Improvements in Apparatus for Moistening Air.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Moistening Air.
I, EMILE MERTZ, of Basle, in the Republic of Switzerland, 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 relates to an improved apparatus for moistening air, in which the
sprayer of the water employed for moistening the air is constructed of a conical
nozzle arranged above a cone, so as to cause the fine diverging streams of water,
issuing from the nozzle in the form of a conical sheet to strike the peripheral
surface of the cone at a very acute angle (which considerably assists the spraying
of the water), and by this descending jet of water to draw air in at the upper part
of the casing of the apparatus and to cause it to pass out in a moist condition all
round the said casing, at the lower part of the apparatus, through an annular
passage the size of which can be regulated at will by an adjustable cone having
In order
a curved generatrix, over which trickle the unsprayed drops of water.
that the fine streams of water issuing from the nozzle and which may fail to
encounter the surface of the spraying cone, shall not fall directly on to the bottom
of the apparatus and shall be utilized for the moistening of the air passing through
the apparatus; the casing of this latter is provided near its lower part with a
V-shaped annular plate against which strike the said streams which, issuing from
the nozzle, would have a tendency to fall directly on to the bottom of the
apparatus, so that all the fine streams of water coming from the nozzle are in this
manner compelled to encounter a spraying surface, and the result of which is a
more prolonged contact of the water with the air which it is required to moisten.
The nozzle and the cone, which constitute the sprayer of the apparatus, are
mounted upon an annular piece or ring the upper part of which is hollow in order
to conduct the water to the nozzle, the latter being mounted in this ring in such a
manner that it can be withdrawn therefrom by simply unscrewing two nuts and
without being obliged to strike the mouth of the nozzle with a hammer or other
tool, which would naturally injure the apparatus and probably render it useless.
In the interior of the nozzle of the sprayer is arranged a cleaning needle which
can be pushed through the mouth of the said nozzle for the purpose of cleaning or
clearing it. This movement of the cleaning needle is effected, preferably, by means
of a spring lever pivotted to the support of the apparatus and connected by a rod
to the cleaning needle so that the cleaning can be effected at any time during the
operation of the apparatus by simply pulling a chain or a rod upon the free end of
the said lever, the spring tending to keep the lever in such a position that the
cleaning needle is normally disengaged from the mouth of the nozzle.
The water under pressure is conducted to the nozzle through one of the
supporting arms of the ring to which the nozzle is adapted, this supporting arm
being connected to a filter, designed to purify the water before it reaches the

page_text: The cone of the sprayer is preferably provided with horizontal ribs forming
steps against the edges of which impinge the fine streams of water issuing from th
nozzle in the form of a sheet of truncated conical shape which considerably assist
the spraying of the water.
Finally, the cone of the sprayer can be surmounted by a ball which can be
arranged so as to be brought nearer to or farther from the mouth of the nozzle, in
such a manner as to more or less cut with the said ball the conical sheet of fine
streams of water issuing from the nozzle, so that the said streams become
subdivided and strike partly upon the said ball and partly upon the periphery of
the cone.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice hy reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an apparatus for moistening air constructed
according to my invention; and,
Figures 2 to 5 are views of details.
In Figure 1A represents the annular piece or ring to which are adapted the
conical nozzle B and the cone C. The upper part of the ring A is hollow, that is
to say, it contains a channel a through which the water to be used for moistening
the air is conducted to the nozzle B. This ring A has two diametrically opposite
hollow arms a', a closed at one of their ends by two plugs b, b and serving to fix
the ring A to the cast iron support D (which is fixed to the ceiling of the room or
other place where the apparatus is to be employed) by means of hollow tubes E, E,
screwed into the arms a¹, a', one of which tubes E is secured to the support D by
nuts b', b, whilst the other tube E¹ is connected to the filter F mounted upon the
support D, the said tube E' serving to conduct the water under pressure which has
passed through the filter to the channel a and nozzle B. The conical nozzle B is
pressed tightly in its conical recess in the ring A by a nut c screwed upon a
threaded part of the nozzle B and bearing against a shoulder on the ring A, and
near its upper end the nozzle B is formed with
facilitate the removal of the nozzle from the ring A. For this purpose the ring A
polygonal portion c¹ designed to
is provided with a shoulder d over which is screwed a nut d. If after having
loosened the nut e the nut d¹ be turned in the proper direction to make it rise it
will bear against the polygonal part of the nozzle B and if the rotation be
continued the nozzle B will be disengaged from its recess in the ring A by lifting
the nozzle, so that the nozzle can be withdrawn from the ring A without having
to employ a hammer or other tool the use of which would be liable to injure the
mouth of the nozzle.
