IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Copcutt, of 50, St. John Street, Clerkenwell,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Copcutt at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st April 1858.
I, JAMES COPCUTT, of 50, St. John Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS. AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN "to be
as follows:
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of gas,
and in the apparatus employed therein, and relates to the manufacture of gas
from oils and fats, and also from coal.
When manufacturing gas from oils or grease, I find it desirable to combine
with them a small quantity of camphor dissolved in naphtha, and to distil gas
from such combined matters. The apparatus used for making oil gas consists
of a retort, the form of which may be varied, and be heated externally, as here-
tofore. The oil or grease in a fluid state is regularly fed into the retort (the
bottom of which is covered with stones or other suitable substance) by means
of a funnel on a pipe, which I find it desirable to bend into two coils or loop-
like bends. The products as they arise from the retort are passed by a
Price d

page_text: descending pipe below the surface of red-hot melted metal contained in a close
vessel, and rise up through such metal, and then the gas passes away for use.
The metal I prefer is tin solder, but other metal may be used.
When making gas from coal, the gas, after being conducted into and below
the surface of the melted metal, flows into suitable purifying apparatus to be
purified. When puritying by liquids, such as lime water or others, I use an
apparatus of the following construction -The gas is conveyed in a pipe to
nearly the bottom of the vessel, and there escapes into the fluid contained in
the vessel; the gas, however, is not allowed to ascend directly through the
liquid, but by reason of there being a number of discs at intervals apart affixed
to the descending pipe,the gas is deflected off towards the sides, then towards
the pipe, and then towards the sides of the vessel, and so on till the gas arrives
at the upper part of the vessel, from which it is conducted away by a suitable
outlet pipe. The purifying liquid is kept constantly to the desired level by a
syphon pipe, and fresh liquid is introduced by a funnel and descending pipe.
In order to give to gas greater and improved lighting powers, I cause the
gas, before it arrives at the burner, to pass over or in contact with cam-
phorated ether.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Copcutt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
COPCUTT, of 50, St. John Street, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Copcutt, Her special licence that I, the said James Copcutt,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Copcutt, my 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

page_text: the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Copcutt, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals,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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Copcutt, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and bythe following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
When manufacturing gas from oils or grease, I find it desirable to combine
with them a small quantity of camphor dissolved in naptha, and to distil gas
from such combined matters. The apparatus used for making oil gas consists
of a retort, the form of which may be varied, and be heated externally, as
heretofore. The oil or grease in a fluid state is regularly fed into the retort
(the bottom of which is covered with stones or other suitable substance) by
means of a funnel on a pipe, which I find it desirable to bend into two coils
or hoop-like bends. The products as they arise from the retort are passed by
a descending pipe below the surface of red-hot melted metal contained in a
close vessel,and rise up through such metal, and then the gas passes away for
use. The metal I prefer is tin solder, but other metal may be used.
When making gas from coal, the gas,after being conducted into and below
the surface of the melted metal, flows into suitable purifying apparatus to be
purified. When purifying by liquids, such as lime water or others, I use an
apparatus of the following construction:-The gas is conveyed in a pipe to
nearly the bottom of the vessel, and there escapes into the fluid contained in
the vessel; the gas, however, is not allowed to ascend directly through the
liquid, but by reason of there being a number of discs at intervals apartaffixed
to the descending pipe, the gas is deflected off towards the sides, then towards
the pipe, and then towards the sides of the vessel, and so on till the gas arrives
at the upper part of the vessel, from which it is conducted away by a suitable
outlet pipe. The purifying liquid is kept constantly to the desired level by a
syphon pipe, and fresh liquid is introduced by a funnel and descending pipe.
In order to give to gas greater and improved lighting powers, I cause the
gas, before it arrives at the burner, to pass over or in contact with cam-
phorated ether.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully to
describe the manner of performing the same.

page_text: In making gas from oil or grease, the same is dropped progressively into a
suitable retort heated externally, and the gas is, as soon as generated, caused
to pass into and through a quantity of melted red-hot metal, and the gas may
be generated under such pressure as to cause it to force its way through such
melted metal; or the gas may be otherwise forced through and in contact with
the melted metal. The melted metal preferred is tin solder, though other
metal may be used. The form of the retort and vessel used may be varied,
and, if preferred, the metal may be used and kept melted in a compartment of
the retort itself, so long as provision is made for the passage of the gas, under
and in contact with highly heated melted metal. The gas need not be caused
to descend more than one to two inches below the surface of the melted metal,
but it is desirable that the gas should be well diffused in the metal when
below the surface thereof. It is preferred, even with gas generated from oil
or fats, and passed through and in contact with melted metal, that it should
pass through a wet lime purifier, as I find by so doing that some part thereof
becomes condensed therein and rises to the surface, from whence it is drawn
off by a suitable syphon pipe, and returned by a force pump back to the retort
or to the vessel supplying the retort. From the purifier the gas is conducted
into a vessel the lower part of which is filled with camphorated ether, so that
gas in its passage comes in contact with the surface of such fluid. And
I find it desirable to employ a small quantity of camphor dissolved in naptha,
say, one drachin of camphor to one ounce of naptha, mixed with the oil or fat
previously to introducing the fat or oil into the retort.
the
In making coal gas, the same having as heretofore been produced in a
ratort, it is caused to pass into and through melted metal, as above described,
then through a wet linie purifier, and then through a dry lime or other
purifier, and thence through the vessel containing camphorated ether.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Copcutt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
JANE COPCUTI.
JAMES COPCUTT. (L.S.)