US1924822A

US1924822A - Cell feed

Info

Publication number: US1924822A
Application number: US443211A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank G Wheeler; Harold H Heller
Original assignee: BLEACH PROCESS Co
Current assignee: BLEACH PROCESS Co
Priority date: 1930-04-10
Filing date: 1930-04-10
Publication date: 1933-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1950-08-29

Description

H [d ff /fe Zier Aug- 29, 1933. F. G. WHEELER Er AL.

CELL FEED Filed April 1o, 1930 Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED stares rivilNT OFFICE CELL FEED Application April 10, 1930. Serial No. 443,211

15 Claims.

Our invention has to do with cell-feeding devices and relates more particularly to a device for feeding brine, etc., into an electrolytic chlorine cell, although our invention may be adapted to a wide number of other purposes.

In the electrolytic production of chlorine and in various other processes of similar nature, it is highly desirable that the liquid be fed into the cell so as to meet the following conditions: (1) That the level of the brine in the cell will be constantly maintained at a predetermined point; (2) that it may be seen at all times that the brine is feeding into the cell; (3) that the level of the liquid within the cell may be adjusted within a small variation, and (4) that the liquid may be so fed that a current of electricity cannot follow the concentrated brine from the feeding source into the cell, even when the cell is so located in a series of cells that the voltage between the brine supply and the cell itself may be quite high.

An object of our invention is to provide a de vice which will meet all the above requirements.

A further object is to provide such a device which will be simple in'construction so as to be inexpensive to fabricate, certain in operation, and rugged.

Various other objects and advantages will readily occur to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds.

In the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of our invention:

liig.` 1 represents a vertical sectional view of a device embodying our invention, together with 35 a fragmentary portion of the top wall of a cell on which it is mounted, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a gas tube forming a part of the device, the view being taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig- 40 ure 1.

The numeral lo represents a portion of the top wall of an electrolytic cell used for the production of a gas such as chlorine or the like and having an opening 12 therein. This opening may be provided with an annular shoulder 13, and seated within the opening and abutting against the shoulder 13 is a tubular member 15. This member is preferably of glass `and may conveniently be formed by removing the bottom from a bottle or a jar of the Mason type or the like. Disposed around the tubular member 15 is gas sealing material 18 which may be of putty or any other suitable material for preventing the escape of gas from the cell into the atmosphere.

Arranged in the neck 19 of the tubular member l5 is a substantially cylindrical housing member 21, gas sealing material 22 being provided between the member V21 and the neck 19, which in this case may be rubber or friction tape or any other suitable material. Seated Within the lower end of the 'tubular housing 21 is aY closure member 24, which may be a rubber stopper or the like, having a substantially central bore in which is frictionally disposed a tubing section 26. The upper end cf the tubular housing 21 seats a similar stopper 28 preferably formed of rubber and bored to frictionally receive a tubular conduit 30.

Loosely slidable Within the tubular section 26, so as to leave an annular space 3l therebetween, is a valve stem 32 which is preferably tubular as shown, but may be a solid rod if so desired, this stem carrying at its upper extremity a valve member 35. This valve member is preferably formed integrally with the stem 32 and comprises a portion 3S which is approximately conical except that its walls are curved more or less hyperbolical. Depending from the portion 36 is a substantially annular portion 38 defining an annular space 39 between the portion 38 and the stein 32. It will be noted that the end of the inlet tube 30 is flanged over as at 40 so as to provide a seat for the valve portion 36, and this valve portion is preferably ground so as to provide a very narrowseat. Preferably the angle of contact between the valve portion 36 and its seat 40 is not greater than 45 from the vertical.

Frictionally secured to the lower end of the valve stem 32 is a bored stopper 42 preferably formed of rubber or the like and seated Within the neck 43 of a hollow float member 45.

The stopper 24 is also bored to frictionally seat a tube 43. This tube is preferably bent away from the valve stem adjacent its lower portion as indicated at 49, and at its upper portion is reversely curved as at 50, the upper terminal portion being preferably bent toward the tubular section 26 and preferably having its edge 52 cut obliquely to the axis of the tube.

The float member 45, the

tubular members

15, 48, 26 and 30, the valve stem`32 and parts carried thereby and the housing 21 are all preferably made of glass, since this material is unaffected by chlorine and furthermore facilitates observation of the operation.

It is believed that the method of operation of the device will be clear from what has gone before. The feed tube 30 will conduct the brine into the chamber formed by the housing member 21, flowing over the umbrella-like valve member 35, which Will shield the tubular section 26 so as to prevent liquid from entering therein. The tube 48 will conduct the brine out of the housing 21 at a substantially constant rate and will thus induce gas to flow from the cell up through the annular space 31 and into the housing 21. As a result, this gas will be mixed with the brine within the chamber 2l and Will cause the liquid to flow from the tube 48 in a highly aerated or bubbly form. At the same time, the float will tend to keep the liquid level Within the cell substantially constant.

Obviously, it will be impossible for current to travel into the cell from the feed line or vice versa, since there will never be a continuous column of liquid extending from the feed line into the cell.

