Improved Means and Apparatus for the Production of Gas specially intended for Incandescent Lighting and for Heating Purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
Improved Means and Apparatus for the Production of Gas specially
intended for Incandescent Lighting and for Heating Purposes.
We, LUDWIG JOHANN FRIEDRICHI NICOLAI, of 32, Loebtauerstrasse, Dresden,
Germany, and ALEXANDER MCNAB, of Middleton Kerse; Menstrie, Scotland,
Merchants, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:.
-
This invention relates to certain means and apparatus used therewith by
which gaseous vapours combined with air can be produced in an economical
manner for general incandescent lighting and for heating purposes.
The apparatus is composed of a tank or vessel in which are or may be a
number of perforated or equivalent part partitions and an inverted perforated
shaped funnel like screen standing near to or from the bottom of the tank,
from which funnel shaped screen a mixture of a gas and air can be taken by
one or more pipes to the place or places for combustion.
Above the part partitions which are arranged for zigzag travel of the entering
air under pressure, is a perforated or wirework spreader for the liquid hydrocarbon
supplied to it by a pipe fitted with two taps for regulating or determining the
flow from a superposed vessel in which the liquid hydrocarbon is held, said
superposed vessel having a side gauge tube as an indicator of the quantity of
liquid hydrocarbon therein.
We provide a glass tube or a glass gauge tube open at both ends to a metal
tube, by which if the tube be scaled off the quantity of liquid hydrocarbon drawn
from the superposed vessel can be regulated by operation of the upper tap when
turned on, the other or lower being shut off until the quantity so separated from
the bulk in the superposed vessel is required to be passed into the tank, which
the reverse motion of the taps allow.
The tank is charged to the desired height with infusorial earth (kieselguhr),
small pieces of sponge or other absorbent of moisture and an air supply pipe
in such position that the air has to pass through the charge and so take up the
volatile spirit before it can reach the funnel shaped screen and so become
saturated before leaving by the pipe of the funnel for consumption at the burners.
In practice we have found that a slight oversaturation of the infusorial earth
or its equivalent is necessary for complete evaporation and produces evenness
of the burning gas.
The absorption of liquid hydrocarbon by the infusorial earth or its equivalent
in the ordinary manner serves only to form adhesion between the inaterials
(viz. infusorial earth and hydrocarbon) but by our improved means an over-
saturation having taken place the cohesion between fluid and fluid procures
another holding power.
The cohesion between fluid and fluid is less powerful than the adhesion
between the solid material and the fluid, so that we can the more readily separate
the small particles or fine globules of hydrocarbon by a simple current of air
and so improve the aerated gaseous vapour for combustion.

page_text: The oversaturation is determined by the quantity of oil supplied to the gene-
rator or tank and when this is once regulated, excess of oversaturation can
be avoided.
The invention will be further and clearly understood by reference to the
annexed drawings.
Figure 1 sectional elevation of our apparatus.
- Figure 2 elévation thereof.
A, tank (portable or other). B, part partitions therein. C, inverted funnel
shaped screen resting on the bottom D. E, pipe of funnel C to lead the gaseous
mixture to the burners. F, spreader of liquid hydrocarbon within the tank A.
G, liquid supply pipe connected to the spreader by a lower tap H. I, gauge
glass or tube intermediate between the lower tap H and upper tap J the plugs
of which taps are in reversed positions, so that when either of them is opened
the other must be shut. K, liquid hydrocarbon container connected by screw
to the socket ring L of the gauge tube I and located in position above the tank A
by pillars or uprights M, M.
N, gauge tube of the vessel K to indicate the height of the hydrocarbon
therein, such as when fresh supplies are necessary: P, layers or bulk of infu-
sorial earth or its equivalent loosely laid between the part partitions B, B, and
resting upon the inverted funnel shaped screen C.
Q, air supply pipe from a blower or air pump, or the like. R, drain tap
of tank A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:
يل
1. A process for the production of gas for lighting and licating purposes in
the following manner; an absorbent solid material, as for instance infusorial
earth (kieselguhr) being saturated with liquid and fugitive hydrocarbons in a
suitable apparatus slightly oversaturated with such hydrocarbons through which
oversaturated material a current of atmospheric air is passed, this air taking
fine divided particles of the surplus of hydrocarbon with it and forming in this
way a burning gas.
لدوا
2. An apparatus' consisting of two reservoirs which are combined by a tube
having two valves 'or cocks and being at its lower end joined with a spreader
inside of the reservoir, the two reservoirs destined to contain the saturated solid
material and the oversaturating fluid respectively, and with pipes fitted to one
of these to pass air into and through the oversaturated material and the other
to guide the gas to the burners, as set forth and represented, on the, annexed
drawingo.
Dated this 3rd day of July 1899.
J. 43.
R. CORE GARDNER,
+
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said L. J. F. NICOLAI, and A. McNAD.