IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING, ECONOMIZING, AND PURIFYING GAS AND UTILIZING THE SAME FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES 33
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Coley-Bromfield of Hove, in the County of Sussex,
Consulting Sanitary. Engineer, and George Symes, of Locksley Street,
Limehouse, in the County of Middlesex, Gas Engineer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING, ECONOMIZING, AND
PURIFYING GAS AND UTILIZING THE SAME FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES
33
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Coley-Bromfield and
George Symes at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd
September 1882.
JOHN COLEY-BROMFIELD, of Hove, in the County of Sussex, Consulting Sanitary
Engineer, and GEORGE SYMES, of Locksley Street, Limehouse, in the County of
Middlesex, Gas Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING,
ECONOMIZING, AND
PURPOSES
"
PURIFYING GAS AND UTILIZING THE SAME FOR LIGHTING
Our invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing, economizing and purifying
gas, and for utilizing the same for lighting purposes.
The said invention comprises improvements in apparatus described in the
specification of former Letters Patent granted to the said George Symes and dated
22nd November, A.D. 1876, No. 4526, and it also comprises improved means for
regulating the supply of hydrocarbon to a purifier or receptacle for containing
substances saturated with hydrocarbon; improved means for regulating the supply
of air or gas to the said purifier or receptacle; an improved reservoir or holder for
the hydrocarbon; and improved means whereby sewer gas or air passing through
the sewers can be utilized for lighting purposes, by passing the said air or gas
through the said substances and thereby impregnating or mixing it with bydro-
carbon.
According to one part of our said invention we insert one or more partitions into
a retort for the purpose of dividing the charge of coal and causing the gas to be
generated in much less time than with the ordinary retorts. These partitions are
made either solid or hollow and are secured in any suitable manner. When made
hollow they are charged either with air or with a suitable liquid, and, in the latter
case, the liquid will be converted into steam, which we admit into the hydraulic
main to serve the purpose of a scrubber and exhauster.

page_text: According to another part of our said invention we provide an apparatus which
acts as a purifier or filter and a governor, and also serves for impregnating or mixing
hydrocarbon with air or gas. This apparatus is constructed in the following
manner, that is to say ;-In a suitable receptacle layers of cotton-waste or other
substance saturated with benzoline or other hydrocarbon are placed between
screens of oxidized iron in the manner described in the said former specification;
these screens are secured at suitable distances apart by means of a rod or rods upon
which, between the said screens, are placed small tubes of the required length, the
said tubes and screens being retained in position by means of a nut or nuts screwed
on to the upper end of the said rod or rods. The said receptacle is closed at its
upper end, and a chamber is provided above the same, and connected to the said
receptacle by means of a pipe extending nearly to the lower end of the said
receptacle. An inlet-pipe is arranged to admit air or gas into the said chamber,
and these two pipes are fitted with suitable valves for opening and closing them.
The said valves are arranged in a peculiar manner for the purpose of regulating the
amount of air or gas passing through them, that is to say, they are each connected
to one end of a lever which is pivotted in any suitable manner midway between
them. The end of the said lever to which one of the valves is attached, is connected,
in any suitable manner, to a leather diaphragm adapted to be acted upon by the
pressure of the air or gas to close the said valves, the latter being opened by a
weight or other suitable means when the pressure decreases owing to the
consumption of the gas, or an increase in the number of burners in use. When
air is employed it must be passed through the said substances under pressure,
which may be obtained in any suitable manner. The gas from the said purifier or
receptacle can be used for heating, lighting, or other purposes by means of any
suitable apparatus.
We also provide a tank or reservoir for the benzoline or other hydrocarbon. This
tank is fitted with inlet and outlet pipes and suitable cocks or valves, and also with
a gauge-glass for shewing the height of the liquid contained in the said tank. In
some cases we prefer to employ a coil of pipe for containing the hydrocarbon,
instead of using a tank. The outlet pipe of the said tank or coil communicates
with a chamber below the same or above the aforesaid purifier, and is fitted with a
cock or valve which can be adjusted so as to permit a small stream of the hydro-
carbon to flow into a bowl or vessel fixed to one end of a lever pivotted to a suitable
support in the said chamber; the other end of the lever is provided with a weight
in such a manner that when the said bowl or vessel is filled it will overbalance the
said weight, and the hydrocarbon contained in it will be emptied into the
purifier, the weight again bringing the said bowl or vessel to its original
position.
