IMPROVEMENTS IN APparatus · USED IN THE MANUFACTURE of Gas
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John West, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APparatus
· USED IN THE MANUFACTURE of Gas.”
Scaled the 27th December 1873, and dated the 4th October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John West at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th October 1873.
I, JOHN WEST, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent,
5-do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Improvements
IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE of Gas," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the sealing and unsealing of the dip pipes in
the hydraulic main, and consists in the application of steam, air, or gas
⚫ to alter the level of the liquid contained in the hydraulic.
0 To effect this alteration of the liquid level the hydraulic main is
constructed with a longitudinal partition extending from the top of the
hydraulic to within a couple of inches, more or less, of the bottom, thus

page_text: .
forming two general chambers, the one to receive the dip pipes and
convey away the gas, while the other is used for the application
of the steam, air, or gas, and is herein-after called the steam
chamber. These two chambers are subdivided by transverse partitions,
those in the steam chamber reaching from the top to the bottom of it.
The partitions in the hydraulic however only rise to the level of the
greatest seal to be used. The dip pipes enter the hydraulic in the usual
way. Each steam chamber is furnished with an adjustable escape funnel
consisting of a double tube, and from which the steam may issue when
the liquid is below a certain level in that chamber.. Each chamber is
also provided with a steam pipe and a waste or escape pipe.
The action or application of the apparatus is as follows:-Water or
other liquid is admitted to the hydraulic until an ordinary dip or other
desired level is produced. Supposing a retort is about to be charged it
becomes necessary that its corresponding dip pipe should be sealed, and
to do this all that is requisite is to turn on the steam, which on entering
the steam chamber will by its pressure depress the liquid contained
therein, and cause that in the hydraulic to rise in proportion, thus
effectually sealing the dip pipe. When the retort is charged the steam
is turned off, and that contained in the steam chamber will begin to
condense. The liquid in the hydraulic will then return to the steam
chamber, but inasmuch as the whole of the steam will condense a
tendency to produce a vacuum is thereby formed, and the consequence is
that the liquid in the hydraulic will flow into the steam chamber until
it is wholly or nearly filled, thus leaving the dip. pipe unsealed, with a
free passage for the gas..

page_text: depressed, and that in the hydraulic will be raised, until the requisite
seal is produced.
On opening the escape pipe the liquid will return to a common level
in both chambers, when the dip will be unsealed and the gas allowed to.
flow on without obstruction.
To adapt the principle to existing hydraulic mains an independent
steam chamber may be employed, the said steam chamber being connected
to the hydraulic only by suitable pipes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said John West in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th April 1874.
"
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WEST, Gas Engineer, of Maidstone, in the County of Kent, send.
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John West, Her special
licence that I, the said John West, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John West, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John West, 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.

page_text: i NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John West, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 accompanying Drawings.
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:—
This Invention relates to the sealing and unsealing of the dip pipes in
the hydraulic main, and consists in the application of steam, air, or gas
to alter the level of the liquid contained in the hydraulic by means of
the following apparatus and method of working it :-
To effect this alteration of the liquid level the hydraulic main is
constructed with a longitudinal partition extending from the top of the
hydraulic to within a couple of inches, more or less, of the bottom, thus.
forming two general chambers, the one to receive the dip pipes and
convey away the gas, while the other is used for the application of the
steam, air, or gas, and is herein-after called the steam chamber. These
two chambers are subdivided by transverse partitions, those in the steam
chamber reaching from the top to the bottom of it. The partitions in
the hydraulic however only rise to the level of the greatest seal to be
used. The dip pipes enter the hydraulic in the usual way from the top.
Each steam chamber is furnished with an adjustable escape funnel :
consisting of a double tube, and from which the steam may issue when
the liquid is below a certain level in that chamber. Each chamber is
also provided with a steam pipe and a waste or escape pipe.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood Drawings
are attached hereto, of which the following is a description :—
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal elevation of the hydraulic main;
Fig. 2, a transverse section through A, B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverso
section through C, D, of Fig. 1; exhibiting the apparatus as used when
gas or air is applied to produce the pressure; and Fig. 4, a transverse
section showing the method of adapting the principle to existing hydraulic
mains.
In Fig. 1, E is the hydraulic; F, F, the dip pipes; G, G, the adjustable
escape funnels; and H, a horizontal pipe, which is made to communi-
cato with each of the divisions in the hydraulic main produced by the
insertion of the partitions, one of which is shown at I in Fig. 2. It is a
waste pipe, and is used to prevent an overflow of liquid from one division
to another.

page_text: In Fig. 3 N is the pipe for supplying gas or air, and is equivalent to K
of Fig. 2.
In Fig. 4 the steam chamber J is shown distinct from the hydraulic,
but connected to it at or near the bottom by a pipe O.
In each of the Figs. P denotes the escape pipc.
:
The action or application of the apparatus is as follows.-Water or
other liquid is admitted to the hydraulic until an ordinary dip or other
desired level is produced. Supposing a retort is about to be charged it.
becomes necessary that its corresponding dip pipe should be scaled, and
to do this all that is requisite is to turn on the steam, which on entering
the steam chamber will by its pressure depress the liquid contained
therein, and cause that in the hydraulic to rise in proportion, thus
effectually scaling the dip pipe. The levels of the liquid in the hydraulic
and steam chamber are drawn as showing their position when gas is
flowing from the retort to the hydraulic, but as soon as the pressure of
steam is applied the level of the liquid in the steam chamber will be
depressed to the dotted line Q, and that in the hydraulic main will be
raised to the dotted line R, when the dip will be scaled. When the
retort is charged the steam is turned off, and that contained in the steam
chamber will begin to condense. The liquid in the hydraulic will then
return to the steam chamber, but inasmuch as the whole of the steam
will condense a tendency to produce a vacuum is thereby formed, and
the consequence is that the liquid in the hydraulic will flow into the steam
chamber until it is wholly or nearly filled, thus leaving the dip pipe
unsealed, with a free passage for the gas.
If there should be an inadequate supply of steam, or from other cause
it becomes desirable to work with a seal upon the dip, upon opening the
escape pipe cock a common liquid level is secured, so that the hydraulic
and dip may be left to act in the usual way.
In lieu of steam gas or air may be applied to produce the requisite
pressure in the before called steam chamber, but in that case the liquid
in starting must be so adjusted in both chambers that the level is below
the bottom of the dip pipe.

page_text: When it becomes necessary to seal the dip the cock from the source
of pressure is turned, when the liquid in the steam chamber will be
depressed and that in the hydraulic will be raised until the requisite seal
is produced.
On opening the escape pipe the liquid will return to a common level
in both chambers, when the dip will be unsealed and the gas allowed to
flow on without obstruction.
To adapt the principle to existing hydraulic mains an independent
steam chamber may be employed, the said steam chamber being
connected to the hydraulic only by suitable pipes, as shown in Fig. 4.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements I have described
or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of this Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
construction of apparatus as herein-before described, whereby steam, air,
or gas may be applied for producing an alteration in the level of the
liquid used in hydraulic mains.
In witness whereof, I, the said John West, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.