Abstract: Improved booking drive mechanism for vertically extending mold presses such as SRIM mold presses. Opening and closing of the booking plate relative to its associated moveable ram are actuated by a pair of horizontally disposed hydraulic cylinders. Tension pulleys carried by the extendable pistons of the cylinders are trained around cables that connect the booking plate to the ram. When the pulleys are retracted into their cylinder housings, tension or pull on the cables causes the booking plate to move about a fulcrum to a closed position. Conversely, horizontal extension of the pistons away from the cylinders causes opening pivotal movement of the booking plate about the fulcrum thereby separating the booking plate from the ram.

Abstract: Improved desolventizer of the countercurrent type. Solvent laden solids enter a closed chamber wherein they are continuously agitated by stirrers. Steam from below rises up through a porous deck and the solids thereon whereupon the steam condenses to release its heat of vaporization thereby aiding in the evaporation of solvent in the solids. The desolventized solids exit the chamber through a discharge passage. The deck includes generally radially spaced apart, substantially parallel stainless steel bars supported on substantially radially extending carbon steel supports. The spaces or slots thereby defined by the bars define an open area covering up to about 30% of the surface area of the deck. The gaps between the bars are sufficiently narrow so as to reduce the likelihood of the solids being worked into the gaps.

Abstract: A flowable solid material, such as wet-milled corn germ, is continuously fed into the upper portion of a large vessel having a cylindrical shell with a vertical axis and a series of vertically spaced horizontal decks. Each deck has concentrically spaced annular zones of holes or perforations, and heated air from a set of blowers and a gas-fired or steam heat exchanger is forced countercurrently or upwardly through the perforations to produce a recirculating bed of material above each deck with an upward spouting flow of the material above the zones of perforations and a downward flow of material between the zones of perforations. The recirculating material forming the lower beds is also heated by cylindrical steam heat exchangers which extend vertically between the zones of perforations, and the material is fed progressively downwardly through the vessel to form the beds and for discharge from the lowermost bed.

Abstract: A flowable solid material, such as wet-milled corn germ, is continuously fed into the upper portion of a large vessel having a cylindrical shell with a vertical axis and a series of vertically spaced horizontal decks. Each deck has concentrically spaced annular zones of holes or perforations, and heated air from a set of blowers and a gas-fired or steam heat exchanger is forced countercurrently or upwardly through the perforations to produce a recirculating bed of material above each deck with an upward spouting flow of the material above the zones of perforations and a downward flow of material between the zones of perforations. The recirculating material forming the lower beds is also heated by cylindrical steam heat exchangers which extend vertically between the zones of perforations, and the material is fed progressively downwardly through the vessel to form the beds and for discharge from the lowermost bed.

Abstract: A flowable solid material, such as wet-milled corn germ, is continuously fed into the upper portion of a large vessel having a cylindrical shell with a vertical axis and a series of vertically spaced horizontal decks. Each deck has concentrically spaced annular zones of holes or perforations, and heated air from a set of blowers and a gas-fired or steam heat exchanger is forced countercurrently or upwardly through the perforations to produce a recirculating bed of material above each deck with an upward spouting flow of the material above the zones of perforations and a downward flow of material between the zones of perforations. The recirculating material forming the lower beds is also heated by cylindrical steam heat exchangers which extend vertically between the zones of perforations, and the material is fed downwardly through the vessel in a serpentine-like path to form the beds and for discharge from the lowermost bed.

Abstract: A cylindrical housing encloses a plurality of vertically stacked extractor sections each containing a plurality of baskets in vertical registry with baskets of the other sections, with the baskets all being stationary so that material to be processed passes in a vertical path down through each successive extractor section. Rotating screens and miscella collection pans are disposed beneath the baskets in each extractor section and form the bottom thereof, with the screens and pans having aligned openings which during rotation permit the material being processed to be passed from an upper basket to a lower basket in vertical registry therewith. A countercurrent flow miscella and solvent distribution and collection system supplies miscella or fresh solvent to the upper portion of each of the extractor sections above the baskets and rotates with the screen and collection pan to progressively apply the proper strength of miscella or solvent to each of the baskets in each of the extractor sections.

Abstract: A continuous solvent extracting apparatus with a generally cylindrical stationary housing containing a plurality of stationary bottomless baskets disposed laterally adjacent one another in a circular pattern in a single stage with a screen forming the bottom of the baskets. The screen is mounted for rotation beneath the baskets with a single opening through which material being processed can be emptied from each of the baskets in sequence after the miscella has been removed from the material being treated by drainage through the screen. The miscella is collected in a pan which also rotates with the screen and includes a hopper in registry with the opening in the screen through which the processed material can pass from each of the baskets to a discharge opening from the extracting apparatus.

Abstract: Spacers for cage presses having a cylindrical cage formed of axially extending radially spaced screen bars, each spacer having an L-shaped configuration formed of a single piece of sheet material having approximately the thickness of the desired width of opening between innermost edge portions of adjacent screen bars, and secured at uniform spacings along the length of an adjacent screen bar with the leg portion extending inwardly of the cage and terminating adjacent the innermost edge portions of adjacent screen bars and in contact therewith to establish the minimum separation between adjacent screen bars, and having the foot portion extending substantially tangentially and in contact with the adjacent screen bars near the outer edge portions of the screen bars, each spacer being welded to the adjacent screen bar on the leg portion of the spacer.

Abstract: Apparatus for devolatilizing materials such as solvent containing polymers includes a cylindrical housing having inlet and discharge ends and a screw member rotatably mounted in the housing, operative to work material so as to release contained vaporizable substances from the material. An inlet fitting at the inlet end of the chamber is located opposite a part of the screw member. The housing includes a venting section extending therefrom at the inlet end and the screw member has a screw vent control section extending within the venting section, arranged to convey material toward the discharge end of the housing.

Abstract: A vent adapted for use with a devolatilizer having a mechanical press includes a closed vent chamber extending generally vertically above the mechanical press and having a horizontal cross-sectional area which increases from the bottom to the top of the vent chamber. An input opening at the bottom of the chamber communicates with the mechanical press and an extraction port adjacent the upper portion of the chamber removes the vapors from the chamber and transports them to volatile recovery apparatus or disposal apparatus. A tamping means, including one or more actuatable tamping rods in the vent chamber, is provided for forcing the material being processed back into the mechanical press. The vent is maintained free of particle build-up and the processed material is returned to the mechanical press.

Abstract: A screw press for extracting liquid from materials, such as juice from fruits and vegetables, has a compressing section for expressing the liquid from the liquid containing material with a screw member and a holding section receiving the compressed pulp. The pulp holding chamber has an auger mounted therein for driving compressed material therefrom through a choke controlled discharge which opens in response to material pushed thereagainst. The choke has scraper blades mounted thereon to break apart the discharging pulp, and is clutched to rotate with the auger upon being pushed a predetermined amount. The cage forming the chamber can be separated for cleaning, and the auger is retractable from the chamber for cleaning by actuation of a motor drive retraction member. The screw member and auger each have variable speed drives to achieve a wide range of expressing conditions in both sections.

Abstract: A vent for a devolatilizer includes a means defining a vent opening in the cage of the devolatilizer and a vent duct which communicates with the vent opening. Gas escapes into a cylindrical vent chamber in the vent duct. The chamber is cleaned by a vent screw which is rotated in the chamber and which includes a screw body of minimal diameter and a helical screw flight portion of a pitch which is sufficiently large such that the velocity of the vapor leaving the cage through the vent duct is maintained below a predetermined maximum vapor velocity. This maximum vapor velocity is set such that the amount of fine material which is entrained in the escaping vapor is minimized. A vapor return duct is connected to the vent chamber for extracting vapor from the chamber so that it may be recycled or disposed of.

Abstract: An interrupted flight screw press is provided, especially in regions of heavier wear, with one or more longitudinal split worm bodies. The bodies have axially extending end flanges which hook underneath flanges of adjacent collars to hold the worm in place. One or both of the worm bodies are keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft for driving. Relatively slight longitudinal movement of one or both adjacent collars will release the parts of the worm body for repair and/or replacement without disassembling the entire worm-collar-shaft assembly.

Abstract: A baling press, having a cavity and a bolster for reciprocating in the cavity, uses replaceable cavity liners and bolster wear strips. These liners and wear strips can be replaced without disassembling the press by withdrawing the bolster from the cavity. Also disclosed is the use of a number of high volume pumps which are switched out of the hydraulic supply circuit as the bolster nears the end of its compression stroke so as to allow the use of relatively low power prime movers.

Abstract: A baling press including a cavity, having separate loading and unloading openings near its opposite ends, a bolster which moves in the cavity to reduce the volume of the cavity and compress the material loaded therein to a predetermined size, a ram connected to reciprocate the bolster within the cavity between a retracted position clear of the loading opening and an advanced position beyond the loading opening, and a door linked to a cooperating cam and a follower means mounted one to reciprocate with the ram and the other to control the motion of the door whereby movement of the bolster from its retracted position to its advanced position in a compression stroke will automatically close the door until the bolster returns to its retracted position.

Abstract: A rubber material is sequentially injected into a plurality of elongated molds positioned within a corresponding plurality of vertical hydraulic presses arranged in a row. The material is injected into each mold by a pair of injection molding machines which are arranged in side-by-side relation and are supported by a carriage for both axial and lateral movement as a unit. Each of the molds has a set of mold sections which are supported by upper and lower platens of the corresponding press, and each press includes a set of vertical tie rods which are spaced longitudinally along the mold and are actuated by hydraulic cylinders for rigidly clamping the platens and mold sections together. The tie rods have upper end portions which are releasably locked to the upper mold platen by a laterally movable latch mechanism. After a molding cycle, the latch mechanism is released, and the tie rods are retracted downwardly.

Abstract: A cylindrical housing encloses a plurality of vertically stacked extractor sections each containing a plurality of baskets in vertical registry with baskets of the other sections, with the baskets all being stationary so that material to be processed passes in a vertical path down through each successive extractor section. Rotating screens and miscella collection pans are disposed beneath the baskets in each extractor section and form the bottom thereof, with the screens and pans having aligned openings which during rotation permit the material being processed to be passed from an upper basket to a lower basket in vertical registry therewith. A countercurrent flow miscella and solvent distribution and collection system supplies miscella or fresh solvent to the upper portion of each of the extractor sections above the baskets and rotates with the screen and collection pan to progressively apply the proper strength of miscella or solvent to each of the baskets in each of the extractor sections.