IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRO- DUCTION AND APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Goldsworthy Gurney, of Bude, in the County of
Cornwall, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRO-
DUCTION AND APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT."
Sealed the 11th November 1862, and dated the 3rd June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Goldsworthy Gurney at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
June 1862.
I, GOLDSWORTHY GURNEY, of Bude, in the County of Cornwall, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT," to be as follows:-
The first part of my improvements in apparatus for production and appli-
cation of artificial light, consists of a horizontal cylindrical retort, for the
destructive distillation of oil, oleaginous seeds, or other material proper for
the production of carburetted or bi-carburetted hydrogen gas. The retort is
made to be traversed by a rod working through a stuffing box, and passing
through the centre of the retort; attached to the end of the rod is a semi-
circular plate or hoe standing across, having at its back, standing on its edge
at right angles to it and parallel to the rod, a wing or fin-like plate; this
apparatus is used for stirring the material, or removing any deposit from
within the retort in manner following, that is to say, when the material has to
be stirred, the rod is pushed forward through the retort with its knife edge

page_text: wing downwards, with an alternating semi-rotary motion given to it by
the hand stirring the material as it moves along, bringing fresh portions to the
heating surface.
When any deposit or spent material has to be removed, the hoe with its
wing downwards is pushed through the deposit to the end of the retort;
it is then turned half round, so that the hoe or cross plate will stand
downwards; it is now drawn forwards by the rod, so as to scrape out
the deposit or spent materials, and bring them to the end of the retort next
the stuffing box, to be discharged through a discharge pipe fixed into the
retort, having a stop-cock at its lower end; this pipe is made to dip into water
at a sufficient depth to form a self-acting water valve, to prevent the escape of
gas, when the stop-cock is opened for the deposit to fall through. This
process of stirring the materials or removing the deposit may be carried
on whilst the apparatus is at work.
The material for producing gas is passed into the retort at one end, that
generally opposite the stuffing box; if liquid, it is dropped through an inverted
syphon tube; if solid, into an air-tight vessel having two stop-cocks affixed
to it, one at each end, one above the other below. This vessel, called
a feeder, is connected to the upper side of the retort by the under stop-cock
opening into it; the other stop-cock is attached to a funnel above. When the
under stop-cock of this feeding apparatus is shut, the upper one is opened, and
the material passed into the vessel. When the feeder is charged, the upper
stop-cock is shut, and on opening the under one, the charge falls into
the retort. It is then stirred up as above described, and drawn forward over
the heating surface by the transverse wing and cross hoe.
My further improvements in apparatus for the production and application
of artificial light, is to use bi-carburetted hydrogen gas, thus or otherwise
produced, for signal lights in ships at sea, or military stations on land.
My improvements further consist when catoptric apparatus is used in fixing the
ordinary parabolic reflector with its mouth upwards and its axis perpendicular,
instead of horizontally, as is usually done, so that the reflected concentrated
rays from its surface may pass perpendicularly upwards. These reflected
rays are made to fall on a plane reflector or polished mirror, fixed above at
an angle of 45 degrees with the perpendicular; the spectrum will then be
reflected in a true horizontal line thus-A light placed in the focus of a re-
flector, in the cabin of a ship, may be passed upwards through an aperture
(glazed or not) in the deck to a plane reflector fixed at the masthead, or any
other convenient place in the rigging, and be reflected in any direction, undis-
turbed by storms of wind or rain. Instead of a plane mirror, the spectrum

page_text: may be made to fall on the surface of a conical reflector, the sides of which
stand at ninety degrees to each other, having its apex hanging downwards;
the rays will be reflected from all sides, and sent at a true horizontal level
all round the horizon, so if placed on the end of a pole, or other elevated point
on land. If the full power of the concentrated rays of the parabolic reflector
be required to sweep the horizon, the plane mirror is made to revolve on
a centre, maintaining the same angle of reflection.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Goldsworthy Gurney in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 2nd December 1862.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J, GOLDS-
WORTHY GURNEY, of Bude, in the County of Cornwall, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me the said
Goldsworthy Gurney, Her special licence, that I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Golds-
worthy Gurney, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the, same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
. My improvements in apparatus for production of artificial light, consist of a

