Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Smoke, Fumes, Vapours, and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Smoke, Fumes,
Vapours, and the like.
I ROBERT MOODIE 41 Alkham Road Stoke Newington County of Middlesex
Consulting Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object the providing of a simple and economical means
of bringing smoke, fumes, vapours and the like into contact with liquids suitable
for their treatment by washing or by absorption. For instance it may be used
to wash impurities from air, to condense steam, or to combine acid or other gases
with liquids suitable for their absorption by each other, and it is so arranged that
the liquid may be used over again as long as desired. In the case of hot smoke
or fumes the moving parts and bearings of the apparatus are protected from injury
through overheating, by a portion of the heat being absorbed by the liquid from
the smoke or fumes, coming into contact with the working parts and bearings.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood, I will now refer to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of a casing A made of iron or other material,
having an inlet pipe a and an outlet pipe b. This casing is divided horizontally
by a plate c into two compartments, an upper and a lower. The lower is again
divided into two chambers, an outer and an inuer, by a screen d. This screen is
made of perforated sheets, or may be of interlaced wire or other material suitable
for surface friction with smoke, fumes, or vapours. The upper edge of this screen
is in contact with the plate c, and may be suspended from it; the lower edge dips
into the liquid far enough to cause all the smoke and the like, to pass through the
screen to the inner chamber.
In the upper compartment of the casing A, a fan is mounted and caused to
rotate on a spindley which passes through a bearing h, at the top, down to a step
bearing i, at the bottom of the casing.
The lower part of this spindle is enclosed in a vertical tube or boot j, rising from
the step bearing i, to protect it from the action of the liquid.
A tube open at the bottom, and closed at the top, is fixed to the spindle y, and
rotates with it. This tube is perforated at suitable intervals over its surface, and
bas a conical or tapered inlet ? at its lower end with vaues inside to give impulse
to the liquid, in which they rotate.
Vanes or break waters m stand up from the bottom of the casing A to prevent
whirling of the liquid near the inlet 7. A sludge door or trap n, may be fixed to
the skirt of the casing to draw off the contents. A feed pipe o, and an overflow
pipe p, may be provided to maintain the liquid at its proper level.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section at the line X Y. A baffle-plate g is fixed at the
inlet pipe a to give the current of smoke, vapours and the like a sweep round the
outer chamber.
Fig. 3 is a plan with part of the cover removed and also part of the fan
removed to show the slots or perforations in the plate c, through which the liquid
drains from the upper to the lower compartment.
Having described the nature of this invention I will now shew how it is to be
operated

page_text: The tube being rotated, the vanes and tapered part of the inlet acting partly
by inclined plane and partly by centrifugal force, cause the liquid to ascend inside
the tube, and all round, and, escaping by the small holes, is thrown outward and
across the inner chamber in the form of spray towards the screen d, which it
moistens and washes. In like manner the fau and the upper part of the casing are
moistened and washed; the liquid draining through the slots in the plate c moistens
and washes the outer part of the screen d and the casing A below.
The current of smoke, fumes, or vapours to be treated passes through the inlet a,
round the casing, receives the liquid from the perforations in the plate above,
passes through the screen d, mixes with the spray caused by the tube k; it then
rises, and coming into contact with the moistened surfaces of the fan and casing,
escapes by the outlet pipe into the open air or to a chimney.
The solid deposit from the operation falls to the bottom, and towards the skirt
of the casing and the scum can be drawn off by a pipe for the purpose.
I do not limit myself to the exact method of carrying out this invention, as
for example in some cases the fan may be dispensed with, and a draught created
by a chimney.
The spraying tube may be of small tubes carried by arms from the spindle g.
The screen d may be of louvres or rods. Two or more apparatuses may be
arranged in succession, the exit from the first passing into the inlet of the second
and so on.
Dated this 2nd day of January 1896
ROBT. MOODIE.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Treatment of Smoke, Fumes,
Vapours, and the like.
1, ROBERT MOODIE, of 41, Alkham Road, Stoke Newington, London, N.
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 the providing of a simple and economical means
of bringing smoke, fumes, vapours and the like into contact with liquids suitable
for their treatment by washing or by absorption.
For instance it may be used to wash impurities from air or gases, to condense
steam, or to combine acid or other gases with liquids suitable for their absorption
by each other, and it is so arranged that the liquid for this purpose may be used
over again as long as desired.
In the case of hot smoke or fumes the moving parts and bearings of the
apparatus are protected from injury through overheating by a portion of the
heat being absorbed by the liquid from the smoke or fumes before coming into
contact with the working parts or bearings. The various parts may be made
of materials most suitable for the different gases to be treated and liquids
used.
In order that this invention may be clearly understood 1 will now refer to the
drawings filed with my Provisional Specification, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and to the
accompanying drawings Figs. 4, 5 and 6.
Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of a casing A, having an inlet pipe a and an
outlet pipe b. This casing is horizontally divided into two compartments an upper
and a lower, by a plate . The lower is again divided into two chambers an outer
and an inner, by the screen d. This screen is made of perforated sheets or may be
of interlaced wire or any other material suitable for surface friction with smoke,
fumes, and the like. The upper edge of this screen is in contact with the plate cand

