Chapter 579 – Extractor

Chapter 579 – Air Extraction Machine

“Check it out, it’s called an air extractor.”

Paul patted his hand on the thing called an extractor or vacuum pump, which seemed to be fixed on the tabletop.

Wells moved closer to it and scrutinized it.

The main part of the thing was a metal canister, and at one end of the metal canister were two valves, one of which could only be opened inward and the other outward. A metal rod protruded from the other end of the canister, and this was connected to a second metal rod by a movable circular shaft, while the other end of the second metal rod was fastened, not quite accurately described as fastened, to the rim portion of a rotating wheel, which was also housed by a circular shaft, and which had a crank on it.

Guy Burns took it upon himself to introduce him, and pointing first to the metal tank, he said, “Look well, great chemist, this is the air tank, with a piston in it, and these two valves, one of which is called the inlet valve, and the other the outlet valve, which, when the piston is pumped outward, opens the inlet valve, closes the outlet valve, and pumps the air into the tank, and when the piston is pushed inward the inlet valve is closed, and the outlet valve opens, pumping the air into the tank, and when the piston is pushed inward the inlet valve is closed, and the outlet valve opens, pumping the air into the tank. valve opens, discharging the air from the tank.”

He then pointed to the connecting rod and runner behind the metal tank and said, “This is called a crank-connecting rod device, and its function is to convert the rotary motion of the runner into a reciprocating motion that pushes and pulls the piston, but of course, it can be done the other way around in other machines. Then we crank this crank to move the piston in and out of the gas tank.”

Hearing his introduction, Wells heartily exclaimed, “A marvelous device indeed. So, is this the kind of extractor that Lord Gleeman is using to pump the interlayer of the bottle into a so-called vacuum?”

“Yes.” Paul snapped his fingers.

“There was some trouble making the piston inside this thing, originally it started out with oil-soaked burlap, but that kind of piston wasn’t airtight enough, and it leaked when it was pumped, and then it was made from animal leather that worked.”

Paul said while picking up a short metal tube, one end of which was connected to the hole on the glass bottle, and one end was connected to the inlet hole of the pumping machine, the ends of the short tube were wrapped in a thin layer of leather, which should also be used to ensure airtightness.

After doing this, Paul shouted, “Somebody!”

The door to the workshop was pushed open, and the guards standing outside walked in. “Lord Gleeman, do you have something to order?”

Paul pointed to the runner behind the extractor and ordered, “You crank it.”

The guard glanced at the extractor and was a bit unsure, but he obeyed the order and walked over to the machine, gripping the crank in his right hand and turning it. As he cranked it, the spinning runner began to push the connecting rod to extend and retract, constantly pushing and pulling the piston in the gas tank.

The thirty men, Paul, Wells, and Burns, watched the bottle with unmoving eyes.

To Wells and Burns, nothing seemed to change; after all, air was supposed to be transparent.

Only the connecting rod that drove the piston was in constant motion, but gradually they saw that the squire who was cranking the handle was visibly increasing his own strength, and then afterward it seemed as if cranking that handle strained him more and more.

The valve of the extractor closed and closed, which proved that the gas was constantly being eliminated, however, at that moment, something unexpected happened, with a snap, the bottle made of double glass actually broke into a pile of fragments. Fortunately, the bottle did not burst open and did not hurt the surrounding people.

This change startled the crowd, Wells, Burns stared at the glass shards in a daze, while the guard was even more dumbfounded, and could even be said to be at a loss for words.

“Lord Gleeman, I’m sorry, I …… didn’t expect to break him.” The guard had a red face and kept apologizing to Paul.

“Ah, it’s fine. It could have happened.”

It was then that Wells and Burns noticed that the Earl’s face was rather bemused, seemingly unsurprised by the shattering of the glass bottle.

“Strange.” Guy Burns asked, scratching his head, “Why did the glass bottle break? It wasn’t hit by anything either.”

Yes, everyone was staring at the unfortunate bottle and nothing flew over to hit it. “Yeah, why did the bottle break.” Paul asked as well, but to Wells’ ears, there was none of that sense of doubt in the earl’s words.

“Something must have existed and exerted [force] on the bottle, that’s why it broke.” Paul said.

Then what could it be, listening to the earl’s words, Wells thought, it seems that only air exists around it as well.

Hmm, air? Haha, joke. He dismissed that thought from his mind.

“Well, anyway, we’ll have to have a sturdier bottle, maybe we should thicken the glass walls a bit.” Paul concluded, “I’ll have to find someone to make a new one. Ah yes, Wills.”

Paul looked to the alchemist, “What is it you came to see me about?”

Ahhh yes, one could have come to the lord on important business, Wells remembered the purpose of his visit to the lord’s house.

“That ……” he said with some trepidation, “Lord Graiman, I have a student who ……”

“What about him?” Paul waited for Wells to speak on.

“Uh …… he’s a man who is very talented in chemistry, has an active mind, gets good grades, and is a great help to us in the lab.”

“Uh-huh, so? Are you asking me to grant him some kind of position? Aren’t you and Hoffman in charge of everything in the chemistry lab? There’s no need to come to me.” Paul was a little puzzled; had Wells come in the back door? Or maybe he and Hoffman had some kind of disagreement about the treatment of this student and needed him to rule on it.

“But unfortunately ……” Wells lowered his head and whispered, “this student …… his last name is Fadeyev. ”

Fadeev? Paul narrowed his eyes, if memory serves, Fadeyev seemed to be one of the squire families involved in that rebellion.

“So this student of yours ……” Paul’s tone lost its earlier enthusiasm, “is staying in jail now? ”

The trial for the rebels was currently underway, and all of the families involved in the rebellion had been taken into custody in whole clans.

“Yes, Lord Graiman.”

“So, what are you here to see me about?” Paul once again asked about Wells’ purpose for being here, his words taking on a hint of nonchalance.

Wells felt the change in the Earl’s tone and his heart intensified its beating; the Earl seemed to be sensitive to this.

“I would like to ask you, Lord Gleeman, if …… you could open your eyes to this student of mine.”

Wells carefully stated his request, coming from Crystalline Flare, he knew that many lords treated those associated with the rebellion with a banishment and exile at worst, and the more ruthless ones might just kill them all.

He didn’t believe that his one student would actually be involved in the rebellion, but what would the Earl think?

(End of chapter)