IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO CONDENSERS FOR OBTAINING FRESH WATER FROM SALT WATER."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward William West, of the City of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPERTAINING TO CONDENSERS FOR OBTAINING FRESH WATER FROM SALT
WATER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward William West at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th July 1880.
EDWARD WILLIAM WEST, of the City of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO CONDENSERS FOR OBTAINING FRESH
WATER FROM SALT WATER."
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in and appertaining to
condensers for obtaining fresh water from salt water.
The improvements consist,-
First. In a novel form and arrangement of tubes or chambers which form the
condensing surface of the condenser.
Second. In a novel form and arrangement of chamber and filter through which
the fresh or distilled water passes.
Third. In the form and arrangement of the condenser, and the construction
thereof as a complete apparatus.
First. The Novel Form of Tubes or Chambers.-This consists in forming by
drawing or otherwise tubes with flattened sides formed thus
which
inay be used as hereinafter described with open ends as tubes, or with closed ends
as chambers. These tubes or chambers are arranged, positioned, or pitched radially,
or in equivalent manner within a cylinder or other shaped vessel which forms the
condenser. In the case of tubes they are fixed between tube plates provided with
india rubber rings or rubber sheets, or other suitable packing to form joint at the
tube plates. When the chambers are used, such chambers are provided with inlet and
outlet pipes which pass through the tube plates, the joint being made by a suitable
packing. My object in using tubes or chambers with flattened sides is to obtain
an increased condensing surface over the ordinary circular tube now commonly
used in condensers, and I would state that although I prefer the section of tube or
chamber before defined, that my Invention likewise consists in using tubes or
Duins C31

page_text: chambers of a rectangular, lozenge, or other shape that have an increased surface
over circular tubes or chambers arranged in like manner.
The
Second. The Form and Arrangement of Chamber and Filter-This consists in
constructing the chamber which constitutes the filter through which the fresh water,
being the distilled water or condensed steam, passes so that the filtering medium,
charcoal or other substance, is accessible, and that the water, being the distilled
water, filters upwards instead of downwards, as is commonly the case.
chamber is formed with a side passage from the condenser which is superposed over
it. Near the bottom of the chamber there is a perforated plate or grid on which
the filtering medium is placed. The passage from the condenser enters the chamber
below the grid, and a suitable door is provided for access to the bottom of the
chamber for cleaning. The fresh water is discharged through a branch at the top
of the chamber. The chamber, which is by preference a casting, has over it a
second chamber which opens into the tubes or condensing chambers, and through
which the circulating water passes. These chambers form the base of the condenser
which is superposed over them.
Third. The Form, Arrangement, and Construction of the Condenser. - This
consists by preference of a cylindrical casting, the upper portion of which is
provided with a branch, being the steam inlet, and the lower portion is provided
with a branch or port, being the condensed water outlet, and corresponding with
the passage to the filter chamber under the second part. This cylinder forms the
outer casing of the condenser, and is provided with top and bottom flanges. The
cylinder contains a nest of tubes or chambers of form as described under the first
part, the tube plates of which come respectively, the lower one between the lower
flange of the casing and the flange on the base chambers, and the upper one
between the upper flange on the casing and a flange on a chamber which forms the
overflow chamber and branch for the circulating water, and which is placed over
the condenser casing. The tube plates may consist of two plates through which the
tubes pass, having between them a sheet of india rubber, or countersunk india rubber
rings, in manner similar to the packing of an ordinary surface condenser. Where
the tubes are used with open ends, I thoroughly tin both the inside and the outside
of the tube. I also tin the tube plates. Where the chambers or closed tubes are
used, I thoroughly tin the outer surface thereof, and also the tube plates.
A modification of condenser according to my Invention may consist in arranging
the condenser, so that the inner surface of the tubes is the condensing surface, the
circulating water being outside the tubes.
By my Invention I obtain a much greater condensing surface than ordinary
tubular condensers of the same size; I also obtain easy access to all parts for
cleaning and repair purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward William West in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd January 1881.
EDWARD WILLIAM WEST, of the City of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO CONDENSERS FOR OBTAINING FRESH
WATER FROM SALT WATER."
My Invention has for its object certain improvements in and appertaining to
condensers for obtaining fresh water from salt water.
