Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Air and Separating Matter from Gaseous Fumes..
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Feb., 1897-Accepted, 21st May. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Air and Separating
Matter from Gaseous Fumes..
I, SAMUEL EDWARDS of The Glen, Ladywell, Eccles, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:
I propose in carrying out my invention to construct a series of cisterns or tanks
to be fixed one upon the other having a passage from one to the other to allow the air
or gaseous fumes to pass from the lower tank, through the upper tanks one after
the other and to permit water to flow when it reaches a certain height, from the upper
tank into the lower ones and then to make its escape.
I prefer that the communicating passages are at opposite ends of each alternate
tank.
In these tanks I arrange a series of revolving worms, vanes or the like, reaching
transversely from side to side, and immersed up to their centres or thereabouts in the
water or other liquid, and I cover the said worms with a cover plate suitably arched
to fit closely over the said worms which are driven by any suitable means.
By revolving in water the upper half of the worm is always wet, and the current
of air is caused to impinge against the wet surface as it passes through them on its
course from the lower to the upper tank, the impurities in the air will gather upon
these wet surfaces and will be carried by the worm as it becomes submerged into the
body of the water and be washed off, the impure water passes away from the upper to
the lower tanks and finally into the sewer, or into a depositing tank as preferred.
I propose to draw the air or fumes to be purified, through the several tanks by
means of a fan or its equivalent connected with the top tank, and to admit the
intermittent or continual flow of water at some point near the fan, preferably, and
thus it will be understood that while a current of air or the like is passing through
the whole length of the several tanks in one direction, a stream of water is also passing
through them in the opposite direction.
Do 1900
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying Air and Separating
Matter from Gaseous Fumes.
I, SAMUEL EDWARDS, of The Glen, Ladywell, Eccles in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
has to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:
This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for purifying, air as it is

page_text: gaseous fumes.
An apparatus constructed according to my present invention is illustrated in the
annexed sheets of drawings, in which similar letters indicate similar parts in any fof
the figures.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of the apparatus showing the interior mechanism.
Fig. 2, plan of same also showing the mechanism.
Fig. 3, end elevation of same.
In carrying out my invention as illustrated, I construct a series of cisterns or
tanks marked A, A2 and A³, in the drawings, three being shown but I do not confine
myself to any particular number.
These tanks are fixed one upon the other, and have a communicating passage B,
from one to the other, to allow the air, smoke, or gaseous fumes to pass from the lower
to the upper tanks in rotation, and to permit water to pass from the upper tank A³,
(after it has reached a certain height) through tank A2 and into the lower tank A,
from which it can escape by the outlet C.
The passages B, are arranged alternately at opposite ends of the tanks so that the
impure air or other fumes, are drawn across the full length of each tank before entering
the next.
In each tank I arrange a series of revolving worms, vanes, or their equivalents D, (only
one being shown in detail) reaching transversely from side to side of the tank, and
immersed up to their centres or thereabouts in the water or other liquid or mixture
which is within the tanks as before described.
I cover the worms D, with cover plates E, of arched form to fit closely over the
said worms, so as to bring the current of impure air or gaseous fumes which must pass
under these covers into close contact with the worms.
The worms are caused to revolve by any desired arrangement of mechanism, but I
prefer the one shown which consists of a toothed wheel F, upon every worm shaft
gearing into each other and driven by a pulley G, upon the first or any other shaft,
each series being connected by the wheels H, shown in Fig. 3. This arrangement
causes each alternate worm to revolve in the opposite direction to its neighbour, and
if preferred the worms may be alternately right and left hand to prevent as much
as possible any free passage of the current of air or the like without impingement
against the worms.
A fan or other exhaust producer I, is fixed to the upper tank A³, which causes a
current from the air inlet J, in the lower tank A, to pass through all the tanks, worms,
and passages to the fan outlet.,
Water is admitted at the inlet K, and may be permitted to flow continuously or
intermittently as preferred.
By revolving in the water or other liquid as described, the upper part of the worm
presented to the air current, and which is not immersed is always kept wet, and as the
current of impure air or the like is caused to impinge against these numerous wet
surfaces on its way through each tank suspended impurities will be caught and
gather upon them, and will be washed off when the part is submerged, and carried
away by the flowing water to the sewer or to a depositing tank according to the nature
of the operation.
It will be seen by the foregoing that while the current of impure air or gaseous
fumes is passing through the tanks in one direction, a surface stream of water is
flowing through them in the opposite direction.
Mud holes L, are provided for cleaning out the lower part of each tank.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is :-
1. An improved apparatus for purifying air, smoke, or other gaseous fumes from
suspended matter, constructed and operating as hereinbefore described and set forth.
2. An apparatus for catching and separating suspended matter in air, smoke or the

page_text: like, in which the said air or smoke is caused to pass through one or more partially-
filled tanks, provided with a number of revolving worms or vanes which dip into the
water or other liquid in the tanks as they revolve, and against which the current of
impure air or the like impinges, as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated the 19th day of February 1897.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicant..