Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Means for Obtaining Oxygen and Nitrogen from the Air.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 891
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1892
· PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Means for
Obtaining Oxygen and Nitrogen from the Air.
I, HENRY BRIER of 47 Dixon Avenue, Crosshill in the County of Renfrew,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its object to provide for the separate elimination of oxygen
and nitrogen from atmospheric air in a simple and more efficient manner than
heretofore by the application of an arrangement of valve or valves or cocks to
the service passages or pipes of the producing plant in such a manner that during
the time of transition of a furnace, furnaces, or part of furnace or furnaces from a
state of being charged to that of being exhausted the overplus or free gases
under pressure in the aforesaid furnace, furnaces or part of furnace or furnaces
will be delivered in part or in whole into another furnace, furnaces, or part of
furnace or furnaces which would at that time be changing from a state of
being exhausted to a state of being charged. By this application a considerable
quantity of the gases and air which would otherwise be blown to waste is saved
and less nitrogen is left in the furnace and a less diluted oxygen is obtained without
[he necessity of blowing to waste and also steam power is saved.
The arrangement of valve or valves or cocks is applicable when the furnaces.are
served by two or more pumps that is to say when part of the installation is under
pressure and part under exhaustion and under the invention one or more (preferably
three) valves or cocks is or are employed the plug of each of which in the case
of cocks has preferably a worm wheel keyed upon it and geared with a worm screw
formed or fixed upon a horizontal driving shaft which has fast and loose pulleys.
upon it one of the loose pulleys having keyed to it a smaller pulley around which
and also around a pulley on a second shaft a belt or band is passed. The second
shaft has also a worm screw upon it geared with a worm wheel on whose axis a
heel or knocker is secured the said heel or knocker acting against the flat side of
a cam which is carried loosely on the axis of the worm wheel and has a curved
face bearing against a lever centred at its lower and weighted at its upper end. In
conjunction with the lever a belt shifting fork is provided the lever being situated
between two studs projecting from the stem of the fork and so that when through
the rotation of the cam the lever is thrown over the fork is moved and caused to
shift the main driving belt from the loose to the fast pulley or put in gear any
suitable clutch or friction gear, thereby setting the main driving shaft in motion
and turning the valves or cocks to change the furnace or furnaces or part of furnace
or furnaces from a state of being charged to a state of being exhausted. One or
more valves of the series have a bye pass through which the overplus or free gases
under pressure in the furnace or furnaces or part of furnace or furnaces in the first
mentioned state is delivered in whole or in part into the other furnace, furnaces or
part of furnace or furnaces.
The weighted lever is thrown back so as to cause the fork to shift the main
driving belt back on to the loose pulley by a lever which is centred on one valve
spindle and carried round with the worm wheel on the said spindle the ends of the
lever during rotation coming in contact with the side of the weighted lever and
tilting it over.
".
Under a modification one four-way valve or cock with one or two supplementary
bye passes may be used in conjunction with a three-way cock to effect the purposes
of this invention, the said valves or cocks being rotated or partially rotated when
it is required to change. Under both arrangements in the act of changing, the

page_text: valve or valves is or are arranged so that there is a period during which both
furnaces or parts of the furnaces are in communication with each other.
In cases where it is necessary to obtain as pure gases as possible there is or may
be added to the apparatus under any of the arrangements hereinbefore described
an auxiliary exhauster and reservoir or chamber into which the contents or part of
the contents of the furnace or part of furnace under pressure is 'drawn at or
previously to the time of changing the furnace or part of furnace from pressure
to exhaust.
.
Deted this Nineteenth day of Sentember 1891.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Apparatus or Means for.
Obtaining Oxygen and Nitrogen from the Air.
I, HENRY BRIER of 47 Dixon Avenue Crosshill in the County of Renfrew
Engineer, 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 to provide for the separate elimination of oxygen
and nitrogen from atmospheric air in a simpler and more efficient manner than
heretofore by the application of an improved arrangements of cocks to the service
passages or pipes of the producing plant and in such a manner that during the
time of transition of a furnace furnaces or part of a furnace or furnaces from being
charged to being exhausted the gases under pressure from the furnace furnaces or
part of furnace or furnaces changing from being charged will be delivered in part
or in whole into the furnace furnaces or part of furnace or furnaces changing from
being exhausted to being charged. By the application of this invention a con-
siderable quantity of the gases and air which would otherwise be blown to waste is
saved and less nitrogen is left in the furnace and a less diluted oxygen is obtained
without the necessity of blowing to waste.
The improved arrangement of cocks is applied and used in conjunction with two
or more pumps or blowers and exhausters one pump or set of pumps or blowers
constantly feeding or supplying air under pressure to the installation of furnances
whilst the other pump or sets of pumps or exhausters is constantly drawing off the
gases under vacuum or exhaustion.
