Muriatic or Nitric Acid,
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1888
Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
Muriatic or Nitric Acid,
We HENRY PHILIPP WEIDIG Chemist of Philadelphia in the County of Philadelphia
and State of Pennsylvania United States of America and RICHARD CLINTON REMMEY
Manufacturer of the same place 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 relates to improvements in absorption towers for the manufacture of
muriatic or nitric acid; and the object of our invention is to provide an absorption
tower of such construction that when the same is erected and packed it can be used
continually and need not be taken apart for re-filling.
The invention consists in an absorption tower for the manufacture of nitric or
muriatic acid composed of a series of cylindrical sections open at the top and closed at
the bottom each section having a vertical channel, extending from the bottom to a
short distance from the top and each section being also provided with a laterally-
projecting external cup, open at the top and in communication with the bottom part of
the section.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of one of the towers.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the other tower.
Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line xx
Figure 4 is a top view of one of the towers.
Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a detail vertical cross-sectional view on line y y Figure 1, parts being
broken out.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Each tower is composed of a series of cylindrical sections A made of earthenware
having closed bottoms and open tops and provided with exterior annular upwardly-
projecting flanges B at their open ends. The sections A are placed one upon the
other, the bottom part of one-section passing into the annular flange B on the top of
the next lower section, the joints being carefully packed and closed. Upon the
uppermost section a cover C is placed which is provided with a central neck D for
coupling the pipe that leads the gases or fumes into the tower. Each cylindrical

page_text: Section A is provided with an upwardly-projecting channel E formed on the inside
and extending from the bottom of the section to within about one quarter of the
height of the section from the top. The sections are so placed that the channels D
are alternately at opposite sides so as to lengthen the course of the gas as much as
possible. Each section is also provided with a semi-tubular upwardly-extending
exterior projection or cup F open at the top and in communication with the bottom
part of the section by an aperture G. The upper edges of the projections or cups F
are on the same level with the tops of the corresponding channels E of the sections. The
upper flanges B of the sections must be recessed so as to permit the bottom parts of the
projecting cups F to pass through them, as shewn in Figure 1. The bottom sections
are not provided with vertical channels E, but are provided with laterally-projecting
necks which are coupled by a horizontal pipe J.
The operation is as follows:-
The hot gases from the retorts or convertors are conducted into the top of one
tower the gases passing from one chamber to the other by means of channels E and
coming in contact with a large surface of water a great amount is absorbed. The
gases rise upward in the second tower and if necessary are drawn up by means of a
suction apparatus, whereby the remaining parts of the gases are absorbed. When the
acid in the tower into which the gases are first conducted at the top is almost
concentrated the pipe for conducting the gases to the towers is replaced that is to say
it is placed on the top of the other tower so that the gases pass downward in the
tower in which they formerly passed upward, and the weaker gases pass upward in
the tower in which the stronger gases formerly passed downward whereby the acids
in both towers are concentrated. During the operation a hydrometer is placed into
each cup F to facilitate watching the operation and regulating the flow of the
gases. The acid is removed from the sections by means of siphons placed into
the cups F. The tower is then again filled with water poured in through the necks D
or into the cups F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
1. An absorption tower for the manufacture of muriatic or nitric acid composed of
a series of cylindrical sections open at the top and closed at the bottom each section
having a vertical channel extending from the bottom to a short distance from the top
and each section being also provided with an external laterally-projecting cup open at
the top and in communication with the bottom-part of the section substantially as
herein shown and described.
2. A section of an absorption tower for the manufacture of muriatic or nitric acids
consisting of a cylinder closed at its bottom and flanged externally at its open top and
provided with a vertical channel extending from the bottom to within a short distance
trom the top and also provided with an external cup open at the top and having its
bottom in communication with the bottom-part of the section substantially as herein
shown and described.
Dated this 24th doxy of Jonu 1800