'
Within the nozzle B is arranged the needle H the upper end of which passing
through a stuffing box e is connected by a rod V to a lever I jointed at its end f to
a bracket g fixed to the support D the said lever having a spring K attached
thereto and to an arm fixed to the support D, the said spring tending to always
keep the lever I in its raised position shewn in the drawing. At the end f' of the
lever is attached a chain or a rod i which allows, when pulled, of drawing the
lever I downwards, the said downward movement of the lever I causing the point
of the needle H to pass through the mouth of the nozzle thereby effecting the
cleaning or clearing of the same. On ceasing to pull the rod i the spring K will
bring back the lever I into its normal position indicated in the drawing. An angle
bar fixed to the support D serves to limit the movement of the lever I in both
directions. The filter F designed to purify the water under pressure before it
reaches the nozzle is formed of a box k with a cover / having its bottom m traversed
by a central tube n screwed therein. On this tube is screwed a cage o having at
its upper end a plate r. Between this plater and a second plate screwed upon
the cage o, is secured a second cage o' and each of the two cages o and o' is covered
with a wire gauze jacket of very fine mesh. Upon a threaded part of the tube n
is screwed a nut s which allows of fixing the filter F to the support D the latter
being clamped between the bottom of the filter F and the said nuts. The nut t
serves to join the tube E' to the tube n.

page_text: The water entering the filter F through the tube u passes radially through the
wire gauze v and cages o, o' to the tube n and thence through the tube E' into the
channel a of the ring A.
The water issues from the nozzle B in the form of a conical sheet, the numerous
fine streams of which strike at a very acute angle against the periphery of the
cone C. The latter is preferably provided with ribs, steps or indents against the
edges of which impinge or graze the fine streams of water coming from the nozzle
after having lightly come in contact with the ball w surmounting the cone C and
having been broken up or partially arrested by the said ball.
The ring A. is arranged within a metal case L bell-mouthed at its two ends, the
said case being connected to the support D by three arms x and carrying, by
means of three arms y, the bottom M₁ of the apparatus. The bottom consists of
the draining cup for the water which has been used for humidifying the air in
the apparatus, an annular dish 2 for preventing the projection of insufficiently
sprayed drops outside the apparatus, and the air passing through the apparatus
from carrying them along, and a tripod 3, these three parts being connected
together in any suitable inanner and having an interposed washer of elastic
material.
To the tripod 3, is fixed by means of a screw z, a rod N carrying a cone M with
curved generatrix.
The jet of water issuing from the conical nozzle B and fulfilling in the interior
of the case L the function of a blower, draws air in at the upper end of the said
case in which the air becomes humidified by its contact with the water sprayed by
the nozzle B and cone C and whence it escapes in a moistened condition through
the annular space left between the lower bell shaped end of the case L and cone M ;
by loosening the screw the cone can be raised or lowered and consequently the
size of the anular opening t, through which the humidified air passes out of the
apparatus, can be regulated.
At the lower part of the case L of the apparatus is fixed a V-shaped ring P of
sheet metal against which the fine streans of water coming from the nozzle B and
not striking the cone C become sprayed thus avoiding the projection of these
streams of water outside the apparatus and also utilizing them for humidifying the
air passing through the apparatus. I am aware that air humidifiers have already
been constructed with a ring placed at that part of the metal case through which
the moistened air issues and upon which ring the fine streams of water which have
escaped pulverization strike; such an arrangement of spraying ring is described
in the Specification of Patent No. 20736 of 1892 and I therefore make no claim to
the use of a ring for this purpose. The cap or cone M with curved generatrix
conducts the water which has escaped being sprayed into the dish and being in
its passage again brought in contact with the air passing downwards through the
case L the long course traversed by this water over the cone M contributes still
further in a certain degree to increase the humidification of the air.