Under the invention one or more (preferably three) cocks is or are employed.
The three cock arrangement is illustrated under one modification on Sheet 1 of the
accompanying drawings, Figure. being a side elevation, Figure 2 a plan and
Figure 3 an end elevation of the apparatus. Figure 4 is a diagram shewing the cocks
in relation to the furnaces and Figure 5 is a diagram shewing the position of the
cocks in relation to each other when one furnace A is being charged and the othe
exhausted. The cocks are supported by a frame or platform E and the plug of each
has a worm wheel B keyed upon it and geared with a worm screw C formed or fixe
upon a horizontal driving shaft D supported in bearings on the table or platform E.
The driving shaft has a fast and loose pulley F G.respectively upon it, the loose
pulley G. having keyed to it a smaller pulley G' around which and also around a
pulley H on a second shaft I a belt or band I' is passed. The shaft I has also a
worm screw J upon it geared with a worm wheel J¹ on which a heel. or
knocker K' is secured the said heel or knocker acting against the flat face of a
cam L which is carried loosely on the shaft K and has a curved face bearing
against a lever. M centred at its lower and weighted at its upper end. In
conjunction with the lever a belt shifting fork N is provided the lever being
situated between two studs a b projecting from the stem of the fork and so that

page_text: when through the rotation of the cam the lever is thrown over
moved and caused to shift the main driving belt from the loose pulley G to the fast
pulley For the lever M causes to be put in gear any suitable clutch or friction
mechanism thereby setting the main driving shaft D in motion and turning the
cocks to change the furnace or furnaces or part of furnace or furnaces in the
installation from a state of being charged to a state of being exhausted. One
or more cocks of the series has or have as seen by the enlarged detailed views
Figures 6 and 7 a bye pass c through which the gases under pressure in the
furnace or furnaces or part of furnace or furnaces in the charged state is
delivered in whole or in part into the other furnace furnaces or part of furnace
or furnaces.
The weighted lever M, is thrown back so as to cause the fork N, to again shift
the main driving belt back on to the loose pulley G, by a lever O, which is centred
loosely on the plug of the cock P, and carried round with the worm wheel B, on
the said plug by means of two lugs O', the lever O, being drawn clear after_tilting
the weighted lever M, by the springs x.
This mode of working is as follows:
Assuming the furnace A, to be under pressure and the furnace A¹, under
exhaustion then the plugs of the cocks P, V, W, will be in the position shewn at
Figure 5, that is to say the furnace A, is in communication with the pressure pump
or blower by means of the passage through the cock P, and the connecting pipes P,
the nitrogen or waste gas passing away under pressure or otherwise through the
cock W, and pipe W₁, into any suitable collector R, or into the atmosphere through
the safety valve d. During the period that the furnace A, is being so worked
under pressure the furnace A', is in communication with the vacuum pump or
exhauster by the passage through the cock V, and pipe V'.
At stated periods of time the furnaces A, A, are changed by the time
gear J, J, K, L, throwing over the lever M, as described so shifting the driving
belt on to the fast pulley F, and thereby putting the plugs of the cocks P, V, W,
in motion. As these slowly rotate the port e, and bye pass c, Figure 7, are first
brought into communication with the furnace under pressure. Should the product
being obtained not be sufficiently pure the port e, and bye pass so coming into
communication with the furnace under pressure before inter communication between
the furnaces A, and A', is established enables a portion of the contents of the
furnace A (under pressure) to be discharged into the atmosphere or into a chamber
under vacuum through the snifting valve S, which is fitted to the valve P, V, or W,
having the bye pass in it. Whether a portion of the contents are so discharged
or not the bye pass c, establishes for a time an equilibrium of pressure or partial
vacuum between the furnaces A, and A', before the changing is completed!
