IMPROVEMENTS IN COAL GAS SCRUBBERS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUID FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Green, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COAL GAS SCRUBBERS
AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUID FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Green at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th October 1876.
" IM-
HENRY GREEN, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
PROVEMENTS IN COAL GAS SCRUBBERS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUID
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention has for its object improvements in coal gas scrubbers and apparatus
for distributing liquid for other purposes.
In my improved coal gas scrubber, the scrubbing or washing of the coal gas to
remove ammonia and other impurities therefrom is effected in a vessel or chamber
provided with divisions and containing coke or other substances arranged in tiers
as is usual in coal gas scrubbers. At the upper part of the scrubbing vessel is a
central vertical pipe capable of being rotated by suitable gearing which may be
arranged with eccentric wheels to give a differential speed to the central pipe. The
lower end of the central pipe is provided with a branch pipe arranged to form in
conjunction with the central pipe a liquid trap for preventing escape of gas and to
serve also as a bracket for carrying a bearing, in which works as a swivel the axis
of a wheel. The wheel axis carries a liquid distributing pipe in communication
through the said axis with the branch pipe and central pipe. As the central pipe
is rotated it carries round with it the branch pipe and distributing pipe, whose
wheel with its prolonged axis or swivel is caused to simultaneously rotate by
contact of the wheel with the teeth or inner edge or periphery of a fixed annular
wheel or ring; thus the distributing pipe whilst travelling around the central shaft
also rotates about the swivel which constitutes its axis.
Liquid distributing apparatus, according to my Invention, may be applied in
other cases where it is requisite to distribute streams of liquid to meet gas or
vapour, as for example to absorbing towers or vessels, and to towers or vessels used
for the purpose of distillation.
In conjunction with my improved distributing apparatus when used in coal gas
scrubbers I, in some cases, apply a motor somewhat resembling the case and cylinder
D. All

page_text: or drum of a meter, and which I connect with the distributing apparatus so as to
drive it by the pressure of the flowing gas.
This last-mentioned arrangement is more particularly designed to dispense with
steam power in small gas works.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
"
the said Henry Green, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th April 1877.
HENRY GREEN, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. IM-
PROVEMENTS IN COAL GAS SCRUBBERS AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIQUID
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention has for its object improvements in coal gas scrubbers and apparatus
for distributing liquid for other purposes.
In my improved coal gas scrubber the scrubbing or washing of the coal gas to
remove ammonia and other impurities therefrom is effected in a vessel or chamber
provided with divisions, and containing coke or other substances arranged in tiers
as is usual in coal gas scrubbers. At the upper part of the scrubbing vessel is &
central vertical pipe capable of being rotated by suitable gearing, which may be
arranged with eccentric wheels to give a differential speed to the central pipe. The
lower end of the central pipe is provided with a branch pipe arranged to form in
conjunction with the central pipe a liquid trap for preventing escape of gas, and to
serve also as a bracket for carrying a bearing in which works as a swivel the axis
of a wheel. The wheel axis carries a liquid distributing pipe in communication
through the said axis with the branch pipe and central pipe. As the central pipe
is rotated it carries round with it the branch pipe and distributing pipe, whose
wheel, with its prolonged axis or swivel is caused to simultaneously rotate by
contact of the wheel with the teeth of a fixed annular wheel or ring, thus the
distributing pipe whilst travelling around the central shaft also rotates about the
swivel which constitutes its axis.
Liquid distributing apparatus, according to my Invention, may be applied in
other cases where it is requisite to distribute streams of liquid to meet gas or
vapour, as for example, to absorbing towers or vessels, and to towers or vessels used
for the purpose of distillation.
In conjunction with my improved distributing apparatus when used in coal gas
scrubbers, I, in some cases, apply a motor somewhat resembling the case and cylinder
or drum of a meter, and which I connect with the distributing apparatus so as to
drive it by the pressure of the flowing gas.
This last mentioned arrangement is more particularly designed to dispense with
the necessity for using steam power to drive the water distributing apparatus in
small gas works.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings is an elevation, partly in section of a scrubbing apparatus,
according to my Invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view taken in section in the line A, B,
of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an external view of the scrubber in elevation, shewing also my improved
method of driving by the flowing gas.
In this view is also shewn an arrangement
for automatically supplying the water to the distributor in quantities regulated to
suit the quantity of gas to be scrubbed.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of part of the upper portion of the scrubber.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are enlarged views of the water feeding apparatus.
Fig. 8 is a plan (partly in section in the line C, D, Fig. 3) of the motor.
Fig. 9 is a back view of the drum or cylinder of the motor. Fig. 10 is a front
view of the same with part of the outer case.
a is the main vessel or chamber of the scrubber; b, b, are divisions therein,
containing coke or other substances, as is usual in gas scrubbers; c is the central
5

