APPARATUS FOR THE ABSORPTION OF GASES
Year: 1889

page_text: We, FREDERICK CARLISLE, of Franklin, Essex County, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Manufacturer, and CHARLES EDMUND HOFFMAN, of 75 Erie Street, Jersey City,
Hudson County, New Jersey, U.S.A., Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for APPARATUS FOR THE ABSORPTION OF GASES, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:
The invention consists in an improved construction for exposing an absorbing fluid
to the action of a gas.
The construction consists in a series of sloping conductors provided each with a
receptacle at one end, the receptacle being open at one end and thereby adapted to
overflow at the end of the conductor to discharge the fluid upon its under side, the
fluid dripping from the lower end of each conductor of the series into the receptacle
of the succeeding conductor, and thus being distributed in turn over the under sides
of all the conductors.
It also consists in a manifold arrangement of the series of conductors by whicli the
gas is forced to rise simultaneously through a series of parallel inclined spaces where
it is brought into the most intimate contact with the liquids.
The construction is shown in the annexed drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan, partly
in section on line ¹, ¹, in Fig. 2, of a casing for several series of conductors, with an
attached vaporizing furnace and gas channel; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same
on line, c, in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of part of the casing and one
of the conductors upon a much larger scale.
A is the casing enclosing a chamber A¹ containing a series of conductors b, b',
,,, . These conductors are each slightly inclined to promote the flow of the
fluid along its under surface, and are provided each with a small receptacle or
drip-cup c, at its upper end; the receptacle of the upper series being supplied with
the absorbing fluid by pipes d, from a lank d'.
Each receptacle is open at the upper end of the conductor and encloses the fluid upon
all other sides, so that the liquid which accumulates therein runs over the end of the
conductor, which is preferably concave, as at e in Fig. 1, to direct the fluid to its
middle

page_text: The gas is necessarily introduced at the bottom of the chamber, as it is desirable to
have it move in the opposite direction from the current of absorbing fluid, which, by
its gravity, necessarily flows downward from the point where it is supplied. The fluid
adheres to the under side of the conductor, as it is often seen to do upon the under
side of sloping roof beams when the roof leaks, and may be directed from the lower
end of the conductor into a similar receptacle, by a lip f
The fluid is thus transferred from one series of conductors to the other, running
along their under surfaces throughout its entire course, and finally dripping from the
lower ends of the last series into a suitable tank or receptacle E; from which it may
be drawn by a cock F.
At G is shown a furnace containing a sulphur pot h and a nitre pot i, to generate
the fumes used in the production of sulphuric acid. From the furnace the gas is
shown conducted through a bent passage J and nozzle J, into the lower part of the
chamber A', a steam jet being shown at k to facilitate the discharge of the gases
thereto.
A pipe m is shown conducted from the upper part of the chamber to the passage J
adjoining the furnace, and a steam pipe n is shown connected therewith to induce
a current of the gases which have been uncombined with the fluid in the chamber;
that they may be returned again to the lower part of the chamber through the
nozzle J¹.
The method of generating and supplying the gas to the chamber forms no part
of our present invention; but it will be seen that, when introduced therein, it is
forced, by the manifold arrangement of the several series of the inclined conductors,
to flow simultaneously into the series of parallel spaces o, between the several
conductors, its upper passage being obstructed in all other directions by the approxi-
mation of the conductors to the walls of the chamber upon every side.
The gases therefore pass between and beneath the several conductors, and when
they reach the upper ends of the lower series, flow naturally into the spaces of the
series above, and are thus kept in the closest contact with the fluid exposed upon
their under surfaces.
We do not claim broadly the mere exposure of the fluid upon the under surface of
a conductor, but have devised a construction which may be cheaply made of wood
and lead, and adapted to bring the gas into the closest possible contact with the under
surfaces of the conductors; as we have shown in the parallel spaces o in Fig. 2 of
our drawing.
By the construction shown in Fig. 3, we also prevent the liquid from flowing from
the conductors upon the sides of the chamber in which they are retained; and by
the provision of the receptacle c at the upper ends of the conductors, and the
arrangement of the manifold series of conductors with their lower ends over a series
of such receptacles, we are enabled to greatly increase the surface of the conductors
within a chamber of given capacity, while the gas is forced to divide into thin films to
pass from the lower part of the chamber upward through the narrow spaces o.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
P
1st. In an apparatus for absorbing gases by a liquid, à conductor having a
receptacle upon its upper side at one end, and an outlet conducting the fluid from the
receptacle over the end of the conductor to its under side, as and for the purpose
.set forth.
.
2nd. In an apparatus for absorbing gases by a liquid, a conductor having a
receptacle upon its upper side at one end, and an outlet conducting the fluid from
the receptacle over the end of the conductor to its under side, and a depending
lip at the other end of the conductor to throw off the liquid, substantiallyljas
set forth.
3rd. In an apparatus for absorbing gases by a liquid, a series of inclined conductors
arranged with their upper ends adjacent and provided at such ends with receptacles

page_text: discharging the fluid upon their under sides, supply pipes delivering fluids into all
such receptacles, and series of similar conductors arranged with their receptacles
alternately at the right and left hand ends, and receiving and conveying from one series
to the other the fluid discharged from the first series of conductors, substantially as
herein set forth.
4th. In an apparatus for absorbing gases by a liquid, the combination, with the
narrow chamber A', of a series of longitudinal inclined conductors arranged one
above another and provided each with a receptacle upon its upper end, the receptacle
being open upon one side toward the higher end of the conductor, and thereby
adapted to discharge the fluid over the end of the conductor upon its under side,
and the conductor being grooved or bent adjacent to the casing of the chamber A¹
to confine the fluid to the under side of the conductor, as and for the purpose set
forth.
5th. In an apparatus for absorbing gases by a liquid, the combination, with the
narrow chamber A¹, of several series of sloping conductors arranged one above the
other with the narrow spaces o between the several conductors, each conductor being
provided with a receptacle at its upper end, such receptacle being open upon one
side toward the higher end of the conductor to discharge the fluid over the end of
the conductor upon its under side, and the lower ends of the conductors being
arranged over the receptacles of the conductors beneath the same, as and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 8th day. T
1000