Continuous operation vegetable matter essence extraction apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF ESSENCE FROM VEGETABLE MATTER BY EVAPORTATION AND COMPRISING A VERTICALLY ELONGATED EVAPORATOR VESSEL HAVING A TOP PORTION ARRANGED FOR THE COLLECTION OF VAPOR AND ENTRAINED EVAPORATED ESSENCE PRODUCTS, A VAPOR OUTLET FROM SAID TOP PORTION, CYLINDRICAL PLATE MEANS COACTING WITH AND SPACED FROM THE WALL OF SAID VESSEL TO FORM AN INTERIOR VERTICALLY ELONGATED MATERIAL EVAPORATION CHAMBER HAVING AN OPENING AT THE BOTTOM AND AN ANNULAR VAPOR RISER AND OPENING DIRECTLY TO SAID TOP COLLECTION PORTION OF SAID VESSEL, ANNULAR PLATE MEANS DISPOSED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID VAPOR RISER TO SEAL THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A VEGETABLE MATTER FEED PRODUCTS INLET TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID INTERIOR VERTICALLY ELONGATED CHAMBER, ADJUSTABLE ORIFICE MEANS DISPOSED ACROSS SAID BOTTOM OPENING OF SAID INTERIOR CHAMBER AND ADAPTED TO VARY THE DISCHARGE FLOW RATE OF THE TREATED VEGETABLE MATTER THEREFROM, SAID ORIFICE MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CLOSEDLY SPACED LATH-LIKE MEMBERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED INTERMEDIATE THEIR LENGTH TO FORM A GENERALLY CONE SHAPED STRUCTURE ADJUSTABLE TO VARIOUS SLOPE ANGLES FROM THE HIGHEST WHERE SAID ORIFICE IS FULLY OPEN TO THE LOWEST WHERE SUCH ORIFICE IS FULLY CLOSED, A RING TANGENTIALLY CONTACTING THE INSIDE OF SAID MEMBERS ABOVE SAID PIVOTS, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY POSITIONING SAID RING VERTICALLY, CONTROL MEANS RECEIVING INDICATIONS OF FEED PRODUCT FLOW RATE THROUGH SAID ORIFICE AND REGULATING SAID SELECTIVE POSITIONING MEANS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PREDETERMINED DESIRED FLOW RATE OF FEED PRODUCT, STEAM NOZZLES IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INTERIOR EVAPORATION CHAMBER ARRANGED TO INTRODUCE STEAM INTO SAID FEED PRODUCTS, AND A VAPOR OUTLET IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID INTERIOR CHAMBER DIRECTLY IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID ANNULAR RISER AND IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF.