IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND MEDICATING ATMOSPHERIC AIR AND DISTRIBUTING THE SAME WHERE REQUIRED to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: Air and Distributing the same where required.
I WILLIAM HIBBERT of Clarence Street Cheetham Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND MEDICATING ATMOSPHERIC AIR
AND DISTRIBUTING THE SAME WHERE REQUIRED to be as follows:-
"
The principal objects of this invention are to provide means for purifying and
imparting medicinal that is prophylactic or therapeutic properties (or both) to
atmospheric air, and to distribute the same (when so purified and medicated)
either in a hospital or other building or wherever else it may be desired. Part of'
my said invention will also allow of a person carrying with him and breathing
purified or medicated air in a fog or in any other atmosphere charged with smoke'
or with deleterious gases.
In the first place when a fixed apparatus is required I provide means of com-
pressing the atmospheric air into a chamber or receiver formned somewhat like an
ordinary gasometer so as to obtain and maintain a steady atmospheric pressure
sufficient to force the air through the purifying or medicating and distributing
apparatus hereinafter described.
Air pumps, fans, or other known air compressing apparatus may be used for this
purpose, and may be worked by steam gas, or other power.
The compressed air chamber or receiver is to be provided with a main pipe or
pipes and a suitable number of branch pipes connected there with to convey the air
to the various apartments or other places where the air is to be purified or
medicated and to be distributed, and these main or branch pipes are to fitted with
suitable stop taps or valves to open or close communication with any or all of the
branches as occasion may require.
At each point where the purified or medicated air is to be distributed I provide
the following apparatus. First a metallic or other vessel open at the top and
closed beneath, and of a cylindrical or other suitable shape.
This vessel is provided at or near the centre of its height with a shallow closed
chamber into which the branch pipe discharges the compressed air. Into holes in
the under side of this chamber are screwed or otherwise fitted the upper ends of a
077

page_text: series of vertical tubes the lower ends of which are closed. These tubes are per-
forated with a great number of small holes towards their lower ends but are not
perforated towards their upper part.
The cylindrical vessel is filled to a certain depth above the perforated part of the
pipes with a medicated solution and it will be evident that as the compressed air
is forced through the perforations in the vertical tubes it will be divided into very
minute particles which will bubble up through the medicated solution absorbing or
taking up therefrom the required properties according to the nature of the solution
and the effect desired to be produced..
I would here observe that if preferred the closed chamber may be at the bottom
of the vessel and the position of the vertical perforated pipes will then be reversed.
After the medicated air has risen through the solution it may if required pass
through finely perforated metal or other plates or through fine sieves or other
similar filtering medium and it then escapes through the open top of the vessel and
is thus distributed into the air of the room or chamber in which it is required.
It is evident that the solution placed in the open vertical vessels may be of any
nature that may be desired either simply to wash or purify the air, or to deodorize
or disinfect the same if requisite, or to impart the properties of either mild or
strong sea air or Italian or other air or to ozonize oxygenize, sulphurize or other-
wise medicate the air before distribution as may be required.
In making a portable apparatus according to my invention I employ the
medicating and filtering apparatus as above described but necessarily constructed
in a more portable and convenient form, but the air will be forced through the
same on its way to the nostrils or mouth (or both) of the wearer by the movement
of an elastic bag which is worn against the chest or abdoment and thus partakes
of the alternating movement thereof in breathing.
The elastic bag is provided with two tubes each furnished with a valve (one
opening inwards and the other outwards) so that as the bag is alternately pressed
and released by the breathing movement it will draw the air into itself and force
it out again through the medicated solution into a reverse chamber whence it is
conveyed by a tube to the mouth and nostrils of the wearer.
It will be evident that by these means the wearer of this apparatus can breathe
pure medicated or sea or other desirable air, whatever may be the state (foggy or
otherwise) of the external atmosphere.
It will also enable a person to enter and remain a certain time in any room or
other place full of smoke or in a well or mine or other place filled with deleterious
gases whilst himself breathing pure or medicated air.
1
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicant,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester..

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Purifying and Medicating Atmospheric
Air and Distributing the same where required.
I WILLIAM HIBBERT of Clarence Street Cheetham Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Manufacturing Chemist do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND MEDICATING ATMOSPHERIC AIR
AND DISTRIBUTING THE SAME WHERE REQUIRED and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The principal objects of this invention are to provide mechanical appliances for
deodorizing, disinfecting, or otherwise purifying atmospheric air from bacteria and
other organisms or other contageous or deleterious influences and imparting
medicinal (that is prophylactic or therapeutic) properties (or both) thereto; and to
distribute the same when so purified and medicated in a hospital or other building
or room or wherever else it may be desired.
Part of my said invention will also allow of a person carrying with him and
breathing purified or medicated air in a fog or in any other atmosphere charged
with smoke or with deleterious or noxious gases.
In the first place when a fixed apparatus is required provide means of
compressing the atmospheric air into a chamber or receiver formed somewhat like
an ordinary gasometer, so as to obtain and maintain a steady atmospheric pressure
sufficient to force the air through the purifying or medicating and distributing
apparatus hereinafter described, or the reserve chamber or receiver may be dispensed
with, and the air may be forced or drawn direct through the purifying and
distributing apparatus.
Air pumps, fans, or other similar mechanical appliances may be employed for
compressing or forcing the air, or for producing a vacuum for the purpose of drawing
the same; and such fans or other appliances as may be worked by steam gas or
other power.
When the compressed air chamber or receiver is to be employed it must be
provided with a main pipe or pipes and a suitable number of branch pipes
connected therewith to convey the air to the various apartments or other places
where the air is to be purified or medicated and to be distributed and these main
and branch pipes are to be fitted with suitable stop taps or valves to open or close
communication with any or all of the branches as occasion may require.
At each point where the purified or medicated air is to be distributed I provide
the improved apparatus hereinafter described.
This apparatus may be made of any convenient size and shape, and of any
suitable material care being taken that the latter shall be such that no oxydation
or other chemical effect may be produced thereon by contact with the chemical or
medical solution employed.
I have however annexed hereunto for the sake of example a sheet of drawings
illustrating convenient forms in which the apparatus may be constructed.

