Improvements in Method of and Apparatus for Purifying Smoke and Precipitating the Products of Combustion thereof.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 21st May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Method of and Apparatus for Purifying Smoke and
Precipitating the Products of Combustion thereof.
I, CONRAD FINK, of 13 to 19 North Main Street, St. Louis, Missouri, United
States of America, Merchant, 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 :-
My invention relates to "Improvements in Method of and Apparatus for
Purifying Smoke and Precipitating the Products of Combustion thereof," and
consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts, as will be more fully
hereinafter described and designated in the claims.
In the drawings:-
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of my complete invention as applied to the stack
of a furnace.
Fig. 2, is a vertical longitudinal section of the tank or receptacle which contains
the water and through which the smoke is forced.
Fig. 3, is a horizontal section, taken on the line of Fig. 2, and
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line y y of Fig. 2.
The object of my invention is to purify as much as possible the products of
combustion passing from furnaces and the like by forcing same into a tank con-
taining a body of water agitating the same or imparting motion thereto in one
direction, and further providing the said tank with a suitable number of stationary
and revoluble sieves or screens of different sized mesh through which the said
products of combustion pass, the said revoluble sieves or screens being rotated by
any suitable means in a reversed direction to the motion of the water whereby all
particles mixed with or forming a part of the said products of combustion are
granulated and caused to be precipitated before being allowed to escape in the
open air.
Referring to the drawings:
-
1, represents a furnace and 2 a smoke-stack, which is in communication with the
said furnace, through which the products of combustion passing from the furnace
are adapted to pass, both of which are of the ordinary construction, and to the
smoke-stack my invention is easily applied.
It will be readily understood, however, that my invention can be applied to
chimneys in a similar manner and with like results without departing from the
nature of my invention.
The said smoke-stack is divided into two compartments 3 and 4, and is normally
divided by a sliding damper or valve 5 for preventing the products of combustion
from passing directly into the open air.
To one side of the pipe 2 and below the said damper is fixed a bearing 6 to which
is movably attached a lever 7, the upper end of which is movably attached to the
said end of the damper, by which construction the said damper is manipulated,
closing the said damper when the device is in operation, and for opening the same
when it is desired to start the furnace, in which instance the products of combustion
will be allowed to pass straight up the smoke-stack 2 into the open air.
8, represents a pipe, one end of which is in communication with the interior of
the smoke-stack 2, below the said damper, and the opposite end in communication
with a pump 9, which may be operated by steam or any other suitable power,
through which pipe the said products of combustion are drawn into the said
pump, and out through the pipe 10, one end of which is also in communication
with the said pump.
11, represents a tank or receptacle, which is preferably circular in cross-section,

page_text: and is provided with a removable cover 12, which in shape resembles that of a
frustum of a conc.
The opposite end of the said pipe 10 is in communication with the interior o
the said tank pr receptacle, through the side thereof, and adjacent to the bottom
of the same, as clearly shown in the drawings, and is arranged in a plane, the object
of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.
The said tank or receptacle 11 is constructed to receive a sufficient amount of
water, which may be held therein a certain length of time, or passed out of the same
simultaneously as the water is passed in the same.
13, represents a pipe, which is in communication with any suitable water supply,
and also in communication with the said tank, and 14 represents a similar pipe,
one end of which is also in communication with the said tank, and the opposite end
in connection with any suitable drainage, for instance a sewer.
To the side of the said tank 11 is fixed a water gauge 15, which is in com-
munication with the interior thereof, and is adapted to indicate the height or
volume of water contained in said tank.
Within the said tank is located and arranged any number of stationary and
revoluble screens, which are located within the water contained in said receptacle,
as best illustrated in Fig. 2, for the purpose hereinafter described and through
which the products of combustion at the different stages of purification are adapted
to pass before the same are allowed to escape in the open air.
Referring particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be seen that I employ
for the sake of illustration only two sieves or screens, but said number may be
greatly increased in order to more effectually purify the products of combustion
without departing from the nature of my invention.
16, represents a band, which is provided with an annular projecting flange 17,
and said band fixed to the inner cylindrical surface of the said tank in any
desirable manner.
To the upper edge of the said annular flange 17 is fixed a circular sieve or
screen 18, which is rendered stationary thereby, the meshes of which may be of any
suitable size, but somewhat courser than the meshes of the rotating sieve or screen,
hereinafter described.
Immediately above the said band 16, or a suitable distance therefrom is fixed a
second band 19, which is also located within the said tank, and acts as a support
for the edge of the said rotating screen.
20, represents the rotating spring or sieve, which is of such a size as to cover
the entire space of the said tank, but adapted to be freely rotated therein, the
annular flange of said band 19 preventing the products of combustion from
passing between the edge of the said screen or sieve, and the inner surface of the
said tank.
To the lower surface of the said sieve 20 are fixed any number of pins 21, the
lower ends of which normally rest upon the upper edge of the annular flange of
the band 19, which causes the said screen or sieve to freely rotate and further hold
the same in a rigid position when motion is imparted to the same.
The upper edge of the said cap 12 is provided with a tubular extension 22, and
interposed between the upper edge of the extension, and the plate 23 is rubber or
other packing 24 through which the vertical operating shaft 25 passes, forming an
air-tight connection between the said tank and shaft.
The said shaft, or more properly the lower end thereof passes through the said
sieve 20 and stationary sieve 18, and the terminal end thereof fitting into a
socket 25*, which holds the said shaft in its proper position within the said tank,
and further allows the same to be rotated therein.
The sieve 20 is fixed to the said shaft 25 by a pin 26, which passes through the
extension 27 of the said sieve and the said shaft, but the said shaft loosely passes
through the sieve 18 and is not in any way fixed to the same.
The upper end of the said shaft 25 may extend any suitable distance above the
top of the said tank 11, or to any convenient portion of the building within which

