Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1893-Accepted, 1st July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
A communication from BERNARD MCEVOY, of the City of Toronto, County of
York, Province of Ontario, Canada, Journalist.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent 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 :-
The object of the invention is to design an apparatus in which clothing and all
kinds of material may be readily and thoroughly disinfected, and it consists,
essentially, of a hermetically sealed vessel or chamber designed to contain the
material to be disinfected and held at a high temperature and provided with means
for exhausting the air from the said vessel, charging it with steam which is
afterwards exhausted; substantially as hereinafter more particularly explained.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved apparatus parts being broken
away to expose its interior construction.
Figure 2 is a cross-section of the disinfecting chamber.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of one end of the disinfecting chamber.
In the drawing A represents a vessel or chamber, preferably cylindrical in
form.
B is an outer casing surrounding the vessel A, a space a being left between
the two.
At each end of the vessel A is provided a cover C having simple fastening
devices and designed to hermetically seal the ends of the vessel A and the
space a.
D is a steam boiler.
E is a pipe leading from the steam boiler D, to the interior of the vessel A,
and F is a pipe leading from the boiler A to the space a a corresponding space
being formed in each cover C, so that the steam admitted into one space shall
enter and fill all the spaces which surround the body and ends of the vessel.
G is an air pump provided with a pipe leading to the interior of the vessel A.
All the pipes are provided with suitable stop cocks, and drain pipes with suitable
cocks are provided wherever necessary.
It is preferred to place the vessel A so that its ends shall be in separate
chambers in order that the material after it has been carried through the
apparatus and disinfected, may be completely isolated from the material waiting
to be disinfected.
His a cage suitably constructed to contain the material to be disinfected. This
case is preferably carried on a truck in order that it may be readily moved into
and moved out of the vessel or chamber A.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows;-
The material to be disinfected is placed in a cage G which is pushed into the
vessel A when the cover is hermetically sealed in position. Steam is then admitted
into the space a and when the chamber or vessel A is heated to a high temperature
of not less than two hundred and twelve degrees (but preferably considerably
higher) the air pump G is started, and as perfect a vacuum as is possible is made
in the vessel A. Steam is then admitted into the vessel or chamber A and retained
there under pressure for a half an hour, more or less, according to the nature of
the article being disinfected. The steam is then cut off and the air pump G again
started and as perfect a vacuum as is possible is once more created in the chamber
or vessel A. The cover C on the end opposite to that through which the articles
were placed in the chamber or vessel A is removed and the cage H is withdrawn

page_text: from the vessel or chamber A into an apartment separated from the compartment
containing the infected material.
In some cases it is advisable to destroy the bacili taken from the infected
material. To accomplish this, the exhaust is directed from the vessel containing
the material into the fire-box of the boiler from which the steam is obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A hermetically sealed vessel containing the material to be disinfected and
held at a temperature of not less than two hundred and twelve degrees in
combination with means for charging the said vessel with steam; substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
2. A hermetically sealed vessel containing the material to be disinfected and
held at a temperature of not less than two hundred and twelve degrees in
combination with means for charging the said vessel with steam at high pressure
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. A hermetically sealed vessel containing the material to be disinfected and
held at a temperature of not less than two hundred and twelve degrees in
combination with means for exhausting the air from the said vessel and charging it
with steam which is afterwards exhausted; substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
4. A hermetically sealed vessel containing the material to be disinfected and
held at a temperature of not less than two hundred and twelve degrees in
combination with means for charging the said vessel with steam at 'high pressure
which is afterwards exhausted substantially as and for the purpose specified.
or
5. A chamber or vessel with openings leading into separate chambers
apartments each opening being hermetically sealed by a detachable cover to hold
the material to be disinfected the interior of the said vessel being held at a
temperature of not less than two hundred and twelve degrees in combination with
means for exhausting the air from the said vessel then charging it with steam
which is afterwards exhausted substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. A hermetically sealed vessel containing the material to be disinfected a
jacket surrounding the said vessel and filled with steam at a high pressure in
combination with means for exhausting the air from the said vessel then charging
it with steam which is afterwards exhausted substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
7. A hermetically sealed vessel containing the material to be disinfected and held
at a temperature of not less than two hundred and twelve degrees in combination
with means for exhausting the air from the said vessel into a fire-box or furnace
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 25th day of May 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.