Improvements in Glover Towers, Gay-Lussac Towers, and the like Used for Instance in the Manufacture of Sulphuric, Muriatic, and Nitric Acids.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Glover Towers, Gay-Lussac Towers, and the like
Used for Instance in the Manufacture of Sulphuric, Muriatic,
and Nitric Acids.
I, PETER JENSEN of 77 Chancery Lane London, Chartered Patent Agent do
hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication from Doctor
Georg Lunge of 22 Englischriertel Zürich Switzerland and Ludwig Rohrmann
of Krauschwitz near Muskau in Ober-Lansitz Germany, Manufacturer, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
In all cases in which as with the Glover tower it is desirable that the liquid
should remain as long as possible in the apparatus in order that the time for the
reaction may be as long as possible, the object has heretofore been to give the liquid
the greatest possible area by building in of parts having as large surface area as
possible, and for this purpose acid proof bricks of ordinary shape have been arranged
in a cellular or netlike form, or tubes, or flower pot like forms and various other forms
have been employed. In all these cases the chief endeavour was as stated to obtain an
area as large as possible. In this present invention however the object is to compel
the greatest possible amount of liquid to remain as long as possible in the apparatus
in order on the one hand to increase the effect of the desired reaction and on the other
hand to reduce the height of the apparatus by reducing the time of reaction without
impairing the yield.
With this view two different forms of insertion bricks A and B shown on the
accompanying drawing are employed all as hereinafter described.
Fig. 1 is a perspective top view and Fig. 2 a perspective bottom view of the bricks.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the brick A and Fig. 4 a plan view of the brick B.
Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal and Fig. 6 a vertical transverse section of part of
the structure with the bricks A and B employed therein.
The characteristic feature of these new bricks is that they have a vertical through
slot a which on the top side is surrounded by a channel recess b, the inner edge d of
the channel being shallower than the outer edge c, so that when the bricks are built
in merely the edge e shall be touched by the brick lying thereon but not the edge d.
There will thus be a free running over of the liquid from the channel 6 over the
edge d down onto the next lower brick. In order to prevent the acid from adhering
to the underside of the bricks A and B they are there formed with a V groove or
recess e all round the slot a.
The two bricks A and B are of the same outer dimensions, but A has a longer and
narrower slot a than B, so that the length grooves b in the brick A are comparatively
wider and the end grooves in the brick B are comparatively wider.
"
These bricks are also applicable in Gay-Lussac towers, for "intermediate towers
and generally for all cases occurring in the manufacture of sulphuric, muriatic and
nitric acids and for similar objects.
The bricks A and B are put in alternate courses as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 separated
by a course of ordinary acid proof bricks C or the like in such manner that the liquid
trickling down through the slots a of the upper course always runs down upon firm
surfaces of the next following course.

page_text: 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 correspondents I declare that what I claim is.
For Glover towers and analogous structures the application and use of bricks such
as A and B with slot a surrounded by a rib d and another rib c of greater height, so
that a channel is formed between the two ribs, always filled with liquid which overflows
the shallower rib d and runs through the slot a, the bricks having grooves e on the
underside for preventing the liquid from adhering thereto the said bricks being laid in
alternate courses with intermediate separating acid proof bricks C, so that the liquid
trickling down through the slots of an upper course always meets a firm surface in the
- next course substantially as set forth.
Dated this Sixteenth day of March 1897
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents