IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF Gas
Year: 1873

page_text: ·LETTERS PATENT to John West, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF Gas."
Sealed the 20th October 1873, and dated the 25th April 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John West at the
•
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th April 1873.
I, JOHN WEST, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the County of
Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for
supplying water or other liquid to scrubbers, and consists in attaching
to the top of the scrubber a cylindrical vessel which is divided into two
compartments by a horizontal dise or diaphragm inserted about the
middle thereof. The upper compartment may be designated the water

page_text: causes the liquid to flow down its long leg and impinge upon the vanes
or blades of the bell, thereby giving the latter a rotary motion. The
liquid runs off the bell into the annular tank and through the pipes
into the funnel and curved arms, and as the liquid issues from these
curved arms an additional impetus is given, thereby keeping up the
motion until the upper part of the apparatus has repeated the action.
As the quantity of liquid admitted to the air chamber at each opening
of the valve or tipping of the tumbler is a certain one, counting or
registering apparatus may be attached to the tumbler or valve spindle,
so as to enable any one to ascertain the aggregate quantity of liquid
admitted to the scrubber within a given time..
The advantages attending this form of apparatus is that a very small
quantity of liquid is sufficient to keep up the revolution of the arms and
ensure a thorough and complete distribution of the liquid over the top
surface of the scrubber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John West in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WEST, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors give and grant unto me, the said John West, Her special
licence that I, the said John West, my executors, administrators, and ·
assigns, or such others as I, the said John West, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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
USED IN THE PURIFICATION OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst others).

page_text: instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said John West, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for
supplying water or other liquid to scrubbers, and consists in attaching
to the top of the scrubber a cylindrical vessel which is divided into two
compartments by a horizontal disc or diaphragm inserted about the
middle thereof. The upper compartment may be designated the water
chamber, and the lower one the air chamber, although when the
apparatus is in action it contains water as well as air. In the centre of
this diaphragm is a hole fitted with a valve fixed to a hollow spindle,
which has attached to it a float and is kept perpendicular by a suitable
guide, as will be seen on referring to Fig. 1.
In lieu of the valve just mentioned a tumbler or small vessel to
contain liquid may be so arranged as to be tipped or upset by the action
of a float, as exhibited in Fig. 2. On one side of the vessel is an air
pipe which rises to near the top of the upper compartment or water
chamber, while the lower end passes through the diaphragm and
extends a few inches below it. There is also an overflow pipe which
leads the surplus water from the water chamber into the air chamber.
To the lower chamber of the vessel is fixed a syphon, the short leg of
which communicates with the interior of the chamber, and the long leg
with apparatus to be described presently.
Below the vessel before mentioned is another vessel or tank of a
cylindrical form and concentric therewith, as shown in Fig. 1, or of an
annular shape, as represented in Fig. 2. When the arrangement shown
in Fig. 2 is adopted a bell similar to a small gas holder is placed within
the annular tank. This bell is free to revolve, being attached to a

page_text: spindle working on a top centre in the bottom of the vessel containing :
the float, while the bottom centre works in a step fastened to a bar
stretching across the top of the outlet pipe of the scrubber. The spindle
is hollow but closed at or near the bottom, and is furnished with a
funnel or cup placed at a suitable height to receive liquid and convey it.
through the hollow spindle to two or more hollow arms curved in form
like a turbine and extending radially to near the circumference of the
scrubber, the said arms being pierced with a number of holes for the
emission of liquid. At or near the top edge of the annular tank a pipe.
or pipes are placed so as to lead liquid contained in the tank to the
funnel just alluded to. To the top of the bell which is attached to the
spindle a number of blades or curved arms similar to those of a turbine
wheel are fixed, so that by impinging liquid upon their sides a rotary
motion may be given to the bell and the apparatus fastened thereto.
By adopting the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1 the bell may be dispensed
with, the emission of liquid from the curved and hollow arms being
'sufficient to produce the rotary motion.
As the quantity of liquid admitted to the air chamber at each opening
of the valve or tipping of the tumbler is a certain one, counting or
registering apparatus may be attached to the tumbler or valve spindle
so as to enable any one to ascertain the aggregate quantity of liquid
admitted to the scrubber within a given time.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood Drawings
are annexed hereto, of which the following is a description :-Fig. 1 is a
sectional elevation with valve and cylindrical tank; Fig. 2 is a sectional
elevation with annular tank and tumbler arrangement; Fig. 3 is a plan
through b, c, with the upper part of the apparatus and top of scrubber
removed, and shewing the form of the curved arms N; and Fig. 4 is an
elevation representing in "general either of the Figs. 1 and 2, but more
especially Fig. 2. In Fig. 1, A is the water supply pipe; B, the water:
chamber; C, the air chamber; D, the valve; E, the float; F is the
hollow valve spindle and overflow pipe, and Ġ, guide for the same;
H is a syphon. I is the cylindrical tank; J, the top centre, and K. the
step between which revolve the hollow spindle L, the funnel M, and
curved arms N. O is the air pipe; P is a rod fixed to the top centre
of the turbine spindle and passing through a stuffing box Q terminates
in a short arm R on the outside of the distributor, revolves with the
aforesaid spindle, and by its revolution indicates when the hollow>
י

page_text: arms N are in motion. S is a lever operated upon by the float rod T,
which actuates the liquid registering apparatus or index U.
In Fig. 2 A is the water supply pipe; B, the water chamber; C,
the air chamber; D, the tumbler; E, the float; F, the float spindle,
which passes through the air pipe O, and raises one end of the water
shoot G; H is the syphon; J is the top centre; and K, the step with
funnel M and curved arms N%; V is the annular tank, and W the bell
with the curved blades X on its top; Y, Y, are pipes which convey the
liquid from the annular tank into the funnel M. Z is an opening in
the diaphragm through which the water or liquid passes from the water
chamber to the air chamber.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Water or other liquid
being raised to the requisite height is allowed to fall in a small stream
into the top vessel to such a height as to run over the overflow pipe F,.
as in Fig. 1, and so descend to the air chamber C, or it may flow into
the shoot B of Fig. 2 and run into the air chamber through the
opening Z. In either case when sufficient water has been admitted to
the air chamber the float will rise and open the valve D of Fig. 1 or tip
the shoot, so that the liquid will run into a tumbler D of Fig. 2, which
on becoming full will upset, a sudden influx of water to the air chamber
being the consequence. The result is that the air pipe O, Figs. 1 and 2,
and descending pipe or opening Z, Fig. 2, is sealed by the water, and
the compression of air in the air chamber starts the syphon H and
causes the liquid to flow down its long leg either into a funnel a, Fig. 1,
and from thence by the pipe Y into the funnel M, as in Fig. 1, or to
impinge against the curved blades on the top of the bell, and so give a
rotary motion to the bell W, seen in Fig. 2. The liquid runs off the
bell into the annular tank, and through the pipes Y, Y, into the funnel
M, and so to the curved arms N; and as the liquid issues therefrom an
additional impetus is given to them, thereby keeping up the motion
until the upper part of the apparatus has repeated the action before
described.
The advantages attending these forms of apparatus are that they are
quite automatic, and that a very small quantity of liquid is sufficient to
keen un
the revolution of the arms, and ensures a thorough and

page_text: •
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, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the construction and application of water or other liquid
distributing apparatus to scrubbers, substantially as herein described
and shewn on the Drawings attached hereto.
In witness whereof, I, the said John West, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
JOHN