Apparatus and method for securing purified and dried steam

Claim 1

IN A STEAM PURIFYING APPARATUS COMPRISING A STEAM AND WATER DRUM HAVING A STEAM OUTLET IN THE DRUM''S UPPER PORTION AND BEING PROVIDED WITH AN UPRIGHT PARTITION DIVIDING THE DRUM INTERIOR INTO A FIRST CHAMBER WHICH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE INCOMING STEAM AND WATER MIXTURE AND A SECOND CHAMBER WHICH IS SEPARATED FROM THE FIRST AND WHICH INCLUDES SPACE FOR STEAM IN THE DRUM''S UPPER PORTION COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OUTLER TOGETHER WITH AN ADJOINING SPACE IN THE DRUM''S LOWER PORTION THAT IS ADPATED TO CONTAIN WATER, THE COMBINATION OF A GENERALLY UPRIGHT SEPARATOR TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID FIRST CHAMBER TO CONVEY STEAM AND WATER MIXTURE FROM THE FIRST CHAMBER INTO SAID STEAM SPACE, MEANS IN SAID SEPARATOR TUBE FOR WHIRLING THE STEAM AND WATER MIXTURE UPON UPWARD PASSAGE THROUGH THE TUBE WHEREBY TO BREAK UP ANY STEAM BUBBLES OR FOAM THAT MAY BE PRESENT AND TO SEPARATE A MAJOR PORTION OF THE WATER CONTENT AGAINST THE TUBE WALL FOR SPILLING OVER THE WALL''S EDGE INTO SAID WATER SPACE AND TO ALLOW THE WHIRLING MIXTURE THUS FREED OF THE SEPARATED WATER TO FLOW FUTHER UPWARDLY FROM THE TUBE''S CENTRAL PORTION, A PLURALITY OF TROUGHS BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE WASHING WATER FROM THE OUTSIDE OF SAID DRUM AND ARRANGED SPACEDLY FROM EACH OTHER TO FORM STEAM RISERS THEREBETWEEN SAID STEAM RISERS COMMUNICATING WITH THE OUTLET OF SAID TUBE TO ALLOW THE STEAM ISSUING THEREFROM TO FLOW THROUGH SAID STEAM RISERS, OVERFLOW MEANS FOR MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY BODY OF WASHING WATER WITHIN SAID TROUGHS, HOODS SPACEDLY ARRANGED ABOVE SAID TROUGHS AND ADAPTED TO FORCE THE STEAM FLOWING THROUGH SAID RISERS SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE LEVEL OF SAID WATER BODY SAID HOODS HAVING OPENINGS FOR DIVIDING THE STEAM INTO FINE STREAMS BUBBLING THROUGH SAID BODY OF WASHING WATER, AN OUTLET FOR THE OVERFLOW OF WASHING WATER INTO THE WATER SPACE OF SAID SECOND CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE WASHED AND DRIED STEAM THROUGH SAID STEAM OUTLET.