Improvements in Scrubber Washers for Removing Impurities from Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1896-Accepted, 20th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Scrubber Washers for Removing Impurities
from Gas.
1, HARRY KIRKHAM, of 11 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Civil 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 has reference to that class of scrubber washers used in the
manufacture of gas for the twofold purpose of scrubbing and washing the gas
wherein drums or wheels comprising metal discs having between them material to
afford additional scrubbing surface are caused to rotate in tanks having in their
lower parts water or liquor in passing through which the scrubbing surfaces are
With such
wetted preparatory to the gas flowing in contact with such surfaces.
apparatus as heretofore usually constructed for extracting ammonia and other
impurities from coal gas, the subsequent removal from time to time of the tar and
fatty matters deposited on the scrubbing surfaces during the operation of the
machine has involved much difficulty and expense to reduce which according to
my invention I construct the drums or wheels with removable cages or baskets
having removable lids and adapted to contain material that will afford suitable
scrubbing surfaces as I will hereinafter more particularly explain by aid of the
accompanying illustrative drawings by which construction I am able to readily
and successively remove, cleanse or replace the enclosed scrubbing material, and
replace each cage or basket without the delay incidental to the stoppage of the
machine for the period necessary when the entire scrubbing material of the whole
drum or wheel has to be dealt with at one operation.
Referring to these drawings,
Fig. 1 shews in section part of a scrubber washer constructed with cages, or
baskets according to this invention.
Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations at right angles to each other of such a cage or
basket and Fig. 4 a plan of same.
11 are the tanks of the scrubber washer containing in their lower portions water
or liquor which gradually passes from tank to tank through the central openings 2
in the walls of the tanks, which openings also allow of the passage of gas
(admitted to the apparatus at a) from one tank to the next. 3, 3ª are pairs of
discs so mounted on a rotary shaft 4 that each disc 3 rotates in contact with an
annular bearing formed on the adjacent tank wall while each disc 3ª is some
distance from the other wall; the discs 3 are perforated opposite the openings 2.
Between each pair of discs I secure sector-like cages or baskets constructed as
illustrated and containing scrubbing material 6, such as coke. It will thus be
understood that the gas is compelled to pass from one tank to the next, as
indicated by the arrows, through the perforated portion of one disc 3, up through
the upper cages or baskets and down between the disc 3 and the adjacent tank
wall to the opening 2 therein. Each cage or basket is formed of a pair of sector-
like sheet-metal plates 7 connected together by bars 8, which may be flat or
round, forming the sides and bottom of the cage or basket. It may be advisable
in some cases to form all the sides of the cage or basket of flat or round bars.
The top is formed by a removable grid-like lid 9 which as illustrated in Fig. 5 is
composed of side plates and flat bars. The lid 9 is held in place by short bolts
and nuts 10 which also secure the cage or basket plates 10" by means of which it

page_text: can be readily lifted, and each cage or basket is secured between the discs 3 and 3ª
by four other short bolts (not shewn), which pass through holes in the discs and
through corresponding holes 11 in the metal plates 7 and by a bolt 12 with which
the lower parts of the plate 7 engage. As will be seen, upon removing the four
just mentioned short bolts any cage or basket can be taken out of its place
between the discs; it can then be quickly opened by removing the bolts 10 and
the cover 9 and the dirty material discharged and fresh material substituted, or
the same material may be replaced after being cleansed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A. scrubber washer constructed with separately removable cages or baskets
adapted to contain scrubbing material for the purpose mentioned.
2. My improved scrubber washer drum or wheel with removable cages or
baskets substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 19th day of May 1896.
HAKKI KIRKHAM.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.