page_text: may be suspended from it: the lower edge dips into the liquid far enough to cause
all the smoke and the like to pass through the screen d to the inner chamber.
In the upper compartment of the casing A a fan is mounted and caused to
rotate on a spindle g which passes through a bearing at the top and down
to a step bearing i at the bottom of the casing. The lower part of this spindle
is enclosed in a vertical tube or boot j rising from the step bearing i to protect
it from the action of the liquid. A tube k open at the bottom and closed at the
top is fixed to the spindle g and rotates with it. This tube is perforated at
suitable intervals over its surface and has a conical or tapered inlet at its
lower end with vanes inside to give impulse to the liquid in which they rotate.
Vanes or breakwaters m stand up from the bottom of the casing A to prevent
whirling of the liquid near the rotating inlet 1. A sludge door n or trap may
be fixed to the skirt of the casing to draw off the contents. A feed-pipe o
and an overflow pipe p may be provided to maintain the liquid at its proper
level.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section at the line -y. A baffle plate q is fixed at the
inlet pipe a to give the current of smoke, vapours, and the like a sweep round the
outer chamber.
Fig. 3 is a plan with part of the cover removed and also part of the fan removed
to show the slots or perforations in the plate e through which the liquid drains
from the upper to the lower compartment where it is desired that the surface of
the fan should be moistened.
Having described the nature of the invention I will now show how it is to be
operated. The lower part of the casing is filled with liquid to the proper level
so that the vanes at 7 and the lower part of the screen d are submerged. The tube k
being rotated, the vanes and tapered part of the inlet / acting partly by centrifugal
force and partly by inclined plane cause the liquid to ascend inside the tube all
round and escaping by the s nall holes it is thrown outward and across the inner
chamber in the form of spray towards the screen d which it moistens and washes.
In like manner the fan and the upper part of the casing are moistened and washed;
the liquid draining through the slots in the plate e moistens and washes part of the
screen d and the casing A. The current of smoke, fumes or vapours to be treated
passes through the inlet a, round the casing A, receives the liquid from the
perforations in the plate e ahove, passes through the screen d, mixing with the spray
caused by the tube k and then rises and after coming into contact with the moistened
surfaces of the fan and casing, escapes by the outlet pipe & into the open air or to
a chimney.
The solid deposit from the operation falls to the bottom and towards the skirt
of the easing A where it can be removed by a sludge door or trapped opening n.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show a modified arrangement of the several parts by which the
smoke, fumes and the like may be longer exposed to the action of the liquid and
Dioistened surfaces in the two lower chambers. The screen d may be of plain
sheet metal or other material, a space being left at the top. The plate eis brought
The
close to the top of the tube k, to close the opening to the fan at that point.
lower part of the tube k is shortened so as to leave a clear space above the liquid.
The vanes or propellers at / project downwards into the liquid. When rotated the
liquid rises through the vanes at to the interior of the tube k as before. The
smoke, fumes or vapours are drawn over the screen d down through the spray made
by the tube k, between the vaues or propellers and up the interior of the tube k
to the fan f. The annular space between the screen d and the outer casing may
be filled with intercepting material, coke and the like, resting on a grating above
the level of the inlet a, and which would be moistened by the liquid thrown over
the top of the screen d by the upper part of the sprayer k.
I do not limit myself to the exact details in carrying out this invention; as for
instance in some cases the fan may be dispensed with and a draught created by a
chimney. The spraying tube & may be composed of small tubes arranged round
and carried by projections from the spindle, the lower ends of said tubes being bent

page_text: to scoop up the liquid and perforated at suitable places at the upper end. Two or
more apparatuses may be arranged in succession, the exit from the first passing
into the inlet of the second and so on. The step-bearing may be left out and the
spindle with the fan and sprayer carried by a bracket fixed on the top of the
casing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be perfornied, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for treating smoke, fumes, vapours and the like, a spraying
tube for lifting and spraying the liquid substantially as herein before set forth.
2. In apparatus for treating smoke, fumes, vapours and the like, the combination
and arrangement of a casing, a screen, a fan, and a sprayer, substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.
Dated thin lot do
ROBT. MOODIE,
Applicant.