Figure 1 Sheet 2 illustrates in side elevation Figure 2 in end elevation and
Figure 3 in plan a modification of the three cock arrangement shewn on Sheet 1
and in which the time gear and cocks are so disposed that instead of rotating the
plugs of the cocks continuously in the same direction, as in the first arrangement,
a partial rotation only is given in one direction to change the furnace A, from
pressure to vacuum and a partial rotation in the opposite direction to change from
vacuum to pressure. Figure 4, Sheet 2 is a diagram shewing the disposition of
the cocks and pipes in this arrangement P', being the pipe leading from the
pressure pump or blower and through the cock P, to the furnace A, or A',
according to the direction in which the plug of the cock is turned. V, is the cock
leading from the furnaces and through the pipe V', to the vacuum pump or
exhauster and W, is the cock leading through the pipe W', to the reservoir R,
Figure 4 Sheet 1 and on which pipe an escape valve d, is situated. The snifting
valves S, may be arranged on one or all of the cocks P, V, W, on top or side as
shewn in Figures 1 and 4 Sheet 2 the suift passage being formed by a branch from
the main passage in the plug as at c¹ for escape through the side of the cock or as
at C, for escape through the top the main passage through the plug of the cock in
either case acting to bring the furnaces into equilibrium. The shaft D, has one

page_text: fast, pulley F, and two loose pulleys G, G', upon it the pulley G, having keyed to
it a smaller pulley G', which has a belt I', passed round it and also round a pulley H,
keyed on the shaft I, the said shaft having a worm screw J, geared with a worm
wheel J', carried on a vertical stud K, and having keyed or formed upon it a cam
or wyper K', Figure 5, Sheet 2 which has in conjunction with it two levers K',
centred on a pin y, carried by a bracket y', the ends of the levers near the pin'
being cranked as shewn. Two driving belts D','D', are provided one of which is
crossed and in working the apparatus one or other of these belts is shifted from a
loose to the fast pulley F, that is to say to partially rotate the cocks P, V, W, in
one direction the belt Ds, is shifted from the loose pulley G³, to the fast pulley F,
and to partially rotate in the opposite direction the belt D¹, is shifted from the
loose pulley G, to the fast pulley F, whilst in the cycle of operations there are
periods of time when neither of the belts are upon the pulley F.
Two belt shifting forks N, N', are employed one situated at each side of the
platform E, and the fork N', has connected to it one end of a lever M, which at its
other end is keyed upon one extremity of a horizontal spindle M', upon whose
opposite extremity a weighted bell crank lever M'; is also keyed. The fork N, has
connected to it the upper end of a weighted bell crank lever M³, which is centred
loosely on the spindle M', and both levers M³, M', are alternately acted upon by
arms O, O' bolted or otherwise fastened to the worm wheel B, on the plug of the
cock V, or other cock of the series the arm O¹, through the rotation of the shaft D,
striking against the lever M³, and shifting the belt D' from the fast pulley F, to
the loose pulley G.
The so shifting of the belt sets the gear I, J, J, in motion
causing the cam K', to allow the spring K, to draw the cranked end of one
lever K, underneath the cranked arm of the lever M³, so preventing its falling
when the lever M³, is liberated. The cam K', by next acting on the other lever K²,
releases its cranked end from under the bell crank lever M², the weight on which
causes the levers M³, M, to move forwards and shift the belt D2, from the loose
pulley G2, on to the fast pulley F. The belt D' being crossed the plugs of the
cocks are, through the shaft D and intermediate gearing, partially rotated in the
opposite direction until the arm O, by striking the lever M³, again shifts
the belt D, back on to the pulley G2, where it is maintained during the desired
interval that is to say until the lever K³, is again released from under the
lever M².
Under a further modification illustrated by Figures 6 and 7 Sheet 2 of the
drawings one four way cock X, may be used in conjunction with a three way
cock W, to effect the purposes of this invention the said cocks being rotated or
partially rotated, when it is required to change, by mechanism such as that herein-
before described or a wheel B, on the plug of the cock X, or W, only may be
geared to a worm screw on the driving shaft D, whilst the cocks are geared
together in order to cause them to move synchronously by the gearing B B' B'.
This arrangement is also applicable to the dispositions hereinbefore set forth.
In cases where it is necessary to obtain as pure gases as possible there is or may
be added to the apparatus under any of the arrangements hereinbefore described
an auxiliary exhauster and reservoir or chamber into which the contents or part
of the contents of the furnace or part of furnace under pressure is drawn at or
previously to the time of changing the furnace or part of furnace from pressure to
exhaust.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
:
1. In apparatus employed for separately obtaining oxygen and nitrogen from the
air the use of separate pumps or blowers and exhausters one of which or set of
which is constantly supplying pressure whilst the other is constantly exhausting in
conjunction with cocks so arranged and operating in the service passages of the
producing plant that during transition of a furnace or furnaces from being charged
234 96
...

page_text: to being exhausted the gases under pressure from the furnace, previously charged,.
are delivered through a byepass or passage in whole or in part into the furnace
previously exhausted the said byepass or passage also establishing for a time,
during the transition, an equilibrium of pressure or partial vacuum between the
furnaces as set forth.
2. In plant for the purposes set forth the combination, in the service pipes or
passages, of cocks working in unison and one or more of them having in the plug
a bye pass and in conjunction therewith one or more snifting valves and if desired
an auxiliary exhauster or reservoir into which the contents or part of the contents.
of the furnace under pressure is drawn substantially as and for the purposes
described with reference to the annexed drawings.
3. In plant for the purposes set forth a cock or cocks having in the plug a bye.
pass to establish for a time during transition an equilibrium of pressure or partial
vacuum between the furnaces substantially as described.
4. In apparatus for the said purpose the combination of a cock or cocks con-.
structed as set forth with gearing for operating the same substantially as described.
with reference to the appended drawings.
Dated this Eighteenth day of June 1892.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.