IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND SCRUBBING COAL GAS
Year: 1884

page_text: I FRIEDRICH WECK, of Lilleshall, in the county of Salop, Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND SCRUBBING COAL GAS" to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of machinery or
apparatus for extracting the soluble impurities from coal gas by the process known
as washing and scrubbing the improvements having mainly for object to provide
an apparatus in which the spaces between the moistened surfaces shall not become
blocked up by the accumulation of solid matter as now generally takes place with
the existing forms of scrubbers. My improvements have also for object to allow of
a much smaller quantity of water or ammoniacal liquor being employed in washers
than is usually the case, thereby enabling the user to increase or diminish the
strength of his liquor in a very short time by regulating the supply of water.
In carrying out my invention I employ a number of chambers through each of
which the gas is allowed to pass successively in a horizontal direction.`.
In each chamber with their axes parallel to the flow of the gas is placed a
number of rollers, some near the top and some near the bottom and over these
rollers one or more endless bands are placed in such a manner that following the
course of the band from say where it passes over the first of the top rollers counting
from one side of the chamber it passes downwards and under the first of the bottom
rollers thence upwards and over the second top roller and downwards again under
the second bottom roller and so on, till having passed over the last of the top
rollers it passes downward and under another roller, placed a little lower than the
aforenamed bottom rollers, then it follows a horizontal direction to another roller
placed similarly to the last named one but at the opposite side of the chamber and
thence passes upwards to the point started from.
The horizontal portion of the endless band can in a similar manner be carried
over the top rollers instead of under the bottom rollers if more desirable. The
lower part of the chamber is charged with the purifying liquid to the required
height above the lower rollers; one or more of the top rollers is or are made to
revolve so as to cause the aforenamed endless band (or bands) to travel in the
direction of its length thus causing all its or their parts to successively to be
immersed in the liquid at the bottom of the chamber and to be brought out of this
liquid again with a film of the liquid covering the entire surface and exposed to.
the gas within the chamber.

page_text: A suitable means of imparting rotary motion to the rollers consists in continuing
one of them to the outside of the chamber through a stuffing box where it is
connected to any available power in the usual way. The first top roller may with
advantage be used for this purpose and will communicate its motion to the other
top rollers by means of an endless chain geared into chain wheels at the ends of
each of the top rollers or I only drive every alternate one of the top rollers by
attaching spur wheels to alternate rollers which gear into similar spur wheels
running loose on the intermediate rollers.
The endless bands which in this way become the means of exposing large
surfaces of water or ammoniacal liquor to the contact of the gas in the chamber are
made of textile material, perforated or not, or of pliable metallic bands or chains of
suitable construction, or of wooden rods of suitable size and shape laid side by side
and joined together by wire or fibrous material in such a manner that the band
tbus formed shall be pliable in the direction of its length or the band may be made
of any other suitable material. The repeated bending first one way and then the
other way and friction of this band in going over the rollers will to a great extent
prevent the accumulation of naphthaline and other insoluble deposits, but for the
more complete removal of such deposits I propose to introduce into the chambers
two brushes of wire or bristle or woody fibre, the nature of the brushes depending
upon that of the band. These brushes are so placed that the endless band shall in
once making a complete circuit of its path pass between them. When the brushes
are made cylindrical I fix them on spindles having one end projecting through the
ends of the chamber to enable the person in charge to turn them on their axes so
as to bring a new portion of the brushes to bear on the band as one part gets
worn away.
Clean water or other purifying liquid is introduced into the chamber at one end
of the apparatus and allowed to fill its lower part up to the required height, thence
the water is allowed to run into the next chamber, filling this chamber up to the
required height and then making its way to the third chamber and so on until at
the last chamber it is drawn away.
The gas to be purified enters the chamber at the other end of the apparatus and
passes through it between the wetted surfaces of the endless band thence into the
next chamber and so on until it arrives at the last chamber which it should leave
nearly free from its soluble impurities. By increasing the number of chambers and
the area of the surfaces of the endless bands this scrubbing and washing action can
be carried to the required degree.
I sometimes employ in place of a plain band as above named, a band provided
with projections upon both its surfaces such projections forming brushes whereby
the amount of wetted surface brought into contact with the gas is increased. In
this arrangement it will be obvious that the endless band is shorter than when
plain, and that the number of rollers over which it passes is diminished the rollers
being also adapted to allow the band to travel without their coming into contact
with the projections of the band.
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page_text: I, FRIEDRICH WECK, of Lilleshall, in the county of Salop, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND SCRUBBING COAL GAS" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of machinery or
apparatus chiefly applicable for extracting the soluble impurities from coal gas by
the process known as washing and scrubbing, the improvements having mainly for
object to provide an apparatus in which the spaces between the moistened surfaces
shall not become blocked up by the accumulation of solid matter as now generally
takes place with the existing forms of scrubbers. My improvements have also for
object to allow of a much smaller quantity of water or ammoniacal liquor being
employed in washers than is usually the case, thereby enabling the user to increase
or diminish the strength of his liquor in a very short time by regulating the supply
of water.
•
In carrying out my invention, I employ a number of chambers through each of
which the gas is allowed to pass successively in a horizontal direction.
In each chamber with their axes parallel to the flow of the gas is placed a
number of rollers, some near the top and some near the bottom and over these
rollers one or more endless bands are placed in such a manner that following the
course of the band from, say where it passes over the first of the top rollers
counting from one side of the chamber, it passes downwards and under the first of
the bottom rollers, thence upwards and over the second top roller and downwards
again under the second bottom roller and so on, till having passed over the last of
the top rollers it passes downward and under another roller placed a little lower
than the aforenamed bottom rollers, then it follows a horizontal direction to another
roller placed similarly to the last named one but at the opposite side of the
chamber and thence passes upwards to the point started from.
The horizontal portion of the endless band can in a similar manner be carried
over the top rollers instead of under the bottom rollers if more desirable. The
lower part of the chamber is charged with the purifying liquid to the required
height above the lower rollers; one or more of the top rollers is or are made to
revolve so as to cause the aforenamed endless band (or bands) to travel in the
direction of its length thus causing all its or their parts successively to be immersed
in the liquid at the bottom of the chamber and to be brought out of this liquid
again with a film of the liquid covering the entire surface and exposed to the gas
within the chamber.
Brushes are employed as hereinafter described to effectually prevent the accumu-
lation of deposits on the bands.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1, is a longitudinal section of two compartments or chambers of an
apparatus constructed according to my invention; figure 2, is a cross section of
same and figure 3, is a sectional plan the section being taken immediately above
the upper rollers and below the roof of the chamber.
In these figures a, is the endless band which in this arrangement is shown in one
width; b, b', 62, etc are the upper rollers which actuate or give motion to the band.
These rollers are shewn in the upper chamber C, of the apparatus to be driven by

