IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Michael Butt, of Kingsholm, and John
Herring, of Newmarket, both in the City of Gloucester, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PURIFICATION
OF GAS."
Scaled the 23rd May 1876, and dated the 27th November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Michael Butt
and John Herring at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 27th November 1875.
We, JOHN MICHAEL BUTT, of Kingsholm, and JOHN HERRING, of
Newmarket, both in the City of Gloucester, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN
THE PURIFICATION OF GAS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the improvement of apparatus whereby
gas may be more completely purified, and is specially designed for
washing condensed gases in the crude state with alkaline solutions, or
may be used to wash gas after it has passed through the ordinary course

page_text: of purification. It consists of a series of separate compartments placed
above each other, each compartment containing a regulated depth of
alkaline or other solution; the gas entering the bottom compartment by
one or more inlet pipes is brought into contact with a longitudinal
division plate perforated below the level of the water line, and attached 5
to which is a submerged plate so arranged that the gas after passing
through the perforated division plate is driven to the other side of the
washer, under the submerged plate, and into the other compartments in
their order.
The perforations in the longitudinal plates are preferably made of a 1
circular shape of about one-quarter of an inch, more or less, in diameter
so as to break up the gas into as many separate streams as possible, and
are so placed that the aggregate area of the perforations shall more than
equal the area of the inlet or outlet pipes.
The liquor used in the washer enters at the top compartment, and 1
passing through it flows through a regulated valve into a bent sealed
tube connected with the second compartment, and in the same manner
to the bottom compartment.
To render the action of the apparatus fully effective, two or more
washers may be connected and used so as to ensure the more complete 2
removal of all impurities from the gas.
The merits claimed for this Invention are as follows:-The gas is
broken up into a large number of small streams, and passing through a
regulated depth of purifying solution, cannot escape contact with the
solution except at the points of transfer from one compartment to the 2
other, the flow of the liquor is so arranged that it is brought into con-
tact with the gas under such separate conditions as are most desirable
to effectively purify the gas from all its impurities, and the whole.
arrangement is designed to meet and further the chemical and
mechanical affinity the solution has for the gas.
3

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Michael Butt and John Herring in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MICHAEL BUTT, of Kingsholm, and JOHN HERRING, of Newmarket,
both in the City of Gloucester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Michael Butt and John
Herring, Her special licence that we, the said John Michael Butt and
John Herring, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Michael Butt and John Herring, our
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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Michael Butt and
John Herring, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 YE, that we, the said John Michael Butt and John
Herring, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is the improvement of apparatus

page_text: ammonia, and is specially designed for washing condensed gases in the
crude state with alkaline solutions, or may be used to wash gas after it
has passed through the ordinary course of purification. It consists of
a series of separate compartments placed above each other, cach com-
partment containing a regulated depth of alkaline or other solution;
the gas entering the bottom compartment by one or more inlet pipes,
is brought into contact with a longitudinal division plate perforated
below the level of the water line, and attached to which is a submerged
plate so arranged that the gas after passing through the perforated
division plate is driven to the other side of the washer, under the sub-
merged plate, and into the other compartments in their order.
The perforations in the longitudinal plates are preferably made of a
circular shape of about one-quarter of an inch, more or less, in diameter
so as to break up the gas into as many separate streams as possible, and
are so placed that the aggregate area of the perforations shall more than
equal the area of the inlet or outlet pipes.
The liquor used in the washer enters at the top compartment, and
passing through it flows through a regulated valve into a bent sealed
tube connected with the second compartment, and in the same manner
to the bottom compartment.
In order that the foregoing may be more fully understood, Drawings
are attached hereto, of which the following is a description :-
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of part of the side of the washer;
Fig. 2 is a cross section through A, B, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an end
elevation showing the position of the inlets and outlets for the liquid,
whether ammoniacal liquor, water, or other liquid be employed.
The liquid enters the washer by the pipe C, Fig. 3, and fills the top
compartment D to such a height as is regulated by a valve at the
opposite end, such as is shown at E, Fig. 1. It then flows over the valve
down a sealed pipe F, Fig. 1, rises, and enters the second compart-
ment G by the pipe H. Having entered therein the liquid flows to the
opposite end, and having risen to the height corresponding to which a
second valve I is set, overflows, falls down another sealed pipe, riscs,
and enters a third compartment J. From the third compartment J it
overflows the valve K, passes down the pipe L, rises and enters the
fourth compartment M, and so on throughout the series of compart-
ments, however numerous they are.

page_text: In Fig. 3 the arrows indicate the direction in which the liquor flows
vertically from one compartment to another, but it also flows hori-
zontally in a diagonal direction, the inlet being placed at or near one
end and the outlet at or near the other end, and ultimately makes its
exit by a pipe N at or near the bottom.
The gas enters from the inlet main O, passes along the pipe P, and
enters the washer by several inlets, one of which is shown at Q. Each
of these inlets rise in the form of a flat pipe, marked R, shown in
Fig. 2. The gas is thus conveyed and discharges itself into the
chamber S, Fig. 2, from whence it forces itself through numerous per-
forations in the longitudinal plate T which extends the whole length of
the washer. The gas is therefore compelled to pass through and con-
sequently come in contact with the liquor in the lowest compartment,
and under the submerged or dash plate U, in order to find an exit by
the flat pipe V which serves as an inlet to the next compartment above.
Here the gas undergoes the same operation, passing from one compart-
ment to another until it arrives at the gas outlet W, the arrows
indicating the course of the gas in Fig. 2. X, X, are glazed sight holes
to show the height of the liquid in the compartments; and Y, Z, are
valves to form a bye-pass by which the gas is allowed to pass by the
washer when it is to be thrown out of action. Similar letters refer to
the same parts in each of the views.
To render the action of the apparatus fully effective, two or more
washers may be connected and used so as to ensure the more complete
removal of all impurities capable of being removed by these means from
the gas.
The merits claimed for this Invention are as follows:-The gas is
broken up into a large number of small streams, and passing through
a regulated depth of purifying solution, cannot escape contact with
the solution except at the points of transfer from one compartment to
the other, the flow of the liquor being so arranged that it is brought
into contact with the gas under such separate conditions as are most
desirable to effectively purify from all its impurities, and the whole
arrangement is designed to meet and further the chemical and
mechanical affinity the solution has for the gas.
Washers of this form, that is to say, long, narrow, rectangular, and
comparatively shallow vessels are not new, but the whole of the interior

page_text: arrangement of inlets, perforated longitudinal plates, dash plates, and
exterior arrangement of valves and tubes for the conveyance of liquor
from one compartment to another, as herein described is new.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of
this Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be
used or carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we
do not confine or restrict ourselves to the precise details or arrange-
ments herein shown or referred to, as variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of
this Invention. But what we consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction of gas washers
arranged as herein described and shown on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Michael Butt and John
Herring, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this. Twenty-
fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.