IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR- BURETTING COAL GAS AND MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL GAS, AND IN. THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Woodward, of Cannon Street, in the City of
London, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-
BURETTING COAL GAS AND MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL GAS, AND IN. THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Woodward at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th August 1865.
I, HENRY WOODWARD, of Cannon Street, in the City of London, Gas.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARBURETTING COAL GAS AND MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL GAS, AND IN:
THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in improved apparatus for carburetting
ordinary coal gas for the purpose of increasing its illuminating power; and,
secondly, in improvements in the manufacture of artificial gas, and in the
machinery or apparatus connected therewith.
I employ a vessel or chamber of a semicircular or other form composed of
any suitable metal or material, and place in it a number of perforated plates
covered with cotton wick or other material capable of acting with capillary
attraction, which plates rest upon a horizontal plate a short distance from the
bottom of the vessel or chamber, thus leaving a space which I fill with naptha

page_text: or other hydrocarbon, supplied an inlet pipe at the exterior of the vessel.
At or about the centre of the vessel there is a tube connected with the supply
of the ordinary gas, which tube encloses another tube in a telescopic manner,
the second tube having at the bottom a disc flanged round with a perforated
plate, and carrying a number of floats for enabling the disc to be supported a
short distance above the surface of the naptha or other hydrocarbon. When
the bottom of the vessel is filled with naptha or other hydrocarbon the cotton
wick or other material becomes saturated with the liquid by capillary attrac-
tion, and thus exposes a very large extent of area of liquid from which the
volatile gas evolves; and when ordinary gas is supplied to the chamber through
the telescopic tube it incorporates with the gas evolved from the liquid, and
which
forms a compound gas possessing a very high illuminating power, gas
passed from this vessel through an outlet pipe to the burners.
Secondly, in the manufacture of artificial gas I employ a similar vessel
containing naptha or other hydrocarbon as that before described, and supply
atmospheric air by means of an improved blower to the liquid instead of the
ordinary coal gas, which air incorporates with the volatile gas evolved from
the large area of the liquid, and thus forms a compound artificial gas of great
brilliancy and power with great economy.
is
My improved blower is constructed in the following manner :-In bearings
formed in any suitable standards or frames I place two shafts, one carrying a
crank, a friction wheel, and a pinion, and the other shaft carrying a toothed
wheel gearing into the pinion, and also having fixed to it one end of a clock
or box spring, the other end of which is fixed to the frame. The crank is
connected to the blower, and moves it up and down, and the friction wheel is
acted upon by a lever used as a brake, the pressure of which can be regulated
with great nicety by means of a screw and nut on a rod connected to the brake
lever, thereby regulating the speed of the shaft which carries the crank, and
consequently the blower. The shafts in the frames may carry two series of
'wheelwork and cranks, and work two blowers, and more springs than one may
be used when required.
:

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters,
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One,
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Woodward, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Wood..
ward, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said.
Henry Woodward, 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
CARBURETTING COAL GAS AND MANUFACTURING ARTIFICIAL GAS, AND IN THE.
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst,
others) that I, the said Henry Woodward, 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 Henry Woodward, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Figures on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon (that is
to say):
This Invention consists, first, in improved apparatus for carburetting
ordinary coal
gas for the purpose of increasing its illuminating power, and,
secondly, in improvements in the manufacture of artificial gas, and in the
machinery or apparatus connected therewith.
I employ a vessel or chamber of a circular, or oval, semicircular, or semi-
oval, or other form, composed of suitable metal or material, and place in it a
number of perforated plates covered with cotton wicks or other material
capable of acting with capillary attraction, which plates rest upon a horizontal
plate above the bottom of the vessel or chamber, thus leaving a space which
I fill with naptha or other hydrocarbon, supplied by an inlet pipe at the
exterior of the vessel. At the centre or side of the vessel there is a tube
connected with the supply of the ordinary coal gas, which tube encloses
another tube in a telescopic manner, the second tube having at the bottom a
disc carrying one or more floats for enabling the disc to float in, the naptha or

