IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Myron Hopkins Strong, of Brooklyn, in the State of Now
York, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 15th August 1876, and dated the 29th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Myron Hopkins Strong at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th February 1876.
MYRON HOPKINS STRONG, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States
of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND
OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention is for making gas from petroleum or similar oils. There is a
vertical retort filled, or partially so, with pieces of brick; these are heated to a high
temperature by petroleum admitted and burnt in the presence of a blast of air
preferably heated. The products are allowed to escape by a valve into a chimney;
the air supply is now shut and the valve to the chimney, and the supply of
petroleum is continued. The result is that the hydrocarbon is decomposed, most of
the carbon deposits upon the bricks, and the hydrogen passes through the retort to
a hydraulic main and gas holder. When the bricks in the retort become of too low
a temperature the petroleum is shut off, the chimney damper opened, and the blast
of hot air again sent through the retort, and the same is highly heated by the
combustion of the carbon that had been deposited upon the bricks. When this has
been consumed the gas-making operation is resumed as before, and so the processes
of gas making and heating alternate.
It is preferable to use two retorts, two chimneys, and to alternate the operations,
and the heat from the combustion of the carbon deposited in one retort heats the
bricks in the other retort and burns out any carbon deposited in the flue connecting
the two retorts.
The air used may be heated by pipes immersed in the coal tar that is used for
the seal in the hydraulic main.
Where desired a jet of steam may pass in with the petroleum while the gas making
operation is going on, and a second supply of petroleum may be introduced in the
flue between the retorts to produce olefiant gas to mix with the hydrogen from the
retort. The retorts are to be covered with non-conducting material to retain the
heat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Myron Hopkins Strong in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th August 1876.
MYRON HOPKINS STRONG, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States
of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING
AND OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention is for making gas from petroleum or similar oils. There is a
vertical retort filled, or partially so, with pieces of brick; these are heated to a high
temperature by petroleum admitted and burned in the presence of a blast of air
preferably heated. The products are allowed to pass away by a valve into a
chimney; the air supply is now shut and the valve to the chimney, and the supply
of petroleum is continued. The result is that the hydrocarbon is decomposed, most
of the carbon deposits upon the bricks, and the hydrogen passes through the retort
to a hydraulic main and gas holder. When the bricks in the retort become of too
low a temperature the petroleum is shut off, the chimney, damper opened, and the
blast of hot air again sent through the retort, and the same is highly heated by the
combustion of the carbon that had been deposited upon the bricks. When this has
been consumed the gas-making operation is resumed as before, and so the processes
of gas making and heating alternate.
It is preferable to use two retorts, two chimneys, and to alternate the operations,
and the heat from the combustion of the carbon deposited in one retort heats the
bricks in the other retort and burns out any carbon deposited in the flue
connecting the two retorts.
The air used may be heated by pipes immersed in the coal tar that is used for
the seal in the hydraulic main.
Where desired a jet of steam may pass in with the petroleum while the gas
making operation is going on, and a second supply of petroleum may be introduced
in the flue between the retorts to produce olefiant gas to mix with the hydrogen
from the retort. The retorts are to be covered with non-conducting material to
retain the heat.
In the Drawing I have represented in Fig. 1 an apparatus adapted to the manu-
facture of gas by my process.
The retort a is preferably of iron lined with fire-brick; at the bottom is a flue
opening leading to a chimney c, and there is a gate or damper & preferably near
the top of the chimnay. The flue or pipe e leads to a gas holder, preferably
through the hydraulic main e¹ that forms a seal when the chimney is opened, or
allows the gases to pass when the damper d is shut. The liquid hydrocarbon is
supplied by a pipe and cock and the pipe serves to convey a blast of air from
a blower into this retort. The retort a is filled with pieces of broken fire-brick or
similar porous material adapted to withstand heat. It is preferable that these
pieces be packed to leave an open space in the center so that the liquid hydrocarbon
falls into the heated space to the tile or brick a'
The operation is as follows:-A regulated amount of liquid hydrocarbon is
allowed to flow into the retort; it is ignited and the blast by the pipe admitted.
This produces an intense heat that makes the pieces of brick within the retort a
bright red or white heat, the products of combustion passing off by the flue b and
chimney c to the open air. The damper d is now closed and the air supply shut
off, and liquid hydrocarbon is allowed to continue to pass into the retort in drops
or spray, or otherwise among the highly heated mass of brick. Rapid decomposition
of the oil now takes place, the hydrogen of which being liberated and passing
through the retort leaves the carbon in small particles in and upon the pieces of
fire-brick. The higher the temperature the more rapid will be the separation, and
if the heat decreases too much in consequence of a continuation of the supply of oil
the result would eventually be light carburetted hydrogen, but before the flow of
oil has continued long enough to produce this result the supply of oil is shut off and

page_text: the valve, d to the chimney opened, and the blast of air is again admitted; this
consumes the free carbon deposited upon the pieces of brick, and in so doing
produces an intense heat so as to prepare the bricks for the next admission of oil
after the carbon has been burned off. The retort is ready for the operations to be
repeated, and by proper observation it will be ascertained how long to run the
retort with oil to produce free hydrogen, and then how long to employ the air blast
to consume the free carbon and reheat the retort.
The hydrogen produced as aforesaid may be carburetted in any of the well
known methods so as to produce an illuminating gas.
In the flue b pieces of brick may be introduced to become heated by the surplus
heat from the retort, and when the hydrogen gas is being made steam may be
admitted into this retort from the pipe x to be decomposed in the presence of the
carbonaceous matter deposited in this flue, and thus promote the yield of hydrogen.
A water pipe y may be inserted in the chimney to supply a spray to cool the gas
and make up for any evaporation of the water in the hydraulic main.
The
Fig. 2 represents the apparatus arranged so that two retorts may be used.
two retorts a, a, are connected at the bottom by the flue b, and from said flue the
gas pipe e passes off to the hydraulic main e¹. The chimneys c², c, rise from the
respective retorts a, a, and the blast pipe opens into these chimneys and is
provided with the dampers d', d.
When it is desired to heat up the bricks in the retorts the dampers d³, d³, are
closed and d', d, opened, which allows the blast of hot air to pass through the
retorts a, a²; the hydrocarbon now being admitted to the retort by the cock i and
ignited the bricks are heated, as before described. The dampers d'and d of the
blast pipe and chimney c respectively are now closed, and the gas-making
operation proceeds in the retort a. When the bricks in this retort become of too
low a temperature for gas making the cock i is closed and 2 opened to allow the
hydrocarbon to fall upon the heated bricks in the retort a², and the gas-making
operation goes on in this retort, the retort a being at rest. When the gas-making
ccases in the retort a² the retorts are to be reheated, this is effected by the blast of
air being sent through a², and consuming the carbon deposited in a² not only heats
the retort a but augments the heat of the retort a, so that the gas-making
operation is next carried on in a and so on.
What I claim as my Invention is, the process herein described of alternately
producing gas and heating the retort by first admitting petroleum or other
hydrocarbon into a retort among pieces of fire-brick or other similar material in
a highly heated condition, and conveying the gas away to a receiver, and
subsequently reheating the retort (after the supply of hydrocarbon has been
stopped) by admitting, atmospheric air or oxygen to consume the carbon deposited
in the retort so as to obtain the temperature necessary for then re-starting the gas-
making operation, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Myron Hopkins Strong, have hereunto set my
1-11
AD 100
MYRON H. STRONG. (L.S.)
Witnesses,
CHA. H. SMITH, 76, Chambers St., New York..
GEO. T. PINCKNEY,
در
"