GB715987A - A method of producing vegetable oil - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0715987/III/1> In the method of extracting oil from crushed vegetable material by pressing out the juice and separating the oil therefrom by centrifuging, the juice, diluted or not with water to a maximum of eight times its volume, is fed to a centrifuge having means for separately discharging the oil, fruit water, and solids suspended in fruit water, and scraping means for kneading and disintegrating the solid constituents during their passage through the centrifuge to their outlet. A further quantity of oil is separated from the solids by the scraper and is discharged through the oil outlet. As shown, the juice is fed from a chamber 1 to a chamber 3 and then through a channel 4 to the outer edges of a set of conical discs 5 forming part of a centrifuge. The separated oil passes inwardly between the discs to an axial channel 6 and to the outlet 7 close to the axis of the centrifuge and then into a chamber 8 for discharge at an outlet 9. The fruit water and solids pass outwardly, the solids collecting against the wall 14 of the bowl and the main part of the fruit water dischanging through a channel 10 and opening 11 to a chamber 12 for discharge at an outlet 13. The solids at the wall 14 of the centrifuge are subjected to the action of a scraper 15 fixed to a plate 16, the shaft 17 of which is driven at a speed other than that of the centrifuge. A motor 18 drives by a belt 19 a gear 20 which in turn drives the shaft 17 and a tubular shaft 21 fixed to the bowl of the centrifuge. The scraper 15 causes further oil to be separated from the solids for discharge with the other oil and also forces the disintegrated and de-oiled mass towards an outlet 22 into the chamber 12 and then through outlet 13. The method may be continuous and may be combined with continuously operating crushers and presses. The production of oil from olives is referred to.