y 1954 J. R. TUTTLE, JR., ETAL 2,633,061
WASH DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed Dec. 27, 1950 L of P: Q. T LE. ,Qf. HaroL oj bab r z a zziiag.
Q5510, Clbbornag SON exzbors Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Shahnazarian,
Roselle, N. J
assignors to Standard Oil Development Company, a. corporation of Delaware Application December 2'7, 1950, Serial No. 202,926
2 Claims.
this after being sealed up in the filter housing where it cannot be serviced.
Various types of equipment have been tried for this washing procedure, but none have been completely successful. Among the most common devices used is a pipe perforated on its underside with a large number of holes. However, to get uniform distribution the holes must be very small. This makes them easy to plug and also causes the wash solvent to jet onto the cake with considerable force, washing the cake away. Oilburner type sprays have also been tried, but they too have been found to plug-up easily due to the small orifices used. Drip cloths have been used with considerable success. The cloth is serrated at the bottom and the solvent, having been distributed along the cloth, drips off the serrations. However, there is no assurance that the distribution will be even. Thus there is a great need for a means for evenly distributing wash solvent over a wax cake without disturbing the cake and without requiring servicing;
According to the present invention, the even distribution of wash solvent over a wax cake is obtained by introducing the wash solvent through a pipe drilled with a multiplicity of small holes along the top away from the cake. The pipe is wrapped spirally with heavy wire so that there is a turn of wire at each hole.
For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents a top view of a distributor pipe according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view showing how the solvent is distributed on the wax cake by the novel distributor of this invention.
Referring to these drawings, I represents a pipe perforated along its topside with a multiplicity of holes 2 arranged in line and wrapped spirally withwire 3. Solvent is introduced into pipe I throughline 4 and flows evenly out of all the holes, down around the pipe between the windings of the wire and then drips off the wire ontocake 5 as shown in Fig. 2.
The holes 2 should be large enough to avoid plugging and should be spaced far enough apart, considering the surface tension of the solvent, so that the solvent will drip off each wire separately.
The apparatus of this invention has the advantage that the holes are not likely to plug since they need not be especially fine. The holes are drilled in the top and are thus out of contact with any contaminating influences. Furthermore, the wire assures that all the solvent which flows out of a hole will flow around the pipe and down onto the cake directly below giving a very even distribution. Since the solvent falls freely there is a minimum of disturbance of the wax cake.
In an actual installation a pipe 2 feet long and one inch in diameter was drilled with 1% inch holes along the top side, the centers of the holes being of an inch apart. This pipe was wound with copper wire having a diameter of 1 3 inch. There has been no evidence of plugging and almost perfect distribution has been obtained at rates from 5 to '50 gallons per hour per pipe, the wash liquid having a pressure 1-8 lbs. per square inch above the pressure of the filter case;
The nature of the present invention having been thus fully set forth and specific examples of the same given, what is claimed as new and useful and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:
1. Apparatus for evenly distributing wash solvent onto a wax cake which comprises in combination a pipe provided with a multiplicity of perforations that are evenly spaced lengthwise along the top of the pipe, a wire spirally wrapped around said pipe in a manner to provide one turn of wire between each perforation, means for supplying said solvent to said pipe, said pipe being adapted to be positioned above said waxcake.
2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the pipe has a diameter of about 1" and the perforations are 3 holes spaced about 7 between centers.
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,788,469 Mielke Jan. '13, 1931 2,104,330 Lockey Jan. 4, 1938 2,407,533 Brock Sept. 10, 1946 2,522,198 Shaw Sept. 12, 1950 2,555,201 Nordell May 29, 1951