Year: 1885

page_text: I, NORMAN MACFARLANE HENDERSON, of Broxburn, in the County of Linlithgow,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
i
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
apparatus for distilling ammonia, or in other words for separating ammonia from
ammoniacal liquors such as those of gas works and those obtained in distilling oil-
yielding minerals.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a vertical cylindrical still of a height of
about 22 feet, provided at the top with a suitable dome and outlet pipe to lead off
the vaporised ammonia to condensers or to apparatus for fixing the ammonia by
sulphuric or other suitable acid. At the bottom of the still there is an outlet pipe
and suitable trapping apparatus for the discharge of the exhausted liquid; and
there is also a little below the lowest diaphragm a pipe by which steam is admitted
for effecting the volatilisation of the aminonia.
The ammoniacal liquid enters at the top of the still, and first passes into an
annular open-topped channel, after passing round which it descends by overflow
and dipping pipes successively into a second and a third similar annular channel,
next descending upon the uppermost of a series of horizontal. diaphragms or stages
which are spaced at distances of about 18 inches one below the other. Each
diaphragm consists of an annular outer part and a movable middle disk-shaped part,
forming an annular opening between them, the movable middle part resting on
snugs or projections so that it can be lifted out for cleaning purposes, a raised
wall or flange formed round each edge of the annular opening, and the opening
is covered by an inverted channel-shaped piece dipping down to the annular part
of the diaphragm on one side, and to the disk part on the other side of the annular
opening. The sides of the inverted channel piece are notched from the bottom
edges up to within half an inch of the working level of the liquid; and the steam
or vapor passes up through the annular opening and finds its way through the
notches amongst the liquid lying upon the diaphragm. At suitable points an over-
flow pipe is fixed in each diaphragm and dips down into the liquid on the next
lower diaphragm. The annular opening of each diaphragin with its channel-
shaped cover does not extend quite to a complete circle, a passage being formed

page_text: across it at one part, and a low partition is placed so as to extend from the side of
the still through the passage and some distance across the disk or middle part of
the diaphragm. This low partition is close to one side of the passage which crosses
the annular opening; and the liquid descending from an upper diaphragm, is by
it made to pass first round the outside of the annular opening and then round the
inside on one diaphragm, and first round the inside and then round the outside on
the next lower diaphragm, and so on alternately, the overflow and dipping pipes
between the successive diaphragms being alternately on the outer and inner sides
of the annular opening.
Dated this tmonter third Ja..

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Distilling Ammonia.
.L
I, NORMAN MACFARLANE HENDERSON, of Broxburn, in the County of Linlithgow,
North Britain, 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, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
apparatus for distilling ammonia, or in other words for separating ammonia from
ammoniacal liquors such as those of gas works and those obtained in distilling oil-
yielding minerals.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a vertical cylindrical still of a height of
about 22 feet, provided at the top with a suitable dome and outlet pipe to lead
off the vaporised ammonia to condensers, or to apparatus for fixing the ammonia
by sulphuric or other suitable acid. At the bottom of the still there is an outlet
pipe and suitable trapping apparatus for the discharge of the exhausted liquid;
and there is also, a little below the lowest of a number of diaphragms with which
the still is fitted, a pipe by which steam is admitted for effecting the volatilisation
of the ammonia.
My improvements are applied to and in connection with the diaphragms as
sbown upon the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings. Figure, 1, is a
vertical section of the still, and figure, 2, is a sectional plan of one of the diaphragms.
Figure, 3, is a vertical section of one of the diaphragms as at the line, A-A, in
figure, 2; the diaphragms being shown in figure, 1, in section as at the line, B-B,
in figure, 2. Figure, 4, is an enlarged part hereinafter referred to. In these
drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
Each
My improved ammonia still is a vertical cylindrical vessel, 5, having at the top
a dome, 6, and outlet, 7, for the egress of the volatilised ammonia, and also an
inlet pipe and stopcock, 8, for the ingress of the ammoniacal liquor to be treated;
whilst at the bottom there is a discharge pipe and stopcock, 9, for the egress of
the exhausted liquid. The ammoniacal liquid entering by the pipe, 8, first passes
into an annular open-topped channel, 10 a, after passing round which it descends
by overflow and dipping pipes, 11, successively into a second and a third similar
annular channel, 10 b, 10 c, next descending by an overflow and dipping pipe, 12,
upon the uppermost of a series of horizontal diaphragms or stages, 13 a, to 13,
which are spaced at distances of about 18 inches one below the other.
diaphragm consists of an outer annular part, 13, and a movable middle disk-
shaped part, 14, forming an annular opening, 15, between them, the movable
middle part being bolted to and resting on snugs or projections indicated by dotted
lines, 16, in figure, 2, so that it can be lifted out for cleaning purposes. A raised
wall or flange is formed round each edge of the annular opening, 15; and the
opening is covered by an inverted channel-shaped piece, 17, dipping down to the
annular part, 13, of the diaphragm on one side, and to the disk part, 14, on the
other side of the annular opening, this inverted-channel piece, 17, being secured by
bolts, 18, tying it down to bridge pieces crossing under the annular opening, 15.
The sides of the inverted-channel piece, 17, are notched from the bottom edges up
to within half an inch of the working level of the liquid, as shown in the enlarged

