Improvements in Apparatus for Evaporating and Cooling Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
[Communicated from abroad by EDUARD THEISEN, of Cologne on the Rhine, in the
Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in Apparatus for Evaporating and Cooling Purposes.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings, Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
This invention refers to apparatus for evaporating and cooling purposes, and has for
its object to provide means for raising the liquid to be evaporated or cooled by means
of lifting devices, and for causing a stream of heated or cold air, or of hot products of
combustion, to pass through or between the lifting devices, from the centre to the
periphery, or in a reverse direction, so as to act in the most efficacious manner on the
liquid to be evaporated or to be cooled.
As to the apparatus used for this purpose, I prefer to employ one in which flat or
undulated, plain or perforated discs, arranged singly or in groups, rotate within
suitable vessels.
The heating medium may consist of air previously heated, or the gases of combustion
of a furnace arranged underneath the vessels, and the heat from which acts in the first
instance through the bottom or side walls of the vessel on the liquid to be evaporated,
and in the second instance, on the same liquid, by passing through or between the
lifting devices or discs.
The hot gases, from whatever source they are obtained, are conducted between the
discs from the centre to the periphery, or from the periphery to the centre, or they
may be conducted in both directions in separated groups of discs, the purpose of these
alternative arrangements being to make the utmost use possible of the heat in the
smallest compass or space for evaporating purposes, or, as the case may be, for heating
or cooling purposes.
The discs are mounted upon a hollow axle or cylinder, which may form part of the
exit flue for the heated gases from the furnace.-The air or gases flow through per-
forations in the circumference of the axle, and between the discs, to a flue or upper

page_text: aperture of the containing vessel.-Through this aperture the air or gases, with the
products of evaporation, may either escape direct into the chimney, or they may be
conducted for repeated use into a second apparatus, in which they enter the hollow
axle, and pass between the discs in the manner just described, or in which they first
pass through or between the discs, and escape through the perforations of the hollow
axle or cylinder. They may be conducted through a series of such apparatus in any
of the ways above described.
In some cases, the discs may be arranged in two groups, within the vessel, the
groups being separated by partition from each other, in such a manner, that the air or
gases admitted into the axle will pass the first group of discs from centre to periphery,
and then through the second group of discs from periphery to centre, and to escape
here through the axle.-The gases may, from here, be conducted to a second, a third,
or more apparatus, provided with similar groups of discs, for the complete use of the
air or gases employed. The groups of discs may be combined with, or connected to
the axle by cross arms in the centre part, which carry full discs at the inner side of the
groups,
whereas the other discs are cut out at the centre part, so that the air or gases
admitted may find no hindrance whatever to escape between the discs, and act here on
the liquid raised..
In order to cause the air or gases to be divided, or to enter as uniformly as possible
between all the discs, the discs of the first group may be cut away at the centre, so
that this cut out part has a conical shape, whereas the discs of the second group
increase in diameter at the periphery, so as to catch the stream of air or gas as uniformly
as possible in all the divisions. The axle may be mounted, and motion communicated
thereto in any convenient manner.
The vessel may be supplied by a suitable pipe with the liquid to be evaporated, and
the discs for raising the liquid may be provided either with concentrically or radially
arranged undulations, or with perforations or netting, or with blades, placed in proper
position, so as to increase the surface of the liquid which is to be expose to the stream
of air or gases.
It is obvious that this apparatus may be used for cooling liquid, or for cooling heated
air, by its repeated and thorough contact with cool liquid.
In order to increase the action of the apparatus, the heated or cool air may be
driven in by a fan, or the apparatus may be provided with an exhauster to increase the
velocity of the passing stream. It may in some cases be advisable to surround the
upper part of the containing vessel with a bad conducting material, or with brick
work, so as to keep away any injurious influence of the atmosphere, or changing
temperature, from the working of the apparatus.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1888.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Evaporating and Cooling Purposes.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings, Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex, 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 :—
This invention relates to the use of apparatus in which rotating lifting devices are
used in the evaporating and cooling of liquids, in conjunction with means for causing
the circulation of a stream of hot or cold air, or of hot products of combustion, through
or between such lifting devices, from the centre to the periphery, or in a reverse
direction, or in both directions, so as to act in the most efficacious manner on the
liquid under treatment. These lifting devices are mounted in close chambers or
vessels through which the heating medium is intended to circulate.
The heating medium may consist of air previously heated, or the gases of combus-
tion of a furnace arranged underneath the enclosing vessels, and the heat from which
acts, in the first instance, through the bottom or side walls of the vessel on the liquid
to be evaporated, and, in the second instance, on the same liquid by passing through
or between the lifting devices or discs.
The hot gases may however be conducted and admitted into the apparatus from any
other suitable source.
The hot gases, from whatever source they are obtained, are conducted, as before
mentioned, between the discs from the centre to the periphery, or from the periphery
to the centre, or they may be conducted in both directions in separated groups of discs,
the purpose of these alternative arrangements being to make the utmost use possible
of the heat in the smallest compass or space for evaporating purposes, or, as the case
may be, for heating or cooling purposes.
The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the annexed drawings,
in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a cross section, of an apparatus
for the above named purposes.
The discs s rotate within the enclosing or containing vessel r, formed with a multiple
trough-shaped bottom, and filled and supplied with the liquid to be evaporated. The
discs are mounted upon a hollow axle or cylinder a, which may form part of the exit
flue for the heated gases from the furnace, and may be closed at its outer end.
The air or gases How through perforations in the circumference of the axle, and
between the discs, and pass to a Hue or upper aperture of the containing vessel r.
Through this aperture the air or gases with the products of evaporation may either
escape direct into the chimney, or they may be conducted, for further use, into a
second apparatus, in which they will enter the hollow axle, and pass between the discs
in the manner just described, or in which they will first pass through or between_the
discs, and escape through the perforations of the hollow axle or cylinder.―They

