Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas for Illuminating and other Purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st May, 1893-Accepted, 10th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas for Illuminating and other
Purposes.
I, BENJAMIN PARKIN, of Ridings Lane, Golcar, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire,
Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a new method or to a new manufacture of gas for
illuminating and other purposes.
According to my invention, I make gas from petroleum, benzoline or from other
oil or oils of a like character. This oil I prefer to mix with hot water which
mixture of oil and water is placed into a suitable vessel and caused to pass through
a suitable pipe into a heated retort where the mixture is burnt. The burning of
this mixture throws off vapour or gases which is conveyed to a suitable form of
gasometer ready for use either for illuminating or heating purposes. Between the
retort and the gasometer a suitable form of valve is employed to shut off the con-
nection between the retort and the gasometer so that when the gasometer is full the
process of manufacture may be discontinued, but in connection with the vessel
which contains the petroleum mixture an arrangement of valve and float or ball
may be employed in such a manner that when the gasometer is full the movement
thereof at a given point will shut off the petroleum mixture but when the gasometer
is empty the downward motion at a given point will open the inlet for the petroleum
mixture, so that the manufacture of gas may be resumed whereby the supply of
gas is regulated by the demand. In connection with this simple method of manu-
facturing gas I may or may not use purifiers, condensers, scrubbers, or exhausts, all
of which are at present employed in processes of manufacturing gas from coal.
Dated this 10th day of August 1892.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas for Illuminating and other
Purposes.
I, BENJAMIN PARKIN, of Ridings Lane, Golcar, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire,
Gas Engineer, 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 has reference to a new method or to a new manufacture of gas for
illuminating and other purposes, and in apparatus employed therein.
According to my invention I make gas from petroleum, benzoline, or from other
spirits of a like character, which is placed into a suitable vessel and caused to pass
through a suitable pipe into a heated retort where the spirit is burnt. The burning
of this spirit throws off vapour or gases which is conveyed to a suitable form of
gasometer ready for use either for illuminating or heating purposes. Between the
retort and the gasometer a suitable form of valve is employed to shut off the con-
nection between the retort and the gasometer, so that when the gasometer is full,
the process of manufacture may be discontinued.
Such being the nature and object of my invention, I will now proceed to describe
the same more fully, and shew by drawings my improved form of apparatus for
making gas.
Fio. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a cross section of the annaratus.

page_text: A represents a suitable form of brickwork in which is a fire or furnace.. Within the
fire is a retort B provided with four wings or arms C shewn also in Fig. 2. These
wings or arms rest upon the top of the brickwork for the purpose of supporting the
retort. Between the opening or angle of each arm C, is a lid or cover D, which is
removed when feeding the furnace with fuel. At the bottom of the furnace is a
door E, which is used for the purpose of cleaning out the furnace. The upper end
of the retort is sealed by a lid F and the retort communicates by pipe G with an
ordinary form of gasometer H, a valve H¹ being used to shut off or open the
communication between the two. The petroleum or other spirit to be converted
into gas is placed into the cistern or vessel I and conveyed by pipe J into the
retort, a valve L being used to regulate the passage of the spirit. The retort is
partially filled with asbestos, broken bricks, or suitable porous material, and on the
spirit dropping into the retort (which is heated to a suitable temperature) it is
burnt, the vapour arising therefrom forming a gas which is conveyed by pipe G
into the gasometer, from whence it is taken to be used for illuminating or heating
purposes.
-
The asbestos or broken bricks lodging in the bottom of the retort are not essen-
tially necessary for gas making purposes, but they prevent the retort from being
cracked by the cool oil falling upon the bottom of the heated retort.
Instead of using petroleum spirit alone, it may be mixed with a suitable propor-
tion of hot water but this would reduce the quality of the gas. Gas made by my
process and in the manner described may be mixed with coal gas, the pipes
supplying the two gases being suitably arranged, as shewn in the drawings at the
foot of Fig. 1, M being a pipe for conveying my improved gas and N represents a
pipe to convey coal gas. These two pipes M and N may be coupled together in
any well known manner for collecting and combining the two gases and conveying
them to any place where required. In connection with the vessel I which contains
the petroleum spirit, an arrangement of valve and ball may be employed in such a
manner that when the gasometer is full, the upward movement thereof at a given
point, could be arranged to shut off the petroleum, but when the gasometer is empty
the downward motion at a given point would open the inlet for petroleum so that
the manufacture of gas may be resumed. By this means the supply of gas is manu-
factured as demanded. In connection with my improved method of manufacturing
gas I may or may not use purifiers, condensers, scrubbers, or exhausts, all of which
are at present employed in the process of manufacturing gas from coal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and shewn in what manner the same may be performed, I would have it
understood that I do not limit or confine myself to the particular apparatus herein
shewn and described, as the details thereof may be varied without departing from
the principle thereof, but what I claim to be new, is :-
Firstly. The manufacture of gas from petroleum or other like spirits by burning
the same in a retort and conveying same to a gasometer all arranged in the manner
substantially as shewn and described in the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. For making gas from petroleum and other like spirits, the use therefor
of a retort substantially like the one shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Thirdly. The use of asbestos, broken bricks or other suitable material in the
bottom of gas making retorts for the petroleum to fall onto for purposes described.
Fourthly. The general arrangement and combination of parts substantially as
herein shewn and described for making gas from petroleum or other like spirits.
Dated this 20th day of Anil 1902
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.