IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PURIFYING, CHANGING THE TEMPERATURE, AND IMPREGNATING ATMOSPHERIC AIR, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PURIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR VAPOURS, AND PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John White, of Finchley, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Surgeon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PURIFYING, CHANGING THE TEMPERATURE, AND
IMPREGNATING ATMOSPHERIC AIR, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE
TO THE PURIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR VAPOURS, AND PART OF
WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FOR
OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 19th May 1865, and dated the 24th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John White at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
November 1864.
I, JOHN WHITE, of Finchley, in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PURIFYING, CHANGING THE TEMPERATURE, AND IMPREG-
NATING ATMOSPHERIC AIR, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE
PURIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR VAPOURS, AND PART OF WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER FOR OTHER PURPOSES," to
be as follows:-
My improvements relate to means or apparatus by which atmospheric air
may be acted upon for the purpose of its purification, or its change of tem-
perature, or its impregnation. For this purpose the air in motion, obtained
by a fan or other suitable blowing or forcing apparatus or means or otherwise,
is caused to pass through or between fileaments, strands, or texture of wool

page_text: 1
or of other suitable material adapted to operate by capillary attraction to receive
and hold in suspension water or other purifying, cooling, warming, or impreg-
nating fluid supplied from a suitable reservoir.
In one arrangement of apparatus employed by me the reservoir is, by
preference, placed in a central position, with one of the ends or edges of the
fileaments, strands, or texture of wool or other material dipping therein, and
the other ends thereof hanging over the edge to an extent sufficient to cause
the fluid in this reservoir to rise by capillary action and flow gently over on
such matters, whilst the air to be acted upon passes through or around these
matters so as to be purified, cooled, warmed, or impregnated by the action
thereon of the fluid held by them in suspension; and these matters may dip
at their outer ends into a suitable receiver acting to collect any excess of fluid
carried over by them, and such fluid may be drawn or be allowed to flow off
from this receiver by a tap or a suitable syphon arrangement. In most cases
simply water may be employed as the purifying, or cooling, or warming agent;
in other cases other purifying, cooling, warming, or impregnating agents may
be used, such as are well known and adapted to act upon or impregnate the
air, or to neutralize gases or impurities which may be contained in it.
It will be readily understood the means or apparatus described are also
applicable to the purification or separation of vapours or gases by employing a
fluid adapted to the vapour or gas to be acted upon.
In giving motion to apparatus for the passage of the air, vapour, or gas,
other suitable motive power may be employed; but that which I prefer to use
is formed of two reservoirs supported from one axis, by which either may be
brought to be for the time uppermost, to admit of the water or other fluid
contained therein flowing by a suitable passage or series of passages on to a
series of vanes, or otherwise acting to give the motive power required, and
the water or other fluid thence passes into and replenishes the vessel which
for the time is the lowermost one., Each of these vessels is supplied with a
valve, and an air passage to admit of air passing into or from it as the fluid
passes out of or into it, but which yet prevent the escape of the fluid, except
for obtaining the motive power referred to when in an inverted position.
Air may be purified or impregnated or otherwise acted upon by the action
of the water or other fluid whilst acting to exert power in this apparatus ;
and in most cases I prefer that the impregnating chamber be also lined with
wool or other matter adapted to hold water or other fluid in suspension,
thereby to facilitate action on the air.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John White in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WHITE, of Finchley, in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John White, Her special licence that I, the said John
White, my executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as I, the
said John White, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make;
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN PURIFYING, CHANGING THE
TEMPERATURE, AND IMPREGNATING ATMOSPHERIC AIR, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE PURIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR VAPOURS, AND
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER
FOR OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John White, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John White, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My improvements relate to means or apparatus by which atmospheric air
may be acted upon for the purpose of its purification, or its change of tem--
perature, or its impregnation. For this purpose the air in motion, obtained.
by a fan or other suitable blowing or forcing apparatus or means or otherwise,
is caused to pass through or between filaments, strands, or texture of wool or:
of other suitable material adapted to operate by capillary attraction to receive

