US1193143A - Appabatus - Google Patents

Description

' V. HENRI, A. HELBRONNER 61 M. VON RECKLINGHAUSEN. APPARATUS FOR STERILIZING uoums BY MEANS OF ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. I914.

- 1,193,143.? PatentedAug. 1,1916.

1,193,143. I Original application filed June 7, 1910, Serial No. 565,611.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR HENRI, OF PARIS, AND ANDRE HELBRONNEB AND MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN,

OF SURESNES, FRANCE, ASSIGNORS TO THE R. U. V. COMPANY, INC., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK APPARATUS FOR STEBILIZING LIQUIDS BY MEANS OF ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1,- 1916.

Divided and this application filed February 12,

, 1914. Serial No. 818,209.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, VICTOR HENRI, a

citizen of the French Republic, residing at June 7, 1910.

This invention relates to the sterilization I of li uids and more particularly to the sterilization of those liquids which are only slightly or not at all opaque to ultra-violet rays. Water for example is such a liquid.

It has already been proposed to sterilize water by inserting in conduits or channels through which the water flows mercury vapor lamps having containers of quartz or silica. These lamps emit ultra-violet rays and as quartz or silica is transparent to these rays they are able to pass freely into the surrounding water. This method, however, does not utilize the rays to their fullest efficiency owing to the cooling of the lamp by the water which produces a harmful effect on the electrical characteristics of the lamp which will emit fewer rays when water cooled than when operating normally in the atmosphere and only cooled by the movement of the surrounding air.

According to our invention, instead of immersing the lamp or source of ultra-violet rays in the liquid, we place it outside and cause the liquid to flow past the lamp in a zigzag or undulating fashion, this being accomplished by causing the liquid to flow through a trough provided with baflle plates or otherwise so arranged as to cause the liquid to flow in the desired manner.

In order to utilize the rays emitted to their fullest possible extent, the lamp or other source is provided with a reflector and the sides of the troughs and baflles are made of a reflecting material, such as polished metal, so that the rays which pass through the liquid are caused to re-traverse the same and are therefore utilized to their fullest extent.

The liquid may be caused to pass and rethe liquid may be caused to move in a zigzag path in a horizontal plane, in which case the direction of movement is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the rays.

In another method of carrying out the invention, the liquid is caused to traverse a spiral path, the spiral being formed on the surface of a cone and the lamp located within the entrance of the cone. With this arrangement the rays are utilized very efli ciently and with a small apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown in a diagrammatic form various methods by which our invention may be carried out 1n practice.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly sectional, of one form of apparatus, Fig. 2 is a plan of another form of apparatus and Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations, partly sectional, illustrating other modified forms of apparatus.

Referring toFig. 1, the source of ultraviolet rays is indicated as being a mercury vapor lamp 1 having a quartz container and provided with a reflector 2, the liquid to be sterilized is admitted through a pipe 3 to a trough 4 provided with a series of bafile plates 5- arranged with spaces at the top and bottom alternately so that the liquid is caused to pass through the trough in the direction of the arrows to the outlet 6; in

order to utilize the effect of the rays to the fullest extent, the sides of the trough and the baflle plates are made of reflecting material.

In Fig. 2 the trough takes the form of a zigzag tube arranged in a horizontal plane provided with an inlet 7 at one end and an outlet 8 at the other end, the flow of liquid taking place in the direction of the arrows.

In Fig. 3 the trough is of a spiral form and is arranged so that the liquid in its passage along the same is exposed at all parts to the influence of the ultra-violet rays.

Fig. 4 shows an apparatus in which the liquid is withdrawn from. the influence of the rays at certain parts of its passage. In this arrangement which is substantially similar to that of F ig. 1, certain of the baffles are united at the t p by plates 9 which are impervious to the ultra-violet rays, so that when the liquid is traversing a space below said plat-es'it will .be'removed from the influence of the rays.

In all the arrangements the interior surfaces of the conduits and bafile plates should be made. of "reflecting material so that the effect of the ultra-violet rays may be fully utilized by causing them to traverse back ahd forth through the liquid.

jected to the influence of the rays for the same period of time, whereby the whole of the liquid is equally sterilized.

We claim as our invention:

1. In apparatus for sterilizing liquids, the

' combination with a source of ultra-violet rays, of a channel or conduit through which the liquid may flow, said conduit being formed to present a restricted tortuous path for the liquid closely passing and repassing and directly exposed to the rays from said source, and means for agitating the liquid in its passage through the channel.

2. In apparatus for sterilizing liquids, the combination with a source of ultra-violet rays of a channel or conduit throiwh which the liquid may flow, said conduit being located in close roximity to the source and exposed to the irect action of the rays from the same, bafile plates placed ii the conduit to form a restricted tortuous path for the liquid closely passing and repassing said source whereby the entire body of liquid will be caused to flow repeatedly in a thin film through the field of such rays.

3. In apparatus for sterilizing liquids, the combinat on with a single source of-ultraviolet rays, of a trough placed in the vicinity of the same and exposed to the direct action of the rays fr m the source, bafile plates supported in the rough to form a series of compartments a d a tortuous path for the-entire body 0 liquid closely'passing and repassing through the field of said rays, a plurality of said compartments being simultaneously illuminated by the rays;

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this tenth day of May 1913.

VICTOR HENRI. ANDRE HELBRONNER. MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSENQ Witnesses:

Hanson C. Coxn, JOHN BAKER.

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