Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 10th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Mar., 1887.
I FREDERICK NOEL MACKAY of 85 Commercial Road Lambeth in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention has for its object to provide apparatus by which the absorbtion of
gases by liquids shall be facilitated, and be effected in a more certain regular and
economical manner than heretofore.
In order to facilitate the absorbtion of gases by liquids in ice making and
refrigerating plant, when the gas is already absorbed in what is known as waste weak
liquor I place the said weak liquid in a still or its equivalent connected with tho
absorber and heat such liquid until all the gas or nearly so is driven into the
absorber.
In order to prevent dirt that may be in the liquids passing to an absorber from
choking ways or passages in the said absorber I cause such liquors to pass through
a filter before entering the said absorber.
To effect with certainty regularity and economy absorbtion of gases into liquids
I construct an absorber of pipes cooled externally and fitted internally with supply
and discharge tubes or trays one above the other having outlet and inlet perforations
of suitable size and number.
I further combine a series of absorbers constructed as above setforth so that the
discharge of gases and liquids from one absorber is carried on to supply the next,
continuing this till the operation is completed.
A further improvement consists in separating the discharge from the supply tube
or tray by means of a diaphragm so that there can be no direct flow of liquid from
the supply to the discharge.
When a series of pipe absorbers are used in combination I cool the exterior surfaces
thereof by water supplied to the highest absorber of the series in any convenient
manner and cause such water to travel from one absorber to the other by means of
wire gange or equivalent conductors leading from each absorber to the one immediately
beneath it, or the whole series can be placed in a tank containing water, or the upper
portion of the series can be cooled as here described and the lower portions placed in
a tank.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Effecting the Absorption of Gases
by Liquids.
I, FREDERICK NOEL MACKAY of 85 Commercial road, Lambeth, in the county of
Middlesex, 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 :-
The invention has for its object to provide apparatus by which the absorption of
gases by liquids shall be facilitated and he effected in a more certain, regular, and
economical manner than heretofore.
In order to facilitate the absorption of gases by liquids in ice making and
refrigerating plant when the gas is already absorbed in what is known as waste weak
liquor, I place the said weak liquid in a still or its equivalent connected with the
absorber, and heat such liquid until all the gas, or nearly so is driven into the
absorber.
Figure 1, is a vertical section of a still which is advantageously used in combination
with an absorber in the manner above set forth. 1. distillation chamber, 2. Steam
coil, 3. weak liquor supply, funnel and pipe, 4. three way cock. 5. Ammonia gas
outlet leading to absorber, to aircock. The action is as follows:- -Communication
with the absorber is shut off, the aircock 6. is opened and the cock 4. turned until
weak liquor poured into the funnel, 3. flows into the still when sufficient liquor has
run into the still, the cock 4. is turned so as to close the way leading into the said
still, steam is then admitted to the coil and the liquor heated until the ammoniacal gas
evolved has driven the air out of the still, the cock 6. is then closed and the way to
the absorber opened. When the ammoniacal gas has been evolved the way to the
absorber is closed, the cock 6. is opened, and the cock 4. turned so as to allow the
residual liquor to run out of the still. The operation may then be repeated. It will
be evident that many forms of still may be used under this part of my invention.
In order to prevent dirt that may be in the liquids passing to an absorber from
choking ways or passages in the said absorber I cause such liquids to pass through a
filter before entering the said absorber.
Figure 2. is a section of a filter suitable for use in combination with an absorber
under the above part of my invention, 7. filter box, 8. inlet, 9. outlet, 10. open-
ing for insertion of thermometer, 11. cock, 12. perforated plate, 13. filtering
material of wire gauze woven asbestos or suitable substance. The weak liquors on
their way to the absorber pass through the filtering material and any matter which
would be liable to choke the passages in the absorber is arrested and retained in the
portion 9 of the filter box, when there is too great an accumulation of objectionable
inatter in the filter box, the cock 11. is opened and the said box is washed out.
To effect with certainty, regularity and economy absorption of gases into liquids, I
construct an absorber of pipes, cooled externally and fitted internally with supply and
discharge tubes or trays one above the other having outlet and inlet perforations of
suitable size and number.

page_text: I further combine a series of absorbers constructed as above set forth so that the
discharge of gases or liquids from one absorber is carried on to supply the next
continuing this till the operation is completed.
A further improvement consists in separating the discharge from the supply tube or
tray by means of a diaphragm so that there can be no direct flow of liquid from the
supply to the discharge.
When a series of pipe absorbers are used in combination I cool the exterior surfaces
thereof by water supplied to the highest absorber of the series in any convenient
manner and cause such water to travel from one absorber to the other by means of
wire gauze or equivalent conductors leading from each absorber to the one immediately
beneath it, or the whole series can be placed in a tank containing water or the upper
portion of the series can be cooled as here described and the lower portion placed in a tank.
Figure 3. is a side view part in elevation and part in section and Figures 4. and 5.
are transverse sections at the lines A. A. B. B. of an absorber having the improvements
above set forth, 14. absorber chambers connected at the ends by bends 15. 16, 17, are
perforated supply and discharge tubes; Instead of perforated tubes, trays or troughs
may be used, but not so advantageously. The bends 15. are made with ways 18. 19.
and plates 20. are fitted between the bends and the chambers so that the tube 17.
in any chamber 14. is connected by a way 18. to the tube 16. in the chamber
below, the main chambers are connected together through the ways 19. to each
other. 21. diaphragm preferably perforated or covered by wire gauze. 22 wire
gauze connecting one main pipe of the absorber to another. 23. ammoniacal gas
inlet, 24 weak liquor inlet, 25. strong liquor outlet.
The ammoniacal gas which enters the top chamber through the perforated tube 16.
mixes with the weak liquor entering through the way 24. The liquor then flows by the
way 18. to the perforated tube 16. whence it passes under the diaphragm 21. to the tube 17.
and thence by the way 18. to the tube 16. beneath and so on whilst unabsorbed ammoniacal
gas passes by the ways 1.9. from chamber to chamber, until the strong liquor is drawn
off by the way 25. Each chamber and fittings 14. constitutes an absorber in
themselves, and may be used separately instead of in series as shown. To keep the
chambers 14. cool water is allowed to flow on the top chamber and is carried by the
wire gauze from pipe to pipe. Or the said chambers may be placed in a tank through
which water circulates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
|and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :—
First The combination with an absorber of a still, for the purpose set forth.
Second The combination with an absorber of a filter, for the purpose set forth.
Third An absorber consisting of chambers, cooled externally and fitted with supply
and discharge tubes trays or troughs substantially as set forth.
Fourth Combining two or more absorbers under my invention, substantially as set
forth.
Fifth In absorbers under my invention, a diaphragm disposed substantially in the
manner and for the purpose set forth.
Sixth The combination with a series of absorbers of means for cooling, substantially
as set forth.
Seventh-The combination of two or more of the several improvements, herein set
forth.