AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF, AND APPARATUS FOR, THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an invention
of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF, AND APPARATUS FOR, THE MANUFACTURE OF
GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES Communicated to him from
abroad by Alexander Binnie of Maori Hill near Dunedin, New Zealand,
Bricklayer
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th June 1882.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "N IMPROVED PROCESS OF, AND APPARATUS
FOR, THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES
[Communicated to him from abroad by Alexander Binnie of Maori Hill near
Dunedin, New Zealand, Bricklayer,]
My improved process of manufacturing gas for illuminating and other purposes
consists first; in a novel combination of materials for the purpose, and second, in
the peculiar condition to which they are reduced before, and in, the act of
combination.
My novel combination of materials is air, water, and animal fats or vegetable
or mineral oils. But the air must be under pressure, the water reduced to the
condition of superheated steam, and the animal fats or vegetable or mineral oils to
heated gases before these three ingredients are combined to form my gas. And
further I find it necessary to combine them in very small quantities at a time,
thus the water and animal fats (the latter being first reduced to a fluid) or
vegetable or mineral oils are treated in drops and the air in proportionately small
quantities. These ingredients are conveyed to a generator kept at a cherry red
heat and are there intermixed, the one with the other, in the form of gas and
conveyed away to a condenser and purifier and from there to a gas-holder as is
commonly the case in gas manufacture.
Although I have stated that vegetable or mineral oils may be substituted for
melted animal fat I much prefer the latter because it makes a better gas, is cheaper,

page_text: and will not condense, whereas vegetable oils, are expensive and gas made from
mineral oils will condense more or less in the gas-holder.
In my improved apparatus I provide a novel combination of features essential in
a gas-producing apparatus, and some novel contrivances necessitated by the process
and I combine them with others which are well known. In constructing this
apparatus I provide an air pump, an air-holder, a purifier, a condenser, a furnace,
a reservoir for animal fat or its alternatives, a water reservoir, a generator and a
retort attached thereto. A pipe leads from the air-pump to the holder, and another
pipe from the holder to the gas generator. There is a cup for receiving the drops
of melted fat or its alternatives as they fall from the reservoir, and a pipe leads
from the bottom of such cup to very nearly the bottom of a chamber from either
side of the upper part of which are connecting pipes, one leading into a down pipe
which reaches down to the generator; a glass bulb is provided just below the
water reservoir, and between two taps one of which is at the top of a down pipe
(into which connecting pipe leads) which also reaches down to the generator. At
the top of the retort is a pipe leading to the condenser from which a pipe leads to
the purifier, another pipe leading thence to a gas-holder.
The mode of operation is as follows:-I first charge the air-holder with air by
means of the air pump, then kindle a fire in the furnace and when the generator
has attained a cherry red heat I open the taps leading from the air, water, and
animal fat (or its alternatives) reservoirs respectively, the water and animal fat
(reduced to a liquid) or its alternatives being supplied only in drops so that in
these minute quantities they may reach, and be heated in, the generator, the water
being converted into steam as it descends its pipe, the liquid fat being first
received into a chamber from thence overflowing through a connection into and
down a pipe from whence it is discharged in a gaseous condition into the
generator. The three ingredients are here superheated and combine together
into a gas passing upward through the retort into a pipe from whence it passes
into an ordinary condenser and from thence into an ordinary gas purifier and
lastly into an ordinary gas-holder.
With regard to the proportions and speed of feeding the machine it is found
that in a machine of a certain size sixty drops of liquid fat and fifteen drops of
water per minute with a constant air pressure of about one-tenth of a pound to
the inch supplied through the contracted nozzle of an inch pipe makes gas of a
reasonably good quality. As a means of testing the quality of the gas while in
course of manufacture, I attach a tap to the upper part of a pipe. If this tap be
opened and the gas ignited it will burn blue if too much air is being supplied, it
will sparkle if too much steam is being supplied, and it will smoke if too much
liquid fat is being supplied. If too little water is being supplied it will burn with
a yellow-glare-if too little air, it will burn blue in addition to the yellow glare;
and if too little animal fat or vegetable or mineral oil is being supplied it will
scarcely burn at all.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th December 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF, AND APPARATUS
A
FOR, THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Communication to me from abroad by Alexander Binnie, of Maori Hill, near
Dunnedin, New Zealand, Bricklayer
This improved process of manufacturing gas for illuminating and other purposes
consists first in a novel combination of materials for the purpose, and second in
reducing the said materials to the peculiar condition hereinafter described before,
and in the act of combination.
My novel combination of materials is air, water, and animal fats or vegetable or
mineral oils. But the air must be under pressure, the water reduced, to the
condition of superheated steam, and the animal fats or vegetable or mineral oils
to heated gases before these three ingredients are combined to form gas. And
further I find it necessary to combine them in very small quantities at a time, thus
the water and animal fats (the latter being first reduced to a fluid) or vegetable
or mineral oils are treated in drops and the air in proportionately small quantities.
These ingredients are conveyed to a generator kept at a cherry red heat and are
there intermixed, the one with the other, in the form of gas and conveyed away
to a condenser and purifier and from there to a gas-holder as is commonly the case
in gas manufacture.
F
:
Although I have stated that vegetable or mineral oils may be substituted for
melted animal fat, I much prefer the latter because it makes a better gas, is
cheaper, and will not condense, whereas vegetable oils, are expensive and gas made
from mineral oils will condense more or less in the gas-holder
In my improved apparatus I provide a novel combination of features essential in
a gas-producing apparatus and some novel contrivances necessitated by the process,
and I combine them with others which are well known.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation of suitable apparatus for the manufacture of gas
according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a plan and
:
Figure 3 an end elevation of the furnace and parts connected therewith.
A is an air-pump; B an air holder; Ca purifier; D a condenser; E a furnace ;
Fa reservoir for animal fat or its alternatives; G a water-reservoir; H the
generator; and I a retort attached thereto. A' is a pipe leading from the air-pump
to the holder; and B¹ is another pipe leading froin the holder to the gas-generator.
F is a cup for receiving the drops of melted fat, or its alternative, as they fall
from the reservoir F; F is a pipe leading from the bottom of such cup to nearly
the bottom of a chamber F, from either side of the upper part of which are
connecting pipes F4 and F³, the former leading into a down pipe F which reaches
to the generator H. G' is a glass bulb just below the water reservoir G and
between the taps G2 and G³, the latter being at the top of a down pipe G* (into
which the connecting pipe F5 leads) which also reaches down to the generator H.
At the top of the retort is a pipe 1' leading to the condenser from which a
pipe D' leads to the purifier, from whence a pipe C¹ leads to a suitable gas holder
The mode of operation is as follows:-The air-holder is first charged with air by

