IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th May 1870.
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A communication from abroad by Xavier
Moussard, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Machinist.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GASES FOR
LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of an improved self-acting apparatus for
carburetting atmospheric air for the production of gases for lighting and
heating purposes.
In order that the Invention may be more fully understood I will
proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
Drawing, which shows a central vertical section of one arrangement of
the said apparatus to serve as an example of the mode of carrying out
the Invention.
The Invention relates to the combination or mixture of the vapors of
schist, petroleum, or other matters capable of producing combustible

page_text: gases or vapors, with atmospheric air in regulated proportions, which is
introduced by the aid of a draught created by a jet of the vapors
employed. For this purpose I employ a peculiar arrangement of pipes
and valves, which will be herein-after described.
The Invention consists also in the peculiar arrangement of the parts of
the apparatus in order that the latter may work in an entirely automatic
or self-acting manner, that is to say, the burner which heats the boiler
employed for vaporizing the schist and petroleum is fed by gas generated
in the apparatus itself, the intensity of the heat from this burner
decreasing in proportion as the reservoir of the apparatus fills with the
generated gas and increasing in proportion as the said reservoir is
emptied, so that the said apparatus always supplies a steady and constant
quantity of gas; and finally, the air induction valve closes in a self-
acting manner when the reservoir is full. The reservoir of material or
liquid for feeding the boiler a, which produces the jet of vapor, is con-
nected to the said boiler by a pipe b provided with a regulating cock c;
this reservoir is placed at a greater height than is necessary to counter-
balance the pressure of vapor which forms the jet; or said reservoir may
only be partially filled with liquid so as to leave a film of air at its
upper part, which may be compressed to any number of atmospheres.
The vapor generated from petroleum, schist, or other liquid or sub-
stance employed escapes from the boiler a under pressure through a
pipe d, terminating in a nozzle within a small chamber f; this
chamber is in communication with a tube g open to the atmosphere
and with a second tube h of rather larger diameter than tube d,
with which it coincides in direction; tube g is furnished with two
valves, the one i operated by a lever to close it to the atmosphere as
herein-after explained, and the other ; placed within the chamber /.
The framing of the apparatus is composed of two vertical standards k, l,
connected at the upper part by a cross piece l. mis a casing which serves
as a support for the boiler a, and confines the heat from the burner to
the sides of the boiler, to every part of which it has free access.
the chimney. o is a chamber filled with pumice stone, coke, cotton
waste, felt, or other absorbent; this chamber is provided with
diaphragms or curtains p which detain the gas and prolong its circula-
tion. q, r, are pipes in communication with chamber o.
The pipe
nis
is connected to the cross piece, through which pipe passes and forms
an escape or eduction pipe for the gas generated. s is a burner for
heating the boiler a. is a bell chamber sustained in addition to the

page_text: pressure of the gas by counterweights u, u; on this chamber t are
mounted pipes v, sliding telescopically within other pipes x, firmly
secured to the cross piece l, the space between being filled with water to
prevent the escape of gas. y is a tube-connected to chamber for con-
ducting the gas to the burner; this tube y slides telescopically within
tube a¹ of the burner, both being enclosed by an outer tube z. Tube a¹
is carried by the cross piece and contains another tube b¹ perforated
throughout its length. c¹ is a horizontal pipe connecting the pipes
v, z, v, to maintain the same level of water within each.
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The whole being arranged as described, the action of the apparatus is
as follows: -The petroleum, schist, or other matters employed is
vaporized in boiler a, whence the vapor escapes by the tube d, through
the nozzle of which it is injected into chamber f. The jet of vapor
passing into tube / induces a current of atmospheric air within tube g,
the air and vapor passing together through pipe q into chamber o, filled
with absorbent material, whence the mixture of air and vapor escapes
through the outlet pipe v. The chamber o is provided with perforations
through which the gas enters the bell chamber t, which rises in proportion
as the
gas is produced or generated; this belt has also a water joint to
prevent leakage and wear. A small quantity of gas escapes from the
bellt through pipe y to supply the burner s, passing out through the
perforations in pipe 6, which are above the level of the water, and
thence into the annular space between this tube b' and the outer one a¹
until it finally reaches burner s.
From the foregoing arrangement it will be seen that if the bell has
sufficient gas stored within it to serve for the supply it remains stationary,
and if the supply of gas contained diminishes it falls, thereby uncovering
a greater number of apertures in tube b' and allowing a greater quantity
of gas to be supplied to the burner, the vaporization- and consequent
formation of gas being thereby accelerated.
The bell rises as the gas is
generated, the water closing the holes or apertures in the same pro-
portion, whereby less gas will be supplied to the burner so as to
gradually lessen the production or generation of gas in the apparatus.
Finally, when the bell is entirely filled the holes or apertures provided
in tube will all be immersed and no more gas will be supplied to the
burner.
For greater security or safety I dispose upon one of the pipes v con-
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page_text: full extent acts on the lever of valve i and closes the latter to prevent
the introduction of air through pipe g.
From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that the apparatus
has an automatic action. Instead of making perforations in tube 6¹ I
may make a slot throughout its length, the action being the same as
before, said slot being covered more or less by the water to allow of the
admission of a larger or smaller quantity of gas in a given length of
time. If desired the tube 6' may be dispensed with and a cock or valve
substituted to be actuated by the motion of the bell, or the latter may
act on a flexible pipe for regulating the supply, or the tube b¹ may be
further arranged with a conical end fitting in a socket for regulating
the gas supply. Instead of water other liquids or fluids not liable to
freeze, such as wine, alcohol, quicksilver, or glycerine may be employed
for preventing the escape of gas.
By means of this improved apparatus the whole of the utilizable
properties may be extracted from light or volatile liquids by distillation,
and I thus avoid the intermittent action to which other apparatus
are liable when operating in a cold state, as in these cases there
always remains a sediment containing matters which are utilizable by
distillation.
The gas produced in the above manner may be employed for
illuminating lighthouses, beacons, railway carriages, and otherwise, and
for heating steam boilers, cooking and other heating purposes by means
of jets of vapors of petroleum, schist, or other matters which on being
projected into a larger tubo induce a current of air for carburetting the
latter in the manner herein-before described. The quantity of air
admitted and to be mixed with a given quantity of vapor is regulated
by varying the position of the nozzle of injector d with regard to the
larger air tube h leading to the bell.