Various modifications and variations Will readily occurto those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of our invention, and hence We do not Wish to be limited to the particular embodiment shown or uses mentioned except as set forth in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the state of the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a device of the class described and in combination with a cell closure, a housing arranged above said closure and having a liquid inlet therein, a oat extending through said closure and into said housing, a valve carried by said float and adapted to close said inlet, said device having a passage for gas into said housing from the cell and a passage for liquid from said housing into the cell, and means controlling the flow of liquid through said last-mentioned passage v whereby said liquid will be aerated.

z. In a device of the class described and in combination with a cell closure, a housing arranged above said closure and having a liquid inlet therein, a iloat extending through said closure and into said housing, a valve carried by said ioat and adapted to close said inlet, said device having a passage for gas into said housing from the cell and a passage for liquid from said housing into the cell, and means also carried by said float for preventing the entrance of liquid into said gas passage.

3. In a device of the class described and in combination with a cell closure, a housing arranged above said closure and having a liquid inlet therein, a float loosely slidable through said closure so as to permit the passage of gas into said housing from the cell, a valve carried by said float and adapted to close said inlet, said device having a passage for liquid from said housing into the cell.

4. In a device of the class described and in combination with a cell closure, a housing arranged above said closure and having a liquid inlet therein, a float loosely slidable through said closure so as to permit the passage of gas into said housing from the cell, a valve carried by said float and adapted to close said inlet, and shielding means carried by said float for preventing the escape of liquid adjacent said float, said device having a passage for liquid from said housing into the cell.

5. In a device of the class described and in combination with a cell closure, a housing arranged above said closure and having a liquid inlet therein, a oat extending through said closure and into said housing, a tubular member loosely journaling said float to permit passage of gas therebetween, a valve carried by said float and adapted to close said inlet, means also carried by said float and shielding the upper end of said tubular member from liquid, and means for conducting liquid from said housing into the cell.

6. In a device of the class described and in combination With a cell closure, a housing arranged above said closure and having a liquid inlet therein, a float extending through said closure and into said housing, a tubular member loosely journaling said iioat to permit passage of gas therebetween, a valve carried by said oat and adapted to close said inlet, an annular depending member encompassing said tubular member so as to prevent the entrance of liquid into the latter, and means for conducting liquid from said housing into the cell.

'7.- In combination With a device as described in claim l, a transparent tubular member for supporting said housing in elevated position above a cell whereby the operation of the feed may be observed.

8. In a device of the class described and in combination with a cell closure, a housing arranged above said closure and having a liquid inlet therein, a float extending through said closure and into said housing, a tubular member loosely journaling said float so as to permit the passage of gas therebetween, a valve carried by said iloat and adapted to close said inlet, and tubular means for conducting liquid from said housing into the cell, said tubular means being so designed as to facilitate the withdrawal of a gas and liquid mixture from said housing.

9. In a device of the class described, a valve housing formed of a substantially straight section of tubing, a resilient stopper having a bore therein closing the inlet end of said housing, an inlet tube extending through said bore and terminating in the upper portion of said housing, and a conical valve member reciprocable longitudinally of said housing and cooperating with said valve seat, means for introducing gas to said housing from an electrolytic cell, and means for conducting liquid from said housing to said cell and aerating the same Within the housing.

10. In a device of the class described, a valve housing formed of a substantially straightrsection of tubing, a resilient stopper having a bore therein closing the inlet end of said housing, an inlet tube extending through said bore and terminating in the upper portion of said housing, the terminal edge thereof being ground to provide a valve seat, and a valve member reciprocable longitudinally of said housing and co-operating with said valve seat, said valve member being substantially conical and curved to represent substantially a hyperbolic seat-engaging surface, means for introducing gas to said housing from an electrolytic cell, and means for` conducting liquid irom said housing to said cell and aerating the same Within the housing.

11. In a device of the class described and in combination with an electrolytic cell, a housing, inlet means for supplying electrolyte thereto, Valve means controlled by the level of liquid in said cell and co-operating with said inlet means for controlling the dischargeA thereof, means for combination with an electrolytic cell, a housing,

inlet means for supplying electrolyte thereto,

valve means controlled by the level of liquid in said cell and co-operating with said inlet means for controlling the discharge thereof, means assoeiated with said valve means for introducing gas into said housing from said cell, and means for discharging aerated electrolyte from said housing to said cell.

13. A device as defined in claim 11 wherein said housing is provided with a closure member for separating it from an electrolytic cell and wherein said valve means comprises a valve member and a stem loosely slidable through said closure member, whereby gas may pass adjacent said stem from the cell into said housing.

14. A device as dened in claim 1l wherein said housing is provided with a closure member for separating it from an electrolytic cell and wherein said valve means comprises a valve member and a stem loosely slidable through said closure member, whereby gas may pass adjacent said stem from the cell into said housing, said valve member being provided with means to prevent passage of liquid into the cell around said valve stem.

' 15. A device as dened in claim 11 wherein said housing is provided with a closure member for separating it from an electrolytic cell and wherein said valve means comprises a valve member and a stem loosely slidable through said closure member, whereby gas may pass adjacent said stem from the cell into said housing, said valve member being provided with means to prevent passage of liquid into the cell around said valve stem, and wherein the means for conducting liquid from the housing into the cell comprises a tube, the intake end of which is beveled to facilitate aeration of the liquid which is conducted therethrough.

FRANK G. WHEELER. HAROLD H. HELLER.