page_text: may be conducted through a series of such apparatus in any of the ways above
described.,
A modification of this apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 3 in longitudinal section, and
in Fig. 4 in cross section.
The discs s are arranged in two groups or series within the containing vessel, the
groups being separated by a partition from each other in such a manner that the air
or gases admitted, at b, into the axle a, will pass through through the first group of
discs from centre to periphery, and then over the partition, and through the second
group of discs, from periphery to centre, and escape through the axle a, the outer end
of which is open for the purpose. The gases may from here be conducted to a
second, a third, or more apparatus, provided with similar groups of discs,, for the
complete use of the air or gases employed. The groups of discs s may be com-
bined with, or connected to the axle a by radial arms, or in any convenient manner, and
the discs at the inner side of each group will be full, whereas the other discs are cut
away at the centre part, so that the air or gases admitted may find no hindrance
whatever to enter between the discs and act there on the liquid being raised.
In order to cause the air or gases to be divided, or to enter as uniformly as possible
between all the discs, the discs of the first group are so cut away that the central
opening has a conical shape, that is to say, the diameter of the opening of the
several discs decreases inwards, whereas the discs of the second group increase in
diameter, the central opening remaining the same in all the discs, so as to catch the
stream of air or gas coming from the first group, and spread it as uniformly as
possible in all the divisions.
The axle or cylinder a may, as in Figs. 1 and 2, be carried by rollers or
revolving discs, and may be rotated by any suitable device of gearing or worm
wheels, mounted at a¹.
The products of evaporation may be carried away, or led off by the tube 1 or 2,
Fig. 4, as may be desired. The containing vessel is supplied with the liquid to be
evaporated by a pipe, and the discs s for raising the liquid may be formed either
with concentric or radial undulations, or with perforations, or netting, or provided
with blades placed in proper position, so as to increase the surface of the liquid which
is to be exposed to the stream of air or gases, all of which arrangements will be found
indicated in Fig. 3.
In the apparatus illustrated, the furnace or combustion chamber is shown as
arranged directly underneath the vessel », so that the fire acts directly on the
bottom of the vessel, and the products of combustion enter between the discs. In
case the liquids under treatment cannot he exposed to the direct action of the fire, or
contact with the products of combustion, the heat must be taken from any other source,
and in such instance it may be admitted into the apparatus by tube ¹, indicated in
dotted lines in Fig. 4.-The heat from this other source may however first act upon
the bottom of vessel », and afterwards enter between the discs.
It is obvious that the apparatus above described may be used for cooling liquid, or
for cooling heated air by its repeated and thorough contact with cool liquid.
In order to increase the action of the apparatus, the heated or cool air may be
driven in by a fan, or the apparatus may be provided with an exhauster to increase
the velocity of the passing stream. It may, in some cases, be advisable to surround
the upper part of the containing vessel with a bad conducting material, or with
brick-work, so as to provide against the injurious influence of changes of
temperature.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The arrangement of apparatus as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2,
whereby hot air, or heated gases of combustion, are caused to circulate below and
within the containing vessel or vessels fitted with rotating lifting devices, as and for
the purpose above set forth.

page_text: 2. The combination with an enclosing vessel divided by a vertical partition, and
connected with supply and exit pipes for the heating or cooling medium, of groups of
discs mounted on a common shaft, the discs of one group being of the same diameter,
but having central openings of decreasing diameter inwards, the discs of the other
group increasing in diameter outwards, but having central openings, of the same
diameter, as shown and described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, and for the purpose
set forth.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.