and Moistening Materials and Plants.
Year: 1888

page_text: and Moistening Materials and Plants.
We JOSEPH COOPER of Lorne Street, Farnworth, Lancashire, tinplate worker
and RICHARD NEWELL of 25 Campbell Street, Farnworth, Lancashire, commercial
clerk 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 statement :-
Our invention relates to apparatus for warming moistening or saturating air
for purposes of ventilation and consists in an improved arrangement of said
apparatus by means of which any desired degree of temperature and humidity of
the air can be obtained, parts of which apparatus may also be used for damping
textile products and other materials and for moistening and disinfecting the foliage
of plants.
The apparatus consists of an outer casing made of galvanised iron or other metal,
wood or earthenware and of any shape convenient for the position in which it is to be
used but in all cases so arranged that the atmospheric air enters the casing on one side
and passes through the same to discharge oriface communicating with the room or
space to be supplied with moistened air, within the outer casing we form or insert a
bucket or trough so arranged that it is formed by or close to one side and both ends
of the outer casing, leaving a passage for the air between the casing and the trough on
one side and the bottom of the latter. The trough or bucket may be formed in or
permanently secured to the outer casing or may be suspended or attached to the latter
in such a manner that for purposes of examination alteration or repair it may be
removed without removing the outer casing. On the sheet of drawings appended
hereunto figure 1 shows a cross section through this apparatus, a being the outer
casing with air inlet b and trough c shewn formed of sheet metal soldered to the
casing a. Within the trough c we place air tubes d, e, f which communicate with the
space between the trough c and casing a and are open at the top to allow the air to
ascend through them. These tubes may be cylindrical as shewn at d or conical as
077

page_text: shewn at e or bulged out as shewn at f in order to retard the flow of air, or bent
tubes fixed in the side of the trough c and ascending to or above the top of the bucket
may be used. These tubes are surrounded by water which is maintained in the trough
at a constant height by means of an overflow pipe g or any other device ordinarily
used for this purpose. When warm and moist air is required the water in the trough
is heated by means of steam injected through a steam-pipe h and steam nozzle or its
equivalent to any desired temperature. The air entering at b passes along the side and
bottom of the trough c and through the pipes, which are heated by the water, and is
warmed thereby and issuing from the pipes takes up the vapour rising from the heated
water and thus is moistened.
When air fully saturated or overcharged with moisture is required, we place above
the trough ca spray distributor i which may be of any ordinarily used or known
description but is by preference constructed as hereinafter described, and produces
finely divided sprays of water, through which the air passes on its way to the outlet
orifice and thereby becomes fully saturated or overcharged with moisture.
Instead of the arrangement of trough and pipes herein before described, we in some
cases omit the pipes and arrange the trough in the manner shewn in cross-section by
figure 2. The trough m is fixed or suspended in the outer casing, so that the air
which in this case is by preference admitted through a slot in the bottom of the
casing passes as indicated by the arrows along the bottom and sides of the trough
filled with water warmed by an injection of steam, and is defected by deflector
plates n n upon the surface of the water, the vapour from which is absorbed by the
warm air, which thereby becomes moistened. In some cases we arrange several
troughs placed side by side with spaces between them in the outer casing and deflector
plates over these spaces, as shewn in cross section by figure 3, whereby the current
of air is divided and warmed by the sides of the trough and moistened in a similar
manner as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 2.
The arrangements herein last described with reference to figures 2 and 3 may
be used in combination with a spray distributor placed above the troughs when
fully saturated or overcharged warm air is required, or without the same when
less humidified air is required. The steam jet for warming the water is omitted
when cool moist air is required.
The spray distributor i herein before referred to is shown on an enlarged scale by
fig. 4 in elevation partly in section and by fig. 5 in plan. It consists of two or
more blades or wings p set on a spindle supported in bearings q¹ and q², the
blades or wings being inclined to the spindle or having an upward curvature and
being connected at their outer edges by a rim r. To the latter a number of cups or
vanes are affixed preferably, made crescent shaped as shown on the drawings,
which are covered on their outer edges by a fixed or stationary rim s attached to
the bearings by suitable connections ². A pipe s¹ is fixed to the rim s entering
the cavity tangentially to the rim through which pipe s¹ a jet of water steam
or compressed air is thrown against the cups or vanes r¹ and causes them and the
blades or wings p to rotate rapidly. A pipe t is arranged fitted with a nozzle so
as to project a fine jet of water upon the blades or vanes p in a contrary direction
to that in which they revolve by which means the fine jet of water is broken into
minute particles whereby a very light spray is created and thrown out and distributed
within the casing of the air moistening apparatus herein before described when the
spray distributor is applied to the same. The drawings show the apparatus suspended
from the water supply pipe and arranged to be driven by water, separate supply pipes
being used for the jet and for driving the vanes when the distributor is rotated by
steam or compressed air. Instead of the vanes being attached to a rim r, they may
be attached to the spindle q above or below the vanes p and covered by a casing
surrounding the spindle. It may also be rotated by means of a pulley by strap or
cord, the spindle being in that case prolonged to the outside of the casing.
The combined apparatus may be employed for damping textile or other materials by
means of a current of air saturated or overcharged with moisture, said materials being
placed opposite the outlet orifice of the apparatus.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
Firstly. The construction or arrangement of apparatus for warming moistening or
saturating air described with reference to fig. 1 of the drawings with or without a
spray distributor substantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly. The construction or arrangement of apparatus for warming moistening
or saturating air described with reference to fig. 2 of the drawings with or without a
spray distributor, substantially as herein before described.
Thirdly. The construction or arrangement of apparatus for warming moistening or
saturating air described with reference to fig. 3 of the drawings with or without a
spray distributor substantially as herein before described.
Fourthly. The peculiar construction or arrangement of spray distributor acting in
combination with the other portion of apparatus substantially as herein before
described.