page_text: is
other hydrocarbon.
When the bottom of the vessel is filled with naptha or
other hydrocarbon the cotton wicks or other material becomes saturated with
the liquid by capillary attraction, and thus exposes a very large extent of area
of liquid from which the volatile gas evolves; and when ordinary coal gas
supplied to the vessel through the telescopic tube it incorporates with the
gas evolved from the liquid, and forms a compound gas possessing a very
high illuminating power, which gas is passed from the vessel through an outlet
pipe to the burners.
Secondly, in the manufacture of artificial gas I employ similar vessels to
those before described, each containing perforated plates and absorbing
material, and also naptha or other hydrocarbon, and supply atmospheric air.
to each vessel by means of an improved blower to the liquid instead of the
-ordinary coal gas, which air incorporates with the volatile gas evolved from
the large area of liquid, and forms a compound artificial gas, which when
ignited burns with great brilliancy and power.
My improved blower is constructed in the following manner :-In bearings
'formed in any suitable standards or frames I place shafts or spindles mounted
with a train of toothed wheels and pinions put in motion by a clock or box
spring. On one of the shafts I fix a crank and friction wheel, and employ
the crank for working a bellows or blower. The friction wheel is acted upon
by a lever used as a brake, the pressure of which can be regulated with
great nicety by means of a screw and nut on a rod connected to the brake
lever, thereby regulating the speed of the shaft which carries the crank, and
consequently the blower; or I vary the arrangement by employing a rotary
fan or blower, and cause it to revolve at any required speed by means of a
box spring and train of wheelwork; and in both cases when required I
dispense with the box spring, and employ any other description of motive
power.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is an external elevation
and Fig. 2an inside view of one arrangement of my improved apparatus for
carburetting ordinary coal gas or manufacturing artificial gas; and Figs. 3
and 4 are similar views of another arrangement for the same purpose. In
the views of both arrangements a represents the case of the vessel; b, the
perforated plates; c, the plates on which the perforated plates rest; d, the
wicks of cotton, or other absorbing material; e, the naptha or other hydro-
carbon; f, the pipe which supplies the coal gas or atmospheric air; 9, the pipe
for the supply of the hydrocarbon; and h, the outlet for the compound gas
to pass to the burners.
"In Figs. 1 and 2 the pipe f passes over the pipe i connected to and passing

page_text: through the float k, which floats on the hydrocarbon, so that at whatever
height the hydrocarbon may be the coal gas or air can be admitted into the
interior of the vessel, and incorporate with the gas evolved from the saturated
wicks.
In Figs. 3 and 4 the float is employed to indicate the level of the hydro-
carbon in the bottom of the vessel. The pipe i to which the float is attached
passes within the tube 1, and [has connected to it a rod or plate extending
through the top of the vessel, and enclosed in an indicator. The pipe for the
admission of the coal gas or atmospheric air is shewn at f; it is placed so as
to clear the pipe i, but it may be in any other desired position.
The vessels a in both arrangements are connected to water-tight chambers n,
each having an inlet pipe o and an outlet tap p, so that the temperature
is low, heated water may circulate through the chamber and assist the hydro-
carbon in giving off its carburetting vapour or volatile gas.
It is evident that the arrangements for making artificial gas can be adapted
either for several burners or for one only; and in Fig. 5 I shew an outside
view of a table lamp with one burner. The lower part of the vessel contains
the hydrocarbon, above which there are perforated plates carrying wicks; and
in the vessel there is a blower which is wound up when required by a key
passed through the aperture, which aperture admits air for the supply of the
blower. When the vessel is supplied with the hydrocarbon, and the blower
wound up, the volatile vapour is evolved, and the current of air produced by
the blower is incorporated with it, thereby producing a compound artificial
gas, which ascends to the burner, and when ignited burns with a brilliant
flame.
When desired to warm the air it is admitted through an aperture near to
or surrounding the burner, or passed through a spiral or serpentine pipė
directly below the burner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Woodward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
H. WOODWARD. (L.S.)