Apparatus for Condensing, Heating, or Cooling Gaseous or Liquid Substances.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Condensing, Heating, or Cooling Gaseous or Liquid
Substances.
I, JOHANN KLEIN of Frankenthal, Palatinate of the Rhine, in the German Empire,
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:
The object of this invention is an apparatus adapted both to condense by means of
steam and to cool by means of cold water or other cooling agent gaseous or liquid
substances; the purpose sought to attain being to increase as much as possible the
area of the cold or beat producing surface (as the case may be) and also to allow of
the inner parts of the apparatus being readily and thoroughly cleaned.
The distinctive feature of the invention is that the apparatus proper is arranged
within a water cistern or tank the side walls of which form the supporting frame
whereon the several cast-iron plates of which the apparatus consists are adapted to
rest. These plates which when arranged adjacent to each other in a row or series
form a succession of hollow spaces are tightly pressed together and may be securely
connected with the head wall of the water tank by means of two connecting rods or
links and suitable screws. The walls of the water tank may be either of cast or
wrought iron and if these walls be of sufficient thickness a tightening screw may be
used for compressing the plates.
The water tank is mainly intended to cool the apparatus while at the same time it
effectively shuts out the air from the hollow spaces in the plates when a vacuum is
produced therein.
The apparatus hereinafter described is specially designed for condensing steam, I
would at once mention however that apparatus arranged on exactly the same principle
may also be utilized for cooling or condensing other liquid or gaseous substances; and
if the water tank be omitted this apparatus may also be employed to advantage for
heating various substances, or again for evaporating the same.
In the accompanying two sheets of drawings an apparatus embodying this invention
is shown sheet I illustrating it such as it appears when fitted together and also
separately the plates of which it is composed, and sheet II showing plates of somewhat
different shape although the manner of fitting them together remains the same.. . On
sheet I fig. I is the apparatus completely fitted up and arranged within the water tank
or cistern. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the construction
of one description of plates a and fig. 4 a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 5
illustrates at another form of plate of which fig. 6 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 7
is a cross section through the plates on line -¹. Fig. 8 a similar section on line y―y¹
and fig. 9 another cross section on line <-¹.
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1
In the drawings A is the water tank or cistern the longitudinal walls of which are
provided with two ribs supporting by means of cast projections integral with them
the cast plates a or b connected together by the rods w w.
Through the short pipe d the steam it is desired to condense enters one of the bead
plates v of the apparatus passes through the opening c into the hollow space in the
plate b and thence through the aperture c¹ provided in the lower portion of the plate b
on the left and through another aperture exactly opposite to that c¹ into the hollow
space in plate a. Thus the steam in accomplishing a diagonal or zig-zag movement
passes on from plate to plate in the direction indicated by the black arrows through
the openings c c¹ k¹k cc', k¹ k, and so on backwards and forwards, until it issues
at the opposite end of the apparatus through the pipe e figs. 1 and 2 in a condensed
state.
The cooling agent for instance the water employed for condensing the steam
preferably travels in the opposite direction to that of the steam. It enters the

page_text: "
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apparatus through the pipe connection in the head plate figs. 1 and 2, passes
through the port or channel g provided in the steam space of plate a into the space
between the first pair of plates a and b and hence through the passage or port gl
provided in the lower portion of the plate b on the right into the space between the
next following pair of plates a and,b. Thus the water also takes a zig-zag or diagonal
course in passing in succession from one to the other intermediate space between the
plates a band finally issues at from the head plate v. As during this lengthened
passage it is brought into contact with the walls of the plates a and b it removes the
heat from the steam while the water issues hot at the other end of the apparatus. To
make this absorption of heat as complete as possible the plate walls are provided with
ribs corrugations or the like whereby the surface is increased. On the other hand to
reduce the thickness of the said plate walls to a minimum while at the same time
endowing them with a sufficient power of resistance a number of bridges are
arranged on their inner sides so as to strengthen the said plates and prevent their
being bent out of shape.
To prevent any air from entering or accumulating within the steam or water
chambers, channels ff are provided in the upper portion of plates a and b on the
right see figs. 3 and 5, and below on the left there is a port or channel for
discharging the condensation water coming from the steam chambers. The port or
channel y fig. 3 is the outlet for discharging the cooling water from the chambers
when the apparatus is out of use.
On sheet II figs. 1 and 2 and figs. 3 and 4 respectively show somewhat. modified
forms of plates also adapted to form an apparatus such as herein described. One form
is shown in the front views figs. 1 and 4 and the other form in figs. 2 and 5
while figs. 3 and 6 respectively are horizontal sections of these plates.
In figs. 1 and 2 m m and m' m' are the steam passages or ports and o o¹ the water
channels. The steam is admitted at the same time through both openings m m and
proceeds onward through those m' m¹. q' is the water outlet. In figs. 4 and 5 nn
and n n are the steam ports and p p the water passages. Here too the steam enters
both apertures and n simultaneously and proceeds through n' n¹; y¹ being the
water outlet. The adjacent plates engage each other to form a complete apparatus
exactly in the same manner as in the arrangement described in reference to
sheet I.
I may add that each of the plates may be provided with another division or partition
in the middle and thus made to consist of two halves without departing from the
spirit of this invention. But in that case they require an air tight packing
throughout their surface in the steam chamber which renders them less valuable in
practice.
To obtain a very high degree of vacuum in the steam chambers by means of a
small air pump when the apparatus is to be used for condensing purposes a valve v
fig. 7 sheet II is arranged at the end of the apparatus in one of the terminal chambers
and adapted to be operated from outside while its seat is situated on the cavity of
one of the plates. When this valve is raised from its seat a fine spray of water is
forced by the pressure of the cooling water into the steam chamber of the plates
where it intimately mixes with the condensation water and reduces the tempera-
ture of the latter so that it cannot evaporate again under the action of the air
pump. Instead of the valve va pipe and rose may be employed if required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. An apparatus constructed in a manner similar to that adopted for filter presses
that is consisting of any desired number of rectangular or other single plates (a and b
or a¹ a¹¹¹¹) with projecting edges which when fitted together form a series of
hollow spaces in combination with a water tank or cistern fitted with supports for the
different plates whereby the whole of the apparatus when fitted together is surrounded
by the water both for the purpose of effecting the more thorough condensation of

page_text: steam or the more perfect absorption of the heat of any hot gases or liquid that may
be conveyed to the apparatus as a heating medium substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus such as indicated in the preceding claim the arrangement of a
spray producing device consisting either of a valve applied direct to one of the plates
and adapted to be operated externally or of an injecting pipe for the purpose of
securing a higher degree of vacuum substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1890
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.