Improvements in Heating Apparatus Chiefly Designed for Use in Disinfecting or Purifying Clothes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 2nd July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th Aug., 1887.
RESERVE
Improvements in Heating Apparatus Chiefly Designed for Use in
Disinfecting or Purifying Clothes.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN THURSFIELD, of Hetzendorf, near Vienna, in the Empire of
Austria, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus chiefly designed for disinfecting or purifying
clothes by means of heat, but the said apparatus is also applicable for heating articles
generally up to a temperature of 150 degrees Centigrade.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide a metal boiler, the internal
arrangement of which is such as to afford a large heating surface.
Underneath the boiler is a heating chamber in which a lamp is placed. The heat
of this lamp impinges on the bottom of the boiler distributes itself through a series
of tubes, and, converging in a chamber, escapes through the flue or chimney.
The steam generated in the boiler is discharged through a nozzle into a closed
chamber into which the articles to be disinfected or heated are placed.
The tube in which the said nozzle is situated, and hereinafter termed the nozzle-tube
passes through the sides of the boiler sufficiently far to allow a joint tube to be
attached at one end. The other end of the nozzle-tube is surrounded by the flue or
chimney. This nozzle-tube is provided with two openings, one of which is placed
outside and the other inside the chimney.
A tube is loosely fitted into the nozzle-tube. This loose tube is provided with two
openings corresponding with the two openings in the nozzle-tube. The boiler is also
provided with a tube having a movable cover, by which tube the quantity of water in
the boiler is determined and controlled, and with a second tube having a funnel-shaped
top connected with a reservoir above the top of the boiler. This second tube serves
as a safety valve against the overheating of the water, as it allows the same to spread
itself over the surface of the reservoir, and when cooled to return to the boiler. The
funnel serves also for filling and emptying the apparatus.
The method of employing the apparatus is as follows, that is to say :-The boiler is
illed with water to the height of the regulating tube and the cover thereof is fastened

page_text: down. The loose tube is then so set, that certain of the openings in the said tube and
chimney correspond. The lamp is then placed in the heating chamber and lighted.
As soon as the water boils and steam begins to escape through the nozzle, air will
be sucked in through the corresponding openings of the nozzle tube and the loose tube
by the force of the jet of steam, and having been warmed by contact with the sides
of the nozzle-tube the air will be injected together with the steam to the closed box
or chamber.
To regulate the heat, the loose tube is turned more or less by means of a handle,
whereby one set of openings is partly closed, and the other set correspondingly opened,
so that instead of heated air alone, a mixture of the same and the superfluous heat
from the products of combustion will be simultaneously injected together with the
steam into the heating or disinfecting chamber.
By entirely closing the openings which were first fully opened and thereby entirely
opening the other set of openings, the superfluous heat of the products of combustion
will be entirely injected, together with the steam, into the disinfecting chamber.
Dated this 5th day of October 1886.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Sonthampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Disinfecting or Purifying Clothes.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN THURSFIELD, of Hetzendorf, near Vienna, in the Empire of
Austria, 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 :—
My invention relates to apparatus chiefly designed for disinfecting or purifying
clothes by means of moist heat, but the said apparatus is also applicable for heating
articles generally up to a temperature of 150 degrees centigrade.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of a fixed apparatus.
Figure 2 is a side view partly in section of a portable apparatus mounted on wheels.
Figure 1 is a section through the boiler shewn in Figure 1.
In all the figures the same letters indicate corresponding parts.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a metal boiler a, the internal
arrangement of which is such as to afford a large heating surface.
Underneath the boiler is a heating chamber d in which a lamp, or charcoal, coke or
other fuel is placed. The heat impinges on the bottom of the boiler, distributes itself
through a series of tubes, and converging in a chamber, escapes through the flue
or chimney.
The steam generated in the boiler is discharged through a nozzle i into a closed
chamber o into which the articles to be disinfected or heated are placed.
The tube in which the said nozzle i is situated, and hereinafter termed the nozzle-
tube, passes through the side of the boiler a and is surrounded by the flue m. This
nozzle-tube is provided with two openings, one of which communicating with the
door is placed outside and the other communicating with the products of combustion
is placed inside the chimney. A tube / is fitted loosely into the nozzle-tube . This
loose tube is provided with two openings corresponding with the two openings and /*
in the nozzle tube and by suitably turning this loose tube the openings and I can
be more or less opened or closed.
The boiler is provided with a gauge 9 by which the quantity of water in the boiler
is determined and controlled and with a tube c connected with a reservoir above the
top of the boiler, this tube c serves as a safety valve against the over heating of the
water as it allows the same to boil over into the reservoir 6 and when cooled to return
to the boiler.
The method of employing the apparatus is as follows, that is to say, the boiler is
filled with water to the height of the gauge g. A lamp or any suitable fuel is then
placed in the heating chamber and lighted.

