IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID FOR THE PURPOSE OF REGULATING THE DRAUGHT IN SUCH APPARATUS
Year: 1879

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LETTERS PATENT to William George Strype, of Wicklow, Ireland, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID FOR THE PURPOSE OF REGULATING THE
DRAUGHT IN SUCH APPARATUS.”
Sealed the 25th April 1879, and dated the 21st February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Strype at.
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1879.
WILLIAM GEORGE STRYPE, of Wicklow, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID FOR THE
PURPOSE OF REGULATING THE DRAUGHT IN SUCH APPARATUS."
My Invention relates to means to be applied to apparatus for the manufacture
of sulphuric acid by preference to the exit flue of such apparatus for the purpose of
regulating the draught, and thus ensuring a uniform supply of air to the burners
when the sulphur is burnt, and controlling the exit of the gases to the chimney or
other outlet.
In carrying out my Invention I employ an inverted vessel or receiver open at its
lower end, which dips into a tank of water or other suitable liquid acting as a
bydraulic joint, the interior of such receiver being placed in communication by
means of pipes or passages with a receptacle connected with the flue from the
sulphuric acid chambers, and which is also connected with a flue leading to the
chimney or other device for supporting the draught. This receptacle is divided by
a diaphragm or partition having one or more apertures (say, for example, two)
fitted with valves or dampers, the said diaphragm or partition dividing the flue so
that the air and gases which have free access to the receiver can only escape into
the flue leading to the chimney when the said valves or dampers are open.
The opening and closing of the said valves or dampers are regulated automatically
by the action of the suction itself so as to ensure the required uniformity of draught
in the following manner:- -The valves or dampers are connected to a lever mounted
on a centre or fulcrum between the two valves, and attached at one extremity to
the receiver, whilst its opposite extremity is loaded with a weight sufficient to
preponderate to the required extent over the receiver when in its neutral condition.
Assuming that the chimney or other means of draught has an excess of "pull
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page_text: or suction over that which is necessary for the proper working of the acid chambers,
and that the valves or dampers are partially open, the draught within the receiver
when accelerated will have a tendency to draw down that end of the lever and
elevate the opposite or weighted end and thus partially close the valves or dampers,
and as the weight with which the end of the lever is charged is so calculated that
the weighted end of the lever can only be elevated when the required maximum
draught is exceeded, and as the said weighted end will again fall by gravitation as
soon as the draught is unduly diminished, it follows that the desired uniform action
will be obtained.
The connection between the valves or dampers and the lever may be formed by
means of rods or links passing through water sealed stuffing boxes, and, by
preference, suspended from knife edges, and the other centres are also preferably
constructed with knife edges. The pipe or passage communicating between the
intermediate receptacle and the receiver may pass through the tank, in which case
it is provided with an outlet for any liquid which may accidentally obtain access
to the pipe, as owing to the thickness of the sides of the receiver the latter becomes
sensibly lighter when deeply immersed in the liquid a source of disturbance of the
uniform action of the apparatus thence arises, which it may be necessary in some
cases to provide means to counteract. For this purpose the lever is provided with
a projecting arm carrying an adjustable weight, and arranged in such a position
that as the arm partakes of the motion of the lever the centre of gravity of the
system will be moved in the requisite direction, and to the necessary extent to
effect the required correction.
When desired for the sake of convenience and economy in cost of construction
the apparatus may be simplified by some such arrangement as mounting the
receiver above the intermediate receptacle and directly connecting it to the damper
or dampers, and also connecting it to one extremity of the weighted lever, and the
required correction for counteracting the varying effect of the immersion of the
receiver may also be obtained by arranging the centre of gravity of the system
above the centre line of the lever.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William George Strype in the Great Seal Patent Office on.the
6th August 1879.
WILLIAM GEORGE STRYPE, of Wicklow, Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SULPHURIC ACID FOR THE
PURPOSE OF REGULATING THE DRAUGHT IN SUCH APPARATUS."
My said Invention relates to means to be applied to apparatus for the manu-
facture of sulphuric acid for the purpose of regulating the draught, and thus
ensuring a uniform supply of air to the burners when the sulphur is burnt, and
controlling the exit of the gases to the chimney or other outlet.
In carrying out my said Invention I regulate the draught automatically by means
of valves or dampers which are controlled by the action of the suction or draught
itself through the intervention of an inverted open mouthed vessel or receiver
connected to the said valves or dampers.
