Improvements in the Manufacture of Sulphurous Acid and other Sulphur Compounds, and in Apparatus Employed in such Manufacture.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 15th Mar., 1887.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Sulphurous Acid and other
Sulphur Compounds, and in Apparatus Employed in such
Manufacture.
I JOSEPH MATTHEW WALTON of Hollin-cross-Lane, Glossop in the County of
Derby, Mechanic 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 :-
The object of this invention is to manufacture sulphurous acid and other sulphur
compounds by a continuous process, the principal novel feature of the process being
that the water or the alkaline solution descends by gravitation from one vat to another
whilst the sulphurous acid gas passes at the same time continuously in the reverse
direction rising through the column of the water or alkaline solution in each vat in
succession at the same time that the water or alkaline solution is kept in constant
movement by means of rovolving agitators.
The construction, arrangement and use of the apparatus which 1 propose to employ
for this purpose will be readily understood on reference to the drawings hereunto
annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved apparatus, taken longitudinally
through about the central line.
Fig. is a top or plan view of a part of Fig. 1 showing but one vat and Fig. 3 is
an end elevation (partly in section) of the arrangement for supporting and driving one
of the agitators.
Referring to Fig. 1, I have shewn a series of threo vats A, A1, A2 in communication
with each other at both the top and bottom for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.
Each vat referred to (composed of wood or. other suitable material capable of being
employed in the manufacture of sulphurous acid or sulphites or bisulphites of the
D
017

page_text: alkalies or alkaline earths) consists of a top a, bottom a¹ and sides a² the latter being
herein shown as cylindrical in form.
sustaining uprights
which latter
The sides a² of each vat support cross-bars
form bearings for a shaft 62, having mounted thereon the usual fast and loose belt
pulleys.
The shaft at one end is provided with a bevil pinion in gear with a bevil
wheel mounted upon a spindle herein shown as extended down into its vat
through a stuffing box 67 supported by the top a of the said vat, the bevil wheel 65
being shown so mounted on the vertical spindle as to revolve in a horizontal path.
The spindle is carried and supported at its upper end by the frame ³ (see detached
view Fig. 3) which supports the weight of the agitator.
to
The spindle 6 is also extended to nearly the bottom A¹ of the vat and has fastened
it bars & connected by cross-bars d¹, the sail bars and spindle forming an agitator
by which the liquor within the interior or compartment B of the vats is stirred or
agitated.
The liquor referred to which may be cither water for manufacturing sulphurous
acid or any solution containing an element capable of forming a sulphite or bisulphite
with sulphurous acid; but which in the present instance may be supposed for the
sake of illustration to be hydrate of calcium, first enters the Vat A, near its top by
the pipe e.
*
As herein shown the vat A is connected to the Vat A¹ by pipes e¹, e²,
the pipe
leading from the bottom of the Vat A to near the top of the Vat A' while the pipe e
leads from the top of the Vat A to nearly the bottom of A¹.
The Vat A' is connected with the Vat A, in a similar manner by pipes e³, e, the
pipe being connected to the bottom of the Vat A' and the top of the Vat A2 while
the pipe et is connected to the top of the Vat A' and to the bottom of Vat A².
The Vat A2 is also provided with pipes e and e', the pipe e being connected to its
bottom, the pipe e' leading outward from near its top, the said pipes being shown as
broken off in the drawing, but they may in practice, if desired be connected to another
vat in a similar manner to that above described.
The pipes e, e are provided with Cocks e, e by which communication may be cut
off between the vats.
When the apparatus is at work the cocks ee, will be closed as will also the cock on
the pipe e and when closed the liquor is permitted to flow into the Vat A through the
pipe e.
It is preferred in practice to maintain a constant supply of liquor during the process,
the said liquor flowing from the Vat A into the Vat A' through the pipe e from the
Vat A into the Vat A through the pipe e, and from the Vat A' by the pipe e'.
Thus a constant flow of liquor is maintained by gravity through the Vats, as stated,
and a current or supply of gas, sulphurous oxide, (SO2), is drawn through the said
liquor in the opposite direction by means of an exhaust engine or pump (not shown)
which is connected to the pipe f³ attached to the Vat A.
The said gas is first introduced into the interior or Compartment B of the Vat A²
by means of the pipes, admitting the said gas in two places at the bottom of the said
Vat, and it passes from the interior or Compartment B of the Vat A2 into the interior
or compartment B. of the vat A¹ by the pipes f¹ from the interior or compartment B
of the Vat A' through the pipes and then it passes from the compartment B of
Vat A and is exhausted therefrom through the pipe f³..
In operation the gas and liquor are thoroughly commingled by means of the
agitators which are caused to revolve by the gearing above described, or in other
suitable or equivalent manner.
The liquor converted into sulphurous acid or into sulphites or bisulphites flows from
the Vat A by the outlet pipe eit being then ready for use.

page_text: 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. The manufacture of sulphurous acid and other sulphur compounds in a continuous
manner by means of a series of closed Vats or receptacles arranged in gradations so
that the water or alkaline solution to be impregnated with the sulphurous oxide being
admitted into the upper vat, descends continuously from one vat to the other whilst
the gas being admitted to the lowest vat near the bottom ascends continuously in the
opposite direction through the column of liquor contained in each Vat (and kept in
agitation) from one vat to the other whereby the water or alkaline solution becomes
thoroughly impregnated with the said gas.
2. The novel construction of apparatus employed for such process consisting of the
combination of the series of Vats arranged in gradations and joined together by
connecting pipes for the flow of the liquor with suspended revolving agitators in
the said Vats and connecting pipes for the supply and passage of the gas, the whole
being constructed arranged and operated substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.