145 - Melchior NOLDEN (1822 - ) (3) [1]
NOLDEN was a Maschinen-Constructeur in Frankfurt and had already obtained patents in Luxembourg in 1862 and 1870. (see No 73 and No 122).
On 14 June 1873 he applied for a brevet d’importation for the following invention:
Nouvel appareil à purifier l’eau
The French title is somewhat misleading as it suggests that the novel apparatus is meant to purify water for human consumption or use. The original English tittle of the invention was « Improved method of and apparatus for cleansing water from impurities ». The description of the English patent specification [2] provides the following details of the invention which is directed towards « protecting » industrial equipement:
This Invention relates to apparatus for cleansing water from the impurities chemically or mechanically mingled with it, and is more particularly applicable to the feed water of steam and other boilers for the purpose of avoiding the deposit and incrustation which result from the presence of impurities in the water supplied to them.
The apparatus consists of a closed tank or vessel made in two compartments, an upper and lower compartment. Within the upper compartment is a smaller vessel open at top, and having its bottom and sides at some distance from the bottom and sides of the compartment in which it is placed. Waste steam from an engine or steam from any other source is admitted by a pipe to the upper compartment, and water is supplied slowly by a pipe to the inner vessel, the contents of the inner vessel being exposed on all sides to the steam become heated, and a considerable quantity of the dissolved or suspended impurities become deposited in the inner vessel.
Experts François EYDT and Gustave SCHOMMER studied the invention on behalf of the Chambre de commerce. Their detailed report concluded:
Nous sommes de l’avis, que la manière de fixer le réservoir dans un espace libre …, que l'emploi de l'eau qui est ou doit être purifiée comme moteur dans les appareils à purifier l'eau …, que l'emploi de la disposition des organes pour effectuer la purification de l'eau dans l'appareil …, que la disposition prise pour régler la quantité de ladite solution des agents employés …,
présentent, sauf les chicanes, des dispositions neuves et résumées dans un espace relativement restreint et qui peuvent avoir leur utilité dans l'industrie, là où il s'agit des eaux très impures et nécessitant à la fois, en dehors de la vapeur, différents agents chimiques pour purifier l'eau d'une manière plus complète.
Sous ce point de vue, l'appareil est bien étudié, son nettoyage est facile, et nous pensons qu'un brevet pourra être accordé pour le terme de 15 ans demandé par l'auteur.
On 22 December 1873 the Chambre de commerce endorsed the conclusions of its experts but recommended to the Government that the duration of the patent be limited to 5 years.
The Government agreed to the limitation and so did applicant NOLDEN.
The patent was thus granted on 9 February 1874 for 5 years.
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[1] FamilySearch database (G49B-YR3)
[2] GB patent No 1,552/1873
(19/02/2021)