page_text: Fig. 1, is a section shewing one form of the apparatus. a, a is a vessel of glass,
porcelain, vitrified metal or other material open at the top or provided with a
perforated cover and closed beneath and of a cylindrical or other suitable shape.
The size and number of these vessels will depend upon the area of the chamber
or other place where the air is to be distributed and they may be arranged on
brackets or shelves against the walls or they may be suspended from the ceiling as
may be thought desirable.
Each vessel a, a is provided at or near the centre of its height with a shallow
closed chamber b, b into which the branch pipe c, c discharges the compressed air.
Into holes in the under side of this chamber are screwed or otherwise fitted the
upper ends of a series of vertical tubes d, d, the lower ends of which are closed.
These tubes d, d are perforated with fine holes towards the lower ends, some of
them being perforated through the closed end but are not perforated towards their
upper part.
The vessel a. a is filled to a certain depth above the perforated part of the pipes
with a medicated solution, and it will be evident that as the compressed air is
forced through the fine perforations in the vertical tubes d, d it will be divided
into very minute particles which rising up through the medicated solution will not
only be thoroughly agitated washed purified and cleansed from all bacteria, and
other organisms, or from any other contageous or deleterious influences, but it will
at the same time absorb or become impregnated with medicinal or other properties
according to the nature of the solution employed and the effect desired to be
produced.
I would here remark that I sometimes place the closed chamber b, b nearer to the
bottom of the vessel a, a as shown in the section Fig. 2 in which case the position
of the vertical perforated pipes d, d will be reversed.
I also sometimes only perforate the cover with one hole as shown at Fig. 2, in
which I fix a short pipe for attaching a hose for conveying the purified and
medicated air to any particular part of the room where it may be required.
After the air thus purified and medicated has risen through the solution it passes
through the perforated zinc plates e, e where it is further broken up and then out
into the atmosphere through the open top of the vessel a, a and it is thus
distributed into and replaces the air of the room or chamber in which it is
required.
it is evident that the solution placed in the open vessel a, a may be of any
nature that may be desired, either simply to wash or purify the air, or to deodorize
or disinfect the same if required or to impart the properties of either mild or strong
sea or other desirable air, or to ozonize, oxygenize, sulphurize, or otherwise medicate
the air before distribution as may be required.
The vessel a, a may also be provided with a tap by means of which the solution
may be drawn off, as often as it becomes too much charged with impurities from
the washing of the air or when it loses its strength by imparting its medicinal
properties to the air, when a fresh supply of the solution can be poured in from the
top, so as to keep the apparatus in an efficient state.
As regards the portable apparatus, that may also be made in various forms and
sizes according to circumstances; the washing and medicating vessel being by
preference of a convenient flask-like form to carry in the breast pocket of a coat as
shown at f,f Fig. 3.
This vessel ff will be provided with an elastic tube g, g of any suitable length
to convey the purified air to a mouthpiece which may be either made funnel shaped
so as to enclose the mouth and nostrils, or it may be provided with short tubes to
be held in the mouth and nostrils. This tube g g is provided with a double action
valve which will allow the purified and medicated air to be admitted inwards to
the lungs in breathing, but causes all air passing outwards from the lungs to be
expelled into the atmosphere.
The external air is forced through the solution in the vessel f, f by means of an
elastic bag i, i provided with an inlet tube k, k, to admit the air and a branch

page_text: pipe to admit the same to the shallow chamber (corresponding with the
chamber b, b in Fig. 1.) of the washing and medicating apparatus. Both these
tubes are provided with valves and the elastic bag i, i may either be placed under
the arm, or be carried in the hand in the side pocket and be alternately pressing
and releasing the same by a slight movement of the arm, or hand, it will draw the
air into itself and force it out again through the medicated solution in the
vessel f, f whence it is conveyed by the tube g, g to the mouth and nostrils of
the wearer.
It will be evident that by these means the wearer of this apparatus can breathe
pure medicated, or sea or other desirable air, whatever may be the state (foggy or
otherwise) of the external atmosphere.
It will also enable a person to enter and remain a certain time in any room or
other place full of smoke, or in a well, mine or other place charged with deleterious
gases, whilst himself breathing pure or medicated air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention I declare that what I claim is
The construction and use (substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings annexed) of fixed or portable apparatus for washing and purifying
atmospheric air and for imparting medicinal properties thereto by passing it through
suitable solutions in a finely divided state and for distributing the same when so
purified and medicated without confining myself to the exact forms or dimensions
of the apparatus employed which will necessarily be varied to suit the particular
requirements of the case to be dealt with.
0011 1