IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Frederick Hengst, of Fulham, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, and John Bell Muschamp, of
Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN THE
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 13th August 1872, and dated the 11th June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Frederick
Hengst and John Bell Muschamp at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th June
1872.
We, CHARLES FREDERICK HENGST, of Fulham, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, and JOHN BELL MUSCHAMP, of Kensington, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND
IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows (that is to say) :—
Our Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of gas or
gases for lighting and heating purposes from coal shale, or schist, or
other known similar or equally applicable substance by means or with

page_text: the aid of superheated steam, and also to improvements on or in con-
nection with apparatus hitherto used for or in the production of such
gas or gases, the object of such improvements being to produce gas for
lighting and heating purposes cheaper and of a superior quality to what
has hitherto been accomplished.
For the first operation in connection with the manufacture of gas
according to this Invention we use a horizontal retort of ordinary con-
struction, and introduce therein the coal or other carbonaceous substance
from which the gas is to be generated, by preference in a state of fine
subdivision, though ordinary sized coal may be used. The retort
containing the said material is heated in the usual manner by a furnace
underneath, and when a red heat has been obtained we introduce steam,
also heated to a red heat, into the retort by any suitable means, though
in such a manner that it will all have to pass through the coal or other
substance, so that it may come in contact with the largest possible
quantity thereof before passing out of the retort as gas, care being taken
that no more steam is admitted than found necessary to supply such
quantity of hydrogen gas as will so unite with the carbon of the coal or
other substance as to give the best results, the admission of the steam
being regulated by cocks or other suitable contrivance. The gases thus
generated we cause to pass from the retort through a series of purifiers,
consisting of pipes of large diameter, say, of from four to six inches
surrounding the retort and running in the direction thereof, and made
to communicate with the same or with one another by means of suitable
connections. From practice we find that four of such pipes are usually
sufficient, and these are filled with pumice stone or other similar porous
substance, and placed at about equal distances round the retort. They
are also heated to different or like degrees of heat, as required, and
sometimes are made of different diameters, that one into which the gas
first enters usually being the largest. The gas in escaping from the
retort is made to pass through these several pipes in succession before
being led away to the gas holder; and it is found that by so treating it
almost the whole of the impurities are absorbed by the said pumice
stone.
Sometimes we substitute coke for the pumice stone in that one of the
said pipes into which the gas first enters, which coke, as it takes up the
L
•
10

page_text: the said pipe or purifier. The gas thus produced, after being made to
pass through suitable cooling or condensing apparatus, is conducted to
the gas holder by suitable means, and is then ready for use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Frederick Hengst and John Bell Mus-
champ in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th September
1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
FREDERICK HENGST, of Fulham, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
and JOHN BELL MUSCHAMP, of Kensington, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Charles Frederick Hengst and John Bell Muschamp,
Her special license that we, the said Charles Frederick Hengst and John
Bell Muschamp, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Charles Frederick Hengst and John Bell Muschamp,
our 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,'
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Charles Frederick
Hengst and John Bell Muschamp, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
"
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Charles Frederick Hengst and John
Bell Muschamp, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
:

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to
say) :—
Our Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of gas or
gases for lighting and heating purposes, from or with the aid of coal, 5
shale, or schist, or other known, or similar, or equally applicable car-
bonaceous substance, and also to improvements on or in connection with
apparatus hitherto used for or in the production of such gas or gases,
the object of such improvements as aforesaid being to produce gas for
lighting and heating purposes cheaper and of a superior quality to what 1
has hitherto been accomplished.
And in order that our Invention may be clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the same, and the
method we prefer of carrying it into effect with the aid of the accom-
panying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures marked 1
thereon.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a retort without the lid and with
apparatus for carrying out our improvements attached; Figure 2 is a.
back or end view of same; Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof; and
Figure 4 is a plan. In each case the same letter, wherever it occurs,
indicates the same part or parts.
In connection with the first operation in the manufacture of gas
according to this Invention, we use a horizontal retort (A) made of
either iron, clay, or other known or suitable substance or material, and
set and heated in any known or suitable manner, and provided with
apparatus for the admission of steam to the retort, as herein-after more
fully described. The coal or other substance from which the gas is to bo
generated, when a solid, we prefer to use in a state of fine subdivision,
though this is not absolutely essential. The retort after having been
charged with the said coal or other substance by ordinary or suitable
means is heated in the usual manner by a furnace underneath, and when
red heat has been obtained we introduce steam therein by means of
pipes (B, B), which steam may be obtained from any convenient source,
and is also heated to a red heat. The said pipes it will be observed
traverse the retort throughout nearly its entire length at about one inch
from the bottom thereof, and are perforated or slotted on their under
sides, through which perforations or slots the steam escapes into the
retort. By this arrangement the said pipes are thoroughly embedded in
ą

page_text: the incandescent fuel, and the steam escaping from the said apertures
comes in immediate contact with the heated bottom of the retort, the
object being to introduce the steam in such a manner that it will always
be heated to a red heat before mixing with the coal, and will also have
all to pass through the coal or other substance so that it may come in
contact with the largest possible portion thereof before passing out of
the retort as gas, care being taken that no more steam is admitted than
found necessary to supply such quantity of hydrogen gas as will so
unite with the carbon of the coal or other substance as to give the best
results, the admission of steam being regulated by a cock (C) or other
suitable contrivance. The gas thus generated we cause to pass from the
retort through a series of purifiers or converters (D', D³, D³, D',) charged
as herein-after described, and consisting of pipes or what may be termed
auxiliary retorts of small diameter, say about four inches, and made of
iron clay, or other suitable substance or material, such converters
surrounding the retort and running in the direction thereof, and made to
communicate with the same and with one another by means of suitable
connections (E', E³, E³, E', E³.)
Here we would draw attention to the fact that in Figure 1 of the
accompanying Drawings those parts of the said connections which are
at the back of the retort, viz. Es and Es, are shewn by dotted lines to
prevent confusion, whilst for the same reason in Figure 2, which is a
back view, those parts which are at the front of the retort, viz. E³, E³,
and E', are also shewn by dotted lines.
From practice we find that four of the said converters to cach retort
(as shewn in the accompanying Drawings) are usually sufficient, and
these are filled or charged with pumice stone, or other similar or equally
applicable porous substance, and placed round the retort at about equal
distances apart. They and their contents are also heated with the retort
to different degrees of heat thereto or like degrees therewith, or different
degrees to or like degrees with one another as circumstances may
require (which differences of heat when required may be arranged for by
the construction of the flues of the oven in which they are set), and
sometimes are made of different diameters to one another, that one into
which the gas first enters from the retort usually being the largest.
The gas in escaping from the retort is made to pass through these several
converters in succession as follows:-First, into the front of that one
marked D' through the pipes E¹, E', which are arranged with a box at

page_text: the top so as to be easily cleaned out. It then passes along the said
converter D¹ to the back thereof, and through the connecting pipe E
into the back of converter D³, traversing which it passes through
connecting pipe E' into the front end of converter D³, passing along
which and through connecting pipe E at the back thereof it enters at
the back of converter D', traversing which it ascends the pipe F, which
pipe afterwards dips into a condenser of known or suitable construction,
through which the gas passes to the holder for storage. The gas, in its
passage through these converters, has to work its way through the
heated pumice stone contained therein; and by so treating the gas it
is found that almost the whole of the impurities contained therein
when leaving the retort are absorbed by the said pumice stone, or con-
verted by the heat into gas, and that this process, combined with the
after passage of the gas through the condenser, renders the gas almost
absolutely pure..
.'
Sometimes we substitute coke for the pumice stone in that one of the
said converters into which the gas first enters from the retort, which
coke as it takes up the principal of the products of imperfect distillation,
such as the least or non-volatile portions of the tar, &c., serves for very
good fuel for the furnace after it has been removed from the said
converter.
One or all of these said converters may have a small jet or jets
attached thereto, which by being kept burning will indicate the quality
of the gas therein, and enable the attendant to detect whether too much
or insufficient hydrogen is being admitted.
It will be observed that our Invention has been described in con-
nection with one retort only; but it will also be obvious that that one
with the same arrangements in connection therewith may be multiplied
indefinitely, and thus may be built side by side or over one another,
and in the same oven as is the case with retorts now in use; and when
thus together or separate may be heated by the ordinary and well-known
means, as no special setting or construction of furnace is claimed by us.
Neither do we claim as our Invention the method here shewn, nor any
particular method of introducing the steam into the retort, as the same
may be superheated either by separate apparatus, and before its admit-
tance into the retort, or it may be superheated after its admittance in
the manner herein described, or by other suitable means.

page_text: It will also be obvious that instead of employing separate regenerators
in connection with each retort the gas generated from a complete
setting of any number of retorts, or from any number of settings, may
be led through a separate series of converters heated by any suitablo
means, the object being simply to pass the gas through, and to bring it
in contact with a certain quantity of incandescent porous substance or
material, such as pumice stone; but what we claim as our Invention,
and desire to secure by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent.
is,―
First. The process of purifying and otherwise improving or benefiting
such gas or gases as are herein alluded to, by passing it or them
through a sufficient quantity of incandescent pumice stone, or such
like porous substance.
Second. The process of obtaining an increased quantity of such gas
or gases from any given quantity of generating material by passing the
said gas or gases immediately on leaving the generating retort through a
sufficient quantity of incandescent pumice stone, or such like porous
substance, whereby the principal part of the products of imperfect dis-
tillation, such as the tar, &c., are converted into gas.
Third. The method employed and apparatus shewn for conveying the
gas through a certain quantity of incandescent porous substance, such
as pumice stone, substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Charles Frederick Hengst and
John Bell Muschamp, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
0 Witness,
JOHN W. GRAY,
Patent Agent,
23, Billiter Street, E.C.
C. HENGST.
(L.S.)
J. B. MUSCHAMP. (L.S.)