidation of the colourin~ matter, and i'l exton11ivc>ly
adopted in the NlS<' of linReed, poppy and walnut oils,
as used by artists. It iA, of course, a very alow
method. R ecently, tho bleaching of oils by mC"anR
-~
-- ~
of ultra.-vioiC"t rayA has attract<'d aom~> nttC~ntion.

--~r

COT'TO~

)re{JmmJ,..Y Still

OIL HEFL"''DW.

1:; I

The arrang<'m<>nt of a typical rPflncry for tre>ating

rotton-l!('c>d ()il is reproduccd in Fig. 66. Tho oil in
thiA Cll'!O iH fJrAt h<>at<>tl by RtC'am in a mixing tank A
until it rc>ach<>'l a. tC'mpPrature of about 140 deg. Fnh .
Thereaft er Uw oil iK violfntly a,lritat<>d by meanA of
H
compresqed air. th(' tcmperaturC", mPanwhile, b<'ing
kc>pt as Mar 140 d(g. Fah. as poll~i ble>. During thP
agitation cauRtic AOda Aolution from th<> tanka 0, D .
l'i run into the mixing tank.
As thiA Molution, being
ht-a.vi(r than the oil. tN1d11 to !-link to tl1Cl foot, car<' i~o~
II<'<'Cill'Ulry if it ia to be bro ught prop<>rly into in timatc
contact \\ith the oil. ThiH iH f!<'cured by di11tributing
P1tt:lt Pmt: T11nk
the aolution ovc-nly ov1r th1 Kurfarc> of tho oil, e.mlln I

(,'
I I
the vigoro11>1 a~tation to ''hi(h thf' C'ont<>nlH of thf'
I \
1
mixing tank arc- Hnbjf'd(tl. \ Vhe>n it hns lwtu I
'
a"certained hy t<Hting ~<Srnpll~ that Huffkic-nt cauatic
I'Oda has bcPn a.dd<'cl to Ofutra.li~<> the acid rcaction
of the oil, th<> chnr~c i~ allowf'cl to atan(l and Rl"tlln in
th<> mixing tank. Tlw !oil ttling is u~ually suffici<'ntl~
complcte> at the e>JHI of nhout twtlw hours to permit
the clear Auper-natant l>tl to bo drawn off and pBR'~('H
iuto thf' wa'~hin~ tank JI. In '~O doing. wrat caro hnR
Fir. 63 COCOA NUT OIL REPilfER Y MAJfLOVE, ALLIOTT
to bo CX<'rl"iflcd that non<' of th~; r<'f<i1hw iA pas'lcd off
with the clf'ar oil. ThiH rcHuluc iA ultimnt<h drninc>cl
top. Tlw \HI.ll'r contuini.ug tbo 11odu. iu solutiun ~ruuu cl floor, \\ hilo the clcar oil is pa.s~d into the
into thf' mucil&go tank 0.
.
In thP woqhing tank thl' oil ia gf'nth hNtfNl ~nd ~<i nk ~ t u till' fllut of thP tank nncl iq nrt\\Vn ofr. F M h\nk P on th,.. fir<~t floor. I n this tank F t he oil i~

THE ENGINEER

488

J UNE

washed wit.h hot water from the tank G and iA. in

addition, heated by m eans of a steam coil. The
tank F, in fact, not only serves for washing the oil,
but also acts a.s a preliminary still for driving oft a
certain amount of the volatile free fatty a cids which
yet may linger in the charge. By means of a rotary
pump H, the charge in the tank F can be sent back
to the refining tank 0, so a.s to be returned to the
t.ank F for further washing and heating. The oil,
previously treat-ed with fuller'searth or not, as is
thought desirable, is passed from the preliminary
. till F through a. second filter press J , a.nd thence into
a. finishing still or vacuum pa.n K of the design
illustrated already in Fig. 67.

while the other iA under prec;surA. Special pro, i~ion

is mado to emHue that tho prc~;;u.re shall be applied
very slowly. The refrigeratetl cakes a.ro pres. eel
between steel plates. The. e arc sufficiently large to
accommodate four cakes each.
All the machines a.nd plant illustrated in this
a.nd the preceding article represent the practice of
Ma.nlove, Alliott and Co., Limited, Nottingham.

DEl\IARGARI NATION.

as wo ha,e indicatt>d abo,e, t h<> measures

taken to assure the quality of food for Ct'Lttle a re, to
a. large ex-tent, ineffective, those taken in respect of
our own food are certainly more satisfactory, although
the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts might., with a.dvan
tage, be m ore thoroughly administered in some parts
of the country. The term " food" includes every
article used for food or dl'ink by man, other than
drugs or water, a.nd any 1\rticle which ordinarily
enters into, or is used in, the composition or pl'epa.ra.
tion of human food, a.nd also flavouring matter and
condiments; the term "dmg" includes m eclicines
for internal or external \L<;e. Public analysts are
appointed to examine samples chiefly milk and
dairy products-taken under the Act, a.nd proceedingR
frequently follow both in the inter'ests of health and of
the prevent.ion of fraud. Some may protest t.ha.t tht>
work of the public a.naly::;t is not in the intetests of
industry , but it mu.c;t be admitted that the honest
vendor is directly protected by the prosecution of t.hf'
fraudulent, and it should be noted also that ma lY

g ..eat ly incrE'n.<iod the yield of cerealR, and the cultha

t ion of many other foodHtuffs, such as roots, fruit"
tea a.nd coffee, comes more and more under scientific
control, with beneficial results. " 'e propose now to
consider, as an example, an important foodstuff, in
the production of which chemical, b otanical and
mechanical sciences have played no mean part.

SUGAR.

WHAT INDUSTRY OWES TO SCIBNCB.

No. XIV.

FOOD.
\\'RILE,

Certain oilA, notably cottonseed and olive, a.~ we

have already remarked, tlwow down o, deposit of
"st-earine" when the tempetature fall s below a.
certain point. Chemically, an oil is fom\ed by the
union of a. fatty acid with glycerine a-ccompanied b y
the withdrawal of a certain number of atoms which,
taken togther, constitute water. The body formed
by such a. union is known a a glyceride. A glyceride
is thus an oil, but no actual oil, so far as we know, is
formed of one a nd only one glyceride. Stearine is
n glyce,ide, being formed by the union of stearic
acid with glycerine. Palmitine- pa.lmitic acid and
glycerine is another. And there are many more,
such as oleine, linoline, linolenine, and so on. These
glycerides solidify a.t d.i.fferent temperatures. Thus,
of tho e mentioned, stea.rine and palmitine may be
a.id to have relatively high solidifying points, a.nd
oleine, linoline and linolenine, relatively low solidifying
points. Taking the particular ca1>e of cotton-seed
oil, we find that this oil consists principally of a

1, 1917

Sugar is contsl.ined in the sap of many t rees, such as

the date, palm, a.nd the maple, a.nd in nearly a.ll fruit s .
The main sources, however, a re the snga.r-cane and the
beet. The e:\.--tra.ction of sugar from cane is said to
h.a.ve been practised in Bengal a.nd in China abo11t
800 a.c., a.nd existing records indicate that the Egyp
tia.ns, Arabs, a.nd Persians were acquaint ed with cane
sugar over 1100 years ago. The cane iR now cuJti.
va.ted in the 'Vest and Ea.st IndiPR, in the Southern
States, a.nd in South America.
In the old method 6f manipulation the cane, which
contains up to 18 per cent. of its weight in sugar, was
crushed between rollers, the expres ed juiee treated
with milk of lime to neutralise acidity , filtered and
evaporated to obtain the crystals. The solid was
separated by drainage in perforated casks, a.nd the
mother liquor- which contains various substances
which prevent complete crystallisation-appeared on
the market as treacle or molasses, or wa.s fermented to
make rum. With modern mechanical a.nd chemical
developments the industry h~s been brought to a.
state of great efficiency. The introduction of evapo
rating pans and similar plant has effected matked
economy in fuel ; the crystals are separated by
centrifuges, resulting in great saving of time, a.nd a
leaf h.a.s been taken from the book of the beet sugar
manufacturers by the employment of a diffusion
process to replace the cru."'h.ing. The cane is shredded
and soaked in water, the sugar diffusing through the
cell walls of the cane into the water, a.nd the yield
being enor'mou. ly increaRed.

The process of refi11 ing crude sugar generally

consists in diRsolving it in hot wa.t<."r- blood being
adclecl to very nude sugars to carry do'vn impurities
in coagu lating- filtering, decolouring by t ho action
of a.nima.J charcoal, and evaporating to crystallisation.
The products &l'e sopa.ra.tt>cl in to various grades
according to purity. As an instance of tho value
of scientific control in F~ugar refining proces. es, we
may
. mention that onE' concern has for many
. .vears
pa t effected a saving of bt>tween 7 5,000 a.nd 100,000
a year ru a retwn for an expenditure of 20,000 a.
year on its la.bora.tories a.nd stafL.:; of chem.i.-.ts.
ugat' wa cliscoYered in beetroot by :\larggra.f, f~
German chemist, in 1747, but it was not until 1801
that a factory
was established for it.s extraction,

the fust heing erected in , ilesia. by Acha.rd. In

the light of p1esent-da.y event it is int-eresting to
obsen e that the German industry received consider
able impetus in its early years through the land
blockade of Prussia, enforced by Buonaparto, which
made the home production of sugar a. neces ity.
Buonaparte also gave encouragement to the esta.b.
lishmen t. of the industry in France, and it is now
carried o n in Rw sia, Holland , a.nd other European
countries. The juice of the common beet contains
only a low percentage of . ugar, but by careful
scientific cult.iva.tion the yield has been steadily
increased, so Lhl\t some va.rietie give OYer 15 lb.
of suga1 per 100 lb. of beet, in. tead of ahout. 6 lb. or
less. The y ield of beetroot f1om the land ha. been
increased by about 15 per cent., and the coal con
~'~umption in t.he process of extraction has been
reduced by about 80 per cent. The exhausted sub
stance is utilised for making feeding stuffs for cattle.
In the ea.dy meth od of extraction the roots were
cleaned a.nci shredded, the shreds placed in woollen
bags, and the juice squeezed out by hydraulic
presswe. This practice still prevails in some p laces,
but has been replaced in others by the cleaner a.nd
more effi cient diffusion process. The roots a re
cut into thin strips which a.te exposed to the action
of water; the sugar diffuses out into the water,
leaving colloidal substances in the cells, the walls
of which a.re impervious to colloicls. The trea.t.ment
of the juice is similar to that employed in the case
of cane sugar, the yi<-ld of crystallised sugar being
about 70 per cent. of the sugar in the r oot, the other
30 p er cent. remaining in solution a.s molasses or
lireacle, to he sold as such or w~ecl to m.ake rum.
Increased yields of sugar in the cryst.a.llised sto.te,
from both cane and beet, are largely attributable
to the Osmose process, based on c,a.ha.m's work
on dialysi.<;, and t.he Elution processes elaborated hy
't.effen and by 'cheibler. In the first p rocess the
sugar is allowed to diffuse through a parchment
membrane into pure water, the substances which
prevent <'rystallisa.tion b eing unable to pass through
t.he mt>mhra.ne. 'fhE' solut.ion obtained is then worl<ecl
np for suga1 and fo r pot.a sium nitrate which a.ccom
panies it, while t.he remain ing liquor goes to the
distillery for the manufacture of byproducts.
The Elution processes depend on the formation of
the sparingly soluble calcium or stront.inm salts
formed by sugar- calcium a.nd st.rontium saccha.rates.
These salts, obtained by various methods in pur<>
condition from the sugar in molasses, a.re suspended
in water and decomposed into ugar a.nd calcium or
'ltrontium carbonate, a.s the ca.Re may be, by the a.ot-ion
of carbonic acid gM.
Other Ruch p rocesses hnve been devised, but that
1

Fig. 69-STEARINE

P RESSES

mixture of palmit.ine, oleine a.nd linoline. When the

temperature falls, the pa.lmitine solidifies out, while
the oleine and linoline a.re still liquid. The" stearin e"
deposited by cotton seed oil is, therefore. not stea.rine,
but pa.lmitine. From other oils-for example, from
olive oil- it ma.y consist. of a. mixture of true stea.rine,
pe.lmitine, a.n d other glycerides solidifying a.t a.
relatively high temperature.
The extraction of the " stearine " is a.n impol'ta.nt
opera.tion, particularly in the case of cottonseed oil.
This oil, after b eing " dema.rgarina.ted " is known as
.. winter oil," because it mll not throw down a. de
posit or become cloudy a.t temperatures normally
occurring in winter. A usual method of carrying out.
the demargarination is to cool the oil a.rt.ificially
until the "stearine " portions solidify, and then to
pass t.he whole through a. fi lter press. A slightly
different method consiF~ts of completing the freezing
of the whole oil in flat pans, wrapping the frozen
cakes in bagging and pres!'ling them in a. hydraulic
press. Under the pressure, the portion8 of the oil
h aving the lowest freezing point, liquefy, and a re
forct>d out a.nd drain away. A set of stea.rine pres>'es,
snitablo for this method of working, is illustrated in
Fig. 69. The p1esses differ conl'!iderably from t.JroRe
of tlu3 AngloAmerican t~ pe tu~ed for cru~hing seeds.
Et~ch is provided with a ram 12in. in diameter and
suitable for a. working pressure of two tons. A square
table is formed a.t the head of the ra.m, and on to this
a fourwheeled carriage can be run on rails from eithor
side of t h e presq. The carriage is pro,ided with
catches, which can be hinged do\vn to engage t.he
columns of the press, a.nd with two vertical guide baf'!l,
which, when the ra.m rises, enter holes in the press
h ead a.nd so h old t.he carriage stead y. 'I'he expre sed
oi l is caught in I he box like carriages. Tlu~re a.re t.wo
ca.r-riagt>s fo1 c:>aC'h P''eHc;, so that one may he fill ed

POR

DEMARGARINATJNG OIL

prepared foodR, snrh M biscuits. cocoa, ma.rgn,rine.

preserved meat., tiRh. fntiLs and ,egt>tablcR. ja.rn,.; and
confect.ionery. a.nd bc,era.gt>s are p1oduced under
scientific> sup(wvision.
The methocL<; of p1eservation of pe,iRhahlt> food
products are due to the a.pplicat.ion of science. The
sterili.c;ation by boiling o f meat and of fi sh, followed
by immediate hermetic sealing in cans, is the rt>snlt
of a knowledge of the nature of bActerial life, a.<> also
is t.he practice of preserving b.v the applicatiort of
cold, the meat or fish boing e ither actually frozC'n, or
maintained at a tempera.tme near the fr-eezing p oint
w ithout a.ctua.l congelation. We will refer again to
the subject of cold storage later.
The law governing t.he sale of milk in this
count11' eoacts. that the content of fat (cream)
shall b e not less than 3 per <'ent. The va.riotL<:
preservatives available for tL"'e a.re either prohi
bitecl, or are restdctt>d as to the qua.nt.ity that
ma.y he added. This is a. nereR-<;ary precaution , a.<:
most of the preserva.tiveR, such M f()rma.lin ancl boric
a.cirl, are not desirahle ftom tho point of ' 'iew of
hea lth, especially in the ca!'le of mHk. which is so
impottant to infants a.nd imalidl'l. The !lterilisa.t.ion
of milk b y pa. tewisation, whiC'h C'l)n!liHts in prolonged
heating at a. moderate temperat.\ue, is a. tLsefn.l mean><
of sa.fegua.nling the public h ealth, the taste, an cl
therefore the palatability, of thf:l milk being ve1~ little
affect.ed by the treatment.
Scienre provides the means of distinguishing
betwcon genuine hutter' and the various . ubRtitut.('s
now in common u se, such di~tinction b eing necessary
for the detection of fraurl.
Careful inveHiga.tion by botanical workers, combined with t h e ptoper application of manmes, haR
No. XIII. appeared May 2:>tb.

J UNE

8, 1917

THE EN G INEER

511

THE PBODCJCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- can bo offccted i tho oil is suitably treated with moment there is a fooling of uncertainty a.s to this
h ydrogen gas in the presence of finely cUvided nickel employment of them, for it is not yet settled h ow far
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
or palladium. Each of those metals acts a.s e. cata.lyHt
No. XV.
THE HYDROOENATION OR H ARD E!\'fJ:NO 01<' OILS.

F ATTY vegetable
~o; consistin~ ?f a

and animal oila may be deRcrib ed

glycerine pa;t and an acid part.
f ho compos1t10n of tho glycenne part is constant.
The composition of the acid p art varies from oil to
oil, and is characteristic of any one oil, or of any" ono
group of oils.
Several important vegetable and animal oils contain
an acid part having the general chemical form ula
C',. Jltr,. 0 2 Among these we have butLer fat , cocoan ut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, lard, tallow, and
,, nous
.
" b u tters, , sueh as cocoa, mace an d nutmeg
v ..
but.ters. It will be noticed that the oils and fats
mt'ntioned are in general characterised by the pos~es
~ion of e. thick consistency ; that is to Ray, they have
high m elting points, or , in ot.lwr wore!:;, they arcn aturally " hard."
.
Many other important vegotabl and animal oi l ~;
d if1(~r from those juRt mentioned, in that their acid
purti(fai l w fit, the senor~) formula quot<>d to the

and is left unaltcr<d aft.or the hydrogenha.s boon ta.ko~

up by the oil.
Those a re the broad chemjcal aspects of the process
wo a ro now cUscussing. Wherein ljes it~:~ commercial
applic?-bility ? The answer to this question can be
g1ven ln _a. general statemen t. For the purposes of
modern mc.l ustry the world's supply of natural faLs is
deD.cient, whi le tho supply of liquid oils is superabundant. The h ydrogenation process permits
us to m.a.ke ~ood the de6cioncy by converting some of
the s uperabundant liq u.id oils into hard fats.
AB an instance of the commercial applicability of
the hy drogenation process, we may look for a
moment. at the 60ap -making industry. T he ideal
Kubstance for Lho soap maker to work with ma.y be
tJaid to be tallow. It is a. firm substance, and yields
a fi rm soap Buch as we aro accwit.omccl t.o. T allow,
however, is expensive, and is obtainable only in
Kt.rictly limited amounts. The soap maker accordingly fa.lh; back upon Flomo of the har<ler oilFl, such as
cocoanut vil, pnlm oil, nrvl palrn kc>rnel oil. Tlwtso

tho poKBible prc!!ence in the hardened oila of a small

o.mo~mt of the nickel or other catalyst is harmful to
the human conAtitut ion.
The chief oil hardened at present is whale oil.
Incree..~ing quanti ties of cotton -seed, linseed, soya. bean,
cocoanut, and other oilB are, however, also being
subjected to t he process, so th.a.t the subject is ono
quite properly falling within t he scop e of this series.
With regard to the hardening of cocoanut oil, a word
of explanation is n o d oubt desirable. T his oil is just
on the border line b etween the true oils a nd the t rue
fats. It is one thing in one part of the world , and tho
other in another part. All i ts acid part is not sa.tll
rated but contaiM portioM of unsaturated acids. 1t.
is therefore capable of absorbing a certain amo unt of
hydrogen, and so becoming harder than it, is n orrnt\lly
in this climate.

Hardened oi1.11 are white, tasteloHs. odourlcMR Kll b .

stances of ta.llow -liko consistency. Theoretically at
lea'!t, thoy s hould all b o idon tieal, whatever may bo
the particular oil started wi th, and in pract.ice s uch
identity seems to be attained, a.t least. in the oil

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FIJ.

7~PLAN

('rlent of two, four , Rix or eight a toms of hydrogen.

1'hua, in rape oil, and certain flsh oils, two hy drogen
atomB are missing. F our are abRent in the acid parts
of Hoya bean oil and cotton -seed oil. I n linseed oil
Hix atol'll8 arc mjssing, and in certain liver and blubber
oiiH eight atoms a re a.-wanting. All these oils, it will
ho noticed, are in general cha.ra.cteriged by the p osse8
Hion of a. liquid consiBtency. Jn pe,..,sing it should be
ohHerved that castor oiJ does not appear under either
di' .iJ.Iion. ThiA oil is excep tional, fo r it.s acid part contn.inH not two but three atoms of oxygen.
The oils of the second divit~ion- or, to be quite
exact, the acid parts of the11e oils- a.rc termed un
Ratu.ra.ted, for they a.re, theoretically a.t least, capable
of -taking up and combining with additional atoms
of h ydrogen. In practice, however, under normal
<:(mditioro~, h y drogen, oven in the ne.~c<nt stato, is
quite without action on fatty oils. T he great corn
J'TI(rcia.l value attaching to the power of being able to
<'OuvE>rt an \lJlli&turated into a saturated oil has led
h! rnuch inveHtigation of the matter. It has l>e(>n
d!HC'Ovort>d that t he add ition of t.ho hydrog<>n a.toms
Jro. Xl V. appeared J nne

h~.

