IM- ..PROVEMENTS. IN APPARATUS FOR EXHAUSTING, WASHING, AND FORGING GAGEOUS OR AKRIFORM BODIES
Year: 1869

page_text: EETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whimster, of Perth, in the County of
Perth, North Britain, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
..PROVEMENTS. IN APPARATUS FOR EXHAUSTING, WASHING, AND FORGING GAGEOUS
OR AKRIFORM BODIES."
Sealed the 27th July 1869, and dated the 30th January 1869.

page_text: In one modification the apparatus is rotatory, and comprises a drum
fixed on and turned by means of a horizontal shaft, being placed in a
casing partly filled with water or other suitable liquid. The space above
the water is divided into three compartments by two hanging partitions
which dip down below the surface of the water, and the drum is in the
middle compartment between the two partitions, whilst it is with the
same middle compartment that the pipe for admitting the gas
communicates. The drum may be varied in form, but is by preference
made with two plain discs formed with eyes at the centres, and con-
nected by spirally bent partitions. These partitions divide the space
between the discs into a number of compartments, each of which has
an opening at the circumference and two openings at the centre, the
latter being at the eyes of the discs. The eyes are formed with conical
or expanding flanges and with small outer discs which project up
outside of the partitions of the casing. The drum is turned in such a
direction that the circumferential openings of its compartments are in
advance of their central openings, and as each compartment rises above
the water it becomes filled with gas, which is afterwards.confined in it
as it moves round from the circumferential opening, being the first part
of the compartment to dip below the water. Then as the compartment
moves further round it carries the gas with it until it reaches a lower
position, whereupon the gas escapes at the central eye to the outer
compartments of the casing, and is led thence by suitable pipes. The
gas passes up through the water, the surface level being above the cycs,
and is thereby submitted to a washing action. One of the outer com-
partments of the casing may be dispensed with, the whole of the gas
being in that case allowed to pass off by an eye on one side of the drum,
but the double outlet as described is preferred. A scries of inverted
buckets on a wheel frame or on an endless chain may be used instead of
the divided drum to act in the same way.
In a second modification the apparatus is reciprocating, and comprises
a casing partly filled with water and having in it an inverted vessel,
which is made to reciprocate vertically by a rod passing out through
a stufling box. Two pipes for the entrance and exit of the gas
communicate with the casing, one with the upper space outside of the
reciprocating vessel, and the other with the space inside thereof, and
the reciprocation of the vessel causes the gas to be alternately drawn
and forced through these pipes. Each pipe communicates with two

page_text: hydraulic trap boxes partly filled with water, and having also
communicating with them branches from the inlet and discharge mains.
In the inlet box the inlet branch dips below the water, the branch to
the exhauster leading from the space above the water, whilst in the
outlet box the branch from the exhauster dips. below the surface, the
discharge branch leading from the space above the water. The
exhauster action produces alternately diminished and increased
pressure in the branches communicating with it. The diminished
pressure causes the gas to enter from the inlet main by the dipping
pipe in one box, whilst it causes the water to rise up the dipping pipe
in the other box, thereby preventing the return of the already discharged
gas, and the increased pressure causes the reverse action, forcing water
up the inlet dipping pipe and forcing the gas down the dipping pipe
in the outlet box. The hydraulic dipping pipes may be arranged in
various ways, either in separate boxes or in compartments of the
exhauster casing, or in some cases in the casing itself.
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.
filed by the said Thomas Whimster in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WHIMSTER, of Perth, in the County of Perth, North Britain, Gas
Engineer, send greeting.
1.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign,did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grint unto me, the said Thomas Whimster: Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Whimster, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, of such others as I, the said Thomas-Whimster, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no-others
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR EXHAUSTING, WASHING: AND FORCING GASEOUS OR AERIFORM BODIES," upon

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Whimster, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YF, that I, the said Thomas Whimster, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to improved apparatus designed more
particularly for exhausting and washing illuminating gas, but also
suitable for exhausting, washing, and forcing other gaseous or aeriform
bodies, and the said apparatus has the important advantage of entirely
dispensing with valves of metal or other solid material.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended three
Sheets of explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and
representing three modifications of my improved apparatus.
In one modification, which is shown upon Sheet 1 of the Drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 being vertical sections at right angles to each other,
the apparatus is rotatory, and comprises a drum 1 fixed on and turned by
means of a horizontal shaft 2, being placed in a casing 3 partly filled
with water or other suitable liquid. The space above the water is
divided into three compartments 4, 5, 6, by two hanging partitions 7, 8,
which dip down below the surface of the water, and the drum 1
is in the middle compartment 4 between the two partitions 7, 8;
whilst it is with the same middle compartment 4 that the pipe 9 for
admitting the gas communicates. The drum 1 may be varied in form,
but I prefer to construct it as shown in the Figures, that is to say, with
two plain discs (1) formed with eyes 10, 11, at the centres, and con-
nected by spirally bent partitions 12. In Figure 1 one-half of the front
disc is supposed to be cut away in order to show these partitions more
distinctly. The partitions 12 divide the space between the discs into a
number of compartments, each of which has an opening 13 at the
circumference and two openings 14, 15, at the centre, the latter being