According to another part of our said invention we provide apparatus for mixing
sewer gas or air passing through the sewers with hydrocarbon and utilizing it for
lighting purposes. We effect this in the following manner, that is to say :-One or
more down draught columns or shafts are connected with a sewer at the crown of
the same, and a pipe or tube is connected with the said sewer and with the afore-
said purifier or receptacle containing the substances saturated with hydrocarbon;
from the said purifier or receptacle the gas formed or purified therein is conducted
to a burner in any suitable manner. By placing the said purifier or receptacle
within the lower part of a lamp-post and conducting a pipe or tube from it to the
sewer and another from the said receptacle to a suitable burner, we provide means
for utilizing the sewer gas or the air passing through the sewer for lighting streets
or other places, and by means of the said down-draught columns the sewers are
kept free froin foul air or gas and a pressure is obtained for forcing the air or gas
through the said purifier or receptacle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed.
by the said John Coley-Bromfield and George Symes in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd March 1883.
JOHN COLEY-BROMFIELD, of Hove, in the County of Sussex, Consulting Sanitary
Engineer, and GEORGE SYMES, of Locksley Street, Limehouse, in the County of
Middlesex, Gas Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING,
ECONOMIZING AND PURIFYING GAS AND UTILIZING THE SAME FOR LIGHTING
PURPOSES
"
Our invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing, economizing and purifying.
gas and utilizing the same for lighting purposes.
The said invention comprises improvements in apparatus described in the
Specification of former letters patent granted to the said George Symes, dated
22nd November A.D 1876, N° 4526; it also comprises improved means for regulating.
the supply of hydrocarbon to a purifier or receptacle for containing substances
saturated with hydrocarbon; improved means for regulating the supply of air or
gas to the said purifier or receptacle; an improved reservoir or holder for the
hydrocarbon; and improved means whereby sewer gas, or air passing through the
sewers, can be utilized for lighting purposes by passing the said air or gas through.
substances saturated with hydrocarbon and thereby impregnating or combining the
said air or gas with hydrocarbon.
According to one part of our said invention we fix one or more partitions in a
retort of ordinary construction, for the purpose of dividing the charge of coal and
causing the gas to be generated in much less time than with the retorts as heretofore
employed. These partitions are made either solid or hollow and are secured in
any suitable manner. When made hollow, they are charged either with air or with
a suitable liquid, and in the latter case the liquid will be converted into steam,
which we admit into the hydraulic main to serve the purpose of a scrubber and
exhauster, by extracting the ammonia from the gas.
This part of our said invention is illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of our improved retort, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
The remaining figures are hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
A represents the retort and B the partition, which is supported by the cross-
piece B' and divides the upper portion of the retort into two equal parts. This
partition is made in the form of a receptacle for water which is supplied to it by.
means of the pipe C. This pipe may, if desired, form part of the cross-piece Bl
The supply of water is regulated by the cock D.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation showing the retort connected to the hydraulic
main and to the purifier and governor.
The heat within the retort A converts the water in the partition B into steam
which rises, with the gas generated in the retort, into the chamber or mouth-
piece Ẹ, whence it is conducted by the pipe F into the hydraulic main or condeuser G.
The mouth-piece E is closed by a suitable door as shown.
The gas from the condenser is conducted, by means of the pipe H, to an
apparatus which acts as a purifier or filter and governor and also serves for
impregnating or combining the air or gas with hydrocarbon. This apparatus is
constructed in the following manner, that is to say:-In the receptacle J, shown
partly in vertical section in figure 3; layers of cotton waste or other suitable

page_text: substance saturated with benzoline or other hydrocarbon are placed between screens
or plates J¹ of oxidized iron in the manner described in the said former specification;
these screens or plates, according to the present invention, are cut as shown in
Figure 4 to permit the passage of the gas and are secured at suitable distances
apart by means of tubes or distant pieces K of the required length placed
upon a rod L between the said screens or plates, the said tubes and screens being
retained in position by means of the nut M screwed on to the upper end of the
said rod. The receptacle J is closed at its upper end and a chamber N is provided
above the same and connected to the said receptacle by means of a pipe O extending
nearly to the lower end of the receptacle. The pipe H is arranged to admit air
or gas into the chamber N, and the pipes H and O are fitted with suitable valves a
and b for opening and closing them. The said valves are arranged as hereinafter
set forth for the purpose of regulating the amount of air or gas passing through
them, that is to say, they are connected to opposite ends of the lever c which is
pivotted to the bracket or support d. The arm of the lever c to which the valve b
is attached is connected in any suitable manner to the leather or india-rubber
diaphragm e which is arranged to be acted upon by the pressure of the air or gas to
close the said valves when the pressure is too great; and f is a weight for again
opening the valves when the pressure decreases sufficiently, owing to the con-
sumption of the gas or to an increase in the number of burners in use. When air
is employed, it must be passed through the said substances under pressure, which
may be obtained in any suitable manner.