OF

OIL

llYDROGENISING

FACTORY

ON

TilE

LANE

oils a re also expenaive.,and a re in incree..~ing demand in

other industries. If, however , the Aoa.p maker tries
to replace them with one or other of the abundant
naturally liquid oi ls, such a..'! whale oil, soya bean oil,
and so on, his product looses greatly in quality, and is
apt to be a. soft, s ticky masA, unusable or unaa.lca.blo
68 soap for m any purp01~cs.
B y hardening t hese oils
before UAing thl'm in the soap kettle, h e obtainA a
s ubstance practically identical with tallow without
affecting the yield from them of that va.l u'a.blo
by-product of tho soap making ind ustry, glycorino.
The hydrogenation process th llfl throws open to the
soap maker a. wido range of oi iR which othorwiRo
wouJd bo next to useless for his purpose.
Similar remarks apply to the candle-ma.l<ing
industry, which, again, calls largely for faLH rat.hor
than oils. F or certain edible productioM, notably
margarine and ch ocolate, fats are now in d emand Lo a.
greater extent tha.n can he con veniently met fr01n
na.tural sources of supply. \ Vha.tevor may be the ca~e
to -day-it lB very difficult to find out exactly h ow
matters do stand at. present-it iR cc>rtain that arti
fi cially ha.rden<>d oils wi ll soon be in extensive ancl
I A.Cknowlc<lg<'d trRe for l'dihlc purpoR<>~. .J uRt for thc-

SYSTEat

aR freRhly hardened, but there is some uncertainty

whether a. hardened oil if kept long enough will ot
will not develop Aomo character it:lticH of i tH paren t..
ThllR, hardened whale oil may, sooner or later, d evelop
a fiRhy smell , and hardened cocoanut oil the character if!tic s mell of cocoanuts. In practice, however, th(}
oils are us ually hardened a.t the soap worl<B, or wherever eli!e they are to be used, or are otherwise employed
with but little interval between being hardened 0.0 ( 1
b<'ing treated in indl.l8tria.l proce11ses. The point iR
of impor Lance, for there a.ro d istinct signs tb.a.t, in tho
near fu ture, cerLo.in oilll will be hardened before s hip ment to this country. Thus the process is attracting
coDHidera.ble attention from Lhe soya. bean oil producen'l in Japan and Manchuria, t ho idea. being that
hardened oils may bo shipped and carried without
risl<ing that loRs through leakage, &c., \Vhich is n.
serious it.em in the shipment of liquid oils.
TJJ T ECHNOLOGY OF OIL HARDEN NG.

Coming to the tech nology of the procCf!f! we fin <l

that s ucceHR is dependent primari ly upon two circumAta.nces, firRt the ca.refttl preparation of the ca.t&lyHt .
nod , R~'('oncll ~. the ulle of V<'fY pure hydrogen. Very

THE EN G INEER

5 t2
little variation of procedure may quite readily result
in an entire failure to harden the oil.
The catalyst commonly used on a commercial
scale is metallic nickol prepared in a finely divided
state by cherrucal precipitation. Once made it
must be kept rigorour.ly apart from certain other
t.ubsta.nces, notably air, moibture, s ulphur, arsenic,
carbon monoxide, methane, &c. Th>se substances
oxidise or otherwise react on the metallic nickel, and
quite destroy ita catalytic action. Thus it is stated
that a tenth of one per cent. of sulphuretted hydrogen,
if present in the hydrogen used in the process, will
prevent the hydrogenation of the oil.
The effect of these substances on the catalyst
is felt in three directions. First, a.s we have said,
it means that the hydrogen used must be very pure,
and free especially from moisture and sulphW' corn
pounds. Secondly, the oil to be hardened must
be thoroughly freed as a preliminary from the
moiStW'e which, when received, it is certain alway~
to contain. Thirdly, in preparing the catalybt
a stage is reached when it must be treated and handled
out of contact with the atmosphere.
Given the satiKfactory attainment of these condi
tions the process is simple. The oil with the catalyst
added is heated in an atmosphere of hydrogen inside
a closed vessel an autoclave- fitted with a
mechanical agitator. The oil and hydrogen are
brought into intimate contact and at the end of
three to foW' hourb the absorption is found to be
complete. The temperature at which the work is
carried on is of great importance. It appears that
f or any given preR!lure of hydrogen inside the auto
clave there is e. definite temperature which rnUHt
be reached before tho absorption begins. At atrnos

PIJ. 71- LA!I'E AUTOCLAVE

J uNt 8, 1917

of the hardening process of an inexpensive supply

of pure hydrogen- to describe the Lane system of
generating hydrogen.
In the engraving Fig. 70 on page 513, we reproducf>
the ~eneral plan of an oil-hydrogenising plant
erected to )lr. Lane's df'c;igus. A.., set to \\ <.11 k
in the fin,t inhtance tllis factory ha~ a capacity for
treating one ton of oil per hour, but throughout
provision is made for trebling the plant and the output.
In this article we are concerned solely with the low(r
portion of the plan- the oil treatment departmf'ut.
The upper portion- more than 50 per cent. of the
whole represents the lay-out of the hydrogen producing plant which we will deal with in o ur next
article.
RECEPTION AND DESI CCATION OF THE RAW OIL.

The raw oil is received at the works at the point

marked A in the lower left-hand corner of the plan.
The first operation is to remove tbe oil in a cleanly
and thorough manner from the barrelh an.d to pas.
it into steel storage tanks. AB the raw oil may be
naturally thick -such as is the ea e if cocoanut,
palm, or palJD kernel oil 1.8 being treated- means
have to be provided for heating it so that the
barrels may bo properly emptied and the oil in tho
storage tanks may be kept suffi~ient l y liquid t ~ be
pumped on to the next stage. 1he means prov1dcd
consist of steam jets for heating the barrels and Bat
steam coils at the bottom of the tanks to pre~rve
the contents in a. liquid state. The tops of the
storage tanks are open, and 9cro~>s their mouth" i~o.

FIJ. 72-MR.

BOWARD

LANE'S

EXPERlllllENTAL OILBARDEBilfO

erected a wooden stage in wlUch grilles are formed

on to which the barrels are emptied.
The next stage consists in thoroughly drying the
oil so as to meet the requirement for success, mentioned above, that the catalyst should not be brought
at any time into contact with moisture. The desiccation is performed in two f!tages. The oil ia first
pumped from the storage tan~ iu to open preliminary
heating ves~e ls circular in RCC'tion and having conical
bases. The!;() ves"cls are fitted "ith mechanical
awtating gear and with steam heating coils. In thc>m
the oil is freed of the greater part of its moisture.
To secure the final and complete desiccation the oil
is pumped into vacuum pans consisting of circular
sectioned vessclH with domed tops and conical bases,
and containing e. hc>ating coil and mechanical stirring
gear. The domed top of each pan is provided with
an inlet connvction for the oil and a connection to
a \'acuum pump. The outlPt for the oil is throu~b
a. cock at the foot of the conical base. , team,
ftuid level and vacuum ga.uge!o4, and thermometcrti
arc fitted in connection with the pans. The oil
leaving the panR is now reAdy to be brought into
contact with the hydrogen in t ho autoclaves, but
before proceeding to de!';crihe these we will deal with
the preparation of the catal) ..,t;

pheric pres.'iure this temperature appears to be about

250 deg. Cent. In pra<:tice such a temperature
would almost certainly result in the hardened oil
being discoloured. To avoid this some temperature
approximately 200 deg. must be W!ed. The presswe
of the h ydrogen has to be increased above atmospheric
as the temperature is decreased. A normal working
condition is a temperature of 170 deg. to 180 deg. Cent.
in conjunction with a pres.'iure of 70 to 80 lb. per
square inch.
When the absorption is complete the oil is run out
of the autoclave, cooled, filtered, and allowed to
solidify.
For the purpose of this and the succeeding article
we have made a close study of the hydrogenation
and hydrogen producing plants designed and patented
by ~Ir. Howard Lane, of the Laboratory, Ashforcl,
)fiddlesex. )1r. Lane has kindJy allowed us to
inapect when at work the experimental plants which
he has erected at hi~ laboratory. T o avoid creating
a rn.ti>apprehonllion we desire to make it quite clear
at this point that we are not dealing with a system
or plant which is only in the experimental stage. The
PREPARATIOX OF THE C.\T,\LYST.
generation of pure hydrogen is a subject which ha~
engaged ::\lr. Lane ,:; attention ~ince 1903. TlH1
The catal~ ht cmployed in the Lane woces~ is finely
development of hiH oil-hardening plant followed divided metallic uic~kel. It iH nc<Jived at the works
upon the corruncrcial ~;ucceas of his ideas as to tho in the form of uickel sulphate in crystals. The
generation of hydrogen. ~1any installations, both of first step in it~ prepa.rn.tion COJtRi'ltfi of makin~ a
the hydrogen plant and the hydrogenation plant Rolution of tlw mckcl s1tlphato and another solution
erected to his dc,;;igns, are to-day succes:;fully at wo1k of ~o.odium carbonatc. This is done in the two tanks
on a large scale both in this country and abroad. It B (' respcC'tJvt'ly. Each of thcse tanks iH fitted
i,:; propohed in thi~ article to de"'Cribe a typical hydro- with an opr-n st(arn jet to facilitate tho pregNtation plant on the Lane syl'ltem, and in the 1 pa.ra.t ion of the solul ion. Thcy are erected over
J.<.xt- becau e <Jf the vital importance to the sucCNi a third t:1nk pro\ idcd with rnrau~ for mixing tho

two solutions when they are turned into it. The

result of this mixture is the precipitation of insoluble
nickel~ carbonate and the passage of sodium sulphate
into solution. Previous to the admission of the
two flolutions a quantity of finely divided refractory
J.eutral mntcrial is placed in the mixing tank. In
prnctice this material is usunlly kieselgnhr-that
i!:l to say, infusoria.l earth consi~;ting of siliceous diatom
foAAils. Its function is to act a.s a carrier for the
nickel.
The mother liquor, the precipitate of nickel carbonate, and the kieselguhr are drawn off from the
mixing tank and pumped through a fiJter prc>,.s of
the type described in our preceding article. When
the fiJtering is completed the nickel carbonat< and
the kieselguhr are found con~'>oljdated on the filter
cloths a.s cakes. These cake.'! are thoroughly dried
in hot air stoves, and thereafter are reduced to
powder by means of an edge runner. The carbonate
ha.s now to be roasted or cakinN1 >lO a.s to reduce it
to the form of oxide. Thereafte r comes the very

delicate operation of reducing the oxide to the

metallic form. This is effect<'d by heating the oxide
in conta.ct with hydrogen- which must be quit<' free
from air- at a certain temperature. One form of the
apparatus employed is contained within a heatin&ulated vertical case to which the pulverised materiAl
is fed automatically at the top, while the hydrogen
is a.dmitted at the foot. IMide the case there is
provided a series of Hlowly reciprocating grida or
sieves. The m o,ernent of thc-.e constantly expoacs

PLA!fT

or

fresh portions of the substance to the action

the
hydrogen, and at the same time determines the
rate at which the substance falls:through the case.
The apparatus is heated by the hydrogen itself,
the gas before its a.dmis ion being heated to the
requisite temperatW'e in an external superheater
or stove. In this particular form of reducing apparatus
the reduction of the oxide to the metallic form is
effected in the lower portions of the case. In the
upper portion the material- fed to the case in the
form of the carbonate is calcined to the oxide
After leaving the lowest grid the reduced material
accompanied by the kieselguhr, must not, of coUJ"SS.
be permitttd to come into contact with the air.
It is therefore caused to fall into a tank of oil of the
same kind and quality as that to be hardened.
After thorough mixing the black oily preparation
is ground to a suitable conlli.qtcncy, and is then finally
ready for admission to the autoclave along with
the oil.
THE

LA~E

AUTOCLAVE.

An autoclave, designed according to )Jr. Lane's

patents, iH illustrated in section in Fig. 71. It is a

cylindrical upright vessel, clo,;;ed top and bottom, and

surrounded by an outer jacket of fire-brick to constitute a flue for the gases of a separately fired furnace.
The upper half of the vessel is occupied by agitatiu~
gear consil'iting of a series of square beater disc>~ A
mounted on a. power-driven vertical shaft, and an
equal number of metal plate cones B formed with
square holes at their centres, and fixed relativcly to
the walls of the vessel. The lower half is, i.n the working condition, occupied by the oil to be treatc>d rrux< d
with thP catalyst. A pump C draws the oil from th<"
foot of the ve"--el and discharge,; it continuo01~ly on to
the uppermost of the cone'i B . Falling from thi~o~ c.n
to the fir~;t. of the be~ttr~r plateq A it is shot off againat
th<: wo.llQ of the vesSf'l, and ia rlische.rged thro\lgh the

THE ENGINEE R

514
OJX>ru.ng in the ~>econd cone on to the second beater
plate. Before it rot urns to I he bottom half of the
vet.Sel the oil i~> thlL'> thoroughly churned up m the
a.tmol>phere of h) <lwgen under pro:..:.ure "hich fiJ.L;
the upper half of the ve ...sel. The oil and ca.ta.ly~>t are
tutroduced at D and the hydrogen at E. At F a.
cotmcction to a. vacuum pump is proVJded where b),
as a preliminary to the introduct10n of the catalyst
and hydrogen, the air in the ve~'<"'cl can be removed.
It has been found, a.':! the resuJt of practical experionce, that the oil in the lower part of the vessel is apt
to sufier from bomg exposed too long in contact with
the hot surroundmg walls. To overcome this Mr.
Lane, in his moRt recent designs, extends the agitator
shaft to the foot of tbe vessel, provides it with a
beater or paddle, and surrounds it with a. cylindrical
jacket. The oil i.. thus circulated from the paddle
up tho annular space between the jacket a.ud the
walls of the autoclave, and down again through the
jacket to the paddle. In the enguwi.ng on page 513
wo give the general arrangement drawing of a. Lane
autoclave provided 'vith this improvement.
lf matters are properly regulated the pressure inside
the autoclave, as the hydrogen is puruped in, is seen
to rise at first. On r~ching a. certain point, depending upon the temperature maintained in the oil, the
pressure becomes stationary, indicating that the
hydrogen is bemg ab orbed by the oil as fast as it is
pumped in. When, by sampling, the hardening is
judged to be completed, the oil 1B drawn from the
autoclave through the pipe D, Fig. 71, and as indicated on the engraving on page 611, is cooled and
fiJtered. The cooling is not sufficient to solidify the
oil, but is onJy sufficient to prevent the hot oil from
ruinmg the cloths of the fiJter pre....a. In the 6Jters
tho very large buJk, if not the wbole, of the metallic
mckel and the kie:.elguhr is held hack. The cake,..
left on the cloth are washed and freed from oil, are
broken up, and are returned to the cataly~;t preparing
dopartment, where the material is made ready for
fwther use.
In Fig. 72 we give a. view showmg the interior of
Mr. Lane's laboratory at Ashford with the experimental oil hydrogeni.bing plant. In the middle of
tho background the autoclave is to be seen with, to
the right, the coke or coal-fired furnace used in ccn
junction with it. l n the foreground to the right we
have the cooler for the hardened oil, and to the left
the fiJter press.
COST OF

WORKL~O

British <"nginPertl have expl01tcd tho briqu<'tting

procct>:S so little. The first 1s that the total co~;t of t ho
plant runs away wtth the profit, and the second. that.
no machine of Brtti h design hM a. sufficient capacit}
per unit to make it pay to install one.
Lot us exarruno \\hat truth there is in theso two
a.s.qertions. At the outset, we may state that though
there is certainly a. great deal of divergence in the
views held as to the amount of saving in metal which
may be effected, there certainly is a. saving which m
a. properly de igiled and managed plant may a.ttaw
very sub:sta.ntia.l proportions, and there appears to
be no reason" hv oven the smaUc~:~t machine f'houJd not
prove to be a. r~aying investment.
A few examples may be given of the evidence on
this point which our inquiries have brought to light.
We have before us the esti.m.a.tes for a. briquetti.ng
plant which ~ f'hortly to be put to work, if, indeed, it
has not already begun operations. It has been
designed after opecial study by A. Bntu.h engineer, to
\\hose experiencO$ we shall refer in our second article.
It comprises three presses ma.clc in tlus country, but
of continental de~ign. The proposed output it!
100 tons of briquettes of non-forroUR swa.rf per week
of fifty-foW' hours. Each preRS has, therefore, a.
capacity of 33 i tons per week, or say, 1383 lb. por
hour. The total co~;t of the installation, including the
pre.....;cs and other machinetJ', preliminary expenReS,
stores and sundries is given as 3800. The standing
charges, including rent, rate,., taxes, light, depreciation

.,

THE PROCE S.

The following e timate of the co~;t of working a

plant having a. capacity of one ton of oil per hour 1'>
ba.--ed on figures ~;upplied by .Mr. Lane. In studying
the figures it should be noted that the rates charged
for nickel sulphate, lU&;elguhr, and carbonate of socla
aro not necets~sarily tho~>e for which the:.e materralt;
could be bought m the present abnonnal time. On
the other hand, the price set agam~>t the hydrogen r;,,
owmg to recent tmpro,ements, probably in exce"'"'
of that at wruch it U. obtainable, oven under the conrtitJOni\ of to-da.). In the second place 1t il> to h<'
noticed that the figures relate to the hardening of
Jin~;oed oil.
C:<wta.i.n oils, for example, whale oil,
requiro more hydrogen to hardou them than doe~
linrseed. Others, ~;uch as cotton-seed oil, require les.~.
AB the charge for hydrogen is the heaviest in the h,..t,
the que tion of what precise oil is being dealt "tth
1.t1 a point of considerable importance in its bearmg
upou the working costs. The only other heavy item
m the list is that Het against " lo~s of catalyst." The
magnitude of this figure also depends upon the natW'O
of the oil being hardened.
Con of Hardming OM Ton of Lin8wl Oil.
Hydrogen : 3630 cu. fL. at 48. 6ld. r*r 11111() cu. ft.
.Loea o (ea ta1 yat . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel for Hee.ung : J cwt. coke at 308. J" 'r tm . .
Power
..
.. .. .. ..
Steam : 13 lb. aL 3e. 4<1. p<-r ton
Water: 400 cu. ft. at lOd. per 1000 cu. H ...
!<'alter cloths : 1 ynrd at le. 3d. per }tlrU
Labour (tncJud.tn~ preparation of cat~ I>~L): 7
men at Gd.. per llour
.. ..
..
n unmng repairs . . . . . . . .
Total ..

.. ..

~.

d.

f)

16

11

1
J

CJ

:l

(I

0
1

4
3

11

!I

f)

0
0
CJ

fj

N 1ckel sulphate at 428. per cut., kic..ulguhr ut J 7e. fJ<r c" t .,

carbonat(l of ~<><lA at 5:is. per ton.

THE BRIQUETTING OF METAL SWARF.