page_text: elevation, figure, 4; and the steam or vapor passing up through each annular
opening, 15, finds its way through the notches amongst the liquid lying upon the
diaphragm. The overflow and dipping pipes, 12, by which the liquid descends
from each diaphragm to the next lower one are fixed alternately in the outer
annular part, 13, and inner disk part, 14, of the successive diaphragms. The
annular opening, 15, of each diaphragm with its inverted-channel cover, 17, does
not extend quite to a complete circle, a passage, 19 (figures, 2, 3) being formed
across it at one part, and a low partition, 20, is placed so as to extend from the
side of the still through the passage, 19, and some distance across the disk or
middle part, 14, of the diaphragm. This low partition, 20, is close to one side of
the passage, 19, which crosses the annular opening, 15; and the liquid descending
from an upper diaphragm is by it made to pass first round the outside of the
annular opening, 15, and then round the inside on one diaphragm, and first round
the inside and then round the. outside on the next lower diaphragm, and so on
alternately, the overflow and dipping pipes, 12, being as herein before mentioned
alternately on the outer and inner sides of the annular opening, 15. The overflow
and dipping pipes, 12, are fitted and arranged to act as in existing apparatus for
the same purpose, the top or overflow edge of each pipe determining the level of
the liquid on each diaphragm whilst the lower end dipping below the surface of the
liquid on the next lower diaphragm prevents the steam or vapor from passing
up through the dipping pipe.
The steam for heating the ammoniacal liquid and volatilising the ammonia enters
below the lowest diaphragm, 13 k, by a pipe, 21, which is made with an annular
part, 22, extending round under the opening, 15, of the diaphragm and perforated
on its upper side so that the steam issues in jets directed upwards through the
opening, 15. The distilling or volatilising action is the same as in existing
apparatus but is more effective and expeditious owing to the improved construction
and arrangement of the parts. The improved action is largely due to the move-
ment of the liquid on the diaphragms, in currents round the outer and inner sides
of the annular openings, 15. The currents also tend to prevent deposits on the.
diaphragms and other parts, so that the apparatus will require cleaning less
frequently than existing apparatus:-at the same time the improved construction
will facilitate cleaning operations. With my improved apparatus a larger quantity
of ammoniacal liquor can be effectually treated in a given time than in apparatus
of the same size as hitherto constructed.
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 :-
1-In apparatus for distilling ammonia, the constructing of the diaphragms
with outer annular parts and central removable disk parts, and combining the
same with the other parts substantially in the improved manner hereinbefore
described.
2-The application of a partition (20) or equivalent means to cause the liquid
to move in currents on the diaphragms round the outer and inner sides of the
annular openings substantially as hereinbefore described.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.