page_text: vertical pipe, having at its upper end a funnel d, below which is fixed a mitre
wheel c, having in gear with it a second mitre wheel f fixed on the shaft g. On this
shaft is fixed also an eccentric pinion h in gear with a similar pinion i fixed on the
shaft, whose fixed mitre wheel gears with a mitre wheel m fixed on the vertical
shaft n; the mitre wheel o fixed on this shaft gears with a mitre wheel
fixed on
P
the main shaft of the motor, which will be herein-after described. c¹ is the
branch pipe arranged to form in conjunction with the central pipe c a liquid trap
for preventing escape of gas, and to serve also as a bracket for carrying the socket
shaped bearing c², in which works as a swivel the axis 3 of the wheel c; c is the
liquid distributing pipe carried by the wheel axis c', which axis has a passage
formed through it, thus establishing communication between the pipe c* and the
pipe c. is an arm serving to balance the weight of the pipe c. c is a weighted
arm serving to balance the weight of the branch pipe c¹ and the parts carried by it.
The wheel c gears with the teeth on the periphery of the fixed annular wheel or
ring. The total number of teeth in the fixed wheel or ring c must be such as
not to be exactly divisible by the number of teeth in the wheel c', it being an
important feature in my apparatus that the outlet aperture of the pipe c' shall
not constantly travel over the same course.
The apparatus being driver by the motor herein-after described, or otherwise,
and being fed with water (or it may be aminoniacal liquor) by the pipe s or other-
wise, as herein after explained, will, by the pipe c³, very completely distribute the
water or liquor over the whole surface of the material placed in the vessel a for the
purpose of scrubbing the gas.
Referring to Figs. 8, 9, and 10, q is the shaft of the motor; this shaft passes
through a stuffing box q* which serves also as a bearing. On the shaft q is fixed
the drum or cylinder which is of the construction ordinarily employed in wet
meters. The gas that has been scrubbed enters at q¹, and flowing into the compart-
ment or compartments that is or are rising out of the water for the time being (as
at q², Fig. 9) by its pressure causes the drum or cylinder to rotate in the direction
of the arrows, the gas escaping into the case q³ by the tangential openings q' as
those openings rise above the water level in the case. The gas that has passed
through the drum or cylinder into the case flows thence by the pipe 75 into the
purifiers. It will be evident that in lieu of this motor a steam engine or other
motor may be used to drive my improved liquid distributing apparatus.
The liquid feeding contrivance, shewn in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, may be advantageously
applied, as shewn in Fig. 3, in conjunction with my improved distributing
apparatus, and the gas motor above described for automatically feeding to the dis-
tributor water in quantities proportionate to the quantity of gas that is being fed
to the scrubber.
Under the shaft is arranged a cistern r to contain water or liquor, and on the
said shaft is fixed a disc r¹; concentric with the said disc is another disc r² formed
with radial slots; 73, 74, are small levers, each working on a fulcrum or pin 7 in the
disc r. Each of the levers 7 carries at its outer end a scoop 6, and at its inner
end a pin or stud taking into the corresponding slot of the disc r². Thus by
turning the latter the angle of the scoops relatively to the radii of the disc may be
varied, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. 27 is a set screw for fixing the disc in
any position to which it is moved; 8 is a funnel or receptacle whence a pipe 7-9
leads to the funnel d. It will be evident that the quantity of water or liquor
transferred by the revolving scoops from the cistern r to the distributor will
depend upon the angle to which the scoops are adjusted, and upon the speed of the
shaft k due to that of the motor which will be greater or less according to the
quantity of gas flowing from the scrubber through the motor.
It will be evident that in some cases, as for instance, where there is no water
pressure to raise the water into the cistern at the top of the scrubber an endless
chain of buckets passing over and operated by a wheel on a prolongation of either
the shaft g or the shaft k may be substituted for the water feeding apparatus
shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, for the purpose of raising the water from below.

page_text: Having described the nature of my said Invention and explained the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I desire to have it understood that I do not
intend to claim any parts of the apparatus herein-before shewn and described when
taken separately and apart from the combination or application thereof in manner
and for the purposes described, but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
The combination of parts constituting the improved distributing apparatus con-
structed, arranged, and operating as shewn in and described with reference to the
accompanying Drawings for distributing liquid in coal gas scrubbers, and for other
purposes.
I also claim the method herein described and shewn of operating the distributing
apparatus by the gas.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Green, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
HENRY GREEN. (L.S.)