This receiver is sealed with a liquid joint and arranged so as to be capable of
rising and falling, according to the variations in the suction or draught, assisted or
governed by a suitable counterpoise, and thus of opening or closing the valves or
dampers as required, the position of the centre of gravity of the movable system
being made automatically adjustable so as to compensate for any disturbance due
to variations in the weight of the vessel or receiver consequent upon its variable
degree of submersion in the sealing liquid.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.
:
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings are sectional elevations illus-
.trating respectively two different modifications of apparatus constructed according
to my said Invention as examples of the modes of carrying out the same.
Referring to Figure 1, A is an inverted vessel or receiver open at its lower end
which dips into a tank B containing water or other suitable liquid acting as a
hydraulic joint. The interior of the receiver A is placed in communication by
means of the pipe or passage a with a receptacle C which is connected with the
main flue D, say, for example, leading from the absorbing towers and chambers, and
is also connected with a flue E leading to the chimney or other device for supporting
the draught. This receptacle is divided by a diaphragm or partition F having
apertures b', 6', fitted with valves or dampers G, G1, the said diaphragm or partition
separating the flue D from the flue E, so that the air and gases which have free
access to the receiver A can only escape into the flue E leading to the chimney
when the valves or dampers G, G², are open.
The operation of opening and closing the valves or dampers G, G¹, is regulated
automatically by the action of the suction itself so as to ensure the required
uniformity of draught in the following manner :-The valves or dampers G, G', are
connected to a lever H mounted so as to be capable of turning on a centre or
fulcrum c, and attached at one extremity to the receiver A whilst its opposite
extremity is loaded with a weight I sufficient to preponderate to the required
extent over the receiver A when in its neutral condition.
Assuming that the chimney or other means of draught has an excess of "pull" or
suction over that which is necessary for the proper working of the acid chambers,
and that the valves or dampers G, G³, are partially open as shewn, the draught
within the receiver A when accelerated will have a tendency to draw down that
end of the lever and elevate the opposite or weighted end, and thus partially close
the valves or dampers; and as the weight I is so calculated that the weighted end
of the lever can only be elevated when the required maximum draught is exceeded,
and as the said weighted end will again fall by gravitation as soon as the draught

page_text: is unduly diminished it follows that the desired uniform action will be obtained.
.The dotted lines 1-2, and 3-4, indicate respectively the positions of the lever when
the valves or dampers are closed and when they are open to their maximum
extent.
The connection between the valves or dampers G, G², and the lever H may be
formed as shewn by means of rods or links d, d', passing through water sealed
stuffing boxes K, K¹, and, by preference, suspended from knife edges e, e¹, and the
centres at c, f, are also by preference constructed with knife edges as indicated.
The pipe or passage a may pass through the tank B as in the- example illustrated,
in which case it is provided with an outlet g for any liquid which may accidentally :
obtain access to the pipe.
As owing to the thickness of the sides of the receiver A the latter becomes
sensibly lighter when, deeply immersed in the liquid a source of disturbance of the
uniform action of the apparatus thence arises which it may be necessary in some
cases to provide means to counteract. For this purpose the lever H may be pro- 1
vided with a projecting arm Ļ carrying an adjustable weight M, and arranged in
such a position that as the arm L partakes of the motion of the lever the centre of
gravity of the system will be moved in the requisite direction and to the necessary
extent to effect the required correction.
When desired for the sake of convenience the apparatus may be simplified in a
manner such as is shewn in Figure 2 of the Drawings. According to this modifi-
cation the receiver A is mounted above the receptacle C and is directly connected
to the valves or dampers G, G¹, by a rod or link d³, and is also connected to one
oxtremity of the lever H, the action being similar to that of the apparatus herein-
before described with reference to Figure 1. Should the draught be subject to
considerable fluctuations a diaphragm N (with an opening h in its centre to
communicate with the receiver A) may be interposed in order to prevent the
movements of the regulator from being too sudden and rapid. It is obvious that
a flexible diaphragm may be substituted for the inverted vessel or receiver with its
liquid joint and a similar result be obtained.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine myself to the precise
details of the arrangement of the apparatus hereinbefore described, and illustrated
upon the accompanying Drawings, as examples of the modes of carrying out the
Invention, as the same may be varied without departing from the principles of the
said Invention, but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim
as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
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In apparatus for the manufacture of sulphuric acid regulating the draught
automatically by means of valves or dampers which are controlled by the action of
the suction or draught itself through the intervention of an inverted open mouthed
vessel or receiver or its equivalent, the same being connected with the valves or
dampers and counterpoised and arranged so as to be capable of rising. and falling
according to the variations in the suction or draught, and thus of opening or closing
the valves or dampers as required, all substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William George Strype; have to this my
.Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of July, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.