IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR OPERATING ON AIR OR AERIFORM FLUIDS BY HYDROCARBONS FOR PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATION
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, of 8, Manby Street,
Stratford, in the County of Essex, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR OPERATING ON AIR OR AERIFORM FLUIDS BY
HYDROCARBONS FOR PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATION."
Sealed the 30th April 1867, and dated the 6th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1866.
I, NATHANIEL FORTESCUE TAYLOR, of 8, Manby Street, Stratford, in the
County of Essex, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR OPERATING ON AIR OR AERIFORM
FLUIDS. BY HYDROCARBONS FOR PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATION," to be as follows:→
In carrying out my improvements the air or aeriform fluid to be acted upon
is caused. to pass through a chamber, so as to absorb or become saturated with
the vapour from liquid hydrocarbon carried by pieces of sponge or other.
suitable substance in motion, such. motion, being in a direction to meet the
fluid to be acted upon.
A
In apparatus.I employ for the purpose the air or aeriform fluid to be acted
upon is forced to traverse in an annular .space between the inner surface of a
cylindrical vessel, and the outer surface of a cylinder revolving within that.
vessel. The cylinder carries the sponges or other matters. to hold the liquid,

page_text: hydrocarbon in suspension in ribs or rows across or otherwise applied to its
surface in the annular space. The direction of motion of the cylinder is such
as to cause the matters saturated with the hydrocarbon to meet the flow of air
or aeriform fluid, and thereby facilitate absorbtion of the vapour of the hydro-
carbon. In order that the sponge or other matter may be continually saturated
the hydrocarbon for that purpose is held in regulated quantities in the lower
part of the vessel, so as to supply.such matters in the rotation of the surface
carrying them. The quantity of hydrocarbon so held is regulated by a float
acting on an equilibrium or other supply valve to a passage from a suitable
reservoir, which I prefer to be air-tight. The pressure in the saturating
chamber, and in the upper part of this air-tight reservoir, is equalized by a
pipe of communication between them. The inlet and outlet passages for the
air or aeriform fluid from the saturating chamber are formed with angular
openings, or openings of progressively varying area, adapted to cause such
fluid to be distributed uniformly in the space for saturation. The ends of the
periphery of the revolving cylinder are packed to prevent the air or aeriform
fluids to be acted upon from passing in any other direction than through
the annular space. In some cases the air or aeriform fluid may pass through
successive apparatus, and in such cases the communication to the successive
apparatus is regulated by double action valves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHANIEL
FORTESCUE TAYLOR, of 8, Manby Street, Stratford, in the County of Essex,
Gas Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for. Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant. unto me, the
said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, Her special licence that I, the said
Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, my executors,
administrators, 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

page_text: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR OPERATING ON.
AIR OR AERIFORM FLUIDS BY HYDROCARBONS FOR PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATION,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Nathaniel Fortescue:
Taylor, my executors or administrators, 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 Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of the improvements is to facilitate the saturation or
impregnation of air or aeriform fluids by hydrocarbons for purposes of
illumination.
In carrying out my improvements the air or aeriform fluid to be acted
upon is conducted through a chamber, where it is caused to absorb or become
saturated with the vapour from the liquid hydrocarbon carried or held in suspen-
sion by pieces of sponge or other suitable substance in motion, such motion being
in a direction to meet the fluid to be acted upon, and the desired level of the
liquid hydrocarbon. in such chambers being regulated by floats contained in
separate chambers.
But that the Invention may be fully understood I will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying
the same into effect..
DESCRIPTION OF THE 'DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows an external view; and Figure 2, a longitudinal section
dine to my Invention Figures 34 5 6 7 8 0
.

page_text: P..
axis or shaft d¹, which is supported in bearings d*, d*, so as to be capable
of freely revolving in the cylindrical case c, and it is packed at its ends by
means of packing c* applied all round each end of the case c acting on the
metal rim or ring d' applied to the revolving cylinder d as is clearly indicated
by-the transverse sectional view thereof at Figure 3 together with Figs. 10
and 11, in order to prevent the passage of the air or aeriform fluid at those
parts, and to control it in its passage through the chamber c to move only
in the annular space thereof referred to. The liquid hydrocarbon used for:
impregnation is supplied to the lower part of this chamber c, and it is main-
tained therein at a height that will seal the lower part of the annular space
between the cylinder c, and the outer case d, and prevent the passage of the
air or aeriform fluid in that direction. Across the cylinder d, and at, suitable
distances apart, are applied ribs of sponge or other suitable matter d³, adapted,
as the cylinder d revolves in the liquid bydrocarbon, to take up such liquid
and hold it in suspension. The cylinder d is caused to revolve in the direction
of the arrow d', whilst the air or aeriform fluid to be acted upon is forced by
suitable pressure thereon to flow in the direction of the arrow e, by which it
will be met by and absorb or become saturated or impregnated with the liquid
hydrocarbon carried forward and held in. suspension by the ribs of sponge
In some cases it may be desirable to act upon the air or aeriform fluid by
passing it through two or more successive apparatus as shown by the
Drawings; the air or aeriform. fluid after being acted on by liquid hydrocarbon
in the apparatus No. 1 may be acted upon again by liquid hydrocarbon in
the apparatus No. 2, which is similarly arranged to that of, No. 1. I prefer
that the apparatus be so arranged that the air or aeriform fluid to be acted
upon may be controlled at pleasure to pass away from the first chamber
No. 1 for combustion, without passing through a second, or that a part or the
whole thereof, after having absorbed liquid hydrocarbon in the chamber No. 1
may pass through, and be further acted upon by liquid hydrocarbon in the
chamber No. 2, and I will now describe an arrangement of parts which I
find to answer well for this purpose. The air or aeriform fluid passes from
the chamber c into the chamber f, and thence by the pipe g
which opens
the valve chamber h; the pipe 9 is also provided with a branch i which
communicates with the chamber No. 2 in a similar manner to the pipe a with
the chamber No. 1, and the pipe ; which conducts the air or aeriform fluid
from the chamber No. 2 also opens into the valve chamber h. The valve
chamber is shewn by separate views at Figures 4 and 5; k is the valve therein
which is affixed to, and is capable of revolving with the spindle k¹; so as to
cover or partially cover, and thereby close either of the passages into the
into