The improvements consist,-
First. In a novel form and arrangement of tubes or chambers which form the
condensing surface of the condenser..
Second. In a novel form and arrangement of chamber and filter through which
the fresh or distilled water passes.
Third. In the form and arrangement of the condenser, and the construction
thereof as a complete apparatus.
First. The Novel Form of Tubes or Chambers. This consists in forming by
drawing or otherwise tubes with flattened sides formed thus
which
may be used as herein after described with open ends as tubes, or with closed ends
as chambers. These tubes or chambers are arranged, positioned, or pitched radially
or in equivalent manner within a cylinder or other shaped vessel which forms the
condenser. In the case of tubes they are fixed between tube plates provided with
india rubber rings or rubber sheets, or other suitable packing to form joint at the
tube plates. When the chambers are used, such chambers are provided with inlet
and outlet pipes which pass through the tube plates, the joint being made by a
suitable packing. My object in using tubes or chambers with flattened sides is to
obtain an increased condensing surface over the ordinary circular tube now
commonly used in condensers, and I would state that although I prefer the section
of tube or chamber before defined, that my Invention likewise consists in using
tubes or chambers of a rectangular, lozenge, or other shape that have an increased
surface over circular tubes or chambers arranged in like manner.
I sometimes arrange the tubes or chambers one within the other, and pitched in
a nest radially within the cylinder, the outer tubes or chambers opening into a
steam inlet and chamber, and the inner tubes or chambers opening into a circulating
water outlet, the space between the tubes being the condensing surface.
Second. The Form and Arrangement of Chainber and Filter.-This consists in
constructing the chamber which constitutes the filter through which the fresh water,
being the distilled water or condensed steam passes, so that the filtering medium,
charcoal or other substance, is accessible, and that the water, being the distilled
water, filters upwards instead of downwards, as is commonly the case. The chamber
is formed with a side passage from the condenser, which is superposed over it.
Near the bottom of the chamber there is a perforated plate or grid on which the
filtering medium is placed. The passage from the condenser enters the chamber
below this grid, and a suitable door is provided for access to the bottom of the
chamber for cleaning. The fresh water is discharged through a branch at the top
of the chamber. The chamber, which is by preference a casting, has over it a
second chamber which opens into the tubes or condensing chambers, and through
which the circulating water passes. These chambers form the base of the condenser
which is superposed over them.
Third. The Form, Arrangement, and Construction of the Condenser.―This consists
by preference of a cylindrical casting, the upper portion of which is provided with
a branch, being the steam inlet, and the lower portion is provided with a branch or
port, being the condensed water outlet, and corresponding with the passage to the

page_text: '
'
filter chamber under the second part. This cylinder forms the outer casing of
the condenser, and is provided with top and bottom flanges. The cylinder contains
a nest of tubes or chambers of form as described under the first part, the tube
plates of which come respectively the lower one between the lower flange of the
casing and the flange on the base chambers, and the upper one between the upper
flange on the casing and a flange on a chamber which forms the overflow chamber
and branch for the circulating water, and which is placed over the condenser casing.
The tube plates may consist of two plates through which the tubes pass, having
between them a sheet of india rubber, or countersunk india rubber rings, in manner
similar to the packing of an ordinary surface condenser. Where the tubes are used
with open ends, I thoroughly tin both the inside and the outside of the tube. I
also tin the tube plates. Where the chambers or closed tubes are used, I thoroughly
tin the outer surfaces thereof and also the tube plates.
A modification of condenser according to my Invention may consist in arranging
the condenser so that the inner surface of the tubes is the condensing surface, the
circulating water being outside the tubes.
By my Invention I obtain a much greater condensing surface than ordinary
tubular condensers of the same size. I also obtain easy access to all parts for
cleaning and repair purposes.
The beforegoing being the nature, object, and purposes of my Invention, I will
now proceed to illustrate how the same may be practically applied, and to describe
forms and arrangements of apparatus such as are suitable for carrying my Invention
into practice; and for that purpose I have attached a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
of such apparatus, which are marked with letters and figures of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation, like letters and figures
being used to denote the same or corresponding parts throughout the various
views views and Figures.
