Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying and Humidifying the Atmosphere in Factories, Workshops and other Buildings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying and Humidifying the
Atmosphere in Factories, Workshops and other Buildings.
I, OTTO HOFFMANN, of West View, 18, Wellington Road, Withington, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to improvements in apparatus for purifying the
atmosphere in factories and other buildings so as to reduce the quantity of carbonic
acid therein.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a suitable casing communicating
with the atmosphere outside the building. The interior of this casing is provided
with a skeleton frame around which is wrapped cocoa matting or other suitable
pervious material. Within the frame carrying the cocoa matting is arranged a wall
of gauze or perforated metal, and the frame is covered at the top with a shallow tray
formed with a dome shaped bottom.
The edge of the tray is perforated where it comes in contact with the matting or
other pervious material. The outer casing is provided at the foot with an open cone
extending upwards within the casing, the open mouth being arranged within the per-
forated metallic wall, and the foot of the inner skeleton frame is also connected to the
cone. The space between the inner and outer casings or frames is occupied by a
spiral coil which also extends around the shallow tray or reservoir at the top of
the inner frame. At the bottom of the casing is an inverted open cone and a
suitable space is left between the two cones.
As is well known if cold air is introduced into the interior of a heated room
unpleasant if not dangerous draughts are created.
To obviate this is an essential feature of my invention and I arrange to mix the
incoming air with the air in the building before delivering the same into the building,
and thus equalize to some extent the temperatures of the air without and within the
interior of the room.
This is effected by means of the double cones and a suitable fan mounted to revolve
in the space enclosed by the cones. The revolving fan creates to some extent a
vacuum and air is thus induced from the outer atmosphere which enters in the space
between the inner and outer casings and passes through the matting or other pervious
material to the interior of the apparatus. The pervious material filters or cleanses
the air. Air is also induced from the building through the mouth of the lower.
cone and the two currents of air on meeting are thoroughly mixed and expelled by the
fan into the building between the two cones.
If it is desired to cool the air obtained from the outer atmosphere cold water is
turned upon the dome shaped bottom of the tray upon the top of the frame. The
water falls down the dome to the edge of the tray and through the perforations
therein so that the cocoa matting or other pervious material becomes saturated and
the air passing through is cooled. The inner wall of gauze or perforated metal
intercepts and breaks up any drops of water blown against it and prevents the water
from being splashed into the room below. Should the temperature of the air without

page_text: the building be too cold steam is admitted into the spiral coil and the air coming into
contact therewith before passing through the matting is heated. Further if desired
the matting may be also saturated as before mentioned with water which is heated to
a high temperature by the coil in contact with the water tray.
When the apparatus is used with saturated straining material the air passing
through is humidified.
In order to obtain ready access to the pervious material I make the outer casing of
a skeleton formation and enclose it with a cylindrical cover of sheet metal. This
cover is slit and sprung upon the skeleton frame the slid edges being provided with
angle pieces secured together by means of screws. By removing the screws the
metallic cover may be readily removed so as to obtain access to the pervious straining
material.
Dated the 29th day of July 1898.
Improvements in Apparatus for Purifying and Humidifying the
Atmosphere in Factories, Workshops and other Buildings.
I, OTTO HOFFMANN, of West View, 18, Wellington Road, Withington, near
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
My said invention relates to improvements in apparatus for purifying the
atmosphere in factories and other buildings, so as to reduce the quantity of carbonic
acid therein.
The accompanying sheet of drawings clearly illustrates my invention.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan thereof on the line - Fig. 1.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a suitable casing A communicating
with the atmosphere outside the building. The interior of this casing is provided
with skeleton frame a around which is wrapped cocoa matting or other suitable
pervious material in one two or more layers. Within the frame a carrying the cocoa
matting is arranged a wall of gauze or perforated metal c, and the frame is covered at
the top with a shallow tray & formed with a dome shaped bottom d¹.
The edge of the tray is perforated at 2 where it comes in contact with the matting
or other previous material. The outer casing A is provided at the foot with an open
cone e extending upwards within the casing A, the open mouth el being arranged
within the perforated metallic wall c and the foot of the inner skeleton frame a and
perforated body c is also connected to the cone e.
The tray d is also connected to the cone e by means of rods f. The annular space
between the inner and outer casings or frames A a is occupied by a spiral coil g which
also extends around the shallow tray or reservoir d at the top of the inner frame a.
At the bottom of the casing and carried by a bracket B is an inverted open cone h
and a suitable space is left between the two cones.
As is well known if cold air is introduced into the interior of a heated room
unpleasant if not dangerous draughts are created.
To obviate this is an essential feature of my invention and I arrange to mix the
"
י

