Improvements in and connected with Saturators for Sulphate of Ammonia Plant.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Saturators for Sulphate of
Ammonia Plant.
I GEORGE KENNEDY, of Alfred House, Barking Road, East Ham, in the county of
Essex. Chemical Plumber, 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 relates to certain improvements in the manufacture and construction
of saturators and in their connections.
In sulphate of ammonia plant the saturators are constructed of wood lined through
out with sheet lead and owing to the particular shapes required to enable the deposited
sulphate of ammonia to be periodically removed difficulty is experienced in the con-
struction, moreover the destructive nature of the acids and liquid agents employed in
the manufacture and the fumes given off thereby rapidly destroy the nature of the
wood and the pressure bursts it; also the necessarily varying heats and consequent
contraction and expansion cause the lead lining to buckle waste and crack in which
case the salts get behind it, crystallize and cannot be removed. These objections
render the wear and tear of use very great causing the life of such saturators to be of
short duration and necessitating frequent stoppages and difficult repairs.
The object of this invention is to remedy these objections, to lengthen the duration
of saturators, and to obviate as far as possible the necessity for repairs.
According to my improved manufacture I cast in two or more parts the whole
saturator of a solid metal or alloy adapted to withstand the action of the acids or
agents employed. I also adopt a construction by which all surfaces are strengthened
and the whole enabled to withstand the greatest strains that may come upon it,
and further I have designed a special method of making the joints of pipe
connections.
I will now fully explain my invention in reference to the accompanying drawings
in which figure 1 is a section on line A A of figure 2 which is a plan. The metal I
use for casting is lead which may he alloyed with a small percentage of antimony
if desired to harden it, and its thickness depends upon the size of the apparatus
required.
The saturator illustrated is cast in two parts only-but for convenience of transit
or otherwise this may be varied but it is advantageous to have as few sections as
possible.
The body S is cast in a mould in one with the bottom plate B and the walls tt
forming the front trough T, the bottom being inclined towards the trough T in the
usual manner for facilitating the collection and removal of deposited salts; the cover R
is cast in one other piece. An opening is left in the bottom part of the front wall of
the body S the upper part forming the curtain C. This curtain is the part which has
hitherto given the greatest trouble in use in saturators constructed in the usual
manner of two materials viz.: wood and lead, owing to the movement of the lead and
the sagging of the curtain, no support thereto being practicable.
By my construction I cast solid with the curtain C and side walls tt an arched
ribe and I may also cast on a similar one outside which I have not shown in the
drawing. I may in some cases also cast on a bead c¹ to further strengthen the
curtain. To support the surfaces I extend the base plate beyond the walls and cast
flanges F F upon and along the full length of the top rim between which are cast a
suitable number of upright stiffening ribs fff. The cover R is cast either coned or
domed with a flange or rim fitting the top flange F of the body to which it is bolted,
and a flanged aperture H is provided at the apex-also with stiffening ribs ff. The
usual sulphuretted hydrogen pipe h is made tapered and bolted to the flange of

page_text: aperture H and to a joint at any convenient height on the pipe above it as illustrated,
so that by removing it the aperture H serves as a man-hole when required.
The ammonia pipe P is introduced at the back as illustrated and is fitted with an
internal perforated lead distributing pipe p, and the acid supply pipe can be fixed in
the most convenient part, such as at d.
In order to make tight joints for these pipes I adopt the following construction.
I cast on and with the body S flanged necks such as N and I carry through these
the entering pipe p, d. To the flange N I apply an asbestos or other suitable packing
ring and over it I expand or "taft" the end of the lead pipes p, d. Upon this
fits the flange of the external pipe P and the two flanges are securely bolted
together. Thus the joints can easily be broken when required and remade without
difficulty.
Saturators cast and constructed as above set forth are in themselves strong stiff and
do not require any additional support.
I do not confine myself to the shape of the saturator illustrated as this may be
varied without departing from the essential features of my invention, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The manufacture of saturators for sulphate of ammonia plant by casting them in
lead or lead alloyed with antimony.
2. The construction of saturators cast as described with stiffening ribs and flanges
substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The method of making the joints of the pipe connections to cast saturators
substantially as set forth.
Dated the 30th day of Janñarv (x90
ay of January (X903
J. C. CHAPMAN, Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
70, Chancery Lano, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.