Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Hydrating Sulphur Dioxide and like Gases and Vapors, partly Applicable
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Generating and Hydrating
Sulphur Dioxide and like Gases and Vapors, partly Applicable
[Communicated from abroad by William Maynard, of the City, County, and
State of New York, United States of America.]
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the 'firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND HYDRATING SULPHUR DIOXIDE AND
LIKE GASES AND VAPORS PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR PURIFYING OTHER GASES
"
a communication to me from abroad by William Maynard of the City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for generating and hydrating
sulphur dioxide and like gases and vapors, and also for purifying gases insoluble
in water, such as illuminating gas, &c.
The Invention consists in the combination with a furnace for producing fumes
or gases, of a funnel provided with pipes for conducting gas and water into the
said funnel in which the water gyrates along the sides very rapidly, thus hydrating
or purifying the gas and drawing it downward into a gas receiver.
The furnace consists of a cylindrical vessel into the top of which a goose-neck
pipe projects and provided at its front with a hinged door in which an aspirator is
held, which aspirator consists of a funnel projecting into the interior of the furnace,
the outer end of the funnel having a larger diameter than the inner end. In the
bottom of the furnace two sulphur burning cups or pans are located one within the
other, either of which cups can be used for burning the sulphur. If a large quantity
of sulphur is to be burned the inner cup is removed; if a smaller quantity of
sulphur is to be burned it is placed in the inner cup, and if a still smaller quantity
is to be burned it is placed in the space between the two cups. The air passing
into the furnace through the aspirator produces a uniform and constant current
which carries the fumes upward into the goose-neck and prevents them from
condensing in the top of the furnace. The air entering the furnace comes in direct
contact with the fumes and all damaging currents of air which would so disarrange
the gas or vapor as to retard its passage upward and forward in a steady, uniform

page_text: manner, are avoided. The funnel in which the hydration and purification of the
gas is effected is supported in a box through which the goose-neck passes said
goose-neck being held above the top of the funnel. A water inlet pipe enters the
funnel directly below the rim. The funnel has at its top an inwardly projecting
flange which is grooved on the under side. The water entering sweeps around the
sides of the funnel and downwards thus forming a vortex in the neck of the funnel
at its lower end. The velocity of the water is regulated by the pressure. The
gyration of the water draws along the fumes entering through the pipe so that the
said fumes are drawn down through the funnel and through the vortex formed in
the neck of same whereby the fumes are continually condensed. Below the box
and the funnel there is a receiver into which the hydrated gas is conducted from
the neck and from which the hydrated gas may be drawn off as desired. This
reservoir or receptacle is provided with a pipe for the escape of nitrogen and other
insoluble gases and near the base of this pipe a box is provided in which is placed
a sieve or screen on which soda, potash, lime or other alkalies are placed for the
purpose of absorbing any kind of soluble gases that may remain free or in chemical
combination with the azotized air. If it should be necessary to oxidize the separated
gases to any greater extent, arrangements could be made in the reservoir by which
atmospheric air or pure oxygen might be admitted in such quantities as would
produce the desired result. The pipe for carrying away the azotised air or insoluble
gases and for purifying the same to the greatest possible extent from such gases as
sulphur dioxide etc, is provided with a piece of canvas or other fibrous material
arranged in a zigzag line and moistened and serving to hold the soluble gases.
A jet of steam is admitted into the pipe to create the desired humidity.
The apparatus can be made of wood, porcelain, earthenware, or any other
material that is not attacked by acids.
In some cases the pressure of the water will not be suflicient to cause sufficient
rapidity of revolution in the funnel to draw the vaporous gases and fumes
downward, and in order to increase the speed of the water and insure rapid
operation the neck of the funnel is provided with a pulley over which a belt passes
for revolving the said funnel. In this case the upper end edge of the funnel
must be held to revolve within a fixed piece into which the goose-neck and the
pipe pass..
The outer diameter of the aspirator funnel is preferably made the same as the
outer cup or pan of the sulphur burner.
-

