Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Treating Solid, Semi- solid, or Liquid Substances with Gases.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Treating Solid, Semi-
solid, or Liquid Substances with Gases.
1 JAMES JOSEPH MELVILLE of No. 6 Beswicks Road Northwich in the County
of Cheshire Foreman of Chemical Works, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an apparatus for treating solids or semi-solids
with gases in a more convenient and thorough manner and without the handling at
present required.
The apparatus consists first in a rotating annular disc, bed or trough covered
with a metallic or other suitable hood. This hood is preferably stationary and
fixed, and attached thereto at one radius of the annulus I place a diaphragm closing
the cross sectional area between the hood and the bed, and immediately on one side
of this diaphragm I place the feed device for feeding the solid or other material;
any ordinary feeding apparatus which will spread the material evenly over the
surface of the bed will do. Beyond this feed device, I insert, through the roof of
the hood, the exit pipe for the gases. On the opposite side of the diaphragm
I place the gas entrance pipe and also a V pointed plough, ploughing the solid
matter to a discharge pipe on each side of the annular bed, except in the case where
liquids are treated, in which case a simple discharge pipe may be all that is required.
At various radii I place baffle plates and scrapers, the baffle plates being arranged
to bring the gases down to and in contact with the material treated, and the scrapers
to plough up and stir the same so as to enable the gases. more thoroughly to
permeate it. The junction between the hood and the trough is effected by a
circular lute which varies. with the nature of the gas used. When chlorine is the
gas, a solution of a chloride such as chloride of calcium makes a good lute. When
other gases are used, oil, water or other liquid or solution not combining with and
not a solvent of the gases can be used instead of chloride of calcium. To prevent
the gas passing through this lute past the diaphragm mentioned hefore, this
diaphragm is provided with projections passing down into the lute. On the bottom
or preferably the side of the annular bed I fix an annular rack to be driven by a
cog wheel or toothed wheel or its equivalent. The circular bed is supported on a
series of rollers or wheels, on circular rails. As it is desirable to economise space
as much as possible, I prefer to arrange several of these circular beds and hoods,
one over the other or alternately of larger or smaller diameter and concentric but
at different levels. As, in some processes where materials are treated with gases,
there is a considerable amount of condensation of vapour, and in others (where great
heat is evolved) cooling of the hood is desirable, I prefer to make the hood arched
or pointed and supplied with a drip channel at both sides and both interiorly and
exteriorly and on the top with a perforated pipe for spraying. The discharge
shutes can deliver into barrels, tanks, or other containers, on trucks on a railway
line running alongside and are provided with dampers or valves operated auto-
matically or by hand, whereby the material is from time to time discharged as it
accumulates in the shutes, and by this means all handling of the material is avoided,
except what may be necessary to tightly pack the material in the barrels, tanks,
etcetera. Revolving beds can be of bare cast iron or are covered with a material
not acted upon by the materials treated or gases employed; thus, when the
apparatus is used for making bleaching powder, I prefer to lag it with pitch pine
D

page_text: or other wood tongued and grooved in place; or to cover it with bricks, tiles, or
slates.
Dated this 1st day of December 1892.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Treating Solid, Semi-
solid, or Liquid Substances with Gases.
I, JAMES JOSEPH MELVILLE of 6 Beswicks Road, Northwich, Cheshire, Chemical
Works Foreman 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 has for its object an apparatus for treating solids or semi-solids
with gases in a more convenient and thorough manner and without the handling at
present required.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in
which:-
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and
Figure 2, a plan of the apparatus :
Figure 3, a section on the centre line of the annulus, showing the feed apparatus
and entrance and exit pipes and
:
Figure 4, similar view showing hanging diaphragms.
A A is a rotating annular disc bed or trough:
B B, a metallic or other hood, covering the same.
This hood is preferably
stationary and fixed, and attached thereto at one radius of the annulus I place a
diaphragm C closing the cross sectional area between the hood and the bed, and
immediately on one side of this diaphragm I place the feed device D for feeding
the solid or other material; any ordinary feeding apparatus which will spread the
material evenly over the surface of the bed. Beyond this feed device, I insert,
through the roof of the hood, the exit pipe E for the gases. On the opposite side
of the diaphragm I place the gas entrance pipe F and also a V pointed plough G,
ploughing the solid matter to a discharge pipe H on each side of the annular bed,
except in the case where liquids are treated, in which case a simple discharge pipe
may be all that is required. At various radii, I place baffle plates and scrapers IJ,
the baffle plates I being arranged to bring the gases down to and in contact with
the material treated, and the scrapers J to plough up and stir the same, so as to
enable the gases more thoroughly to permeate it. The handles Y can be used to
actuate the scrapers or to set them at any desired angle. The junction between
the hood and the trough is effected by a circular lute K which varies with the
nature of the gas used. When chlorine is the gas, a solution of a chloride such as
chloride of calcium makes a good lute. When other gases are used, oil, water or
other liquid or solution not combining with and not a solvent of the gases can be
used instead of chloride of calcium. To prevent the gas passing through this lute
past the diaphragm mentioned before, this diaphragm is provided with projections
passing down into the lute. On the bottom or preferably the side of the annular
bed, I fix an annular rack L to be driven by a cog wheel or toothed wheel M or its
equivalent. The circular bed is supported on a series of rollers or wheels N, on
circular rails P. As it is desirable to economise space as much as possible,
I prefer to arrange several of these circular beds and hoods, one over the other or
alternately of larger or smaller diameter and concentric but at different levels. As,
in some processes where materials are treated with gases, there is a considerable
amount of condensation of vapour, and in others (where great heat is evolved)
cooling of the hood is desirable, I prefer to make the hood arched or pointed and
1

page_text: supplied with a drip channel at both sides and both interiorly as at Q and exteriorly
as at R, and on the top with a perforated pipe S for spraying. The discharge
shutes H can deliver into barrels U, tanks or other containers, on trucks on a
railway line running alongside and are provided with dampers or valves V operated
automatically or by hand, whereby the material is from time to time discharged as
it accumulates in the shutes, and by this means all handling of the material is
avoided, except what may be necessary to tightly pack the material in the barrels,
tanks, etcetera. Revolving beds can be of bare cast iron or are covered with a
material not acted upon by the materials treated or gases employed; thus, when
the apparatus is used for making bleaching powder, I prefer to lag it with pitch
pine or other wood tongued and grooved in place; or to cover it with bricks, tiles,
or slates.
W are pillars, and X girders for supporting a second apparatus above the first,
but not shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. An apparatus for treating solid, semi-solid or liquid substances with gases,
formed with an annular rotatable table carrying the substance to be treated, an
annular hood covering same, a diaphragm closing the cross section between the hood
and the table, one or more inlets and outlets for the gases, and feeding and
discharging devices, the whole being preferably so arranged that the material to be
treated shall travel in an opposite direction to the gases with which it is treated.
2. The arrangement for cooling the hood, consisting of a water spray or rose
device for sprinkling it with water, and a collecting trough device running round
the annulus collecting the heated water which has been sprayed or showered on.
3. In apparatus for treating solid, semi-solid, or liquid substances with gases, the
combination of a curved or sloping roof and an internal trough capable of
intercepting and carrying off the liquid that condenses and runs down the lower
surface of said roof.
4. In apparatus for treating solids, semi-solids or liquids with gases, the
combination of an annular bed, a discharge plough extending across same, and a
discharge passage at each side of the bed, substantially as described.
5. In apparatus such as described, the baffle plates and the pendent or flexible or
adjustable scrapers, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this and day of Santambor 1802
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.