Year: 1885

page_text: We, CHARLES VERNON BOYS, of 7 Dorset Square, Professor of. Physics, and
HENRY HARDINGE CUNYNGHAME, of Hurlingham Lodge, Fulham, both in the
County of Middlesex, Barrister at Law, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
Our invention relates to a device for the cleansing and separating of steam, by
separating water, dirt, and other impurities therefrom. It is designed to effect
this in such a manner, that the steam may be delivered quite free from impurities
and in a pure gaseous condition, and the rejected water etc. may be removed
with facility, by means of a tap or other outlet, actuated either by hand or
automatically.
'
For this purpose we employ the principle that when a mass of fluid, or vapour,
or gas is set in rotation, any heavier particles in it will be driven outwards with a
greater force than that operating upon the steam from the centre of rotation.
We introduce the steam to be cleansed or separated into a cylindrical, spherical,
or other suitably shaped round chamber, by means of an orifice leading tangentially
into the same, and we may provide this orifice with an inner lip to guide the steam
round the inner surface. We may also make the sectional area at this point rather
smaller than that of the supply pipe, in order to increase the velocity of the steam
on entering the chamber. Thus a vortex of steam is produced in the chamber.
The steam escapes from the chamber by a pipe leading away in a direction as
nearly as possible in the axis of the vortex. To prevent the vortex of steam,
which is undergoing the cleansing or separating process, from mingling with the
steam as it escapes after separation, we may place in the chamber a cylindrical'
tube with its axis coinciding with that of the chamber, and leading down some
distance into it, so as to form an inner shield. This tube, which may be perforated.
in the sides, forms a continuation of the escape pipe. We also sometimes widen
the chamber a little round the edges of this tube, to reduce the speed of the vortex
at the point where the pure or separated steam leaves it, and thus facilitate the
entrance of the steam into the mouth of the tube, which may also be slightly.
widened at the end with the same object. The water thus separated from the
We
steam may be removed from the chamber by a suitable tap, trap, or valve.
preferably place the chamber in a vertical position, in this case the water together
with other heavy impurities falls by its own weight down the sides of the chamber,

page_text: and is removed from the bottom by a tap, trap, or self-acting automatic escape
valve. In most instances we have found it sufficient to place a simple tap at the
bottom of the chamber. This tap can be opened by hand to an extent sufficient
to allow the water to dribble away without allowing the steam to escape, or
instead of a trap, a valve might be placed, kept in position by a spring or weight,
similar to the safety valve on a steam boiler. We sometimes make the chamber
widen towards the end opposed to the steam escape, in order to still further
facilitate this separation; and sometimes we place near the end one or more flanges
or ribs, to arrest the rotation of the water, and cause it better to escape through
the water-escape-tap, or trap. We may slightly incline these flanges to the axis of
the cylinder, so as to guide the water away to the escape tap or trap, and this is
particularly useful where the chamber is not placed vertically. We also find it
advantageous to fix to the chamber a glass water gauge similar to a boiler gauge,
so that by inspection from the outside, the amount of water in the chamber may be
easily ascertained.
To prevent cooling of the steam, we prefer to jacket the vessel with non-
conducting substances, such as are used for steam pipes and boilers.
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicanta.
We, CHARLES VERNON BOYS, of 7 Dorset Square, Professor of Physics, and
HENRY HARDINGE CUNYNGHAME of Hurlingham Lodge, Fulham, both in the
County of Middlesex, Barrister at Law do hereby declare the nature of this 2
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
,
Our Invention relates to a device for the cleansing and separating of steam by
separating water, dirt, and other impurities therefrom. It is designed to effect
this in such a manner that the steam may be delivered free from impurities, and 3
in a purely gaseous condition, and so that the rejected water etc., may be removed
with facility by means of a tap or outlet, actuated either by the hand, or
automatically by the accumulation of water.
For this purpose we employ the principle that when a mass of fluid vapour or
gas is set in rotation, any heavier particles in it will be driven outwards from the 3
centre of rotation with a greater force than that operating upon the steam.
In order that our invention may be the better understood, we now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being