page_text: means of spur gearing in which case one of the rollers (b) is driven by a shaft f,
carrying a spur wheel f', which gears into another spur wheel f³, fixed upon the
roller b. The two adjacent rollers b¹, b¹, have their spur wheels running loosely
upon them gearing with the spur wheel f³, and of course revolving in the opposite
direction The next two rollers 62, 63, have spur wheels fast to them and geared
into the above named loose running wheels and will be turned again in the opposite
direction to them, that is in the same direction as the first named roller b. In this
manner the rollers b, b', 62, 64, 6, and so on will be driven and the intermediate
rollers 61, 62, 63, 63, and so on will be at liberty to run in any direction which the
friction between them and the endless band may cause them to take.
In the lower chamber D, of the apparatus a different driving mechanism is
shewn as clearly seen in the part sectional plan at figure 3*. On the rollers are
fixed cranks c, c, c, of equal stroke and which are so formed as to pass one another
in revolving and all these cranks are driven by a coupling rod d, in which the
crank pins run and which communicates motion to the cranks. The coupling rod d,
is actuated by a crank e, of the same stroke as the cranks c, and fixed to the
driving shaft f1. The driving shaft can in each case be produced through the
casing of the chambers through a stuffing box in the usual manner. In the last-
described arrangement all the upper rollers are shewn as being driven.
It will be obvious that I can vary this driving mechanism by attaching chain
wheels on the spindles of the rollers and employing endless chains to engage with
their teeth, one of the rollers being then extended to the outside of the chamber
and driven by any suitable means, it will through the medium of the chain and
chain wheels impart its motion to the other rollers. E, shews the inlet pipe of the
gas, the flow of which is indicated by the dotted arrows; A, A, is the liquor outlet.
, shews the level of the liquor in the bottom of the chambers or compartiments.
g, g, g, are the lower rollers which run in bearings in the bars h, h. These bars are
free to move up and down but are prevented from moving sidewise (with the
exception of a little play to ensure their easy working) and by their weight, as
well as that of the rollers, they keep the bands a, stretched and cause the friction
between the band and the top rollers which is necessary to cause the band to travel.
To keep the bars h, h, horizontal I employ some simple guiding arrangement such
as is indicated in figure 2, by the dotted lines i, i, i, which consists of a number
of links arranged in the manner shewn. One of the links may be produced as
shewn by k, and carry a weight at the end to assist in keeping the endless band a,
stretched.
The endless bands which in this way become the means of exposing large surfaces
of water or ammoniacal liquor to the contact of the gas in the chamber are made of
textile material, perforated or not, as shewn in the detached view at figure 5, or of
pliable metallic or other bands (as shewn in the detached view at figure 7) or chains
of suitable construction; or of wooden rods of suitable size and shape (as shewn in
the detached views at figure 6,) laid side by side and joined together by wire or
fibrous material in such a manner that the band thus formed shall be pliable in the
direction of its length, or the band may be made of any other suitable material.
The repeated bending first one way and then the other way and friction of this
band in going over the rollers will to a great extent prevent the accumulation of
napthaline and other insoluble deposits, but for the more complete removal of such
deposits I propose to introduce into the chambers two brushes p, p, as shewn in
figure 2, which I make of steel wire or other suitable material according to the
material of which the band a, is made and circular or partly circular in cross
section. The brushes p, p, are fixed in suitable positions in the chamber as shown
so that the band a, as it travels onward shall pass between them; the spindles of
the brushes are extended to the outside of the chamber as seen at m, m, figure 3,
so as to allow of their being rotated on their axes so as to bring a new portion of
.the brushes to bear on the band as one part gets worn away. Figure 4, shews a
cross section of a brush of this construction drawn to a larger scale.