page_text: As soon as the water boils and steam begins to escape through the nozzle i air will
be sucked in through the nozzle tube by the force of the jet of steam, and having
been warmed by contact with the sides of the nozzle tube the air will be injected
together with the steam into the closed box or chamber o.
1'
To regulate the beat in the arrangement shewn in Figure 1 the loose tube / is turned
more or less by means of a handle, whereby one set of openings is partly closed,
and the other set correspondingly opened, so that instead of heated air alone, a
mixture of the same and the products of combustion will be simultaneously injected
together with the steam into the heating or disinfecting chamber.
By entirely closing the openings leading to the chimney m¹, which is effected by
turning the handle n. The products of combustion will be entirely injected, together
with the steam into the disinfecting chamber.
The boiler a is filled by pouring water into the reservoir 6 until the same entering
the boiler at its lowest part through the tube c rises to the desired height in the water-
gauge g. The tube c remains open and therefore acts also in the place of a safety
valve. d is the fire space, e a moveable grate and f the coal-hopper. The fuel may
consist of charcoal, coke or gas or a spirit lamp may be employed. The boiler is
emptied by the cock h. is a steam-pipe connecting the steam-space with the hot-air
tube . is an auxiliary pipe to admit the steam into the chimney during stoppage
for emptying and recharging the disinfecting chamber, in continuous working. The
admission of air is regulated by the handle land the draught in the chimney m by the
handle n.
o is the disinfecting chamber enclosed by the space p which acts at the same time as
a steam jacket and, as a channel for the downward passage of the vapors escaping
from the chamber through the outlets s. The lower portion q of the disinfecting
chamber is funnel-shaped, for the better mixture and distribution of the steam and
hot-air, and to collect any condensation water. g is a sieve to catch any fallen article.
The vertical tubes s which serve at the same time to strengthen the chamber and
connect the lower portion of the steam jacket p with the circular channel t which is
again connected with the chimney m¹ by the tube t'. The disinfection chamber is
hermetically closed by the double cover to the lower plate of which hooks for hanging
the sacks are fastened. The cover fits in a sand-bath and is raised and lowered by
means of the pulley chain w and the swinging-crane . u is a thermometer indicating
the temperature of the steam and hot-air in the disinfecting chamber. v is a cock for
drawing off any condensation water, y a battery connected with an electrical
thermometer to be placed in the clothes, or bedding and the sacks in which the
infected articles are hung.
The complete destruction of all the germs of cholera, small-pox, typhus, and scarlet-
fever, dyptheria, dysentry, measles, hooping-cough, consumption, etc., in wearing apparel
and bedding, without any material injury whatever to the latter, is only to be obtained
by subjecting the articles infected for a period proportionate to their structural
resistance, to a moist heat of at least 212° Fahr. Recent experiences have shewn that,
for security's sake a temperature of 220° is better. To ensure the thorough penetration
of this temperature in every fibre, a heat of from 260°-270° must be maintained in the
disinfecting chamber itself. To obtain this, by means of ordinary or superheated
steam, involves the employment of boilers working under a pressure of 2 to 3 atmo-
spheres of disinfecting chambers, capable of resisting an equal tension and of skilled
labour in attending to the same in other words a large initial outlay and correspondingly
heavy working expenses in fuel and wages.
The disinfecting apparatus above described acts by the application of a mixture of steam
and hot-air in such proportions, that the steam, after expending its mechanical energy
in injecting the hot-air into the disinfecting chamber, is, by contact with the clothes, or
bedding of a lower temperature, not only condensed, and thereby imparts to the same
its latent heat but, by condensation, completely neutralizes the risk of injury through
any chance excess of hot-air. The boiler being open is inexplosive and requires
neither safety valves nor skilled attendance.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. A stationary or portable disinfecting apparatus consisting of a metal boiler
whose steam outlet is connected in such manner with an apparatus for heating the air
that the heated air can by means of the steam jet be injected together with the steam
into the disinfecting chamber.
Second. A stationary or portable disinfecting apparatus consisting of a metal boiler
whose steam outlet is connected in such a manner with the chimney of the heating
apparatus that the superfluous heat of the products of combustion, which otherwise
escape through the chinney can by means of the steam jet be injected together, with
the steam into the disinfecting chamber.
Third. A stationary or portable disinfecting apparatus consisting of a metal boil r
whose steam outlet is connected in such a manner with an apparatus for heating the
air and with the chimney of the heating apparatus that the heated air and the super-
fluous heat of the products of combustion can by means of the steam jet accordingly
be injected in quantities corresponding with the position of a valve by means of the
steam jet together with the steam into the disinfecting chamber.
Fourth. The combination of the metal boiler, steam nozzle, hot air tube and chimney
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fifth. The stationary apparatus substantially as described and shewn in Figures 1
and 1x of the drawings.
Sixth. The portable apparatus substantially as described and shewn in Figure 2 of
the drawings.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.