No. L

IN a note which we published receutly under the

hca.ding " Random Reflections," we drew attention
to the fact that the question of tho briquetting of
tnctaJ swa.rf had been greatly neglected in this
country. Since writing that note wo have gone still
further into the matter, but have failed to find any
rea.t;On to modify our views. There is no denying
that British engmeers have not hitherto studied the
means of preventing waste during remelting to that
degree which the importance of the subject undoubtedly justifies, though we are glad to observe
signs of reformation. Very divergent vtews as to the
aa.vings which are effected by briqu<'tting still exist.
No two makers of briquetting m.a.<:hinery or melten>
of bnquettes give figures which aro exactly comparable,
und it is high time that a. moro thorCJugh understanding
ot tlw \\hole :.UIJJ<:ct wa:. !'!ought.
Two main WQ.t)Ollt! havo been buggo~;Lou to UJ:i \\try

Fir. 1- BOLLiliGS AHD GUEST BRIQUETTDJG MACIWIE

and sundries, are estimated at 64 per week, and the

rwming costs, labour, stores, office and other charges,
at 47 per week. The total weekly expenditure will
therefore be 111. With an output of 100 tons per
week, the cost worlo:i out at 22 . 2 shillings per ton. As
the financial result of this installation, a. net saving,
after making all provisions, of over 1 per ton is
anticipated. Taking the value of the remelt.ed swa.rf
at 70 per ton, this represents a. net gain of nearly
1 . 43 per cent., after paying the cost of briquetting,
and from information which we have derived from
other sources it ,,.ouJd appear, too, that a. higher
figure might reasonably have been counted on,
especially as we gather that in this ca...qe the remelted
material is to be used for casting direct, and is not
to be simply run down into ingots. That, however,
is the figure given to us, and, comparatively small as
it is, it represents an excellent return on the invest.od
capital.
This percentage is, we may say, the lowest figure
we have met with. At the other end of the Acale,
the highest claim for net saving which has come to
our notice is 15 per ton. Between these two there
is a. very wide clifference which we are unable t.o
explain, though pobSibly some of it may b e duo to
the varying composition of the metals dealt with.
This, however, wouJd not accow1t for anything like
the whole of the difference. In fitill another case,
ca.lcul.a.tions aro ba.<>od on a. saving of 5 per cent.,
which is referred to as being " qwt <l low estimate."
These examplu. . , \\ b.ich all n for to non-ferrous
swa.rf-bra.ss, wo behove, in each c~o--:.erve to show

JcNE 8, 1917
I

how complPtcly at variance the publiFohed figure~ CJU

the subject aro.
As regards copper, we ar Q.b.-~ured that the lo"'""'.S
may be reduced by brtquottu1g from an average of
per cent. to an average of 1! per cent., thli> ~>ho\\'lng
a. saving of 6l per cent. StX and a._half.per cont. ou,
~ay, 130, HI nearly 8 10:i., and buppooing the co~>t of
hriquetting to be 22.2 srullings per ton, the actual
f'aving in money wouJd appear to be well over 7 por
t on.
Then agam, ua melting alum.iruum borin~ w1thout
briquettmg, the loss may be very high u1dt:ed,
amountinl't. st t,., t.atd, b) one authority, to as much a>J
from 30 to 50 per cent. After briquetting, the lo~>~>,
we are assured, need not be more than 7i_per cont.,
and AhouJd certainJy not be more than 10 per cent.
Fifty per cent. is probably a great deal higher than it
wouJd be were proper precautwns taken, but supposwg
the lo se before and after briquettwg to bo 30 and
10 per cent. rGSpectively, the not saving wouJd bo
20 per cent., and 20 per cent. wtth remelted a.lunu.niwn.
swa.rf at, My, 210 per ton, wouJd mean 42, bO that,
a.Uowing for the cost of briquettwg, a. good deal more
than 40 wouJd be saved on every ton that wal>
melted.
It should be ... tated at th.i.t. powt that some makers
of furnaces deny that such lo:s<lCS m remelting a..i
have been mentioned above are m any way necoi88..ry,
and assert that with a. correct design of f\ll1l&(;(j
the lol>bes are nothing like 88 high as tho figurco
quoted. Further than that, they allege that the COl>t
and total working charges of the machinery for
briquetting leave~ less profit than does a furnaco
properly designed and constructed to deal wtth
Joose swa.rf. The .Monometer Company, for example,
which certainly makes exceUent furna.ces for this
purpo:,e, and has achieved fi.nst-rate resuJtd, clau:ns
that it ha,.., reduced the loso on average a.luruinjum
Mwarf to J 0 per cent., and the loss on bra.RS Mwarf
to half tLat amount.
It is not part of our present purpose to <lillcus1:1
furthe r the relative a.d,a.ntages of the two plans
indicated, and \VC have merely touched upon the
matter hero to hhow that it has not been overlooked.
It has to bo remembered, however, that in the
majority of cases firms, the bw-tne~>s of wrud1 tS
concerned with the re-melting of meta.b, alroad)
have their furna.ces installed, ~:;o that the problew
resolves itself into which of the two cour~;es ot'fen~
the greater advantages :
(a) To install briquetting machinery and
continu< to use the existing furn.a.ces; or
(b) To cliJ,ca.rd tho~>e furnace and inbtaU UC\\
ones, so as to be able to melt without briq uotting.
To continue: ca.st iron bonngs cannot be melted
in the ordinary way in a. c upola. without exooto.~ivo
"a. . te. omP authorities give a. loss as high as
.JO per c-ent., but it may be anything, sincu iho
t tondenc) i~-, for the sma.Uer particles to be blown
out or burnt. The nature of the rerna.ining metal
may a.L;o b<' cnts..rely changed. In ~;ome ca..<.e.i the
expedient of enclosing the b oring: m metal boxcli
or tubes has been tried, and in such ca.l>Cs, wo underKtand, the melting losses have varied between 8 and
I 2 per cent.; but against this has to be reckoned
the cost of the labour involved in the boxing proCCt>S,
and the fact that there is a.lwayb the danger of the
boxes or tube11 opening and du;cha.rging the looDe
borings over the coke bed. Generally speaking,
however, Ca.bt iron swarf i.J.> ~:;o lightly regarded that
it is permitted to rust in heaps, or is even used to
mend bad places in roa.dwa.ys. When briquotted,
cast iron borings may, according to one statement,
be melted without difficulty with a. loss not exceeding
6 per cent. According to another authority, who
puts the value of the untouched material at 1 per
ton, the briquetting procet>S produces a material
which is as good as ordinary pig iron, and hi worth
fully from 63s. to 85s. per ton, so that after allowing
for briquetting the saving shown is from 251!. to 35~>.
per ton. We can get at the approximate cost of
the briquetting in this case by a.na.ly~ing the-.o figure~>.
Taking the means between 63s. and 85s. and between
25s. and 358., the figures 7 4s. and 30s. per ton are
arrived at. Subtracting the one from the other we
get 44s., and again subtracting the original value,
given as being 1 , we find that the cost of briquotting
has been 24s. per ton.
With regard to steel swa.rf the que.-.tion of briquotting is, perhaps, not so urgent as it is with other
materials, since such swarf can be readily dealt
with in the bla.st-furna.ce. At the same time, it should
be mentioned that there are several briquetting
plants in this country which are working on steel
swarf, some of them producing briquettes of a. shape
to fit into melting crucibles.
In spite of the conflicting evidence, it wouJd certa.inJy
appear from the foregoing that there are abundant
data available on which to estimate whether or not
it is worth while to install briquetting machinery.
Two important fe.ctors are {a) the value of the metal
of which the swarf is composed, and {b) the quantity
dealt with. The cost of briquetting can nowadays
be ca.lcuJ.a.ted with fair accuracy before opera.tioru;
are started. The holder of the swarf can ascertain
(1) what he can get for it as it stands; and {2) what
he can get for the metal run down into ingots. It
iR clear, therefore, that thn a!-...ertion that sufficient
information i>~ not an~ilaLlc f11r tlw pllilJON.- uf making
calcuJatioru., howe" er true tt mu.y have bccn in t hu

546

THE ENGINEER

Jun 15, 1917

iltlm~diate~ly starts I o coma off, arE" sent <>]...,..." lwr<> the place of water-gas.

J t is ufficient for us to sav

THE PRODOCTION AND INDUSTRIAL EMPLOY- than to tlw hydrogcn holcll'r, for th<'y arc impnr to thnt the genrrotors arl ..uppliod with air from a
tho r>.ltnt tho.t, they c-nny '' ath i lH'lll the> 11 chuiua turbumtlri\'<'fl blower-, nnd with tl'llm from the samB
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
gn.-., the water vapour, nntl the carbon dioXJdc, borlcr a that suppl) mg bl<'Uil\ tu tho hydrog~tn
:o;o. X\ T
lin~c,ring

TUE HYDROCEX.\nox OR 11.\IWEXTXG OF OILS

(C'unl

uetl.)

THE CEXER,\TIO'\ OF HYDROCF.X.

o important to tlw ISUCC<'...ruJ " o rlting of t Jw

h~ drogenation pror<'~"~ of hard<>ning oils k an in<'XJX>n.
si\'e commercial method of obtaining pure hydrogen,
that we need ma.k<" no excw e for deYoting a. separate
article of this serie<> to the subject. There are, of
course, various method~; of gererating hydrogen on a
commercial scale, one well-known one being the
Linde-Frank-Caro process, which extract!'! the
hydrogen from water ga. by liquefying the nitrogen,
ca.r_bon mon ~xitlc, &c.: in _a liquid air condea~~>~r.
Thi<> proces as worked. ~ thi country by the Bntu~h
Oxygen C'omp~n): L~ted. and, WE' ~dt<rs~and,
ywld~> a gn~ which J'> Hwtable for hydroglnatmg o aiH.
Tht> _PrOC<'I'IH \\C pr~po. e ~ere t o dt>al wath <>::xrlu'-1\<ly 1;;, a'~ wo m<'ntaoned m our prt-crdm~ articlE>,
that, which ha.'! bE>en de,eloped within the pa ..t fo UJ
tPt>n )<'arl'!
l\Ir. Ho~ard ~ne, of tlw Labo ~to ay,
J-\..~lfor~l, :'ITuldlPsex .. ~e ba,as o f tlu ... ptO<'E'..... 1'1 tlw
Ox1da.t10n o f rnetaU1c 1ro~ b~ mE'a~ ... of _s tNllll: th<'
oxygt-n of the. st t-am E'.ntermg m to lUliOn "1th tlw 1ron,
and. the hydrogen bemg "<'t frt'e. Propcl..als on tltiK
ba,.,u; have been nwnerou:r-probabh m or< numt>rou"'
than those und~r any o~lwr ") ... tt'm of producing
lwdrogen-but m man) ua ... huut" <.uc<,~-s "11 h the

?Y

To
To

in the retort~ as a rcsult of the pro,ious retort .

reduction process.
Thre<' practical points must now be noted, for they
lie at t.hP bo.Ris o f l\fr. Lane's method of workin~. In
l ht~ fit'HL plare, it has h<'<>n found that the redllrtion of
I lw material in the r<'l ort'l orcupit>R about t wicc a,.,
long a" lh<' oxidation. ArC'ordingly Mr. La.nt> di\ide.s
hiH l'etorts into three sections, two of which are
"reducing," while one iA "oxidif!ing.'' In the
experimental plant at Ashford we found that the
control valves were be ing operated every ten minutes,
AO that each section of the retorts was producing
hydrogen for ten minutes in every half hour.
In the second place, :\Ir. Lane has found a difficulty
which previous workers with thiR process
nl;;_o m~t. and which has bC'rn rcspont>ible for its
beang commercially impractica.hle, or for it'i ooing
decm<'cl so, in more than ono im;lance. The diffiC'ult\'
il:l that, afte a time, the iron gn\duaJly IoS<>~ it'l
activity, and in the end pra.ctitalh fniJ;; to rt>a<"t with
the> oxygen o f the steam. Tlw troubh, :'ll r. Lane ha-1
diH~overt-d, t\l'ises ftom the fact that it. iK not pos..,ible
l'ntuely to free the watergM, or o th(t r<'clucing ga....
u,;ecJ, f1om sulphur, ca1bon dioxid(', and oth<'l i1npuri
tieH. These imptuities either combine with tlw iron
o r collect within its pores, Ro rC:'cluring a tul finall)
si opping its acti,rity. To O\'C:'I'come t hi>! :\Jr. J.anr
armnges that, at stated intervals, th<' workin~ o f thE'
n:tort~ is intenupted momC'ntarilr ,, hilt' a 1r i'l ))li'"f'cl

ha,;e

Atmosphere

Wat~r

Cas F'or Fir/ng Furna ce.

Jt

1/

The water-gas general d has, on the average,

a calorific value of from 2 0 t o 300 B.Th.U.'s, and m
th~ raw '!tato may be said to lta\'P roughly the following compo,.ition : -Hydrogen, 40 ('X'r c nt.; <'nrbon,
monoxul<'. 43 ; methane, \ ; C'nrhon dioxide 4
'
togP.tl_ler witl~ nitrogen, !>ulphur chox:ide. hydrogen
~ulptud<>, mol-.lure, and dW>t and otlwr m<'chan.ical
impuritic.i. The gas, on leaving tho genea"SlON,
pa,..e throu~h a uperheater, where it exchanges
some o f itq heat with the steam Bowing from the
boiler to the generators. Thereafter it i~ led to a
scrubber, \There it is cooled and wa hed with water
to deprhe it of its dust. I t is then taken to a gnq.
holder.
The gas a.s required is withdrawn from the holder
by means of a " booster " o r compre. sor and pa. ..00.
along t o thc> purifi<>rs. The booster is driven by a.
smaiJ !..team engino, which is controlled by the
pres.-;ure o f the gM in such a. wny, that as the resistance
o f the puritierR in c rcn~s Ro dot>'! the pre <>ure of the
ga . A by-pas>i is provided in orcl<'r that the gas
may be sent, if n ecC:'~sary, fltra1gh t to tho pu1ifit>r., at
the ga.sholcler p1e&"'W'O. Thi~ 1-1 ...oruC't imc"' ronnmient, as, for exampl<>, wlwn tlw boo..tcr lta'l to l>f'
cleaned or repaired or wlwn tlw h)<lrog(n r<>lot1'> 010
l>eing nm banked.
The wa.t~r-ga purifier>~ for t hr in>~tn.llntion reprc>M'nt~d in Fig. 70 are fou in numbe-r. Tlwy ~nc
m the u."'ual way to rC:'mo,e tht> ... ulphur dio~ul<.
hyclrog<>n sulphid<>, carbon dioxidP, moi ... t ur<>, &c.,
from the water-ga'i. They are controllPd by a rentn
vnl\'( o f sp<'rial conRtrurtion, packed '"ith hard fat
to pre,cnt leakage , on the principle of the , ta.uff~.>r
grE>a.~ C'up. This valve is actuated in such a way that
ont- o f t lw purifieaR is alway.:; in reserve, while the ga..o.J
pa....c... in :,equPnce through C'ach of the remaining
throe. Tlw C'rudt>Rt gno;; alway>J enters the foulest
punfi+r. nncl lt\\'<'H from t lw chanest. At in ten'als.
till' foult> ... t Jli'Odtlc< is "'' it<lwd off for cleaning and
reclwrging. wluh tho 'ila nd -by purifier i'i btought
uno a<llon nt thl' ot hPa Pnd. In tht.'i Wl\\'
all four

pur1fier-; til'f' cut o ut, nnd t'llarwd in t.urn without

interfcru1~ with 1he <out in11uw'1 pu1 ification of t hfl
wate1 l(ll... ' riu ga'i, a1fter lC'a,in~ I he puaific1-<. i-1
rt>a<h to I)(' J>t'"'"~'d into I lw h.' dro~Pn 1 C'l o tH.

H\'DROU BN R F:TORT FUR:SACES.

.~
,\..
14:

.c:
~

,\,

'-

'-

.,.,

.,

I?

From
Fan

r
Pia. 73- DIAORAM OF TBE LABE HYDROGEN RETORT PUR:NACE

method ha.q been confin<'d to thP laboratm-y.

Thf'

undoubted commC:'I'Cial HUC<'('-.-; whirh )Jr. Lant' ha..;;

achieved with the proce 'I 1s due '<'I'Y lar~t>l y, but
not, as we will have to explain. wholl~. to the attention which he has giwn to the> cl<'" lW\ of the> cJptails of
thE' plant used.
The iron, undPr thC:' Lart<' ""~-.t<'m, in it iall) s uppli<'d
to the hydrogen retort . j,. calcint>d spat hie i1on ore,
the purE'St form in whiC'h ferrO\LS cu rbonatc>, F colt
occur in Nature. Thi!'! ..,ub..tarH'P, "hen ~;ubjectPd
to heat, speeilily part~ with il'i carbon dioxiclc-,
and becomes <'Onvert<'d to a porou..o; taU\""' of fi'I'I'OH>I
oxidE', Fe 0. So converted, it i... parkN I "ithin
tho hydrogen retorts.
The "orkin~ of t lw process calls for the aJten1att- rNiuctwn of tlw frrou."' oxide to metallic iron by mean ... of a com
bu!';tible ga~. and the come,....ion of thio.; rnctall1c iaon
back to ferroUR oxide bv mean,., of -.tPam. 'flw ccm1bus t ible gas used for the reduction may in a kmall
plant. be ordinary town's gas, but on u In~<' scalC:'
purified "at.er-gas, generated at the o;;it<>. I"' mHioubt.
edly to be prcfcrred on the core of economy. \\'hen
wat<>r-gas is used it i~ purified by the rPmo\'al of tho
"'ltuphw dioxide, hydrogen '>nlphide, <'Mhon dwxidc,
moibtwe, and other impuritie . which, as made in the
producer, it contains. As admitted t o the ferrous
oxide in the hydrogen retort it therefore eon~ist~ of
about equal quantitic. of hydrogen and carb on
monoxide. The reduction of tht> ferrou..., o'<icl( to
metallic iron i~::~ accompli.-~hed at the expenS(' o f thP~
two constitu(ln ti, "hrch are con,ert<d respec t 1\'ely
into moisture and carbon dioxide. The reduction
ht'ing complete, the supply of purified water ga... i,.
. hut off and steam at a lo w pre,.-;ure is admitted to tlw
retorts. The earlicr po rtwns of the hydrogen. whid1
~

No. XV. apl)e&nd Junt th

through them backwards. This burns ont. or o t ht>r

wise removes, the impuriti<:>s collected in the iron.
Thirdly, the water-gas, Ol' othc>r reducing gas, it ha'!
been found, must considerably exC'eed in amo\mt that
theoretically necessary to effect the r eduction of the
iron oxide in the retorts. The gas leaving the retor1g
during the reduction petiod is thu.g unaltered "atergas, carrying with it the moist.ure and carbon dioxide
1emlting from the oxidation of a portion of the
\'Olume entering the reto1'l!:l. This gas would repaesent a ronsiderablc lo"-'1, but for tlw fa.<'l I hat after
rtmcwing the moisture in it, it may bC' dt'flerlecl and
u,;('d for firing the retoM H.
I n Fig. 70 ante the general arangC:'uH.>nt i"' given o f
the hydroge n gt>nerating plant o.tlached to a11 oil
hydrogenis ing factory erected to l\lr. Lane>,., clf.,rgrl~.
The plant consists of 1hrce principal it<'m", nnmf'ly,
(a) a hydrogen retort furnaco (' Ontainin~ llw 1ron
working s ubs tance ,-.,.hkh is alternately oxid1...;('cl by
the s tca.tn delivered from (b) a boilct, ancl rtduced by
tho ptoducts delivered from (c) a. walor-gas generator.
Addt>d to these there a rE\ (d) purifiC'rs for the water-gp.;;,
and for the hydrogen (e) holdel'lj fo the two ~ .... U>
compressors for the h ydrogen, naul (g) re ...erYoir-. for
1he l:ltorage of the compresqed hydro~<'tl.
WATER-CAS GENERATORS AND Pl.'IHF'II~R ..

