Improvements in Sterilizing Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th. Dec., 1896-Specification Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sterilizing Apparatus.
I FRANK MERWIN ASHLEY, of 69, Beekman Street, New York City, United States
of America, Mechanical 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 stateinent and accompanying drawings
This invention relates to apparatus for sterilizing water, milk or other liquids, and
has for its object the complete destruction of any germs or bacteria which may exist
in the liquid, and also the construction of an economical and effective apparatus for
accomplishing this result.
Among other ways, milk has heretofore been sterilized by heating it to a point
below 212 degrees Fahrenheit and then allowing it to cool again. This process is
objectionable for various reasons, principally because unless milk is heated at least as
high as the boiling point the germs of disease are not all destroyed. Another
objectionable feature in connection with apparatus heretofore used is, that it is
extremely difficult to regulate the temperature so that the milk will not boil. Boiling
of the milk in the process of sterilization must be avoided, for the reason that it
destroys, to a certain extent, the nutritive quality of the milk, but as the most
dangerous disease producing inicrobes are not destroyed except at the higher
temperature than the boiling point, it is necessary for a complete and effective sterilizing
apparatus to be so constructed as to heat the liquid to a point above the boiling point
and keep it in that condition for an appreciable length of time, but at the same time
to keep the liquid under such pressure that it will not boil. It is a well known fact
that when liquids are heated under pressure the boiling point is raised as the pressure
upon the liquid increases, and therefore by subjecting the liquid to sufficient pressure
it may be heated to a temperature far above the normal boiling point. But in order
to make the operation practically successful it should be continuous and the pressure
evenly applied.
The present invention therefore broadly comprehends a circulation of the liquid
through a heater where it is raised to a temperature above the boiling point, a
sufficient pressure being maintained upon the liquid at all times to prevent boiling of
the same, said circulation being maintained by counter pressures at the beginning
and end of the system, the pressure at the end being lower than at the beginning.
The invention also comprehends other features of advantage which will be more fully
described hereinafter.
The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which; Fig. 1 is a side view of an apparatus constructed
according to my invention; Fig. 2 a similar view illustrating an apparatus wherein
air pressure is utilized; and Fig. 3 is a similar apparatus provided with means for
cooling the liquid under pressure.
Referring to the drawings by letter, in Fig. 1, A represents a tank in which is stored
the milk or other liquid to be sterilized. B' represents the circulating pump at the lower
end of the tank A a conduit pipe leads froin thence through a pressure indicator b,
into a conduit pipe 2 which is connected with one end of the heater coil C, the
other end of the coil being connected to a conduit pipe 3 leading to a tank D. The

page_text: tank D is provided with a safety valve D' and with an outlet cock & through which
liquid may pass to any desired place of storage or distribution. Cock a may, however,
be so arranged that the liquid stored in tank D must have attained a certain
determined pressure before it can pass out. This result may be obtained by the use
of any ordinary form of pressure valve. Conduit pipes 2 and 3 each contain retarding
valves and c respectively for a purpose which will more fully hereinafter appear.
In tank D is located a coil d' through which cold water is circulated by pump B
through pipe 4, the water being drawn through pipe 3 from any suitable source of
supply. Coil C is located inside of a steam chamber supplied with steam from a boiler
E. A pipe 6 conveys steam from the boiler to pump B, to operate the same. It also
conveys steam through pipe 7 having pressure indicators into the upper part of
tank A. 8 is a pipe conveying steam from the boiler directly into the upper part of
the tank D, and provided with a reducing valve f and a cut off valve g, whereby the
pressure and quantity of steam in tank D may be regulated.
The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2 is in most respects substantially similar to that
illustrated in Fig. 1, except, however, that B represents a storage tank into which the
liquid is forced from tank Aby pump p through pipe 1. Steam from boiler E is introduced
through pipe 8 into engine P which operates pumps p and p', and through pipe 9 into
coil located in heater C, and also into coil g located in the bottling chamber G.
a, band e' represent check valves in pipes 1, 2 and 3 to prevent the liquid from flowing
backwards upon a stoppage of pressure from the pumps. From reservoir B the liquid.
is forced through pipe 2 into coil e located in chamber C containing water heated by
coil the water supply being obtained from the boiler E through pipe 11. In coil c
the liquid is heated and sterilized and is thence forced through pipe 3 and check
valve c' into tank D, from whence it passes through pipe to the bottling valves g'.
The steam after passing through the coils c² and g is led into steam trap F and
disposed of in any suitable manner. I is a closed chamber partly filled with water and
having an inlet tube i provided with a perforated extension or extensions through
which air may be drawn from the outside atmosphere into the chamber, passing from
the tube upward through a layer of calcium carbonate or other purifying agent and
the water thence through pipe 4, pump p', into reservoir R, from whence it passes
via pipe 5 into coil e¹ located in chamber e heated by the boiler. Here the air is
heated, and then is passed through pipe 6 into the upper part of tank B. bis a
thermometer in pipe 6 to indicate the temperature of the air, and B is a safety valve
in tank B to prevent bursting of the latter. By means of pipe 7 the air also passes
from coil e¹ into the upper part of tank D. d is a thermometer in pipe 7 to indicate
the temperature of the air, and D¹ is a safety valve to prevent bursting of tank D.
Pump p forces the air through the various pipes and the coil e' into the two tanks B
and D and there creates pressure upon the liquid, which pressure is regulated by the
safety valves to be such that the liquid will be maintained under sufficiently heavy
pressure to prevent the same from boiling while in the heating coil c. Inasmuch as
the air is not only purified in chamber I, but is also sterilized by heat in coil e¹, there
will be no danger of disease germs being communicated to the liquid through the air.
In Fig. 3 substantially the same parts are employed. There the liquid to be
sterilized is introduced into tank A, and air drawn through chamber I, pipes 4 and 5,
and coil e¹ in the same manner as in the apparatus described in Fig. 2, thence through
pipe e² so as creates pressure upon the liquid in tank A. This pressure forces the
liquid from tank A through pipe a past check valve a into tank B, where the same
pressure is maintained upon the liquid by air introduced in tank B from coil e¹ through
pipe 6. is a thermometer in pipe 6 to determine the temperature of the air in
pipe 6. From tank B the air pressure forces the liquid through pipe b past pressure
valve into coil c located in tank C. Tank C contains water from the boiler supplied
through pipe e and kept hot by steam from the boiler through pipe et. Therefore
while in coil e the liquid is heated and sterilized and thence passes through pipe cl past
thermometer c² and check valve c3 into tank D, in which a counter pressure of air to
prevent boiling of the liquid while in beating coil c is created by introducing air from
coil e' through pipe 7, thermometer e", pipe e, into tank D. Pump p draws cold water

page_text: from a suitable source of supply and forces it through coil 8 located in tank D to cool
the liquid therein, and thence disposes of the same through an outlet 10. From the
same source the pump also forces coll water through tank q out through suitable
outlet 9. After being cooled in tank D the liquid passes through pipe g into coil q' in
tank g where it is further cooled and then passes through pipe gl into tank K from
whence it is drawn to be disposed of.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in-what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for the sterilization of milk and the like, a receptacle for the
milk or other liquid to be sterilized, a source of stean supply, pipes leading from said
source of steam supply into said receptacle, a heating chamber through which the
liquid passes and connections between said cliamber and the source of steam supply, a
second receptacle for the milk or other liquid located at the opposite end of the
system from the first receptacle, a conduit extending between the same and the source
of steam supply, a conduit for the milk or other liquid extending between the heating
chamber and said second receptacle and means for cooling the liquid in said second
receptacle while it is under steam pressure, whereby steam is supplied simultaneously
to the receptacles on opposite, ends of the system and the pressures practically
counterbalanced; substantially as described.
