US716381A - Apparatus for charging closed compartments with gas. - Google Patents

Description

m. 7l6,38|. Patented mm. 23, I902.

' T. A. CLAYTON.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING CLOSED COMPARTMENTS WITH GAS. (Application filed Dec. 26, 1399.) (No Modal.) 2 Shook-Shoat I.

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No. 7|a,3a|. Patented Dec. 23, I902.

T. A. CLAYTON.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING CLOSED GOMPARTMENTS WITH GAS. (Application filed Dec. 26, 1899.) (No Model.)

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THOMAS A. CLAYTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS IFQR: CHARGING CLOSED COM PARTM ENTS WITH GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,381, datedIDecember 23, 1902.

Application filed December 26,1899. Serial No. 741,551. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. CLAYTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Charging Closed Compartments with Gas, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My apparatus relates to charging closed compartments with gas; and has for its principal object the extinguishment of fires in such compartments by forcing into them gases incapable of supporting combustion and reducing the temperature of the gas in the compartment to a safe point.

In a general way my invention relates to the same character of methods and apparatus described in my Patent No. 633,807, dated September 26, 1899, and in my Letters Patent dated November 13, 1900, No. 661,496, the object of my present invention being, generally speaking, to improve and supplement the apparatus described in my prior patents. Particularly I have in view the entire removal of the gas-generating furnace from the circulating system connected with the chamber to be charged with the gas, drawing through the furnace at all times atmospheric air, which is converted into a non-inflammable gas in passing through the furnace and such gas forced into the chamber, and in connection with the above-described apparatus I provide a circulating apparatus by which the gases in the chamber can be maintained in circulation and reduced in temperature, myimproved apparatus providing for simultaneous generation and forcing of gas from the furnace into the chamber and the refrigeration of the gases in the chamber.

Another feature of my invention consists in providing a reservoir of compressed gas situated outside of the chamber to be charged and connected therewith bya conduit, in combination with a circulating and refrigerating apparatus for cooling down the gases in the chamber. The reservoir of compressed gas is especially adapted and intended for use as a supplement to the generating-furnace and the source from. which a non-inflammable gas can be drawn at any time-as, for instance,

especially before the furnace is in full operation. I also utilize the cooling elfected with the expanding gases from the reservoir in reducing the temperature of the gases in the chamber.

Other features of my invention will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings, in which they are illustrated, and in which-- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation showing my apparatus in its preferred form, Fig. 2 being a similar diagrammatic elevation showing a modification of the apparatus embodying some but not all of the merits of the preferred form.

A indicates the gasgenerating furnace, consisting of a retortchamber containing trays of sulfur heated by means of the furnace A and flues leadingtherefrom, A indicating an air-inlet opening leading into the lower part of the retort and having a regulating-damper, (indicated at A B is the chamber to be-charged with the non-inflammable gas.

0 is the trap through which the gases from the retort-chamber are passed.

D and D, Fig. 1, are alternative forms of refrigerating and mixing chambers for utilization of the compressed gases held in the reservoir to be described. D, Fig. 2, is similar in construction to the chamber D in Fig. 1.

E is a refrigerating or cooling apparatus of ordinary and conventional type.

F and F indicate suction-fans.

Referring first to Fig. 1, G is a conduit leading from the upper part of the retort and having its end 9 opening into the lower part of the trap C. G is a pipe having its end g opening into the upper part of the trap C, said pipe passing into the chamber D, where it connects with a spiral, (indicated at K,) the lower end of said spiral opening at K into a funnel shaped mouthpiece K of a connecting-pipe G which leads into the cooling device E, from which cooling device a conduit G leads to the fan F, from which in turn the pipe Gr leads, connecting through a coupling G with a pipe G", having openings 9 in its lower side and similarly-perforated branches, as indicated at G". H is a stopcock situated in the pipe G. J, J, and J are reservoirs of highly-compressed gas connecting through cocks h h h with a conduit J which leads into the chamber (1. The working of this part of the apparatus is easily followed. The damper a is opened to the proper extent, a fire built in the furnace A, and the fan F set in operation. Air is then drawn into the retort, its oxygen combining with the sulfur in the retort to form sulfurous-acid gas, which, together with the nitrogen of the air, is drawn first through the trap O,where any flowers of sulfur is intercepted, then through the conduits G, K, and G to the cooling device E, and thence through the conduits G G and G it is forced into the chamber B. At the same time by opening cocks h h, &c., the highly-compressed gases in the receptacles J J, &c., are permitted to issue and expand in the chamber D, passing from said chamber through the funnelmouthpiece K into the conduit G It will readily be seen that in expanding in the chamber D the gases acting upon the coil K will considerably lower the temperature of the gases coming from the furnace. The same efiect of course will be produced by the combination of the hot and cold gases in the conduit G and its connections. By closing the stop-cock II the entire supply of gas forced into. the chamber B may be drawn from the reservoirs J J, &c. This may be highly important at thebeginning of the operation of extinguishing the fire where a sufficient supply cannot be maintained from the furnace.

