Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas for Illu- minating and other Purposes, which Improvements also render said Apparatus suitable for other Uses.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th May. 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas for Illu-
minating and other Purposes, which Improvements also render
said Apparatus suitable for other Uses.
We, FREDERICK JOSIAH JONES, of Lackland, Leek, in the County of Stafford,
Engineer, and LOUIS CHARLES ALEXANDER, of Holly Lodge, Putney, in the County
of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the Specification of the British Letters Patent, No. 15,728, dated 1st Decr. 1886,
and granted to me, the said Frederick Josiah Jones, there was described an improved
method of, and apparatus for, producing or manufacturing gas for illuminating and
other purposes. We have since discovered, owing to experiments instituted, that, by
certain improvements, as hereinafter mentioned, the efficiency of such apparatus can
be increased, and that the said apparatus can likewise be rendered useful, not only for
the production or manufacture of gas, but for the production of coke, and for the
treatment, distillation, or conversion of any substances or matters, whether simple or
compound, and other than those treated for yielding illuminating gas.
Now, according to one improvement, we provide the combustion chamber with an
opening (or openings) controlled by means of a valve or damper, or with a relief
pipe (or pipes) provided with a valve or damper, as by this means we are enabled
to better regulate the temperature in such chamber, and to provide against a too
great internal or back pressure arising from any cause whatever, the controlled
opening (or openings) or pipe (or pipes) also acting as a safety valve.
According to another improvement, we arrange, in the combustion chamber, a series
of pipes for the conveyance and heating of compressed air and through these pipes
we discharge the heated air either below, or above, the fire bars, as required, thereby
assisting in the production of heat. Also, in some cases, we introduce into the said
combustion chamber, a pipe, or pipes, through which we admit a small quantity of
gas, in order to reduce the quantity of solid fuel required, and below the fire bars we
introduce a jet of steam to cool said bars, and to prevent the formation of clinkers.
According to another improvement, we prefer in some cases, to construct the
partition walls of the gasifying, distilling, or converting chamber, or oven, partially
perforated instead of entirely perforated, as before, as we find this arrangement is
necessary when treating certain substances, as for instance when coking.
We also introduce underneath the roller in the gasifying, distilling, or converting
chamber, or oven, a constant supply of steam, in order to prevent the gas burning
below such roller, and to keep the latter cool. In some cases we may cast the roller
hollow, and supply water or steam to its interior, in order to prevent overheating.
We may likewise construct this airtight chamber below the said roller, with a sloping
or inclined bottom terminating outside the apparatus in a discharge shoot, and when
so constructed, we interpose, at any suitable point in the length of this shoot, a winged
or other valve whereby we are enabled io discharge the gasifying chamber or oven,
without stoppage of the apparatus.
We
may
For the manufacture of coke, and for the treatment of other substances which
should remain undisturbed during conversion, we dispense with the roller arrangement,
above mentioned, and provide a solid floor, with or without flues, underneath, and also
likewise construct the
a door, or doors, for emptying said chamber or oven.
oven floor sloping towards the door, or when a door is provided at each end of the
chamber, or oven, we may construct the floor to slope from the centre towards each
door, and by this arrangement the coke or other substance slides out of the chamber
or oven with little or no assistance, and the coke is less broken than when drawn by

page_text: the usual means. We may also so construct the doors of the chamber or oven, that
cavities are formed at each side and at the top and bottom, between the doors, and the
openings into which they shut, and we fill these cavities with dry sand, lime, or other
suitable material, so as to render said doors gas and air tight, and thus dispense with
luting in the ordinary way.
According to another improvement we may combine with the apparatus hereinbefore
referred to, a tank, or other receptacle, to contain oil or other suitable material,
through, or in contact with which the gas is caused to pass for the purpose of
enriching it and increasing its illuminating power. And as a further method of
enriching or increasing the illuminating power of the gas we may inject into the
gas-superheating pipes a suitable amount of tar, oil, or other suitable liquid, or
material, capable of being liquefied, and we thereby obtain gases rich in carbon.
We may also use an exhauster placed in any convenient part of the gas main or
pipe to lessen the pressure in the combustion chamber and obviate the necessity of
à gas tight hopper for supplying the coal, &c., to the incandescent chamber.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1888.
ERNEST DE PASS,
68, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas for Illu-
minating and other Purposes, which Improvements also render
said Apparatus suitable for other Uses.
