US2484332A - Ultraviolet light apparatus - Google Patents

Description

0a. 11, 1949.. E. R. CAPITA 2,4

ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT APPARATUS Filed Sept. 9, 1944 9 INVENTOR. v I Q By 151111] 2 (211411 4 Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,484,332 ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT APPARATUS Emil R. Capita, North Bergen, N. J. Application September 9, 1944, Serial No. 553,442

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to ultraviolet light generation and is herein disclosed in some detail as embodied in various devices employing an induced mercury vapor current which creates the desired arc-forming current for the radiations of ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light is shown in one structure as generated within a hollowwalled container having one or more walls of quartz or of other material adapted to transmit ultraviolet light, with the result that the container delivers the light over a large area and thus a properly shaped container may efficiently utilize the light uniformly and effectively.

In another form, the hollow walls in which the mercury arc is created may deliver the ultraviolet outwardly, as from a cylinder. In this form, the device is shown with the exciting high-frequency coils laid against the inner surface of a hollow-walled cylinder so that the mercury are forming within the walls generates ultraviolet light which is shown as radiating radially from a cylinder. It is likewise possible to generate the mercury arc in a hollow curved surface such as a hemisphere, with the exciting coil on the convex surface, so that the resulting ultraviolet light focuses, for example, on an object at the focal center of the curved surface. In the form shown, the hollow walls in which the mercury arcs form, may be filled with a small quantity of argon or other inert gas and may contain sufficient mercury to form the desired arc when vaporized. A current of proper frequency and amplitude in the high-frequency coils lying against one wall of the ultraviolet light generator induces an oscillating current in the gas column generating heat. This heat vaporizes part of the mercury which results in a mercuryvapor arc. The walls may extend beyond the ends of the exciting coil, thus providing a zone where mercury can condense and thus an apparatus may be built to provide a wide variety of mercury vapor pressures and consequently a wide range of are striking potentials.

An arc in the hollow walls of a hollow cylinder, for example, enables a piece of meat to be kept sterile at almost any desired temperature by uniformly distributed ultraviolet rays, so that it may be safely kept at a temperature for the processes to go on within the meat that tenderize it by hanging.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described or will be indicated in the appended'claims and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional side view of a ring-shaped mercury are utilized as a meat tenderizer;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a cylinder adapted to radiate ultraviolet light from the periphery;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a cylinder having walls that project beyond the exciting coil to maintain a special mercury vapor pressure; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a curved surface adapted to focus ultraviolet light upon a small area.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, a cylinder l0 having a hollow wall II is shown as surrounded throughout its length by a coil l2, diagrammatically shown. The coil is adapted to carry a highfrequency current supplied by terminals I3 and I4, so that the current may excite an ionic discharge in the inert argon or other gas confined between the inner wall l5 and the outer wall IS, with the result that the annular chamber II formed by the hollow walls is heated.

The heat increases until the mercury ll contained in the chamber II is partly or wholly va porized. The vaporized mercury becomes the predominating conductance in the chamber II and an induced mercury arc forms in the chamber.

The arc thus formed delivers ultraviolet light radially inwardly upon, for example, a carcass of meat [8 hanging in the cylinder l 0, being suspended from a transverse non-conducting crosspiece I 9 by a hook 20. The ultraviolet light is efiicient and effective because the inner wall l5, made of quartz or some glass adapted to pass the ultraviolet light, transmits ultraviolet light uniformly about the carcass. violet light impinges from all sides and effects sterilization, the meat may hang as long as is required for it to become tender without danger of spoilage, and, by properly regulating the conditions, the vitamin D content of the meat increased.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the bottom of the cylinder is closed by a convex hollow-walled cover 2| against the outside ,of which lie concentric coils 22 which may be separately excited by terminals 23, 24. The cover 2! includes a separate chamber 25 carrying its own argon or other gas and its own charge of mercury. The inner wall 2|a is preferably of some material Since the ultratransparent to ultraviolet light like the wall 15.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the top of the cylinder is also closed by a convex hollow-walled cover 26 against the outside of which lie concentric coils 21 excited by special terminals 23, 2S so that the hollow chamber 30 between its walls carrying its own charges of argon and mercury, may be properly heated to form its own mercury arc emitting the same ultra-violet rays to pass through the inner surface transparent to ultraviolet light.

The cover 26 may be lifted by a hoist 3| and;

may include openings 32 and 33 for circulating air, pre-filtered if desired, through the cylinder to absorb the heat radiated by the arcs in the chambers II, 25, 30 into the closed interior of the cylinder ID.

The outer wall It and coil I2 may be SUI", rounded by a protective cover or enclosure l, preferably water-tight, so that the device may be scrubbed with water without damage.

In the alternative device shown in Fig. 2, ultraviolet rays are radiated outwardly through the outer wall M of a cylinder 35 which includes an inner wall 38 and a coil 3l lying inside the inner wall. The annular hollow chamber 38 contains argon or other suitable gas and mercury and the coil 3-! is adapted, when excited by a suitable high-frequency current, to form a mercury arc within the chamber 38 and thereby radiate ultraviolet light through the outer wall as which is transparent to ultraviolet light.

The cylinder 35 of Fig. 2 is shown as provided with a bottom cover 39 and a top cover it with the leads 4! and 42 passing through the cover it and connected to the respective ends of the coil 31. The covers 39 and 48 are shown as provided with ventilating openings '53 to cool off the interior.