Referring to the other device shown in Fig. 1, G is the outlet-conduit, having openings g preferably in the upper side of the pipe or of its branches G The pipe G on the outside of the chamber is preferably provided with a stop-cock (indicated at H and also with an air-pressure I, having a damper v1. Such an air-passage may even be necessary for use in connection with the charging of the chamber from the furnace as it provides for the escape of gas and air from the chamber. The pipe G is connected by a coupling G with the pipe G having in it a stop-cock H and which pipe opens, as shown, into the upper part of a chamber D, in which is situated a coil 70, which is connected with the conduit J receiving a supply of gas, as in the case already described, from the reservoirs J J, &c. The chamber D, like the chamber D, connects with the outlet-conduit, here illustrated at 9 by a funnel-shaped connection into which the end 70 of the coil projects. E indicates the cooling apparatus, which is similar to the apparatus E and from which leads a pipe 9 connecting through a blower F with the conduit g which is united by a coupling 9 to a pipe G opening in the lower part of the chamber 13 and having a stop-cock H. The conduit 9 is, as shown, provided with a regulable airadmission passage g The operation of this circulating and cooling apparatus is as follows: The fan F being set in operation, the

gases are drawn from the upper end of the chamber B through the chamber D, then through the cooler E, and then forced into the lower part of the chamber. Where necessary or desirable, the cooks h h, &c., are opened, permitting the stored gas in the reservoir-chambers J J, &c., to pass through the coil is and mix with the gases coming from the chamber in the conduit g. The expanding high-pressure gases coming from the reservoirs of course have a materially valuable effect in cooling down the circulating gases, and obviously the general characteristics and mode of operation of the device D is not materially different from the device D, already described. The important feature of my construction is that it enables me to simultaneously cool down the gases in the chamber and to supply freshgas from the generator.

Referring to the method and apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2, the device does not differ materially from that shown in Fig. 1, except that the circulating apparatus is combined with and utilizes a portion of the conduit leading from the furnace to the chamber. In this way the chamber D and the cooler E are common to the system leading from the furnace to the chamber and to the circulating and cooling system,-and a single fan F acts both to draw the furnace-gas in and to maintain the circulation. While this form of the apparatus is more particularly adapted for the successive process of forcing gas into the chamber and subsequently circulating it through a refrigerating apparatus, it is also clearly Well adapted for the simultaneous drawing in of gas'from the furnace and circulation, except that it necessarily involves the. mixing of the furnace-gases with the circulating gases, which, although sometimes not undesirable, is in my judgment not as well adapted for general conditions as is the separate arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for charging chambers with gas, a generating-furnace having an airpassage leading to it from the atmosphere and a delivery conduit leading from it to the chamber to be charged in combination with a circulating-pipe leading from and to the chamber but not connecting to the furnace, a cooling device situated in said circulatingpipe, means for forcing the furnace-gases into the chamber and independent means for causing a circulation of the gases in the chamber through the cooling apparatus.

2. In an apparatus for charging chambers with gas, a generating-furnace having an airpassage leading to it from the atmosphere and delivery-conduit leading from it to the chamher to be charged in combination with a regulable gas escape passage connected to the chamber, a circulating-pipe leading from and to the chamber but not connecting to the furnace, a cooling device situated in said circu- I 4. In an apparatus for charging chambers lating-pipe and means for forcing the furnacewith gas the combination of a gas-generating gases into the chamber and for causing a cirfurnace connected to the chamber and an inculation of the gases in the chamber through dependent circulating and cooling system for the cooling apparatus. 1 the gases in the chamber whereby the charg- 3. In an apparatus for charging chambers ing of the chamber and the cooling of the with gas, a gas-conduit leading to the chamgases therein can be prosecuted simultaneber from a source other than a compressedl ously and independently. gas reservoir, in combination with a com- 1 THOMAS A. CLAYTON. pressed-gas reservoir connected to said con- I duit and whereby the gases passing through the same can be enriched.

WVitnesses:

CHAS. F. MYERS, D. STEWART.

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