An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Production and use of Super-heated or Saturated Steam for Disinfecting, Cleaning, Sterilizing, and similar purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec., 1897
CUMI LEIE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process and Apparatus for the Production and use
of Super-heated or Saturated Steam for Disinfecting, Cleaning,
Sterilizing, and similar purposes.
1, BERNHARD GREVE, of the firm of Transportabler Dampfentwickler, Gesellschaft
mit beschränkter Haftung, of Jägerstrasse 11, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Gentleman, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus to be used especially for disin-
fecting objects of any kind, for cleaning pipes, casks, and the like serving for
receiving spirit, beer, and other fermenting liquids, for destroying insects or the
like, or for sterilizing purposes.
It is generally known and proved by experiments, that the most efficacious and
secure means for disinfecting, as well as for sterilizing, destroying bacilli of any
kind, and vermin, and for cleaning, is steam, and for the latter purpose with addition
of substances, such as soda, etc.
Hitherto one has had no convenient apparatus for introducing generally this
means.
Hitherto the necessary steam was produced in a boiler and then conducted by
means of pipes to the place where it was to be used. Besides the great expense of a
steam boiler certain precautions, in consequence of the dangers connected with the
use of boilers, are required, only skilled workmen can be employed, and besides such
arrangements requires a large space. Even when using transportable steam boilers
these had to be placed outside before the house, and generally very long pipes are
required, and the steam gets considerably cooled, so that the process has to be
greatly prolonged.
When using stationary steam generators the objects to be disinfected or cleaned
had to be brought to the disinfecting or cleaning establishment, and then back again.
This invention avoids all the before mentioned inconveniences. The apparatus is
of small dimensions, can be transported anywhere, is very handy and always ready
for use, and produces according to requirement steam saturated with cleaning
substances, or the like, or superheated.
The apparatus itself consists of a vessel A of cylindrical or any other cross-section,
provided conveniently with a double wall and adapted to be closed at the top by
means of an easily detachable cover y pressing against an asbestos, or the like, ring r
and which vessel accordingly if dry or damp steam is to be produced, is provided at
the top or below with a water conducting pipe f. On the vessel there can be
arranged a receiver a within the cover, which receiver has in the middle of its
bottom a hollow tube a¹, the opening of which reaches through the bottom and forms
the connection with the interior of the vessel a. Under the bottom there is arranged
a sieve 8 at a short distance, in order to keep back impurities carried away by the
steam.
When the apparatus is used for cleaning beer-pipes, soda is placed in the receiver a;

page_text: the effect obtained by the steam saturated with soda is such, that, as numerous
trials have shown, even pipes covered with firm and old encrustation show clean
inner-surfaces after having been thus treated.
When the apparatus is to be used for disinfecting or the like, one places in the
receiver t, a corresponding disinfectant or the like. The contact with the steam can
take place a shorter or longer time, so that the steam carries with it smaller or
larger quantities of the disinfectant and can thus be exactly prepared for the purpose
intended.
The vessel a for the disinfectant has either the form shown in Fig. 4 or any other
convenient form and this vessel a can be arranged either directly on the vessel A or
on the cover of the same, or at any other place in such a manner, that the steam
generated in the vessel A must pass through this receiver before its use.
Into the inner part of the vessel A there is inserted a massive block D. of nearly
equal diameter, which has a little free play in this receiver and which is provided at
the top with a hole d. With the receiver A there is used a water-vessel, provided
with small suction and pressure pump, and arranged conveniently to be connected by
means of a pipe with the pipe f of the vessel A. In the latter the receiver a can be
omitted, as well as the aforesaid water-receiver, and in the latter case the tube f can
be connected to any water-pressure pipe, or the like.
For transport and operating this apparatus there can be used a car, Figs. 1 to 3.
Whilst in the stove o provided with chimney k the blocks are brought to a glowing
heat, the box m suspended in the front between the handles serves for receiving the
apparatus as well as the fuel.
The apparatus is used in the following manner :-
The blocks D are made to glow in the oven o or in any ordinary stove and then
placed into the vessel A, the hole d serving for introducing a handle for carrying the
heated blocks. After having inserted the block, the vessel A is closed by means of
the cover and water is introduced into the vessel from below through the pipe for
from the top according to the steam temperature desired. When the water touches
the glowing block it is at once converted into steam, which on its way upwards passes
the walls of the glowing block and is superheated or saturated according to the
amount of water admission, it is conducted away at the top through a pipe provided
on the cover g. In the receiver a there is put soda or a disinfectant, or the like,
which is carried away with the passing steam in a finely distributed state.
To the escape tube there is connected a tube provided with a delivering nozzle or
the like according to its use and the steam can thus be directed into the object to
be treated.
When the receiver a is omitted the steam is conducted directly away for use. To
the escape tube there may also be connected directly the pipe or cask to be cleaned
or the receiver containing the objects to be disinfected.
It is convenient to use two or more blocks D, so that, when the one block serves
for producing steam, the other or others are in the stove.
In this apparatus there is also a further essential advantage, that the whole heat
received by the block D is given to the water, and is used for producing steam.
After having cleaned a beer-pipe by means of steam, more water can be supplied
to the apparatus to produce hot water, which is then driven through the pipe by
means of the pump arranged on the apparatus. Cold water can afterwards be driven
through the pipe in order to wash it out.
For avoiding or diminishing the condensation there may be used to receive
objects for disinfection, a chamber of sheet zinc coated with wood.
Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in, what, manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. An improved process for producing superheated steam, or steam saturated with
disinfectant or like means, whereby the water is conducted directly against a glowing|
body and thus transformed into steam, and the thus produced steam, according to

page_text: Decessity, is superheated by passing the glowing body, or saturated by directly
escaping near the water admission, or conducted through a vessel filled with the
corresponding cleaning or disinfecting means for the purpose of saturating the
steam.
2. For the process as in claim 1 a vessel A, closing tightly by means of a cover
and provided at the bottom with a water-admission f, at the top with an escape-tube
for the steam and with an inserted tubular part for receiving a glowing block D,
which has at its top a hole intended for reception of a handle.
3. For the process as in claim 1 a vessel a arranged on the vessel A and connected
with the same serving for receiving disinfecting or the like means, which is
traversed by the steam produced in vessel A.
4. For the process as in claim 1 a disinfecting chamber of zinc plate coated with
wood in connection with the vessel A, for avoiding or diminishing the condensation.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1897.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.
Agents to Applicant 18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C. London.