IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE ABSORPTION OF GASES BY SOLIDS, OR WHERE GASES ARE MADE TO REACT UPON SOLIDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hargreaves, of Appleton-within-Widnes,
in the County of Lancaster, Chemist, and Thomas Robinson, of
Widnes, in the same County, Iron Founder, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE ABSORPTION OF
GASES BY SOLIDS, OR WHERE GASES ARE MADE TO REACT UPON SOLIDS."
Sealed the 17th November 1871, and dated the 15th July 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hargreaves and
Thomas Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 15th July 1871.
We, JAMES HARGREAVES, of Appleton-within-Widnes, in the County
of Lancaster, Chemist, and THOMAS ROBINSON, of Widnes, in the same
County, Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE ABSORPTION
OF GASES BY SOLIDS, OR WHERE GASES ARE MADE TO REACT UPON SOLIDS," to bo
as follows: -
Our said Invention can be applied in the following manufactures
(amongst others) bleaching powder, sulphite of lime, artificial carbonate

page_text: of lime, sulphate of soda and potassa, the combustion of powdered
pyrites, roasting ores, and other materials, the purification of coal gas,
and for other purposes where gases are absorbed by or are made to react
upon solids.
We employ an apparatus containing shelves placed one above another.
On the uppermost of the said shelves we place the solid which is to be
treated, and which may be in the form of small pieces or of fine powder.
We provide a series of scrapers or movers which push the said solid.
across the uppermost shelf and over the edge thereof, so that it falls upon
the shelf next below it. The said solid is scraped across the second shelf
and made to fall upon the next below it, and so on until the said solid
has reached the lowest shelf, when it is scraped into a vessel placed to
receive it. By the action of the said scrapers fresh surfaces of the said
solid are continually being exposed to the action of the said gas or
gases. While the said solid is being scraped from shelf to shelf the gas
which is used or which is to be treated is introduced into the said
apparatus at or near the bottom and passes upwards. If the said gas
is mixed with other and inert gases, or with gases evolved by any
chemical reactions which occur during the operation, the said inert
and evolved gases together with any unobsorbed gas pass from the said
apparatus at or near the top.
,
The said apparatus may be of a cylindrical or other suitable form, and
the said scrapers made to revolve or réciprocate, or they may be moved
in any desirable direction; but the form which we prefer is a cylindrical
apparatus with revolving scrapers and circular shelves, with suitable
openings at the sides and centres or other parts of the said shelves to
permit the said solids to fall from one shelf to another. The materials
of which the said apparatus is made may be such as are best adapted to
the materials to be treated, so as to sustain as little injury as possible,
and also not to injure the material to be treated. When 'high
temperatures are required we use suitable heat resisting materials.
If desirable series of apparatus containing shelves may be used, and
the solid which is used or treated may be again passed through two or
more apparatus until it is finished; and the gas or gases used or treated
may also be made to go through a number of apparatus. It is preferable
that the course of the gases should be in a direction contrary to that
of the solids.

page_text: When using the apparatus for the manufacture of sulphates, or for
roasting ores and like materials, and for other processes where high
temperatures are required, wo keep the shaft which moves the scrapers
cool by means of a current of water passing through it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th January 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
HARGREAVES, of Appleton-within-Widnes, in the County of Lancaster,
Chemist, and THOMAS ROBINSON, of Widnes, in the same County, Iron
Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, Her special licence, that we, the said James Hargreaves
and Thomas Robinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas Robinson,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE ABSORPTION OF
GASES BY SOLIDS, OR WHERE GASES ARE MADE TO REACT UPON SOLIDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Hargreaves
and Thomas Robinson, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James Hargreaves and Thomas
Robinson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and ip

page_text: Want the W
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the accompanying Sheets of illustrative Drawings, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention can be applied in the following manufactures :-
Bleaching powder, sulphite of lime, artificial carbonate of lime, sul-
phates of soda and potassa, and the purification of coal gas.
We employ an apparatus containing shelves placed one above another.
On the uppermost of the said shelves we place the solid which is to be
treated, and which may be in the form of small pieces or of fine powder.
We provide a series of scrapers or movers which push the said solid
across the uppermost shelf and over the edge thereof, so that it falls
upon the shelf next below it. The said solid is scraped across the second
shelf and made to fall upon the next below it, and so on until the said
solid has reached the lowest shelf, when it is scraped into a vessel
placed to receive it. By the action of the said scrapers fresh surfaces
of the said solid are continually being exposed to the action of the said
gas or gases. While the said solid is being scraped from shelf to shelf
the gas which is used or which is to be treated is introduced into the
said apparatus at or near the bottom and passes upwards. If the said
gas is mixed with other and inert gases, or with gases evolved. by
any chemical reactions which occur during the operation, the said
incrt and evolved gases together with any unabsorbed gas pass from the
said apparatus at or near the top..
The said apparatus may be of a cylindrical or other suitable form, and
'the said scrapers made to revolve or reciprocate, or they may be moved
in any désirable direction; but the form which we prefer is a cylindrical
apparatus with revolving scrapers and circular shelves, with suitable
openings at the sides and centres or other parts of the said shelves to
permit the said solids to fall from one shelf to another. The materials
of which the said apparatus is made may be such as are best adapted
to the materials to be treated, so as to sustain as little injury as pos-
sible, and also not to injure the material to be treated. When high
temperatures are required we use suitable heat resisting materials.
If desirable a series of apparatus containing shelves may be used,
and the solid which is used or treated may be again passed through
two or more apparatus until it is finished, and the gas or gases used