page_text: at the eyes 10, 11, of the discs. The eyes 10, 11, are formed with
flanges, having fixed to them small outer discs (or annular discs) 16, 17,
which project up outside of the partitions. 7, 8, of the casing. The
drum 1-is turned in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1; that is, in
such a way that the circumferential openings 13 of its compartments
are in advance of their central-openings 14, 15, and as each compartment
rises above the water it becomes filled with gas, which is afterwards
confined in it as it moves round in consequence, of the
the circumferential
opening 18'
below the
the first part of the compartment, to dip.
being
water. Then is the compartment m
nt moves
ves fudder round it carries the
gas round and downwards with it u until it reaches a lower position,
whereupon the gas escapes at the central eyes 10, 11,, to the outer com-
partments 5, 6, of the casing, and is led thence by suitable pipes
attached to outlets 18, 19. The gas passes up through the water, the
surface level being above the oyes 10, 11, and is thereby submitted to a
washing action. One of the outer compartments 5 or 6 of the casing
may be dispensed with, the whole of the gas being in that case allowed
to pass off by an eye on one side of the drum, but I prefer the double
outlet as described.. The drum 1 may be driven in any convenient way,
but the arrangement shown comprises a spur wheel 20 fixed on the
shaft 2, and having in gear with it a pinion 21 on a shaft 22 entering
the casing 3 through a stuffing box, and driven externally. by means of
a belt and pulley or toothed wheels. A series of inverted buckets on a
wheel frame or on an endless chain may be used instead of the divided
drum to act in the same way, that is, to carry gas from the inlet com-
partment down below the water, and then allow such gas to escape into
the outlet compartment.
::
:
An example of such an arrangement, and--constituting the second
modification,ris; shown on Sheet. 2. of the Drawings; Figures 3 and 4
being vertical sections at right angles to each other In this exitimple
a series of buckets 23 are carried by a pair of endless pitch elimins 24
passed at their upper ends.ound pitch wheels-25-on-driving shaft 2,
and at their lower ends round guide pulleys 26csituated so as to hold
the series of buckets in an inclined position. These parts are contained
in a casing & partly filled with water, and having its upper part divided
into two compartments, an inlet one 4 and an outlet bno 5, by a par-
tition 7 which dips; into the water. Each bucket is formed with h
narrow opening 18, which is the first part to meet the water as the

page_text: bucket is carried round the upper wheels 25 in the direction of the
arrow, and the bucket being then full of gas this gas is carried down
below the water. Then when the bucket turns on passing round the
lower wheels or pulleys 26 the gas escapes, but being then under the
outlet compartment. 5 it rises into that compartment instead of returning
to the other one 4, and passes off by the outlet 18.
On Sheet 3 of the Drawings is shown a third modification of my
improved apparatus, Figure 5 being a plan, and Figure 6 a vertical
section thereof. This apparatus is of a reciprocating kind, and comprises
a casing 3 partly filled with water, and having in it an inverted vessel 27,
which is made to reciprocate vertically by a rod 28 passing out through
a stuffing box. Two pipes for the entrance and exit of the gas com-
municate with the casing 3, one 29 with the upper space outside of the
reciprocating vessel 27, and the other 30 with the space inside thereof.
and the reciprocation of the vessel causes the gas to be alternately
drawn and forced through those pipes. The pipes 29, 30, communicate
with four hydraulic trap boxes 31, 32, 33, 34, partly filled with water,
and having also communicating with them-branches from the inlet and
discharge mains 35, 36. The trap boxes may be distinguished as inlet
ones 31, 32, and outlet ones 33, 34. In the inlet boxes 31, 32, the
inlet branches 35 dip below the water, the branches 29, 30, to the
exhauster (3) leading from the spaces above the water, whilst in
the outlet boxes 33, 34, the branches 29, 30, from the exhauster dip
below the surface, the discharge branches 36 leading from the spaces
above the water. The exhauster action produces alternately diminished
and increased pressure in the pipes 29, 30, communicating with it.
Diminished pressure in either inlet box 31 or 32 causes gas to enter by
the dip pipe 35, whilst in either outlet box 33 or 34 it causes the water
to rise up the dipping exhauster branches 29, 30, and thus prevent the
return of gas from the discharge main. Increased pressure produces
the opposite action in each case, forcing water up the inlet dipping
branches 35, and forcing the gas down the dipping branches 29, 30,
from the exhauster, so that this gas which had been previously drawn
from the inlet main 35 passes into the discharge main 36. The hydraulic
dipping pipes, which with the water form a kind of hydraulic valve,
may be arranged in various ways, either in separate boxes, as herein-
before described, or in compartments of the exhauster casing, or in some
cases in the exhauster itself.

page_text: In applying my improved apparatus for withdrawing or exhausting
gas from retorts, or in any cases wherein it is desirable to maintain
as accurately as possible a certain difference between the pressures in
the inlet and discharge compartments, I prefer to combine with it a
hydraulic governor or "by-pass" of a kind already introduced by me.
This governor resembles one of the trap boxes herein-before described,
with its dipping pipe in connection with the discharge main (36), and
with its other pipe in connection with the inlet main (35).
The
quantity of water in the box is adjusted to the difference of pressure
required, and when this is exceeded the water in the dipping pipe is
depressed until gas escapes from it, and passing thus from the discharge
to the inlet compartments makes up the deficiency of pressure in the
latter.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated;
but that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the arranging or combining together of the parts of apparatus
for exhausting, washing, and forcing gaseous or aeriform bodies, sub-
stantially in any of the improved modes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Whimster, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THO³. WHIMSTER. (L.s.)