Improvements in Apparatus for Carburetting Gas or Air, or for Distilling, Evaporating, or Concentrating.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Carburetting Gas or Air, or for
Distilling, Evaporating, or Concentrating.
I FREDERIC LENNARD of Ordnance Wharf Blackwall Lane East Greenwich
in the County of Kent, Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide apparatus by means of which gas or
air can be very efficiently carburetted or impregnated with matter with which it is
desired to treat it the said apparatus being applicable generally in cases where it is
desired to distil or evaporate off the volatile constituents of liquids. My invention
is more especially designed for use in carburetting or enriching gas although it is
not limited to that application.
According to my invention I pass the matter to be evaporated distilled or con-
centrated through tubes in such a manner that it is very efficiently subjected to the
action of heat applied by steam or otherwise to the said tubes. Where carburetting
of gas or air is to be effected the said gas or air is passed upwards in contact with
the matter passing down the tubes and I prefer to pass the air or gas after it is thus
carburetted and leaves the tubes through another tubular arrangement to effect the
preheating of the matter used for carburetting. The following is an arrangement
of apparatus according to my invention although I do not limit myself to the
precise details which I shall describe.
I provide a storage vessel in which the matter to be distilled, evaporated or
concentrated is contained. By means of a pump pressure is exerted upon the matter
in the said vessel so that the said matter is forced up into a tank from which it
passes into a receiving tank the inlet into the said receiving tank being provided
with a ball cock for keeping a proper level of matter therein. The matter passes
from the receiving tank into the upper part of an upper column and overflows by
a pipe therein into a space into which project the upper ends of tubes passing
through a lower column the lower ends of the last named tubes communicating with
a space below the lower column the plates through which the last named tubes pass
separating the interior of the lower column from the spaces above and below.
The top and bottom plates of the upper column separate the interior of the said
column from the space below and a space above it. Tubes pass through these
plates so as to form a communication between the said spaces. The matter which
passes from the pipe in the upper column rises in the space beneath it and overflows
the tubes in the lower column so that it runs in thin sheets, or films down the
interiors of the said tubes wherein volatile matters are driven off the driving off
being facilitated by heat applied to the exterior of the tubes. This may be done
by steam admitted into the column, water of condensation of the said steam
passing away by a pipe and steam trap below. The air or gas (1 will presume it to
be gas) to be carburetted is admitted by a pipe projecting into the space beneath
the lower column and the said gas rising through the tubes in the said lower column
comes into contact with the descending films of matter passing down the internal
sides of the said tubes and the said gas takes up the volatile products which are
given off from the matter which is heated not only by the heating agent in the
lower column but also before the matter enters the space above the lower column
by the escaping hot carburetted gas which passes up through the interior of the
tubes of the upper column into the space above it and thence by an outlet pipe to
the place of utilization or storage. The pipes by which the matter to be evaporated
distilled or concentrated passes to and from the aforesaid tanks may descend to a

page_text: low level and then rise again so as to enable regulating cocks thercon to be brought
into convenient position for manipulation and then in order that the matter may be
further preheated one or both of the pipes may pass into a vessel from which it or
they ascends or ascend again. The matter in this vessel is heated by means of a
coil forming part of a pipe by which the liquid products not taken off as volatile
products by the gas pass away from the space at the bottom of the lower column.
The said vessel and coil may be used either as an auxiliary to the upper column or
as a substitute for it. The pipe may be made as a coil in the said vessel in which
case the hot liquors from the lower column will pass into the vessel. The pump
used to pass the matter to be treated into the tank above may be provided with a
branch leading into a receiver and having a stop cock so that by opening this cock
and closing the cock or the pipe leading from the pump to the storage vessel the
.liquid products from the receiver may be forced by the pump into casks or the like.
It will be understood from the foregoing description that the apparatus may be
used generally in cases where it is desired to subject matter to be evaporated
distilled or concentrated to the action of air gas or vapour passed in contact with it
the currents of the matter to be evaporated or distilled passing in a direction the
reverse of that in which the currents of air gas or vapour pass.
As before stated I do not limit myself to the precise arrangements described as
it will be evident that the arrangements for supplying the matter to be treated and
for taking off and receiving the liquid products may be of any suitable or con-
venient description and in place of or in addition to the tubes of the lower columu
being heated externally as described the air gas or vapour which passes through
the tubes in contact with the matter to be evaporated concentrated or distilled
may be heated sufficiently to effect the evaporation concentration or distillation or
to assist therein.
