IMPROVE- MENTS IN COMPRESSION PUMPS FOR AMMONIA GAS.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel of No 28 Southampton Buildings
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COMPRESSION PUMPS FOR AMMONIA GAS. Communicated to him
from abroad by August Osenbrück of Hemelingen in the German Empire
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1882.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in
the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSION PUMPS FOR AMMONIA
GAS" [Communicated to him from abroad by August Osenbrück of Hemelingen
in the German Empire]
In the stuffing box for the piston rod of ammonia gas compressing pumps, the
glycerine that is used as packing being subject to the compression pressure of the
pump, absorbs under the high pressure and comparatively low temperature, a
considerable quantity of ammonia. A portion of the ammoniated glycerine adheres
to the surface of the piston rod as it passes out of the stuffing box into the
atmosphere, and gives off the ammonia carried thereby. The continual and
numerous repetitions of these losses, though individually small, form in the
aggregate a considerable pecuniary loss, in addition to which the escape of ammonia.
is very objectionable.
According to the present invention this difficulty is obviated by the following
arrangement. Into the open end of the ordinary stuffing box of the pump casing
is inserted the neck of a second separate stuffing box through which the piston rod
passes, and surrounding this neck is a recess in the ordinary stuffing box containing
a packing ring of caoutchouc which is pressed tight by a gland, so as to prevent
any escape of ammonia at the joint. The separate stuffing box has an enlargement
or chamber formed thereon which is filled with an oil that is neutral to ammonia,
such as mineral oil, and this oil is kept heated by means of steam entering a
pocket within the lower part of the chamber so that the oil cannot take up
•

page_text: ammonia. The upper part of the chamber has firstly a pipe connected to a force
pump by which the oil can be forced in from time to time to make good losses,
and secondly a pipe connected to the suction of the ammonia. pump, so that the oil
in the chamber will be subjected to the same pressure as such suction. The
stuffing box has a partition beyond the said chamber, through which the piston
rod passes, and its outer end is closed by a gland. The chamber of the stuffing
box has a glass gauge by which the level of the oil therein can be seen, and it has
also a pressure gauge for indicating the pressure. By this arrangement any
ammonia that may be carried through the ordinary stuffing box of the pump
casing into the separate stuffing box will not be absorbed by the oil therein but
will rise up in the chamber and pass back through the before mentioned pipe into.
the suction of the pump, thus preventing all loss of ammonia.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th March 1883.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in
the county of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN COMPRESSION PUMPS FOR AMMONIA
GAS A communication to me from abroad by August Osenbrück of Hemelingen
in the German Empire
In the stuffing box for the piston rod of ammonia gas compressing pumps, the
glycerine that is used as packing, being subject to the compression pressure of the
pump, absorbs under the high pressure and comparatively low temperature, a
considerable quantity of ammonia. A portion of the ammoniated glycerine
adheres to the surface of the piston rod as it passes out of the stuffing box into the
atmosphere, and gives off the ammonia carried thereby. The continual and
numerous repititions of these losses, though individually small, form in the
aggregate a considerable pecuniary loss, in addition to which the escape of ammonia
is very objectionable.
According to the present invention, this difficulty is obviated by the arrangement
shewn on the accompanying drawings, in which figure 1 shews a longitudinal section,
Fig 2 an end view and fig. 3 a cross section. Into the open end of the ordinary
stuffing box A of the pump casing is inserted the neck of a second separate stuffing
box E through which the piston rod passes, and surrounding this neck is a recess
in the ordinary stuffing box collar B containing a packing ring of caoutchouc, which
is pressed tight by a gland C, so as to prevent any escape of ammonia at the
joint. The separate stuffing box has an enlargement or chamber D formed thereon,
which is filled with an oil that is neutral to ammonia such as mineral oil and this
oil is kept heated by means of steam entering a pocket F within the lower part of
the chamber through a pipe 1, while the condensed water flows off through a
pipe 2; the oil is thus prevented from taking up ammonia. The upper part of the
chamber has firstly a pipe 3 connected to a force pump by which the oil can be
forced in from time to time to make good losses, and secondly a pipe 4 connected
to the suction of the ammonia pump, so that the oil in the chamber will be
subjected to the same pressure as such suction. The stuffing box has a partition
beyond the said chamber, through which the piston rod passes, and its outer end E¹
is closed by a gland. The chamber C of. the stuffing-box has a glass guage by
which the level of the oil therein can be seen, and it has also a pressure guage for
indicating the pressure. By this arrangement, any ammonia that may be carried
through the ordinary stuffing box of the pump casing into the separate stuffing
box E will not be absorbed by the oil therein, as this is maintained at too high a
temperature, but will rise up in the chamber G and pass back through the before
mentioned pipe into the suction of the pump, thus preventing all loss of ammonia.
As the piston rod passes through the hot oil, which is free from ammonia, before
passing through the stuffing box E¹, into the atmosphere, no escape of ammonia is
possible in that direction.
Having thus described the nature of the said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent
I claim in respect of compression pumps for ammonia gas.
First: The use, in combination with the ordinary stuffing box of the piston rod,
of a chamber through which the piston rod passes, and which is charged with oil
heated to such a temperature that it will not absorb ammonia,

page_text: Second: The use; a a packing for stuffing boxes, of oil heated to such a
temperature that it will not absorb ammonia.
Third: The use of stuffing boxes wherein heated oil is employed as a packing
constructed and operating as herein described with reference to the accompanying
drawing.
In Witness whereof I, the said Charles Denton Abel have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighth day of March in the year of our Lord, one
thousand, eight hundred and eighty-three.
CHAD ABEL (L.S.)