Improvements in or Connected with Steam Disinfecting Apparatus.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in or Connected with Steam Disinfecting Apparatus.
We, JAMES BINGHAM ALLIOTT and JOHN MCCLURE (ALDWELL PATON, both of
Bloomsgrove Works, Nottingham in the County of Notts, Engineers 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 disinfecting clothing and other articles by
means of high pressure steain. This method of disinfecting is now in common use
and is recognised by most authorities as the only satisfactory and certain method of
treating infected articles or materials of all kinds. The articles operated on should
leave the apparatus in a perfectly dry condition. In many instances however the
apparatus is so constructed that steam may condense in the disinfecting chamber and
upon or in the articles operated on, and if from this or any other cause there is reason
to fear that the articles may be in a slightly damp condition after disinfection, it
becomes necessary to provide means for drying and airing them before the operation
can be considered complete or satisfactory. Our improvements have the object of
effecting or facilitating the drying and airing of the articles after disinfection and
consist in apparatus or devices for evaporating the condensed steam and facilitating
the introduction of heated or dried air into the interior of the articles, which we effect
in the following manner:
In connection with a disinfecting chamber of the type known as Lyon's or any
other chamber in which steam at a greater pressure than that of the atmosphere is
employed, we arrange a condensing vessel or chamber communicating with the
disinfecting chamber through a pipe or opening or through pipes or openings fitted
with cocks or valves, and furnish said condensing vessel or chamber with fittings for
a water jet, which can be turned on at pleasure. When the operation of disinfecting
is completed in the ordinary way, the steam is exhausted into the atmosphere in the
usual manner, the communication between the disinfecting and condensing chambers
being closed during these operations. The fall in pressure causes a certain part of the
condensed steam to be reevaporated. When the pressure has fallen in the disinfecting
chamber to atmospheric pressure and the steam pressure gauge indicates zero, we
close the ordinary exhaust cock or valve and open the communication to the condenser
and then turn on the water jet, when the steam contained in the disinfecting chamber
will become condensed in the condenser. The removal of pressure and production of

page_text: a more or less perfect vacuum in the condenser and disinfecting chamber effected
thereby will cause the moisture in the articles to evaporate and the articles to become
dried thereby to a greater extent than with the ordinary arrangements.
In order further to insure the drying and airing of the articles, we then introduce
in some cases heated air into the disinfecting chamber, and as the air and steam
previously contained in the chamber and in the pores of the articles has already
been removed by the production of the vacuum in the manner hereinbefore described,
the warin or heated air now introduced will at once penetrate into the interior of the
disinfected materials and will effectually dry and air them.
The air may be heated in any known manner; but we prefer to use steam heated
surfaces for heating the air, as when air is heated by direct fire there is more
difficulty in regulating the temperature and the articles may be scorched or otherwise
injured.
Instead of a condenser as herein before described or in combination with the same,
an air pump or steam-ejector or equivalent known devices for removing air or vapour
and producing a vacuum may be employed.
We are aware that heated air has been introduced or circulated in disinfecting
chambers after the steam has been exhausted into the atmosphere previous to our
invention, but the air in this case cannot penetrate into the. interior of the disinfected
articles as the pores of said articles are filled with air, vapour and moisture at
atmospheric pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
Firstly, in steam disinfecting apparatus drying the disinfected articles by the
removal of pressure or production of more or less vacuum in said apparatus,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Secondly, in steam disinfecting apparatus the introduction of heated or dried air in
such a manner that it penetrates at once to the interior of the disinfected articles,
substantially as described.
Thirdly, the combination with a steam disinfecting chamber of condensing or
vacuum producing apparatus for the purposes herein before set forth and substantially
as described.
Dated this 96th day of Ton 1000