The supply of matter from the tanks is regulated so that it passes into the tubes
of the lower column in sufficient quantity to form only thin films passing down the
interiors of the said tubes and to ensure that the matter is properly subjected to
the action of the heating agent or air or gas. I may make the lower column of a
number of sections each with tubes and with spaces between the sections the tubes
rising into these spaces and being set alternately in different vertical planes so that
any matter which may pass down say the mid part of a tube will pass down a tube
or tubes below it in contact therewith.
Dated thin 14th dor of Movch 1901
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Carburetting Gas or Air, or for
Distilling, Evaporating, or Concentrating.
I, FREDERIC LENNARD of Ordnance Wharf, Blackwall Lane, East Greenwich,
in the County of Kent, Manufacturing Chemist, 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 for its object to provide apparatus by means of which gas, or
air, can be very efficiently carburetted, or impregnated with matter with which it
is desired to treat it, the said apparatus being applicable generally in cases where
it is desired to distil, or evaporate off, the volatile constituents of liquids.
In an apparatus constructed, or arranged, according to my invention the liquid to
be evaporated, distilled, or concentrated, is passed through tubes in such a manner
that it is therein very efficiently subjected to the action of heat applied by steam,
or otherwise.
The gas, or air, after being carburetted, or impregnated, or the vapours from
the liquid being evaporated, distilled, or concentrated, is, or are, preferably passed

page_text: upwards through another tubular arrangement to effect the preheating of the
liquid to be subjected to the action of heat in the aforesaid tubes. The following
is an arrangement of apparatus according to my invention. I will describe it with
reference to Figure of the accompanying drawings, which represents in
elevation, partly in section, an apparatus constructed, or arranged, according to my
said invention.
A, is a storage vessel in which is contained petroleum, naphtha, or other liquid
to be distilled, evaporated, or concentrated, to obtain the required product, or
products, therefrom. a being a funnel, by which it is filled, and a being a stop-
cock which is closed when the vessel is filled. By means of a pump B, and pipe b,
pressure is exerted upon the liquid in the said vessel so that the said liquid is
forced up the pipe c, into the tank D, from which it passes, by the pipe d, into a
receiving tank E the inlet of the pipe d into the said receiving tank E, being
provided with a ball-cock for keeping a proper level of the liquid therein. The
liquid passes, from the receiving tank E, by the pipe e, into the upper part of the
upper column F, in which it becomes preheated by the hot vapours escaping from
the lower column H, and passing through the tubes, and then the said liquid
overflows and passes down the pipe f, into a space G, into which project the upper
ends of tubes, passing through the lower column FI, the lower ends of the said.
tubes h, communicating with the space I, below the lower column, the plates ¹³,
through which the tubes pass separating the main part of the interior of the
lower column H, from the spaces G, and I, above and below. The top and bottom
plates,, and, of the upper column F, separate the interior of the said column F,
from the space G, below, and the space J, above it. Tubes, pass through these
plates, so as to form a communication from the space G, to the space J. The
liquid which passes from the pipe, through the perforated lower end thereof
rises in the space G until it overflows at the tops of the tubes h, of the lower
column, so that, as the said liquid runs, in thin sheets, or films, down the interiors
of the said tubes h, volatile matters are driven off, the driving off of the required
product being effected by the heat applied to the exteriors of the said tubes h.