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of. Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND HYDRATING SULPHUR DIOXIDE AND LIKE
GASES AND VAPORS, PARTLY APPLICABLE FOR PURIFYING OTHER GASES," (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by William Maynard, of the City County and State of
New York, United States of America,) 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 certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for
generating and hydrating sulphur dioxide and like gases and vapors and also for
purifying gases insoluble in water such as illuminating gas etc.
The invention consists in the combination with a furnace for producing fumes
or gases, of a funnel provided with pipes for conducting gas and water into the
said funnel in which the water gyrates along the sides very rapidly, thus hydrating
or purifying the gas and drawing it downward into a gas receiver placed below
the box.
The invention also consists in parts and details and combinations of tlie same, as
will be fully described and set forth hereinafter.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved gas purifier and hydrator.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the funnel and the water and gas inlet pipes.
Figure 3 is a side view of a modification of the same, in which the funnel is
arranged to revolve.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the furnace for burning sulphur or
other material and the aspirator in the same.
•
The furnace A consists of a cylindrical vessel into the top of which a goose
neck pipe B projects. The furnace A is provided in its front with a hinged door C,
in which an aspirator D is held, which aspirator consists of a funnel projecting into
the interior of the furnace, the outer end of the funnel having a larger diameter
than the inner end. In the bottom of the furnace A, the sulphur burning cups or
pans E and F are located one within the other. Either cup can be used for burning
the sulphur. If a large quantity of sulphur is to be burned, the inner cup is
removed; if a smaller quantity of sulphur is to be burned, it is placed in the inner
cup F, and if a still smaller quantity is to be burned it is placed in the space:
between the two cups. The air passing into the furnace through the aspirator
produces a uniform and constant current, which carries the fumes upward into the
goose-neck B and prevents them from condensing in the top of the furnace. The
air entering into the furnace comes in direct contact with the fumes, and all
damaging currents of air which would so disarrange the gas or vapor as to retard
its passage upward and forward in a steady uniform manner, are avoided.
The furnace is placed on a suitable stand G. In a box H a funnel J is held
which is provided at its lower narrow end with a neck K. The end of the goose-
neck B, passes through the box H and the end of the said goose-neck is hield above
the top of the funnel. J. A water inlet pipe L enters the funnel J directly below
the rim. The funnel is provided at its top with an inwardly projecting flange J',

page_text: which is grooved on the under side. The water entering through the pipe L sweeps
around the sides of the funnel and downward, thus forming a vortex in the neck K.
The velocity of the water is regulated by the pressure. The gyration of the
water draws along the fumes entering through the pipe B, whereby the said funnes
are drawn down through the funnel and through the vortex formed in the neck of
the same, whereby the fumes are continually condensed. Below the box H and
the funnel J a receiver M for the hydrated gas is arranged into which the hydrated
gas is conducted from the neck K. From this receiver M the hydrated gas is drawn
off as may be desired. The reservoir or receptacle M is provided with a pipe N
for the escape of nitrogen and other insoluble gases. Near the base of the pipe N
a box O is provided in which box is placed a sieve or screen on which soda, potash,
lime or other alkalies are placed for the purpose of absorbing any kind of soluble
gases that may remain free or in mechanical combination with the azotized air.
If it should be necessary to oxidize the separated gases to any greater extent,
arrangements could be made in the reservoir M. by which atmospheric air or pure
oxygen might be admitted in such quantities as would produce the desired result.
The pipe N for carrying away the azotized air or insoluble gases and for purifying
the same to the greatest possible extent from such gases as sulphurdioxide etc, is
provided with a piece of canvas or other fibrous material P arranged in a zigzag
line, which canvas is moistened and by which canvas the soluble gases are held.
I cause a jet of steam to be admitted into the pipe N through a pipe O to create
the desired humidity in the pipe N. The apparatus can be made of wood,
porcelain earthenware, or any other material that is not attacked by acids.
In some cases the pressure of the water will not be sufficient to cause sufficient
rapidity of revolution in the funnel J to draw the vaporous gases and fumes
downward. In order to increase the speed of the water and insure rapid operation
the neck K of the funnel J is provided with a pulley R over which a belt S passes
for revolving the said funnel. In this case the upper end edge of the funnel must
be held to revolve within a fixed piece T into which the goose-neck B and the
pipe L pass.
The outer diameter of the aspirator funnel D is preferably made the same as the
outer cup or pan E of the sulphur burner.
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 :-
1. In a gas purifier and hydrator, the combination with a furnace for burning
the material to produce the gas, of a funnel provided with a water inlet pipe and
with a pipe for conducting the gas into the said funnel and of a receiver for the
purified and hydrated gas substantially as herein shown and described.
2. In a gas purifier and hydrator, the combination with a furnace for producing
the gas or fumes, of a funnel a pipe for conducting the fumes to the funnel, a pipe
for conducting the water to the top of the funnel, a gas receiver, and a pipe
extending upward from the same, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. In a gas purifier and hydrator, the combination with a funnel for receiving
the
gas, at the top, of a pipe for conducting water into the top of the funnel, a gas
receiver an outlet pipe for the receiver and a box arranged below tlie outlet pipe
and adapted to contain an alkali, substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In a gas purifier and hydrator, the combination with a funnel provided with
pipes for conducting gas and water into the top of the said funnel, of a gas receiver
below the funnel, and an outlet pipe extending upward from the gas receiver, in
which pipe, canvas or other fibrous material is arranged, a pipe for conducting steam
into the said outlet pipe and a box arranged below the outlet pipe, which box is
adapted to receive an alkali, substantially as herein shown and described.
5. In a gas purifier and hydrator, the combination with a revolving funnel, of a
fixed rim into which the gas and water conducting pipes project, and of a gas
receiver connected with the funnel, substantially as herein shown and described.

page_text: 6. In a gas purifier and hydrator, the combination with the furnace A of two
concentric cups E and F, substantially as herein shown and described.
7. In a gas purifier and hydrator, the combination with a furnace,, of an aspirator
or funnel projecting into the said furnace, the outer end of the funnel having a
larger diameter than the inner end, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 17th day of November 1884