IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Hulett, of Nos. 55 and 56, High Holborn, Middlesex,
Gas Engineer, Thomas Nesham Kirkham, of 21, Abingdon Street, Westminster,
Gas Engineer, and Samuel Chandler and Josiah Chandler, both of 104,
Newington Causeway, Surrey, Gas Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS."
Sealed the 10th September 1878, and dated the 3rd April 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said David Hulett, Thomas Nesham
Kirkham, Samuel Chandler, and Josiah Chandler at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents on the 3rd April 1878.
DAVID HULETT, of Nos. 55 and 56, High Holborn, Middlesex, Gas Engineer,
THOMAS NESHAM Kirkham, of 21, Abingdon Street, Westminster, Gas Engineer,
and SAMUEL CHANDLER and JOSIAH CHANDLER, both of 104, Newington Causeway,
Surrey, Gas Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF GAS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used in the manu-
facture of gas, and consists of an improved scrubber or washer for extracting
ammonia and other impuritics contained in the gas.
For accomplishing this it is desirable to cause the largest possible amount of
surface to be brought into contact with the gas, and to ensure such being properly
wetted with water or other fluid. Also to prevent as much as possible back
pressure being caused by the material employed.
Our Invention encompasses these advantages and in the following manner :-
Firstly, we employ an outer vessel of cast or wrought iron, or other suitable
material, either square or other shape, but of much smaller dimensions than those
generally used for a given make of gas; the advantage gained by this is that the less
the area over which a certain quantity of water or other fluid has to distribute itself
the greater are the chances that the whole surface will become properly wetted.
The interior of this vessel is fitted with plates or sheets of iron or any other
suitable material; or woven wire may be used from bottom to top, leaving narrow

page_text: spaces between each for the passage of the gas; these sheets only touch two sides
of the vessel, the others being required for the gasway, as hereafter described; the
whole of these surfaces are perforated in order to allow the water or other fluid to
descend through them. Vertical sheets are also placed side by side, leaving narrow
spaces at the lower part of the vessel, and these may occupy a part or any portion
of the vessel, or be used separately or conjointly with the horizontal sheets referred
to, as also may the horizontal sheets. The same object in either case being attained,
viz., obtaining surfaces and forming narrow spaces for the purification of the gas or
other vapours.
The whole of these sheets first referred to are divided off into sets by means of
plates being fitted from one of the sides just referred to as being left for the gas-
way, leaving in each instance a sufficient number of open spaces, so as not to retard
the passage of gas, that is to say, the divided open area of the narrow spaces
forming one set shall be more than equal to that of the inlet pipe to the apparatus.
The plates dividing the sheets into sets strike off from opposite sides of the
vessel, and in order to make our Invention better understood we will refer to the
Drawings accompanying this Specification.
Figure 1 is a transverse elevation of the vessel; and Figure 2 is a section of the
same.
A are the sheets forming surfaces; B are the plates dividing them into sets;
C are the sheets placed vertically, forming narrow spaces; D is the inlet for the
gas; and E, the outlet.
Figure 3 shows a section of vertical sheets.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The water is admitted at the top,
descends through the holes in the sheets, and wets the surfaces through which the
gas has to pass, and on its descent it becomes more highly charged with ammonia
and other impurities, finally leaving at the lower part of the vesssl; but in the
event of the vertical sheets alone being used, then the water would have a direct
course from top to bottom, wetting the surfaces in its course which the ascending gas
meets.
The gas to be treated enters amongst the first set of surfaces which are wetted
with strong liquor, and on its ascent meets liquor of a less strength, and finally
clear water.
Having now described our Invention, and the manner in which it is carried out,
we would in conclusion state that what we claim as novel and as our Invention is,
the arrangement and application of plates and sheets of iron or other material, as
herein-before described, for the production of surfaces and spaces for the division
and purification of gas or other vapour.
In witness whereof, we, the said David Hulett, Thomas Nesham Kirkham,
Samuel Chandler, and Josiah Chandler, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight
Witness,
THO³. KERSEY,
22, Upper Park Rd.,
Hampstead.
DAVID HULETT.
T. N. KIRKHAM.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)
SAMUEL CHANDLER. (L.S.)
JOSIAH CHANDLER. (L.S.)