Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1898-Accepted, 23rd July, 1898
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
We, JAMES EVETTS and FRANCIS CARL SCHURZ, Manufacturers, both residing at
79, Dearborn Street, in the City of Chicago, County of Cook, and State of Illinois,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to a disinfecting apparatus, and has for its object to pro-
vide an improved form of apparatus in which a constant and unvarying flow of
the liquid disinfectant to the point of application is maintained. In disinfecting
apparatus at present in use, an objection has been that the liquid flows out very
rapidly at first, and as the level of the liquid becomes lower in the chamber, the
flow becomes less and less, so that if a wick is employed which will absorb the
required quantity of liquid disinfectant in a given time when the chamber is, say,
one-quarter full, when the chamber is refilled, the liquid will flow much faster,
and considerable waste will thereby ensue.
The disinfecting apparatus of this invention is designed to overcome this
difficulty and may be generally described as consisting of a main chamber or
reservoir for the liquid disinfectant and an auxiliary chamber communicating
with and preferably within said main reservoir in which the liquid is kept down
to a certain fixed level by atmospheric pressure, whether the main reservoir be
full or nearly empty. The wick leading from said auxiliary chamber is thus
supplied with liquid at a uniform rate from the time when the reservoir is filled
until it is empty.
In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the disinfecting apparatus of
this invention; Fig. 2 is a top view thereof; Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of
portions of the device.
The chamber or reservoir a is provided with an extension a¹ which is adapted
to protect the evaporating medium 6 of absorbent material which is supported by
a trough a² formed by the upturned end of the extension a¹. A tube c is secured,
preferably by soldering, to the top of the chamber a, through which it passes and
extends down within the chamber to within, say, half an inch of the bottom, thus
constituting an auxiliary or supplemental chamber within the reservoir a.
upper end of the tube is threaded to engage the threads upon the cap d, which
normally closes the opening in the upper end of the tube. Holes e e are pro-
vided in the top of the chamber a which are closed by the washer f when the cap
is screwed down.
The
A small tube g is joined at g' to the tube c and leads downward, ending at the
bottom a³ of the chamber a just above the body of absorbent material b. A wick h
extends from the top of the absorbent material up through this tube to its junction
with the auxiliary chamber c from whence it falls through said auxiliary chamber
to the bottom of the reservoir a.
When it is desired to fill the reservoir the cap d is unscrewed, whereupon the
liquid disinfectant may be poured into the tube c and will rise within the chamber

page_text: or reservoir a, egress for the air within said reservoir. being provided by the
holes e e.
The cap d is now replaced, washer f closing holes e e, leaving the
chamber air-tight.
The wick draws the liquid down through the tube 9 to the evaporating
medium 6 through which it percolates, and from whence it is disseminated in
vapor for the disinfection of the apartment, the excess liquid being collected by
the trough a² and carried off by the drip spout 2, which is preferably situated at a
point at or nearly diametrically opposite to the point at which "the absorbent
material receives its supply of disinfectant from the wick h. The drip spout may
communicate with a water-closet, urinal or similar place requiring disinfection.
Liquid will be drawn from chamber c by the wick but none will enter the
chamber from the main reservoir a until the liquid in chamber c is nearly all
drawn out, for there is no opening in reservoir a at which the air may enter. Air
may enter chamber c however, through the tube g which is not tightly filled by
the wick.
After the liquid in chamber c has been exhausted, a little is admitted from
reservoir a,
but cannot rise more than a very short distance in the tube or
chamber con account of the atmospheric pressure therein. A constant height
of liquid in chamber c is thus maintained, thereby keeping the flow of liquid
through the wick constant.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
-
1. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a normally sealed reservoir
adapted to contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber located within and
communicating with said reservoir, a wick tube leading from below the reservoir
and into the upper portion of the chamber and extraneous thereof, a wick arranged
in such tube and leading to the lower end of the chamber, the said chamber being
closed at its upper end but open at its lower end below the level of liquid in the
reservoir whereby air passes through the tube and into the auxiliary chamber
only as the liquid is withdrawn by the wick so that the liquid therein remains at
a practically constant level which is near the bottom of the chamber and of the
reservoir regardless of the level of the liquid in the reservoir, thereby assuring
a uniform feed by the wick.
2. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination with a reservoir adapted to
contain liquid disinfectant, of an auxiliary chamber to which access of air is
permitted and located within the reservoir, an avenue of communication between
said reservoir and said auxiliary chamber, a wick adapted to withdraw the liquid
from said auxiliary chamber to the point of application, said reservoir having
holes for the admission of air to said reservoir, and means for normally maintain-
ing said holes sealed against the passage of air, whereby the atmospheric pressure
causes the liquid in said auxiliary chamber to remain at a practically constant
level, regardless of the height of the liquid within the reservoir, substantially
as described.
3. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination with the reservoir a, of an
auxiliary chamber c, within said reservoir and in communication therewith at
the bottom, access of air being permitted to said auxiliary chamber c, a wick h
adapted to withdraw liquid from said chamber c to the point of application, said
reservoir having holes e e for the admission of air, and a cap d normally sealing
said holes against the passage of air, substantially as described.
4. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination with the reservoir a, of the
chamber c communicating therewith and with the external air, wick h, said
reservoir having holes e e for the admission of air, cap d normally covering the
chamber c, and a washer f carried upon said cap and normally sealing said
holes e e, substantially as described.
5. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a normally closed reservoir

page_text: adapted to contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber located within the
reservoir and communicating substantially at the bottom with the reservoir, and
a wick extending from below the reservoir and into the auxiliary chamber for
withdrawing the disinfectant, substantially as described.
6. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a normally closed reservoir
adapted to contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber located within the
reservoir and to which air has access and whose lower end communicates with the
reservoir near the bottom thereof, and a wick extending into the auxiliary chamber
to its lower end and leading from a point extraneous of such chamber for with-
drawing the disinfectant from the reservoir, substantially as described.
7. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a normally closed reservoir
adapted to contain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber open only at its
lower end and depending into the liquid, a wick tube leading outside the chamber
from its upper portion and a wick extending from the lower end of the chamber
upwards through the chamber and thence. through the wick tube.
8. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a reservoir adapted to con-
tain liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber located therein and communicating
substantially at its lower end with the reservoir, a tube leading from near the top
of the chamber downwards and a wick in the chamber and tube for withdrawing
the disinfectant from the reservoir.
9. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a reservoir adapted to contain
liquid disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber depending therein and having com-
munication through its lower end, an exposing surface located adjacent to the
reservoir, a tube extending from near the top of the auxiliary chamber and
passing downwardly through the reservoir to the exposing surface and a wick in
the auxiliary chamber and tube for conducting the disinfectant.
10. In a disinfecting apparatus, the combination of a reservoir to contain liquid
disinfectant, an auxiliary chamber communicating therewith substantially at its
lower end and a wick leading from the lower end of the chamber upward there-
through and thence downward extraneous of the chamber and below the bottom
of the reservoir.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicants, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,