The alternative device shown in Fig. 3 illustrates how the ultraviolet ray emitting device with an inner wall 44 and an outer wall & may be so built as to attain maximum efficiency of the mercury are which generates the light.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the exciting coil 46 with terminals 4'1, 48 lies outside the outer wall 55 but covers only part of its length, leaving the lower end 69 of the annular chamber 56 between the walls bare of winding with the result that the chamber 50 is relatively cold at that end. Mercury, therefore, condenses at that end and thus controls mercury vapor pressure an the consequent striking potential of the mercury column in the presence of the argon or other gas. The cylinder formed by the walls ti l, is is shown closed at the top by a convex cover or continuation 5| of the chamber 5!! formed by continuations 52, 53 of the walls id, Q5. The convex continuation is shown as carrying coils 5G having a terminal 55 for use instead of the terminal 41, when the cylinder carries the continuation iii.

The invention also provides a device shown in Fig. 4 which focuses ultraviolet light at a point 56. In this form, the ultraviolet light is shown as proceeding from the curved surface El, which may take the form of a segment of a hollow sphere. To attain this end, the face 5'! is shown as the hollow wall of one side of a chamber 58 forming a segmental portion of a sphere, the other or outer Wall being shown at 59. The chamber 58 contains mercury and argon or other gas, and, like the chambers of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is excited by a high-frequency coil iii! to heat by ionic discharge and then produce an ultraviolet light-yielding mercury are when excited by its terminals 6 I, 62.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an effective and efficient means for curing meats, for maintaining a sterile atmosphere in a predetermined space for providing a uniform distribution of ultraviolet light about an object, and for similar purposes. The device is simple in. construction, easy to operate and readily adapted for different purposes. The device may be cleaned without danger of impairing the electric insulation and is otherwise adapted to withstand any rough usage to which it may be subjected.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without "departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described in some detail certain embodiments of my invention, I claim:

1. An ultraviolet light apparatus comprising a chamber having at least two spaced coextensive walls and containing a charge of mercury and an inert gas therebetween, a Wire for carrying a high frequency current adjacent one of the walls and having convolutions extending a substantial distance along a surface of said wall to energize the mercury in the chamber and maintain therein a mercur arc of shape corresponding to that of said chamber and radiating ultraviolet light, one of said walls having a concave surface defining an article-receiving com-' partment and for converging the emitted light into said article-receiving compartment.

2. An ultraviolet light apparatus for uniformly radiating converging ultraviolet light into a compartnient adapted to receive objects to be treated by said light, comprising an enveloping chamber bounded by a first wall adjacent to said compartment and by a second wall coextensive with and spaced from said first wall, said Walls being concave in relation to said compartment, a charge of r mercury and an inert gas within said enveloping chamber, a wire for carrying a high frequency current having 'convolutions extending over the major portion of a surface of one of said walls to energize the mercur in the enveloping chamber and maintain therein a mercury are producing an ultraviolet light radiating through said first wall to converge within the compartment.

3. An ultraviolet light apparatus comprising a first substantially hemispherical wall transparent to ultraviolet light, a second substantially hernispherical wall uniformly spaced from said first wall to form a substantially hemispherical chamber therebetween, a charge of mercury and inert gas in said chamber, a coil of Wire adjacent one of said walls and adapted to carry a high frequency current to energize the mercury in the chamber and maintain therein a mercury are producing ultraviolet light to radiate through said first wall.

4. The combination with a curved wall and a coil of wire adjacent it having convolutions thereof extending a substantial distance along said wall, of a second curved wall substantially coextensive with said first curved Wall spaced opposite the first curved wall and transparent to ultraviolet light and forming with the firstmentioned curved wall an intermediate curved chamber, and mercury and argon gas within the intermediate chamber adapted to produce and maintain an arc in said intermediate curved chamber by means of the current induced by a high-frequency current in said coil so as to deliver ultraviolet light through said oppositely spaced curved wall.

5. The combination with a cylindrical wall of a second cylindrical wall spaced from the first Wall and forming therewith an intermediate tube-like space, a coil of wire lying adjacent and along a surface of one of said walls for carrying a high-frequency current to excite a conducting gas in the tubelike space intermediate said walls, said other wall being transparent to ultraviolet light and surrounding a compartment on its concave side, and mercury between said walls to generate ultraviolet light in said tubelike intermediate space when excited to form an arc and deliver converging ultraviolet light within the compartment.

6. The combination with a cylindrical wall of a second cylindrical wall spaced interiorly of 20 and within the confines of the first wall and forming with said first wall a tubelike space, a coil of wire adjacent one of said walls and extending over a major portion of the area thereof adapted to carry a high-frequency current to excite a conducting gas in the tubelike space between said walls, said other wall being transparent to ultraviolet light and enclosing an articlereceiving compartment at its concave side, and mercury and an inert gas in the tubelike space I tween said walls to generate ultraviolet light when excited to form an arc in said tube like space and deliver converging ultraviolet light within the article-receiving compartment.

7. Apparatus of the class described comprising the combination of coextensive substantially cylindrical double walls forming an intermediate tubelike space between said double walls and surrounding an article-receiving compartment, an innermost of said double walls being concave and transparent to ultraviolet light, a conducting coil extending over the majority of the area spaces between the walls of each of said double Walls to generate ultraviolet light and excite to are in said intermediate spaces.

EMIL R. CAPITA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,698,691 Buttolph Jan. 8, 1929 1,844,353 Foulke Feb. 9, 1932 1,919,490 Von Lepel July 25, 1933 1,929,910 Zecher Oct. 10, 1933 1,981,583 Craig Nov. 20, 1934 2,004,577 Lebedenko June 11, 1935 2,009,375 Ford July 23, 1935 2,118,452 Le BB1 May 24, 1938 2,142,633 Dey Jan. 3, 1939 2,149,414 Bethenod Mar. 7, 1939 2,169,081 James Aug. 8, 1939 2,192,348 James Mar. 5, 1940 2,386,277 Smith Oct. 9, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 313,184 Great Britain May 30, 1929 324,503 Great Britain Jan. 30, 1930

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