The gas from the purifier or receptacle J can be used for heating, lighting, or other
purposes by means of any suitable apparatus.
We provide a tank or reservoir for the benzoline or other hydrocarbon. This
tank is shown in side elevation at P Figure 5, and is fitted with a cup or funnel g
provided with a cock g¹ through which the hydrocarbon is introduced into the
tank. The said tank is also provided with an outlet cock and with a gauge
glass for indicating the height of the liquid in the said tank. In some cases we
employ a serpentine pipe P¹ as shown in Figure 6 for containing the hydrocarbon
instead of the tank above described. The pipe P is provided with a cup or
funnel g² and cock g³ and with an outlet cock h¹ and gauge glass i. The outlet
cock of the said tank or coil communicates with a chamber Q below the tank or
coil and above the purifier or receptacle J, and the said cock can be adjusted so as
to permit a small stream of hydrocarbon to flow into a bowl or vessel k which is
fixed to one end of a lever pivotted to the support m in the chamber Q. The
other end of the lever is provided with a weight n in such a manner that, when
the said bowl or vessel is filled, it will overbalance the weight, and the hydro-
carbon contained in it will be emptied into the chamber Q, and conducted through
the cock p into the purifier, and the weight n will then raise the said bowl or vessel
to its original position.
According to another part of our said invention we provide apparatus for mixing
sewer gas, or air passing through the sewers, with hydrocarbon and utilizing it
for lighting purposes. This apparatus is illustrated in Figure 7 and is constructed
in the following manner, that is to say, one or more down draught columns or
shafts are connected with the sewer S at the crown of the same and a pipe or
tube T is connected with the said sewer and with a purifier or receptacle J placed
within the lamp post U and containing substances saturated with hydrocarbon.
The gas forined or purified in the said receptacle is conducted therefrom to a burner
at the upper end of the post in any suitable manner. We thus provide means for
utilizing the sewer gas, or the air passing through the sewers, for lighting streets
or other places, and, by means of the down draught columns, which are provided
with cowls, the sewers are kept free from foul air or gas and a pressure is obtained
for forcing the air or gas through the said purifier or receptacle. We sometimes
employ a pump, fan, or other suitable apparatus for forcing air into the sewers, in
order to obtain the required 'pressure.

page_text: Having thus fully described our said invention, and the manner of performing the
same, we wish it understood that we claim
First The construction of a retort with one or more partitions for dividing the
charge of coal, and with or without the pipe or pipes for supplying water to the
said partitions, all substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
.
Second. In the purifier or receptacle containing cotton waste or other suitable
substance saturated with hydrocarbon, the plates or screens in combination with
the rod or rods and the tubes or distance pieces, all arranged substantially as, and
for the purpose, set forth.
Third. The improved means above described for regulating the supply of hydro-
carbon to the purifier or receptacle in the manner set forth.
Fourth The improved means above described for regulating the supply of air or
gas to the purifier or receptacle in the manner set forth.
Fifth. The reservoir or tank for the hydrocarbon constructed substantially as
described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 for the purpose specified.
Sixth A purifier or receptacle containing substances saturated with hydrocarbon
substantially as above described, in combination with a sewer or drain and a gas
burner or burners, for the purpose of utilizing sewer gas, or air passing through the
sewer, for lighting purposes.
In Witness whereof we the said John Coley-Bromfield and George Symes
have hereunto set our hands and seals this Twenty first day of March
in the year of Our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.