page_text: means of the air-pump; a fire is then lighted in the furnace and when the
generator H and retort I have attained a cherry red heat I open the taps leading
from the air, water, and animal fat (or its alternatives) reservoirs respectively, the
water and animal fat (reduced to a liquid) or its alternatives being supplied only
in drops, so that in these minute quantities they may reach, and be heated in, the
generator, the water being converted into steam as it descends the pipe G*; the
liquid fat is first received into a chamber F3 from thence overflowing through
connection F into, and down, a pipe F6 from whence it is discharged in a gaseous
condition into the generator. The three ingredients are here superheated and
combine together into a gas, passing upwards through the retort I into the pipe I'
from whence it passes into an ordinary condenser D and from thence into an
ordinary gas purifier C and then into an ordinary gas-holder. There is therefore
nothing new about any of the parts of this apparatus except in the furnace, its
contents, and immediate connections as will be hereinafter more specifically set
forth.
With regard to the proportions of the different ingredients and the speed of
feeding them to the machine it is found that sixty drops of liquid fat and fifteen
drops of water per minute, with a constant air pressure of about one tenth of a
pound to the inch supplied through the contracted nozzle of an inch pipe makes
gas of a reasonably good quality. As a means of testing the quality of the gas
while in course of manufacture I attach a tap F7 to the upper part of the pipe F.
If this tap be opened and the gas ignited it will burn blue if too much air is being
supplied, sparkle if too much steam is being supplied, and smoke if too much liquid
fat is being supplied. If too little water is being supplied it will burn with a
yellow glare, if too little air it will burn blue in addition to the yellow glare; and
if too little animal fat or vegetable or mineral oil is being supplied it will scarcely
burn at all.
It will be understood that when the tap G2 is open the tap G³ must be closed as
the former is only opened in order to fill the glass bulb G¹ between them. In the
cup F there is no valve, the liquid fat itself serving for that purpose. The
generator H and retort I are preferably made of iron, but the materials of which
they, as well as every other part of the apparatus herein shown and described, may
be made is well known to every one possessed of ordinary skill in the art to
which this invention refers, and therefore I do not claim any speciality in, nor do
I confine myself to, any particular materials of which such apparatus may be made
or manufactured.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim as my improved process of, and apparatus for, the manufacture of gas
for illuminating and other purposes.
First. The manufacture of gas for illuminating and other purposes, by the
combined use of air, water and animal fat or its alternatives, in comparatively
minute quantities, the water being first reduced to steam, the animal fat or its
alternatives to a heated gas, and the air being supplied in suitable quantities and
the whole mingled together in a heated vessel which I call a generator so as to
form a homogeneous gas, substantially as herein described.
Second. The combination and arrangement of the cup F¹ with the pipe F³, the
chamber F3, the connecting pipes F4 and F³, and the down pipe Fo, in the manner,
and for the purposes, substantially as herein described.
Third. The combination and arrangement of the water-reservoir G, with the
glass bulb G¹, taps G², and G³, and down pipe G4, in the manner, and for the
purposes, substantially as herein described.
Fourth. The combination and arrangement of the contrivances mentioned in the
two preceding claiming clauses, with the generator H and retort I, in the manner,
and for the purposes, substantially as herein described.
Fifth. The combination, in apparatus for the manufacture of gas, for illuminating

page_text: and other purposes, of air-reservoirs, water-reservoirs, and reservoirs for animal fat
or its alternatives, the contents of each of which are to be used in the manufacture
of such gas.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this seventh day of December in the year of Our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.