Improvements in Condensers
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 4th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
I, SIR CHARLES STEWART FORBES Baronot of Castle Newe, Strathdon,
Aberdeenshire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists in "Improvements in Condensers" and is carried out as
follows:-
I employ a series of sheets, disce, or other suitably shaped pieces of perforated
metal, or metallic gauze. These sheets are separated one froin the other by packing
rings of some soft metal such as lead, tin, or the like, or I may employ india rubber,
rubber cloth, or similar material which when subjected to pressure shall tend to fill
up the mesh or otherwise make a sound air and water tight joint.
1 prefer that the gauze, or the perforated plate or plates which sometimes replace
or are used in combination with it should project for a greater or less distance
beyond the packing rings for the purpose of conducting and dissipating the heat of
the steam or vapour passing through the box like interior of the condenser.
Any
number of discs, sheets, or other shaped pieces of perforated metal or gauze separated
by packing rings as described and representing a very large condensing surface may
be thus built up and secured between metallic end plates having inlet and delivery
orifices, and fitted with tie rods and nuts or the like. In addition to the tie bolts
also attach two or more guide rods to the end plates for the purpose of steadying
the thin packing sheets and rings employed and preventing their falling out when
the nuts are slacked, the said packing rings being fitted with grooved lugs or the
like, which engage with the guide rods.
Generally speaking the air passing through the leaf like extensions of the
perforated plates or pieces of gauze suffices for condensation. I may however further
cool the extensions by pulling air through them when enclosed in a suitable shroud
or cover by means of a fau or steaui jet, or may use spray. Again "I
may when
necessary immerse the condenser entirely or partly in water which may be cooled
artificially, or water may be pumped over the laminae.
I may also in suitable cases place the condensor in the path of a flue or duct
leading to a boiler or other furnace or similarly utilize the heat radiated therefrom.
It will be seen that a condenser thus formed can be put together or taken to
pieces in a few moments.

page_text: 1, SIR CHARLES STEWART FORBES Baronet, of Castle Newe, Strathdon,
Aberdeenshire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described in
and by the following statement :-
12
My invention consists in "Improvements in Condensers' and is carried out as
follows:-
I employ a series of sheets, discs, or other suitably shaped pieces of perforated
metal, or metallic gauze. These sheets are separated one from the other by packing
rings of some soft inetal, such as lead, tin, or the like, or I may employ india rubber,
rubber cloth, or similar material which, when subjected to pressure, shall tend to fill
up the mesh or otherwise make a sound air and water tight joint. I prefer that the
gauze or the perforated plate or plates which sometimes replace or are used in
combination with it, should project for a greater or less distance beyond the packing
rings, for the purpose of conducting and dissipating the heat of the steam or vapour
passing through the box-like interior of the condenser. Any number of discs, sheets,
or other shaped pieces of perforated metal or gauze separated by packing rings as
described, and representing a very large condensing surface. may be thus built up
and secured between metallic end plates having inlet and delivery orifices and fitted
with tie rods and nuts or the like. In addition to the tie bolts, I also attach two or
more guide rods to the end plates for the purpose of steadying the thin packing
sheets and rings employed and preventing their falling out when the unts are
slacked, the said packing rings being fitted with grooved lugs or the like, which
engage with the guide rods. Generally speaking the air passing through the leaf-
like extensions of the perforated plates or pieces of gauze suffices for condensation ;
I may however further cool the extensions by pulling air through them, when
enclosed in a suitable shroud or cover, by means of a fan or steam jet, or 1 may use
spray. Again I may when necessary immerse the condenser entirely or partly in
water, which may be cooled artificially, or water may be pumped over the laminae.
1 may also in suitable cases place the condenser in the path of a flue or duct leading
to a boiler or other furnace, or similarly utilize the heat radiated therefrom. It will
be seen that a condenser thus formed can be put together or taken to pieces in a few
moments.
"
To enable my invention to be better understood I will now proceed to describe
the saine by incaus of the accompanying drawings in which similar parts are
represented by similar letters, in all the various views:-
Fig. 1, is a part sectional view on line A. B. fig. 2.
Fig. 2, is a plan
Fig. 3, is au inside view of cover plate looking in the direction of arrow tig. 2.
Fig. 4, is an outside end view of cover
Fig. 5, is a sectional view of cover having gills
Fig. 6. is a view shewing the rod used as a guide
Fig. 7, is a part sectional view shewing induced draft by fan
Fig. 8, shews a condenser immersed in water
Fig. 9, is an end view of circular form of condenser
Fig 10, shews a cruciform sheet of gauze or perforated plate
Fig. 11, shews the method of supporting plates by passing tie bolts through them
Fig. 12, shews method of inducing air current by steam jet.
Fig. 13, shews method of inducing air current by connecting to flue.
In the drawings 1, represents the end plates or covers, these are preferably made
of thin cast or wrought iron, copper gunmetal, aluminium alloy, or other metal which