We FREDERICK JOSIAH JONES, of Godmersham House, Fishpool Street, St. Albans,
Herts, formerly of Lackland, Leek in the County of Stafford, Engineer and Louis
CHARLES ALEXANDER, of Holly Lodge, Putney in the County of Surrey, Gentleman
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 the production of illuminating and heating gases from
coal, shale, cannel, peat, wood, and other materials, from which volatile or gaseous
hydrocarbons may be distilled, the process being similar in principle to the subject
matter of previous Letters Patent granted to one of us dated the first day of
December 1886, No. 15,728.
The Invention further relates to the adaptation of the same process and apparatus
for the production of coke.
The process, so far as it relates to the manufacture of gas, consists essentially in
effecting the distillation of the coal or other material at a comparatively low temperature
(so that the benzole and other bydrocarbons which are very rich in illuminating power
may not be decomposed) by causing the gaseous products of combustion from a
furnace to pass through a stratum of coal so that the said products will be mixed with
the gas and tarry vapours and other hydrocarbons which distil off, and in then super-
heating this mixture of gases and vapors whereby the volatile constituents of the
said tarry vapors and other hydrocarbons are converted into a permanent gas whilst
the excess of carbon is deposited.
The
gas,
instead of being generated under the pressure necessary to force it through
the hydraulic main and being allowed to cool down immediately after leaving the
retort as in the ordinary retort system, passes freely or under exhaustion from the
distilling chamber (no hydraulic main being used) and is then immediately super-
beated as herein described the gas passing from the superheater directly to the
purifiers (unless it is required to be cooled down which may advantageously be done
by passing the gas through a regenerator) after which it is ready for consumption.
By this process a much larger yield of gas may be obtained from a given quantity
of coal or other material, as the products of combustion augment the volume of the
gases and vapors and carry them into the superheater where the volatile constituents

page_text: of the hydrocarbons are converted into rich permanent gas which brings up the
quality of the whole volume of the gas to the required standard.
The improved apparatus wherein this process carried into practical effect is
represented in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification in which
figures 1 to 4 represent the apparatus used for making gas; figure 1 being a trans-
verse vertical section on line 1-1 figure 4, Figure 2 a section on lines 2-2 figures 1
and 4, Figure 3 a section on line 3-3 figure 1, and figure 4 a horizontal section on
line 4-4 figure 1. Figure 5 is a sectional elevation on line 5-5 figure 6, and
figure 6 is a sectional elevation on line 6-6 figure 5, and figure 7 a section on
line 7-7 figure 5, of the apparatus used for making coke. The same letters of
reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
Referring to figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, A is the furnace leading to a heating
chamber BD is the distilling chamber, Ca collecting chamber, and F a superheating
coil situated in the heating chamber B; the chambers A, B, C, and D, being con-
structed mainly of firebrick.
The furnace A is closed air-tight and is provided with a charging aperture closed
by a cover. The furnace-grate is a series of horizontal flat steps a and the chamber
beneath them is divided by a horizontal partition a'. Blast nozzles are introduced
at def, those at d and e respectively above and below the partition a' being steani
jets inducing currents of air (preferably heated as hereafter mentioned) for supporting
combustion, the separation of the furnace into two parts by the partition a¹ enabling
the blast to be differently regulated as required. Nozzle is for a jet of steam, to
keep the bottom bars clear of clinkers.
At the upper part of chamber B, an outlet y is provided closed by a damper which
is opened at starting in order that the temperature of the superheater F shall be raised
to the proper point before the gas commences to be distilled off from the chamber D.
When the proper temperature is reached, the outlet is closed and the normal working
commences. By this same means, the comparative temperatures of the distilling
chamber D and of the superheater F may be regulated as required so as to maintain
a proper relation between the two.
The distilling chamber D is vertical or so nearly so that the charge of coal or
other material to be distilled will descend through it by gravity. It is of narrow,
oblong, form in cross-section, as shewn in figure 4, being of considerable height and
width but narrow in the direction from B to C so that the coal or other material
will be in the form of a thin broad vertical or nearly vertical stratum. The dis-
tilling chamber D is situated between the heating chamber B and the collecting
chamber C, as shewn in figures 1 and 4 and communicates with the former by.
orifices band with the latter by orifices c in the opposite walls separating it from
the chambers so that the products of combustion will pass across the chamber D
in the direction of its least width and in so doing will traverse the stratum of
coal, etc., therein contained. The orifices b c are of such size that pieces of coal
will not be liable to enter and choke them. The distilling chamber is surmounted
by a charging mouth or hopper having a contracted throat, as at D', to check the
descent of the column of coal and closed by a cover to prevent the escape of gas.
