IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF OZONISED OXYGEN FOR BLEACHING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Hagen, of Ealing, in the County of Middlesex,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION
OF OZONISED OXYGEN FOR BLEACHING AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Leon Quentin
Brin and Arthur Brin, both of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Hagen at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1881.
EDWARD HAGEN, of Ealing, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF OZONIZED OXYGEN FOR BLEACHING AND
OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad
by Leon Quentin Brin and Arthur Brin, both of Paris, France.
It is well known that ozone partakes of all the properties of oxygen, and that it
possesses them in a more active and powerful degree; also that endeavours have
been made a long time for the production of ozone. The present laboratory process
consists in submitting oxygen to the action of the electric spark, or rather the efflux
of a continuous current. The feeble production of ozone obtained by this method
does not amount to more than a few per cent. of oxygen transformed into ozone.
The reason of the non success is that oxygen is a bad conductor of electricity at
ordinary pressure, and resists its absorption; the electricity therefore escapes there-
from to a very large extent.
It is not so with dilated oxygen. As the pressure diminishes, its conductivity
increases; and if electric sparks are made to pass into a glass tube in communication
with an oxygen reservoir it will be seen that the sparks become elongated and
more powerful when the density of the oxygen is diminished; when this density
falls to 1/10/15, or 1/20 of that of the atmosphere the length of the sparks, which
was originally respectively about 3/5, 3/4, and 1/2 inches, increases rapidly to 19,

page_text: 28, and 38 inches. In this state the fluid is more quickly and completely
electrified.
In the manufacture of oxygen, according to the Patent of the said Leon Quentin
Brin and Arthur Brin, dated 7th April 1880, No. 1416, the oxygen is drawn from
a retort containing barytes under a pressure of about 1/12 to 1/20 atmosphere. It is
under these conditions that the inventors have observed the aforesaid phenomena
of sensitiveness as regards electrification, and have been enabled thoroughly to
investigate this state.
According to this present Invention cold oxygen is attenuated to a density
about, at, or below a column of 4 inches of mercury. In this state the oxygen is
passed through a circuit of electricity, which it closes, the current being in the
form of sparks or continuous efflux. The oxygen may be made to enter a vacuous
vessel, where it expands as required, and is exposed to the aforesaid electrical
action.
The oxygen is by preference, by an ordinary suction pump, or by a jet pump, or
by any other suitable exhausting apparatus, made to pass through a cooling
apparatus having, for instance, a coil for the oxygen and a continuous circulation
of cold water around the same; it is then passed through the ozonizing apparatus
in an attenuated condition, as stated. The ozonizing apparatus may suitably be
arranged as a vessel containing acidulated water, and having a series or system of
túbular or other passages or chambers which are arranged with corresponding
interior or intermediate tubular or other passages containing acidulated water.
One pole of the battery or other source of electricity is connected to the water in
the latter passages, and the opposite pole to the outer acidulated water, and the
oxygen passing between them closes the circuit and becomes electrified, that is,
ozonized, more or less as desired or required.
Oxygen converted into ozone, as described, is applicable to a great many manu-
facturing and other purposes; it has thus, for instance, a powerful bleaching effect
on organic and other substances exposed to its action in a vessel even for a very
short space of time.
For bleaching or purifying saccharine juices and other soluble or fusible matters
and liquids in general, a churn or a vessel having a stirring apparatus is employed.
Insoluble materials are placed in a vessel wherein they are exposed to the direct
action of ozone in a gaseous state, or they may be immersed in ozonized water or
in water in the presence of ozone.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Hagen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th February 1882.
EDWARD HAGEN, of Ealing, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF OZONIZED OXYGEN FOR BLEACHING AND
OTHER PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad
by Leon Quentin Brin and Arthur Brin, both of Paris, France.
It is well known that ozone partakes of all the properties of oxygen, and that it
possesses them in a more active and powerful degree; also that endeavours have
been made a long time for the production of ozone. The present laboratory process
consists in submitting oxygen to the action of the electric spark, or rather the efflux
of a continuous current. The feeble production of ozone obtained. by, this method
does not amount to more than a few per cent. of oxygen transformed into ozone.