page_text: is a good conductor of heat and they may be advantageously cast, shaped by pressure
or otherwise formed with gills 2, see also fig. 5. Lugs 3, are formed as shewn and
through these tie bolts 4, are passed and fitted with nuts and washers 5. An inlet
hole 6, is formed in one end plate, and an outlet 7, in n suitable position in the other,
the exhaust or steam pipe 8, being connected to the inlet 6, and connection made
with the hot well, condensed water tank, or the like, by pipe 9. The inner face of
both the end plates or covers is preferably recessed na at 10 and in this is fitted a
thick washer 11, formed of lead, pewter or other soft metal, or it may be made of
rubber, rubber cloth, asbestos, or equivalent compressible, or resilient material.
Leaves or pieces of perforated metal or gauze 12, formed of copper plain tinned or
otherwise coated, aluminium or other suitable metal are cut so as to cover or clear
the outside edges of the washers, the ends projecting beyond the tie rods and washers
in one or both directions, see figs. 4, 9 and 10. A washer from one-eighth to one-
quarter of an inch or more in thickness is placed between the gauze leaves or
perforated sheets and in order to keep them in position lugs 13, grooved as shewn,
engage with a special guide rod 14, ou either side, or the washers inay be so formed
as to engage with the tie rods, see fig. 6, or the rods may pass through the plates as
in fig. 11. It will be readily understood that my invention enables a condenser
formed as described to be very readily constructed as it is merely necessary to add
washers and gauze leaves or plates until the required condensing surface is obtained.
The nuts or threaded bolts replacing them are then screwed up until the vessel thus
formed is both air and steam tight. Should grease or other adherent matter be
carried into the condenser with the steam and clog the leaves, one or any of them
can be quickly removed and cleaned or replaced by simply slacking back the nuts or
bolts.
The operation of my invention is as follows:-Steam being admitted to the con-
denser through the inlet 6, encounters the gauze or the perforated plate replacing it
which rapidly absorbs the heat and by conduction, from within outwards, dissipates
the same, the air circulating through the projecting leaves sufficing to keep the
temperature of the plates or leaves comparatively cool, condensation of the steam is
prompt and complete, the condensed vapour trickling down the wires, forming the
gauze, or the plates as the case may be further accelerating it. In ordinary positions
and at normal temperatures condensation may be satisfactorily effected by the air
circulating through the projecting leaves as described. There are however cases in
which room is nu object, or again, from the surroundings, the air may be unduly
heated. To meet such cases I may mount the condenser formed as described in a
jacket or casing 15, see fig. 7, air being pulled or blown through by means of a fan 16,
or the air may be pulled through by connecting the outlet port with a flue
leading to a stack, see fig. 13, or by a steam jet as in fig. 12, or 1 may immerse the
condenser entirely or partly in water which is or is not cooled artificially, the water
being pumped through or over the laminae as see fig. 8.
In fig. 9, I have shewn a condenser of cylindrical shape, but it is obvious that 1
may modify the shape in several ways to suit varying conditions. The size of mesh
employed in constructing gauze condensers is dependent in a measure upon the
diameter or area exposed; it is desirable that from a constructional point the plates
or leaves should be sufficiently stiff to maintain their parallellism under pressure; I
have found for small condensers a mesh of 20 to 36 to the inch an effective size, but
this may be varied considerably either way and still give good results, as the number of
lbs. of steam condensed by gauze leaves or plates per square foot is largely in excess
of that obtained by the most advanced forms of tubular surface condensers and as a
consequence I can construct most effective apparatus in a very sınall space.
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. For the purpose of condensing steam or vapour by means of air, the combination
data having quitable inlet and axit amoniuge of choate diene
or other

page_text: shaped pieces of thin perforated metal or gauze separated from each other by packing
riugs, washers or equivalent formed of soft metal, rubber, rubber cloth, or like yield-
ing material, said sheets being held in position by means of tie rods, bolts, or the
like passing through the end plates in the way and manner shewn.
2. In a condenser the combination use and employment of laminne of thin
perforated conducting metal or gauze packed and secured as described. Said sheets,
laminae, or the like, being so fashioned as to extend beyond the framings, tie rods
and washers for the purpose of dispersing or dissipating the heat of the closed
chamber by conduction.
3. In a condenser constructed of thin perforated sheets of metal or gauze the
particular combination and arrangement, whereby the air, water spray, or the like,
employed as a refrigerent is enabled to circulate between the projecting extensions
packed, secured, and steadied or guided in the way and manner described.
4. In a condenser constructed of perforated metal, gauze, or the like, the particular
combination and arrangement whereby one and the same side of each perforated
metal or gauze plate or leaf is exposed to both steam and the air or other refrigerent
employed.
5. In apparatus for condensing steam or the like the combination and use with
perforated inetallic plates or gauze leaves of resilient packing washers having lugs for
engaging with the guides. Said plates and washers being held in position by
compression in the way and manner described.
Dated th18 4th day of November 1897.
FRANCIS M. ROGERS
Agent 21 Finsbury Pavement Loudon E.C.