Year: 1889

page_text: I, JOHN D. AVERELL, of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings and State of New York,
United States of America, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following Statement. :-
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for generating wood gas, and it
consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts more
fully described hereinafter and particularly pointe out in the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings;
Figure 1, represents a vertical longitudinal section of a retort bench.
Figure 2, is a front view of the same in a more reduced scale.
Figure 3, is a cross section of retort and cartridge.
Figure 4, is a vertical section of a wood cartridge in position while smothering its
contents.
In the drawings, A, represents a suitable furnace in which one or more wood
distilling retorts B B, are employed, and an oil retort (, preferably located above the
retorts B. B.
D, indicates the fire chamber. E, the ash pit, F, the grato, G, the bridge wall,
and H, the fire and ash pit doors.
The retoris B, and C, have beneath them tiles I, for the protection of their bottoms
against the intense heat.
The furnace is suitably arched over the retorts to distribute the heat over them, and
the top of the rear part of the arch connects with the chimney J, of the furnace.
The oil retort C, passes through the fornace and has suitable lids on each end
which can be readily removed for cleaning the retort.
The oil for this retort is heated in the heating pipe Z, which is arranged partly in
the lining of the furnace and passes the oil several times back and forth in the furnace.
Said retort has one central chamber and one to each side of said central chamber
into which two chambers the oil is introduced and passes from said pipe Z, to said
chambers and from thence into said central chamber from which the oil gas passos
by means of the stand pipe b, to the hydraulic main K, located on the top of the
bench.

page_text: e
The gases generated in the wood retorts pass into the same hydraulic main by means
of the stand pipes L, and all gases contained in the hydraulic main pass through the
usual scrubbing process and from there to the holder for use.
The wood retorts B B. have each a suitable mouth piece N, furnished with a
proper jointed door O, strongly hinged to said mouth piece, and each door is
furnished with a hinged pressure bar P, carrying the pressure screw R, and a
slotted staple or other suitable fastening is provided for the loose end of the
pressure bar.
The retorts may be round or other shape, the D shape is the shape preferred, as
shown.
2. represents a steam pipe which may be connected direct with a steam boiler or it
may be connected with a steam heating or hot water pipe passing through the lining
of the retort furnace as shown in figure 2. For each retort such a pipe 2, is employed
entering at the mouth piece and passing to the rear or inner end of the retort to
discharge a suitably regulated amount of steam during the process of distillation and
to come in contact with the wood.
In each retort for the charge of wood I employ a solid sheet metal wood
cartridge M, which has its forward end tightly closed and furnished with a handle T.
The rear end of this cartridge is open and it being charged with wood, the closed end
is held down and the wood inserted from the top into the open end of the cartridge.
Relative to the dimensions of the retorts, said cartridge is made smaller to allow
the gases generated to pass between the inner side of the retort and over the outside
of the cartridge; for which purpose the bottom of the cartridge is made concavo to
allow a longitudinal passage under it.
Said concave portion at the bottom of each cartridge and over the bottom of
each retort forms a very liot space through which the highly heated gases pass,
thereby fixing the same. By means of the steam pipe z, the steam is conducted to
the wood and disentegrates and softens the solid matters and extracts the same, and
in this way assisting beneficially in the generation of gas.
Relative to the length of the retort the cartridge is made sufficiently shorter to.
allow plenty of space for the generated gases to escape from the open end of the
cartridge into the rear end of the retort, from where the gases pass forward over the
cartridge to the mouth piece from which they pass into the stand pipes to the
hydraulic main.
The gases passing close to the sides of the highly heated retort.are superheated
and fixed by the same before passing from the retort. Several of the cartridges are
usually employed to enable the attendant to have a ready charged cartridge on hand
as soon as required.
After the gas is extracted from the wood the retort is opened and the cartridge is
quickly withdrawn, a flat cover (not shown) is then placed over its open end down
(the flat cover having been removed) to seal said end and exclude the air from the
charcoal. So that the charcoal within the cartridge is smothered and saved from
consumption and reduction and consequently is produced in a valuable mercantile
condition. The. cartridge withdrawn from the retort is immediately substituted by a
second cartridge, ready charged and thereupon the retort is closed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
11
.
*
: 1st In a wood gas generating, apparatus, the combination with a closed retort, of
an imperforate wood.cartridge case, having an open inner end and adapted. to
removably rest in said.retort and leave heating spaces between the cartridge and
inner wall of the retort, and a steam supply pipe extending into said retort. between
its inner wall and the cartridge to discharge steam at or near the inner open end of
the cartridge for the purpose set forth.
2d The process for manufacturing wood gas which consists first in charging an
imperforated cartridge with wood, then inserting said cartridge in a closed horizontal

page_text: retort, then highly heating said retort, then admitting steam into said cartridge for
disentegrating and softening the wood for more readily extracting the gases, then
superheating and fixing the gases by passing them to the rear open end of the
cartridge and back between the cartridge and the retort, and then admitting oil
with the wood gas in a separate retort, substantially as described.
The process for manufacturing wood gas and its residuum which consists in
first charging an imperforated cartridge with wood, then inserting said cartridge
in a closed horizontal retort which is highly heated, then admitting steam into
said retort and cartridge for disentegrating and softening the wood for moro
effectually extracting the gases therefrom, then superheating and fixing the gases
by passing them to and through the rear open end of the cartridge and from there
forward between said cartridge and the wall of the retort, and finally after the
gases are extracted from the charge, to open the retort and extracting the cartridge
quickly sealing its open end and smothering the residuum while closed from the air,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4th The wood gas generating apparatus shewn in and described with reference to,
the annexed drawing.