IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINFECTING APPARATUS
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Mason Scott at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1881.
CHARLES MASON SCOTT, of Dalkey, in the County of Dublin, Ireland,
Surgeon, &c., &c. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINFECTING APPARATUS."
This Invention relates to improvements in hot air disinfecting chambers.
In carrying out my Invention I form the sides and top of the chamber (usually
built of brick work) of non-conducting composite slabs arranged to screw tightly
together, whereby the chambers can be constructed and put together complete
in the factory, and can be taken asunder and put together again as frequently as
desired by any ordinary labourer, and can also be moved from place to place with
facility.
I raise the temperature of the air to about three hundred degrees Fahrenheit by
means of gas furnaces, in which gas mingled with atmospheric air is burned, the
heat being regulated by valves.
I remove the foul consumed air by an escape flue or flues before the door is
opened and the disinfected articles are exposed.
I provide a safety arrangement for automatically shutting off the gas before
the hot air reaches a dangerous temperature; this arrangement consists of a metal
alloy in such proportions that it shall melt at the desired temperature, a weight
being supported by this alloy, which is released on the alloy melting, and the gas
valves are thereby shut off.
I provide two doors, one for the entrance of the foul clothes, and one for the exit.
of the purified clothes, thus avoiding the necessity of returning them through the
infected entrance.
The temperature of the air may be raised to three hundred degrees Fahrenheit
by coal furnaces of wrought iron placed under the grated floor of the chamber with
sliding valves to consume the foul air.
For small hospitals or institutions, and to render the apparatus portable, I may
fix them on wheels covered with india rubber noiseless bands, the gas furnaces or
the coal or charcoal furnaces being modified to suit the small size of the portable
apparatus:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Mason Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th January 1882.
CHARLES MASON SCOTT, of Dalkey, in the County of Dublin, Ireland,
Surgeon, &c., &c. IMPROVEMENTS IN DISINFECTING APPARATUS."
66
This Invention relates to improvements in hot air disinfecting chambers.
In carrying out my Invention I form the sides and top of the chamber (usually
built of brick work) of non-conducting composite slabs arranged to screw tightly
together, whereby the chambers can be constructed and put together complete
in the factory, and can be taken asunder and put together again as frequently as
desired by any ordinary labourer, and can also be moved from place to place with
facility.
I raise the temperature of the air to about three hundred. degrees Fahrenheit by
means of gas furnaces, in which gas mingled with atmospheric air is burned, the
heat being regulated by valves.
I remove the foul consumed air by an escape flue or flues before the door is
opened and the disinfected articles are exposed.
I provide a safety arrangement for automatically shutting off the gas before the
hot air reaches a dangerous temperature; this arrangement consists of a metal alloy
in such proportions that it shall melt at the desired temperature, a weight being
supported by this alloy, which is released on the alloy melting, and the gas valves
are thereby shut off.
To enable the valves to be automatically opened as well as closed I employ a
compound metal bar, or an air tight elastic metallic chamber which is expanded or
contracted according to the temperature.
I provide two doors, one for the entrance of the foul clothes and one for the exit
of the purified clothes, thus avoiding the necessity of returning them through the
infected entrance.
In order to enable my Invention to be better understood I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1 is
a vertical section, and Figure 2 a horizontal section of a hot air disinfecting
chamber constructed according to my Invention, in which the required degree of
heat is produced by means of a gas furnace; Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of a
disinfecting chamber in which the heat is produced by means of a coal furnace;
Figure 5 is a section, and Figure 6 a front view of a suitable form of safety
arrangement for automatically operating the gas inlet; Figure 7 is a section, and
Figure 8 a front view of another form of gas regulator. Similar letters in all the
Figures represent similar parts.
In the disinfecting chamber shewn in Figures 1 and 2, a, a, are the sides and b is
the top of the disinfecting chamber constructed of non-conducting composite slabs
of wood, felt, paper, and iron, arranged so that they may be screwed together to
form the chamber, as shewn in the Drawing; c is the gas furnace in which gas
mingled with atmospheric air is burned; d is the escape flue for removing the foul
consumed air; e is the door for the introduction of the foul clothes, and e¹ is the
door for the removal of the clothes after purification; f is the apparatus or
regulator for automatically operating the gas inlet, and this apparatus is shewn in
enlarged views at Figures 5 and 6, and consists of a cylindrical case g containing a
strong metal frame h, attached to one end of which is a valve i which closes the
inlet j, as hereinafter described; & is a compound metallic bar composed of zinc and
steel (or other suitable metals); is a strong lever operated by the screw m attached

page_text: )
to the index n for regulating the apparatus to shut off the gas at any desired
temperature.
The action is as follows:-
The index n being set to the required temperature the valve i will be in that
position which just allows a sufficient flow of gas to pass; should the temperature
rise, the unequal expansion of the compound metal bar will cause the forked
end o thereof to curve inwards and thus partially or wholly close the valve i; on
the other hand if the temperature falls the compound metal bar curves outwards
and opens the valve i, thus allowing more gas to pass.
In the modification of the safety gas regulator shewn in Figures 7 and 8, p is an
air tight elastic metallic chamber filled with air or other suitable fluid, the chamber
being elastic only in the direction of its axis; q is a conical valve which more
or less closes (according to the temperature) the gas inlet j; n is the index
attached to the chamber p by the screw m; g is the metal casing of the apparatus.
In this regulator, the index n being set to the desired temperature, the distance
of the valve q from the gas inlet or valve seat ; will be such that the expansion
of the air or other fluid in the chamber p by the increase of temperature will cause
it to elongate or expand in the direction of its axis just sufficient to close or
partially close the gas inlet and thus diminish the gas supply to the heating
arrangement so as to reduce the degree of heat; when the temperature falls the
chamber p contracts and allows more gas to pass until the proper temperature is
restored.
By my improvements it will be understood that the improved disinfecting
chamber may be constructed and put together in the factory, and can be taken
asunder and put together again as frequently as required by any ordinary labourer,
and can also be moved from place to place with facility; danger of infection is
avoided by the foul consumed air being allowed to escape through the flue d before
the door e is opened and the disinfected articles exposed; moreover by my
improved safety arrangements for automatically controlling the supply of gas any
danger which might result from the hot air attaining too high a temperature is
avoided, and by the employment of separate doors for the introduction and removal
of the clothes the necessity of returning the purified clothes through the infected
entrance is obviated.
Instead of employing the gas furnace c as herein before described and shewn in
Figures 1 and 2, I sometimes raise the temperature of the air to about three
hundred degrees Fahrenheit by means of a coal furnace r, as shewn in Figures 3
and 4, constructed of wrought iron, and placed as shewn underneath the grated
floors of the chamber, with sliding valves to consume the foul air; t, t, flues from
the furnace; u, furnace pit; the chamber is otherwise constructed similarly to that
shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
For small hospitals or institutions, and to render the apparatus portable, I may
fix them on wheels covered with india-rubber noiseless bands, the gas furnaces
or the coal or charcoal furnaces being modified to suit the small size of the portable
apparatus.
Having now described my said Invention and the best means with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down and shewn in the
Drawing, as the saine may obviously be varied without departing from the
character of my Invention, but what I do claim is,—
Firstly. The improved disinfecting apparatus or chambers constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in Figures I,
2, 3, and 4, of the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The construction and employment in disinfecting apparatus or
chambers heated by gas of the automatic gas regulator arranged and operating
5 substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and
represented in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: Thirdly. The modified construction of gas regulator as herein before described
and represented in Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Mason Scott, have hereto set my
'hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
CHARLES MASON SCOTT. (L.S.)