Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-11-07

Invention Merits: CacapmcsS.
safety and Conyenicnc Immunity v
from OId-time MOnOpoIies what Il
Is and whatit Does. NJ
Mr.. John Knotwell, agent for the
Union Gas Machine in Los Angeles
and Southern California; has COM
! pleted the erection and arrangement
of one of his machines to supply the
HERALD Office with gas. This is the
first machine of the kind introduced
and placed in successful operation in
Los Angeles. As yet, the invention
is almost totally unknown here, being
of comparatively recent date, but in
other portions of the State and in Eu-
rope it is used extensively. Where
placed in operation it has passed far
beyond the bounds of an experiment
and is declared ..-...-.. .s
AN IMMENSE SUCCESS. f. t-
On Thursday and Friday evenings the
HERALD oficewas lighted throughout
by the new apparatus and many prom
inent citizens called to observe its. eff
fects and examine the novel modus
lopcrdndi of ofmanufacturing light. BY
all it was pronounced n success in
every particular; in the working of its
machinery the eeonvenienceand cheap
mess of operation and the DUALITY of
light furnished. AS a result Of these
examinations Mr.. Knotwell has re-
ceived orders for three or four more
machines, to be erected as soon as they
can be brought here from San Fran
cisco. For the benefit of our readers
who take an interest in the .sub.ec
and few do Motive present full de-
scription of .
g. .. ...4 THE MACHINE, at5v'
It's appliances, operations and accom-
plishments. The generating apparat-
us is very simple in construction and
compact, occupying u space only
about seven feetsquare. 1t is removed
from the main building some forty
feet and covered with a small shed, in
the rear on the line of New High
street. The generator comprises three
different machines, connected in q
manner which will be subsequently
described. The first is q water-wheel,
| one foot in diameter, enclosed in u
cast-iron shell and supplied with jet
| of water, which furnishes motive
power for the machinery. 1.-The water
| is introduced in an ordinary pipe from
| the hydrant and enters the wheel in a
Jet scarcely larger than knitting
10 - IN IC 1IAi .,,.xv
adjusted that this quantity Of water,
slight as it is, will set, the whole ap-
| paratus spinning on seconds no.
tice. The quantity of water used is
very small, as may be judged from
the fact that the little Jet, when the
generator is in full operation, is only
| kept running about ten minutes in an
hour. This, then, is the motive pow
| Ell, and its novelty and ingenuity
| ichal leiiges ouisadmi ration at the out
start.
THE AIR-PUMP.
The water-wheel connects with q
series Of cog-wheels which operate in
turn upon the air-pump, forming ma
chine No. . of the generator. This
pump is constructed Oh the simplest
principles possible leAfor the work re-
! quired. 1t is encased in "a sheet iron
drum about fourteen inches in diam
eter by sixteen in length, and the
space between the drum and the
pump filled with water. This pump
forces II supply of air through an
inch pipe into
N THE TANK, Z
| Where the gas is manufactured This
| tank is about two feet in diameter by
three in height, and placed in an up
right position. 1t is constructed Of
Sheet iron and has three compart-
| mentsAone for water, one where the
gasoline, from which the gas is made
is combined with the air forced in by
the pun p, and one used Us reservoir
| for the gas These three compart-
ments are arranged as fol-
| lows About midway in the
tank, or eighteen inches from
| the bottom, partition of sheet-iron is
| inserted closing the lower portion into
an air-tight reservoir, save only the
connecting pipes Tor the admission OF
air from the pump and the escape of
the manufactured gas into the upper
or gas reservoir. In this lower tank,
! the gasoline in a liquid form is de-
! posted Above the PARTITION, the
tank is filled with water to the depth
of q foot. Inside of this compartment
disconnected tank is fitted, hung
from above on lever which permits
it to rise and fall. This last tank is
air-tight on. the top and sides with the
bottom entirely open. 1t sets in the
. water with open end immersed and
thus forms an air-tight reservoir, into
which the gas rises through pipe
leading from the gasoline reservoir
below AS the gas accumulates in
side, the tank is forced up, and it
again descends when the gas passes
out'in the main for consumption. The
principle of operation is the same
as that in all large receiving
i tanks used by gas. companies. We
| have already mentioned the lever
upon which the. gas tank is hung.
This lever is again hung on the water
pipe which passes over the tank at the
height of about six feet t,and, by means
of a stop-cock. controls the supply OF
water which runs the machine
Having given y description of all the
machinelyis we will now proceed tf
describe
IT'S OPERATION.
Let us commence with the gas al
exhausted froms the tank. Having
/ nothing ON the inside to sustain it,tht
tank sinks in thewater. until itreach'
es the false bottom or partition in the