Improvements in or Relating to Disinfecting Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 20th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Relating to Disinfecting Apparatus.
I, WILHELM LOEBINGER, of 7, Spenerstrasse, Berlin, N.W., in the Empire of
Germany, Merchant, 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 :—
It is well known that formaldehyde (H2CO) also called formalin, when dissolved
in water in the proportion of 40% has the power of destroying bacterial organisms
and that this property has been taken advantage of in the construction of various
disinfecting apparatus of the most varied description intended for the dissemination
of the vapours of formaldehyde into the spaces to be disinfected. A large number of
lamps have been especially devised for this purpose.
The object of my invention is an apparatus of this kind, the working of which is
so reliable and the construction so simple that it can be set to work without
any trouble whatever by persons but slightly familiar with this class of
apparatus.
It has been proved that the vapours of formaldehyde possess strong disinfecting
properties when they contain a certain amount of moisture. In the apparatus
forming the object of this invention, this property has received especial
consideration.
The
A convenient form of the apparatus is shown in vertical section in the
accompanying drawing, and consists essentially of a vessel a of any shape, heated
by a burner or lamp (preferably a spirit lamp) placed thereunder so as to
evaporate the water contained in said vessel. The cover of the latter is
constituted by another vessel or receptacle 6 provided with a lid c.
receptacle b forms an air-tight joint with a, and is intended for the reception of one
or more porous plates or fillings p of any suitable form saturated with formalin.
The bottom of the receptacle 6 is fitted with a short tube d projecting and opening
inside 6 and establishing a communication between the latter and the lower vessel a.
The lid c is provided on the side opposite to d with a discharge opening or
tube e.
The mode of working is as follows;-
The steam formed by the evaporation of the water in vessel a passes into
receptacle 6 mixes therein with the vapours evolved from the heated porous plate p.
An intimate mixture of steam and formaldehyde escapes therefore from tube e and
become disseminated in the atmosphere of the room to be disinfected.
If the formalin contained in the porous plate becomes all used up or exhausted a
fresh one is substituted by simply removing the lid c, the apparatus being then again
ready for use. No special skill is required in the manipulation of the apparatus.
It is only necessary that care should be taken that there is always a saturated
porous plate in the receptacle b, and that the same is renewed when its charge is
exhausted.
It is evident that in the apparatus herein before described the construction and
arrangement of the parts can be considerably varied for instance the receptacle 6
could be connected in a permanent manner with or form an integrant part of vessel a.

page_text: In the latter case the water is introduced through an opening which can be
closed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for use in disinfecting by means of formaldehyde comprising a
water vessel arranged above a source of heat and surmounted by a receptacle
containing one or more porous plates or fillings adapted to be saturated with
formalin the connection between the two vessels being such that the steam from
the water vessel passes into the outer receptacle, mixes therein with the vapour of
formaldehyde disengaged by the heat of the vapour in the outer vessel, and issues
into the place to be disinfected, substantially as described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete apparatus
for disinfecting substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.