Reference to the Drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional plan of a condenser, with a nest of tubes or chambers
constructed and arranged according to my Invention.
Figure 2 is a part elevation of a novel form or construction of tube or chamber
according to my Invention, and Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an elevation partly in section of Figure 1, showing a condenser
according to my Invention.
Figure 5 is an elevation partly in section, showing another arrangement of
condenser according to my Invention.
Figure 6 is a plan of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of filter chamber according to my Invention.
First. The Novel Form of Tubes.-This consists in forming the tubes A as shown at
shown at Figures 1. The tubes A are used with open ends, and fixed between tube
plates provided with india rubber rings, or rubber sheets, or other packing to form a
joint, as shown at Figure 4. Where the chambers A are used they are formed with
closed ends, as shown at Figures 2 and 3, and of like section to the tubes A, Figures 1
and 4. Each end of each chamber is provided with a tube A' which is used to go
through the tube plates, the joint being made by a suitable packing ring or sheet.
The tubes A¹ act as inlet and outlet pipes for the chambers A. My object in using
tubes or chambers with flattened sides is to obtain an increased condensing surface
over the ordinary circular tube. To further obtain increased condensing surface
I use double tubes placed one inside of the other, as shown at Figure 5. These
may be both of the section shown at Figure 1, or the outer tube may be of such
section, and inner tube may be a circular tube, or both the tubes may be circular,
as shown at Figure 6.
Second. The Form and Arrangement of Chamber and Filter-This consists in
constructing the chamber which constitutes the filter as shown at Figure 7; B is
the filter chamber through which the fresh water, being the distilled water, or
condensed steam passes. The chamber B is filled with charcoal or other filtering
medium, and is accessible, through the removeable perforated plate E by taking off

page_text: the bottom plate F of the chamber B. The chamber B is formed with a side
passage or port H, which leads from the condenser D to the filter, and the water
is filtered upwards instead of downwards, as is the case in other condensers. The
fresh water is discharged through the branch I at the top of the chamber B; J is
the circulating water inlet; C, the circulating water chamber which opens into the
tubes or chambers A.
Third. The Form, Arrangement, and Construction of the Condenser (reference to
Figures 1 and 4).
The condenser consists of a cylindrical casting D, the upper portion of which is
provided with a branch K, being the steam inlet, and the lower portion is provided
with a branch or port H, being the condensed steam or water outlet, and
corresponding with the passage H to the filter chamber B, Figure 7, which may be
used if wished. The cylinder D forms the outer casing of the condenser, and is
provided with a nest of tubes or chambers A, as shown, which open out into
the overflow chamber L on the top of the condenser. M is the overflow or
circulating water outlet.
In the example shown at Figures 5 and 6 the outer tubes A open out into the
steam inlet chamber N, the steam passing through the space between the tubes
a and A, that is, through the tubes A into the condensed steam chamber P, from
whence it may be taken to a filter such as B (Figure 7) if desired. In this
construction of condenser J is the circulating water inlet, and M the overflow or
circulating water outlet; the circulating water passing on the outside of the
tubes A and inside of the tubes a, affords a double condensing surface to condense
the steam in the tubes A.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my Invention, and explained
the manner in which the same may be carried into practical effect, what I claim
as my Invention, and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,--
First. Constructing and arranging tubes for condensers for obtaining fresh water
from salt water in the form and section as herein described, and such as shown at
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Second. Constructing and arranging tubes for condensers for obtaining fresh
water from salt water in the forni, manner, and section as herein described, and
such as shown at Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Third. In condensers for obtaining fresh water from salt water, forming the
condensing surface of a nest of chambers, as herein described and such as shown at
Figures 2 and 3, arranged as shown at Figure 1 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Fourth. In condensers for obtaining fresh water from salt water, constructing
and arranging the filter chamber and passages as herein described, and in manner
such as shown at Figure 7 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Fifth. The general construction and arrangement of condensers for obtaining
fresh water from salt water, as herein described and shown at Figures 1 and 4 of
the Drawings hereto annexed.
Sixth. The general construction and arrangement of condensers for obtaining
fresh water from salt water, as herein described and shown at Figures 5 and 6 of
the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward William West, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
EDWARD WILLIAM (L.s.) WEST.