Improvements in Gas Producers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Producers.
I, EDWARD JAMES DUFF, of 118, Ingleby Drive, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to diminish the cost of constructing a gas
producer, to increase its efficiency and productiveness and to render the quality of
the combustible gas produced better and more uniform. The casing of my
improved producer is rectangular and built of cast-iron flanged plates of simple and
inexpensive form, lined with fire-brick. The air required for the combustion or
gasification enters up amongst the coals from a bottom casing through perforated
plates or gratings which are inclined up from the sides to a central angular ridge
and which present a large surface through the perforations or openings in which the
air is distributed so as to act with moderate current and without concentration but
uniformly over the whole of the coals, the air spreading from the coals immediately
over the gratings to the portions at the sides. The air is injected by means of one
or more steam jets in the ordinary way. The coals are fed in in the ordinary way
and the residues descend into a shallow dish or trough extending under the
producer, the bottom of the dish being inclined upwards to discharge openings at
opposite sides, through which openings the ashes or residues are removed by means
of rakes. The dish is filled with sufficient water to seal the bottom of the
producer.
The upward direction of the air entering from the gratings, amongst the coals,
and its distribution over a large area so as to move with a gentle current, are found
to operate very advantageously and to rapidly produce large quantities of gas of
good and uniform quality, so that the plant required for a large production of gas is
comparatively small. The inclined positions of the gratings, is also very beneficial,
as the residuary portions of the coal easily and regularly slide down the inclined
surfaces without tendency to clinker, whilst the narrowing lateral spaces correspond
to the diminishing bulk of the materials and promote the gradual and uniform
descent of the whole.
Dated this Eleventh day of April 1893.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Producers.
I, EDWARD JAMES DUFF, of 118 Ingleby Drive, Glasgow in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said invention has for its object to diminish the cost of constructing a gas
producer, to increase its efficiency and productiveness and to render the quality of
the combustible gas produced better and more uniform. The casing of my
improved producer is rectangular and built of castiron flanged plates of simple and
inexpensive form, lined with firebrick. The air required for the combustion or
gasification enters up amongst the coals from a bottoin casing through perforated
plates or gratings which are inclined up from the sides to a central angular ridge
and which present a large surface through the perforations or openings in which the
гр.

page_text: air is distributed so as to act with moderate current and without concentation but
uniformly over the whole of the coals, the air spreading from the coals immediately
over the gratings to the portions at the sides. The air is injected by one or more
steam jets in the ordinary way. The coals are fed in in the ordinary way, and the
ashes or residues descend on each side of the bottom air casing into a shallow dish
or trough extending under the producer, the bottom of the dish being inclined
upwards to discharge openings at opposite sides, through which openings the ashes
or residues are removed by means of rakes. The dish is filled with sufficient water
to seal the bottom of the producer.
In the three accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings, Figures, 1, and 2,
are vertical sections as at right angles to each other, and Figure, 3, is a horizontal
section.
The structure, the interior of which forms the gas producer, is rectangular, and
consists of an external shell formed of a number of flanged castiron side plates, A,
which are flat excepting the flanges, and may be made in the simplest and least
costly manner, with the bolt holes for fixing the flanges together formed in the
castings by means of cores, and requiring no machine finishing work. The side
plates, A, are lined with firebrick sides, B, which are surmounted by a slightly
arched firebrick roof, C, and the whole covered by a castiron plate, D. The
coals are fed through a hopper E, at the centre of the top, in connection with
which hopper, there may be arranged any suitable valvular or feeding mechanism
of a kind already in use in such apparatus. Plugged holes, R, are provided in
the roof for introducing pokers or stirring instruments. The gas produced passes
off by a flue, F, at the middle of the top of one of the sides.
Across
At the bottom of the structure there is constructed, of sheet iron and angle iron,
or of castiron, a dish or trough, G, of the width of the space between two of the
sides of the structure but elongated in the other direction so as to extend under
and beyond the other two sides of the structure which sides are supported across it
by castiron girders, H. The ends of the dish or trough, G, where they extend
beyond the sides of the structure, have their bottoms inclined or sloped upwards
and the ashes or coal residues are raked out at these ends of the dish or trough, G,
this trough being filled with water to seal the bottom of the structure.
the middle of the trough, G, a casing, J, is formed having vertical side plates of
castiron and a ridged roof with inclined sides, the middle part of which roof
consists of perforated_castiron_plates or gratings, K, whilst the end parts are
formed by unperforated plates, L. The air for combustion or gasification enters
one end of the casing, J, by a pipe, M, from a steam blower, N, and passing up
through the perforated plates or gratings, K, is distributed throughout a large
area amongst the coals so as to act uniformly and without concentration upon any
small portion. As some ashes or residues may fall through the perforated plates
or gratings, K. provision is made for removing them through a door, P, at one end
of the casing, J, and this casing has fixed across it an inner bottom, Q, which
is inclined or sloped up towards the door, P, to facilitate the raking out of
the ashes.
The upward direction of the air entering from the gratings, K, amongst the
coals, and its distribution over a large area so as to move with a gentle current,
are found to operate very advantageously and to rapidly produce large quantities
of gas of good and uniform quality, so that the plant required for a large pro-
duction of gas is comparatively small. The inclined positions of the gratings, K,
are very beneficial, as the residuary portions of the coal easily and regularly slide
down the inclined surfaces without tendency to clinker, whilst the narrowing lateral
spaces correspond to the diminishing bulk of the materials and promote the gradual
and uniform descent of the whole.
The construction and arrangement of the gratings, K, also insure that all the
air passes up through the coals, without any free air getting up close to the walls
of the structure and mingling in an unconverted state with, and impoverishing the
gases produced.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a gas producer, a structure of rectangular form composed of castiron
flanged plates bolted together and lined with firebrick, and having a slightly
arched firebrick roof covered by a castiron plate and provided with a feeding-in
hopper, combined with a water-sealed bottom dish or trough with open, inclined
ends for withdrawing, ashes, and with air inlet apparatus consisting of inclined
perforated plates or gratings at the middle of the lower part of the structure,
substantially as herein before described.
2. In a gas producer, apparatus for introducing air, consisting of a casing
receiving air from an external blower, the casing being placed across the lower
part of the interior of the producer, and having its middle part covered by
perforated plates or gratings inclined from the sides upwards to a middle angular
ridge, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twelfth day of October 1893.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.