An Improved Smoke and other Gas Condensing Apparatus.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Smoke and other Gas Condensing Apparatus.
We, SAMUEL SHUGARD PRIDHAM, of No. 39 Wakeman Avenue, Newark,
County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, Inventor and Mechanic, and GEORGE
HEINKEL, of No. 578 Ferry Street, City of Newark, County of Essex, and State
of New Jersey, Merchant, both in the United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of our 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 condensing smoke, and
has for its primary object to provide a device for destroying the noxious gases
generated in smelting works, and to effect a great saving in those metals, which
with the gases, are carried off in the smoke.
The invention has for its further object to provide a machine or apparatus of
this class, which shall be very simple and effective in its operation and which
can be operated with a great saving of power necessary to drive the same, over
the constructions of machines of a similar nature, as heretofore made.
The invention therefore consists in the novel construction of smoke-condensing
apparatus herein shown, comprising therein a water tank having a wall or
partition forming two chambers in said tank; also an arrangement of a revolving
conveyor drum which conveys the water from the one chamber into the other
chamber, and thus, during the operation of said drum maintaining a lower level
in the receiving chamber than in the discharge chamber.
By means of this arrangement only one of the scoops of the conveyor drum will
be submerged, at one time during the rotation of the drum on its axis, thereby
resulting in a great saving of power in driving the machine.
The invention consists, furthermore, in certain other arrangements and com-
binations of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully set forth and finally embodied
in the clauses of the claim.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the tank in which said conveyor
drum rotates, the same being illustrated in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken on line x in Figure 1, and looking in
the direction of arrow ', and Figure 3 is a vertical cross section taken on line y in
Figure 1, looking in the direction of arrow y¹.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus, illustrating more
particularly the arrangement of a spiral conveyor.
Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to
indicate like parts.
In said drawings, A designates the tank, which may be square, or of any other
desirable shape, and consists, preferably, of an inner lining a, made of metal, topped
off on the top by boards a', and the outer covering a³, substantially as illustrated in
the several figures of the drawing.
In two sides of said tank A are secured any suitable form of bearings b and b' in
which is made to rotate the shaft c, operated by means of a pulley c', or in any
other well-known manner.
Suitably arranged collars con said shaft c secure the latter in its operative
position in the two bearings b and b. On said shaft c we have secured, in any well

page_text: known manner, a couveyor drum d, open at the end d' and provided at its opposite
end with scoops d', preferably four in number.
The inner construction of said drum is made in the manner of spirally formed
conveying chambers, whereby, when the shaft c is operated, any matter, such as
water, smoke and gases taken in by one of the scoops, will be forced through said
chambers and be discharged at the opposite end d¹ of said conveyor drum.
As will be seen from Figure 1, the side a³ of the upper portion of the tank A is
provided with a semi-circular opening a', thus allowing said side a³ to extend down
and embrace more than half of the cylindrical surface of the drum d. In this
manner, we obtain a smoke and gas-receiving chamber A', into which extends the
discharge portion f1 of the pipe f which brings the smoke and other obnoxious
gases into said chamber.
In said tank A, we have erected a suitable partition or wall as, made either of
brick, metal or wood, said wall being cut away at a, and made to embrace the
cylindrical surface of the drum d, and extending slightly above the plane of
support of the shaft c, as clearly indicated at a' in Figure 3.
The conveying drum d is provided on its cylindrical surface with a suitable
ring e, made of rubber, or any other packing material. To the side of the wall or
partition a, contiguous to the semi-circular opening in said wall, we have
secured in any well known manner, a stout band e¹ of rubber or any other well
known flexible material, which has its upper portion 2 in close frictional contact
with the ring e, and thereby serves as a suitable packing to prevent any undue
leakage of water from the discharge chamber A³ into the receiving chamber A²
formed by said wall a in the tank A. When said conveyor drum is made of
considerable length, it may be provided with an additional rubber or other flexible
band 3 which fits into the upper semi-circular supporting portion g' of a suitable
bearing g.
In using the device, we fill both the chambers A2 and A3 with water to within
about the height of the shaft, allowing the water to seek its own level, through the
conveyor ducts of the drum d when the same is at rest. As soon as the shaft c is
operated, causing the rotation of the drum d, the water in said chamber A2 will be
constantly scooped up by one of the scoops d2 and discharged into the discharge
chamber A³, causing the water to rise in said chamber until it reaches the height
of the wall a and then flows back into the receiving chamber A2. By keeping up
the revolutions of the drum d, these two heights of water in the two chambers will
be maintained, thus allowing the passage of one scoop through the water, while
the other three are out of the water and take in the gases and smoke delivered
into the chamber A2, and resulting in an apparatus that can be driven with less
power, and hence a great saving of fuel and steam, than in an apparatus where
two, three, or more of the scoops d2 are submerged and being forced through the
water at the same time.
As has been stated, the smoke, gases and vapours are forced from the pipe f
into the receiving chamber A', where they are scooped up by the scoops d² and
forced under the water in the chamber A. The scoop which enters the water,
at the same time becomes entirely sealed by the water, taking up a sufficient
quantity of water and carrying it with the smoke and gases into the spiral
chambers in the drum d. During this process, the revolving drum d, causes the
co-mingling of the water, smoke and gases, which are thus condensed and washed
and finally discharged at the end d' of the drum into the discharge chamber A³,
which is also partly filled with water, as has been stated.
If the concentration is from the boiling of oil or some other like volatile matter,
it (such oil) becomes perfectly purified in passing through the spiral chambers
of the drum d and floats on the surface of the water in the discharge chamber A
from which it can be drawn off through the pipe and valve h', indicated in dotted
outline in Figure 2.
If the concentration is from bituminous, metallic or other like vapors, the
materials to be recovered are precipitated by being submerged, and after passing

