IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING GAS AND AN APPARATUS FOR CONSUMING GAS
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CRUTCHETT, of William Street, Regent's Park, Middlesex, Engineer, send
greeting:
7
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of July, in the sixth year of Her reign, did
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Crutchett, Her especial licence, full power,sole privilege and authority,
that 1, the said James Crutchett, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Crutchett, my exors, admors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make-
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick,
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING GAS AND AN
APPARATUS FOR CONSUMING GAS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said James Crutchett, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
James Crutchett, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say: -
My improvements in the manufacture of gas are generally for mixing with
coal
gas, oil gas, or other gas, used as a source of light or heat, any required
proportion of atmospheric air or oxygen, or of atmospheric air and oxygen, in
order to cause more perfect combustion; also for introducing as an additional
element into such compound or mixture of gases, vapour of naptha, or other
volatile hydrocarbon, so as to form a triple combination of combustible gas,
combustible vapour, and gas capable of supporting combustion, from which
light and heat may be obtained more economically than from ordinary gas.
The proportions of atmospheric air to be introduced vary with the quality of
the gas. I have used with advantage as much as twenty-five per cent. of
atmospheric air with coal gas, but from five to. fifteen per cent. is a more
usually advantageous proportions. With oil gas various proportions up to
eighty per cent., or in some cases even more, may be used according to the
quality of the gas and the light or heat required. The mixture is best effected
by means of the apparatus herein-after described, which may be applied
either at the gasworks or on a smaller scale by each consumer to the gas used
by him. By means of this apparatus the pressure of the gas itself is applied
as a moving power, to draw in and mix with the gas, previous to its issuing
from the burners, the desired proportion of air, gas, or vapour, or of any
combination thereof, as a foresaid. The simplest and best form of the appa-
ratus is shewn at Figures 1 and 2 in the Sheet of Drawings hereto attached.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a vertical section, trausverse to the axle of the drum of the
meter. Figure 2 shews a vertical section parallel to the axle of the drum.
A, A, Figure 2, is the outer case; B, B, the drum; C, C, C, the inlet pipe
for the gas; D, the outlet; E, E, the water line; all which are commonly
understood, and as they constitute no part of my claim need not here be
particularly described. The axle F, F, of the drum is prolonged to f, and
carries a second drum G, G, similar to the first, which is turned round by the
force communicated to the drum C, C, by the flow of the gas. The effect of
the motion of the second drum G, G, is to draw in atmospheric air through
the pipe H, H. This air mixes with the gas, and the mixed product passes off

page_text: to be consumed by the pipe D. The proportions of air to gas will be as the
capacity of the drum G, G, is to the capacity of the drum C, C. Thus, to
introduce ten per cent. of air, the capacity of the drum G, G, must be one
tenth of the capacity of the drum C, C, and so on for all other proportions.
It is obvious that an apparatus of this kind, on a large scale, may be attached
to the station meter at any gas works, or on a smaller scale it may be attached
to the consumer's meter. If it is required to draw in two or more gases
separately, two or more additional drums similar to G, G, may be used, each
having a separate inlet tube similar to H, H, to admit the gas required, which
may be furnished by a gasometer connected with the inlet pipe in the usual
way.. When a combination of air with vapour of naptha or other volatile
hydrocarbon is to be introduced, the inlet pipe H, H, Figure 2, is to be
connected with the pipe K, K¹, of the apparatus shewn at Figure 3 in longi-
tudinal section. It consists of an air-tight metal box L, L, L, L, in which
shallow trays M, M, M, M, M, M, M, M, are fixed, each tray being fastened
air-tight to the case at the sides and at one end, but leaving a passage at the
other end. These passages are left alternately at one end and at the other, so
that air may circulate in the direction shewn by the arrows, passing over each
tray in succession. The trays are filled with the volatile fluid at the tube N,
the fluid falling from tray to tray till all are filled, as well as the bottom of the
case up to the level O, O. The cock P is set open while the fluid is poured
in, so that any redundance passes off; the cocks P and Q are then shut. R
is an orifice in the top of the box. S is an orifice in its side near the bottom.
T, T', is a pipe fixed air-tight in the orifice S. The upper orifice T¹ of this
tube is adjacent to the orifice R, and both these orifices communicate with the
pipe K, K¹. V is a throttle valve, which, when horizontal, closes the aper-
tures T and R, and when vertical intercepts the passage through the pipe
K, K', so that air drawn in at K', in the direction of the arrow, will, if the
valve be vertical, pass through the naptha chamber, and circulate over the
naptha trays, so as to become impregnated with naptha vapour. If the valve
be horizontal the naptha box will be shut off, and the air will pass directly
through the pipe K, K', into the pipe H, Figure 2, without taking up any
naptha vapour. By setting the valve in an oblique position, part of the air is
caused to circulate through the naptha chamber, and part passes directly
through the pipe K, K'; and by varying the position of the valve, which is
doue by the handle v, the proportion of naptha vapour introduced into the
triple compound may be varied at pleasure.
I would observe, with respect to this part of my Invention, that I aware
that a mixture of coal gas and naptha vapour has been employed for the pur-

page_text: pose of illumination,and also that a mixture of naptha vapour and common air
has been employed for the purpose of illumination; but by the first mode,
owing to the difficulty of supplying the flame with sufficient air to ensure com-
bustion, only a limited proportion of naptha (seldom more than a gallon per
one thousand feet of gas) can be perfectly consumed; and the second mode,
from the entire absence of carburetted hydrogen, has been found too difficult of
management to come practically into common use. My improvement over-
comes both these defects by the employment of a triple compound, easily
lighted and managed, and rich both in the carbon to be burnt and in the air
necessary for its combustion. And I would be clearly understood to disclaim
the combination of coal gas and naptha vapour and the naptha box, as not
being new, and also to disclaim the combination of air and naptha vapour
alone as not being new. What I claim being the obtaining a triple compound
of gas, air, and vapour for combustion, as described, and the application of
the apparatus described to the production of that particular result.
My improvements in apparatus for consuming gas consist in applying
burner coiled in the form shewn in plan at Figure 4 and in section at
Figure 5, by which the light is concentrated as much as by a burner formed
of concentric rings, with the advantage that only one inlet pipe A is required,
so that the burner is more easily made, and there are fewer upright and hori-
zontal parts intercepting the passage of air and light. More light will be
thrown out if the coil rises spirally in the middle, so as to present the section
shewn at Figure 6. which form I therefore prefer, and the pipe should present
in section an oblong form, flattened at the sides so as to allow a freer
access of air.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, and the modes of
effecting them which I consider simplest and best, I would observe, that I do
not confine myself to those particular modes, nor to the particular form or
arrangement of the apparatus described; but I claim any suitable mode of
carrying my improvements into effect in accordance with my claims, which I
will in conclusion briefly recapitulate.
First, I clain the admixture of atmospheric air or other supporter of
combustion, in any required proportions, with coal gas or other illuminating
gas, previously to its issuing from the burner.
Secondly, I claim the plan of employing the pressure of the stream of gas,
by the intervention of suitable apparatus, to draw in the air, gas, vapour, or
any combination thereof which it may be desired to introduce.
Thirdly, I claim the plan of using a drum revolving in water, as described,
to draw in air, gas, vapour, or any combination thereof; and I claim the plan

page_text: thousand eight hundred and forty-three.