IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING AND APPLYING SULPHUROUS ACID, AND IN APPARATUS USED THEREIN
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Rees Reece at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th September
1865.
I, REES REECE, of Llandilo, in the County of Carmarthen, Chemist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
AND APPLYING SULPHUROUS ACID, AND IN APPARATUS USED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to a method of separating sulphurous acid gas from
other gases wherein it is mixed by causing the mixed gases to pass through
a coil of piping contained in a frigorific mixture, by which the sulphurous
acid gas is condensed into a liquid, and as such is separated from the other
gases and from any impurities suspended in the mixed gases. The liquid
sulphurous acid thus obtained produces an intense cold on its conversion
into gas, this I apply for the purpose of refrigeration and congelation.
In carrying out this Invention I use the following apparatus which consists
of three vessels, a refrigerator, a gassifier, and condenser. The refrigerator
consists of two coils of leaden or other piping one within the other, in the
manner of a Liebig condenser. The gassifier is an air-tight vessel lined with
lead in which is contained a worm of lead coiled from top to bottom as close
as possible, each coil has a syphon connected to it to collect the sulphurous

page_text: acid condensed, which is made to irrigate the coil below; this vessel is to be
provided with an inlet and outlet pipe. The condenser is a coil of leaden or
other piping to which is attached a suitable receiver; the refrigerator and
condenser are to be put into two separate vessels each containing a frigoric
mixture. These vessels are connected one with the other in the following
manner-The outer coil, of the refrigerator is connected to the bottom of the
coil contained in the gassifier, and the top of that coil connected with the inlet
of the condenser, the outlet of which communicates with the inner pipe of the
refrigerator. The condenser is placed over the gassifier; the receiver of the
condenser is connected to the inlet pipe of the gassifier, through which flows
the liquid sulphurous acid and is distributed in a thin stream over the coil,
producing intense cold and converted into gas, and escapes through the outlet
pipe. The mixed gases are passed through the apparatus by any mechanical
means.
In applying cold produced by the evaporation of liquid sulphurous acid for
refrigeration and congelation I proceed as follows:-A vessel is made of any
suitable material and form, is fitted into a leaden jacket perfectly gas tight,
having a space between them provided with an inlet and outlet pipe, the inlet
connected to a reservoir of liquid sulphurous acid, and the outlet communi-
cating with a worm and receiver contained in a frigorific mixture, consisting of a
mixture of nitrate of ammonia and water in equal parts, or any other well known
frigorific mixture. Into the jacket space liquid sulphurous acid is made to pass
in a continuous stream, abstracting heat from the fluid contained in the inner
vessel, and reducing its temperature to any degree required either for conge-
lation or refrigeration. The sulphurous acid is converted into gas and passes
into the condenser already described, is liquified and used over again, and is
preferably arranged in series. This apparatus may be. used advantageously
in substitution of the gassifier already described; -in that case the inner vessel
is to contain water which will be frozen by the sulphurous acid, and may, if
required, be used mixed with chloride of calcium or salt as the frigorific
mixture contained in the refrigerator and condenser of that apparatus. The
proportion of ice and chloride of calcium may be 2 parts chloride to one of
ice, and the salt and ice in the same ratio..