It iA, we think, unnecessary for us hero to onter into

u. dcAcl'iption of the water-ga'l gonPrators upplied
with the plant. Although they <:'tnbody in their
(.)esign. certain details representing improvements of
M r. Lane's own invention, they are in principle, and
in action, similar to all other water-gas geneators.
Furthcw thaa1 this they do not fonn an essential
feature o f the plant, for oth<'r combustible gac;es- for
<''<llmpl<>, town gas- can, a'! "e hn\'<' rC:'marl<ed, take

The general arrangement of thC' Lane hydmgen

retoM fumaco i... repl'eRt>nted in the drawingt~ givt>n in
our two-page ' upplemE>nt. BPforE' de<~cribing the
con~truction and mode of action of the furnace, we
would repeat what we remarked abo,e, namely, that
it take. t\\ice as long to reduce the ferrous oxide to
metallic iron with the water-gas as t o oxidise the iron
with the team. In other words, the time spent in
preparing a. given weight of material for the production
of hydrogen is twice as great as the time occupied in
the succeeding step during which the hy dogen is
hE'ing gent-rated.
ThE' furnace consi~:;ts. primarily, o f a. briC'l".,.ork
coa.-.ing containing, in tht> s ize illu.... trated, thirty i't
\'t>rtical, cast iron, pip<>likC:' rE'lorto;;. ThA top end..,
o f the retort!> are flo.nged and pro\-idC'd with coveN for
rcmo,al when the retort'! hav<' t o l>e rNha1g<'d with
ferrou.., material. Th~ ~<pe-nt m.at(>rial iR removed
through suiula.r coven~ o.t the foot of the Nort .
The thirty, ix aetorts art arranged in two gtoup .
each containing two rO\\ H o f nint' rNort<~ <'ach. Thi ...
d.i\i."'ion i"' of n o pnH't i<'al c..,1gnifican<'e. \Vllat is.
however, important iR the> division o f the thirty-six
retort into three ga:oup" P , Q, R, each group con
taining three of tho retort.'! in each longitudinal row.
\\1lil(> the group:'~ P and Q are " reducing" the
group R is "oxicliHing." Afte r running thus for a
certain l!'ngth o f time, the group Q is changed over
to oxidi.'-ing " and t.he group R to " reducing," the
group P rt~maining at the reducing setting. There
aft(>r, P i"' set to oxidise, and Q and R to reduce. In
th.i'i way the generation of hydrogen- from the
oxidi ...ing group-is made continuous, while tho double
time t-equired for reducing is allowed to Nlch group.
Jn order to facilitate our description, th~ thr <'
group,., of retorts aro, in the diagram o f the plant gi\en
in Fig. 73, represented as thrE>e singl<" rC"toat~ P , Q, R.
Acro!'o-, the front of t.he furnuC<' and c>Xt(mal to th<'
brickwork, there nm flix horizontal pipt'b A, B, C, D,
E, F. The top end of 1he retort P i-. connect N I a,.., at
0 to a valve H on the pipo A. and tho bottom of the
same retort as at .J t o tl. valv<' K on the pipe F. ThC'
t op and bottom C'ndli or the retort Q are similarly
connected to \alveM on the pipe... B, E re pectively,
and the top and bottom c>nd" of tht> retort R to valve<~
on the pipes C, D. The three pipes A, B , 0 are
connected at each end to vertical pipes L , :\I, and the
three pipe D, E, F to two other vertica.J pipes ~, .
The va.hes H, K a1e inter-connected, so as to be
operated tog<'tht ThC' two other paiN are similarly
connected.
The pi [X' X i~ connC:'CtC'cl \"dth the watc>r-ga,. Huppl:\'.
With th(' \ 't\1\' (' tWtting indicated in the diagram. th('
retot1s P, Q are receiving water-ga.<~ from the left -hnnd
portion"' of the pipes F, E respect ive!}. Th<' ga-.
rbing up tlw rctorts iK rt>ducing the ft>rrous oxide m
them, and "ith thE' moisture and <o.rbon dioxide.
rE> suiting f1om the aea(t ion. i pa.....ing awn.y by the
left .Jumcl portionK of tht' pirw" .\ , B to the pipe L.

J UNE

547

THE ENfGINEER

15, 1917

From this pipe, it may b e S(lut. wholly into the furnaco

for heating t.ho r(lort~-no o thlt fud boing nett.>'>
st\ry. A.-. " <' luwe alr('tlcly .-uid, it is not practic.ablc
to work "1t h JU"t uffi<-iNtl watl'l-ga.-; to reduce tht
chaage o f ftITOUS oxide an t ho retort!>. An ex cc-....-, j,.,
required, but , a "ill now bo undcn.,tood, the exce;...-.
amount in l\Ir. La.no's plnul is subsequently usefully
e mployed. At o n o timo ~h. Lnue utili~ecl the excc:,;-;
gas pa"SC'cl th1ough tlw r<'torl!:-., p&rtl) for firing tho
huna<o and pnr-tly b y returniug it to the r educing
gas purifiet'S, M indicated in tho diagram, so as to

rotort. R - now set. for r('duciug nn(l is therefoae not

wru:.led. l u n \l'l') :-.ho rt t imt tho h ) d.rog<u gC'oemtucl
j.., ...,ufliraentl) pun to pl'nnit l lw 'ahe K to ht
opt'mtetl so a-. to ullow tho rut.ott P lo l tlke up ih
proper ftu tl'lion.
\\' h(n pa-.....ing fro m " o:~..idi:-.ing '' to " redlH:ing,"
the r <>tort i~ at fia-:-.t filled "ith ptue h ydrogen. T Ju...,,
bt') ond atprc"'(n t ing t\ :-.nutll \\'tlsle, is of no ignifi<a&n<e,
a-; lhE'I m coming '' t\tta-ga'! will mt'ro ly be e nric hed 10
hydrog<'n to a proportionate extent. Tho paia of
valves can, thor-cforc, be opora.tcd simultaueousl~

blowc:'r . Tlw t hre{'I-W&\ cotk U on the t'Xco~s wa.terga~ out ltt pap<" i-. a lo;;o 't u rne<l "o as to dose Ut.ib pipe
ami open n bnuwh pipo ltmlmg to tho ntmospht:~rE>.
Tlw mr fa<Hn tlw fan. if till' attort \'tl l \'e~ tuo p laced m
tht "r<>du('ing" po~1ta oo, th<'n passes up through lhti
n ..torh, nnd '' ith tlw sulpbttr dioxide and other pl'O
du<t:. d<rind fro m tho ian.pwities in tho ferrous
malcaaal blows ofT into free l'pace.
'l'lw nctiou o f tho wator-ga'i on the feaTOtL."l oxido
d tuing the r edu <ing ptriod results, as we havo said,
in the excess waler -ga'i passing off being la d en with

T
- - 238 -

\Q
CO

..-

~~'"l '\,'1.9

/I

fs~~
0

--"

eo

162 -

162

-8-

124 ----.

--------r /85------~

3 With theso Bosses For Top Rows or Pip es

! , , . ~ 3 p l a tn For Bottom Rows .

I J::rt
I

'

-~~ --~

_._.....

_._)

-
D
Gas

..,

C7)

-+-

---J~L-~----~L_~

"'

4--1-~---

~J

Ges

-N

----~------

.___ _ /39 - - --1

When handle is agamst this stop

ports A C. are open .

1-------- 178 S q . - - - - - i

SwA~< Se.

Fig. 7t - TBREE-WAY REVERSING

makc 1t t\,utlablt for t\ t.c<um.l pal-.:.agl thnHag h tlw

ntort". ThiA plnn htLI-l beNt ginn up, foa it \H\s
found tht\t. t-lw 'ohtm<' o f tnrb on tuoxido <onuug ofi
'dth tlw txcN;s ga"' \Hl.li su('h u~ ~-otriow~ly to O\'crtax
the capacit y of t.ho pwifiN"N. )la-. L&nc n ow preft.'lt~
to utiliso thl' exct>s., gas tithN' ''holly for 6ring purpo:.e-. or pa.l'tly for firing and pat1ly for establil hing
a reducing cm velope for t h o combustion chamber in
''hi rh tho retorts are set , t.Jw object being to minimi-.c
lh<' weaa o f tho brickwork.
The pipo l\1 i corlllectcu with a supph of ~>team.
\\'ith tho valvo "'t:'tling re presC'ntcd in tt1e <liagrnm,
the retor-t H. is recching Ht<'nm from tho right-bund
portion of t.h e pipe . Tlus ~team pussing downwards
bccornt's dt'tompo...,td, oxidi1-1ing tlw meta.llit iron in
lht n:torL Hn d ~-ol't tmJ,t ft't'!' h ) <lrogtaa. Tht hydao~tn
leM ing tlw bot tom of tlw rl't<H't r<>a.clw:; the right-hand
puat ion o f tlw pipo L) t~nd so pas~cs into t.he pipe ,
whence it is eonduct('ld to o purif.ving plnnt and A> ~ns
holdl'r'.
It \\ill I hu1-1 hC' s('tlll I lmt sitttpl~ J,_, t lw opPr'r1! inn o f
l\\'o of 11\!1 1111'1'(' <'Oltttl'<ltd pni,., of \Uh-1:-!, (' \ ' l'l'." 1111
minuk., ut' so, tlw plnnt i1-1 <npublt of gi\'ing n
pnlctirall) continuouH output of la~ tlrog<'ll gas. '1\HJ
p1acticol p o inh hnH, h ow<'V<'J', to b< noted. I n the
first pla('e, 'dwn anr o n <' of tlw attort 'i is rhanged
O\er from .. at><ha<m~" to "ox itli-.ial~," it is at the
mome-nt o f the dmngc tilled \\ ith wnt<a-gas can ying
a ('ertain pcrcf.'n tage. of moist urc:' and <'arbon d.ioxiclc:'.
The fil""t portion of In drogen foro\ecl i~ therefore
bot10d to be contanw\nted '' ith thc ...c sub tance::..
T o &\'Old pa-;s10g th.t::, ianpurc gM into the pipe . it
l~ arranged that the \ 'R h 'Cl-0, \\rule they can be operated
tnlultnneouqly in pairs, as stated, can also be operated
:-.epa.rately. Thus, wh~n th~ reducing period in, ::.a~.
the retort P i., completed, tlw valve H is operated to
admit steam to tho top of the retort, while the valve
K is for t h o moment le ft untouched. The ::,team
being at a highl'r prcs~ure than the wa.ter-ga , pru.~es
dowu the retort and become::, converted to hydrogen.
Thi::, hydrogE"n mixing ''ith the water-ga~ in th e
r e.tort rau KO:-. the lt\tt<'l' to fl ow hack into lho pip<' F
&1~d the pipo K. T h o i.mpnre h ydrogon tlu.m ~JU:-.,l'~->
w1th t h e fresh '' ater-gnt-~ into the retort Q and the

COCK

FOR

HYDROGEN

RETORT FURNACE

\\ lacu l ht thnllgt' from uxidi1-1i11g tu n dutUig 1:,1 l>t, ing moi~-olu a<' nnd toulonwtaled '' ith t'arbon clioxtdo.
F o a <>ffkitatl tnrnbust Jon that. poation of the water -ga .-.
1111\<l(.
J" tlw M'<oud pitH'<', t\~ '''<I luwc t\lready ~HI , tho UK<'d for fil'lug tho funu\CI' ~houJd not bl' h<'avily
lndtu ''it h 11\0il--lt ur'<'. A<'<'OJ'clingly, som~:~whNo at.
fNrouH motcaittl. UIIIC'I-l~ rtvi,-ifi('cl in ~omo wa.v,
\ 'l'l'\'

.;;oun lo:-.cs 1t~ t\C't ivity and fails to detomposc the or n N\J' lhl' point \', Fig. 73, t.h e exccs,; wa.ter-ga-;
.... t<>nm. This phl'lnOmt'non, ~Ir. Lane h as fotutd , i..., i.... takon ofT to a cond<mser and rctwncd. Th<.'
duo to tht' d epositio n on the iron of ulpbut and o thc:'a position o f the condcm;ers relat.ivcly to the furnaces
is in<lica.ted in the plan gi,en in
Fig. 70 ante.
\\'ath a little tudy of tht'
da't\\\ iJig" given in the upplonwnt th line" on whi('h tlw
d<"ign o f tho h ydrogl' ll r<.'tort
fmmtto is cal'l'ied out in pt'tltt il-o
\\ill now nndil:' l lw und<t:-.toml.
St' ~aa l p oint:,;, laowt\'l'r, mtty
u~dull\' bll calllll attt'ntiuu tu .

T he t't>toats are of cast iwu

nnd on !lin . in intc-rnnl clinmct<>r.
I ~ in . I ltitk. ntad !Ht Uin . Ion~
Enl'lt fit" into n bnl"t' xo('I<PI nnd
"'''''"' llll't'<in on n joint of
ll"'lli',.,l o"'.
' l'lw t ht'('(> g roup:-. o f
lt'loal-; P Q H. t1s sh o\nl i11 tht
pltua, or<' <'ach diYicllcl into 1\\o
(qual o.;uh-groups.
Lx pipe:'~'~
'l'l' th<' ~;id<> C'len\tion rw1 hora.wntully along the two side-. of
l lw furntl('(' <>xterior. To <'ttch
of these pipe-; the top-or th<'
hottom--<'nd-. of a ub-group of
the retort.;; are connected. Eaeh
of the six pipe on one side of
the furnace is connected to tho
Fi1. 74- EXPERIMENTAL HYDROGEN PLART
toaIespondi.og pipe on the other
1tle by a horizontal pipe extendimpttrilies "h.ich, t'von with vory careful pwificntion iatg acros"' tho front of tho furnace. This front pipe in
of the water-ga~. ncctunulate iat the rotorts during each i.n~lan<'l' it~ interrupted at a.::.uitable point to couplo
succcssl\'6 periods o f reduction. The practical cttro up "ith thll two flanges lt' G of the reversing cockdev!hed fo1 the t r o uble is at. intervals to blow air bCO Fig. 7..J.. 'rho t op end~ of the t wehe reto11.' m
th.tocgh tho l'etottR, ~o a c:; to bum o ut t h o accumulat(>cl ea<'h group me t hn~ connc('ted t o ono ~>uch revert-ing
impma tie~. T o tdT<<L thaR, Uw thno-wny totk T, cork, ''hi I<' thu hottuau l'lldli of the NUll.<' twoh c
Fig. i3, as tunll'd lu :.ln1l duwn tlw "upply of'' ul<.I'Sll" rotorl " nao t:OluWch. d to a. ~>Oconu re\'el'~:>mg cock
and to open a. b ranch p1po lea.d.ing from a fa.n o1 othot bituated d1rectly 10 lme w1th and below the first,

THE EN G INEER

548
a!:l shown in the front e levation in the uppleme nt.
L1. front of the s ix front pipes referred to, and connected t o the flanges H J of the reversing cocks,
lio tho six pipes represented in the diagram Fig. 73 at
AB-F. The vertical pipes L M N Sin the diagram
aro clearly shown in tho upplement, the only point
to notice being t hat in practice the pipes L and 1\1
aro respectively united to the pipes N and S, and are
not separated therefrom.
A blank, however, is
inte1-posed between t h e flanges o f each pair.
\\'ith the cock plugs tumed anti-clockwise through
about 30 dog. from the position shown in the plan,
F ig. 74, t.he p orts A and B are opened, a n d r educing
gas is sent upwa.rds through the retorts . A 60 deg.
movement of tho plug in the clockwise direction
from this position opens t.he ports A C and causes
steam to pa s d ownwards through the retorts. It
will be noticed that a. fourth and fifth port are formed
in the b ody o f the reversing cock, and that when the
cock it; in the central position shown in the engraving
tbeso two potts are open to ono another. Tho
flange K in each o f the three lower revor ing cocks
is open to t he atmosphere. In the three upper cocks

Tho coRL of producing hydrogen by this method

is clifficuJt to statc, for it depends almost entirely
upon the local prices o f fuel and labour. It may,
unde r normal conditions, be expected in the average
case to vary from 3s. 6d. to 7s. 6d. per 1000 cubic
feet. In some ea es, howeve , it rna.y be as low as
2s. 6d., or less actually than the cost of town's gas
in the L ondon area.
B efore leaving this account of Mr. Lane's appata.tus,
it ma.y perh aps be stated tha.t h is oil hydJogenating
plant was the outcome o f the success which attended
hiRefforts to produce p w e hydJogen in la.rge qua.ntit ie '
under commercial conditions.
I t would appear
lilcely t h at in the n ea.r future 1\lr. Lane's h ydrogenising p la.nt may be applied to substances
other than the classes of oil named. A very p romising,
and. if successful, a very important a.ppli~ation of
it, lies in its use for hydrogenising mineral oils.
It may yet be p ossible to synthetise p ettol by it
means. l\'lr. Lane has already succeeded in devis ing
ap paratus whereb y h e ca.n cause h y droge n to combine
with acetyle n e, C2}4, to produce e thylen e, C2 H~,
a. gas which can be liquefied at .a. temperature of 0 d eg.

J uNE 15, 1917

t\\ onty minutes of this, or of boiling, the mixt.uro is

removed, allowed t o cool, broken up and allowed to

oxiclisc. A week or more exposure to the air is essential
to securo a hard fuel. Then it may be burned in domestic
grates or for industrial purposes, or, it. is claimed, me.y
be carbonised. The process h as been protecLed, but the
substance of it appears t o be the formula giving the
proportions of tho binder, which varies according to tbo
nature of tho waste to be used and the purpose to which it
is to be put. The authors of the process ask potential
licensees to send specimens of their waste, and a fter tho
necessary tests the essential formula is forwarded, for
which a charge will be made, and in addition, if the process
is worked, tbo licensees are asked to pay a royalty of
7d. per ton on ull fuel made. Another condition of the
licence is, that the charge for fuel sold to the public is not.
to exceed 25 per cent . on the cost price, which is p u t, on
estimates from people willing to work the p rocess,
presumably on a large scale, at from l 5s. to 1 per ton, so
that the selling price should be from 20s. to 25s. per ton.
Two typical samples of the fuel obtained may be
mentioned. Bar and ash clinker added to sawdust and
the necessary proport.ions of binder produced a fuel of
11 ,000 B.Th.U., whilst the gas coke dust. from the works
of the Gas Light and Coke Company produced a fuel
13,000 B.Th.U. In the latter case calcium carbonate and

(t

SwAI N Se.

T HE ENCINtcR"

PORTABLE PETROL-DRIVEN FIRE PUMP

it is connected by a. vertical pipe to a. h orizontal

pipe extending a.rross the top front edge of the furnace
casing. A t ono end of this horizontal pipe a.n e jector
is fitted. By turning the rever sing cocks into the
central position, and setting t h e ejector to work,
air is drawn upwards t hro ugh the retorts for t h e
purpose of burning o ut the impwities which. in t.ime,
accumula.te on t h e fe rrous materia.!. The use of
an ejector in this way instead of a fan, as indicated
in Fig. 73, has certain obvious advantages, and is
now 1\Ir. La.ne's standard p ractice.
It will bo noticed from the front elevatio n ln the
Supplement that the spindles o f the three upper
reversing cocks are extended down to the level
o f the lower cocks so t hat t h e handles of ea ch pair
aro brought close t ogether. The two cocks o f each
pair can t h us b e m oved s imuJta.n eously as whe n
passin g from "oxidising" to " reducing ," or separately
as whe n t he impure hydrogen ha to be blown momen tarily into the water-gas pipes at t h e commencement
of the oxidising periods.
Dwing t he normal running o f the furnace the excess
wa.ter-gas is, a s we have said, ma.de use o f in part
for firing the retorts. At the commencement of a
run a. valve nea.r the reducing ga~ inlet is c losed
a.nd anothe r one on the sa.me p ip e is opened. This
enables the furnace to be fired with water-gas taken
direct ftom t h e s upply ma.in. These m ea.ns are a.ls o
called into use dwing the s lack periods, wh e n t h e
generatio n of h y drogen is inter rupted. The firing
ma.y be r educed during such periods, but it is n o t
d esitable that it sh ould b e totally stopped. Generally
l\Ir. Lane recommends that t h e plant should be run
continuously day a.nd n ight; but if thil'l is impracticable ,
he recommen ds that the temperature of t h e furnace
should be kept as n early e qua l a~ p ossible, for this
r<'d uccs the wear and tca.t on t he furnace worl<.
The p lant illustrated in t.h e Supplement gives an
output of abo u t 3600 cubic foot of hydrogen pe<r how.
For smaller pla.nts ho.ving hourly outpu ts of, say.
2!)0 to 1000 cubic feet ordina-y town 's gM is con veniently used for reducing the ferrous material and
for firing the retort s. The sma.ll experimonta.l p lant
at Mr. Lane's laboratory-see Fig. 7 5--is operated
in this ma.nne r-. But for p lants above s uc h out puts ~1p to tho largest size-sa.y, I 0,000 cu bic feot
per hour- it is distinctly economical to ins tall with
them their own gM producers. The pwity o f t h e
gas gen e rate d by Mr. Lane's process is guaranteed
b y him to be from 99 to 99! per cent. I n practice,
h owever, this, wo a.re informe d, is exceeded, t h e
p urit.y reaching as hig h as 991 per cent. The puri fication o f tho hydrogen a.fter it leaves tho retorts
conHists of paHsiug it through a scrubber, wh ore it
is waHhcd with watN, and then through purifie1s
in "hkh lime is tnploycd to remove minute l ntceR
of ~uch impurit.iCR ns Aulp hur. After purificat ion
the p;as 1A paRsed into a holdc t, when ce it is wit.h drawn
a~ r<>quired , cornpr~H;;<'d to a pressure o f anyt.hing
up to :JOOO Jb. per Hquaro inch, a nd Rlorcd in a battery
of "( lrllc~<s Ht<'el <y liu ckrt~. F rom lh<'He it is allowed
to t'Xpu ud at t,h c prop o prt~->ourc into the oil hydro
gcniRi11g aut ocla ,-os.

