IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND INCREASINGSING THE ILLUMINATING POWER OF GAS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Sharp, of the Firm of Jonas Sharp and
Sons, of Bingley, in the County of York, Manufacturers, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND INCREASING
Sealed the 9th December 1864, and dated the 13th June 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Sharp at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
June 1864.
I, WILLIAM SHARP, of the Firm of Jonas Sharp and Sons, of Bingley, in
the County of York, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED. MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING AND INCREASING
THE ILLUMINATING POWER OF GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to means of purifying and increasing the illuminating
power of gas by passing it through wicks or fibres of cotton or other fibrous
substances saturated in a carburetting liquid or fluid.
The improved apparatus consists of a vessel, by preference cylindrical in
form, one end being permanently closed, forming a bottom a little concave,
with a recess to receive impurities, and a tap or valve to draw them away.
The other end or top is flanged, and a lid is provided which is capable of being
fixed closely thereon, so as to make the vessel gas-tight. To the under side
of this lid is a tube or cylindrical chamber extending to near the bottom of the
vessel, open at its bottom end, and a partition is placed betwixt the outside of
this tube and the inside of the vessel, dividing the annular space thus formed.

page_text: at one point. An inlet pipe is provided on one side of the partition and an
outlet pipe on the other. A diaphram is placed near the top of the vessel,
perforated to receive and suspend the wicks or fibrous substance filling up
the annular space. A float is placed within the tube connected to a valve or
tap for regulating the supply of carburetting fluid, which may be supplied by
a pipe from a cistern or cask placed in any convenient position at a slightly
higher level; or instead of a float in the tube a flanged disc or cover may be
placed in the supply cistern in a small reservoir of quicksilver, and connected
to a valve at the inlet end of the supply pipe, also a pipe communicating from
the upper part of the supply cistern to the carburetting vessel, the end of
which is adjusted to the intended level of the liquid, so that when the liquid
lowers in the vessel below the end of the pipe, gas will flow up into the supply
cistern above the liquid and under the disc, the pressure of which lifts the
said disc and opens the valve of the supply pipe; and when the liquid is raised
in the carburetting vessel so as to immerse the end of the gas pipe, the
passage of gas is stopped and the disc lowers, closing the valve and stopping
the supply. Instead of the carburetting vessel being cylindrical, it may be
oval, polygonal, rectangular, or any other form, with partitions so arranged as
to give an extended circulation of the gas amongst the wicks or fibres, which
become saturated with the carburetting liquid in which they are partly
immersed through capillary attraction.
By means of this improved apparatus the gas is caused to pass through a
considerable circuit or extent of surface of the saturated wicks or fibrous
substance, so that it becomes thoroughly charged and enriched by taking up
or combining with the carburetting liquid, which purifies and increases its
illuminating power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Sharp in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th December. 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SHARP, of the Firm of Jonas Sharp and Sons, of Bingley, in the County of
York, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said

page_text: William Sharp, Her special licence that I, the said William Sharp, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Sharp, 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 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR PURIFYING AND INCREASING THE ILLUMINATING POWER OF GAS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Sharp, 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 William Sharp, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to means of purifying and increasing the illuminating
power of gas by passing it through wicks or fibres of cotton or other fibrous
substances saturated in a carburetting liquid or fluid.
The improved apparatus consists of a vessel, by preference cylindrical in
form, one end being permanently closed, forming a bottom a little concave,
with a recess to receive impurities, and a tap or valve to draw them away.
The other end or top is flanged, and a lid is provided which is capable of
being fixed closely thereon so as to make the vessel gas-tight. To the under
side of this lid is a tube or cylindrical chamber extending to near the bottom of
the vessel, open at its bottom end, and a partition is placed betwixt the outside
of this tube and the inside of the vessel, dividing the annular space thus
formed at one point. An inlet pipe is provided on one side of the partition
and an outlet pipe on the other. A diaphram is placed near the top of the
vessel; perforated to receive and suspend the wicks or fibrous substances;
filling up the annular space. A float is placed within the tube connected to a
5 valve or tap for regulating the supply of carburetting fluid, which may be
supplied by a pipe from a cistern or cask placed in any convenient position at
a slightly higher level; or instead of a float in the tube a flanged disc or
cover may be placed in the supply cistern in a small reservoir of quicksilver,
and connected to a valve at the inlet end of the supply pipe, also a pipe

