IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
GENERATING GAS."-A communication from abroad by Professor
Henry Wurtz, of New York City, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 14th June 1872, and dated the 28th December 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 28th December 1871.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR GENERATING GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in surrounding each of the stand pipes which
conduct the gas from the retorts with a concentric cylinder or jacket,
closed at the bottom through which a continuous current of cold water

page_text: is kept flowing during the time occupied in carbonizing the charge of
coal in the retort. The object of this arrangement is to prevent the
stand pipe from becoming highly heated as is usual (especially with clay
retorts and high heats) to temperatures which cause the tar to become
concentrated and thickened to a pitchy consistence, and thereby caked on
the interior surface of the stand pipe, so as completely to choke up the
latter in a short time. By thus keeping the stand pipes cool the heat
applied to the retorts may be urged to a high point without the least
danger of obstruction of the stand pipes, so that from a bench of retorts
double the volume of gas may be obtained, with an improvement in the
illuminating power and the purity of the same. The tar which
condenses in the stand pipes when the latter are kept cool is so fluid in
its consistence that it will readily flow back into the retort, and being in
part carbonized and volatilized again will add to the volume and richness
of the gas
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 28th June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her a
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, dminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might

page_text: 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 APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS," being
a communication to me from abroad by Professor Henry Wurtz,
of New York City, in the United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
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 Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
This Invention consists in surrounding each of the stand pipes which
conduct the gas from the retorts with a concentric cylinder or jacket,
closed at the bottom, through which a continuous current of cold water
is kept flowing during the time occupied in carbonizing the charge of
coal in the retort. The object of this arrangement is to prevent the
stand pipe from becoming highly heated as is usual (especially with clay
retorts and high heats) to temperatures which cause the tar to become
concentrated and thickened to a pitchy consistence, and thereby caked
on the interior surface of the stand pipe so as completely to choke up
the latter in a short time. By thus keeping the stand pipes cool the
heat applied to the retorts may be urged to a high point without the
least danger of obstruction of the stand pipes, so that from a bench of
retorts double the volume of gas may be obtained, with an improvement
in the illuminating power and the purity of the same. The tar which
condenses in the stand pipes when the latter are kept cool is so fluid in
its consistence that it will readily flow back into the retort, and being in
part carbonized and volatilized again will add to the volume and
richness of the gas.

page_text: densers and scrubbers, and all danger of condensation of tar in the
purifiers will be obviated.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents the front elevation of
a bench of three retorts R, R, R, to which the present improvement is
adapted, the mouth piece and stand pipe S of the central retort being
shewn in vertical section and exhibiting the mode of supplying water to
the water jackets, and also the mode of conducting off the overflow.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the dotted line
Fig. 1.
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A, A, is the cold water main or trough supplied with cold water and
situated at such height above the retorts as may be found convenient or
necessary; this trough may be supported on the bridge pieces of the
stand pipes or in any other convenient manner. B, B, B, are tubes which
are usually made of about half-inch internal calibre, and are furnished
with cocks C, C, C, for regulating the supply of water from the cold
water main or trough A, A, to the lower ends of the water jackets J, J,
these jackets J, J, J, are of such dimensions as to leave a space for the
water around the stand pipes S, of from three-quarters of an inch to one
inch. O, O, O, are the overflow pipes through which inter-communi-
cation is established (in a bench of three) between all the water jackets.
The overflow from all the jackets is conducted to a funnel and waste
pipe F, P. In benches of five, six, or larger numbers of retorts, there
may of course be provided two, three, or more series of overflow pipes at
different levels in order more to equalize the heights or lengths of the
water jackets. The proper way of arranging these jackets and pipes
will be obvious to any mechanic of ordinary skill, and it is unnecessary
to enter into more minute detail respecting them. It will be obvious that
the object and purpose of the Invention would be partly accomplished
by covering the stand pipe with a jacket of a porous material which may
be kept saturated with cold water by causing a current of water to keep
flowing over the same, but the concentric cylindrical jacket above shewn
and described is considered preferable. While a bench of retorts is
being first heated up (which occupies from ten to fourteen days) it will
be found of advantage to keep a slight flow of water through the jackets
in order to prevent the joints from burning out and leaking. When the
first charges are made, the flow of water may be increased until the
stream at F is from one-eighth to three-eighths of an inch or more in
diameter, according to the quantity of gas to be made.

page_text: If water is abundant, a three-eighths of an inch stream is always
advisable, but a smaller one will be beneficial. In a larger bench the
stream should be enlarged in proportion.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent the mode herein set forth of cooling the
gas as it passes from the retorts up the stand pipes. I claim particularly
enclosing the stand pipes of gas retorts within cylinders or jackets which
are kept filled with water of a temperature lower than that of the gas
evolved from the retort, as and for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.