An Improved Gas Usable as an Explosive and, in Admixture with other Gases, as an Illuminating and Heating Gas.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1889
An Improved Gas Usable as an Explosive and, in Admixture with
other Gases, as an Illuminating and Heating Gas.
1 EDWIN TATHAM of No. 76 Mullens Street Balmain near Sydney in the Colony of
New South Wales Gas Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is the production of an improved Gas or Gaseous mix-
ture the principal uses of which are as a motive power in gas and explosive engines as
a destructive force for blasting and like purposes and in admixture with hydrogenous
gases such as coal gas water gas &c. for producing gases of very high illuminating and
heating powers. This improved gas is comparatively cheap in cost comparatively safe
to handle and yet when ignited has a highly explosive force and again when inixed
with hydrogen or hydrogenous gases is practically non-explosive.
This improved gas usable as an explosive consists of oxygen charged with hydrogen
and carbon and this improved gas usable as an illuminating and heating gas consists
of the above mentioned mixture of oxygen hydrogen and carbon passed into and
admixed with ordinary coal gas water gas or such like.
In carrying out this invention I take commercially pure oxygen (whether par-
tially ozonised or not is immaterial) in a reservoir or holder preferably under
pressure and pass it through liquid hydro-carbon say crude oil gasoline benzine
kerosene naptha or such like in a mixing vessel in which it disassociates the
hydrogen and carbon and from which the whole commingle and are drawn off as
the improved gas. I am not particular as to what hydro-carbon I do use for if
I use one of great density I heat the oxygen before admitting it to the hydro-
carbon or I heat the vessel containing the latter. With hydro-carbons say spirits
or light oils of a density of say 72 by Sykes' Hydrometer I find ordinary tempe-
rature say sixty degrees (Fahrenheit) sufficient but with hydro-carbons say heavy
oils of say 900 density (Sykes' Flydrometer) I apply say two hundred and twelve
degrees (Fahrenheit) of heat say in a steam jacket round the mixing chamber.
To manufacture an illuminating gas or a heating gas 1 pass a certain quantity of
the explosive gas from the mixer into a gas holder containing the hydrogenous
gas. Any reasonable proportion will suffice within a range from one part by bulk
of my explosive gas to oue hundred parts of hydrogenous gas to one part explosive
to nearly but not quite two parts hydrogenous gas but the best proportion I now
know of for illuminating gas is say seven parts explosive to one hundred parts
hydrogenous gas and for heating gas say from fifteen to twenty parts explosive to one
hundred parts hydrogenous gas. The resultant of the former mixture is I find a
gas of very high illuminating power while the latter mixture produces a gas of great
heating power.
I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to any precise manner or
means of manufacturing my improved gas as an explosive or as an illuminating gas
or as a heating gas so long as the nature of my invention be retained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First An improved explosive gas manufactured by charging oxygen with hydrogen
and carbon preferably by passing the oxygen through liquid hydro-carbon substantially

page_text: Second An improved illuminating and heating gas manufactured by mixing my
improved explosive gas or oxygen charged with hydrogen and carbon with coal gas
water gas or other hydrogenous gas substantially as herein described and explained.
Dated this Twentieth day of July One thousand eight hundred and eighty nine.
EDWIN TATHAM.