IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FROM CRUDE PETROLEUM, SHALE OIL, AND CARBONACEOUS OILS GENERALLY, AND IN THE APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Isaiah Kendrick at the Office of the
Cominissioners of Patents on the 11th October 1879.
ISAIAH KENDRICK, of Camberwell Road, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF GAS FROM CRUDE PETROLEUM, SHALE OIL, AND CARBONACEOUS
OILS GENERALLY, AND IN THE APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus for and method of manufacturing
gas of great illuminating power from petroleum and other carbonaceous oils.
With regard to the apparatus the principal feature of the Invention consists in
so combining the various parts of the same within and attached to one wrought or
cast iron casing.
Inside this casing is fitted a lining of fire bricks or fire material
so as to render it easily portable, thus suppressing the usual quantity of brickwork
or masonry which the erection of similar apparatus has heretofore necessitated.
For this purpose I place the petroleum or other oil in a tank or reservoir, from
which it flows through a suitable pipe with a regulating tap into a jet or injection
apparatus, which upon being supplied with superheated or ordinary steam by a
steam generator fixed at the upper part of the casing forces the petroleum or other
oil, accompanied by and mixed with steam in the form of shower or spray, into a
retort or series of retorts communicating with each other, the said retort or retorts
having first been brought to a red heat or other suitable temperature. The said retort
or series of retorts is fixed horizontally or in any other position within the casing
immediately below the aforesaid steam generator, from which it is partially separated
by a fireclay partition or floor. Immediately underneath the retort or retorts is
arranged a furnace, the heat from which heats the retort or retorts, and afterwards
passes upwards through an opening over the fire clay partition or floor, impinges
against the steam generator, and heats the water, and provides steam therein;
thence the heat passes through a flue or flues into a chimney fixed to the apparatus.
A portion of the length of the pipe which supplies the injection apparatus with
steam from the generator may be carried through the flue of the steam generator,
thereby superheating the steam for injection into the retorts with the petroleum or
other oil, or nonsuperheated steam may be used.
The action of the heated retorts causes the petroleum or other oil to become
changed into gas, in which form it is passed through a pipe or series of pipes into
and through water contained in purifying or cooling vessels, when it may be used
at once, or passed into a gas holder for distribution in the street mains or otherwise,

page_text: the purifying portion of the apparatus being carried on supports fixed to the outside
of the casing for portability.
Another part of my Invention consists in the adaptation of the existing retorts
of ordinary gas works to the manufacture of gas from crude petroleum or other
carbonaceous oils. In the case of circular retorts I introduce within them a series
of retorts open at one end. When the outer circular retort has been heated to a
suitable temperature in the usual manner I inject petroleum or other oil and steam
mixed together in the form of spray through the cover of the closed end of the
combined retorts, such mixture afterwards passing away through a suitable outlet
in the form of gas.
In the case of shaped retorts, which I construct with a partition or floor
dividing them into two chambers, except at one end, where the partition or floor is
left open, I place the coal in the lower and larger chamber, crude petroleum (or
other oil), and steam being injected into the upper chamber, whence it is forced
through the end aperture downward in the form of gas on to and over the
incandescent coal with which the lower chamber is charged, mixing with the gas
arising from such coal, and passing out through a suitable arranged outlet for
purification and use for illuminating purposes.
In the case of existing shaped retorts, such as are used in batches in gas works
generally, I introduce within them a series of round or other shaped oil retorts, for
the purpose of enriching and greatly increasing the illuminating power of the coal
gas made in such retorts; I place one, two, or more of my improved oil retorts in
any position in the batch of retorts, so as to thoroughly mix the oil gas made in
the improved retorts with the coal gas made in the ordinary retorts, for the purpose
of greatly increasing its illuminating power. The oil gas rises from the retorts up
the stand pipes, and mixes with and enriches the gas in the hydraulic mains or
otherwise.
The gas is suitable for all purposes, for gas works, railway carriages, stations,
churches, chapels, works, steam boats, mansions, and private dwellings.