Cent. by a. preASUI'e of 4 1 a t mosph e res, and which pitch were used. but equally good results with sugar waate
are on record. The temperat.ure at which the process is
p ossesses great energy as a motive-power fuol.
worked is from 100 dog. to 120 dog. Apart from the
claim that the p rocess enables present waste products to
be usefull y employed, it is urged that it. does not require
spocial apparatus or skilled labour, a nd, furthermore,
PORTABLE PETROL-DRIVEN FIRE PUMP.
can be carried out on the site where the waste product is
to be found.
A PORTAB LE fue.engine has recently been built by
H olden and Brooke, Limited, 1\ian.chester, for the New

Zealand Government, by which it is to be employed for

THE MOTOR SHIP SBBASTIAN.
cam{> work. It is shown in the accompanying drawing
and m the engravings on page 542. The machinery consists
T aE recent burning of the British oiJ.carrying tank
of a highlift centrifugal pump, having six stages and a motor ship Sebastian off the Nantucket hoals, may
capacity of 200 gallons p er minuto at 250ft. head, when cause, says 1\Ir. T . Orchard Lisle, United States represenrunning at a speed of 1200 revolutions per minute. Tho tative of the Notherla.ods Engineering Company, some
pump is connected d irect to a 30 horso.power four-cylinder p ersoos to condomn the Diose! principle, particuJarly
watercooled petrol engine, by means of e. flexible coupling if it is not known that a n internal combustion engine,
of the pin type. TI1e engine is sufficiently powerful t.o particularly or'le using residual oil-fuel, is ma.nifestJy
leave a considerable margin over that required to drive the safer against fire than any other power plant. Therefore
pump, and is fitted with a dual system of ignition to it. only is fair to place on record the following rep or t
facilitate starting. F or cooling purposos the engine is of this vessel's operation.
provided with a fan and radiator- the latter having a
The Diesel-driven motor ship Sebastian (7200 tons
capacity sufficient to enable the engine to run for sh ort displacement), after conversion to h er present engines,
periods without the necessity of an auxiliary supply of was placed in service o.t tho end of last June, since when
cooling water from the pump, which is provided for sh e has covered approximately 40,000 nautical miles
cont.in uous nmning. The engine bearings are supplied at an avorage speed of almost 9 knots, without a single
with oil by a system of forced lubrication, and a hand- breakdown, cylinder crack, or piston crack, cylinder -bead
operated horizontal plunger pump is provided for priming craC'k, crank shaft fracture, &c., although she has been
the main centrifugal pump. This priming pump is worked harder than a steamer in the heaviest of Atlantic
operated b y means of t he large h and wheel seen at the \veathers.
rear of the machine. Hose connections for both delivery
The total number of engine st>ops at sea. (accessory
and suction are arranged on each side of the main pump, adjustments only) in nearly ten months amount to four
and each delivery connection is fitted with a valvo.
hours with one engine, and five hours with the other engine;
Over the pump a commodious wooden box is situated also six hours with one engine when saiL water got in the
for the storage of the hose, of which lOOOft. is provided for lubricating oil and had to be cleaned out. The mileage
the petrol supply tank and all necessary tools and sparo coverod would have been aoout 3000 miles greator had
parts. The machinery is mounted on a rigid channel sho not. be held up in England for fifteen days having
iron framework carried by t.wo large rear whec;~ls and two certain alterations to her deck st.ructure previous to her
smaller front wheels arranged on a bogie. Thoso wheels last outward voyage.
a re of tho artillety type, and specially strong.
Fuel consumption of the two main engines together
T he machine weighs, complete about 2 tons, nnd is has ovoraged under six tons (42 barrels) for twenty-four
providt>d with shaft.s for horse haulage as well as with a hours, with the engines averaging a fraction under 1000
draw bar for haulage by hand, if nect>ssary.
indicated horse-power each at 115 revolut.iollil p er minute.
This figurt>s out at 0.27 lb. per indicated hor<10-power hour,
or just over .4 of a pound per shaft horso.power. In
her hold she carries 4100 tons of cargo.
A CONCRETED COAL.
On this last voyage to an American port both her
Diesel engines ran fot sixteen days a nd nights without
A l\lEANS of ut.ilising was to products, such as d<>st ructot a s ingle stop, voluntarily or otherwise, averaging 8.8 knots
ru1d boilot ashes, coke dust, coul dust., sawdust., &c., was in most heavy seas and adverso winds. On this voyage
dc-t~cribed to the Societ.y of Architcct11, on Thwsday of last three of her engineers were entirely inexperienced with
wC'ok, by Messrs. R. Goull>urn Lov<>U and C. M. Hugh~. oiJ engines.
Tho object aimed at is to ovolvo a process which will
In n earl y tEc'n mont.hs t.he main bearing"! have worn
ona.blo a fuel to be made, " ithout. pressure, in any industrial down l / 12 th ptut of an inch. Th e crank-pin bearings,
locality from the waste products which may posseRs any although opened out for examination at regular p eriods,
calorific valuo t o be found in that locality. Cortainly, the have only boon readjusted once in ten months, the wear
process should havo some future, if t.ho authors can justify showing .2 mm. The crosshead bearings have been
it in operat.ion on a large scale, for at. pro ent. the ashes readjusted to .3 mm. in the same period. Compressor
from boilors have to be carted away at considerable eo t, p iston rings are the same which came out with the ship,
and yot it is known Lhat. tho ridtllings that falJ thtough and show hardly any wear at a ll. A few of the main
thu chain gratet:~ and go awtty with tho ashes huve a piston rings have been renewed , but this has been mostly
conl!id()rable calorific value.
due to breaking them when springing thorn off the pistons
Thu tll(lthod proposed is u concrut.ing otw. The pat i. for cleaning purposes. The cooling pump valves are as
cular wa!>tO product is taken and is mix<'cl, t'ither by hand good as t.he day they were put in, some ten months ago.
or in a concrete mixer, with certain ptoportions of t:~odium
Furthermore, the Diesel engines, which wore built by
car bonate and bitumen 0 1 sugar waste. Hodium cathonale Werkspoor, of Amsterdam, were not run or tested in the
is OSR(Intia l, and llw last I wo aro nltoruati\'<'. This mixturo shops. They wero built, sent to England in packing
iH llaC'In pluN>d in mould~:~ or i11 boiJNH, Ol' ~nny nmu in case~. o.nd inst.allod in the Sebastian, which was given
tx poHC'Id lo the 11w1 in tropical 0 1 t:lllnny climates. \\'hen a few hourt>' !*'a t.ria.l, a nd sen t. on !tor maidon voyage,
placod in rnouJds external h eating is a.pplied, and a fter arriving in New York in sixteen days.

J UNE

22, 1917

E ngla.nd by H umpaon. Advantage is luken of tho

~act that a ('omprOi's~d gw. cools on expanHion. Air
18 compr~,; Pd through a hfural, and aUowcd to cbcape
from a JOt. On l>~lfwng 1t is cooled, and in turn
coolH the air in thf' s piral by oxtcrnal contact. Thlll!
the i~<:ming ga~ b<comi'S m crea$ingly colder, until
finally it i.t;su~K f~orn .the JOt in the liquid form. Liquid
oxygen and hqwd tutrogon bou at different tcmporaturctl, so that if tho liquid air iJJ fractionated the two
gases can be obto.mod in a fu.ir s tate of purity.
Oxygen finds applicn.tion in meclicino, in the
chemical laboraLory, a nd in tho production of high
temperatur('fl, ~;uc:h n11 arc obtained by feecling
acotyleno, h ydrogen, and coal gas fiamoK with tho
gaH. Oxy-acetylono c utting and welding, oxyhydroge n melting, including platinum working, the
autogcnollli solde ring of load, and the ugo of lime light, all dopond on the production of an intensely h ot
oxygen-fed flame.
Owne is a colourl11j1; gus, con(LonHable in liquid ai.l'
to a deop blue unstablo IJrtuid. Van Ma.rum, in 1785,
and Schonbeirt, in 1840, obsorvcd a peculiar smell
in t he nPighb011rhood of olectrico.l ma<;hines in
m otion, ancl tho lattor found that it was due to a
gat~, which he named and found other moans of
producing. Andrews, in 1866, sh owed that the
ga!i contamcd oxygen only , and 'oret, in 1866, provcd
its compOHillon, which is represented by the formula
0,. It ia prepared by the action of a silent electric
discharge on air or oxygen , a current of which is
passed through a special apparatus called an ozoniser.
The first of theRe wa~ dovi>~ed by Siemens in 1857,
and Hi nee that elate numorou.s patents, founded
much on the Hame principlo, havo been recorded.
The commercial preparation ro~~emblea that on
the small Flca.le. The pure Hubstance is not obtained
in ''ither casu ; not more than 25 por cent. of the
oxygen ill tranHfonn('(l into ozone under the beFit
conclitions. 'l'ho product is usod in the steriliflation
of wa tor and to a l<IH~ oxtent of certain foods.
A cetylene was diHcovorcd in 1836 by Edmund Davy ,
ProfoHsor at the Royal JJublin Society, during an
attompt to iKola.te potMsium by heating calcined
tartar with carbon. H o obtained a black maAA,
which in contact with wator gave riRC to an inflammable go.~. a.ncl ho auggcst(!(J that if a cheap method
could bo found for proparing .it, tho ga11 might woll
bo w;ed O.H an iJIUT1Unnut. lt H <levolopment as a n
mdu!il rial ccJrrunodity wa.!S uot roaliRcd until over fifty
\Oars later, but in tho meantime wvoral famou'i

name~> carno m to tho literature of the subject, including H are, Borth olot, Wohlor, Kekule, Vohl, and Sir
J arne:; J>owar. H are unknowingly made calcium
car bide, and from it acetylene, by t h e action of
water. B orthelot prepared metallic acetylides, and
produced acetylene electrically from methane and
also from carbon and hydrogen. Wohler made
calcium carbide by heating an a lloy of zinc and
calcium to a high t Clmporature with carbon. Kekul6
prepared acetylono by the electrolysis of the salta of
djbaHi(; unl'!aturo.tod organic acids. Vohl oblainoo
tho gaH by paHHing oi iH thr()ugh rod h ot tuLes, thooby
laying tllO founclatiou of our modern oil-cracking
procoHHOH. l'rom Amoric:un petroleum he obtained
a gas con tainin g 20 pot cont. of acotylona. D ewar
obta.inc<l ucotylono by pa.tU~ing h ydrogen through
tubes mado of rotort carbon hoo.tod to whiteness by
nwana of 1 n electric current.
Acoty lflno is US()d, as we have already m e ntioned,
iu ono of the procoiU!C8 for making hydrogen ; as
an j)luminant in iKolated dwellingii, and in motor
and bicycle lamps. I t is invariably prepared by
t he a(;tion of water on calcium carbide, which come>~
on thC' markot m the form of grey lurnp~. the product
of heating lime wtth c~rbon in the electric furnace.
Tho gas O\H"Ii itH potiition a!f an indUHtrial product to
the develcJfunont of tho electric furnace by Siemens,
Bradbury, CowloH, and 'MoiH.aan; but the credit
for the rcaliHation of tho po,..Kibility of producing
calcium carbido on a c~ornmHrcial scale belongs to
WilL;ou, an Amorican. In 1886, Cowles introduced
a fumaco liniug CC>nHi.hting of a mixture of lime and
carbon, an d proclucod cal(iurn carbide by t h e accidento.l ovorhcating of thiH li11ing. Xo attcmpt was
Lhon me.do to utdiKu tlw diH<ovwy; but, in 1892,
WiliHon , while working ll.t 1->pray, wit.h the object
of reducing lirno to ob tain N~lci nm for the reduction
of alumina, p1opo.rod largo quu.ntit.ios of tho carbide,
and, roalisirtg tho potoutiulit.illi of the Hubstance, set
up a works f or it.a prCJduction.
.
Nitro(Jen, whi(h fonll.K about ftmr-frtthH of t he a1r,
is produced by tho m ethod.li wo havo already indicatod, ospcr.ially the Lindt-Harnpson process, and
is usod in tho eynthotic preparation of ammonia, a nd
of cyanamide ~nd cyanidc11, from calcium and
barium carbides reHpectively.
Chlorine, dif.covorcd by Scheole in 17i4, and pronounced an olomcnt by IJavy in 18 10, is a heavy
yellow poi,..cmouH gos of an extremely irritating
odour. It us largoly Ud('rl ut tho sttr1li.sation of water
and in gold oxt.ral't 10r1, antl ho.li been employe(l as
poison gas dw-utg tho war. I t i>4 prepared .by t~e
action of rn.anganc ..e d.ioxido on hydrochlonc aCid,
the oxide boing Hcovord by the Welldon proc~.
It may bo convMt~rl into blraching powder, through
itH absorption by !Jml', or liquo6Pcl by cold and pross ure and Htorod in Rtnol n IIll dONI.
Oarbon f) io.rirv, or (nrhouir- arid ga~~, a wasto
product. of tho bnwory, iK UHNl for oorating beer and

JlNfer

w Mulcul tUTu uud llydroseo.

THE ENGINEER
rn.inoro.l water~, and i~ som(tlmes Plnploy<'d a!f a
fr((zing agent.
Carbonyl Chloride, or phoHgonc, J>foparcd by the
interaction of chlorine and carbon monoxide in the
preaonce of a nimal charcoal, or of antimony pentac hloriclc, or by the action of fumin g sulphuric acid
on carbon t otrachJol'ido, il'l usc(L in the manufacture
of dyes, and M H o.IHo b<cn C'mploycd as a poison gas.
Lau(lhin(J Oa11, or llilrouH oxide, is made by h eating
a mmonium nitrate. It waa discovered by Priestley
in 1772, a.nd iH uHcd aH an an msthotic in de ntistry.
W o do not n(Nl t.o di lato on tho relation between
S(ioncr o.nd t lHH<' p roductH which aN 110 obviously
HCi<'nti flc in th<ir conc~opLion, elucidation and d evolopmont.

559
accordingly it iK q uito a (~Omrn()ll practice to a llow
t he glycorine to remain m tho soap .
SOAP BOILINC.

There are two dist.inc:t methods of making hard or

soda soap, namoly, t ho h ot and the cold proces!iCH.
Tho lattor has a restricted application, and is not of
s ufficient importance to bo considered h ere. Under
the b ot p roc<IIH the soclium is pr01rontcd t o the fatty
acid of t.he oil or fat in t h o form of an aqueous solution
of caustic socla, Na 0 H . This solution is added
gro.dually Lo the oil or fat in a soap kettle, the whole
being kopt boiling. A typical soap kettle, mad e by
W . J . FraHOr o.nd Oo., Limited, of Dagonham, Romford,
Essex, iH illwitrat.ed in Fig. 76. It. is built up of m ..ild

THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAl, EMPLOY

MERT OF VEGETABLE OILS.

No. XVII.
'I'HE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP.
~OAP

rn.aking providoK a very important iJUl UHtrial

outlet for the em ployment of vegetable oilil, although,
of cowKC, t he soap rnakor al11o UHOS large quantitiCJa of
animal oils and fatH.
CITE~USTRY

OF SOAP MAKINC.

As we romarkod in a preceding article, fatty

vegetable and animal oils may be considered as

consisting Ol$80ntially of a glycerine part and an acid
part. To the soap maker tho acid part is t he p ortion
of primo importance. In the p rocess of manufacture
the acid part. is caused to unite with an alkali, t he
glycerine part boing in general loft ovor BR a by'\ o 0 0 ') 0
product. It is, of coW'I:Ie, a very valuable by-product,
particularly at tho present moment, and, as a conseque nce, wo find it an increa.Hin gly common practice,
,
particularly on the OonLinen t, to recover t ho
glycorirlO from the oil by special processes in doglycerinising works, which carry on their industry
quite apart from that of the soap maker. Under
th ese con ditions tho Roo.p makor works with t he
!'Jr . 77- STEAK DRIVElf CRUTCilEBr-SCOTT
by-product of a n()tho1 indWitry, namely, the fatty
aci'l Htoc:k diKcardNl frorn thn dcglyceriniHing Htc,l nlatca, and ccm tain.s so vera I H0parate st.cam
wor ks. \\'ith thn plant <mplo}Nl in t h o latter wol'ks h eaLing coilHand a swivelling outlot pipf' with a chain
h oil!t, whoroby the soap , when forrned, may be
drained off. At tho foot of the kettle an outlet is
providPd for tho liquor soparalPd from the soap .
The sizo of t hct10 kott.les may VM} from 8ft. diameter
by 8ft. d eep to 13ft. diameter by 14ft. deep , and their
capacity from 5 t o 25 tons. The boiling, it will be
soon, is carded out at at.mospheric preR8Ure. 'I'h.i.s is
th e common practice. A recent improvement consiet8
in conducting the operation under about l OO lb. of
pressure in a closed veS~rol some 4ft. in diameter by
8ft. high.
The socla solution iH addccl gradually to the oil or
m olten fo.t in the kClt t iC'. If it is added t oo rapidly
the Hap(Jnificat ion proccHH i11 retarded. On the other
QOOO~O'XJO

Pi.J. 7&-SOAP K.ETTLE-PRA.SEJt

we do not propOF!O in th.iH articlP t<J deal. Our

att.ention will bo dovotod solely t o t.ho manufacture
of soap from amdivicled oil.H and fats.
Whe n an acid, say sulphuric acid, iR caused to act
on a motal, say copper, a salt, copper Rulphat(l, .ia
pro<Luced. H tbo acid iH t.ho fatty acid contained 10
a vegetable or animal oi l. or fat, and if tho metal ~H
either sodium or pota.Htmun, the salt produced 111
known a!i a Hoo.p, a hard soap if Hodium iH the metal
and a Roft soap if it. is potaf,sium. Otho F!oapH o.an
poF!siblo a.n(l aro Jn&<.lo. Thus practical usc!i am
found for soaps obtained by sub11tituting for the
alk.a.li mctuls oithor iron, nickel, cobo.lt, zinc,
magncHium, aluminium, copper or mercury. ThPHO
"soaps" o.ro, in general, insoluble in water, and arc
used for such purposes as waterproofing .agent~ f or
can vas as " driers " to be added to boiled oil or
varnish as constituents of anti-fouling compositions
for ship botloiDH o.ncl so on. W o need say nothing
more about the manufacture of theso "soaps" than
that they arc made similarly .to o1dinary so~p.' or by
employing such soap as a basJB for doco~pos1t10n .
.Pw-e h.o.rd soap is thus the fatty ac1d salt of tho
metal sodium. It should be perfectly neutral. It
contains oono of tho glycerine of t h e oil or fat from
which it was formed. Pure soft soap is t h e neutral
fatty acid salt of the mota.l P<?tass~~ In its
commercial production, practLCe 18 diVlded ~ to
whether or 110t it s hould b e fr(ed from t h e glycenne of
the oil or fat used in its rnanufactur(l. lt ReotT\8 to bo
tKlahliKlwd that if Lho glyttJinfl il4 rcrnow<l tho
qualit} atHl appearance of tho sm~p Hn ffnrN , and
No. XVI . appe~od Juno 1Mb

hand, t he total amount of soda solution mixed with

the oil or fat mUHt be m ore t han the quantity
theoretically ncce814ary completely to saponify the
substance An oxco~UJ ill required, because if t he
theoretical amowtt only is UI!Od a point is reach ed at
which the soap forrned up to that point, the oil or fat
yet remaining t.o b<> Haponi6ed and the alkaline
solution corr<Hponding to t hi>~ quantity of oil or !at
will 08tabli"h a balauco.
When tho boiling op<ratlon is completed, the kettle
r.on tams, firHt, Hoap, and Hecoudly, water, iu which
aro 1llt>~Jolvcd t ho Hurpllll! caustic HOcla and t h()
glycorino sot froo from t h o oil or fat. y-arious
impurities from thn cauRtic socla and Hom e amm.al or
vegolablu tu~ue or othor llOn -saponifia.blo mattor f1om
tbo oil or fat usod will also bo pl'Ot!Ont.. Tho IIULb!! iu

THE EN G INEER

560

J uNE 2:2, 1917

tho kettle, fot tho moment, is a more or less clear of t.he k(lt.t.le and sent to tho glycerine recovery the machines by a.n attached single-cylinder steam
ho mog<'neous :-11 hRt au cc. :-ioap, hO\\ t>vcr, is scarcely, dopart moft t.. The Roa.p layer is now boiled up again engine 18 quite usual, for it permits the exhaust steam
if at all, -;olublo in t~ solulion of &l.lt. Accordingly, with water and again salted out. The aquoous liquor from the driving ongino readily to be utilised in the
jackets of the crutchers. In Fig. 77 we illustrate in
cross section a steam-driven crutcher made by
George Scott and on (London), Limited.
SOAP FRAMES.

