Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Preventing the Escape of Noxious Gases in the Processes of Bleaching and other- wise treating Textile Materials.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Preventing the
Escape of Noxious Gases in the Processes of Bleaching and other-
wise treating Textile Materials.
1, LUDWIG KERN of 16 Catharinenstrasse, Hamburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Chemist, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in the method of and apparatus for
preventing the escape of noxious gases in the process of bleaching and otherwise
treating textile materials; and the object of the same is to cause the said gases to
be chemically combined and absorbed, so that they may be conveyed away in a
perfect innocuous form.
This is effected by exhausting the gases from the chamber where they are used
into an absorption vessel, containing water or an aqueous solution of a substance
capable of combining with the gases or containing limestone, coke or other porous
material, kept moist by jets of water or steam, or solution, whereby a large surface
is exposed to contact with the gases which thus become condensed and absorbed
by, or dissolved in the liquid, and may be conveyed away without causing any
injury to animal or vegetable life. By the condensation and absorption of the
gases a partial vacuum or rarefaction of air is obtained in the absorption vessel,
which causes the gases as well as the dusty impurities of the textile materials
contained in the carbonizing or bleaching chamber to be drawn into the absorption
vessel.
I attain this object by means of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying
drawings and particularly designed for use in connection with the treatment of
woollen, shoddy or mungo goods by exposure to the action of the vapors of hydro-
chloric acid, whereby it may be clearly understood that, according to the goods to
be treated and the agents to be employed for causing the desired effect, the details
of the apparatus may be modified or altered without departing from the nature of
my invention.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation and
Figure 2, a top-view, partly in section of my improved apparatus.
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.
a is a closed chamber, in which the textile goods to be treated are stirred up
by an agitator c to which motive power is imparted by means of a pulley / mounted
on the shaft d of the agitator. At the bottom of this chamber is placed a
perforated serpentine-tube g, which communicates through the medium of the
pipe g with the retort of a gas generator i. Through a syphon k hydro-chloric
acid or any other mineral acid is conducted into the retort and there gasified or
evaporated by means of heat. The developed gases or vapors when led through
the pipe g into the coil y are equally distributed by the perforations of the latter
in the chamber a where they will act for instance to carbonize or destroy the
vegetable fibres carried with the woollen textile goods to be treated.
From the chamber a two pipes I and m are led to a proportionally high absorbing
vessel or condenser p, being provided with a perforated bottom pl upon which
is placed a layer of coke or other porous material y, and with an atomizer serving
to produce a very fine spray of water or an aqueous solution of a substance capable
of chemically combining with the gases escaping from the chamber a.
The pipe
emits directly above the heaped material in the carbonizing chamber, a, while the
mouth of the pipe m is arranged at the top of the chamber.

page_text: The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The heated vapors or gases developed in the retort h, when it enters the
chamber a first displaces the air enclosed in the latter and in the absorbing vessel p,
so that it may escape through the exhaust-pipe s into a chimney or is drawn off by
means of an exhauster. In the exhaust pipes is preferably placed a valve t in
such a manner,
that it will only admit the escape of the air or gases from the
vessel p, but prevent the entering of the same from outside. As soon as the
air is discharged the atomizer is set in action so that a spray of water or other
absorbing liquid is distributed over the layer of coke 7 or the like piled on the
perforated bottom in the vessel p. Hereby a large surface is exposed to contact
with the vapors or gases escaping from the chamber a through the pipe m, so that
the same will be not only condensed, but also absorbed in the vessel p by the liquid
distributed through the atomizer r, so that, a partial vacuum is established in the
condenser P, which will exert a considerable sucking action upon the gases in the
chamber a and cause the carbonized dust-like particles or impurities of the woollen
textile material, stirred up by the agitator c. to discharge through the pipe 7 into
the lower part of the vessel p, where they will settle and be conveyed away through
the pipe with the absorption liquid combined with the noxious gases.
If only the bleaching of textile piece-goods or fibres is intended the agitator in
the chamber a may be entirely dispensed with and the retort replaced by any
other generator of chlorine or other gas, without departing from the nature of this
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the treatment of woollen and other textile goods by exposure to the action
of gases for any purpose, the method of preventing the escape of noxious gases
by exhausting the same from the chambers or vessels wherein such treatment is
effected into an absorption vessel or condenser where the gases are caused to pass
layers of coke or other porous material, kept moist by jets of water, steam or an
aqueous solution of such substances which are capable of combining with the gases,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with a chamber wherein woollen or other textile goods are
treated by exposure to the action of gases or vapors, a gas-generator h on the one
hand, and an absorption vessel or condenser p on the other hand, the latter being
partly filled with coke or other porous substances and provided with an atomizer r
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In combination, an absorption vessel or condenser p, as hereinbefore described
with a chimney or any other means for mechanically exhausting the air from the
said vessel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 10th day of Doomben 1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.