page_text: mad to the letters and, ngures marked thereon-Like letters refer to like parts
throughout the drawings
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through our device.
Figure 2 is a part sectional and part outside view of our device in a plane at
right angles to that of figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse sectional plan of our device through the steam
admission orifice.
Figure 4 is a transverse sectional plan of our device through its largest..
diameter.
We introduce the steam to be cleansed or separated into a circular chamber or
vessel A, the shape of which, as shown, we find to be particularly advantageous to
our apparatus; namely, that it is formed with a gradually increasing diameter
towards the part nearest to the orifice B of egress for the water or other impurities.
This shape we find causes the water, under its centrifugal action upon the
deflecting sides, to flow readily towards the point of discharge. The steam is
admitted by means of an orifice C, which is carried round the chamber, so as to
enter the same tangentially; we have generally found it advantageous to make
the mouth C¹ of the said orifice of a slightly smaller sectional area than that of the
supply pipe, in order that the velocity of the steam on entering the chamber may
be increased-Thus a vortex of steam is produced in the chamber.
The steam escapes or is carried from the chamber by a pipe D, which is carried
down from the top cover E of the vessel for a considerable distance in the axis of
the vortex. This exit tube prevents the steam, as it escapes after separation, from
mingling with the steam as it enters, and which has yet to undergo the cleansing
or separating process. The said exit tube D, may be either parallel, or may have
its mouth slightly widened so as to make the velocity of the steam, where it enters
the said tube, as small as possible; and for the same reason the mouth of the said
tube is carried down approximately to the largest part of the Chamber A, where
the speed of the vortex is the least.
In the lower part of the chamber A, we provide spiral ribs F, or other similar
flanges or ribs, to arrest the rotation of the water, and to cause its rotary movement
to accelerate its flow by deflection upon the said ribs to the point of egress B.
The chamber thus described should be put in a vertical position; as, in this case,
the water and other impurities are assisted in falling down the sides of the Chamber
by gravity.
If it be desired to use the separator in a horizontal position, the opening for the
escape of the water would have to be made in the side, at a place where the Chamber
has the greatest diameter, as for instance P. (Fig. 1).
The water or other impurities, thus separated from the steam, may be removed
as they accumulate by a simple tap at the bottom of the Chamber. This tap can
be opened by hand to an extent sufficient to allow the water to dribble away
without allowing the steam to escape. Or, any known automatic steam trap may
be used, such for instance as those which depend for their action upon the expansion
and contraction of resin, or metal, or other substances, under the different tempera-
tures of the steam and the water condensed therefrom; Or, such automatic steam
traps as depend for their operation upon the buoyancy of the Valve consequent
upon the accumulation of Water. These appliances are well known to the.
engineering world so we do not specify them in detail.
•
We find it advantageous to fix to the chamber a glass water gauge G similar to
a boiler gauge, so that by inspection from the outside the amount of water in the
chamber may be easily ascertained.
To prevent the cooling of the steam while undergoing the process of cleansing or
separation, we prefer to jacket the vessel with non conducting substances, such as
are used for steam pipes and boilers.
It is obvious that other gases than steam such as compressed air, ammonia, ether
or the products of combustion from a Gas Engine, may contain Water or other
impurities, and in such case our above described device is equally applicable without

page_text: departing from the nature of our invention for separating the said moistures or
impurities therefrom, and this we have proved by direct experiment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1st The separation of water or other impurities from steam by centrifugal action
in a circular chamber, the cleansed, steam being drawn off by a pipe from the centre
of the vortex and at the point of least velocity, substantially as described.
2nd In such a device, the arrangement of such a separating or cleansing chamber
with a descending vortex, so as to cause the force of gravity to aid in the removal
of the water or other impurities substantially as described.
3rd In such a device, a chamber of gradually increasing diameter at the part
most remote from entry, causing the water by the deflection of the sides to flow
more readily towards the point of discharge, substantially as described.
4th In such a device, an internal projecting exit tube for the cleansed steam,
entering the centre of the vortex and constructed with either parallel sides or with
trumpet mouthed opening, substantially as described.
5th In such a device, the combination with a. separating chamber of spiral or
screw vanes or ribs, on the interior of the chamber, contiguous to the water exit,
to catch and arrest the rotating water and thus to compel its more rapid flow
towards such exit substantially as described.
8th In such a device, the construction of the steam entry pipe tangentially to the
chamber, and with reduced area and modified shape of mouth, to aid in giving.
proper velocity to the entering steam, substantially as described.
7th The combination of such a steam cleanser or separator with a water tap or
other known automatically acting water trap, for withdrawing the water from the
chamber as it collects, substantially as described.
8th The combination of such a steam cleanser or separator with a gauge or glass
to indicate the accumulation of water therein, substantially as described.
9th The general construction and arrangement of the said steam cleanser or
separator and parts, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
Dated this with dov of Au 1986