Gas washing with liquid spray

Claim 1

GAS WASHING APPARATUS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR WASHING AND REMOVING ENTRAINED MATTER FROM A STREAM OF GAS TO BE WASHED BY SUBJECTING SAID STREAM OF GAS AND SAID ENTRAINED MATTER THEREIN TO THE ACTION OF A ROTATING SPRAY PATTERN OF WASHING LIQUID DROPLETS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN OUTER CASING FOR SAID APPARATUS HAVING A GAS OUTLET IN THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF, FAN MEANS ADJACENT SAID OUTLET FOR DRAWING SAID STREAM OF GAS TO BE WASHED THROUGH SAID CASING FOR DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID OUTLET, ROTATING SPRAY DISTRIBUTOR MEANS MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL ROTATION WITHIN SAID CASING IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF AND VERTICALLY SPACED BELOW SAID OUTLET, SAID DISTRIBUTOR MEANS INCLUDING A CAGE OF SPACED VERTICAL BARS ROTATABLE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS FOR HURLING WASHING LIQUID IMPINGING THREREON OUTWARDLY AT HIGH VELOCITY TO FORM SAID ROTATING SPRAY PATTERN, MEANS FOR PUMPING WASHING LIQUID INTO SAID CAGE FOR IMPINGEMENT AGAINST SAID BARS, GAS INLET MEANS FOR INTRODUCING GAS TO BE WASHED INTO SAID APPARATUS AXIALLY ADJACENT THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SPRAY PATTERN AND TANGENTIALLY WITH RESPECT TO ROTATION OF SAID SPRAY PATTERN, A GENERALLY CIRCULAR DEFLECTING BAFFLE SURROUNDING AT LEAST THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ROTATING SPRAY PATTERN AND BEING RADIALLY SPACED FROM BOTH SAID DISTRIBUTING MEANS AND SAID CASING, SAID CIRCULAR BAFFLE HAVING VERTICAL WALLS AROUND SAID SPRAY PATTERN AND A TRANSVERSE TOP RADIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING THEREFROM AND FORMING WITH SAID TANGENTIAL INLET A GENERALLY CIRCUMFERENTIAL DISTRIBUTING PASSAGE FOR CONDUCTING SAID STREAM OF GAS TO BE WASHED IN A GENERALLY CIRCUMFERENTIAL DISTRIBUTING PATH FROM SAID INLET AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF SAID BAFFLE AND AROUND SAID ROTATING SPRAY PATTERN, THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID VERTICAL WALLS OF SAID BAFFLE BEING SPACED FROM SAID CASING WHEREBY PORTIONS OF SAID STREAM OF GAS TO BE WASHED ARE DRAWN BY SAID FAN MEANS UNDER SAID LOWER EDGE FROM OUTSIDE SAID BAFFLE TO THE INSIDE THEREOF FOR UPWARD PASSAGE THROUGH SAID ROTATING SPRAY PATTERN, AND SAID BAFFLE BEING ASYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CASING PROVIDING A DECREASING CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PASSAGE AROUND SAID BAFFLE FOR SAID STREAM OF GAS TO BE WASHED AS SAID PASSAGE LEADS AROUND SAID CASING AWAY FROM SAID GAS INLET WHEREBY SAID STREAM OF GAS TO BE WASHED ENTERING SAID GAS INLET IS DISTRIBUTED WITH SUBSTANTIAL UNIFORMITY ALL AROUND THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA DEFINED BY SAID ROTATING SPRAY PATTERN AND ENCLOSED BY SAID BAFFLE AS PORTIONS OF SAID STREAM OF GAS FLOW UNDER SAID LOWER EDGE OF SAID BAFFLE ALONG AND AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL EXTENT THEREOF AS THE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID DISTRIBUTING PASSAGE DIMINISHES.