page_text: and hold in suspension water or other purifying, cooling, warming, or impreg-
nating fluid supplied from a suitable reservoir.
In one arrangement of apparatus employed by me the reservoir is, by
preference, placed in a central position with one of the ends or edges of the
filaments, strands, or texture of wool or other material dipping therein, and
the other ends thereof hanging over the edge to an extent sufficient to cause
the fluid in this reservoir to rise by capillary action and flow gently over on
such matters, whilst the air to be acted upon passes through or around these
matters so as to be purified, cooled, warmed, or impregnated by the action
thereon of the fluid beld by them in suspension; and these matters may
dip at their outer ends into a suitable receiver acting to collect any excess
of fluid carried over by them, and such fluid may be drawn or be allowed to
flow off from this receiver by a tap or a suitable syphon arrangement. In
most cases simply water may be employed as the purifying, or cooling, or
warming agent; in other cases other purifying, cooling, warming, or impreg-
nating agents may be used, such as are well known and adapted to act upon
or impregnate the air, or to neutralize gases or impurities which may be
contained in it. It will be readily understood that the means or apparatus
described are also applicable to the purification or separation of vapours or
gases by employing a fluid adapted to the vapour or gas to be acted upon.
In giving motion to apparatus for the passage of the air, vapour, or gas
other suitable motive power may be employed, but that which I prefer to use
is formed of two reservoirs supported from one axis, by which either may be
brought to be for the time uppermost to admit of the water or other fluid
contained therein flowing, by a suitable passage or series of passages, on to a
series of vanes, or otherwise acting to give the motive power required, and the
water or other fluid thence passes into and replenishes the vessel which for the
time is the lowermost one. Each of these vessels is supplied with a valve and
an air passage to admit of air passing into or from it as the fluid passes out of
or into it, but which yet prevent the escape of the fluid except for obtaining
the motive power referred to when in an inverted position. Air may be
purified or impregnated or otherwise acted upon by the action of the water or
other fluid whilst acting to exert power in this apparatus; and in most cases I
prefer that the impregnating chamber be also lined with wool or other matter
adapted to hold water or other fluid in suspension, thereby to facilitate action
on the air.
But that the Invention may be better understood, I will by the aid of
accompanying Drawings proceed more fully to describe means pursued

page_text: Figure 1 represents an arrangement of apparatus employed by me for.
purifying, changing the temperature, or impregnating air according to my
Invention.
A is a water-tight vessel, formed of zinc or other suitable material, which
is supported upon rods B at a certain distance above a fan case C, which fan
case consists of an upper circular plate of metal or other suitable material C¹
and a lower similar plate C with an open periphery; both plates C¹ and C³
have a central circular opening D₁ and D³, through which air arriving by the
open spaces E¹ and E2 is drawn by the fan F affixed to the spindle G, which
is caused to rotate by means of suitable motive power applied to it. I sur-
round the upper vessel A with woollen or other suitable threads, or with
suitable texture H, which being secured by their upper end or edge J¹ to a
perforated metal ring K', held in position by means of catches or hooks near
the bottom of the interior of the said vessel, are allowed to hang over the
rim L and dip with their lower end or edge J' into a vessel M, formed of zinc
or other suitable material, where they are secured to a perforated metal
ring K, held in position by means of catches or hooks N. On soaking the
threads or texture H, and pouring water or water mixed with other matter
into the upper vessel A, the fluid thence has a tendency to be exhausted from
the vessel A by the capillary action of the threads or texture H, and then to
descend by gravity into the vessel M, and the air to be acted on is both drawn
in and discharged through the wetted threads or texture H in its passage into
and out of the fan case, and is thereby purified, cooled, warmed, or mixed
with other matters, as the case may be. The lower vessel M has in the
centre a water-tight socket O, through which the fan spindle G passes; also it
has an outlet P, through which the surplus fluid may be drawn or allowed to
flow off. This part of the improvements is also applicable as an inhaler.
Figures 2 and 3 represent a vertical and a transverse section of one form of
apparatus adapted as a portable inhaler for purifying or otherwise acting on
air for the purpose of respiration, the form and size of such apparatus may,
however, be varied.
A is a water-tight vessel formed of tin or other suitable material, to which
are attached tubes B', B2, of india-rubber or other suitable material, for the
ingress or egress of air during inhalation. In the interior of the vessel A is
applied another water-tight vessel, formed of tin or other suitable material, C,
on each of the sides C' of which is soldered vertically a convenient number of per-
forated metal strips D', of a width such that the narrow width C2 of the vessel C

page_text: together with such strips will be just that of the narrow width of the interior of
the vessel A. Threads of wool or other suitable fibrous substance Ds are
attached in their middle between slips of wood D³, which may be screwed
together and placed on the bottom of the interior of the vessel C, whilst the
ends of these threads are allowed to lie over the rims E' and E2 of the sides C
of the vessel C, and are thence threaded zig-zag downwards through the per-
'forations (which should be wider than the threads of the metal strips D', at
the bottom of which they are tied to prevent their displacement. The vessel
C is inserted into the vessel A at the neck or opening F, which is provided
with a cover G; H is an aperture for letting off the surplus fluid. Air
entering the vessel A by the tube B¹ will, by inhalation through the inhaling
tube B, be drawn through and over that portion of the threads which are
threaded in the perforated metal strips D¹, and which threads are kept wetted
by the fluid which has been put into the vessel C acting by the capillary process.
as before described, and thence such air passes to the inhaling tube B. This
tube B may be provided with a suitable mouthpiece and double action valves,
so as to admit into the lungs only air that has passed through the apparatus.
Figure 4 represents a vertical section of an arrangement of apparatus
adapted to maintain the motive power in carrying out my improvements.
On a circular opening a¹ in the centre of the upper part and on a circular-
opening A in the centre of the lower part of a concentric or excentric fan
case B, I respectively fix cylindrical chambers C¹ and C, each of which is
open at each end and is provided with one or more air receiving apertures D',
D³, and the other extremities of such cylindrical chambers furthermost from
the fan case is fixed around the open vertex of a by preference conically
shaped reservoir E¹ or E, which has at its base an aperture F¹ or F³, for
filling and draining purposes, furnished with a plug; both cylindrical chambers
C and C, and both reservoirs E¹ and E³, having the same capacity and form.
Each of the reservoirs E¹ and E' has in its interior at the vertex a ball
valve confined by a bar G¹ or G³, and in its slant side just above the ball
valve a little further towards the base a tube H' or H³, for conducting by
gravity the fluid contained in the reservoir E¹ or E2, which for the time is
uppermost into the fan case B, where it acts to exert the motive power
required by striking on the vanes of a fan J. In the interior of each of the
reservoirs E¹ or E is an antivacuum tube K¹ or K, to admit of air passing:
into that one of the reservoirs E' or E which for the time is uppermost, as
Each of.
the fluid passes out of such uppermost reservoir to exert power.
these antivacuum tubes K and K extends with one end to the base of the
reservoirs E¹ or E³, whereas the other end terminates in the cylindrical