The distilling chamber D) is closed at bottom by a rotary winged drum E (or
equivalent device) which supports the charge in the distilling chamber and regulates
its descent through the area of distillation, and effects the discharge of the coke or
residue at proper times and in regulated quantities. A pipe leads into the coke
chamber H beneath the drum E, for the injection of steain, whereby to keep the
drum E cool and prevent the gas burning below it. The drum E may be hollow
and cooled by a circulation of water." The bottom of chamber H is inclined, as
shewn in figure 2, downwards towards a discharge aperture closed by a disc valve
so as to conduct the residue to the outlet and enable it to be so quickly with-
drawn that little air will be admitted and the working of the apparatus will not
he interfered with or the quality of the gas affected.
From the upper part of the collecting chamber C a pipe F' leads to the super-
heater F which is formed by a serpentine coil of pipe traversing the chamber B and

page_text: provided with hand holes at the bends, closed by covers, at which limed charcoal,
coke, limestone, or iron scrap, may be introduced to afford an extended area of
frictional and superheating surface and at which the carbonaceous residue deposited
may be periodically removed.
It will be obvious that the superheater, instead of being situated in the chamber B,
may be heated by a special furnace separate from the rest of the apparatus.
It will be seen that in carrying out this process of making gas, the gaseous pro-
ducts of combustion are caused to pass through a comparatively thin stratum of coal
which is uniformly carbonized and that the products of combustion pass in a direction
transverse to the direction in which the coal passes through the distilling chamber D,
the operation being practically continuous; fresh coal coming gradually under dis-
tillation whilst the coke or residue is withdrawn, the downward movement of the
coal, etc., in the distilling chamber causing fresh surfaces to be exposed and main-
taining the stratum of material under distillation at a uniform thickness.
The hot or cold blast of air, or air and steam, or oxygen gas introduced beneath
the furnace should be so regulated as to maintain the coal or other material in the
distilling chamber at a proper state of incandescence.
The
For the manufacture of illuminating gases, the temperature in the distilling chamber
should vary according to the nature of the material distilled, but should not in any
case reach the point at which the benzole would be decomposed, and for making
heating gases the temperature may reach bright red or nearly white heat.
quality of the gases, whether for illuminating or heating purposes, is dependent on
the time occupied by the coal, etc., in passing through the distilling chamber
which should vary from about four to six hours, according to the kind of coal, etc.,
used.
The charcoal, coke, or other substance used in the superheating pipes should be
kept continuously at a uniform red and it is important that it should lie as close as
possible, to ensure the gases being thoroughly scrubbed in passing. It should be
graduated in size, that in the first superheating pipe being in pieces of about one
cubic inch, that in the second pipe about half the size of that in the first, that in the
third being reduced in like proportion, while that in the last may be in the form of
coarse dust such as will pass through a sieve, six meshes to the linear inch.
In order to avoid pressure in the distilling chamber and prevent the escape of gas
at the contrivances controlling the charging in of the coal and the withdrawal of the
coke, the outlet apertures c leading to the collecting chamber may be made larger or
more numerous than the inlet apertures and an exhauster may be applied at a con-
venient point between the superheater and the gas-bolder to which the gas passes
from the purifier, to prevent any back pressure in the collecting chamber and super-
heater.
When the coal or other material distilled, is poor in hydrocarbons and yields gas
of poor quality, it may be enriched by injecting or otherwise mixing tar or other
liquid hydro carbon with the solid carbonaceous material in the distilling chamber, so
as to increase the quantity of hydro carbon vapors and so raise the illuminating power
of the gas.
If it is not convenient to so enrich it, a blast of steam and air should be
used in the furnace and the air should be heated so that less will be required to main-
tain combustion and consequently less nitrogen will pass into the distilled gases. The
heating of the blast may be advantageously effected by means of the regenerator used
for cooling the effluent gases, as above mentioned.
When oxygen gas, pure or even mixed with some nitrogen, is obtainable, it is very
advantageous to use it mixed with steam as a blast to assist combustion, as in this
case there is less or no nitrogen to weaken the effluent gas.
