IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF COAL GAS AND SIMILAR GASES IN ORDER TO RENDER THE SAME MORE SUITABLE FOR OBTAINING BENZOLE AND ITS DERIVATIVES " THEREFROM.”
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Alfred Kendall, of Greenwood Road, Dalston,
in the county of Middlesex, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
TREATMENT OF COAL GAS AND SIMILAR GASES IN ORDER TO RENDER THE
SAME MORE SUITABLE FOR OBTAINING BENZOLE AND ITS DERIVATIVES
"
THEREFROM.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Alfred Kendall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th March 1882.
JAMES ALFRED KENDALL, of Greenwood Road, Dalston, in the County of
Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF COAL GAS AND SIMILAR
GASES, IN ORDER TO RENDER THE SAME MORE SUITABLE FOR OBTAINING BENZOLE
AND ITS DERIVATIVES THEREFROM,"
This Invention consists in improvements in the treatment of coal gas and similar
gases by passing the same through an apparatus, heated to a bright red heat, by
which incans certain hydro-carbons are destroyed, thereby rendering the gas more
suitable for use as a source of benzole and derivatives thereof, whilst, in many
cases, the amount of benzole in the gas is increased.
In order to carry out this invention I arrange an apparatus, hereinafter termed
the superheater, which is of such a nature as to admit of its being strongly heated
by a furnace and through which when so heated the gas is passed. The super-
heater is so constructed and arranged that the whole of the gas passing through
the same is exposed to the action of the heat, and it may consist of one or more
pipes of cast iron, earthenware or other suitable material, or of a vessel or vessels
containing coke or other suitable medium or material for dividing or distributing
the current of gas and at the same time heating the sainc. The superheater is
beated to a bright redness and the gas is then caused to pass through it, the rate
of flow of the gas being regulated by means of a gas meter or other suitable con-
trivance until it is found that the inost advantageous effect is being produced
This is ascertained in the following manner.

page_text: A small glass vessel charged with a mixture of about 1 part of strong nitric
acid and about 5 parts of strong sulphuric acid, is so arranged that a measured
quantity of the gas, superheated as above described, can be passed through the
same until the nitric acid is saturated with benzole, the mixture is then precipitated
with water and the dinitro-benzole which is produced is weighed. This operation
of testing the gas is repeated with variations in the rate of flow of the latter
through the superheater until the results are satisfactory with regard to the
quantity of dinitro-benzole obtained for a given weight of nitric acid used, and
also with regard to the quantity of dinitro-benzole obtained from a given volume
of gas. Having, as above described, carefully determined the rate of flow of gas,
through the superheater, which gives the best results, any known and suitable
means can be employed for obtaining the benzole or for preparing and obtaining
the various benzole compounds..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Alfred Kendall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd September 1882.
JAMES ALFRED KENDALL, of Greenwood Road, Dalston, in the County of
Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF COAL GAS AND SIMILAR
GASES IN ORDER TO RENDER THE SAME MORE SUITABLE FOR OBTAINING BENZOLE
AND ITS DERIVATIVES THEREFROM."
My said Invention consists in improvements in the treatment of coal gas and
similar gases by passing the same through an apparatus heated to a bright red
heat by which means certain hydro-carbons are destroyed thereby rendering the
gas more suitable for use as a source of benzole and derivatives thereof, whilst in
many cases, the amount of benzole in the gas is increased.
In order to carry out this invention I arrange an apparatus, hereinafter termed
the "superheater," which is of such a nature as to admit of its being strongly
heated by a furnace and through which when so heated the gas is passed. The
superheater is so constructed and arranged that the whole of the gas passing
through the same is exposed to the action of the heat, and it may consist of one
or more pipes of cast iron, earthenware or other suitable material or of a vessel or
vessels containing coke or other suitable medium or material which is capable of
absorbing the heat from the casing of the vessel and of distributing or transferring
it to the current of gas passing through the latter. The superheater is heated to
a bright redness and the gas is then caused to pass through it the rate of flow of
the gas being regulated by means of a gas meter or other suitable contrivance until
it is found that the most advantageous effect is being produced. This is ascertained
in the following manner.
A small glass vessel charged with a mixture of about one part of strong nitric
acid and about five parts of strong sulphuric acid is so arranged that a measured
quantity of the gas, superheated as above described, can be passed through the
same until the nitric acid is saturated with benzole, the mixture is then precipitated
with water and the dinitro-benzole which is produced is weighed. This operation
of testing the gas is repeated with variations in the rate of flow of the latter
through the superheater until the results are satisfactory with regard to the
quantity of dinitro-benzole obtained for a given weight of nitric acid used and also
with regard to the quantity of dinitro-benzole obtained from a given volume of gas.
Having, as above described, carefully determined the rate of flow of gas through
the superheater which gives the best results, any known and suitable means can
be employed for obtaining the benzole or for preparing and obtaining the various
benzole compounds.
The deposit of carbonaceous matter which takes place during the above process
collects in the superheater employed and in order to facilitate the cleansing of the
said superheater it is so constructed and arranged that such deposit can be easily
removed as will be well understood.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion that
what I consider novel and original and therefore claim as constituting the
invention secured to me by the said herein before in part recited Letters Patent,
are :-
The improvements in the treatment of coal gas and similar gases by passing the

page_text: same through pipes or suitable vessels, heated to a bright redness, substantially as,
and for the purposes, herein before described and set forth.
In witness whereof I the said James Alfred Kendall have hereunto set my
hand and seal this nineteenth day of September in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JAMES ALFRED KENDALL (L.S.)