page_text: chambers C¹ or C². On bringing the apparatus into a perpendicular position
and filling the upper reservoir with the desired fluid, this, owing to the pressure
of the air that enters by the uppermost of the antivacuum tubes K¹ or K³,
and finding no egress at the vertex of the reservoir on account of the ball
valve, escapes by gravity through the uppermost of the tubes H and H* into
the fan case B, there striking on the vanes of the fan J, and so causing it to
rotate and to eject at the outlet L the air which has been drawn in at the
openings D¹ and D, through the cylindrical chambers C¹ and C. The sur-
plus fluid then flows through the lower central opening A of the fan case, and
thence through the lower cylindrical chamber C into the lower reservoir E.
And in order to effect greater contact of the air and fluid inside each of the
cylindrical chambers C¹ and C³, a lining or hollow cylinder of suitable fabric
M or M² may be placed, having one end or edge attached to a perforated
rim M³ or M, surrounding the upper and lower openings A¹ and A³ on the
fan case, and with their other end or edge falling over the end of the air
receiving apertures D' and D³, the lining or cylinder of fabric which for the
time is lowermost will be kept constantly wetted with the surplus fluid flowing
from the fan case. N and N are metal discs fitted in a water-tight manner
to prevent useless accumulation of fluid in the spaces O' and 0%. The spindle
of the fan J falls into a groove in a metal bar P', placed across the bottom of
the interior of the fan case, and is held at its upper end in a groove in a
screw in the upper bar P2; by turning this screw delicate adjustment of the
fan J is attainable. When the contents of the reservoir which for the time is
uppermost have entirely passed into the lower one, the apparatus may be
reversed, by doing which the ball valve of the reservoir now filled closes the
egress at the vertex, whereas vice versâ the ball valve of the empty reservoir.
falls, thus giving ingress to the surplus fluid coming from the filled reservoir,
and so on.
Figure 5 shews on a larger scale a horizontal section of Figure 2 taken
through the line a, a.
:
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a slightly modified form of the apparatus,
which is worked on the same principle as that seen in Figure 4, but in which
the water acting to exert power is brought to fall vertically on the vanes of
the fan J, and has consequently in so far the advantage over the latter
apparatus in that the entire gravitation force is thereby husbanded. The
same reference letters' used in Figure 4 will apply to Figure 6, with the
exceptions that the cylindrical chambers C' and C are fixed in antiposition on
the periphery of the fan case B, in both circular sides of which there are
central circular apertures at A1 and A2; on these apertures are fixed "circular

page_text: chambers Q and Q' of the same diameter as the circular sides of the fan case,
and having passages at R, through which air arriving from the cylindrical
chambers C¹ and C2 passes into the circular chambers Q' and Q, and thence
into the fan case B. S' and S are tubes fixed with one of their ends to an
aperture in the periphery of the fan case B, for conducting the surplus fluid
from the latter into that one of the reservoirs E' or E' which for the time is
lowermost. T, T, are trunnions, which being laid on a stand admit of easily
reversing the apparatus, in aid of which a weight or other means may be
temporarily applied if desired to the vessel which for the time is to be the
lowermost one, and which on first reversal by being empty is the lighter of
the two.
Figure 7 is an enlarged section of part of Figure 6.
It will readily be understood that apparatus arranged as described in
respect of Figures 6 and 7 is applicable for obtaining motive power for other
purposes, but in such case the axis of the fans must pass through one or it
may be both of the axes T, which would then be formed hollow for that
purpose; also that quicksilver, or sand, or other suitable matter may be
rendered available in place of water; also that a turbine or other propeller
may be employed in place of the fans J.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is,--
First, the action upon atmospheric air for the purpose of purifying,
changing the temperature of, and impregnating the same by water, or water
mixed with other matters by capillary process, as also the action upon gases
or vapours, for the purpose of purifying or separating the same in manner
substantially as explained.
Secondly, I claim the adaptations or combinations of means for obtaining
motive power in apparatus for purifying, changing the temperature, and
impregnating atmospheric air, or for the purification or separation of gases
or vapours, and the application thereof in obtaining motive power for other
purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said John White, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JOHN WHITE. (L.S.)