Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling or Heating Air and other Gases.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1893-Accepted. 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling or Heating Air and
other Gases.
I, JOHN FRED JONES, of 59 Haldon Road, Wandsworth, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide improved apparatus for cooling or
heating air and other gases. An important feature of my invention relates to the
production, by novel means, of a shower of the heating or cooling liquid, whereby
the air or gas to be heated or cooled is brought into very intimate association with
the heating or cooling mediuin, and consequently the operation of heating or
cooling is carried out very efficiently and cheaply.
My improved apparatus comprises a tank of suitable dimensions and material,
having an inlet and an outlet opening for the air or gas. Inside said tank, in the
upper part thereof, I provide a number of shafts fitted with pulleys, rollers, or
drums, from which are suspended a series of chains, or sheets or lengths of wire-
gauze, or of any perforated, roughened, or pocketed flexible material, but preferably
of metal. Suitable means are provided for rotating the said shafts and thus
causing the chains, wire gauze, or other said material to travel around the same.
The tank is partially filled with a suitable liquid, such, for example when used for
cooling, as brine, which does not freeze at the low temperatures required to be
produced. Into this liquid the aforesaid chains, gauze bands, or perforated sheets,
or the like, dip in such manner that when they are driven by the rotation of the
drums on which they hang, the liquid is carried upward thereby in large quantities
and falls again as a shower. The lower ends of the. chains or flexible perforated
sheets or the like are preferably controlled by guide pulleys, to prevent adjacent
chains or sheets becoming interlocked.
Cups, vanes, or other devices may be attached to the aforesaid chains, bands, or
sheets, so as to increase the quantity of liquid lifted thereby, in order to produce
a heavier shower.
The air or gas to be treated is passed through the aforesaid tank while the.
liquid is agitated and thrown up into spray as above described, and is intermixed
therewith, and so reduced or raised to the temperature of the liquid before issuing.
at the outlet.
If the apparatus is to be used for heating air or gas, the liquid is raised to the
proper temperature by means of steam, hot air or gas, or hot water, which is
circulated through a coil of pipes submerged or partially submerged in the liquid
in the tank. If the apparatus is to be used for refrigerating the air or gas, the
liquid in the tank is cooled to the proper temperature by means of ammonia which
on expanding from the liquid state is passed through the said coil, or the cooling
of the liquid may be effected by means of brine or other suitable liquid which is
circulated through the said coil by any well known means.
I am aware that a shower of liquid for heating, or cooling purposes has been
heretofore used but such shower has been produced by natural gravitation or by a
pump. The former method is seldom available, and the latter is troublesome and,
unsatisfactory and does not possess, the advantages of my improved apparatus.
The air or gas to be heated or cooled is passed through the tank by means of a
numn blower or exhauster.
:

page_text: My invention is specially applicable for all cooling or refrigerating purposes
and also for producing large volumes of hot moist air for hot-houses and the like.
Dated this 25th day of March 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cooling or Heating Air and
other Gases.
I, JOHN FRED JONES, of 59 Haldon Road, Wandsworth, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, 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 :--
This invention has for its object to provide improved apparatus for cooling or
heating air and other gases. An important feature of my invention relates to the
production, by novel means, of a shower of the heating or cooling liquid, whereby
the air or gas to be heated or cooled is brought into very intimate association with
the heating or cooling medium, and consequently the operation of heating or cooling
is carried out very efficiently and cheaply.
The novel means above referred to consist of chains, perforated bands, belts,
discs, or sheets of wire gauze or any other suitable material, flexible or otherwise,
arranged in an enclosed tank or chamber and worked or given movement therein
by any suitable means so that the said materials are dipped or submerged or partially
dipped or partially submerged in liquid contained in the tank, and then raised
therefrom, thereby effecting the transmission of heat or cold from the said liquid to
the air or gases to be treated, which are passed through the space into which the
said bands, belts, or sheets are raised, and thus come into contact with the cooled
bands, belts, discs, or sheets and with the liquid as it falls therefrom in showers, for
by the use of perforated material a quantity of the liquid is raised therein and is
dropped therefrom in a shower through which the air or gases to be treated pass.
Moreover such material being perforated allows the air or gases to pass through
the perforations or holes in regulated quantities according to the size of the said
perforations or holes, and the said perforations or holes break up the body of the
air or gas into streams during its passage so that the air or gas is brought into
close and immediate contact with the cooling or heating liquid and surfaces and the
desired change in temperature is quickly and most completely effected.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a chamber containing improved
apparatus, constructed according to one form of my invention, for cooling air.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line X X of Figure. 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal central section of an alternative construction of my
improved apparatus.
Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line Y Y of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal central section of a further alternative construction
according to my invention, and
Figure 6 is a perspective view, in section, of another alternative construction.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
With reference first to Figures 1 and 2, A is the chamber or tank, A' is an inlet
for the air which is to be cooled, A' is an outlet for cooled air. Brine or other
Iquid which does not freeze at the low temperatures required to be produced, is
placed in the cooling-chamber or tank as at B, so as to partially fill it.
CC are shafts which pass across the interior upper portion of the chamber and