page_text: communicating from the upper part of the supply cistern to the carburetting
vessel, the end of which is adjusted to the intended level of the liquid, so that
when the liquid lowers in the vessel below the end of the pipe, gas will flow up
into the supply cistern above the liquid and under the disc, the pressure of
which lifts the said disc and opens the valve of the supply pipe; and when the
liquid is raised in the carburetting vessel so as to immerse the end of the gas
pipe the passage of gas is stopped and the disc lowers, closing the valve and
stopping the supply. Instead of the carburetting vessel being cylindrical, it
may be oval, polygonal, rectangular, or any other form, with partition's so
arranged as to give an extended circulation of the gas amongst the wicks or
fibres, which become saturated with the carburetting liquid (in which they
are partly immersed) through capillary attraction.
By means of this improved apparatus the gas is caused to pass through a
considerable circuit or extent of surface of the saturated wicks or fibrous
substance, so that it becomes thoroughly charged and enriched by taking up
or combining with the carburetting liquid, which purifies and increases its
illuminating power.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood I herewith annex a
Sheet of Drawings, shewing the manner in which it is performed or carried
into practical operation.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a vessel or apparatus constructed according to
my said Invention; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken
through the line A, A, in Fig. 1. It will be seen that this vessel is cylindrical,
and has a tube or chamber B attached to the lid extending to near the bottom
of the vessel, open, and a float C resting on a dotted line, which is the
intended level of the carburetting fluid. A spindle is attached to the float, with
a valve or plug D entering a valve seating, to which is attached the fluid inlet
pipe E. The wicks G are suspended from a diaphram or perforated plate G',
which is supported on small brackets near the top of the vessel. H is the
inlet pipe for gas, and I the outlet pipe. Fig. 3 is a supposed cistern
containing carburetting fluid, having a pipe J to conduct it to the inlet pipe E
of the carburetting vessel, the admission being regulated by the opening or
closing of the valve D as the float rises and lowers on the surface of the fluid.
The bottom of the vessel is slightly concave, with a small recess to receive
the impurities, and having a tap and pipe K to take them away as required.
Instead of the float and valve being in the carburetting vessel, they may be in
the supply cistern, as seen in dotted lines, the float C resting on quicksilver,
and by having a pipe L extending from the top of the cistern above the fluid
to the intended level of the fluid in the carburetting vessel. Fig. 4 is a

page_text: vertical section, shewing the carburetting vessel and the supply cistern
combined in one apparatus, and exhibiting more clearly the float C resting in
quicksilver contained in an annular recess M formed in the lid, with a rod
and valve D to the inlet pipe N, shewing also a pipe P for conducting gas
from the carburetting vessel to lift the float when the fluid gets too low
therein, so as to bare the lower end of the said pipe. R are guards to prevent
the float being lifted too high, and S is a cover enclosing the float, which may
readily be removed when required.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a combined apparatus, a modification of the
said Invention; and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the same, where, instead
of having the central tube and partition, the whole interior of the carburetting
vessel is filled with the suspended wicks, and the inlet pipe H is on one side
and the outlet pipe I on the other side of the vessel, the other parts being
similar to the preceding, Fig. 4.
Other modifications of this Invention may be adopted, as will be easily
perceived.
It will now be seen that when this apparatus is supplied with any suitable
carburetting fluid, and gas caused to pass through in contact with the wicks,
which being, suspended in the fluid will take it up by capillary attraction, and
become saturated therewith, the gas combines or becomes charged with the
fluid, whereby its illuminating power is increased, and it will also become
purified thereby, the impurities occasionally being drawn away by the tap and
pipe provided for that purpose. The apparatus is also self-acting in obtaining
its supply of the carburetting fluid.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Sharp, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named William Sharp, in
the presence of
Wч. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
Halifax.
WILLIAM SHARP. (L.S.)