IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bray, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Commercial Traveller, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING
PURPOSES."
Scaled the 27th December 1873, and dated the 27th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th October 1873.
I, Henry BraY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Com-
mercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the production of gas for illuminating and
heating purposes from sewage or sewerage or any other decomposed
refuse animal, vegetable, or foecal matter.

page_text: In treating the matter from waterclosets the excreta and the urine
with the water used are in the proper liquid state, but when decomposed
animal or vegetable matters are used they must be mixed with water
or urine to render them liquid.
In performing my Invention I employ a retort made of cast iron,
wrought iron, copper, or brass, fire-clay, or any other material. The
retort may be placed in an ordinary fire-grate, stove, or furnace.
The reservoir containing the sewage, sewerage, or decomposed animal,
vegetable, or fœcal matter in a liquid state is connected to the retort or
retorts. When the retort or retorts are got up to red heat the liquid is
injected into the retort or retorts, the gas so generated is passed through
a battery charged with a powerful hydrocarbon or carbons, and thence
through a tube leading to an ordinary gas purifier, and thence to the
gasometer; by this means illuminating gas is produced considerably
cheaper than by the present system.
I do not confine myself to the use of liquid sewage alone, as any
decomposed matter, such as cleanings of ash-pits and closets in a
solid state, will answer nearly the same purpose, but in that case the
retorts would be charged nearly in the same manner as coal, and the
gases generated are passed through hydrocarbons and purified as before
described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Bray in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th April 1874.
TO ALL. TO WHOM. THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY 2
BRAY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Commercial Traveller,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters,
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty: a
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Bray, Her special licence that
I, the said Henry Bray, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Henry Bray, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, .
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURe
OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Bray, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent. .
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Bray, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say) :—
My Invention relates to the production of gas for illuminating and
heating purposes from sewage or sewerage or any other decomposed
refuse animal, vegetable, or fœcal matter.
In treating the matter from waterclosets the excreta and the urine
are in the proper liquid state, but when decomposed animal or vegetable
matters are used they must be mixed with water or urine to render them
liquid.
In performing my Invention I employ retorts made of cast iron,
wrought iron, copper, or brass, fire-clay, or any other material. The
retorts may be placed in an ordinary fire-grate, stove, or furnace.
The reservoir containing the sewage, sewerage, or decomposed animal,
vegetable, or foecal matter in a liquid state is connected to the retort or
retorts. When the retort or retorts are got up to red heat the liquid is
injected into them, the gas so generated is passed through a vessel
charged with a powerful hydrocarbon.or carbons, and thence through a
tube leading to an ordinary gas purifier, and thence to the gasometer;
by this means illuminating gas is produced considerably cheaper than by
the present system.
I do not confine myself to the use of liquid sewage alone as any
decomposed matter, such as cleanings of ash-pits and closets in a solid.

page_text: By means of these improvements illuminating gas may be produced
considerably cheaper than that produced from coal.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a
convenient mode of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that
I do not intend to limit myself to the details given as they may be
considerably varied or modified according to the nature of the decom-
posed refuse animal, vegetable, or focal substance to be operated upon,
I claim manufacturing gas for illuminating and heating purposes from
sewage or sewerage or any other decomposed refuse animal, vegetable,
or fecal matter combined with either urine or water, or both, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bray, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of April One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-four.
HENRY BRAY. (L.S.)