Improvements in or connected with Steam Disinfecting Apparatus.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 189?
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Steam Disinfecting Apparatus.
We, JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT and JOHN McClure CaldwELL PATON, both
of Bloomsgrove Works, Nottingham in the County of Notts, Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention principally relates to improvements and modifications upon our
Patent dated January 27th of 1888 and numbered 1245 in which we describe
certain methods for disinfecting clothing and other articles by means of high
pressure steam.
In carrying our invention into effect we use in combination with a steam jacketted
disinfector a steam heating chamber containing heating coils or other suitable
arrangements capable of providing good heating surfaces which may be used for
drying or slightly superheating the steam before it passes into the disinfecting
chamber where it is used for the purpose of disinfecting the articles under operation.
This steam heating chamber may also be used for heating air when applying the
same for the disinfecting of articles such for instance as those composed wholly or
partially of leather as the direct contact of the same with steam has an injurious
effect upon them. Air thus heated may in like matter be employed to ensure the
thorough drying of the goods within the disinfector after the same have been
disinfected. This steam heating chamber is so arranged that it can be used at will
either for drying or slightly superheating the steam on its way to the interior of
the disinfecting chamber or for heating air on its way to the interior of the
disinfecting chamber it being some times desirable to use dry or superheated steam
for disinfecting and at other times heated air for disinfecting or for thoroughly
drying the disinfected goods.
The steam contained in the jacket of the disinfector is usually of a higher
pressure and temperature than that used inside the disinfector chamber proper and
the heating coils or surfaces aforementioned can be used for superheating the steam
passing into the said chamber or for heating air for the purpose aforedescribed.
Our invention further provides in combination with the disinfector and with the
steam heating chamber an apparatus to enable us to exhaust the air or vapour from
the said disinfecting chamber so as to allow a fresh supply of steam or heated air
to enter which of course quickly reaches all the goods contained therein including
those parts of them which are not so readily reached by the entering steam or hot
air when the said chamber is already filled with air or vapour.
When the disinfector is heated by steam from a separate boiler we arrange in
combination with such steam jacketted disinfector a steam heating chamber as
described above through which alone steam passes into the interior of the disin-
fecting chamber the steam for this purpose being supplied from the jacket of the
disinfecting chamber consequently the said jacket must have steam in it before any
can be passed into the interior of the disinfecting chamber.
Of course it will be understood that the foregoing arrangements can be varied or
modified to suit immediate circumstances.
Dated this 26th day of September 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Steam Disinfecting Apparatus.
We, JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT and JOHN MCCLURE CALDWELL PATON,
both of Bloomsgrove Works, Nottingham, in the County of Nottingham, Engineers,
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 :-
This invention principally relates to improvements and modifications upon the
apparatus described in the Specification of our Patent dated the 27th day of
January, 1888, and numbered 1,245, in which Specification we describe certain
methods and apparatus for disinfecting clothing and other articles by means of high
pressure steam.
Our invention consists essentially in the combination with steam jacketted
disinfectors, preferably constructed as described in the above numbered Specifi-
cation, of a steam or air heating chamber containing heating coils or surfaces which
may be used for drying or heating the air, or drying or slightly superheating the
steam previous to its entering the chamber wherein it is used for the disinfection
of clothing or other articles; in the combination with the disinfecting apparatus
and with the steam or air beating chamber of apparatus for exhausting or with-
drawing the air or vapour from the interior of the disinfecting chamber for the
purpose of creating as perfect a vacuum as circumstances will permit, so as to allow
a fresh supply of steam or heated air to enter the disinfecting chamber and
thoroughly permeate the clothing or fabrics contained therein.
The invention further relates to the combination with the class of disinfector
described when the disinfector is heated by steam from a separate boiler-of a
steam heating chamber through which alone steam passes into the interior of the
disinfecting chamber from its steam jacket.
In carrying out our invention we construct a chamber C, such for instance as is
shown in Figs. 1. and 2, of suitable shape and size, and fit into the interior thereof
a coil or coils of piping c or other suitable arrangements or appliances capable of
providing a good heating surface or surfaces. And around this coil or coils of
piping & we pass steam, generated at any convenient source, which imparts heat to
the outer surface or surfaces of such piping for the purpose of drying or heating
the air admitted through the valve, H, or drying or slightly superheating the steam
previous to its entering the chamber A wherein it is used for the disinfection of
clothing or other articles such as described in the Specification of the Patent before
referred to. We find that when applying this steam heating chamber for the
purpose of heating air, for the disinfecting of articles, such for instance as those
composed wholly or partially of leather, that we avoid the injurious effects due to
the direct contact of steam with the goods.