page_text: the same is located, and fixed to the said projecting end is a belt pulley 28, around
which a belt 29 is passed for imparting motion to the said shaft.
The power for imparting motion to the said belt may be of any suitable source,
for instance, a small engine may be located at a convenient portion of the building,
or the said belt may be run by separate machinery if found desirable.
30, represents a pipe, the lower end of which is in communication with the
interior of the tank 11, and the said end fixed to the cover 12 of said shaft in any
desirable manner.
The opposite end of the said pipe 30 is in communication with the interior of
the smoke-stack 2, above the damper 5 through which pipe the purified products
of combustion are adapted to pass, and into the stack 2 before the same are allowed
to escape into the open air.
It may be found desirable in practice to extend the pipe 30 to the roof of the
building, and pass the purified products of combustion directly into the open air
without passing the same into the stack 2 as previously described and shown.
The products of combustion on passing from the furnace are drawn through the
pipe 8 by the pump 9, into the pipe 10 and into the tank 11, in which case the water
contained in said tank will be given a motion in the direction as shown by the
arrows in Fig. 3, by the force. of the products of combustion upon said water,
and at the same time a vacuum will be created within the stack 2 below the
valve 5.
The products of combustion being forced into the said tank at the bottom thereof
will gradually rise to the water contained in said tank, and a portion of said
products of combustion or the finer particles passed through the screen 18, the
larger particles being prevented from passing through said screen, and precipitated
at the bottom of the said tank.
The products of combustion that have been partially purified by the water, and
the stationary sieve 18 will next come in contact with the rotating sieve 20. and
its particles granulated, as it were, by the motion of said sieve, and the particles
precipitated, after which the said purified products of combustion will pass through
the water, located above the said screen 20, and out through the pipe 30 into the
open air in the form of an exhaust.
.
When the pump 9 is in operation, I desire to regulate the vacuum in the stack 2
below the valve 5 by means of a valve 31, which is regulated by hand for allowing
the air to pass through the same from the outside and thus reduce the vacuum or
draft of the furnace.
The sieves or screens may be constructed of any suitable material and made of
strands of wire, or from a sheet of metal, and the same punched with any suitable
number of openings the proper size.
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. The method of purifying and precipitating the products of combustion, which
consists in passing the same through stationary and rotating sieves located in a
body of water, substantially as set forth.
2. The method of purifying and precipitating the products of combustion, which
consists in passing the same through a body of water, and simultaneously through
stationary and rotating sieves or screens of different sized mesh, substantially as
set forth.
3. A smoke purifier comprising a tank, adapted to hold a body of water and
stationary and rotating sieves or screens located within the said tank for granulating
and precipitating the products of combustion before they are allowed to escape in
the open air, substantially as described.
4. A smoke purifier comprising a pump in suitable connection with the draft of
the furnace, a tank containing a body of water in communication with the said
pump into which the products of combustion are adapted to be forced, and rotating

page_text: screens or sieves located within the said tank and submerged in the water contained
therein through which the said products of combustion are adapted to pass,
substantially as described.
5. The method of purifying and precipitating the products of combustion, which
consists first, forcing the same into a body of water, imparting motion thereto in
one direction, second passing the said products of combustion through a stationary
sieve or screen, and third causing the said products of combustion to come in contact
with the rotating screen for granulating the particles and precipitating the same,
substantially as described.
6. A smoke purifier comprising a tank, having a suitable water supply, one or
more stationary sieves or screens located within the said tank, and operating shaft
passing through the said screen or screens, and adapted to be rotated by suitable
means, one or more rotating sieves or screens, the meshes of which are smaller
than the said stationary one or ones, and means for forcing the products of com-
bustion passing from the furnace into the said tank in such a manner as to rotate
the water contained in the same in one direction, substantially as described.
7. A smoke purifier consisting of a pump, fan or other suitable device, a pipe
in connection with said pump, and the stack or chimney leading from the furnace,
a second pipe in connection with the said pump and a tank containing a body of
water, a stationary sieve or sieves located within said tánk, a rotating sieve or
sieves the meshes of which are smaller than the stationary sieve or sieves, a shaft
for rotating the said last named sieve or sieves, and means for operating the same,
a damper located in the flue of the furnace, and a pipe leading from the said tank
and in communication with the said flue above the said pipe, to which the purified
products of combustion are adapted to pass, substantially as described.
8. A smoke purifier consisting of a pipe 8 in communication with the flue of the
furnace, a pump or other suitable source of draft in connection with the said pipe,
a pipe such as 10 in communication with the said pump and with a suitable tank
containing a body of water, a stationary sieve such as 18 fixed within the said tank,
a movable sieve 20 also located within said tank, and adapted to be rotated in one
direction, a flange band 21 located below said fastening sieve for supporting the
same, a shaft 25 passing through the said sieves but fixed to the movable one,
means for imparting motion to said shaft, a pipe 30 in communication with the
said tank for carrying off the purified products of combustion, a valve located
in the flue of the furnace, and a valve such as 31 located in the pipe 8 and
adapted to reduce the vacuum in the said flue when properly manipulated,
substantially as described.
3
11003
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.