2. In an apparatus for the sterilization of milk and the like, a receptacle for the
milk or other liquid to be sterilized, a source of steam supply, pipes leading from said
source of steam supply into said receptacle, a heating chamber through which the
liquid passes and connections between said chamber and the source of steam supply,
a second receptacle for the milk or other liquid located at the opposite end of the
system from the first receptacle, a conduit extending between the saine and the source
of steam supply, a conduit for the milk or other liquid extending between the heating
chamber and said second receptacle and, means for cooling the liquid in said second
receptacle while it is under steam pressure, whereby steam is supplied simultaneously
to the receptacles, on opposite ends of the system and the pressures practically
counterbalanced, said steam pipe between the source of steam supply and the cooling
receptacle being provided with a reducing valve, substantially as described.
3. In the herein described system for sterilizing and subsequently cooling milk or
other liquid, receptacles located at either ends of the system, conduit pipes leading
from the one to the other and an intermediate heating chamber through which the
liquid passes, a source of steam supply and connections between said source of steam
supply and the heating chamber and also the liquid receptacles and means for cooling
the liquid in one of said receptacles; substantially as described.
4. The herein described apparatus for sterilizing milk and the like comprising a
receptacle for the milk or other liquid to be sterilized, a series of receptacles for said
milk as B D, a heating chamber arranged between said receptacles B D and connecting
with each of said receptacles, means for forcing the liquid to be sterilized from the
first containing receptacle through the two receptacles B D and the heating chamber,
a source of steam supply and connections between the source of steain supply and
the heating chamber, connections between said source of steam supply and a suit-
able pump for causing circulation of the liquid to be sterilized, a source of hot air
supply also connected to said pump whereby said hot air is forced through suitable
conduits, and connections between the source of hot air supply and each of the
receptacles B D.
5. In an apparatus for sterilizing milk or the like, a source of steam, supply, a
milk containing receptacle such as B, means for forcing hot air under pressure
through said source of steam supply and into said milk containing receptacle B, a
heating chamber also connected with the source of steam supply and in connection
with the chamber B, whereby the milk or other liquid to be sterilized is heated to the
proper temperature, substantially as described.
6. In an apparatus for sterilizing milk and the like, a source of liquid supply, a
liquid containing receptacle as B, with means for forcing the liquid thereinto, and for

page_text: supplying air under pressure to said receptacle B and means for heating said air to a
high temperature before it enters into contact with the milk, and means for heating
said milk while under pressure, above the boiling point; substantially as described.
7. In the herein described apparatus, the chamber B D, with means for supplying
hot air at varying pressures respectively to said receptacles, a heating chamber
intermediate the two receptacles and connected with each of them, and means for
forcing the liquid to be sterilized from a source of supply through the receptacles B D
and the heating chamber, substantially as described.
8. The herein described apparatus for sterilizing milk or other liquids, comprising
a receptacle into which the liquid is forced, means for supplying pressure to the liquid
in said chamber, a second chamber provided with a coil and connections between the
coil and the first chamber with means for heating the coil, a third chamber with
connections between said chamber and the second chamber, and means for keeping
the liquid in said third chamber under pressure with means for cooling it in said
'chamber while under pressure; substantially as described.
9. The herein described apparatus for sterilizing milk or other liquid, comprising
a receptacle as A, a source of steam supply, a second receptacle as B with a liquid
conduit between the receptacles, connections between the source of steam supply and
both of said receptacles for maintaining pressure upon the liquid therein, a heating
chamber in connection with the second liquid receptacle with means for supplying
heat thereto for heating the liquid, and a cooling chamber D in connection with the
heating chamber and connections between said cooling chamber and the source of
steam supply whereby the liquid is cooled under steam pressure, substantially as
described.
10. In the herein described apparatus, the receptacles A and B, with connections
'between the same, a source of steam supply and connections between the same and
both said receptacles, a third receptacle C provided with a coil in connection with
the receptacle B, the body of said receptacle C being connected with the source of
steam supply, whereby the liquid in the coil is heated, a fourth receptacle, with
connections between it and the coil in the third receptacle, with connections between
said receptacle and the source of steam supply and a cooling coil arranged in said
second receptacle, substantially as described.
Dated the 7th d of December 1906
of December 1906
For the Applicant.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5, John Dalton Street, Manchester,