Referring now to figures 5, 6, and 7, which illustrate the adaptation of the
apparatus for the manufacture of coke, it will be seen that the process and the general
arrangement of the apparatus are essentially the same, but that the apparatus is
modified in certain respects.
A is the furnace, B the heating chamber, D the coking chamber, and C the gas-
collecting chamber, as before. As it is important, in this case, to avoid disturbance of

page_text: the charge of coal during the operation of coking, the winged drum E before described
as closing the bottom of the distilling chamber D and supporting the charge therein,
is dispensed with and the charge is so supported that it will not only remain undis-
turbed whilst under treatment, but may be removed "en bloc" when the operation is
terminated. The chamber D which, in this case, may be denominated the coking
chamber, is provided with a solid floor D' inclined at an angle of about 35° or 400
downwards from the point immediately beneath the charging mouth to the discharging
aperture.
In the example illustrated, which is the preferred arrangement, the charging mouth
is over the middle of the chamber and the floor D¹ slopes downwards in opposite
directions from the middle to the ends, but it will be obvious that the floor may be
inclined one way only, and that the chamber shown may be regarded as a double
one. This inclination of the floor favors the withdrawal of the coke which may
be easily made to slide out in the form of a coherent mass and with little or no
breakage when the doors I are opened, the whole mass of coke being of course
divided, in the case of the double inclined floor shown, into two blocks which are
withdrawn in opposite directions. To facilitate the separation of the mass, a tem-
porary central vertical transverse partition of fire clay would generally be introduced
in the charge of coal immediately beneath the charging mouth so as to partially
divide the coke and enable it to be readily split.
The chamber D communicates as before with chambers B C by orifices b and c in
the opposite walls, and these walls are formed with a ledge or shoulder at & parallel
with the inclined floor. Upon these ledges the mass of coke rests, and so seals the
passage left by the contraction in bulk of the coal in the operation of coking, and
prevents the ascent of gases between the walls and the coke.
A part of the gases of combustion pass directly from the chamber B to chamber C
through the space beneath the floor D' which acts as a flue or heating space for
ensuring the sufficient heating of the mass from below.
Each of the doors I is rendered sufficiently gas tight by a packing of dry sand,
lime, or other suitable pulverulent material which is easily run in, thereby dispensing
with the troublesome operation of luting in the ordinary way.
For this purpose
the brickwork is rebated at the sides of the aperture, as shown at n, to a distance
inwards rather less than the thickness of the lining 1 of the door so as to leave a
vacant space enclosed between the side flanges and lining of the door on the one
hand, and the brickwork on the other. These spaces are open at the top and
communicate with the space at o between the top flange of the door front and the
brickwork, so that by pouring dry sand into the latter space, it will run into and
fill the side spaces n. The door is made air tight at bottom by heaping sand
against it as at p. In this case no superheater is employed as the gases distilled
off do not contain sufficient hydrocarbons and are not of sufficient value for such
treatment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is,
1st. The herein described construction, combination and arrangement of parts con-
stituting the improved apparatus for effecting the distillation of coal, &c., by the
passage through it of the gases of combustion from a furnace, and the superheating
of the resulting mixture of gases, said apparatus comprising:-(1) A furnace having
a step like grate divided into an upper and lower series as described with separato
provision for the injection of a blast as described. (2.) A heating chamber receiving
the gaseous products of combustion from the furnace. (3.) A distilling chamber
situated between the heating chamber and the gas collecting chamber and communi-
cating therewith by orifices as described, and a superheater contained in the heating
chamber, all as specified.
2nd. In an apparatus of the kind described, providing the heating chamber with
means whereby the superheater may be raised to the required temperature before the

page_text: gases begin to be distilled off from the charge in the distilling chamber, substantially
as described.
3rd. In the herein described apparatus, constructing the distilling chamber with a
contracted throat between it and the charging hopper, and with an inclined floor
beneath the winged drum at bottom leading to a discharge aperture closed by a disc-
valve substantially as shown and described.
4th. The herein described apparatus for making coke constructed substantially as
set forth.
5th. In the herein described apparatus for making coke, the construction of the
coking chamber with an inclined floor leading down to the discharge aperture, as
described.
6th. In the herein described apparatus for making coke, the construction of the
coking chamber with an inclined floor in combination with inclined shoulders or
ledges at the upper part of the side walls, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
7th. In an apparatus for making coke, the herein described means of making the
doors of the coke oven gas tight, substantially as specified.
1000
F. J. JONES.
L. C. ALEXANDER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.