IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE ABSORPTION AND WASHING OF GASES: AND VAPORS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE ABSORPTION AND WASHING OF GASES:
AND VAPORS." A communication from abroad by La Société Anonyme des
Manufactures de Produits Chimiques du Nord, represented by Jules Frédéric
Kuhlmann, Administrateur-délégué, of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th March 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery. Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE ABSORPTION
AND WASHING OF GASES AND VAPORS." [A communication from abroad by La
Société Anonyme des Manufactures de Produits Chimiques du Nord, represented
by Jules Frédéric Kuhlmann, Administrateur-délégué, of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to apparatus to be employed in the absorption and
washing of gases or vapors of all kinds, the apparatus causing the gas to traverse
a considerable distance in a relatively small depth of liquid.
The apparatus hitherto used for the absorption of gases which are difficultly
soluble or mixed with a large proportion of inert gas occupies considerable room,
particularly when it consists of a series of vertical cylinders comprising the depth
of liquid necessary for the absorption of the gases. Besides occupying room the
employment of these cylinders is inconvenient, by reason of the exhaustion necessary
to cause the gas to flow through_the_apparatus, for_beyond a certain_depth neither
the steam jet exhauster nor the air pump are available, and it is found necessary
to maintain the gaseous current by forcing it in under pressure, which is always
objectionable and sometimes impossible in the case of corrosive gases.
The apparatus of this Invention has the advantage of considerably prolonging
the circulation of the gases through the liquid, at same time enabling their
ascensional movement through the liquid to be retarded, and requires the use only
of an ordinary exhauster or air pump.
An example of the Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in
which Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a central vertical section of the
apparatus. The same reference letters indicate the same parts in the two Figures.

page_text: The apparatus is composed of a closed cylindrical vessel or case a. Around the
interior of this vessel are arranged one or more continuous helical divisions c,
rivetted at one edge to the side wall of the vessel, and provided at their other edge
with a downwardly projecting flange or lip b, forming an inverted trough for the
gas to travel in. The gas is drawn into the vessel at the bottom of the helical
trough by the action of the exhaust, which is connected at the orifice d at the
upper part of the vessel. The lip b prevents the gas from escaping at the side of
the trough, the rate of ascension of the gas being slower as the pitch of the helix is
less.
The gas is completely absorbed before arriving at the upper part of the vessel a,
and the inert gases pass out at d. e is a vertical shaft mounted centrally in
vessel a, and carrying at its lower extremity an agitator f, which is rotated by
bevel gear g, h, or other means. The agitator may be revolved either in one
direction or the other according to the effect desired. If it be rotated in the reverse
direction to that of the helix it retards the ascensional movement of the gases, and
thereby facilitates their absorption; if rotated in the same direction as that of the
helix it accelerates the ascensional movement of the gas, which may be preferable
in certain cases. Moreover the agitator f enables matters aiding the absorption or
washing of the gas to be maintained in suspension in the liquid. i, man hole for
cleaning out the apparatus; j, sight hole; and %, the gas inlet pipe.
The apparatus would be constructed of a suitable material according to the
nature of the gases operated upon.
Although applicable for effecting the absorption or washing of all kinds of gases
or vapors the employment of the apparatus is especially advantageous in effecting
the absorption of chlorine in the manufacture of hypochlorite of lime, or of soda
chlorates, &c., as well as for the absorption or washing of carbonic acid gas of
bydrochloric acid, &c.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
September 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE ABSORPTION
AND WASHING OF GASES AND VAPORS." A communication from abroad by La
Société Anonyme des Manufactures de Produits Chimiques du Nord, represented
by Jules Frédéric Kuhlmann, Administrateur-délégué, of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to apparatus to be employed for effecting the absorption
and washing of gases or vapors of all kinds, the apparatus being so constructed
as to cause the gas to traverse a considerable distance in a relatively small depth
of liquid.
The apparatus hitherto used for effecting the absorption of gases which are
difficultly soluble, or which are mixed with a large proportion of inert gas, occupies
considerable room, particularly when it consists of a series of vertical cylinders,
equal in height to the depth of liquid necessary for the absorption of the gases.
Another objection to the employment of these cylinders is that when the column of
liquid exceeds a certain height neither the steam jet exhauster nor the air pump
are efficient to establish the flow of the gas through the apparatus, and it is found
necessary to maintain the gaseous current by forcing it in under pressure, which is
always objectionable, and sometimes impossible, as in the case of corrosive gases.
The apparatus of this Invention has the advantage of considerably prolonging
the circulation of the gases through the liquid, and even of enabling their ascensional
movement through the liquid to, be retarded if required, whilst it necessitates only
the use of an ordinary exhauster or air pump.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood an example is
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1 represents an eleva-
tion and Figure 2 a central vertical section of the apparatus. The same reference
letters indicate the same parts in the two Figures. The apparatus is composed of a
closed cylindrical vessel or chamber a, constructed of any suitable material. Running
around the interior of this vessel are one or more continuous helical plates c,
resembling the threads of a screw, each being rivetted at one edge by an angle iron
or otherwise to the side wall of the vessel, and provided at the other edge with a
downwardly projecting flange or lip b, thus forming an inverted helical trough for
the gas to travel in. In the case of two or more such helical troughs they are of
the same pitch. The gas enters the vessel just beneath the lower end of the helical
trough (being drawn in by the action of the exhaust connected to the orifice & at
the upper part of the vessel), and travels along beneath the upwardly inclined
trough, the rate of ascension of the gas being slower as the pitch of the helix is
less. The lip b prevents the gas escaping from beneath the trough into the body
of the vessel. The gas is completely absorbed on or before arriving at the upper
part of the vessel a, and the inert gases pass out at d. e is a vertical shaft mounted
centrally in vessel a, and carrying_at_its_lower-extremity-an-agitator f, which is
rotated by bevil gear g, h, or other means. The agitator may be revolved either
way according to the effect desired. If it be rotated the reverse way to that in
which the gases travel it retards their ascensional movement and facilitates their
absorption, but if rotated in the same direction the opposite effect is produced.
The agitator also serves to maintain in suspension in the liquid matters aiding the
absorption or washing of the gas. i is a man hole for cleaning out the apparatus ;
j, sight hole; and k, the gas inlet pipe.
The material of which the apparatus should be constructed depends upon the
nature of the gases operated on. The apparatus may be employed for effecting the
absorption or washing of all kinds of gases or vapors, but it is more especially

page_text: useful for effecting the absorption of chlorine in the manufacture of the bypochlorites
of lime and soda, chlorates, &c., as well as for the absorption or washing of carbonic
acid gas, hydrochloric acid gas, &c., &c.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,—
1st. An apparatus for effecting the absorption and the washing of gases, consisting
of a closed vessel containing one or more helical inverted trough like plates,
arranged substantially as described, and along beneath which the gas is caused to
travel, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.
2nd. In an apparatus for effecting the absorption and washing of gases the com-
bination with the closed vessel fitted with helical troughs or plates, as herein
shown and described, of a rotary agitator, turning in the same or the opposite
direction to that in which the gases travel, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.