This heating may be done by steam admitted by the pipe 2, into the column H,
water of condensation of the said steam passing away by the pipe 3, and steam
trap K. If air, or gas, is to be carburetted it is admitted, under pressure, by the
pipe L, projecting into the space I, as shewn, and the said air, or gas, rising
through the tubes h, comes into contact with the descending films of liquid, passing
down the internal sides of the said tubes, and the said air, or gas, takes up the
volatile products which are given off from the said liquid, which is heated, not only
by the heating agent in the lower column H, outside the tubes, but also, (before
the matter enters the space G), by the escaping hot carburetted gases, or vapours,
which pass up through the interiors of the tubes f, into the space .J, above it, and
thence, by an outlet pipe J2, to the place of utilization or storage. In evaporating,
distilling, or concentrating, the heating effect of the steam on the column H, may
be supplemented, or replaced, by the heat of hot air, or gas, admitted through the
pipe L. The pipes d, and e, by which the liquid passes to, and from, the aforesaid
tanks, preferably descend, as shewn, to a low level, and then rise again, so as to
enable regulating cock, d, e, thereon to be brought into convenient position for
manipulation. In order that the liquid may be further preheated before it enters
the column F, the arrangement shown in dotted lines may be used, the lower end
of the pipe d'being carried down and attached, at its lower end, to a closed vessel m
from which the upward continuation of the said pipe d, ascends to the tank E, so
that the liquid passes through the vessel m, on its way from the descending, to the
ascending, part of the pipe d. The pipe e, may be put into communication with
this chamber m, instead of the pipe d, if preferred. The contents of the vessel m,
are heated by means of a coil n², forming part of a pipe n, by which the liquid
products from the space I, (those not taken off as volatile products by the heat),
pass into a filling pipe p, provided with a funnel p², and stop cock p³, for passing
the said liquid products from the chamber I, through the pipes n, and into a
Pi

page_text: receiver Q. If neither the pipe d, nor the pipe e, passes into a vessel m, but each
is simply returned, as shewn in full lines, then the pipe n, will be as shewn in full
lines that is, without the coil n². The said vessel m, and coil 2, may be used
either as an auxiliary to the upper column F, or as a substitute for it. The
pipe d, (or the pipe e, or both), may be made as a coil (or as coils) in the vessel m,
in which case the hot liquors from the space I of the lower column H will be
passed through the vessel m to act as a preheating agent. The pump B, used to
pass the matter to be treated into the tank above, may be provided with a
branch leading into the receiver Q, and having a stop cock b', so that, by opening
this cock, and closing the cock, on the pipe leading from the pump to the
storage vessel A, the liquid products, from the receiver Q, may be forced, by the
pump, up the pipe 7, through the cock 2, and, by the funnel r, into casks, or
the like, as at R.
It will be understood, from the foregoing description, that the apparatus may
be used generally in cases where it is desired to subject liquid to be evaporated,
distilled, or concentrated, to the action of heat, or of heat and of air, gas, or
vapour, passed in contact with the said liquid.
I do not limit myself to the precise details described, as it will be evident, for
instance, that the arrangements for supplying the liquid to be treated, and for
taking off, and receiving, the volatile products, may be varied.
The supply of liquid from the tanks is regulated so that it passes into the tubes /
of the lower column in sufficient quantity to form only thin-films passing down the
interiors of the said tubes. To ensure that the liquid is properly subjected to the
action of the heating agent, or air, or gas, I prefer to make the lower column of a
number of sections, each with tubes, and with spaces between the sections, the tubes
rising into these spaces, and being set alternately in different vertical planes, so
that any liquid which may pass down say the mid-part of a tube, will pass down
a tube, below it, in contact therewith. This is shewn with regard to two sections
in Figure 2, of the drawings. The heating agent may be supplied to the sections,
outside the tubes, either separately to each section, or so as to pass from section
to section. In the arrangement shewn in Figure 1, any liquid, resulting from
condensation in the tubes, will pass down the tubes h, but if it be desired to
retain the result of such condensation separately 1 close in the top of the column H,
as shewn in Figure 3 of the drawings, and lead the vapours from the column H, by
the tube into the tubular condenser F, the liquid, resulting from condensation
in this condenser, being obtained separately and drawn off by the syphon ..
liquid to be treated may, of course, be pre-heated, if desired, by being used as the
condensing agent in the condenser F. Similarly the vapours from the condenser F
may be passed into another condenser, or other condensers, to obtain a further
fraction, or further fractions.
The
Having now particularly described, and ascertained, the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement, and combination, of parts constituting the apparatus for
the purposes mentioned, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
2. In apparatus for the purposes mentioned, the combination with the tubular
column H, in which the matter to be distilled, evaporated, or concentrated, whilst
passing in thin films down the tubes thereof, is subjected to the action of heat, of
the superposed column F, in which the liquid to be treated is preheated by the
escaping air, gas, or vapour, rising from the column H; and of means for supplying
the said liquid to the upper column, and for passing it therefrom into the tubes
of the lower column substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
3. In apparatus for the purposes mentioned, the combination with a tubular
column, or columns, and tanks, such as D and E, of a preheating vessel m, in which

page_text: the liquid to be treated is preheated, by means of the hot liquors from the said
tubular column or columns; substantially as hereinbefore described, and shewn in
the accompanying drawing.
4. In apparatus for the purposes mentioned, a column made of superposed
tubular sections with spaces between each section, the tubes being arranged in
each section out of line with those of the adjacent sections, and each section being
provided with means for passing a heating agent around the tubes; substantially
as hereinbefore described, and shewn, in Figure 2, of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 1st day of December 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.