IMPROVEMENTS-IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND REGULATING GAS, AND FOR IMPREGNATING THE SAME WITH VOLATILE HYDROCARBON FLUIDS
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Benjamin Joseph Spedding at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th January 1859.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH SPEDDING, of 9, Cross Street, Birkenhead, in the
County of Chester, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS-IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND REGULATING
GAS, AND FOR IMPREGNATING THE SAME WITH VOLATILE HYDROCARBON FLUIDS," to
be as follows:-
My improvements relate to an apparatus for generating gas for illuminating
and other purposes, and for regulating and for impregnating the same with the
vapour of any volatile hydrocarbon fluids, and is applicable to gas made from
rosin, oil, or other substances, and consist of a peculiarly shaped retort with
a syphon or pipe passing through its lid or cover, through which the oil or
other matter is conveyed into the interior of the said retort. The cover or
part of the cover of the said retort in which the said syphon is fixed, is made
to revolve horizontally, the edges of the said cover, or part thereof, as aforesaid,
resting in a groove, trough, or channel filled with molten lead; and for some
purposes I make the syphon itself to revolve in the same manner, in which
case that part of the said syphon which is in the interior of the said retort is.
bent out of the perpendicular, so as to bring its lowest end over different parts
of the bottom of the retort as the said syphon is made to revolve, which is.
also the object to be obtained by the revolving cover or part thereof, as before.

page_text: mentioned. The bottom of the retort is formed to slope downwards from side
to centre, either like the interior of an egg, or like an inverted cone, or from
centre to side, with a flue or chimney passing upwards directly through its
centre, by either of which arrangements the deposit of pitchy or other matter
on the inside surface of the retort is prevented. The gas generated by the
decomposition of the oil or other matter in the retort is made to pass up a
perpendicular pipe, and thence into a suitable condenser, and thence into a
gas holder, which said gas holder I make flat at each end, but otherwise in
the shape of a quarter of a circular drum, which I make to revolve or oscillate
on a spindle. or shaft into a suitable trough or well filled with water, from
which holder the gas is made to pass into a drum through a valve, which is
worked by a disc, the pressure of the gas upon the said disc closing the said
valve partly or entirely, as may be required, by which means the pressure of
the
gas is regulated; the aforesaid disc is attached to the aforesaid drum by a
flexible diaphragm made of silk, coated on one or both sides with india-rubber
and sulphur, and when necessary, a diaphragm of thin gutta percha is added,
or water is made to float round the outside of the said diaphragm to prevent
any smell arising from the same when impregnated with gas. The gas thus
regulated as to pressure is made to pass into a closed vessel of any convenient
shape partly filled with naptha, benzol, or other hydrocarbon fluid, the said
vessel being divided in the interior by a worm or excentric partition, which
makes the gas to pass in a narrow channel for a considerable distance over the
surface of the said fluid, by which it becomes impregnated with the vapour of
the same, and its illuminating power thus increased; it is then allowed to pass
directly to the burners.
Having given an outline of my Invention, I would have it to be understood
that I do not confine myself thereto, as the same may be varied or modified
without departing from the principle of the same; but I claim as new,
1st, the moveable syphon, or the principle of bringing the oily matter in
contact with different parts of the interior of the retort.
2nd, I claim the lid or cover, or part thereof, moveable in a groove or
channel filled with molten lead.
3rd, I claim the form of retort by which the chimney passes through its
centre with an oval or conical bottom, as aforesaid.
4th, I claim the application of a regulator and apparatus for further
impregnating the gas with the vapour of hydrocarbon fluids, in which the gas
passes through the regulator before coming in contact with the said fluid, thus
preventing any condensation of the said vapour upon the inside of the dia-
phragm of the said regulator; and also making the pressure of the gas upon

page_text: the said fluid less than it would be did it pass directly from the holder into
the vessel containing the fluid, thus allowing the said fluid to evaporate
more quickly.
5th, I claim the mode of making the diaphragm as before described,
together with the general arrangement of parts as set forth herein, but which'
will be more particularly described in my Complete Specifications.