page_text: incoming air with the air in the building before delivering the same into the building,
and thus equalise to some extent the temperatures of the air without and within
the room.
This is effected by means of the double cones e, and a suitable fan mounted to
revolve in the space enclosed by the cones.
Any suitable exhausting fan may be used. The fan shown in the drawings consists
of two truncated hollow cones i connected to a central circular disc or plate ; by
means of a suitable number of blades which are rivetted to the discj and the open
cones i i.
The boss of the disc j is secured to a spindle mounted in bearings in the
bracket B. A grooved pulley is mounted on the spindle by means of which the
fan is driven.
The bracket B serves also to connect the apparatus to a suitable fixing in the
room. The revolving fan creates to some extent a vacuum and air is thus induced
from the outer atmosphere by way of the funnel n the air entering in the space
between the inner and outer casings A a and passing through the matting bor
other pervious material to the interior of the apparatus as shown by the arrows.
The pervious material filters or cleanses the air. Air is also induced from the
building through the mouth of the lower cone and the two currents of air on
meeting are thoroughly mixed and expelled by the fan into the building from
between the two cones e h.
If it is desired to cool the air obtained from the outer atmosphere cold water
is turned upon the dome shaped bottom of the tray d through the pipe o which
is governed by a valve o¹.
The water falls down the dome to the edge of the tray d and through the
perforations d therein so that the cocoa matting or other pervious material >
becomes saturated and the air passing there-through is cooled.
The inner wall of gauze or perforated metal c intercepts and breaks up any
drops of water blown against it and prevents the water from being splashed into
the room below. A waste water pipe p is provided to carry off water trickling
down the matting and perforated wall c.
Should the temperature of the air outside the building be too cold, steam is
admitted into the spiral coil g and the air coming into contact therewith before
passing through the matting 6 is heated. Further, when the coil g is heated the
matting is saturated with water which is heated to a high temperature by the coil
in contact with the water tray d, and this serves also to heat the air.
When the apparatus is used with saturated straining material the air passing
through is humidified.
Instead of using the steam coil, warm water may be introduced within the tray d
and the matting 6 saturated therewith which would thus heat the air passing
through.
Or in some cases when the steam coil is in use the screwed stopper t¹ of the plug t
is removed and steam escaping therefrom fills the interior of the casing A and thus
humidifies and warms the air.
In order to obtain access to the matting or other straining material 6 I make a
portion of the outer casing marked q removable.
The conical top is connected to the lower portion of the casing A by means of ribs r.
The lower portion of the casing A is made expandable by means of a slit as shown in
Fig. 2 the meeting edges being connected together by bolts 8. The removable
cylindrical portion g of the casing A is slipped over the top and clamped in position
by the lower slit portion, from which it may be released by slackening the nuts 8¹ of
the bolts & so that access may be had to the interior of the casing A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1) An apparatus for purifying and humidifying the air in factories, workshops and

page_text: other buildings, consisting of a skeleton frame carrying a water tray and covered with
cocoa matting or other straining material, provided with an inner straining wall and
encircled by a coil of tubing the whole containing within a suitable casing provided
with a double open conical base containing a fan whereby air is drawn from the
exterior and interior of the building and mixed before leaving the apparatus substan-
tially as described and shown.
2) The general arrangement construction and combination of parts comprising the
improved apparatus for purifying and humidifying air substantially as described
and illustrated.
Dated this 29th day of May 1899.
For the Applicant,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5, John Dalton Street, Manchester