IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC-ACID
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, London in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC-ACID" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to an improved construction of the apparatus known in
the manufacture of sulphuric acid as the Glover tower.'
26
In making sulphuric acid the "Glover towor" is used to denitrate nitrous
vitriol which has been formed in the "Gay Lussac" tower and at the same time
to concentrate the acid to a specific gravity of 17 to 173 by means of the hot
gases from the Sulphuric burners. The efficiency of the tower both for denitrating
and concentrating the acid is dependent on the completeness with which the acid
is distributed in the tower so as to be properly acted on by the burner gases. In
Glover towers as hitherto constructed the means of distributing the acid have
been defective, inasmuch as the acid which is well distributed in the upper portion
of such tower by the flint or quartz pebbles with which the upper portion of the
tower is filled, in a greater or less degree becomes collected together towards the
bottom in drops and streamlets.
To remedy this defect, I construct a Glover tower with a gothic, lancet or
straight sided arch composed of courses of bricks or blocks disposed in the manner
hereinafter fully described.
Hitherto the flint or quartz with which the upper part of the Glover tower has
been filled has been made to rest upon a circular arch in which "pigeon holes"
were left for the gases, which enter the tower under the arch, to pass through.
The descending acid collects into streamlets and drops in these pigeon-holes and,
in this form, is found to be more favorable for absorption of nitrous acid than it is
for denitration by sulphurous acid, so that when "potting" is done in the sulphur
burners, a loss of nitrous acid occurs through absorption by the sulphuric acid

page_text: descending in streamlets and drops through the pigeon-holes in the circular arch.
Instead therefore, of constructing the tower with the perforated circular arch
above described, or in any other manner which will cause the acid to form drops
or streamlets when it gets near the bottom of the tower, I construct it with a
gothic or angular arch of open brick-work in such a way that the weight of the
contents of the arch rests upon the bottom and forms a large chamber in the lower
part of the tower for the gases from the sulphur burners to defuse in.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are sectional views hereinafter described illustrating the said
invention.
A indicates a Glover tower composed of courses of bricks a a laid in the usual
manner of constructing Glover towers, so as to leave vertical passage ways a
between them for the descending acid and ascending gases. Instead, however, of
forming the tower with a circular arch as heretofore I construct it with a gothic or
straight sided arch B by laying the courses of bricks co that they will overlap one
another on the walls of the chamber C, the sides of the arch thus resembling
inverted stairways. To the chamber C the gases from the sulphur burners are
admitted through a pipe opening D. The chamber thus constructel is provided
with a very great number of apertures through which the gases ascend and that
the descending acid ein nowhere form a drop or streamlet; it must of necessity
form an extremely thin and continuous film over the very extensive surface of the
angular arch. In Figure. 1 is shown a plain arch or one unsupported except at its
cuds. Figures. 2 and 3 show the saine arch adapted for the construction of large
towers where increased height necessary to secure equilibrium would be incon-
venient. In Figure. 2 the middle of the arch is supported by one brick column E
extending from front to back of the tower and built on the same open way as the
arch; that is, the bricks placed side by side, have spaces left between them. In
Figure. 3 which illustrates a form adapted to a still larger tower, there are two
columns E' extending from the front to the back of the tower supporting the
centre of the angular arch, built in the same manner as the one in Figure 2.
The acid running from the Glover tower as ordinarily constructed is too dark in
color to be used in making oil of vitriol because of the impurities derived from the
materials of which such tower is made, and thus a valuable aid to concentration is
lost to this branch of manufacture. To make the Glover tower produce colorless
acid so that it can be used for making oil of vitriol in the ordinary platinum or
glass still in the usual manner I substitute for the artificial bricks heretofore used
in its walls blocks or bricks cut from quartz. The quartz is to be cut int>
shapes suitable for forming the bottom, arch, and outer walls or lining of the tower,
and the tower is built of these cut blocks or bricks of quartz in the same manner
as with the usual materials. Acid treated in the usual manner in a tower
constructed of this material will be colorless and devoid of the impurities
heretofore derived in the tower.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim.is
First. A Glover tower formed with a gothic or lancet arch the sides of which
are composed of overlapping courses of bricks or blocks having passages between
them for the descent of acid and ascent of gases and having a lateral opening for
the admission of the said gases, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second. A tower, the walls and arch of which are composed of blocks of cut or
shaped quartz the said tower baving an upper chamber for the reception of acid
and a lateral opening near its base for the introduction of gases, substantially ne,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Third. A glover tower the walls and arch of which are composed of courses of
cut quartz the said arch being lancet shaped or gothic and formed with openings
for the descent of acid form an upper chamber and the ascent of gases admitted

page_text: through a lateral opening near the base of the tower, substantially as shown and
described.
Fourth. A Glover tower having a gothic or lancet arch with supporting column
or columns, substantially as shown and described.
Dated th 18th
1084
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.