The reason of the non success is that oxygen is a bad conductor of electricity at
ordinary pressure, and resists its absorbtion; the electricity therefore escapes there-
from to a very large extent.
It is not so with dilated oxygen. As the pressure diminishes, its conductivity
increases; and if electric sparks are made to pass into a glass tube in communication
with an oxygen reservoir it will be seen that the sparks become elongated and
more powerful when the density of the oxygen is diminished; when this density
falls to, or 2 of that of the atmosphere the length of the sparks, which
was originally respectively about,, and 1 inches, increases rapidly to 19,
28, and 38 inches. In this state the fluid is more quickly and completely
electrified.
In the manufacture of oxygen, according to the Patent of the said Leon Quentin
Brin and Arthur Brin, dated 7th April 1880, No. 1416, the oxygen is drawn from
a retort containing barytes under a pressure of about to atmosphere. It
is under these conditions that the inventors have observed the aforesaid phenomona
of sensitiveness as regards electrification, and have been enabled thoroughly to
investigate this state.
According to this present Invention cold oxygen is attenuated to a density
about, at, or below a column of 4 inches of mercury. In this state the oxygen is
passed through a circuit of electricity, which it closes, the current being in the
form of sparks or continuous efflux. The oxygen may be made to enter a vacuous
vessel, where it expands as required, and is exposed to the aforesaid electrical
action.
The oxygen
by preference, by an ordinary suction pump, or by a jet pump, or
by any other suitable exhausting apparatus, made to pass through a cooling
apparatus having, for instance, a coil for the oxygen and a continuous circulation
of cold water around the same; it is then passed through the ozonizing apparatus
in an attenuated condition, as stated. The ozonizing apparatus may suitably be
arranged as a vessel containing acidulated water, and having a series or system of
tubular or other passages or chambers which are arranged with corresponding
interior or intermediate tubular or other passages containing acidulated water.
One pole of the battery or other source of electricity is connected to the water in
the latter passages, and the opposite pole to the outer acidulated water, and the
oxygen passing between them closes the circuit and becomes electrified, that is,
ozonized, more or less as desired or required.
And in order that this Invention may be more fully understood I will now
describe the same with reference to the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Figure 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a combined apparatus comprising
one for producing oxygen according to the aforesaid Patent, No. 1416, of 1880,
and one for ozonizing the oxygen so produced (or produced in any other suitable
manner), as they might be in one factory; the main parts only of the oxygen
producing apparatus are shown.
The retorts B are set in the brickwork A, and heated from the fire on the
gratê C; the lever D¹ serves to regulate the draught damper D; E is a decar-
buretter; P is an electric bell or alarum in connection with pyrometers, and which
is set going when a certain temperature is reached.
The oxygen produced passes from the retorts into the vacuum column F, which
is fitted with a vacuum gauge; this withdrawal of the oxygen from the retorts is
effected by means of the exhausting apparatus or jet pump G, which is shown
partly in section, and is made somewhat in the form of a gasometer with a bell
dipping into water. The exhausting action is produced by water, which is forced
through a number of ejector-like pipes g, the water jets drawing on the oxygen gas
with it. The gas in the apparatus G is above the water, which runs off by an
overflow pipe; as it is highly advantageous for the electrification or ozonizing of
the gas to lower its temperature, the gas is next passed through a serpentine coil
in a cooler I, which has a constant flow of cold water through it.
The oxygen thus cooled and in an attenuated state then passes through the
electrifying or ozonizing apparatus J; it consists of a vessel containing acidulated
water and tubes 1 and 2 (or it may be a number of tubes) placed therein,
and each fitted with an inner tube 3 and 4 respectively, which latter tubes also
contain acidulated water. The annular spaces 5 and 6 between the tubes 1 and 3
and 2 and 4 are for ozonizing the oxygen, which is admitted from the pipe v by
four branch pipes 7. The oxygen passes down the space 5 between pipes 1
and 3; then by the connecting pipe 8 it enters and ascends in the space 6, and
passes by the four branch pipes 9 into the main exit pipe p in an ozonized state.
