Patent GB-190519529-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Air.
Filed: 1905-09-27
Granted: 1906-09-27
Abstract: 19,529. Lake, H. H., [Regenerated Cold Air Co.]. Sept.27. Air, cooling, drying, moistening, purifying, &c.- Relates to improvements upon the apparatus described in Specification No. 17,704, A.D. 1903, for drying or moistening and purifying or medicating the air of dwellings, hospitals, offices, restaurants, &c., and consists chiefly of means whereby the liquid distributor 8 is driven at a slower rate than the fan 35, and means whereby spattering is prevented and noise reduced. Air introduced by a pipe 75, which is provided with a flap so arranged that the air may be drawn from the room or from the outside or partly from each source, is treated with liquid films between cylinders 26 and passes out between deflectors 39, 43. Passing over cold liquid films, the air is cooled and dried by deposition of its moisture,. whereas, if the liquid is warmer than the air, moisture is absorbed by the gas. The shaft 4 of the fan 35 that creates the draught is driven by a jet of liquid from a nozzle 6 striking a wheel 5, and, falling from this wheel upon inclined vanes 15, the liquid drives a distributor 8. The hollow shaft 9, Fig. 6, carrying the distributor, an annular nut 13, a ring 12, and the vanes, runs on ball bearings b, a stationary ring 10 being supported by a collar 11 connecting the inner ends of radial plates 2 in the casing 1. By rotation of the arms 14, the inclination of the vanes is regulated to cause the distributor to turn at any desired speed less than that of the wheel and fan. Passing by a port 16 into a cup 16<a>, the liquid is distributed by trough-shaped arms 17, Fig. 2, preferably tapering outwards. The sides of the arms have notches 19, Fig. 3, the solid parts 18 on one side being opposite the recesses on the other side, while below each recess there is a downward extension 20 facing a notch 21, there being a central groove 22 along the underside of each of the arms which also preferably have end discharge ports 23. Spaced at intervals by small blocks, the cylinders rest on an open cross-frame 28, below which are separated stationary baffle-plates 29 carried by the central ring 34<a> of the frame 28. These plates diminish the noise that would be caused by the liquid falling directly upon the fan, each plate being secured to the shell 25 and provided with a depending lip, which, extending from end to end of the plate, prevents liquid from running down its underside. Liquid collecting in a trough 46 is discharged by tubes 48 into a pan 38, whence it escapes by a pipe 50. The tubes extend below the lower edge of baffle plates 51, which, set crossways to the inclination of the vanes of the fan, are mounted between the deflectors 39, 43 and prevent liquid from being thrown outwards. A casing 44, held in place by fasteners 45, may be provided to prevent spattering-out of the liquid from the upper part of the apparatus, while a cover 62 may be fitted over the distributor arms. The hood 70 may be raised by a cord passing over pulleys. The casing 1 is vented as shown at 3. The shaft 4 turns on a ball bearing protected by a shield 101.