The soap while !Still hot is run out of the crutching

machines into m oulds or" frames," where it is allowed
to cool and ~>et. A typical soap frame, m.a.de by
) Iessrs. Timm.ins, of Runcorn, is sh own in Fig. 78.
These frames have removable sides, so that t h ey m.a.y
be knocked d own when the soap has solidified. They
are frequently made of cast iron, but mild steel is
now being commonly employed. The capacity of
each is anything from 3 to 10 cwt. of soap.
SLABBI NG AND CUTTING.

-/

Fig. 7!r-SOAP

SwAIN Se.

DRYING PLAlfT-PRASER

dry common salt is sh ovelled into the kettle, and the is nm off and the boiling a.nd salting proce s repeated
\\hole contents are thoroughly boiled up again. The a. third time. Thereafter, the soap left when the
third liquor is drained off is given a final boiling with
water in order to hydrate it to the correct degree. It
is not, h owever, subsequently salted, but is allowed
to stand for some few days undisturbed. At the end
of this time it is found to have separated into three
layers. At the foot there is a smaJl layer of alkaline
liquid. Intermediately, a.nd amounting to about a
third of the wh ole mass in the kettle is a layer of dark
coloured soap called the " nigra." This substance
con tains traces of caustic soda. and salt solution, and
owes its dark colour to the presence in it of soaps of
iron, copper, and other metals. Above this is the
" neat " soap which , b eing practically pure and
neutral, is in a. condition to be wed. The " nigre,"
after removal, is boiled and salted and otherwise
treated for the recovery of its Ya.lua.ble portions.
CRUTCHI NG.

The " neat " soap is, as we have said, in a. condition

to be used. In nearly every case, h owever, it is
pas ed into a. " crutching " m.a.chine, wherein
colouring, seen ting or other matter is added to it.
Among s uch other rn.a.tter are various " fillers," such
a.s clay, talcum, chalk, barytes, seed husks, asbestos,
magnesium salts, and starch. These substances
increase the weight of the soap, a nd are frequently
regarded a.s adulterants. In some cases the soap is
" filled " with either the botate, carbonate or silicate
of soda.. These 6l1ers have themselves distinct
cleansing properties, so that their addition is not
strictly to be classed a.s adulteration.
A crutching machine made by E. Timmins and Sons,
Ltd., Runcorn, is shown in Fig. 82, page 564. It
consists of a double-walled steam-jacketed cylindrical
vessel containing a vertical power-driven shaft, from
which four or m ore hElater arms extend horizont-ally
.

, 'i.x or mOl'<' fixed a n:ns s pringing f rom t.he inner

FiJ. 80-STAMPrNG MACHINFr-DAGLISH
~tuiace of the ve~e l co-operate with tho rotating
t;,\lt. ontonng intCJ ~;o)ut.iou l'ti.\I~'NI the soap on cooling arms. Very frE'quontly t.he crnt.rhE"t'R are mrang<'d
to sepamt.o out. on t.ho t.~urf~co. T h o aquoous liquor in p ain;, as shO\\ n in Fig. 83, wh oro a. twin S<.'t, mado

The slab of soap, as taken from the frame, ha.s t o

bo cut up into bars, and t hese bars have, commonly,
to be again cut into tablets. The original slab is
first sub-divided into several slabs of lesser thickness,
and each of these is cut up into bars by m eans of a.
machine, such as that sh o"vn in Fig. 84. The machine
illustrated is made by :\1et~srs. Timmins, of Runcom,
and has a fiat table whereon the divided slab rests.
B y means of a hand wheel, crank discs, links, levers,
and a guided cross-piece, the slab is pushed forward
beneath a fixed bridge, from which a number of eque.Uy
spaced piano wires extend vertically to the surface
of the table. Means are provided for adjusting the
tonsion in the wires. The bars thus formed, if they
are to be further divided into tablets, are taken,
separately, to a cutting machine of the type illustrated
in Fig. 85. The machine illustrated is made by
:\Iessts. Daglish, of St. H elens. In the block of wood A
a number of \'ertica.l saw cuts are formed, while a long
the top a vee-sectioned recess is p rovided for the
reception of the bar of soap. The frame B is pivoted
on a rod 0 at the back of the m.a.chine and carries a
number of equally spaced p iano wires, which register
with the saw cuts in t h e block A. With t he bar of
soap in p la ce the frame is simply pressed down b y
hand.
DRYING.

The soap as thus cut into tablets contains round

about 33 per cent. of water, and for this reason is
comparatively soft and sticky. I t is customary ,
therefore, to subject it to a drying treatment, in order
to form a crust of hard soap round the soft interior.
By so doing furth<'r evaporation from the b ody of t he
soap is retarded and the weight is preserved. L1
addition, the drying of the crust is essential, if, a.s is
frequently the case, the tablets a fter cutting have to
bo pressed. ,It is impossible to carry out this pressing
if the crust is not hard, for the sticky soap is bound to
adhcrt" to the press dies. Practice a.s regards drying
has recently undergone a change. Formerly, the soap
wa driod simply b y placing it in a room heated by
steam pipes or coils. The improved modern m eth od
makes use of a. warm air blast. Apparatus for this
purpose, made by Messrs. F ra.ser, of Dagenham,
Essex, is illustrated in Fib. 79. I t consists simply of
a s toa.m hoator t.hrough which air is driven by at\
attached. fa.n into a wrought iron casing provided with
hingod doots and containing seyerR.l t iers of galva.o.il'led
iron wi1o tmy.- for hQlding the tiOR.p.
STAlii Pl

'(~.

Tho rough tablots o.re, after being dried, vory

...

I'
r
I

-..A"'-. -

'
'

I
\

''

"'

\I
\

'
.,

120 RPM

(
0

I \ I

'

'~::to

'......

" T ..r

( HCINCCM'

SWAI N

Pig. 81- SOAP

SQUEEZING

Se.

MACHINE OR PLODDER-PRASER

ut-low tlw ~:~oap con tui.11ing <:u.unt ic ..;oua., :!alt and h.\ R . Daglish and ( 'o., L imited, of St. Hoh.'lnH, is ronunon h st.ampctl to improve their a.ppeara.nco.
glyc.,orino iu bOlut.ion ib run off through t.ho boLLum roprc~;ontotl. 'l'ho pra~.:t.ico hor~:- indicated of ul'iving A halld lllU.chine for thi:. purpobO, lllli.do by Me;.;brS.

J uNE 22, 1917

Dagl~,

?f St.

H elens, is illustratt'cl in Fig. 80. This

machine 1s capable of denling with either 1 lb. or i lb.
ta~let . I t consist~ of .two balanced By-whecl!uruted b y a cro -p10co "tth ha~dlo, and operating.
through an arm, a p lunger, which works within a
sleeve pivoted at its lower end to the frame of the
machine. The bottom of the mould box is loose
nnd is designed to rise on the up-stroko of t.ho plun ger'
so as to eject the soap from the mould. The tablet
is frequently stamped twice, once on oacb fa.ce.
CHIPPING AND MILLING.

THE EN G INEER

removed from those of kerosene. The cliffE~rNWt'

between t.he ignition pointR of t.wo conKNut.ivt'
members of a. series is greater if theQe mt'mb<>rs a.r<'
By RAROLD .hJ:OORE, M.So. Tech.
simple than if t hese members nre complex.
The previously mentioned exp erimenters have <>m~E spon~n~ous ignition temperature or ignition
pomt of ~ liqwd fuol is a. property which, untiJ n ployed the ponta.neousignition te tasn means of detEH'
comparatively recent date, had n ot been investigated . mining the s uitability of certain oils for uso in Dit'sel
It bears no rela.tiorudl.ip to, nor is it in any way engines, but montion of the depencler1ce of the compre ion pre s ures of m o t internal combustion
dependent upon the flash -point or burning-p oint.
. Ho~ . was t h e .first to publish rep orts of the engines upon this property of the fuel has, to th<'
mve ttgat10n of this property in connection with author's knowledge, hit herto not b een publish ed.
fuels for internal combustion engine in 1913. Report It is probable that t he large experimental errorsof experiments on a. somewhat larger scale were about 30 deg. Cent.- present in the results of theRe
published during the same year b y Constam and workers had entirely prevented any such developchlapfer, of Zurich. t In a paper read before the ments. As the re uJt of making numerous experi.
ociety of Chemical Industryt a.t Manch ester in m en ts with t he ignition instrument, t he author con D ecember last, the author described a.n instrument siders that the use of an atmos phere of air in the
which he had designed for the determination of instrument is n ot to be recommended, a.s the results
s pontaneous ignition t emperat ures, and which h e are not so reliable and the d etermination is more
claims will give much more accurate and concordant difficult-on account of the higher temperaturesre ults than have been hitherto attained. In the than when oxygen is used. The concentration of
same paper this property is defined in the following oxygen- number of molecules of oxygen per unit
~rms :- " The temperature of spontaneous ignition. volume in the compressed air in a petrol engine
lS the temperature at which a. substance, s urrounded at the end of the compression stroke is generally
with ~xygen or air at the same temperature, will of about the same order as the concentration of the
burst mto flame without the application of any s park oxygen molecules in pure oxygen at atmosph eric
press~e. With engines employing higher comor other local high temperature."
For the purposes of this article the abbreviated presston pressures than t he petrol engine t he ox ygen
term " ignition point " will be used, and, unless con centration a.t the end of compression is greater
otherwise stated, it may be assumed that the values than t he con centration of pure oxygen at atmospheric
given have been d etermined b y means of t he author's pressure, therefore much greater than in air a.t atmoinstrument, and in an atmosphere of oxygen at ~pheric pressure. The ob erva.tion of ignition p oints
no~mal. pressure. The accompanying table of ignition m oxygen, t herefore, more closely approximates t o
~o~ts m cludes t~ose of a few of the more important engine conditions as regards the oxygen concentration
liqwd fuels which are of interest in connection than observations made in air at atmospheric pre .
sure. It appears most probable that the presen ce
with the subject of this article : of the nitrogen and other diluting gases only has a
Sponl41W>U6 I gnitU>n Temperaturu in O:r;ygm.
m inor influence, and that the concentration of the
Temp. or spont . oxygen is the condition which has most influence
Descr iption.
Spoo.
ignition.
upon the ignition temperature. As a. result of these
grav.
In ozygen.
?O~id~r~tions,_ the author believes that when employPetroleum, orude and residual20" 0.
Deg.Oe.n t.
Crude petroleum (Texas ) . . . . .936 . . . . 268.5
mg 1grut10n pomts as a. means of ascertaining suitable
,
(Cnlifornia)
.961 . . . . 262
engine compressions, it is both more logical and
,
(Mexican)
. . 268
. 949
more pra.ctical to work from t h e ignition temperature
,
(Borneo)
. 939 .. .. 269

A.ngloPersian Oil Co.'s oil
determined in an atmo phere of oxygen. If ignition
. 894 ..
264

THE SPONTANEOUS IGNITION TBJrfPBRATURES OF LIQUID FUBLS.

oa.ps prepared as described above are suitable for

many purposes, notably for laundry and similar
work. They are liable, however, with time to lose
weight by shrinkage and otherwise to deteriorate.
F or t h e production of tJ:le. best quality of toilet soaps,
the process known as m llmg i resorted to. The first
step in this process is to reduce to chips the soap as
taken from the frames. The slabs are first cut into
bars and partially dried. Thereafter, they are taken
to ~ chi_pp ing machine, such as t hat shown in Fig. 86,
which illustrates a. double-sided machine mado by
Joseph Baker and Sons, Limited, of Willesden
Junction, Lond on. The bars of soap a re placed in
the Ahoots. shown, so that their ends may come in
contact ~th the _bl~des of the rapidly revolving
cu tters disposed wtthin the casings. The chips fall
from the f?ot of the casings on to t rays supported on
t he angle-tron runners shown. The tticlmess of the
chips eau be regulated to suit requirements.
The chips are next dried until they contain round
a.bo.u t 10 per ce~t. of water: For this operation the
drying plant illustrated m Fig. 79 is suitable.
Colouring and scenting ma.teria.Js are then added to
the drie_d chips, and ~he whole. is ground up in a. toilet
soap mill. A mac~e of this description, made by
Messrs. Baker, of Willesden Junction, is illustrated in
Fig. 87. This mill consists of five granite, or syenite,
rollers very carefully ground to truth. The rolls are
3lin. long , t h e four lower rolls being 13in. in diameter,
and the top roll 19in. The lowest roll and the third
roll run at a relatively slow sp eed. The second and
fourth rolls run a.t about twice this s peed, while the
top r oll runs a.t about four times the speed of the
lowest roll. A double h opper is arranged in front of
Petroleum distillntesthe rolls. The soap chips a.ro fed into the lower
Petrol (Mexican) . . . . . . . . . 718 . . . . 279
division of this h opper and pass then<.'e to be ground
Petrolite kerosone
..
..
251.5

14
between the differentially moving rolls. As the
Taxibus motor spirit . . . . . . .729 . . . . 272
material com es round the fifth roll, it is scraped off
Prott's Perfec tion spirit, No. 1 . 710
.. 272
,
No. 2 . 724
270
into the upper djvision of tho h opper. When the
hale oilwhole batch has nccumula.tod in this division a
Lighthouse oil
. . . . . . . . . 03
25 1

sh utter at the foot is withdrawn, and the charge
Oil engine oil
.. ..
.768 . . . . 253

allowed to return to t h e lower division for a. second
Oal-gas tar distillatespass t hrough t he mm. From four to eight passages
.. Speoinl distillate " or 0.0. tar .995
429

Oil-gas
tar
creosote
..
.
.
are frequently given to the material, the number
I. 036 . . . . 473
01 -gas tard epending upon the quality desired in the resulting
Water-gas tar
. . . . . . . . I . 080
.. 445
produ ct. At the end of the last pass the soap is
Carburetted water-gM tar .. . . l . 053 . . 445
scraped off in the form of t.hin ribbons from the back
I. 07
..
437
of t h e top roller.
'Vater ge.s tar
. . . . . . I. 074 . .
464
The mass of ribbons is next t ransferred to a
Raw tarsH or izontal retort tar ..
.. 1.114 445
squeezing machine or" plodder," of which an example
1.1 23 . 454
made by Messrs. Fra.ser, of Dagenham, E ex is
Blast-furnace tar
.. ..
I . 172 .
49

illustrated in Fig. 81. This machine squeezes 'the

Tar (product of low temperature
carbonisation)
. . . . . . .987 307
soap through a. perforated die plate A, so that it
Vertical retort tar
. . . . . . I. 102 . . 474
com es out in the form of small round threads.
Cokeoven tar (Simon Carv~s
Thereafter, the die plate is rem oved and the material
OVOI\8)

1. 132
494
.

is once more passed through the machine As it
Coke-oven tar (Kopper ovens) .. 1.146 . 496
,
(Copp6e OVell8) .. 1.140 . 4
p asses t hrough the die p late B a.t the end of the coneTar distillates
like mouth-piece, the soap is squeezed into a. solid bar
Benzol, 100 per oent...
.876 . 666

which is received on the table 0 and thence passed t~

Toluol, 90 per cent. . .
.863 . . 616

a. cutting and stamping machine. The squeezing of
Xylol (commercial) . . . . . . .860 . 4 4
Premier te.rless retort tar oil .. .992
t he soap t hrough t h e die plates is effected by a
349

Paris
gasworks
coal-tar
oil.
.
.
.
1
.
080
449


s hort worm rotating a.t about twenty revolutions
. . . . . . 1.046 .
Coke.oven tar oil
47
per ~ute .a.t the foot. of the hop~er, and arranged
Creosote oil . .
. . . . . . I. 010 . 4 16
~o-a.na.JJ_y wtth the comcal m outh-p1eoe. This worm
Bla<~t Furnace creosote oil ..
.98
463

18 fed wtth soap from the hopper by t he action of a
M.i aceUaneousAlcobol . . . . . . . .
. . . I 7 .. . . 395
fing~r sh a ft D within the h opper, and driven by
Asphaltum from petroleum oil ..
260

gea.rt.ng from the worm shaft. A heating jacket is
Naphthalene. . . .
.. ..
- . . 402
proVJded round the worm, to facilitate its work on
the soap. When the machine is stopped at the end
A few generalisations regarding ignition poinu,
of a. ruo, the cone is still fill ed with soap. To removu are given a.t the conclusion of the aforementioned
this the cone is hinged so that it may be swung paper, and will be repeated here, as they assist in
downwards and clamped within the bracket E. The forming a rough estimate of the ignition p oint of
di~ plate B having previously been removed together any fuel from its chemical comp osition, without
wtth t he cover or cap, which h olds it in p lace, the actually making a. test : ( 1) Compounds containing simple molecules have
hand wh eel F is operated so that the piston-like head
formed on it may rise within the cone and eject the higher ignition p oints than similar compounds
soap upwards. The output of this machine is from containing more complex molecules. This ruJe
3 to 5 cwt. per hour. A modification is sometimes applies to all types of compounds.
(2) The ignition points of aromatic compounds
to be found in use. In this the squeezing machine
is combined with the milling machine. It is very are much higher than t hose of aliphatic compounds.
(3) Unsaturated h ydrocarbons have lower ignition
doubtful if such a. combination is as satisfactory as
keE~pin g t h e two machines apart .
points than t h e corresponding saturated h ydrocarbons.
(4 ) I gnition points ob erved in air are higher than
t hose observed in oxygen . This difference for
ORDERS have boon issued in the United States that petroleum products is genera lly 100 deg. Cent. to
during the war standard Pullman and tourist sleeping 200 deg. Cent.
The influence of the complexit y of t he molecule
cars shall not be used for the transportation of troops
under ordinary conditions. Day coacht>s will be used, upon t he ignition point of the compound is n ot so
on the basis of one officer to each double seat, and thr4M' noticeable amongst the higher members of a. series
men to each two double sonl.s. This order will apply to as amongst the earlier members. Thus, petrol,
all cases except journeys of unusual length covering more which consists mainly of a.liphatic compounds conthan one night and day, which cases will be separat~l y taining seven or eight carbon atoms, po sesse a.n
considered whon they o.rise. The above regulation is necessary owing to the limited number of sleeping cars available ignition point about 20 d eg. higher than kerosene
fo~ troop movements, and to the congestion that would --over nine carbon atoms-but the ignition points
ansa on transportation lines if sleepers had to be collected of the high boiling petroleum oils are not appreciably
for every large movement of troops. Moreover, by doing
H olm. Zelt. filr an~ . Chem. l9f3.J>. 278.
away with sleepers the number of cars necessary to handle
t CoOJtam u. Schlapfer.tZelt. Ver. D. l og. 1913, p. 1489.
the movemen ts will bo decreased by one-quarter.
t lloore._Jour. Soc. Ohem. lnd. Feb. 16. 1917, p. 109.

..

..

GOOr--r--r--r--r--,.---,.-----,
550

- __ ,__ - - &.I- -f - - f --1-1

500

-1----t--

..

561

30.

35.

Pir.

