IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS PRODUCERS AND IN FUEL SUPPLYING DEVICES AND OTHER APPARATUS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Elton Bott of Manchester in the County of
Lancaster for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS PRODUCERS AND
IN FUEL SUPPLYING DEVICES AND OTHER APPARATUS USED IN CONNECTION
THEREWITH
(Void by reason of the Patentee having neglected to file a Specification in
pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Elton Bott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1883.
JOSEPH ELTON BOTT of Manchester in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GAS PRODUCERS AND IN FUEL-SUPPLYING DEVICES AND
APPARATUS USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
"
OTHER
My improvements are mainly in the manner of admitting the air necessary for
ensuring complete combustion of the fuel undergoing destructive distillation
in Gas Producers and in fuel supplying devices and apparatus for the same.
The casing of the Producer is preferably of wrought iron plates or castings, the
interior of same being lined with refractory materials at the base of which is a
fire-grate on which the fuel is deposited by the fuel supplying devices hereinafter
described whilst doors and openings are constructed in the sides and ends for the
purpose of spreading and stirring the fuel and cleaning and removing clinkers and
other incombustible materials.
The producer may be made circular or of square or rectangular form, preferably
the latter. At each side in a square or rectangular (or in the case of a circular
extending round the) producer is a continuous tuyere constructed so as to give an
opening of a corrugated or wavy configuration, the lower area being larger than the
upper-this continuous tuyere is enveloped in an envelope or casing forming an
air chamber into which air alone or air and steam is forced by means of pipes
connected with a beating box forming the top or cover of the producer, the
said heating box being supplied by a blower of any description with air or air
and steam-branches or pipes also extend from the air-chamber to underneath the
fire-grate,

page_text: Valves on the blast pipes are used to regulate the force of the blast which may
be strong or otherwise as is required-the force of blast being uniform all over the
producer. By these means the production of gas may be governed, large volumes
being obtained even from inferior fuel.
Owing to the continuous corrugated or waved tuyeres injecting air, or air and
steam (heated by passing through the heating box) the fuel is supplied with a
continuous stream of blast, which by means of the variable vertical section of the
said tuyeres causes the blast to permeate a large vertical as well as horizontal
mass of incandescent fuel, thus ensuring a uniform combustion taking place and
the distillation of the fuel into gas proceeding regularly whilst the ash or residue
is left in a more friable form than is possible when blast is admitted in the form
of concentrated jets through isolated tuyeres for in the latter case combustion
proceeds irregularly and the tendency is to form clinkers in the immediate vicinity
of the tuyeres whilst the gas is produced in flushes.
Moreover in my improved form of gas-producer the diffused blast through the
continuous corrugated or wavy tuyeres can be safely reduced when a curtailed
supply of gas is required without causing the zone of active combustion to become
uneven as is the case when the blast is admitted through isolated tuyeres,
whilst the area of blast admitted through my form of tuyere is greater at its
lower portion than the upper, this being preferable for equalising the production
of gas.
The gas evolved in the vicinity of the tuyeres is mainly carbonic acid which
passing through the mass of fuel in the upper portion combines with an additional
atom of carbon thus forming carbonic oxide; whilst the decomposition of the
steam resulting in the oxygen going to support combustion and the hydrogen
enriching the main body of gas-besides reducing the per centage of incombustible
nitrogen which would otherwise have combined with the gases evolved if nothing
but air had been used for the blast. The gases are led off from the producer by
suitable pipes or channels and owing to the gas being produced under pressure
there is no danger of combustion taking place after leaving the producer owing
to the absorption of air, as is the case in the Siemens and other forms of producers,
owing to the difference of density; and no heat is lost in cooling tubes and like
devices used in other forms of gas producers.
Above the gas-producing chamber and on each side of the same are fuel hoppers,
consisting of quadrangular boxes-each being closed by a valve of rectangular
shape one side being very thick and heavy, the other thin.
The heavy sides rest on a ledge or rib at the side of the producer casing whilst
the thin edge forms a joint against the under edge of the blast heating box. Each
valve is connected by a rod to a weighted lever hung on a bracket-the counter-
poised tendency of which is to keep the valve closed. Fuel is deposited in the
hoppers and when its weight overbalances the counterpoised lever-the valves are
depressed and fuel is delivered in a thin stream into interior of the producer, this
taking place at each side. The valves simply resting on the ribs, no hinges or pins
are required and a valve can readily be renewed in case of its becoming worn or
burnt out.
To prevent access of fuel behind the valve or between the valve and the rib on
which it rests I use a flexible strip of iron plate, the upper edge being fastened to
the side of the hopper-whilst its lower edge bears on the thick part of the valve
and also assists in keeping the valve down on its seat.