page_text: Fig. 1 is a vertical section at the line A, A; Fig. 2, a horizontal
section at the bent line B, B; Fig. 3 a horizontal section at the bent
line C, C, and Fig. 4, a plan view all of a cylindrical apparatus or
tower constructed in accordance with our Invention, two forms or
modifications of scrapers or movers being shown.
'
The apparatus delineated in these Figures is specially useful in the
manufacture of bleaching powder, sulphite of lime, and for the purifi-
cation of coal gas. Like letters denote the same parts in these views.
a are outer walls constructed of brick, natural or artificial stone, iron, or
other suitable materials; b, openings in a to allow the shelves c or the
material thercon to be examined, and also to admit of the repair or
adjustment of the scrapers or movers d; the said scrapers or movers d
are attached by bolts or otherwise to the vertical spindle e resting in
the step f. The carrier of the said step may be moveable upwards or
downwards for the purpose of raising or lowering the spindle e and the
scrapers d. Rotary motion is imparted to the spindle e and scrapers d
by any available power, worm wheel gearing being preferred. The solid
material to be reacted upon or decomposed is fed through the opening
in the cover by means of the archimedean screw i contained in the
chamber, and is moved thence by the scrapers or movers d. The
shelves in this example, supposed to be of stone, are of two kinds,
the one having an opening or openings at the centre or eye k, and
the other an opening or openings at the circumference l.
The scrapers shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are straight and have angular
picces m so secured thereon that in their revolution they move the
powdered or granular solid matter alternately from the centre to the
circumference of the shelves; and vice versa. Those shown in Figs. 1
and 3 are arms curved in opposite directions, and serve thereby to move
the powdered or granular solid matter in the same manner. The solid

page_text: materials which have been acted upon are scraped or moved on reaching
the bottom into the receivers n, and the material is drawn off as required,
care being taken that air is not admitted in cases where the admission of
air would be injurious. The gases enter through the way o and pass
upwards in a winding direction alternately from centre to circumference,
and vice versa, as shown by the arrows, finally escaping through the
escape way p; any dust or fine powder carried over by the gases in
mechanical suspension may be allowed to settle as in the chamber p¹, or
they may be filtered out through strainers of suitable materials. The
gases not only act upon the solid material when it is falling from shelf:
to shelf in a shower, but they also act on the material during the time
it is being scraped or moved over the shelves.
When the said apparatus is employed in the purification of coal gas
we prefer to make the outer casing as well as the shelves of iron, so as
to ensure its tightness, and we also prefer to employ water lutes, as
shown by q in Fig. 1. Such lutes may also be employed where the
apparatus is employed in the manufacture of bleaching powder and
sulphite of lime.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing a modification of the shelves and
Here each alternate shelf
scrapers illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
marked c¹ is attached to and revolves with the vertical spindle c (the
shelves which deliver the solid material from the centre to the circum-
ference being preferably fixed to the spindle), the remaining shelves
marked c being stationary. The scrapers d in this modification are
attached to the under side of the stationary and revolving shelves. The
scrapers attached to the revolving shelves scrape or move the material
from the circumference to the centre of the stationary shelves, and those
fixed to the stationary shelves serve to direct the material from the
centre to the circumference of the revolving shelves. One advantage of
this modification is the small distance required between the shelves.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of apparatus in accordance with our
Invention adapted for use in the manufacture of sulphates of soda and
potassa. a' are the outer walls; a", metal chamber containing shelves
and scrapers; e¹, hollow cast-iron spindle supported by the hollow step f,
and kept water-tight by the stuffing box and gland f¹. Cold water is
caused to pass through the hollow step ƒ and vertical spindle e, and is
conveyed away through the pipe f and stuffing glands. The speed
of passage is so regulated that the water passes away at or near boiling

page_text: point. g', fire-place; h', space within a' and around a" in which the
beating gases from the fire-place g¹ are caused to circulate; 1, escape
flue for heating gases; j', entrance, and ³, exit ways for the converting
gases; F, feeding apparatus similar to the modification shown in Figs. 1-
and 4; m², opening for removal of the converted material.
Since filing our Provisional Specification we have been informed that
attempts have been made with incomplete appliances or apparatus
which more or less resemble ours for the purpose of burning or roasting
pyrites and other ores. We therefore for safety do not claim the means
and apparatus herein described, except in the manufacture named in the
claim herein-after set forth.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and par-
ticularized the same by suitable details, we claim, the means and
apparatus herein described for facilitating the absorption of gases by
solids and the reaction of gases upon solids in the manufacture of
bleaching powder, sulphite of lime, and sulphates of soda and potassa,
and in the purification of coal gas.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hargreaves, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
In the presence of
J. T. KING,
Solicitor of Patents,
Liverpool.
JAMES HARGREAVES. (L.S.)