4 07. 4.S

points could b e obtained in air a.t engine pressures

the results would be more valuable than t hose at
present a vailable.
~e will n ow consider the influence of the ignition
pomt of a. fuel for a. petr ol m otor on the working of
s uch a.n engine.
T_he ~ximu.m power obtainable from a. petrol
engme 18 largely dependent upon the compression
pressure; raising the compression pressure increases
the power of an engine, provided that other conditions
remain constant. The thermal efficiency of engines
working either on the constant v olume cyole or on the
constant . pressure cycle is increased by raising the
compress10n pressure. The theoretical efficiencies
for bot? cycles a.t various pressures, together with the
approxuna.~ thermal efficiency obtained in pra.ctice,
a.~e shown m the a.ccompa.nying graphs, Fig. l. It
will be seen that t h e thermal efficiencies obtained in
practice are naturally much lower t han those shown
on the curves, but they undoubtedly are closely allied
to the t heoretical figures.
J!!om this it. is evident. that a high compression is
?esll'a.ble, provtded that little pra.otical inconvenience
18 encountered from the compe.ra.tively high working
stresses. I t is found in p ractice that if the compression of a p etrol engine be raised beyond certain limits
diffic~ty is e~ri~n.ced. on a.ccount of pre-ignitio~
occ~rmg. Pre-1grut1~n lS generally caused by some
port1on of the combust10n spa.ce becoming overheated ;
m o~her words, by a local high temperature on one
p ort1on of the surfa.ce of the combustion spa.cee-~enera.lly so~e projecting p ortion, such a.s the spa.rkmg plug pomts. valve heads, or carbon depo it on

THE ENGINEER

564

MA C HI NERY

F OR

JUNE

THE MAN UP A C T U RE

OF SOAP

( l!'or tkacritption see 'fXJ{Je 551))

Fig. 82- CRUTCHING MACBINE-TIMMJNS

Fig. 84--SLAB CUTTING MACHINE-TlMMINS

Fig. 83-TWIN CRUTCHING

MACHINES- DAGLlSH

Fig &S- BAR CUTTING MACBINE-DAGLISH

Fir. 86- CHlPPING

MACBlNE-BAKER

Fie. 87- MlLLlNG MACHINE-BAKER

22, 191 7

Juzo~ 29, 191 7

581

THE EN G I N EER

which the sodium or potassium is replaced b y other dynRmito and nitro-glycerint>, substances which
toda.y afford by far the greatest outlet for glycer ine,
THE PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRIAl. EMPLOY metals such as iron magnesium and calcium.
t he circumstan ces wore altered and great attention.
MENT OF VEGETABLE OILS.
RECOVERY OF CRUDE GLYCERINE FROM SOAP came to be paid to the recovery of glycerine by soap
No. XVIII. ( Oonclusion ).
WORKS SPENT LYES.
makers. I ts enhanced value then m.ade it p rofitable
All the facts we b.ave just mentioned have an im to devote cons iderable pains to its recovery, and to
ULYCERI NE RECOVERY AND REI<'lNING.
p orta.nt bearing on the problem of recovering t he this was added as an incentive, the practicability of
GLYCERINE and a fatty acid ae, as we have glycerine from the " spent !yes " of a. soap works. recovoriug the salt simultaneously from the lyos.
remarked, the two essential pats of every animal The spent lyes run off from a k ettle in which hard, 'fo d&y , soap makers, a!:l a rule, b.ave m odified th.oir
or vegetable oil or fat. It must not, h owever, i .e., soda soap, has been m.a.de, consist of wa.tor in l!oap. roaking p ractice to the end that tbe glycermo
be thought that iiuch an o il or fat consists simply which various bodies are dissolved, and with which may bo recovered more readily and in a purer form
of a mixtwe of these two substances. In reality small proportions of various insoluble substances than used to be ths caso. In particular they havo
neither glycerine nor fatty acid should exist separ - are mixed. They contain first of all nearly the wh ole l.argely abandoned the use of certain crude sa.pou~ying
ately as such in a neutral oil or fat. If they do, of the glycerine combined in the original oil or chemicals in favour of others which are leas likely
particularly if ftee fatty acid is present, we have a fat from which t h e soap has been made. This to contribute undesirable impurities to the lye.
sign that the oil or fat has suffered some decom - constit uent may amount to, say, about 6 or 7 per
PVRI FYING THE LYE.
p osition.
cent. of the whole, and is, of course, dissolved in t h e
The matter m.a.y be put with advantage in a p opular water. Next in importance comes the saltr-sodium
'he llrst step in the trea.tmont of the .lye_i~ Lo
way without introducing cumbersome chemical chloride which in the soap making process is thrown aciclify it. This is commonly done by ru.n.rung 1t mLo
formuloo. A m olecule of oil consists of a molecule into the kettle to cause the soap to r ise and separate a tank and adding hydrochloric acid to it. The
of glycerine less an atom of hydrogen and an itself from t h e rest of the contents. '!'his salt is result of this is that the free caustic soda is converted
atom of oxygen- and a m olecule of fatty a ciddissolved in the solu tion of g!ycerine and water, into common salt and water, \vhile any soap dissolved
less an atom of h ydrogen. I t will be noticed that and is present in sufficiently large quantity to make in the lye is decomposed into free fatty acid a.ud
the missing atoms together constitute a molecule its recovery from the lye an important element io common salt. Simultaneously, iron sulphate,
of water. If this m olecule of water eau be added the economy of the soap works. The lye also contains aluminium sulphate or common alum is added to
t o the oil under suitable condit ions then the molecules
of glycerine and fatty acid will be m.a.de complete
a nd will separate from one another. If instead of
\Vater, H 0 H, we add a molecule of caustic soda,
Na 0 H, the glycerine is again made complete, but the
fatty acid molecule receives a sodium instead of
a h ydrogen atom, and separates n ot as a fatty acid
but as a soap. Lime, Ca. (0 H ),, acts similarly and
D
yields glycerine on the one hand, and a lime soap,
insoluble in water, on the other. Caustic p otash,
K 0 H, also acts in the same manner, giving glycerine
and soft soap; and so on for other h ydroxides.
The s plitting up of vegetable and animal oils
into glycerine and fatty acid forms an important
branch of industry, and is carried out in a variety

of ways. Thus it can b e directly effected by sub

c
jeoting the oil to the prolonged action of superheated
steam- a fact which explains why anim al and
vegetable oils are n ot so p opular as mineral oils for
lubricating parts of machinery and engines subjected
:;jt
...
to high temperatures. The s plitting up can also be
achieved by treating the oil with lime, drawing off
the glycerine t h us set free, and treating the lime
soap further with sulphuric acid to convert the soap
into fatty acid with the liberation of calcium sulphate.
There are several oth er important processes of carrying out the work. Their object is, of course, to
obtain the valuable glycerine b y a direct m ethod,
and to recover the fatty acid as a byproduct, which
A
8 .
may be sold to the soap matter or candle maker.
E
The soap maker, as we have stated, very frequently
prefers to work with the whole oil or f.at and not with
the fatty a cid by-product of the deglycerinis ing
works. H e prefers to do so because the glycerine
thus comes under his own contl'ol, and forms a
valuable adjunct to his business. Apart from this
it is believed that the recovery of t h e glycerine is
-more complete if performed after the soap has b een
made tb.an it is if the oil or fat is split beforeb.and.
Again, t he recovery of the glycerine if performed
~
at the soap works enables the soap maker also readily
1' - ~
to recover the salt which be uses to separate the soap
0
)
~(
in the kettle. Finally, it is stated that the production
,I
r"
of soap from fatty acid stock requires much more
skill tb.an is necessary if an unsplit oil or fat is used.
I n this article we prop ose to deal, first, with the
recovery of the glycerine set free as a. result of the
(i
X'\
soap making process; ~conclly, .with the s~li~t~g
--
of oils and fats as c&J'rted ou t 10 de-glycerlD.lSmg
ir='
~
works and elsewhere, and finally with the refining
IJI . ~~]
of crude glycerine.
Glycerine or glycerol, to gi vo t ho perfectly. p ure
body i ts proper scientific name iB present m all
vegetable and animal oils and fats to the extent
on the average of about 10 per cent. b y weight.
I t is, of course, known to the public as a. colourless,
11
11
1;; , , ..
TH E EHCI H((II
odourless, sweet-tasting, syrup y liquid, but its
fluidity appears to be due to its impurity. Pure
PIJ. 88-SilfOLB BrnoT VACUUlll EVAPORATOR POR COlfCElfTRATilfO CRUDE ( OLYCEllllfE-SCOTT
glycerine is a. solid at all temperatures up to about
17 deg. Cent., at which point it melts .. In its co~on
form it is a. liquid weigring about 11 tunes the we1ght in solution a. small amount of the caustic soda. usod t h e lye. T h is combines with the free fatty acid to
of an eq ual volume of \\>&tor. .I t .is combust~~le, to saponify the oil or fat, for it is impossible to work form a. m etallic soap, which, being insoluble, is
and burns to water and carbon dioXlde. I ts b oiling with just that amount of soda which is n ecessary precipitated. At the same time, t hese chemicals
point, like that of water and other liquids, depends, to effect t h e saponification of the given quantity coagulate and precipitate ~he a.lbuminl>US .and other
of course, upon t he pressure to which it is subject('d. of oil or fat. The excess soda is dissolved in tho colloidal matter in the lye, JUAt a.<J they do m the c~
At nonnal atmospheric pressure it boils at 290. ~eg. glycerine-salt solution . The glycerine, salt, and soda of their application to Se\\ago purification.
Cont., and in so d oing su.ffers some deco~pos1t1~n. a.ro the three chief constituents of the aqueous lye,
The troa.Wd lye is th en pnKMc:.l through a fi lter presq
Its distillation cannot therefore be satisfactorily and would be t he only constituents if eveything nnd sent into a socond tank. It consiHts now,
performed except under a reduced pressure. . At wero theoretically perfect. In practice, h owover, primarily, of water, glycerine nnd common K&lt, with
an absolute pressure of ono pound per square mch the oil or fat t h e salt and the soda, are n ever pure the excess of h ydrochloric ncid and ferric or other
it boils at 210 dog. Ce nt., and at one-tenth of a. pound or anything like it. ?-'ho oil or fat is su:e to contain sulphate added during the preceding treatment a~
per square inch it boils at 163 d eg. Oe'?-t.. It can mucilage and albummous matter, while the soda. impurities. Caustic soda. is, t h erefore, care~y added
be mixed with water in any degree, but 18 U18oluble and salt between them contribute various ch emical to it until it b ecomeR neutral by the converston of the
in benzene carbon disulphide, and oils. The two impurities, such as metallic salts and sl!-lpha.tes, hydrochloric acid into salt . 'h e soda also acts .on
first -named' substances, as wo have seen; readily sulphides, and oth er boclies . . T~ese pass mt~ .the the ferric or other sulphate, the result of t h e react~on
dissolve oil. They will not, howev~r , diss?lve lye unaltered, or in combmat10n. In addit10n, being the precipitation o~ insoluble iron ~ydrox1de
glycerine when separated from the fatty actd combmed the lye nearly always contains a. small . amount ?f and the fonn.a.tion of sodium sulphate which passes
with which it forms an oil. On the other b.and, soap, for sodium soap is not completely msoluble m into solution in tho glycerine, salt and wa tor lye.
glycerine itself is a very rca~y solvent fo~ a. l.arge salt water.
The liquid is now once a.ga.~ ~tered and is p~
number of substances, rivalling, and at tunes surThe spent lye is thus a very compl~x substance. into a. third tank, whonce it 18 wtthdra.wo as reqturod
passing, water in this respect. Among such sub - F or many years it was regarded a s practtcaUy usel~, for further treatment.
stances are many metallic salts and ha~ogen c~m it being h eld that the cost and trouble of recovenng
CONCENTRATIO .
pounds, certain metallic oxides, ca.usttc a.lk.ali~s, the glycerine from it were too great to make the
.
.
and various m etallic soaps, that is to say, soaps m undertakin
ay. Glycerine in those days wM in
'fh~.ii further treatment ~oniliStH . of ooncentra~mg
very limit~/ demand.
With the invention of the liquid by t h e e\apora.ton of tts \vo.ter p ortton.

r-/

--

~ -

No. XVU . appeared Ju.oe 22.od.

THE EN G INEER

582

J UNE

For largo plants an automatic arrangf'rnNlt is

As the concentration proceeds the ll&lt, or the bulk of
1t, is thrown out of solution and can ultimatelv
bt> u equently fitted by l\fe srs. ,'rott, in placo of the

collected and ust-d agam in the soap kettle. It iH vei'Sel F, whereby the salt is discharged cont inuoUAly.
clear that all the salt <:annot be rQmovod from the h c This device is illustrated in Fig. !)0. Its construction
simply by evaporation of the water. Even if the is simple and obvious. In this case the salt is disevaporation were carried to cornplcticm there would charged moist and saturated with liquor, and is
still remain a fair amount of Ralt di"'soh:ed in the immediately dried and wa.c;hecl in a centrifugal
glycerine left behind. A ~; a fact , the liquid re-;ulting machine. In Fig. 97, on page 585, wo ghe a. \'iow of
from the evaporation 1>1 "hat iR known a"i crudo a. large glycerine recovery plant capable of dealing
glycerine, and at the be>~t c:ona.ists of Ray, 0 per cent . with 500 tons of 6pent lye per day. T his plant is
of pure glycerine and about 10 pljr cent. of salt, the fitted with the a.utol'TV.I.tic salt-e::tracting arrangPraent
remainder being water and certain chemical impuritieH. referred to, and with m echanical means for conveying
The plant E'mployf'd for e\a.porating the tr'at.ed the salt to and from the centrifugaiH.
lye at one t1me consist('d of fire-hf'atcd pans. Th('>-oe
The evaporation of the liquor and the e~-traction of
were succ<'Nlf'd by Op<'n air ~>tf'am- hcated \'efl,..~>h the precipitated salt are proceeded with until, as we
The fact, however, that high temperatures or pro- have said, the liquor sh ows a concentrat ion reprelonged heating reacted unfavourably on the glycMine, senting an 80 per cent. content of glycerine. This
was soon recognised, and at~ a. rcfiult, vacuum condition is judged by noting the temperature of the
ovaporatoNI were introduccd . ThcRl' not only <'fl<ct liquor in the evaporator, for as the water ill el.iminated
the evaporation quickly ancl at a. r'ducf'd temperaturf', the boiling point of the liq uor left rises. At any given
but economise fuel by pormitting nxhaust steam to pressure above or below atmo,.,pheric, there is a.
be used for their heating.
definite boiling point for each and every strengt h of
A typical example of a m odem single effect vacuum liquor. In the neighbourhood of 80 per cent . con evaporator for the rccovcry of cntde glycerin<', a.~ centration t h e boiling point rises b y about I deg. Cent.
made by Gcorge .'cott and .'on (London), Limited , for each 1 per cent. increase in the concentration.
King&wa.y H owse, Kin8J>''ay, \V.C. 2, iR illustrated in It may be remarked that even at atmo.;pheric pre&>uro
Fig. 8 and Fig. 95, on pag" 585. TIH hquid having the boiling p oint of an 80 per cent. solution of
been .6Jtored from the M1ond trca!tnl'ut tank A into glycerine in water iJ; no m ore than about 120 dog. Cent.,
the third tank B iH drawu up by the \acuum into a11d undt:r a vacuum it iH, of courSl~, still less. H enoo
the e\apora.to r"" C--Fig. 88. This veH<>l iR providf'd exhaust steam, if available, will in most cases be
with a. tube plate near tlw top and rwa.r the bottom . quite s ufficient for heating the evaporators.
Between thc1>0 plate., oxHnd a nwnbe of vertical
\\'hen the con centration has reach ed the desirud
tubes up which the liquid is <:aul'-('d to rise. The degree the vacuum pump and jet condenl;('r are
space outside the tubcli and between the tube plates closed down, and the crude glycerine is run off into
is filled with heating steam. The tubes are of two store tanks. A fresh charge of liquor, which in the
diameters, and are so arranged as to promote a meantime has been treated chemically in the manner
vigorous and unifOJ'l"Q circulation without recoure:;e to described above, is immediately introduced into the
mechanical means. It it. eRSential to have a good evaporator.
circulation in these evaporators, for otherwi>-e the
The apparatus described so far is of the " single
r.a.lt, a.R the evaporation proceeds, v.-ill dopo~">it on the effect " type, and is suitable for UB6 where the supply
interior of the tubes and restrict or choke them , of exhaust steam is abundant. \\'here it is n ot, and
where fuel ill expensive, it iJ; usual to employ a. double
effect evaporating plant of the t~ pe illustrated in
F ig. 96, on page 585. In Huch a. <:a-.e live ~;tenm iA
~oou pplicd to the first eva.p.,ra.tor only.
This e'apora.tor
iRworkod at a pressure n ot much I<'RI! than atm01.pheric,
110 that the vap ow dcvcloped in it rntt.y bo suffi ciou tly
hot to be utilised aR the h eating fluid for the se<ond

s .... .,.
PiJ. 90- AOTOMATIC SALT

PrJ. 89--BEMOVIIrG SALT

uu,t~a.d

PROM

A VACOOM EVAPORATOR

of fa.Uiu g, ab rt lH ua toudc:d t o do, into the:

conical end of the cva.porat.or below the lower tube
plate. A good circulation may fw1hor IJe relied upon
materially to reduoo tho chance of the liquid
" frothing " and boiliug over. To eliminate all
danger from this cause, howe,cr, ~lcssrs. Scott 6t
a " catch-all " D or trap with internal baffle~> to
intercept the overflow and nturn it to the evaporatot.
The vaporising space above the uppf"r tube plate
i~> connected by a pipe to a. vacuum pump B of spt:cial
design. The pump plwger works bcmeath a bod)
of water in a tauk ; b) the displacorrwnt of t!Ji.,
wat~>r th( xtfa.rn iJ; drn'' ra ovf'r from t h!' ,.,aporo.tor
and deliwr1d througla a j1t (;(mdon"'er. The I(JY.(r
conica.l (n<.J of t he (vapora.t.o1 iH in c1munwaicatiou
with a. vc,..'-<1 F, into )~hich tho ~<alt falls a.'l the
evaporation pr(J(ecdrl. \\'hen the salt vo.-.;.--eJ 1.1; full
it liJ i.solat<'d from tbo evaporator by means of a.
sluice valve. The furthor precipitation of salt iK
allowed to accunuJate in the conical end of the
evaporator until the vessel F hAs been cleared. Befote
tho door of the salt ves!';(1l i'i opened a valve on tho
pipe G iH operated to place thP ve,.scl for a ,.,hort
time in communico.tion '' ath tltr ,acuum iru;ido tho
ova.porator. The t;a.lt n ;,ting on a metallic filter
inside the V'fiAcl is thus drained of most of the liquor
adhering to it, which liquor is rotumod to the
evaporator. Steam is now turned on into the salt
vessel, so 8.8 to wash and dry the salt ac; far~ possible.
The washing& are return(d by the p1pe 0 to tho
evaporator. The door of the ve..:;cl can then be
oponed-see Fig. 89- tho rolt romovcd, and thu
vcASel onco again put in to corrunwticalion with tho
evaporator. The salt thu removed l 'i comparatively
dry, and can be re-used immed.intely in the soap
kettles.

29, 1917

autoclave method and the Twitchell proe&s. A pair

of autoclaves for oil or fat splitting by .Mel>ljfl>. Goorgo
cott and Son is illu.-.trated in Fig. 91. Thcoe arc
simply cylindrical heating vcs:;oli; and, a.s &hown, are
\J.Ijually not provided with agitating gear. The fat
or oil is introduced into the autoclave together with
l o~ 2 per _cont. of somo base, Kurh as lime, magno~ia,
bar1um OXJde or- vcry commonly to-day- zinc OXIde.
Steam at a pressure of, say, 150 lb. is then admittc-d to
the autoclave, the pro')l;ure being maintained for from
four to six h ours. The smaU amount of chemical
ba80 used is sufficient to start the dPcomposition of
the oil or fat into glycorine and a lime, magneaia, &c.,
soap. This, once started, induces hydrolysis, and the
rest of the oil or fat taking up water from the steam
becomes converted t o glycerine and fatty acid.
Thereafter the contents of the autoclave are treated
with a sma.U amount ~f acid to doc~mpose the soap
formed . by the base mto fatty acrd and a Iima,
magneswn or other salt. The fatty acid and the
glycerine are then separated by taking advantage of
t heir differences o f specific gra,'ittes. The glycerine
contains much water- it is known at this 11ta.ge as
"sweet waters " -and is .6Jtered and concentrated.
The concentration is effected in an O\aporator &im.ilar
to that described above in connection with the treatment of soap makers' !yes. No salt extra<:ting dotails
are, however, provid--1, for n o salt is prebent in the
liquor. About 95 per cent. of the oil or fat origittally
introduced into the autoclave is on the_, a.w., .age
converted by this m ethod , although at tim<s Ill; much
as 98 per cent. can be completely ,.,plrt. The
remainder passes away unchanged with the fatty acid.
THE TWI TCHELL PROCESS.

An important alternative method to the above is

TwitcheU's process.

If oleic acid- a

fatty acid

Se..

DISCHA&OllfG DEVICE

evaporator. This second evapo1at()r works at a. high

vacuum. ThE' liquor rece ives a preliminary cou
<:entratron m the fir~>t evaporator, an d i'i thrn pa""'Nl
o n for final treatment 111 tlw Mcond. L'huall\'
rwarh

all, if u ot tho whole of ~ho Halt iH cl<JHJtll tcd in tlw Halt

,c~-;sel of tho hOcond <vapora.t.m.
Th< Lirast, h owt \ '('1',
is ali;o fit t.ed with a salt vt-s~ l , so that oitllet evapora.to
may oo run on the a.ingle effect principle bhou.Jd
repair.. to one unit or any other ca.u~>e render this
desirable. The plant &hown in Fig. 97- already
refen ed t.o- consistAof four double effect evaporators.
The presence of the salt in sQB.p makers' waste lyes
ib undoubtedly a disadvantage when it comes to the
problem of recovering t he glycc1rine. The crude
glycerine, as we have said, is bound to retain a
considerable percentage of the salt. Even the
subsequent refining of the glycerine by d.i.t!tiiJation
may not entirely eliminate it. With the increat;ed
demand for pure glycerine which has arisen with the
development of high explosive~>, more and more
attention ha"! como to be pajd to altcrnative IDPth<JclR
of obtainiug the cnl(lO pr<>duct, mHh()(h'l which do not
invohro th11 glycerinu h<ing brought into contnct "it.h
ISB.lt at auy poiJtt oa with more t han a Ktn.a.JI amow1t
of a.nv
otho1 chemicalH.

