IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING OR GENERATING GAS FOR LIGHTING AND. HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Sigismund Wekey at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th September 1879.
SIGISMUND WEKEY, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING OR
GENERATING GAS FOR LIGHTING AND. HEATING PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to improvements in the mode of generating gas for illu-
minating, heating, and other purposes, and in the construction of a self acting
apparatus to be employed therefor, and which requires no motive power or ap-
paratus for generating or producing such gas, nor a gasometer for holding or storing
the gas after having been generated and before being used for illuminating, heating,
or other purposes. This gas may be used either alone or it may be burned mixed
with coal gas. In carrying out my Invention I propose to use preferably an oblong
vessel made of zinc or other suitable materal. By preference in one corner of this
vessel I fix a funnel or tube open both at the top and bottom. The lower part of
this tube should be less in diameter than the upper part, its lowermost part pro-
jecting to almost within reach of the bottom of the said oblong vessel. In this
tube I propose to insert a bottle or vessel made of zinc, glass, or other suitable
material, the lower part of the said bottle to be corresponding in shape to the
bereinbefore described tube and the top part of this bottle is closed air tight. The
bottom of the bottle terminates in a narrow mouth which likewise nearly touches
the bottom of the oblong vessel. Near to and round the neck of this bottle there
may be placed an india rubber collar to ensure its fitting air tight into the tube in
which it is inserted.
In the interior of the said oblong vessel I propose to place by preference lon-
gitudinally, tubes or cylinders made of perforated zinc or other suitable material,
the said tubes to be open at both ends for the passage of gas or air. These tubes.
or cylinders I propose to cover with flannel or other fibrous or coarse woollen material
for absorbing any liquid which may be supplied. As one of the substances for gen-
erating gas in combination with volatile oils, spirits, or essences, I propose to fill the
said tubes or cylinders with coarse pieces of camphor. In one of the corners at the
bottom of the apparatus I propose to insert a short tube or tap for the purpose of
draining the liquid contents of the apparatus should any occasion arise to do 80.
The outlet of this tube or tap may be covered with fine wire gauze and the tube
or tap closed air tight. Should it be desirable to establish a communication with a
receiver in any part of a building or outside a building, it could be done by attaching
ID 77

page_text: may
to this tap or tube the requisite length of piping. The apparatus thus constructed and
prepared may be either wholly soldered up, or after having been soldered up at other
parts (except the bottle fitted into the open tube above described) it
be con-
structed to close at one end air tight by means of a carefully executed india rubber
packing round the edges in a manner to render it practicable to open occasionally the
one end of the apparatus, and again to close it air tight. On the top and near the
opposite ends of this oblong vessel or apparatus I propose to leave two apertures
one at each end. To these apertures by means of an union and coupling pipes of
lead, tin, or other suitable material or of india rubber may be attached. To the
aperture at the one end near the bottle and tube above described a short upright
air supply pipe is joined. This pipe terminates in an enlarged funnel-shaped mouth
slightly bent at the terminal point, and its funnel-shaped mouth is covered with fine
copper wire gauze. This pipe may be provided also with a stop cock. To the
aperture at the opposite end of the shallow oblong vessel may be attached a
suitable pipe of any required length, according to the distance it is desired to
convey the gas which may be generated in the apparatus. The whole apparatus is
capable of easy adaptation to enrich and improve also coal gas, by inserting into
the apparatus the end of a supply pipe to be regulated by a stop cock, so as to allow
either gas or proportions of either gas being burned together or separately and at
will as may be desired, or the two gases may be burned mixed as necessity or con-
venience may suggest. The whole apparatus as well as the exposed portions of
the pipes may be protected against a variable temperature by what may be termed
"air packing," namely, the apparatus by being placed in a shell larger than itself,
and the pipes by being encased with or passed through larger pipes which may
be also used for heating and ventilating purposes by the application and utilization
of waste heat in a house.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
The cylinders being charged with camphor, the apparatus being closed air tight,
and the receiver or bottle filled with gasoline or other suitable volatile oil, spirits,
or essence, and this latter, having been as it were upset into, and the bottle squeezed
into the funnel or tube above described air tight, the apparatus will be ready for
the generating and supplying of gas in proportion to the consumption of gas and
the supply of materials from which it is generated. In order to start the working
of the apparatus it is desirable to place it upon a shelf in the highest part of a
house near the ceiling from where the gas will fill all the pipes in the house by
gravitation. It may for the first time be desirable to accelerate the expulsion of
atmospheric air from the gas pipes in a house, which may be done by blowing into
the pipe of the apparatus covered with wire gauze or by suction at the lowermost
burner in the house. But after the pipes shall have been once filled with this gas
the operation of generating and supplying the gas by the aforesaid apparatus will
te self acting without requiring any attention beyond renewing the supply of
materials from which the gas is generated, the supply will be regulated by the
capacity of the aforesaid bottle or receiver containing the volatile oil, spirits, or
essence, made use of in generating gas. A variety of burners used with coal gas
are more or less applicable also in using this gas. The argand system of burners is
preferable to other kinds.
Where it is desirable to place the apparatus in the lower part of a house any
suitable arrangement may be employed for raising the gas to the upper parts of
the house.