Improvements in disinfecting apparatus / [Geneste Herscher].

  • Herscher, Geneste.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Improvements in disinfecting apparatus / [Geneste Herscher]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Defries's Improvements in Disinfecting Apparatus. water-gauge and draw-off cock. Where desirable to avoid increase of height in the apparatus the boiler may be divided into two or more cylinders. The disinfection chamber D may have any suitable shape, for instance, that of a horizontal cylinder. A screen d, preferably of tinned copper, extends round its •5 whole inner surface at a small distance from it, apertures or a longitudinal slot dl being provided at the top. The lower part of the annular space thus made com¬ municates with a tube C from the boiler. A hinged door is preferably provided at each end, secured in a suitable manner. The interior of the chamber is fitted with racks, hooks, or other contrivances for carrying the objects to be disinfected, 10 preferably made movable. At the lower part of the chamber at the end opposite to the inlet from the boiler is attached a pipe E leading to the upper part of a vertical tube fixed in the control cylinder F. This tube is closed at top and fitted with a thermometer. The cylinder F is partially filled with water or other suitable fluid, and the open tube from the boiler extends in it vertically downwards nearly 15 to the bottom, the tube connected with the disinfection chamber terminating some¬ what higher. A sufficient space is left at the top of the cylinder to accommodate the fluid from the vertical tubes when they are filled with steam, and an overflow is provided slightly above the level which the fluid then attains. The cylinder may be provided with a cover through which these tubes pass, in the upper part 20 of which a chimney pipe/may be fitted. Instead of water any suitable fluid, such as mercury, or disinfectant solution, may be used, and whatever the fluid, the whole or a large part of the germs which are initially carried over will be arrested. The furnace gases are led through coils arranged within a chamber of suitable size intended for drying, after traversing which they escape up a chimney. This 25 chamber is preferably made with a vertical central division and the lower part may be separated from the upper, and used for storing fuel or for accommodating a wheeled fuel-box. Alternatively the hot air may be derived from tubes a passing through the steam space in the boiler preferably containing baffles, metal gauze, or other devices for increasing the heating surface, and the drying is then performed 30 in the disinfection chamber, with which the tubes communicate under the control of a cock. In operation the boiler is filled through the funnel b up to a height indicated on the gauge-glass, and the fire is lighted. When it is desired to disinfect, the valve or cock on the connection C between the boiler and the disinfection chamber 36 is opened. The steam enters and circulates in the annular space between the screen d and the outer wall of the chamber D, and enters the chamber divested of superfluous moisture through the perforations or slot d1 in the top of the screen. It passes out through the pipe E connecting the chamber with the control cylinder F so soon as the pressure has reached that which corresponds to the depth 40 to which the tube is sealed in that cylinder, and in this way the working steam temperature is determined. The thermometer indicates directly the temperature in the stove. When the pressure in the boiler exceeds that corresponding to the depth to which its vertical tube in the control cylinder is sealed, the steam escapes until the pressure is sufficiently reduced. When the stove is used for current 4b steam the depth of the seal is arranged so that the steam escapes when the working pressure is attained. In this way the possibility of an undue pressure in either boiler or disinfection chamber is absolutely prevented without the use of mechanism of any kind. The stove may be mounted on a wheeled underframe if desired. 50 Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven¬ tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:— 1. In steam disinfection stoves the control of pressure by means of a seal of water, disinfectant solution, or other fluid, as described. 55 2. A disinfection stove in which the air for drying is heated by passage through