Apparatus for Cooling or Heating Liquids and Air.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 19th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 27th July, 1888
[Communicated from abroad by Messrs. THEISEN & LANGEN, Machine Makers in
Cologne on Rhine, in the Empire of Germany.]
Apparatus for Cooling or Heating Liquids and Air.
I PHILIP ARTHUR NEWTON of the Office for Patents 6 Breams Buildings Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Heating or cooling a liquid in its downward flow or its dripping down in counter
current to heated or cooled air is well known.
The device forming the subject of the present invention and hereinafter described is
designed to effect the heating or cooling in a more perfect and economical manner
than heretofore by exposing both the upper and under surfaces of the water in its
downward flow to the action of the ascending air.
It is well understood such devices may be used for the heating or cooling of the
water or other liquid or the heating or cooling of the air ascending in counter current
to the flowing down liquid. It may be mentioned that by allowing heated air to
ascend thereby beating the flowing down liquid the herein described device may be
used in bathing stoves for the purpose of quickly or economically producing hot water
for a bath. The device however may also be used for cooling the water that is to say,
by combining the device with a condenser and causing the water to circulate through
the condenser and the device, the cooling of the water will be effected by passing in
its downward flow, in counter current the ascending cold air.
The two purposes here mentioned heating water for bathing purposes and cooling
water for condensing purposes are mere examples as it will be obvious that the device
may be employed for many other purposes in the heating or cooling of air or water
and other liquids.
The principle of the device may be explained as follows:-If water is allowed to
run down over wire gauze or perforated plane or undulated sheets of metal which wire
gauze or perforated sheets are placed on the incline the water has no tendency (within
certain limits of its admission) to drip through the meshes of the wire or through the

page_text: perforations of the sheets. By placing such gauze or sheets so as to form a way of
some extent for the water and allowing heated air to ascend in the space between two
of said gauze or perforated sheets the water will arrive at the lowest point in a heated
state. The current of heated air in winding its way upward through the space
between the gauze or perforated sheets will act both on the upper surface of the water
and upon the underside of the same through the meshes or perforations delivering its
heat or part of its heat to the water. In this manner the heating of the water
will be completed in a comparatively small compass or room and in a comparatively
short way
The following is a mode of carrying this invention into effect:-
Inclined or slanting sheets constructed either of plane or undulated finely perforated
metal or wire gauze are placed one above the other in a suitable receptacle so as to
form a continuous path or nearly so leaving space for the passage of heated air.
Water from a gutter which may be supplied from any source of water descends first
on a nonperforated small plate at the head of the first perforated plate which prevents
any dripping through from the first rush or fall and from this plate flows in a broad
sheet down the wire gauze, from the first sheet of ganze the water is delivered by a
suitable gutter to a second non-perforated plate from whence it flows down a second
slanting perforated plate and so on. This y be repeated so that the water arrives
at the bottom in the desired heated state when it may flow off or be conducted from
the apparatus. The hot air may come from any source it may be air simply heated by
fire or steam or it may be the gaseous products of combustion.
Cold air ascending will act to cool heated water descending, as also the water may
be the active medium and the air the passive product.
Dated this 26th day of September 1887.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I PHILIP ARTHUR NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent, 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 :-
Heating or cooling a liquid in its downward flow, or its dripping down in counter
current to heated or cooled air, is well known.
The device forming the subject of the present invention, and hereinafter described,
is designed to effect the heating or cooling in a more perfect and economical manner
than heretofore, by exposing both the upper and under faces of the water, in its down-
ward flow, to the action of the ascending air.
It is well understood such devices may be used for the heating or cooling of the
water or other liquid, or the heating or cooling of the air ascending in counter current
to the flowing down liquid. It may be mentioned that by allowing heated air to
ascend, thereby heating the flowing down liquid, the herein described device may be
used in bathing stoves for the purpose of quickly or economically producing hot water
for a bath. The device however may also be used for cooling the water, that is to say,
by combining the device with a condenser, and causing the water to circulate through
the condenser and the device, the cooling of the water will be effected by passing, in
its downward flow, in counter current, the ascending cold air.
The two purposes here-mentioned, heating water for bathing purposes, and cooling
water for condensing purposes, are mere examples, as it will be obvious that the device
may be employed for many other purposes in the heating or cooling of air or water
and other liquids.
The principle of the device may be explained as follows:-If water is allowed to
run down over wire gauze, or perforated plain or undulated sheets of metal, which
wire gauze or perforated sheets are placed on the incline, the water has no tendency
(if admitted in limited quantities) to drip through the meshes of the wire, or through
the perforations of the sheets. By placing such gauze or sheets so as to form a way
of some extent for the water, and allowing heated air to ascend in the space between
two of said gauze or perforated sheets, the water will arrive at the lowest point in a
heated state. The current of heated air in, winding its way upward through the space
between the gauze or perforated sheets, will act both on the upper surface of the water
and upon the underside of the same through the meshes or perforations, delivering
its heat, or part of its heat, to the water. In this manner, the heating of the water
will be completed in a comparatively small compass or room, and in a comparatively
short travel.
In the accompanying drawing, one mode of carrying this invention into effect is
illustrated;-
Figs. 1 and 2 being vertical sections, on different lines, of a water-heating
apparatus.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same,

page_text: a a &c. are inclined or slanting sheets, constructed either of plain or undulated
finely perforated metal or wire gauze, and placed one above the other in a suitable
receptacle, so as to form a continuous path, or nearly so, leaving space for the passage
of heated air. Water from a gutter b, which may be supplied from any source,
descends first on a nonperforated small plate n at the head of the first perforated
plate, which plate n prevents any dripping through from the first rush or fall, and
from this plate n flows in a broad sheet down the wire gauze; from the first sheet
of gauze a, the water is delivered by a gutter to a second nonperforated plate n¹,
from whence it flows down a second slanting perforated plate a¹, and so on. This
may be repeated so that the water arrives at the bottom in the desired beated
state, when it may flow off or be conducted from the apparatus through the
draw off c. The hot air may come from any source; it may be air simply
heated by fire or steam, or it may be the gaseous products of combustion.
In the present illustration is shown a gas burner d, producing hot air by combustion,
which air ascends, and finds it way through the spaces between the inclined plates,
sufficient room being left, where the plates are nearest, for the air to pass through.
In Fig. 4 is shown an incline of perforated metal or wire gauze arranged spirally
around a column e. The air passing up the spiral passage formed by the inclined
plate, acts upon both the upper and under face of the stream of descending water.
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 correspondents, I declare that what I claim is ;-
Apparatus for heating and cooling fluids, wherein an inclined plane or planes of
perforated sheet metal or wire gauze is or are employed, over which travels a descending
stream of water or other liquid, to act upon, or be acted upon by a current of air, or
similar fluid, ascending in contact with both under and upper faces of the liquid,
substantially as described, with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 19th day of June 1888.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
3