The water in the vessel is by means of the wires 10 connected to one pole of an
electric battery L or other electric source, and the water in the tubes 3 and 4 by
means of the wires 11 connected to the opposite pole.
The ozonized oxygen is now ready for use, and is applicable to a great many
manufacturing and other purposes; it has thus, for instance, a very powerful
bleaching effect on organic and other soluble and insoluble substances exposed to its
action in a vessel even for a very short space of time. For bleaching or purifying
saccharine-juices and other soluble or fusible matters and liquids in general a churn
or a vessel having a stirring apparatus is by preference employed. The electricity
in the oxygen has a powerful decomposing action, and separates the impurities
contained in the sugary juice; these impurities are then removed by filtration.
M, Figure 1, is a vessel with stirring apparatus suitable for treating saccharine
juices with the view to decoloring them. The ozonized oxygen enters by the
pipe p; the de-electrified oxygen passes off (to be electrified again) by the pipe q; the
juice to be bleached enters the inner chamber of the apparatus by the pipe.r, and
passes off in a bleached state by the pipe 1; the intermediate space between the
outer vessel and the inner chamber is supplied with steam or hot water by the
pipe 8, the steam or warm water passing off by the pipe s¹; u is a pipe for letting
off condensed water when required; u' is a gauge glass to indicate the level of the
juice. The stirring appliance is worked by strap on the pulley m.
Some materials may be bleached or purified by means of ozonized water, that is,
water impregnated with ozonized oxygen, instead of by means of ozonized oxygen
itself.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of such an apparatus. G is a pump which may
draw in water and ozonized oxygen at the same time (in the same manner as the
pumps used in the manufacture of aërated water), or which may draw in ozonized
oxygen alone, as here shown by the pipe p, and force it through the pipe p² with
rose spreader p³ into the water which is contained in the interior of a vessel T ;
this latter is supplied with water forced in through the pipe t by means of another

page_text: pump. The relative amount of ozonized oxygen and of water is regulated by means
of cocks. The pumps are thrown in and out of action by the strap shifting lever g¹.
The vessel is fitted with gauge glass u¹, pressure gauge v', and other necessary
fittings. This vessel T is fitted with a surrounding jacket, which is supplied with
steam or hot water by the pipe t¹ for the purpose of heating the water in the
vessel. The steam then passes off by the pipe 8 to the steam jacket around the
bleaching vessel M. f is a condense water outlet pipe.
When the ozonized water in the vessel T has obtained the required degree of
pressure or compression it raises the safety valve a, which by a contact appliance
sets the electric alarum y in action. The attendant will then open the cock g,
which allows the ozonized water to pass by the pipe b through the exit rose
spreader 61 into the saccharine juice or other material contained in the vessel M;
it passes out of same by the pipe e in a de-electrified state, which conveys it to a
gas holder; it may then be again electrified for further use in the manner already
described with reference to Figure 2, or in the manner in which the oxygen is
electrified, as described with reference to Figure 1. The attendant after having
opened the cock g throws the pumps out of gear. A stirring appliance is shown in
dotted lines, and is in many cases useful. In some cases the ozonizing may be
accomplished by a continuous process, that is, with a constant inflow and outflow
of material to be ozonized, such material while passing slowly through a vessel
being met by a constant opposing or transverse flow of ozonized oxygen or ozonized
water. By this process the yield of sugar is very greatly increased compared with
the ordinary processes.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention and
mode of carrying it into effect, I declare that I claim,-
First. The electrification or ozonization of oxygen by placing it in a cool
attenuated condition in an electric circuit, which it closes itself, the electric current
being continuous or in the form of sparks, as set forth.
Second. The ozonization of water or other liquids by impregnating it with
ozonized oxygen in the manner described.
Third. The bleaching and purifying of sugary juices and other materials by
means of ozonized oxygen, or ozonized water, or other liquid ozonized medium, as
set forth.
Fourth. The combinations of parts forming the several improved apparatus for
producing and applying ozonized oxygen and ozonized water, as described with
reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Hagen, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
EDW³. HAGEN. (L.S.)