IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Poutey Ker, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE
PURIFICATION OF GAS."
Scaled the 27th September 1878, and dated the 30th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Poutey Ker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th March 1878.
ALEXANDER POUTEY KER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS."
"IM-
This Invention bas for its object the construction of washers or scrubbers, or
apparatus constituting a combined scrubber and washer, in such a manner as to
divide the gas in the course of its flow into innumerable streams, and ensure its
retention in contact with the liquid used therein sufficiently long to remove the
ammonia and some of the other impurities.
The Invention consists in constructing a vessel of any form suitable to the
position in which it is intended to be placed, but a rectangle or square is ordinarily
the most convenient. This vessel is provided with an inlet at or near the bottom
and an outlet at or near the top. Of whatever form the exterior may be the interior
is divided by one or more horizontal partitions, having at certain places slots or
openings passing across them for the passage of the gas. These slots or openings
are made in number and size varying with the capacity of the vessel and the
quantity of gas to be purified. On the upper side of the partitions and covering
the slots are placed hoods or covers having an incline on one side carried to any
convenient distance from the inlet and terminating at the outlet, the other side and
ends being turned down at right angles and resting upon the partitions. The under
71

page_text: side of these hoods or covers are studded with hanging rods or bars, horizontal ones
being placed so as to be connected to them at intermediate spaces. These bars and
rods are for the purpose of cutting up the gas in its passage from the inlet to the
outlet side of the hood.
Instead of the bars and rods I propose in some cases to use a wire netting of
small mesh, say one quarter of an inch, or any other size, corrugated and placed
across the passage of the gas, and secured to the hood for the purpose of more
effectually breaking up the gas in its passage.
In each and every case the water level is kept to the outlet edge of the hood in
order that a copious washing and scrubbing may ensue, the slotted divisions being
made to project sufficiently above the bottom to allow for the overflow at any
fixed seal.
A water or liquor supply pipe is placed in any convenient position over each
hood although not positively necessary, as the division plates have each one common
level, and the water introduced at any one point above them will find its way to all
the overflows or slots.
The inclination of the hoods either to or from the horizon ensures the gas being
retained in actual contact with the water or ammoniacal liquor for a considerable
time, and by these means the whole of the ammonia is absorbed along with a large
quantity of other impurities.
The washer can be fixed on the top of existing scrubbers, or in a separate cistern
of its own; and when the form of the caso adopted is cylindrical the gas may be
introduced to the vessel and its hoods by a central or circular opening or openings.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Poutey Ker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
September 1878.
"IM-
ALEXANDER POUTEY KAR, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS."
This Invention has for its object the construction of washers or scrubbers, or
apparatus constituting a combined scrubber and washer, in such a manner as to
divide the gas in the course of its flow into innumerable streams, and ensure its
retention in contact with the liquid used therein sufficiently long to remove the
ammonia and some of the other impurities.
The Invention consists in constructing a vessel of any form suitable to the
position in which it is intended to be placed, but a rectangle or square is ordinarily
the most convenient. This vessel is provided with an inlet at or near the bottom
and an outlet at or near the top. Of whatever form the exterior may be the interior
is divided by one or more horizontal partitions having at certain places slots or
openings passing across them for the passage of the gas. These slots or openings
are made in number and size varying with the capacity of the vessel and the
quantity of gas to be purified. On the upper side of the partitions and covering
the slots are placed hoods or covers having an incline on one side carried to any
convenient distance from the inlet and terminating at the outlet, the other side and
ends being turned down at right angles and resting upon the partitions. The under
side of these hoods or covers are studded with hanging rods or bars, horizontal oncs
being placed so as to be connected to them at intermediate spaces. These bars and
rods are for the purpose of cutting up the gas in its passage from the inlet to the
outlet side of the hood.
Instead of the bars and rods I propose in some cases, as shown in the Drawings,
to use a wire netting of small mesh, say one quarter of an inch, or any other size,
corrugated and placed across the passage of the gas, and secured to the hood for the
purpose of more effectually breaking up the gas in its passage.
In each and every case the water level is kept to the outlet edge of the hood in
order that a copious washing and scrubbing may ensue, the slotted divisions being
made to project sufficiently above the bottom to allow for the overflow at any
fixed seal.
A water or liquor supply pipe is placed in any convenient position over each
hood although not positively necessary, as the division plates have each one common
level, and the water introduced at any one point above them will find its way to all
the overflows or slots.
The inclination of the hoods either to or from the horizon ensures the gas being
retained in actual contact with the water or ammoniacal liquor for a considerable
time, and by these means the whole of the ammonia is absorbed along with a large
quantity of other impurities.
The washer can be fixed on the top of existing scrubbers or in a separate cistern
of its own; and when the form of the case adopted is cylindrical the gas may bo
introduced to the vessel and its hoods by a central or circular opening or openings.
In order that the foregoing may be more casily understood Drawings are attached
hereto, of which the following is a description
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation; Fig. 2 is one-half of a transverse
sectional elevation; and Fig. 3 shows one-quarter of the apparatus in plan and one-
quarter in sectional plan.
In Fig. 1 A represents the body of the vessel, B is the gas inlet, and C the gas
outlet; D, D, are the horizontal partitions, and E, E, are the slots or openings
covered by the hoods F, F, which it will be observed are inclined from the hori-
zontal; G, G, G, G, are the corrugated wire nettings before mentioned, and H is the

page_text: Liquor supply pipe; I, I, are overflow pipes, down which the liquor passes from one
partition or division to the next beneath it, and J is a general overflow pipe for
conveying away all superfluous liquor; K is a lid covering a man-hole, and L, L, L,
are the points at which the wire netting is supported or fixed to the under side of
the cover or hood F.
The arrows indicate the direction in which the gas flows; and in each of the
Figures similar letters refer to the same parts.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this Invention,
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise details
or arrangements which I have described or referred to, as variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention ;
but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction
of washers with internal division plates, upon which inclined hoods or covers with
turned-down edges rest, the said hoods or covers having attached to them hanging
rods or bars, or currugated wire netting, as herein described, and shown on the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Poutey Ker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our