TilE BPLITTIXG OF OILS AND FATS.

. The " splitting " of oi!J; and fats can be p erformed

m several ways. Roughly stated, the object aimed
at is to make each m olecule of oil take up a molecule
of water, so as to form a molecule of glycerine and
a m olecule of free fatty acid, or, to speak &cientifically,
to " hydrolibe " the oil. We have already mentioned
in a. previoua article that the h ydrolysis of an oil once
btarted is liable, il water be present. to contmue
automatically until a very con.aiderable proportion of
the oil is converted into a. mixture of glycerine and
free fatty ac!d. In the case of palm oil, for example,
the prevont10n of hydrolysis is very difficult if not
imp?ssi_ble. . we are now dealing with an aspect of
affaa.n; m wlurh the oncoura.gemcnt of hydrolyRis may
bo r.a.id to bo the direct object in viow.
AUTOCLAVE PROCESS.

The two principal m~thods of s plitting oils are the

Fig. 91- 0 IL

AlfD

PAT SPLlTTDfO

AUTOCLAVE

SCOTT

occurring in many oils and fatl)~and benzene,

naphthalene, or certam other bodlOb are nu.x<d and
treated with sulphuric acid a. certain compound
results, known as Twitcholl's reagent. This compound
may popularly be said to have the power of formNtting
oils and fats when boiled with them at a.tmlJ~>pheric
pressure, for it readily hy drolilws them into gl) cerino
and fa.lt y acid. The fact that thn action i'i b8lis
fa.ct orily pflected at atmosphoric; pr{'sswH giw.., tl1H
Twitchell proceHJo> cea1ain advanta.gcH cwN thn auto
clave m ethod. In pat-ticula.r, it rxwrrul8 lhB pr()COsS
to be conducted in wooden vcl)(o;(lH.
In Fig. 92 we givo the gener"al arrangcrneut uf a.
splitting plant on the Twitchell ~;y~;t.em, ercct.<>J by
Messrs. Oeorge 1:3cott and Son. To secure succcebS
with this process the oil or fat mulit fir~>t be freed from
iron, lime, and other impuritieH. Accordingly, it is
initially boiled with sulphuric acid in the lead-lined
wooden vat B. Tho coagulated impurities smk to
the bottom, and the clean oil is drawn off from a point
near itA surface level and is pM!;N'} into the saponi
fying vessel " C. H ere it is mixed with from ouo.t.hird
to onehalf of its weight of distilled water drawn from
the tank A, and v.ith from
to 2 per cent. of the
Twitcholl reagent. The charge is then agitated and
boiled for a. period (xtendi.ng up to twenty-four houn;
by mean~; o f steam delivered da.rect into it from a
p erforated coil within tho vat. A clow-fitting wooden
cover iH provided for the vat which, while allowmg
steam to escape, prevents the (reo access of a.a.r to the
charge. This is de~ira.ble, because the h ot fatty acid
set free rom the oil is Lip.ble to darken in colour in

J UNI

583

THE ENGINEER

29, 1917

t he presence of air in excess. \\~hen the boiling is

completed the charge is allowed to stand until the
fatty a cid portion rises to the top and the glycerine
and water portion sinks to the bottom . The latter
is drawn oil into the tank D, whore it is neutralised
wit.h lime water and allowed to settle. The fatty
acid portion may be boiled up again with wate1' to
extra ct the last traces of froe glycerine. Any
oulphuric acid in it is ne utral iflod with barium
carbonate, the addition of which to tho charge resuJt~
in the precipitation o f barium sulphate . Tho
neutralised glycerine water is pumped through the
filter pro s E into the tank F . The separated fatty
a cid is drawn off from tho tank 0 by the pump C.
From the tank F the glycerine water is pa sed into
t.he evaporator H. This is of similar construction to
tho vacuum evaporators used for concentrating soap
makers' crude glycerine, except that no salt discharging details are fitted to it. The vapour drawn

about 85 per cont. o f glycerino. The remainder is

largely water, but there is also Pl'('l:lent a considerable
amount o f organic and in organic impurit ies. To a
certain small ex tent t.l1o crude glycerine o bta tncd
by either of these methodx iH w;od directly; bu t fo r
the two chief outl et~; fot tho HubHtance, namoly, in
tho manufacture of high explosives and in phann.ncy,
it iHessontia.l that the impULitieK and the watei' Hhould
bo pract.ically eliminated. 'fhia elimination is effoctcd
by distilling tho crude g lycorino w1der vacuum
followed by concenttation .
The refining or distiiJ.at.ion o f gl~cerine is vractically an industry b y itself. Usually , for in8tancc,
the soap maker d oos not cart-y his work boyond
the stage of rocovoriog tho crude glycerine. This
he clisposes of to the glycerino refineries. E ven
some of the largest producers of crude glycerino
regard it a s their final market poduct, and do not
attempt to refine it themselves.

frar tions Thoso condensed at the highest temperatures will be purest and richest in glycerine. As the
condensing temperature become~ lel'S t~e percentage
o f glycerine in the condensate f&:lls , until ~n the last
condenBer the condensate con1usts of htt.Je more
than water contaminated with variouH chemical
impurities.
.
'f he diagn~m.rnatic arrangoment of a gl ycer~~e
refining plant by 1\Ies ra. George Scott ~nd So~ IS
given in .Fig. 93, while in Fig. 9! we gwe a VIOW
taken in a glycerine refin ery fitted u.p by the sa'!'le
firm . Referring t o the diagram, A IS a steel sttll.
J nto this the crude glycerine, previously heated for
pr<>ference, is introduced until the still is about half
fnll. The remainder of the charge is added as the
diHtillation proceod8. The still is fixed close to a
furnace B, the prime object of which is to fire tho
Rupeheater C, which HupplieB the still with steam .
in cidentally the waste gases from the furnace are

11 11 Ill I I I I I I I I I IIIIIU
11 11 11 I I I I I I I I I I TI 11111'

8 11 I I I I I I I I I I I I 111111
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c 11111

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11111

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11
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11
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rm 111

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Ill ll I UI
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1 I

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Ul

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E levation.

//////////////////////

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /L / / / / / / / / / / L / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

::;

,.,

IT

..L

F
).
PI a n .
3 WAIN

Se.

Fie. 92 PLAXT JI'OR SPLI TTING OILS AXD FATS BY TH E TWITCBELL PROCESS SCOTT

off from tlw evaporato r d owu the pipe .J by tho

va cuum pump L is condonfled by the water injector I<
and is sont as distilled water into the storo tank A .
' to rage- tankfl for the partially concentrated glycerine
drawn from tho evaporator are indicated at M, M. L1
those tho glycerine is allowed to settle and deposit
any sedimC'n t it may hold . The partially concent rated
glycol'ino may be retumcd for furt he1' concentration
to tho evaporator , and is then finall y <uscharged at Q .
P is a sampling cock.
GLYCERI NE REFI NI NG.

Tho cm do glycerine rccov<>rcd from tiOO.p JlUlkers'

h cs o.ftor concentration mny contain up t o about
0 por cont. of pure g lvr<'rm<'. The rema inder
consi~;t s o f, My, 10 per cont. o f \\alM a nd JO per rent.
o f K&lt a nd other imp urit.iC'H . The crude g lycerin <'
d erived from tho autoclav<' or T witchell procesR
of splitting oils or fats con tains on the a verage

As we ha.ve NJ.id u.bov<', gl) cCirinl' d i~> t ds undo

almoRphoric pref~Sure o.t 290 dug. ( 'nnt., and in HO doing
xufTors som e decomposit ion. I t cannot th<rcforu
bo tJatisfactorily distilled at orclinary pr<'s.mre hy
m ea ns o f dry, external hea t. In prnctice the m ethod
adop ted iR to hea t it in a vncuum by, and in tho
proAOnce of, suporhcat.ocl stru.m. The crude chn.rg<1
thus distils withou t docompoHit.ion of the g l,\ccwinu,
but. Lho distillate, it mu11L bo noted, iR not purc1
glycerine. It consiRts o f g lycol'ine vapour accompo.nied by water vapour, and tho \'&pour o f an)
o f t he impurities in the crud e charge which are
vola tile. Among the latter we may include COOUl'V>n
nit , for if this body is not actua lly vola ttlc' a t tlw
pressure and temperatureH employed it would a ppc.ar
thn.t it is carried ovor in the distillate mrr hanict\11~
w1 th tht' wa ter vapour, and is fo tmrl in t ho r ond<'nh<'d
d 1~t illa te. The proct>d uro adop ted for gl.) corUI<'
rofm ing is to condense the d istillate in several rUfforent

usccl to assi,-;t in um uttnuung llw tcmp(mlun o f t,ho

t..! ill cont.ont'\. The RUJ>QrlwntNI ~;team U! aclmitL d
hoth to closed and opon coils inside tho still. Tho
bulk o f t he d ititillation , h owevor, is cfToctod by tho
st<am iRAuing direct into the ch.n.rgo from the Of>Qil
coilB. At D iR indica ted the inl t for the ctul.rgo of
crud e glycorino, and at E i11 Rhown tho discharge;
cock fot the "Htill bot torn H," that is, the roRidue loft
aftM tho distillation is ovm. The glycerine and steam
vapours lea ve the still by tho pipe F, and pa..,g into
the cooling battery 0 . I n the ca se of the plant
represen ted t' in the d ia gram the distillate can be
condensed in nine culloroot fractions. From ~ix
to nine fractionR ar usual. Tho cooling battery
G gives seven ~imuJtaneous fra cttors. It coURistoJ
of M>V<'n in te rmorliato ror eivers H and a;cv(lll final
rocoive1'8 J . The m tormediate rCiceiveN~ arc connected
in pa irs by mea os o f six serios of air-cooled bent pipes
K . R adiation and atmosphN io convection result

The product leaving the filter press is of a. straw

colour and ca.n be w.ed with out further treatment
for the manufacture of explosives. The practice
of bleaching the glycerine before ma~g use ~f it
in this way is now mostly discard ed, as 1t adds li~t le
or nothing to the chem ical purity o~ the matenal.
F or pharmaceutical purposes bleachmg by mea.~H
of high-grade an imal charcoal is reso~d to. _It _n,
usual to add the charcoal to the glycerme while m
the concentrator, and to pass and repa.ss the liquid
through the filter pr~ until t he d esired brilliancy
is obtained.
Glycerine of dynamite quality can usually be
produ ced from crude glycerine obtained by_ SJ?litt~g
oils by one distillation. Frequently one distillat10n

io the establishment of a temperature gradient

from pipe to pipe of the cooling battery. The most
readily condensed portion of the distillate falls
finally into tbEI fin>t of the receivers J, and is practi~ lly
pure glycerine. In each succeeding receiver the
condensclte is increasingly rich in water and in volatile
impurities.
The residue of the n~porotm distillate leaving the
last pipe of tho coohng b~ttery coPtains a small
quantity of glycermo, and is passed into a. watercooled condenf'er L. In this a ll the glycerine should
be condentsed along with, of course, a considerable
amount of t he w&tor vapour. What escapes from
t he condenser L is passed into a second water-cooled
condenser M. In the ideal plant worked under

-I

c
p

r!k- ":

..

... -- ....
~ t .:.

I" 1

-.

'
.........
.-.... -

rK'

1-

--

--

.J

H~

~K'

DC~ < J(~(

..;;,

/ ""':_}':"\

/';;:-,

--

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~~

ideal conditions the condensate from M sh ould be

pure \Vater. If this is attained then a. guarantee
exists that none of the glycer-ine is being lost, tba.t
a.Jl is being recovered.
In practice t hree storage tanks are commonly
pro,ided for the reception of the condensate. Into
one of these are run those fractions from the cooling
battery which are adjudged s ufficiently free from
chemical a.nd other impurities to s uit the purpose
for which the glycerine is required. These mixed
fractions contain a. fair amount of condensed water
vapour a.nd have to be concentrated. Into the
second storage tank a.re run those fractions of the
distillate which are to be rejected because of their
impurity. The~,. a.r~ rtturned to the s till for re

~~

u,
rJ

_c

----- ~

'\

'

rr
~
~

...

...

@
s ......N

Se.

93-GLYCERINE RE18180 Aim COIJCEIJTRATING PLA.RT- SCOTT

is also s ufficion t in the cause of cr-ude glycerine from

soap makers' waste lyes if the fractions retained for
concentration a.re carefully selected. F or ch emically
pure glycerine double distillation is commonly
regarded a.s necessary.
Glycerine refining is a. con tinuous proce~. A
stoppago in the middle of the distillation m.a.y result
in a.n increased amount of impure distillate, and may
even reduce the t otal y ield. In general, if soap
lye glycerine is being t reated the still should be
cleared of its " botto'IXlS " a.t least once a week.
These " bottoms " con sist of a. black, tarry mass
containing much common salt, a.nd a.re practically
' a.luelesa. I n the treatm ent of crude " split .,
glycerine thf' ~;till ca.n be run for a. fortnight without

OF A OLYCERUI E &REFilfERY

distillation. Juto thc1 third to.uk is run the wc>ak

glycerine watcr dmiVf'd from the condenser L.
This fractiOn may ho ~;uffitie ntly frN> from impurities
other than wawr- to p<rmit it tc1 be a.ddE'd to t he
mixed fractiow; in tho 6rbt tank so a.s to be con centrated along wit h them . I t may, howe\'E~r, be
flufficiently impuro to require redistilla.tion. If its
impul'ity i~ uot excessive it may be concentrated
separately and Rold for ce11a.in commercial purposes.
The ~;till A, tho c:ooling battery G, a.nd the condenRers L M, flr(l maintained under the proper
d egree of vacuuxn by m <'a.ns of the pump X. The
exhaust !itea.m from tills pwnp is used t o assist in
concentrating the &elected fractions.
The concentrators P P are similar in principle
to those already roferrod to in the earlier portion of
this article. Thoy a.ro provided with a. separate
va.cuwn pump Q, and are fed with liquor through
the inlets R. Steam is supplied to them a.t S. T T
indica.to sa.mpliug cocks. The finiRherl glycerine
is sent through a filter pref;s U.

-(

Fig. !H-INTEB.IOR

"'

"'

ip~ ~ p~

/./

Pie.

R.ft1:1t"
~ :'\. / If g_s

rQ11 1

~L

M-"

f"'t

R ~-

-:

is a good example of a piece which should be stiff

a.nd rigid ~ but if, in the gen_eral d~ign, the sides of
th~ b ox-guder. be left too light, m order to save
weigh~ ~nd, u;tdeed, a general tendency -~ look
to ~1enti6c stiffness, rather t~n to solidi_ty be
rer:nutted-:-th~ whole s t.ructure. will te~d. to VIbrate.
It 1.9 e-ssonttalm any d es1gn of high preclSton machine
tool that the machine be capable, quickly, of a.b:;orbing
the small vibrations set up by its own operation.
Usually these vibrations are small in amplitude
and of high periodicity, because in the very nature of
things t~e ~est work nec?ssi~~ very ~g~t c~ts.
Success m des1gn and opera.t10n lies m the elimina.t10n,

-4

-""-l :

-..,c

..~

- l:.

.(S
-

~.---. ........... ~~-~

r/""'\
'F':

-....,

IThe
precision mac~ery must necessarily be massive.
usual box-guder type of lathe bed construction

........

1 ..............

/"'

.X

J un 29, 1917

THE ENG I NEE R

584

boingf cleared. 'rho " bottorru; " in this - caso a.re

also of a. ta.y nature. Thoy a.e, h owever, fee
f1om salt, a.nd are <>rnployed to some extent in the
m.a.nufacturo of Huch comm odities a'! boot blacking.

SOME POINTS IN HIGH PRECISION DESIGN.

(By a Contril.tutor.)

TBE whole trend of modern design in high p recision

machinery is to seek strength, stiffness, a.nd rigidity,
combined with lightness, by the a.id of pure scientific
structure. The word " Precision " has unfortunately
been' misused in the past to d efine almost a.ny kind
of small machine t ool It ie here used in its proper
sense, and is intended to apply to a.ll machine tools,
whether large or s mall, whose object is to attain the
highest realisable d egree of acC'uracy.
. Many designers forget that solidity- plays a.n.
tmportant r6le in absorbing small vibrations. High

one by one, of a. series of small eiTors which are

usually cumulative. Vibration is the most important.
It is almost certain that some form of resonance
effect is responsible for the indifferent running of
certain grinding machines which cannot be induced
satisfactorily t o opera.to in practice. It is equally
clear that the problem calls for the attention of the
metallurgist a.e well as of the designer.
Let us look a.t the problem firstly from the point
of view of the latter. It is apparent that symmetry
of design is in general an important factor. Each
element, particularly the m ore massive parts of the
machine under construction, should be designed as
symmetrically as p ossible around its three funda. .
mental a xes. Otherwise small disturbing forces
will tend t o u pset the smooth nmning, a.nd will
affect one part o f the structure more than another,
so tending t o cause periodic vibration. Thus
all strengthening ribs should be evenly spaced
a.nd carefully balanced off against each other. At
bOrne p oints excrescences on a. casting a.re necessarysometimes largo and ~:;ometimes small-in order to
carry the different working elements of the m&ehine.
But unle~a t he excrescences ca.n be more or less
balanced up in the general design, it is better to cast
on apparently useless projections to obtain a. symmetrical form. 'The fnnall extra. cost of the metal is
more than paid for b y the !Smoother nmning of the
complete machine. Every machine must vibrate
when in motion to a. greater or less extent ; a.nd,
from the p oint of vil w of the finished product, it
is far better that the wbolo machine sh ould vibrate
with the same natural period. There is little doubt
Umt another o f the troubles of grinding machine
rnanufacture -s i"' cauocd by the vibration of the
grinding wh<'els whNt in operation , settiug up minute
r.tolecular dist urbauC'O!; in the ~'<tructure of t he cast
iron which fon n!i the ba.."' of the machine. The
ques tion of an artificial ageing or pickling to which
the casting may have been subjected does not seerr.
to affect this particular point. But sufficient is
not yet known o f the eff~ct of very small vibra.
tioru; on molecular stn1cture. This is, however,
the problem of the metallurgist. Additionally,
s teem have received mfH'o than their fair share of
attention at tho handl> of laboratory experts, as
opposed to cast irons, con silleling t he great importance
of the latter in general engineering.
When t.h~ <lC's ign of la rge objects, s uch a..c; comparator
beam'!, is in quc~Stion symmet.l'Y of design 8Sl:iwnes a.n
importance from t he point o f view of thennal expan sion, a.pa.rt frorn RN;ular change. B y proper design,
linear dilitation along any given axis can be constrained to take place in a. s traight line. But a.n
asymmetrical body under small temperature variation
ca.ll.6es sme.lllocol streo:;es to arise a.t the asymmetrical
points. Local bcuding effects a.ro produced tending
to tilt one particular microscope attached to the
beam- in the~ under examination, a. comparator
beam-though not necessarily affecting the true
reading of the other microscopes. These mall
repeated local streoscs--pa.rticularly a.t some point
where a. change of shape takes place--cause a gradual
weakening of m olecular s tructure a.t that point,
pa.t-ticularly in ca!>t iron. The importance of general
~ymmetry is very oft.en overlooked in the de:sire
of the draughtsman to economise on weight of material
a nd on spa.co. It is his natural inclination to a.Uow
workshop exper1ence to outweigh artistic sense.
But balance of gon(lral effect, combined with easy

J UNE

THE ENGINEER

29, 1917

CR

585

DE G LY C ERINE R EC O V ER Y PL A NT
GE0ROE

~COT'!'

AND SON (I.ONDON), J.DlJTED, LONDON, ENGINEERS

(Ji'or ducriptilm

IU

"/)Q9e 68 1)

F!JI. 95 aod 96-SIBOLE AND DOUBLE EFFECT VACUUM

Flc. 97

FOOR

DOUBLE EFFECT VAOUUM

EVAPORATORS FOR COBCENTRATIBO

CRUDE OLYCERDfE

EVAPORATORS FOit-TREATJlfO 000 TONS QF SOAP

LYES PER DA Y