page_text: cylindrical air-tight vessel called a generator, Fig. 1, a, a, for producing gas
by heat from oil, oleagenous seeds, coal, rosin, or other material, proper for
the production of carburetted or bi-carburetted hydrogen gas; also for
generating oxygen gas from oxide of manganese, or other material; the
generator of which, a tranverse longitudinal end view and cross section, is
shewn, Fig. 2, is made of iron, plumbago, or other material, which will stand
furnace heat. This, in my Invention, is traversed by a steel rod b, working
through a stuffing-box c, arranged with water tuyres d, d, as shewn, and'
passing through the axis of the generator; welded to the end of this steel rod
is a semicircular plate of steel e, forming a hoe or scraper made to fit half
the diameter or sectional area of the interior of the generator a, a, at
the same end of the rod, but at right angles, and consequently lying parallel.
Along a portion of the rod is a fin-like plate f standing outwards, and perpen-
dicular. Fig. 2 is a cross section or end view of the same; b, the rod; e, the
hoe; f, the fin; a, a, the generator. This part of the apparatus is used for
stirring the material, and removing the deposit in manner following, that is to
say, when the material has to be stirred, the rod is pushed forward and back-
ward through the generator with its fin-like plate downwards, with an
alternating. semi-rotary motion given to it, stirring the material as it moves
along, and bringing fresh portions to the heating surface.
When any deposit or spent material has to be removed, the rod with its fin
downwards is pushed back through the deposit to the end of the generator, so
as to scrape together the deposit or spent materials, and bring them to the
front end of the generator next the stuffing box; here it is discharged through
an opening g into the chamber h below. To the lower end of this chamber
an ordinary stop-cock is attached, through which the accumulated deposit
is withdrawn, when necessary. Thus the process of stirring the materials and
removing the deposit may be carried on whilst the apparatus is at work.
The material for producing gas is passed into the generator at one end, that
generally opposite the stuffing box; if liquid, it is dropped through an ordinary
inverted syphon tube or ordinary pressure can i, i. If the material be solid,
it is first run into an air-tight vessel standing upright, having two stop-cocks
affixed to it, one at each end, one above, the other below. Fig. 3, this vessel,
called a lock or feeder, is connected to the upper side of the generator by the
under stop-cock k opening into it; the top-cock is attached to a funnel above;
when the under stop-cock k of this feeding apparatus is shut, the upper one
is opened, and a charge of material passed into it from the funnel; the upper
stop-cock is then shut, and the under one opened; the charge falls out of the
lock into the generator at the end; all, or any portion of it is stirred up, and

page_text: drawn forward over the heating surface by the fin and hoe. When this
portion is spent, it is discharged through the opening into the receiving
chamber at the front end of the generator, and fresh portions drawn forward
from the back.
The gas when it comes from the generator, passes first through a pipe m,
surrounded by a vessel of cold water n, n, to prevent concretion, and condense
any volatile oil that may come over, so that the condensed oil may fall into the
discharge chamber below; the gas may then be passed into an ordinary
gasometer, or other receptacle, but I prefer to convey it to an apparatus
shewn in Fig. 4 & 7. This apparatus is to receive, further condense, and
regulate the rate of formation, and quantities of gas. It first enters the
apparatus at the opening p, into an inner vessel q, q, which is surrounded and
covered by cold water, held in an outer vessel for further condensation r, r;
from this compartment of the apparatus it passes up through the pipes,
standing above the surface of the water in the outer vessel into an inverted
receiver, standing over the water like the holder of an ordinary gasometer.
It is withdrawn through the pipe t, t, also rising above the water level. The
rising and falling of the receiver is made to regulate the quantity of gas by
acting on the end of a lever connected to a. stop-cock, attached to the oil can
above, Fig. 6*. It is manifest that when the generator is properly heated,
say to a cherry red, the formation of gas will directly be as the quantity of
hydro-carbonate material passed into the generator. The end of the lever (as
the gas accumulates and raises the receiver) is lifted with it, and is made to
shut off the supply of oil, when there is more gas generated than required;
but when there is not a sufficient supply of gas, the receiver will fall and carry
the end of the lever with it, so as to open the stop-cock to admit a larger
quantity. Thus the quantity of gas for burning is regulated with great
accuracy, and requires no gasometer. In the gas pipe m leading from the
generator, a deposit of charcoal or lampblack will sometimes collect at
its mouth. To remove this a rod, with a scraper or fin attached to it, is made
to pass through a stuffing box u, through the pipe into the generator, similar
to that above described, as attached to the generator for removing the
deposit which may collect in it. To condense any volatile oil, or other
matters that may pass with the gas, when certain oils are used beyond
the refrigerator above-mentioned, it is well sometimes to pass it through a
worm standing in water like an ordinary still, before passing it direct into
the governor.
Another part of my Invention, viz., my improvements in the application of
artificial light, consists in the following arrangement:-I place a lamp or

page_text: other source of artificial light, in the focus of a parabolic reflector, Fig. 5,
standing on a level, with its plane horizontal and its axis perpendicular; the
radiated rays of light from it will be reflected directly upwards, and if these
rays are made to impinge on a plane mirror, standing at 45° with the
horizon, they will be all reflected horizontally; if it be required to sweep the
horizon, the mirror must be revolved by an arm moving on a perpendicular
axis. For all purposes not requiring the light to be seen at great distances,
the luminous rays may be made to impinge on a white ball, hemisphere, or
cone, made of canvas or sail cloth painted white, with oxide of bismuth or any
other dispersing body. By this arrangement the light may be placed in the
cabin of a ship, and the reflected rays pass upwards through an aperture
glazed or not in the deck, undisturbed by storms of wind or rain. It will be
observed that the alteration of the perpendicular of the ship will very little
interfere with the angles of dispersion from the white circle.
An apparatus twice the size of the Drawings will supply sufficient gas
for twenty Scotch jets, the light from which is generally sufficient for a
ship or ordinary building. It may be increased when more is required. The
generator is generally placed in an open fire, but in cases where a large
supply of gas is required, three or four are placed in beds together, and heated
by a reverbatory fire like ordinary coal gas retorts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Goldsworthy Gurney, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of December, in the year of our
Lord 1862.