Plug drain for solvent extraction plants

Claim 1

SOLID MATERIAL DISCHARGE MECHANISM FOR A SOLVENT EXTRACTION APPARATUS HAVING A CHAMBERED TOWER WHEREIN A STREAM OF SOLVENT LIQUID IS CAUSED TO RISE IN A CHAMBER THROUGH A FALLING STREAM OF SOLID PARTICLES AND WHEREIN THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID TOWER IS PROVIDED WITH AN APERTURE THROUGH WHICH SAID SOLID MATERIAL IS DISCHARGED, SAID DISCHARGE MECHANISM COMPRISING AN IMPERFORATE TUBULAR BARREL COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITH SAID APERTURE, THE OTHER END OF SAID BARREL BEING PROVIDED WITH CHOKE MEANS YIELDABLY BIASED TOWARDS CLOSED POSITION, A ROTATABLE SHAFT EXTENDING AXIALLY WITHIN AND THROUGH SAID BARREL, WORM FLIGHTS FIXED ON SAID BARREL SOLID MATERIAL DROPPING PEL THROUGH SAID BARRIEL SOLID MATERIAL DROPPING THROUGH SAID APERTURE INTO THE RECEIVING END OF SAID BARREL, AND TO INCREASINGLY COMPACT AND DISCHARGE MATERIAL PAST SAID CHOKE MEANS WHENEVER THE MATERIAL-IMPELLING FORCE ARISING FROM SCREW PRESSURE EXCEEDS THE CHOKE-CLOSING BIAS, A PORTION OF SAID SHAFT BEING PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINAL BORE EXTENDING FROM A POINT ADJACENT THE MATERIAL DISCHARGE END OF SAID BARREL TO A POINT ADJACENT THE MATERIAL-RECEIVING END OF SAID BARREL, THE WALL SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT BORE ADJACENT SAID BARREL DISCHARGE END BEING PROVIDED WITH LIQUID INLET MEANS TO PERMIT ENTRY INTO SAID BORE OF LIQUID EXPRESSED FROM THE COMPACTED MATERIAL ADJACENT SAID CHOKE MEANS, THE WALL SURROUNDING SAID SHAFT BORE ADJACENT THE MATERIAL-RECEIVING END OF SAID BARREL BEING PROVIDED WITH A SERIES OF PERIPHERALLY SPACED HOLES, A LENGTH OF TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH HOLE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY INTO SAID BARREL TO PERMIT EXPRESSED LIQUID IN SAID BORE TO RETURN TO SAID BARREL.