page_text: are journalled in bearings D. E E are pulleys fitted upon the shaft C; from the
said pulleys are suspended series of chains F, or sheets or lengths of wire gauze, or
of any perforated, roughened, or pocketed flexible material, but preferably of metal.
The said chains or the like dip, as shown, into the liquid B in the chamber and pass
round guide pulleys G therein. The said pulleys are rotatable on shafts H secured
in the wall of the chamber. In the lower part of the liquid B a pipe I is coiled,
through which ammonia, carbonic acid gas, ether, or other known refrigerant may
be circulated, to keep the liquid B cool. The liquid B may be cooled in a separate
refrigerator and passed through the enclosed tank A by means of a pump or the
like.
Suitable means are provided for rotating the shafts C and thus causing the
chains E or the like to travel around the same so that the liquid B is carried up on
the ascending parts of the chains, or the like and falls, therefrom as a shower.
The air to be treated is passed through the chamber A from the inlet A' to the
outlet A while the liquid B is agitated and thrown down in spray as aforesaid and
is intermixed intimately therewith and thus moistened and reduced to the temperature
of the said liquid B.
Cups, vanes, or other devices can be attached to the chains or the like, so as to
increase the quantity of liquid lifted thereby and thus produce a heavier shower.
Such cups, vanes or other devices when entering the liquid carry with them a
quantity of the air or gases from above to below the surface of the liquid and
release the same on returning in the upward direction thus causing considerable
agitation of the liquid which further assists in bringing about the desired change of
temperature. In the apparatus shewn in Figures 1 and 2 buckets are shown,
attached to some of the chains E, for such purposes. The continued passage of
liquid over the chains and their attachments prevents the formation of any deposit
of ice or snow thereon which would impair the efficiency of the cooling surfaces.
In the apparatus illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 the shafts C are arranged longi-.
tudinally in the chamber A, instead of transversely as in the preceding example.
Further, filling-pieces A³ are placed in the spaces between the groups of chains so
that the fluid to be cooled is compelled to pass within the range of influence of the
said chains. The cooling-coils I are arranged vertically in the liquid B. as
shown, between the groups of chains therein, instead of horizontally as in Figures 1.
and 2.
In the apparatus illustrated in Figure 5 shafts C¹ are arranged transversely in
the chamber A and endless chains F are led around pulleys E of different sizes,
fixed upon the shafts C'. The cooling-coils I are arranged in vertical series, not
only in the liquid B but in the space above the liquid. JJ are perforated plates
or trays arranged near the upper portion of the chamber. The chains are provided
with buckets and these raise the liquid B and discharge it
upon the upper faces
of the said plates or trays J through the perforations of which it descends in
showers over the cooling-coils I. The said buckets are made double, with mouths
presented in opposite direction, so as to act equally well in discharging into the
plates or trays in whichever direction the chains travel. The air passing through
the chamber is cooled not only by contact with the liquid upon the chains but also
by the cooling-coils I and by the descending showers of spray. The spraying of
the coils I prevents the formation of snow and ice thereon.
In the further alternative construction of apparatus shown in Figure 6 the
perforated roughened or pocketed material is made in discs G which are fixed upon
a shaft G which turns in suitable bearings in the circular chamber A. The discs
are partly immersed, as shown, in a cooling-liquid B; they should fit fairly close
to the interior of the chamber. The flow of the air or other medium to be cooled
is in a direction parallel with the shaft G', as indicated by the arrows, so that the
fluid passes through the perforations of the discs and thus is broken up into
numerous fine and irregular streams. The perforations are preferably made by
punching or otherwise so that the metal displaced from the hole remains as a

page_text: projection or pocket which serves to raise the liquid which afterwards falls
therefrom in a shower.
Any of the aforesaid apparatus can be used, for the cooling and drying of fluids
other than air, or can be used for heating and moistening fluids by keeping the
liquid B hot and circulating a heating medium through the coils I.
I am aware that a shower of liquid for heating or cooling purposes has been
heretofore used but such shower has been produced by natural gravitation or by a
pump. The former method is seldom available, and the latter is troublesome and
unsatisfactory and does not possess the advantages of my improved apparatus.
The air or gas to be heated or cooled is passed through the chamber by means of
a pump, blower, or exhauster.
My invention is specially applicable for producing large volumes of hot moist air
for hot-houses and the like, and large volumes of cold dry air for cold-storage
.purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A chamber, whereof the lower portion is adapted to receive a liquid, in
combination with chains, perforated helts, bands, discs or the like arranged to dip
into the said liquid and means for imparting movement to them, and with or without
the cups, vanes or the like, substantially as hereinbefore described, for the purposes
specified.
2. The combination with the chamber and chains, or perforated belts, bands,
discs, or the like for the purposes aforesaid, of perforated trays or plates at the
upper part of said chamber, and buckets or other projections upon the said chains,
belts, bands or the like, substantially as hereinbefore described, for the purposes
-specified.
3. Double-ended buckets, substantially as hereinbefore described, for the purpose
specified.
4. The apparatus constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 4, or Figure 5
or Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings, for the purposes specified.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.