page_text: valve chamber h, or to retain each partially open. The upper end of this
spindle ¹ passes through the cover of the chamber h, and is provided with a
pointer which, whilst it acts as the handle for moving the valve, may also
indicate the position of it; 7 is the pipe to convey the air or aeriform fluid
for consumption, m and n are reservoirs containing liquid hydrocarbon for
supplying the respective vessels No. 1 and No. 2. They are both similarly.
arranged and the liquid passes from them by pipes o, each into a chamber p,
provided with a float q, capable of floating in the liquid in the chamber p; and
by its position of acting to open or close the valve r to the pipe o.. For this
purpose the valve r is suspended from an axis of motion r², and it is provided
with a projection r³, which when the float 9 sinks in the chamber p is acted
upon by one end of the levers to open it, and when the float 9 rises that end:
of the lever's acts on the wedge form of the valve r to close it. The lever s
turns upon an axis of motion s³, and at ³ it is connected by pin joint to the
spindle g of the float q; the float q is guided at its lower part by the stationary
pin t, which is received into a socket provided for it in the under side of the
float q. By this means the height of the liquid in each chamber c may be:
correctly preserved. The lower part of each chamber p communicates with
the chamber c opening into its chamber c to supply the liquid thereto..
Each of the chambers p is also provided with a pipe u, which at its
upper end opens into the reservoir so as to preserve uniformity of pressure;
between those two chambers v,.v, are screw caps for the supply of the liquid,
bydrocarbon to the respective chambers m and n; and to prevent the flow of
the liquid at such time by the pipes o. I apply to each of such pipes a valve w
capable of closing those passages. Each of these valves is connected to one
end of a lever arm w³, which turns upon a fixed centre w³, and at its opposite
end is connected by pin joint to the lower end of a rod w³, the upper end of
which passes through a guide w*, and is in position to be acted upon by its
screw plug to open the valve w when that plug is screwed down in its place,
but when the plug is removed for any purpose, then a spring w³ acting on the
lever w¹ closes 'the valve w.
.
In order that the air or aeriform fluid may be as much as possible at once
distributed equally across the surface of the cylinders d, in the respective
chambers c, the passages to and from the annular spaces by the chambers b
and fare formed with angular openings 1, 1, as shown by Figure 8. Clock
or other wheelwork operated by a weighted band or a spring or other motive
power may be employed to work the blower used for giving motion to the
air or aeriform fluid, and at the same time to the revolving cylinders d.
Having thus described my Invention and means by which I carry the

page_text: same into effect I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise arrangement of parts shown and described, as these may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what
I do claim is,
First, the arranging or combining means or apparatus for operating on air
or aeriform fluids by hydrocarbons for purposes of illumination whereby.such
air or aeriform fluid is controlled to flow in an annular space formed between
the inner surface of an outer case and the outer surface of a cylindrical
chamber revolving in such case, and such air or aeriform fluid is there
impregnated or saturated with or is caused to absorb liquid hydrocarbon
carried or held in suspension by pieces of sponge or other suitable substance
supported by such revolving cylinder and caused to move with it in a direction
to successfully become charged with the liquid hydrocarbon, and then to meet
the air or aeriform fluid to be impregnated as that fluid moves or is forced
through such annular space in manner substantially as explained.
Also I claim the application of packing c* to act on cylinders revolving in.
outer cases for the purpose of controlling the flow of the air or aeriform fluids
in the annular space formed between such revolving cylinder and the outer
case when operating on air or aeriform fluids by hydrocarbons for purposes of
illumination.
Secondly, I claim the method of preserving the uniformity in the level
of the liquid hydrocarbon supplied to chambers c substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Fortescue Taylor, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
NF TAVLOR
NE TAVLOR