Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
I, EXHAM PHILLIPS, of 4, Corporation Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for disinfecting garments,
bedding and the like articles requiring disinfecting, the object being to reduce the
cost of such apparatus considerably, without reducing its efficiency.
This improved apparatus is designed to work chiefly on the principle of what is
known as the "current apparatus" with steam at atmospheric pressure, but by suitably
modifying its construction and increasing its strength, it may also be worked at any
desired convenient pressure.
To this end 1 form a compartment or chamber, hereinafter termed "the chamber"
adapted for the reception of the article to be disinfected and outside the said chamber
a hollow casing or cavity jacket, herein termed "the jacket preferably surrounding
the said chamber, which chamber and jacket may be made of sheet metal or any
other suitable material and of tubular or any other convenient section.
The said chamber is provided with doors (at one or both ends), hung and made fast
by any of the usual devices and formed if deemed necessary with cavity jackets with or
without ports leading to the jacket outside the said chamber.
The said jacket receives the hot gases or hot products of combustion from a
Bunsen or other gas, oil or other burner or burners, which hot gases are caused to
pass through the said jacket and serve to heat the "wall" of the said chamber to a
temperature preferably above that of the steam to be passed through or contained
in the same and to maintain it at the desired temperature in order to prevent
condensation therein.
These hot gases may be caused to circulate also through the said chamber as well
as the jacket, so as to assist in raising the temperature in the interior of the latter
before steam is admitted.
The said gas, oil or other burner or burners may be placed in any convenient position
in the said jacket or under the said chamber and may be used to heat the water in a
steam generator or generators hereinafter presently described.
The steam required for disinfecting is generated in suitably shaped boilers placed
preferably under the apparatus described or in the said jacket, so that the hot gases
generated by the said burner or burners, after acting on the said boiler or boilers,
may pass into the said jacket and be utilized for heating the said chamber. The said
boiler (or boilers) is fed with water in any of the usual well known ways, or it may be
cbarged with sufficient water to last the length of time required for disinfecting a batch
of articles or it may be fed by a continual stream of water regulated so as to be at
once evaporated. The steam from the said boiler or boilers is conducted into the
said chamber by a service pipe or pipes respectively and liberated therein in any
desired position.
The said boiler or boilers may however form portion of the lower part of the said
chamber, instead of being arranged independent and the steam for disinfecting may be
supplied from any independent source aud led by a service pipe into the said chamber or
a direct water supply may be connected to the chamber and water evaporated therein; or

page_text: sufficient water for this purpose may be placed in the said chamber at the commencement
of the disinfecting operation and afterwards evaporated therein by the heat of the said
burner or burners underneath.
When constructing the apparatus as a "current apparatus" the said chamber is
provided with an escape pipe or pipes, preferably at its bottom, so that when steamn
is liberated at the top, the atmospheric air is expelled from below. An exhaust pipe
may also be placed on the top with a valve so that when disinfection is completed the
steam may be expelled from the said chamber and the articles therein.
The apparatus described may be constructed to form a fixture or be mounted upon
wheels so as to be transportable.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1806
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus.
I, EXHAM PHILLIPS, of 4, Corporation Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, 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 improvements in apparatus for disinfecting garments,
bedding and the like articles requiring disinfecting, the object being to simplify the
construction and reduce the cost of such apparatus considerably, without reducing its
efficiency.
This improved apparatus is designed to work chiefly on the principle of what is
known as the "current apparatus" with steam at atmospheric pressure, but by
suitably modifying its construction and increasing its strength, it may also be worked
at any desired convenient pressure.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to be
appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference indicating
like parts in the various figures, Fig. 1 being a cross section and Fig. 2 a longitudinal
section of my improved disinfecting apparatus constructed for the application of
"current" steam at atmospheric pressure.
In carrying out my invention and referring to the figures generally, a is the
compartment or chamber, hereinafter termed "the chamber" adapted for the reception
of the articles to be disinfected which are disposed therein for treatment in any of
the usual well known methods. The said "chamber" is formed of suitable sheet
metal, preferably in the form of a horizontal cylinder and has outside a casing,
preferably of sheet metal, which forms a cavity jacket b, hereinafter termed "the
jacket." The said "jacket" preferably surrounds the said "chamber" and may
be formed partly by another part of the apparatus, such as a boiler or boilers
hereinafter described or by a brick seating or casing as will be readily understood.
The said "chamber" is provided at one or at each end with a door c, c, hung and
made fast by any of the usual devices. The said doors are covered with a suitable
non-conducting composition d, d, but if desired may be provided with cavity jackets
having ports leading to the aforesaid "jacket" which permit their being filled with
hot products of combustion as will be readily understood.
The said "jacket" receives the hot products of combustion or hot gases from a
Bunsen or other burner or burners, such as marked e, e, which hot gases after heating
the boilers,, are caused to pass into the said "jacket" where they serve to heat
of the said "chamber" to a temperature preferably above that of the.
steam contained in the said "chamber" when the apparatus is in operation, for the

