Improvements in Humidifying and Spraying Apparatus.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Humidifying and Spraying Apparatus.
I, OTTO HOFFMANN, of West View, 18, Wellington Road, Withington, neur
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:
-
My said invention relates to the now well known and commonly used apparatus
for humidifying the air of factories and other enclosed places and for spraying and
diffusing liquids for humidifying, moistening, curative and other purposes.
Under an invention dealing with such humidifiers, and for which I have obtained
Letters Patent No. 20,554* of 1895 I described a humidifying apparatus furnished
with a spraying nozzle, having a self-contained spraying pin with a head capable
of passing through the nozzle outlet, and arranged to be drawn at times through
the nozzle outlet so as to clear the same. The result of thus drawing the spraying
pin head through the nozzle outlet is that the liquid instead of being sprayed from
the nozzle falls in a direct unbroken stream to the foot of the humidifier casing.
To prevent this stream from dashing against the lower part of the humidifier and
splashing out upon the floor or machinery beneath, I form the centre cone at the
foot of the apparatus with an open top through which the said nozzle flushing
stream falls and so passes to the outlet in the foot of the casing without splashing
or doing damage.
My present invention deals with modifications in such apparatus and having
the same object viz. the prevention of splashing or heavy rain when the spray-
ing nozzle is being flushed through. According to my present modification,
instead of making the cone with an open top as before to receive the flushing
stream, I make arrangements whereby the down falling stream of water is inter-
cepted, broken up and caused to fall in the casing in such a manner that even in
the absence of an open top cone there is no splashing or emission of heavy rain
through the lower part of the casing.
This intercepting and breaking up body might consist of a flat or conical or
other suitably shaped object placed just beneath the nozzle and of such a shape
and size as not to interfere with the ordinary spraying operations, while at the same
time, when the spraying pin is drawn up through the nozzle outlet so as to produce
the downward falling flushing stream, the said stream striking against the inter-
cepting body is broken up, dispersed and thrown down into the lower part of the
casing in such a form as to prevent splashing or the emission of heavy rain from
the lower part of the humidifier casing. The cone or plate or other intercepting
object might be supported just beneath the nozzle on a stalk or standard from
the bottom cone or it might be carried by radial supports from the interior of
the casing or from the nozzle; or the bottom cone itself might be prolonged
upwards so as to present the required intercepting surface. The support or sup-
ports of the intercepting body might be made adjustable so as to facilitate the
setting of the intercepting body exactly opposite to the descending stream. The
flushing nozzle might either be made with a self contained filter as in my said

page_text: former Patent No. 20,554* of 1895 or it might be used without a filter. In fact
my invention is applicable for use with any form of spraying nozzle through which
at times a flushing stream of liquid is passed.
Improvements in Humidifying and Spraying Apparatus.
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 particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
drawings:
My said invention relates to the now well known and commonly used apparatus
for humidifying the air of factories and other enclosed places and for spraying and
diffusing liquids for humidifying, moistening, curative and other purposes.
Under an invention dealing with such humidifiers, and for which I have obtained
Letters Patent No. 20,554* of 1895 I described a humidifying apparatus furnished
with a spraying nozzle, having a self-contained spraying pin with a head capable
of passing through the nozzle outlet, and arranged to be drawn at times through
the nozzle outlet so as to clear the same. The result of thus drawing the spraying
pin head through the nozzle outlet is that the liquid instead of being sprayed from
the nozzle falls in a direct unbroken stream to the foot of the humidifying casing.
To prevent this stream from dashing against the lower part of the humidifier and
splashing out upon the floor or machinery beneath, I form the centre cone at the
foot of the apparatus with an open top through which the said nozzle flushing
stream falls and so passes to the outlet in the foot of the casing without splashing
or doing damage.
My present invention deals with a modification in such apparatus and having
the same object viz. the prevention of splashing or heavy rain when the spray-
ing nozzle is being flushed through. According to my present modification,
instead of making the cone with an open top as before to receive the flushing
stream, I make arrangements whereby the down-falling stream of water is inter-
cepted, broken up and caused to fall in the casing in such a manner that even in
the absence of an open top cone there is no splashing or emission of heavy rain
through the lower part of the casing.
My invention will be more readily understood from an inspection of the accom-
panying sheet of drawings in which,
Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of a humidifier casing containing a spray-
ing nozzle and fitted with my improved arrangement for intercepting and breaking
up the flushing stream of water, shown with the spraying jet in action.
Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the flushing of the spraying nozzle and the
action of the improved arrangement for intercepting and breaking up the falling
stream of water.
Fig. 3 is a modified method of mounting the intercepting and breaking up body.
The intercepting and breaking up body a consists preferably of a conically shaped
object disposed beneath the spraying nozzle b and of such a shape and size as not
to interfere with the ordinary spraying operation, as shown in Fig. 1.

page_text: The conical body a is carried by a stalk a¹, the lower portion a² of which is re-
duced and adapted to fit into the tubular extension e' of the cone c. To facilitate
the adjustment of the conical body a relatively to the spraying nozzle 6 I provide
a set screw d to retain the reduced portion a² in any desired position within the
tubular extension c¹ of the cone c.
When the spraying nozzle is flushed as shown in Fig. 2, the falling stream cf
water is directed upon the top of the conical body a and deflected, broken up and
dispersed against the lower sides of the humidifier casing e down which it falls in
such a form as to prevent splashing or the emission of heavy rain from the lower
part of the humidifier casing, and is carried away through the outlet e¹ formed
in the bottom of the casing e.
A modified method of supporting the conical body a is shown in Fig. 3. Radial
arms ff are secured to the casing e and are formed with a boss f¹ bored out to
provide a bearing for the slidable stalk a¹ of the dispersing body a.
A set screw g
is provided for the adjustment of the dispersing body a to or from the spraying
nozzle.
The flushing nozzle might either be made with a self contained filter as in my
said former Patent No. 20,554* of 1895 or it might be used without a filter. In
fact my invention is applicable for use with any form of humidifier casing
containing a spraying nozzle through which at times a flushing stream of liquid is
passed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The dispersing body a for use in conjunction with a humidifier casing containing
a spraying nozzle through which at times a flushing stream of liquid is passed,
and arranged and acting in the manner, for the purposes and substantially as
described and illustrated
Dated this 31st day of December 1897.
For the Applicant,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5, John Dalton Street, Manchester.