page_text: through the drum d are discharged into the discharge chamber A³, from which such
recovered materials can be secured when the water is drawn off through the pipe
and valve h, as shown in Figure 1.
When ordinary smoke is submerged in the water and forced through the
revolving drum, the air which is liberated by the process, in the discharge
chamber, is pure and innocuous, the smoke having been entirely condensed, while
passing through the drum d. The rotation of the drum produces its own draft,
to draw the smoke and gases from the pipe f in the chamber A¹, but of course
it will be evident, that a forced draft may be used.
As indicated in dotted outline in Figure 1, and as clearly shown in Figure 4,
the helical walls forming the conveying apparatus in the drum d terminate at some
distance from the discharge opening in the shell of said drum, thereby forming a
large and considerable space in the end of said drum, in which any gases or
smoke, which may not have been condensed while passing through the spiral
chambers in the drum, are caused to be rapidly whirled around the inner cylindrical
surface of the drum, in the manner of a centrifugal machine, and any remaining
smoke or other impurities will thus be thoroughly condensed.
Of course it will be evident, that many changes may be made in the details of the
arrangements and combinations of parts comprising the novel construction of
machine, and hence we do not limit our invention to the exact arrangement and
combination of parts herein shown and described; but one of the essential features
of our invention is the arrangement of the dividing wall or partition a³, for
maintaining a lower level of the water in the receiving chamber A, than in the
discharge chamber A³, during the operation of the machine, thereby resulting in
the better working of the machine and also in saving time and cost of operation.
The drum d may be made of any suitable diameter, or cross section, and any
desirable length, the tank A being built accordingly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an apparatus for condensing smoke, gases or the like, in combination, a
tank, having a dividing wall or partition extending from the bottom of the apparatus,
and a conveyor drum rotatively arranged in said tank, said dividing wall or partition
being made to embrace the lower sides of said drum to form a receiving chamber
on one side and a discharge chamber on the other side of said wall, and said
conveyor drum receiving water from the receiving chamber and discharging it into
the discharge chamber, when in operation, and thereby maintaining a lower level of
the water in the receiving chamber than that of the water in the discharge chamber,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In an apparatus for condensing smoke, gases or the like, in combination, a
tank, having a dividing wall or partition, and a conveyor drum rotatively
arranged in said tank, said dividing wall or partition having a semi-circular bearing-
portion made to embrace the sides of said drum, to form a receiving chamber on
one side and a discharge chamber on the other side of said wall, a rubber or other
like packing ring e on said drum fitting into the bearing-portion of said dividing
wall, and said conveyor drum being adapted to receive water from the receiving
chamber and discharging it into the discharge chamber, when in operation, and
thereby maintaining a lower level of water in the receiving chamber than that of
the water in the discharge chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In an apparatus for condensing smoke, gases or the like, the combination, with
a tank, and a dividing wall or partition, extending from the bottom of the apparatus,
of a conveyor drum, open at one end and having two or more scoops at its other end,
said dividing wall being made to embrace the lower sides of said drum and forming
a receiving chamber and a discharge chamber in said tank, said drum, during its
revolutions, having but one of its scoops submerged at a time in the water in
said receiving chamber, and discharging the water into the discharge chamber, and

page_text: thereby maintaining a lower level of the water in the receiving chamber than that
of the water in the discharge chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
4. In an apparatus for condensing smoke, gases or the like, the combination, with
a tank, and a dividing wall or partition, having a semi-circular bearing-portion, of
a conveyor drum rotating in said bearing-portion, a rubber or other like packing
ring e on said drum fitting into said bearing-portion of said dividing wall, said
dividing wall forming a receiving chamber and a discharge chamber in said tank, a
discharge-opening in one end of said drum, two or more scoops at the other end of
said drum, said drum, during its rotation, having but one of its scoops submerged
at a time in the water in said receiving chamber, and thereby maintaining a lower
level of the water in the receiving chamber than that of the water in the discharge
chamber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth..
5. In an apparatus for condensing sinoke, gases or the like, the combination, with
a tank, of a drum, comprising therein, a cylindrical shell and having two or more
scoops d², a dividing wall a in said tank, extending from the bottom of said
apparatus, having a semi-circular bearing-portion in said wall, spirally arranged
channels within said shell extending longitudinally through said drum, and forming
within said shell a cylindrical space between the discharging end and the ends of
said channels, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. In an apparatus for condensing smoke, gases or the like, in combination, a
tank, having a dividing wall or partition extending from the bottom of said
apparatus, and a conveyor drum rotatively arranged in said tank, said dividing
wall being made to embrace the lower sides of said drum, to form a receiving
chamber on the one side and a discharge chamber on the other side of said wall,
said conveyor drum being adapted to receive water from the receiving chamber
and discharging it into the discharge chamber, when in operation, and thereby
maintaining a lower level of the water in the receiving chamber than that of the
water in the discharge chamber, and a support, as g, in said tank, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
7. In an apparatus for condensing smoke, gases or the like, in combination, a
tank, having a dividing wall or partition, having a semi-circular bearing-portion
made to embrace the sides of said drum, to form a receiving chamber on one side
and a discharge chamber on the other side of said wall, a rubber or other like
packing ring e on said drum fitting into the bearing-portion of said dividing wall,
said conveyor drum being adapted to receive water from the receiving chamber
and discharging it into the discharge chamber, when in operation, and thereby
maintaining a lower level of the water in the receiving chamber than that of the
water in the discharge chamber, a support 9 in said tank, and a rubber or other
flexible bande on said drum, adapted to rotate on a bearing-portion in said
support g, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 30th December 1895.
SAMUEL SHUGARD PRIDHAM.
GEORGE HEINKEL.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.