Instead of being fixed as shewn in Figure 1 the ball w surmounting the cone may
be moveable as indicated in Figure 2 and be fixed in this case to a rod e¹ having
one end screw threaded on which is screwed a nute held between two fixed
surfaces e³, e of a piece R screwed to the ring A so that by turning the nut e², the
ball w can be raised or lowered providing the nut e screwed on the lower end of
the rod e' has been previously loosened. By raising or lowering the ball w the
degree to which this latter is struck by the fine streams of water issuing in the
form of a conical sheet from the nozzle B can be varied and a subdivision of
the said streams be caused in order that a portion of each stream striking the ball w
may spray itself against the latter whilst another portion of the same stream may
spray itself by contact with the edges of the ribs of the cone C. Instead of being
provided with horizontal ribs the spraying cone C can be formed with ribs in the
direction of the generatrices of the cone, as shewn in Figure 3, or the ribs may be
dispensed with, as shewn in Figure 4; or the cone C may have horizontal ribs as
well as ribs formed in the direction of the generatrices of the cone, as shewn in

page_text: Figure 5; moreover as shewn in the latter figure the fixed or moveable ball w may
be dispensed with the cone C in this case being simply terminated by a conical point.
The needle may be arranged as illustrated in Figure 5 to automatically effect
the cleaning of the nozzle by the action of a spring pressing on a piston
formed integral with the needle H directly the water is cut off from the nozzle,
the said piston being raised against the action of the spring during the
time that the nozzle B is being supplied with water under pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware
of the Specification of Thompson's Patent No. 9246 of 1887 and I wish it to be
understood that I make no claim to anything therein described and claimed but
what I claim is :-
1. In apparatus for moistening air of the kind in which the spraying of the water
is effected by means of a conical nozzle arranged above a cone, ribs or steps,
preferably horizontal, made on the surface of the cone, the edges of the said
ribs or steps being designed to lightly touch or graze the streams of water which
impinge thereon and thereby effect the spraying of the water, substantially as
herein before described.
2. In apparatus for moistening air of the kind referred to in Claim 1 a bail
surmounting the spraying cone and designed to be lightly struck or grazed by the
fine streams of water issuing in a conical sheet from the conical nozzle for the
purpose of causing, by means of the said ball, a division of each of the streams
coming in contact with the ball and of thus separating each stream into two
portions one of which becomes sprayed upon the said ball whilst the other sprays
itself upon the peripheral surface of the cone, the said ball being preferably
adapted to the end of a rod adjustable in a vertical direction in order to allow of
varying the action of the ball, that is to say, the degree to which the streams
issuing from the nozzle shall impinge thereon, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In apparatus for moistening air of the kind referred to in Claim 1, the
arrangement of spraying cone and conical nozzle adapted to a common supporting
ring the upper part of which is hollow and serves to conduct the water to the
nozzle, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In apparatus for moistening air of the kind referred to in Claim 1, the conical
nozzle combined with a cleaning needle placed in its interior and adapted to be
moved for the purpose of allowing the mouth of the nozzle to be cleaned by
causing the needle to pass through the said mouth, the said needle being actuated
by a lever connected thereto by a rod under the action of a spring and provided
with means such as a chain or rod for pulling the same, whereby the cleaning needle
can be driven through the mouth of the nozzle, the spring connected to the lever
bringing it back into its initial position as soon as the pull upon the lever ceases,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In apparatus for moistening air of the kind referred to in Claim 1, the
suspension of the ring carrying the conical nozzle and the spraying cone in the
interior of the case of the apparatus by means of two tubes connected to the support
serving to fix the apparatus to the ceiling, one of the said tubes being utilized for
conducting the water under pressure to the nozzle, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
6. In apparatus for moistening air of the kind referred to in Claim 1, a filter
adapted to the support serving to fix the apparatus to the ceiling and comprising
a box within which are arranged two concentric cages each covered with a wire
gauze jacket of very fine mesh and into the centre of which box passes a tube
for the outflow of the filtered water whilst a supply tube conducts the water under
pressure into the box in order to be filtered so that the water passes radially
through the wire gauze and concentric cages the said concentric cages being fixed
to each other and adapted to be withdrawu from the filter-box upon the removal

page_text: of the cover of the latter in order to allow of cleaning the filtering cages fixed
therein, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. In apparatus for moistening air of the kind referred to in Claim I, providing
the support for the conical nozzle with a screw-threaded shoulder on which is screwed
a nut which being rotated can be moved in such a manner that, after having
loosened the nut holding the conical nozzle in its support it abuts against an
enlarged portion of the nozzle and disengages it from its recess in the said support
for the purpose of allowing the nozzle to be withdrawn from its support without
having recourse to a hammer or other tool the use of which would be likely to
injure the mouth of the conical nozzle, substantially as hereinbefore described.
8. The improved apparatus for moistening air herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 9th day of August 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.