US1681538A

US1681538A - Treatment of liquids such as milk with rays, more particularly with ultra-violet rays

Info

Publication number: US1681538A
Application number: US236354A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hoffmann Franz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-10-30
Filing date: 1927-11-28
Publication date: 1928-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1945-08-21

Description

Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,538

F. HOFFMANN TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS SUCH As MILK WITH RAYS, MORE PARTICULARLY WITH ULTRA VIOLET RAYS Filed Nov. 28, 1927 5 s i1 2 I K f 1/ 15 1 I i 15 V16 t H gs 14 1E ,i W

! EM -k ZV TZIQ Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,681,538 PATENT OFFICE...

, rmz norrmnn, or VIENNA, Aus'rnn.

TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS SUCH AS MILK WITH RAYS, MORE PARTICULARLY WITH ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS.

Application filed November 28, 1927, Seriai No. 236,854, and in Austria October 30, 1926.

It has often-been proposed to treat liquids with rays of short wave length. In order to obtain a uniform action of the rays upon the liquid it is necessary tv split up the latter into thin layers. This wasdone for example by allowing the liquid to flow between two glass partitions, such as plates or cylinders, which were more or less permeable with respect tothe rays, thus irradiating the liquid through theglass. In such a case however, the portion of the rays absorbed by the glass is lost.

The method and corresponding apparatus described hereinafter make it possible to treat liquids with rays of any kind, for instance with ultra-violet rays, without a portion of the radiation being lost by absorption. According to the method forming the subject matter of the present invention, the liq- 2e uid is first of all converted into a thin layer and thereupon led over a very interrupted surface, such as for instance a grid. In such a case it not only flows away over the grid bars, but owing to the surface tension also over the interruptions in the surface, so that it forms a continuous layer (thin film of milk), which is not enclosed by walls, but flows away freely. Layers of liquid constituted in this way can now be treated with rays, without any lossby'absorption. I

For the purpose of obtaining the full efiect of the radiation it is advisable to make the grid in the form of a .for instance cylindrical hollow body and to locate the source of the '35 rays in the central axis of the cylinder. The

diameter of the hollow body and'at the-same time the distance of the source of-the rays from its inner surface is so chosen that as powerful an action as possible on the liquid 40 is ensured. The material of which the interrupted surface is made depends in the first lace upon the characteristics of the liquid to treated; for milk, the treatment of which is the chief consideration in this case, use may be made of sheet metal. The means used for generating the rays in the present method is an electric light source, which is rich in ultra-violet rays, such as for instance a lamp of the Farlan- Moore type, i. e. a kind of Geissler tube of pure fused rockcrystal, preferably provided with a filling of inert gas and condenser electrodes. The tubes can be operated with high voltage alternating current of low, medium or II high frequency as desired. Instead of this means for generating the rays use mi ht however also be made for instance of t e wellknown Uviol lamp. The method and apparatus forming the subject matter of the present invention are however also suitable for other rays than the ultra-violet.

. The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically in longitudinal section one constructional form of the apparatus used for carrying out the method in question.

The stand 1 supports by means of the arms 2 and 3 on the one hand a bulb-shaped hollow body 4, and on the other hand a sleeve 5 arranged around the wire grid 14. On the bulb 4 is provided a funnel-shaped supplying trough 6 for the milk, which enters the apparatus through pipe 7 and tap 8. The

trough 6 is rigidly connected by the arms 9 and 9' with an annular part 10 and is open at the top and bottom; the diameter of the upper aperture is considerably larger than that of the lower. The annular part 10 embraces the neck of the bulb 4 and can slide up and down on it. Close to its upper edge it is provided outside with a screw-thread, which engages so with a corresponding screw-thread on the inner surface of a nut 11. This nut 11 is also slid onto the neck of the bulb 4 and rests there on the projection 12, on which it is freely rotatable. When the nut 11 is turned, the annular part 10 is accordingly lifted or lowered and with it the trough 6 because it is rigidly connected with the annular part. 10 by the arms 9, 9'. As the lower aperture of the trough 6 reaches right down to the outer surface of the bulb 4, by the raising of the trough 6 the slit 13between the lower edge of the trough and the wall of the bulb becomes larger and when the trough is lowered becomes smaller.

The milk enters first into the trough 6, passing from here'through the slit 13 to the surface of the bulb 4, becomes distributed over the latter in a thin' layer and then flows over the grid 14, bridging over the various 10o meshes of the grid with a thin film of liquid. Inside the grid is located the means 15 gener? ating the rays, the electric current operating the same passing through the hollow neck of the bulb 4 by means of the wires 18, 18'. The 106 treated milk flows into the container 16, from which it finally emerges through 17. In many cases, as for instance in the case of milk, it is undesirable owing to the formationof ozone, to allow air to have free access to the 11 to be immersed under the surface of the milk it is possible to shut off the admission of air from below. It is however also possible to exclude the possibility of the formation of ozone by passing an inert gas into the interior of the sleeve. In order fully to utilize the rays passing through the grid 14, it is advisable to make the sleeve 5 of a material. which reflects the rays or to make its inner surface capable of reflecting in a known manner.

The described treatment has numerous effects, in the case of milk, in addition to sterilizing it, its vitamin content is also increased.

It is clear that it ispossible by means of the invention to treat the liquid in as thin a layer as desired by means of a simple device, while utilizing the energy of the rays to the fullest extent.

I claim- 1. Device for irradiating liquids more especially with ultra-violet rays, comprising in combination a hollow body, a grid forming an extension of the latter, a source of light-rays arranged Within the said grid, and a vertically adjustable trough, open at its lower purpose specified.

2. Device for irradiating liquids more especially with ultra-violet rays, comprising in combination a hollow bulb-shaped body, a cylindrical grid forming an extension of the latter, a sourceof light-rays arranged within the said grid, and a vertically adjustable trough, open at its lower end, surrounding the bulb-shaped body, the lower end of said trough being in spaced relation to the hollow bulb-shaped body.

3. Device for irradiating liquids more especially with ultra-violet rays, comprising in combination a hollow bulb-shaped body, :1 cylindrical grid forming an extension of the latter, a source of light rays arranged withinthe grid, wires for the supply of electric current passing through the said bulb-shaped body and being connected with the said source of light rays, and a vertically adjustable trough surrounding the bulb-shaped body and pipgn at its lower end, for the purpose speci- 4. A device as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a cylindrical sleeve mounted around the cylindrical grid, for the purpose.

specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANZ HOFFMANN.