It will be understood that air heated as above described may be employed to
ensure the thorough drying of the goods within the disinfector, A, after the same
have been disinfected, and also that the heating chamber is so arranged that it can
be used at will by opening or closing the steam and air valves D and H either for
drying or slightly superheating the steam or for drying or heating air on its way to
the interior of the disinfecting chamber, it being sometimes desirable to use dry or
superheated steam for disinfecting and at other times heated air for disinfections,
or for thoroughly drying the disinfected goods.
The steam contained in the jacket B of the disinfector is always of a higher
temperature than that used inside the disinfector chamber, A, proper, and the
heating coils or surfaces c, aforementioned can be used for superheating the steam
passing into the said chamber through the pipe, a, or for heating air for the
purpose described. Whenever steam is to be superheated it is of course not

page_text: necessary that it should be of a higher temperature in cases where it is only desired
to heat air.
The apparatus which we employ in combination with the disinfector and with
the steam heating chamber, for exhausting the air or vapour from the interior of
the disinfecting chamber may be of any suitable construction such as used for
exhausting purposes so long as it is capable of withdrawing the air or vapour so as
to create as perfect a vacuum within the chamber A, as circumstances will permit,
and thus allow of a fresh supply of steam or heated air to enter the chamber.
The exhauster we employ consists of a pipe, J, which may be put in communi-
cation with the disinfecting chamber by a pipe L, a valve M being used to control
the connection. The pipe J is also in communication with the steam pipe E, the
opening to which is controlled by a valve K. To exhaust the air or vapour from
the disinfecting chamber A, the valve M is first opened and then the valve K,
steam rushing through the latter and performing the exhausting operation in the
well known manner. It will be seen that the more perfect the vacuum produced,
the better will the steam or heated air reach and permeate the goods, including those
parts of them which are not so readily reached by the entering steam or heate
air, when the said chamber is already filled with air or vapour. “F and Ĝ are stop
and reducing valves to the disinfecting chamber A.
When the disinfector A, is heated by steam from a separato boiler we arrange
in combination with such steam jacketted disinfector, a steam heating chamber such
as hereinbefore described, through which alone steam passes into the interior of the
disinfecting chamber, the steam for this purpose being supplied from the jacket of
the disinfecting chamber, consequently the said jacket must be supplied with steam
before the latter can be passed into the interior of the disinfecting chamber. When
air is used for the purposes hereinbefore described, it is passed from a convenient
source through the valve H, thence through the interior of the pipe forming the
coil, c, and finally through the pipe, a, into the disinfecting chamber A, the valve F
being closed during the passage of the air. When steam is used it is passed
through the valve Ď, chamber C, pipe E, valve F, reducing valve G, and thence
through the coil, c, and pipe, a, to the chamber, A, the valves K and H, being
closed and the valve F, opened during the operation.
We would have it understood that the foregoing arrangements may be modified
or varied to suit particular cases without in any way departing from the nature of
our invention, and that we are well aware that apparatus has been heretofore use 1
for the purpose of exhausting air or vapour to maintain a current, but not so far
as we are aware for exhausting to absolutely remove as much air or vapour as
possible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
(1). The use, in combination with a steam jacketted disinfector of a steam
chamber containing heating coils or surfaces which may be used for drying or
heating the air, or drying or slightly superheating the steam to be admitted into
the disinfecting chamber, substantially as and for the purposes described.
(2). The use in combination with a disinfector having a steam jacket containing
steam of a higher pressure and temperature than the steam used inside the
disinfecting chamber itself of a steam chamber containing heating coils or
surfaces which may be used for drying or heating the air, or drying or slightly
superheating the steam to be admitted into the disinfecting chamber substantially
as and for the purposes described.
(3). The use in combination with a steam jacketted disinfector of a steam
heating chamber as set forth in Claim 1, and of an apparatus for exhausting the
air or vapour from the disinfecting chamber, substantially as and for the purposes
described.
(4). The use in combination with a steam jacketted disinfector heated by

page_text: steam from a separate boiler of a steam heating chamber, through which alone
steam passes therefrom through the steam jacket and into the disinfecting chamber,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
(5). The improvements in steam jacketted disinfecting apparatus all substantially
as and for the purposes described.
Dadhi. 7th Jan of Tune 1900
Per pro EMMOTT & CO., LIMITED,
Robert Wood, Secretary,
2, New Bridge Street, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.