page_text: Sometimes when I use bands having a nearly homogeneous surface such as bands
of textile fabric I employ scrapers instead of brushes as shewn at n, n, in the part,
cross-section at figure 2. These scrapers n, n, are so fixed to the bearing bara h, h,
as to leave a narrow space through which the endless bands are caused to pass
thereby scraping off any deposit which may accumulate thereon. The height of
these scrapers towards the middle of the band is increased and they are made
sloping off towards the edges of the band and their ends extend a little beyond it
to cause the matter scraped off to be deposited clear of the band a.
Figure 5, is a view of part of one of the rollers with a piece of fabric forming
part of the endless band a, placed over the same.
Figure 6, is a similar view to figure 5, but shewing a portion of a band composed
of a number of small parallel rods connected together with suitable flexible material.
Figure 7, is a view shewing a portion of
circular section such as thin ropes or cords.
the rollers would be grooved so as to keep all
shews a part plan of a scraper suitable for use with these kinds of bands in order to
remove deposit therefrom.
roller having a number of bands of
When employing bands of this kind
the cords in their places. Figure 8,
Figure 9, is a cross section and figure 10, a plan drawn to a larger scale and
shewing a band formed with projections on both its surfaces, such projections
forming brushes whereby the extent of wetted surface brought into contact with
the gas is increased. At each side of the band is a narrow margin without such
projections and this margin runs upon the rollers. The parts of the rollers where
the projections of the band occur are made very small so as not to interfere with
such projections. In the case of using this band, combs, as shewn at figure 11,
would be employed in place of the brushes, to remove deposits therefrom.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
Clean water or other purifying liquid is introduced into the chamber at one end
of the apparatus and allowed to fill its lower part up to the required height as
shewn, thence the water is allowed to run into the next chamber filling this
chamber up to the required height and then making its way to the third chamber
and so on until at the last chamber it is drawn away through the outlet A. A.
The gas to be purified enters the chamber at E, at the other end of the apparatus
and passes through it between the wetted surfaces of the endless band a, thence
into the next chamber and so on until it arrives at the last chamber which it should
leave nearly free from its soluble impurities-By increasing the number of
chambers and the area of the surfaces of the endless bands a, this scrubbing and
washing action can be carried to the required degree.
I have described my invention as applied to the washing and scrubbing of coal
gas but it will be evident that it may be used for other purposes such as for
evaporating liquids for example if a weak saline solution be allowed to run into the
upper chamber and warm dry air be allowed to take the place of gas, the apparatus
will be equally effective in concentrating such saline solution by taking up moisture
from the exposed surfaces.
In the drawings the chambers are shewn as being placed one above the other,
they may however, as will be well understood, be placed horizontally one behind
another in which arrangement the driving rollers of the bands would pass through
all the chambers froin end to end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) In an apparatus for washing and scrubbing coal gas the use of a moving
band or bands of suitable construction and material arranged as described for the
purpose of bringing extended wetted surfaces in contact with the gas substantially
in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
(2.) The use in combination with the above named bands of brushes, combs or
scrapers for the purpose of cleaning such bands from deposits or to prevent such
deposits from attaining too great a thickness as hereinbefore described.

page_text: Thirdly. The improved washer-scrubbers constructed, arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in figures 1, 2, 2, 3 and 3ª
of the accompanying drawing.
Fourthly. The peculiar construction of bands for use in washer-scrubbers as
herein before described and represented in figures 6, 7, 9 and 10 of the accompanying
drawing.
Dated the 24th day of October 1884.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.