water distilling apparatus
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 7th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 10th Feb., 1888
I, GEORGE GRAVELEY of 291 East India Dock Road in the County of Middlesex
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to the condensers of sea water distilling apparatus.
With these condensers, as hitherto constructed they cannot be opened out for
examination or survey without the removal of various pipes and connections, that is.
to say, the steam pipe, the fresh water pipe and the sea water supply and discharge
pipes. Now the main object of my invention is to so construct them that they can be
opened out for examination or survey by merely unscrewing a few bolts.
My invention also includes the connecting of the sea water discharge pipe with the
base of the apparatus; also the carrying of the steam pipo through the sea water
discharge pipe; also the combination of spiral condensing coils with volute
refrigerating coils at the lower part of the apparatus.
My improved condenser is constructed as follows:-The body, shell or casing of
the apparatus is provided at bottom with a flange which is connected by means of six
or other required number of bolts and nuts to a corresponding flange on the base of
the apparatus. The sea water supply pipe connected to the base of the apparatus
at one side thereof and through it the whole of the shell or body is kept filled with
sea water. Tho sea water discharge pipe is placed vertically in the centre of the
condenser and extends from the base to nearly the top of the shell and at its lower
end communicates with an outlet; the sea water in discharging therefore flows from
the top of the discharge pipe to the base and thence through the said outlet. The
steam pipe enters the said outlet and is carried up through the centre of the vertical
discharge pipe above which it divides right and left and communicates respectively
with the upper ends of two condensing coils the turns or spirals of which are
preferably arranged so as to come alternately one below the other, that is to say, each
turn or spiral of the one coil is between two turns or spirals of the other coil. At
their lower end the two coils are connected together and communicate with the inmost
turn of a volute refrigerating coil at the bottom of the shell or casing. The water

page_text: resulting from condensation flows through this coil and from the last or outermost
turn thereof it passes to the outermost turn of another voluto coil through which it
also flows. From this coil it enters the fresh water discharge pipe which conducts it
to a filter or to a tank.
Although I have described the condenser as provided with two condensing coils 5
and two refrigerating coils the number of such coils is optional and will chiefly depend
upon the amount of fresh water required.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Condensers for Sea Water Distilling Apparatus.
I GEORGE GRAVELEY, of 291 East India Dock Road, in the County of Middlesex,
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 :-
My invention has reference to the condensers of sea water distilling apparatus.
With these condensers as hitherto constructed they cannot be opened out for
examination or survey without the removal of various pipes and connections, that is
to say, the steam pipe, the fresh water pipe, and the sea water supply and discharge
pipes. Now the main object of my invention is to so construct them that they can be
opened out for examination or survey by merely unscrewing a few bolts.
My invention also includes the connecting of tho sea water discharge pipe with the
base of the apparatus; also the carrying of the steam pipe through the sea water
discharge pipe; also the combination of spiral condensing coils with volute
refrigerating coils at the lower part of the apparatus.
My improved condenser is constructed as follows:-The body, shell or casing of
the apparatus is provided at bottom with a flange which is connected by means of six
or other required number of bolts and nuts to a corresponding flange on the base of
the apparatus. The sea water supply pipe is connected to the base of the apparatus
at one side thereof and through it the whole of the shell or body is kept filled with
sea water. The sea water discharge pipe is placed vertically in the centre of the
condenser and extends from the base to nearly the top of the shell and at its lower
end communicates with an outlet; the sea water in discharging therefore flows from
the top of the discharge pipe to the base and thence through the said outlet. The
steam pipe enters the said outlet and is carried up through the centre of the vertical
discharge pipe above which it divides right and left and communicates respectively
with the upper ends of two condensing coils the turns or spirals of which are
preferably arranged so as to come alternately one below the other, that is to say, each
turn or spiral of the one coil is between two turns or spirals of the other coil. At
their lower end the two coils are connected together and communicate with the inmost
turn of a volute refrigerating coil at the bottom of the shell or casing. The water
resulting from condensation flows through this coil and from the last or outermost
turn thereof it passes to the outermost turn of another volute coil through which it
also flows. From this coil it enters the fresh water discharge pipe which conducts it
to a filter or to a tank.
Although I have decoribed the condenser as provided with two condensing coils
and two refrigerating coils the number of such coils is optional and will chiefly
depend upon the amount of fresh water required.
Figure 1 of the annexed drawings is an elevation one-half in section of a condenser
constructed according to my invention. Figure 2 is an elevation and Figure 3 a plan
both partly in section showing the connections between the central steam pipe and the

page_text: upper ends of the condensing coils. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the
connections between the lower ends of the condensing coils and the inmost turn of the
first refrigerating coil. The condenser shown has three condensing coils and two
refrigerating coils but these numbers are optional as has been already stated.
A is the body, shell or casing of the apparatus. It is formed at bottom with a
flange B which is connected by means of bolts and nuts C, C to a corresponding
flange D on the base E of the apparatus. F is the sea water supply pipe; it is connected
to the base E of the apparatus at one side and through it the whole of the shell or
body A is kept filled with sea water. G is the sea water discharge pipe; it is placed
vertically in the centre of the condenser as shown extending from the base to nearly
the top of the shell, and at its lower end it communicates with an outlet H. J is the
steam pipe; it enters the outlet H and passes up through the centre of the discharge
pipe Gabove this pipo it divides into three branches K' K² K³ which communicate
respectively with the upper ends of the three condensing coils LL L³. The turns or
spirals of these coils are arranged so as to come successively one below the other, that
is to say, first, a turn of L', then a turn of L2, then a turn of L', followed by a turn
of L, and so on. M is the first volute refrigerating coil; its inmost turn has three
sockets N'N' N³ to receive respectively the lower ends of the three coils L'L³ L³.
M is the second volute refrigerating coil to the outermost turn of which the outermost
turn of the coil M' is connected as seen at Q. R is the fresh water discharge pipe
connected to the inmost turn of the coil M³, this pipe conducts the fresh water to a
filter or otherwise.
It will be seen that all the inlets to and outlets from the apparatus are at the base
or lower part of the apparatus below the line of connection of the shell A to the
base E so that by merely unscrewing the bolts and nuts CC the shell can be lifted
off without removing or disconnecting any pipes, valves or cocks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a condenser for sea water distilling apparatus, a body shell or casing flanged
at bottom in combination with a corresponding flanged base to which it is connected
by bolts and nuts, all inlets and outlets to and from the apparatus being in the base,
substantially as described and shown in the drawing, whereby the condenser can be
opened out by merely unscrewing the bolts and nuts, as set forth.
2. In a condenser for sea water distilling apparatus, a sea water inlet pipe at the
lower part of the condenser in combination with a vertical central sea water discharge
pipe and an outlet at the lower part of same, substantially as hereinbefore described
and shown in the drawing.
3. In a condenser for sea water distilling apparatus, a steam pipe entering the
lower part of the condenser and passing up through a vertical central sea water
discharge pipe, and communicating at its upper part with condensing coils, substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawing.
4. In a condenser for sea water distilling apparatus, the combination of spiral
condensing coils in the body of the condenser with voluto refrigerating coils at the
lower part thereof, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawing.
5. The combination of parts as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawing
forming an improved condenser for sea water distilling apparatus.
1040
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.