System and method for increased efficiency of screw presses

In a high pressure mechanical screw press system for removal of fluids from organic materials such as sugar cane, meal, nuts, bagasse and other fibrous materials including a hollow main shaft, at least one pressure chamber having an outer cylindrical housing, at least one feed worm, and collars arranged on said hollow main shaft, securing means for securing said worms and collars on said hollow main shaft, said worms rotationally driven by the hollow main shaft to express fluids from the fibrous material within at least one pressure chamber, wherein the improvement comprising:

• segmented worms having a plurality of worm flights;
• each said worm flight including means for releaseable retention into a mating worm flight cavity in said collar;
• said worm flight retention means including interengaging structure at one end of each said worm flight and one end of each said worm flight cavity in said collar such that, when each said worm flight is positioned in one said worm flight cavity for use, said worm flight cavity end overlaps and secures said one end of said worm flight;
• said worm flight retention means also including a keystone releaseably securable in said worm flight cavity adjacent the other end of said worm flight such that said keystone overlaps and secures the other end of said worm flight.

An improved high pressure mechanical screw press system for removal of fluids from organic materials such as sugar cane, meal, nuts, bagasse, and other fibrous materials comprising:

• a hollow main shaft held for driven rotation within at least one pressure chamber;
• said pressure chamber having an outer cylindrical housing;
• at least one feed worm having a worm flight thereon;
• at least one collar;
• said worm and collar arranged on and driven by said hollow main shaft;
• said worm flight for expressing the fluids from the fibrous material;
• a plurality of center drainage slots disposed in said collar;
• a plurality of center drainage apertures disposed in said main shaft in fluid communication with said drainage slots;
• the outer surface between each said center drainage slot adapted to create a pocket adjacent each said drainage slot for enhancing fluid flow into said center drainage slots and for reducing bluid-up of fibrous material at said pockets;
• a plurality of tapered elongated housing screen bars disposed in the wall of said housing and forming housing drainage slots between each said tapered housing screen bar and a conventional housing screen bar;
• each said tapered housing screen bar having an interior surface which tapers radially inward into said compression chamber in the direction of the moving fibrous material;
• each said tapered housing screen bar includes a drainage cavity therein having an inlet in said interior surface and an outlet exiting from said compression chamber;
• said drainage cavity for increasing the outward flow of expressed fluids from said compression chamber;
• each said tapered housing screen bar and each said conventional housing screen bar are longitudinally aligned with the axis of said main shaft;
• said worms segmented and having a plurality of worm flights;
• each said worm flight including means for releaseable retention into a mating worm flight cavity in said collar;
• said worm flight retention means including interengaging structure at one end of each said worm flight and one end of each said worm flight cavity in said collar such that, when each said worm flight is positioned in one said worm flight cavity for use, said worm flight cavity end overlaps and secures said one end of said worm flight;
• said worm flight retention means also including a keystone releaseably securable in said worm flight cavity adjacent the other end of said worm flight such that said keystone overlaps and secures the other end of said worm flight.

An improved method of operating a high pressure mechanical screw press system for removal of fluids from organic materials such as sugar cane, meal, nuts, bagasse and other fibrous materials including a hollow main shaft, at least one pressure chamber having an outer cylindrical housing, at least one feed worm, and collars arranged on said hollow main shaft, securing means for securing said worms and collars on said hollow main shaft, said worms rotationally driven by said hollow main shaft to express fluids from the material within at least one pressure chamber, wherein the steps comprise:

• a. depositing a quantity of fibrous material into said pressure chamber;
• b. rotating said main shaft to compress the fibrous material and to express fluids therefrom;
• c. intermittently relaxing said compression of the fibrous material;
• d. injecting compressed gas into said compression chamber and fibrous material during said intermittent relaxation to loosen and redistribute the fibrous material;