page_text: purpose of preventing condensation of the said steam during the process of dis-
infection and also for airing disinfected articles previous to their removal.
A separate burner or burners however may be employed for this latter operation,
so placed that the hot gases from them pass directly into the said "jacket" without
impinging on the boilers f, f, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1.
The hot gases having traversed the said "jacket" leave preferably through a
longitudinal opening 9 formed in the top of the said "jacket" and are finally
discharged by the funnel h.
These hot gases or a portion thereof may however be caused to pass into the said
"chamber" as well as the "jacket" through suitable valves or ports in the "wall"
thereof so as to assist in warming the same or the articles placed therein before
steam is admitted.
The said "chamber" at its highest point is fitted with an exhaust valve i which
can be operated by a rod k formed with a knob and which is opened when it is
desired to expel the steam from the said "chamber" or while articles are being aired
previous to removal. To the underside of the said "chamber" is fitted an open
bottom escape pipe (or pipes) which permits the air and also the "current" steam
to discharge themselves when the apparatus is being worked.
The said "chamber" and "jacket" etc. are supported on cast iron chairs i', i',
which together with the plates , h, form a combustion chamber 61 for the gases
from the burner or burners e, c, which "chamber" is provided with a door k¹ giving
access for lighting the gas and turning it off when the steam is not required.
The steam for disinfecting is preferably generated in two boot shaped boilers of
sheet metal f, f, which work at atmospheric pressure and are situated preferably
beneath the said "chamber" so that the upper surface thereof forms part of the
said "jacket."
The said boiler or boilers are fed with water automatically by ball-tap and cistern "
or in any other usual convenient manner and the steam from the same is delivered
into the said "chamber" by the service pipes m, m, which are preferably fixed inside
the same to prevent condensation.
The said boiler or boilers may however form portion of the lower part of the
said "chamber," instead of being arranged independent or the steam for disinfecting
may be supplied from any independent source and led by a service pipe into the
said "chamber" or a direct water supply may be connected to the said "chamber"
and water evaporated therein or sufficient water for this purpose may be placed in
the said "chamber" at the commencement of the disinfecting operation and afterwards
evaporated therein by the heat of the burner or burners underneath.
When the apparatus is required to be worked with steam above atmospheric
pressure, its construction is suitably strengthened and modified and it is fitted with
mountings of the usual well known type, such as pressure gauge, safety valve, etc.
A valve or similar device is placed on the bottom escape pipe 7 to retain the steam
until it has reached the desired pressure at which it is purposed to work the steam
"current."
The apparatus described may be constructed to form a fixture or be mounted upon
wheels so as to be transportable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim, is-
1st. In apparatus for disinfecting garments, bedding and the like articles by steam,
the combination of an inner steam chamber a with an outer cavity jacket b, the
said cavity jacket being adapted to receive the products of combustion or hot gases
from a burner or burners and prevent condensation taking place in the said chamber,
all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. In an apparatus constructed as specified in the preceding claim, in combi-
nation with the said "chamber and "jacket a boiler or boilers ff, adapted to
generate the steam used for disinfection inside the said "chamber" which boiler

page_text: or boilers are heated by the same burner or burners that generate the heat received
by the said "jacket," all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. The general construction and arrangement of parts constituting my improve-
ments operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 15th day of March 1897.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.