Improvements in Apparatus for Washing and Scrubbing Gas.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing and Scrubbing Gas.
We, JOHN LAYCOCK of Keighley in the County of York, Gas Engineer and
THOMAS CLAPHAM of the same place, Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
It relates to the class of apparatus for washing and scrubbing gas, consisting
of a series of drums mounted to rotate within a cylinder, box or chamber.
containing water or other liquid and the object of this invention is to make
said apparatus (without adding to the cost of its production) perform its
functions more efficiently.
To attain this object each drum is divided, transversely its axis, into two distinct
portions, these separate portions being as usual divided by radiating pieces into any
desired number of spaces which are again subdivided so as to have a space around
the central shaft while the usual buckets are arranged on the periphery of the drum
for raising the water or liquid and causing it to flow or circulate radially within the
drum through the intervening spaces which are filled with wooden balls or spheres
or spherical articles of other substances as is well understood.
The dividing walls approaching the axle are perforated as is also the peripheral
rim on which the buckets are mounted, while the transverse partition has openings
made through it approaching its outer edge.
By forming the drums as above described and by mounting them so that one of
their ends is at a certain part of it in contact with one of the partitions in the
chamber, box or cylinder in which they are mounted, it will be seen that the gas
on passing through them is made to percolate through the interstices between the
spheres or balls of one chamber, pass thence through the openings in the transverse
partition of the drum and forward through the interstices between the balls in the
other chamber of the drum thus it emerges to pass through the separate chambers
of each drum successively.
The series of compartments into which the box or cylinder containing the series
of drums (these latter corresponding in number with the former) is divided by its
several partitions, are to a certain extent filled with water or other liquid as above
described, such water or liquid being supplied thereto by flowing in an opposite
direction to that in which the gas travels in its course through the apparatus.
Now to keep the said water or liquid at about an even depth or level in all the
compartments and further to prevent that in the more advanced compartment from
flowing back into the preceding one, instead of the overflow merely passing over or
through a slot or opening in the partition, a pipe with suitable outlet and other
regulating valves or taps is placed to lead from the lower part of one compartment
to the upper part of the one following it in its order while a check valve is situated
in any suitable part of same or in a closed box having valves on each side of it to
regulate or stop the flow of the water or liquid through it when desired, so that by
its actions the water or liquid is at all times prevented from returning and is
constrained to follow its proper course as desired. The stop valves being to enable

page_text: repairs or other operations to be carried out in connection with said check valve
whenever necessary.
Dated this 27th day of August 1895
JOHN LAYCOCK,
THOMAS CLAPHAM,
Per Samuel Hey,
Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus for Washing and Scrubbing Gas.
We, JOHN LAYCOCK of Keighley in the County of York, Gas Engineer and
THOMAS CLAPHAM of the same place, Ironfounder, 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, that is to say :-
It relates to the class of apparatus for washing and scrubbing gas consisting
of a series of drums mounted to rotate within a cylinder, box or chamber
containing water or other liquid, and the object of this invention is to make
said apparatus (without adding to the cost of its production) perform its
functions more efficiently.
In the accompanying sheets of drawings which are illustrative of our
invention :-
Figs. 1 and 2 are part sectional front and end elevations of apparatus made in
accordance with our invention.
Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional and side elevations, respectively drawn to an enlarged
scale, of a valve used in connection with our improved apparatus.
To attain the object of our invention each drum a is divided as by the partition b,
transversely its axis c, into two distinct portions d d', these separate portions d di
being as usual divided by radiating pieces into any desired number of spaces which
are again subdivided by the partitions y so that a space is left around the central
shaft while the usual buckets k are arranged on the periphery of the drum a for
raising the water or liquid and causing it to flow or circulate radially within the
portions d d which are filled with wooden balls or similarly shaped articles of other
substances as is well understood.
The partitions g as well as the peripheral rim m are perforated, while the
partitions 6 have openings n made through them at a part approaching the outer
edge or the rim m.
By forming the drums a as above described and by mounting them so that one
of their ends as the ends p is at the part p' of it in contact with the partitions r
which subdivide the chamber s in which these drums a are mounted, it will be
seen that the gas on passing through them is made to percolate through the
interstices between the spheres or balls in one chamber, as that at d³, pass thence
through the openings n and forward through the interstices between the balls in
the other chamber d thus it emerges to pass through the separate chambers of
each drum a successively its course being somewhat indicated by the several
arrows t.
The series of compartments s¹ into which the box or cylinders is divided (the
number of such compartments & corresponding with the number of drums a) by its
several partitions r, are to a certain extent filled with water or other liquid as
above described, such water or liquid being supplied thereto by flowing in an
opposite direction indicated by the arrows t¹ to that in which the gas travels in its
course through the apparatus, the inlet of the latter being at the end A while the
outlet of the former is at the same end through the pipe . In order to keep the
said water or liquid at about an even depth or level in all the compartments s¹ and

page_text: further to prevent that in the more advanced compartment from flowing back into
the preceding one, instead of the overflow merely passing over or through a slot or
opening in the partitions r, a pipe with suitable outlet valves w, is placed to lead
from the lower part y of one compartments to the upper part y¹ of the one
following it in its order while a check valve (shown in detail by Figs. 3 and 4)
is situated in any suitable position as that shown by Fig. 1, and has valves or
taps zz on each side of it to regulate or stop the flow of the water or liquid
through it when and as desired, so that by its actions the water or liquid is at all
times prevented from returning and is constrained to follow its proper course as
required. The stop valve 2 2¹ being to enable repairs or other operations to be
carried out in connection with the said check valve x whenever necessary.
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 apparatus of the class described the combination of a cylinder or box,
rotary drums mounted within same, and partitions made for contact with the outer
walls of said drums substantially as specified.
2. The combination in apparatus of the class described of a cylinder drums
within said cylinder and partitioning parts within said cylinder and said drums
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
3. The combination in apparatus of the class described, of a cylinder divided
into a series of compartments, drums arranged to rotate in said compartments, and
pipes with valves for regulating the flow of the water or other liquid through said
several compartments substantially as set forth.
Dated this 8th day of May 1896
JOHN LAYCOCK,
THOMAS CLAPHAM,
Per Samuel Hey,
56 Low Street, Keighley, Agent.