Year: 1895

page_text: 1, JOHN CLOUGH THRESH, of The Limes, New London Road, Chelmsford,
Essex. Bachelor of Medicine, and Medical Officer of Health to the Chelmsford and
Maldon Rural District Councils, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention has for object to thoroughly disinfect bedding, clothing or other
articles by means of low pressure steam in an apparatus the disinfecting chamber
of which is open to the atmosphere and receives its steam from a generating
chamber also open to the atmosphere thus enabling the disinfection to be
effectually carried out by means of apparatus which, having no or practically no
fluid pressure to resist can be made light and cheap, compact, simple in con-
struction, capable of being easily worked by an ordinary labourer and not liable to
derangement.
Within a boiler open to the atmosphere is a disinfecting chamber likewise open
to the atmosphere and provided with a removable door or doors through which
articles to be disinfected can be introduced into the chamber. The boiler which
is heated by a suitable furnace is fed with a solution having a higher boiling
point than water, such as a solution of common salt or of chloride of calcium.
The solution in the boiler surrounds the disinfecting chamber except at the side
or end or sides or ends at which the door or doors is or are located, a practically
constant level being maintained by means of an automatic feeding arrangement
such as a ball valve whereby the boiler is fed as and when required. Steam is
conducted from the upper part of the boiler without loss of temperature by means of
suitable pipes through the hot solution to the lower part of the disinfecting chamber
which is or may be provided with devices for deflecting and diffusing the entering
steam and with a perforated or reticulated false bottom for supporting the article
or articles to be disinfected within the chamber; the steam after acting upon the
article or articles to be disinfected leaves the disinfecting chamber by a suitable
outlet open to the atmosphere.
According to one arrangement within the lower part of the boiler located
immediately over the furnace I provide a coil or coils or equivalent arrangement
through which the steam from the upper part of the boiler is caused to pass
through the hottest portion of the solution before entering the disinfecting
chamber. In connection with the pipe or pipes for conducting steam from the
upper part of the boiler into the disinfecting chamber, I sometimes arrange branch
pipes or passages respectively to the exterior of the boiler at or near its lower part
and from the upper part of the boiler to the atmosphere, it may be through the
furnace flue, and provide a valve so arranged that in one extreme position the
communication between the upper part of the boiler and the interior of the disin-
fecting chamber will be open so that steam can pass freely from the upper part of
the boiler through the disinfecting chamber into the atmosphere whereas in the
other extreme position of the valve the communication between the upper part of
the boiler and the disinfecting chamber will be closed but the steam space at the
upper part of the boiler will be in tree communication with the atmosphere through
the branch pipe or passage already referred to. In this position of the valve by
opening another valve or removing a plug so as to open to the atmosphere the
branch pipe or passage already referred to as being at the lower part of the boiler
air can be admitted to the disinfecting chamber this air being heated on its way to
Гр

page_text: the chamber by passing through the coil or coils or equivalent arrangements already
referred to.
Thus after the apparatus has been used as a disinfector all the steam can be
removed from the disinfecting chamber and the hot air entering through the
coils will cause the apparatus also to act as a drying chamber, ensuring that after
disinfection the clothing bedding etc. shall be dry when removed from the
apparatus.
An Improved Disinfector.
I, JOHN CLOUGH THRESH, of The Limes, New London Road, Chelmsford,
Essex, Bachelor of Medicine and Medical Officer of Health to the Chelmsford and
Maldon Rural District Councils, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for object to thoroughly disinfect bedding clothing or other
articles by means of low pressure steam in an apparatus the disinfecting chamber
of which is open to the atmosphere and receives the steam from a generating
chamber also open to the atmosphere thus enabling the disinfection to be
effectually carried out by means of apparatus which having no or practically no
fluid pressure to resist can be made light and cheap, compact, simple in con-
struction, capable of being easily worked by an ordinary labourer and not liable to
derangement.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section,
Fig. 2 a cross section on the line A B Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 a section plan on the line CD of Fig. 2 shewing a disinfector constructed
according to this invention.
Figs. 4 and are central vertical sections taken in planes at right angles to
each other, showing, to a larger scale, a valve hereinafter more particularly
referred to.
Within a boiler 1 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) open to the atmosphere in the way
hereinafter described, is a disinfecting chamber 2 likewise open to the atmosphere
and provided with a hinged or removable door 3 (or there may be more than one
door) controlling an opening (or openings) through which articles to be disinfected
can be introduced into the chamber. The boiler which is heated by a suitable
furnace 4 is charged up to a suitable level with a solution 5 having a higher boiling
point than water, such as a solution of chloride of calcium. The solution and
steam in the boiler surround the disinfecting chamber except at the side or end (or
sides or ends) at which the door 3 (or doors) is (or are) located, a practically
constant level of the solution being maintained by means of an automatic feeding
arrangement such as an ordinary cock with ball float in tank 6 whereby the
boiler is, in an automatic manner, fed with water as and when required to com-
pensate for evaporation. Steam is conducted from the upper part of the boiler 1
without loss of temperature, and therefore without any condensation, by means of
a suitable pipe 7 or there may be more than one such pipe, extending through the
hot solution 5 to the lower part of the disinfecting chamber 2 which is or may
be provided with a device such as baffle 8 for deflecting and diffusing the entering

page_text: steam, and with a perforated or reticulated false bottom 8ª for supporting the
article or articles to be disinfected within the chamber.
The baffle 8 may
conveniently be (as it is shown in the drawings) a non-perforated portion of the
false bottom 8. A wicker or wire work basket with light iron frame may be used
for holding the clothes or other articles to be disinfected which are put in the
basket slid by suitable means into the disinfecting chamber. The steam after
acting upon the article or articles to be disinfected leaves the disinfecting chamber
by a suitable outlet pipe 9 open to the atmosphere, it may be through the furnace
flue 4 as shown.
It is important that the sides of my disinfector be maintained at a temperature
slightly above that of steam under normal pressure by the use of a solution 5
having a higher boiling point than water, as by this means excessive condensation
is avoided, and the steam which in the first instance condenses on and in the article
or articles being disinfected, on the basket door &c., is afterwards re-evaporated.
In the arrangement shown by way of example in accompanying drawings, there
is provided within the lower part of the boiler 1 located immediately over
furnace 4 a coil 7" or equivalent arrangement, in connection with the pipe 7 and
through which the steam coming from the upper part of the boiler is caused to
pass through the hottest portion of the solution 5 immediately before entering the
disinfecting chamber 2. The coil 7ª may be connected to the disinfecting chamber
at any higher point instead of at the bottom of the chamber, and the inlet orifice
of outlet pipe 9 may be in a lower position than shown.
In order to admit to the disinfecting chamber 2, dry warm air to dry the articles
after they have been acted upon by the steam, there is provided a branch pipe or
passage 10 leading from the pipe 7 to the exterior of the boiler at or near its lower
part and whose outer end is controlled by a valve 12 of any suitable kind. 1* is
a pipe leading from the upper part of the boiler to the atmosphere, it may be
through the furnace flue 4 as shown. The adjacent ends of the pipes 7 and 1ª
are controlled by a valve 13 (shown separately in Figs. 4 and 5) which is raised or
lowered by the rod 16 and the bell crank 17. This valve 13 is so arranged that
in one extreme position shown in Fig. 5 the communication between the upper part
of the boiler and the interior of the disinfecting chamber 2 will be open so that
steam can pass freely from the upper part of the boiler through pipes 7 78 into the
disinfecting chamber 2 and thence through the pipe 9 into the atmosphere (pipe 1ª
being then closed) whereas in the other extreme position of the valve shown in
Fig. 4 the communication between the upper part of the boiler and the disinfecting
chamber will be closed, but the steam space at the upper part of the boiler will
be in free and direct communication with the atmosphere through the branch pipe
or passage 1. In this position of the valve 13, by opening the valve 12 which
may be in the form of a pivoted plate as shown, or a plug, so as to open to the
atmosphere the branch pipe or passage 10, air can be admitted to the disinfecting
chamber 2 via coil 7" this air being heated on its way to the chamber by passing
through the pipe 10 and coil 7ª or coils or equivalent arrangements already
referred to.
It will be readily understood that by the use of the valve 13, it is impossible for
the steam generated in the boiler 1 to acquire a pressure above that of the external
atmosphere, so that all risk of explosion is avoided.
The pipe 10 inclines forwards towards its front end, and the coil 7* inclines
backward towards its connection with the pipe 10 so that any water that may at
any time be present in these pipes can be readily drained of by opening the
valve 12. 14 is a damper with balance weight 15 for controlling the communication
between the furnace 4 and flue 4*.
Thus it will be understood that after the apparatus has been used as a disinfector,
all the steam can be removed from the disinfecting chamber and the hot air
entering through the pipe 10 and coil 7, will cause the apparatus also to act as a
drying chamber, insuring that after disinfection the clothing bedding etc. shall be
dry when removed from the apparatus.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A disinfector in which a disinfecting chamber is mainly surrounded by a
solution having a higher boiling point than water and from which solution steam
is generated and through which solution it is conducted so as to acquire or
retain heat in its passage and be delivered dry to the said disinfecting chamber to
act upon the articles to be disinfected substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
2. A disinfector of the kind referred to in the preceding claim in which the
steam on its way from the boiler to the disinfecting chamber is caused to pass
through a coil or coils or equivalent arrangement located in the liquid within the
lower part of the boiler that is immediately over the furnace, whereby the steam
is caused to pass through the hottest portion of the liquid before entering the
disinfecting chamber substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus of the kind referred to in Claim 1 the introduction of
air into the disinfecting chamber through liquid having a higher boiling point
than water by means of the arrangement substantially as described and illustrated
whereby such air is adequately heated before entering the disinfecting chamber as
set forth.
4. A disinfector of the kind mentioned in Claim 1 in which the disinfecting
chamber is always in communication with the atmosphere and the boiler also
communicates at all times with the atmosphere either directly or through the
disinfector chamber, and the passages leading respectively from the boiler to the
atmosphere direct and from the boiler to the disinfecting chamber through
the heated solution are controlled by a single valve in such a manner that in one
position of that valve, communication between the boiler and the disinfecting
chamber will be closed, the boiler being then in direct communication with the
atmosphere, and in another position of the valve direct communication between
the boiler and the atmosphere will be closed and the boiler will then be in
communication with the disinfecting chamber, and through it with the atmosphere
substantially as described.
5. My improved disinfector as described and shown.
Dated this 7th dox of Deanmhan 1005
JOHN CLOUGH THRESH.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.