IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS AND TO THE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR"
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Clay Bull of Brooklyn New York, United States
of America, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE
MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS AND TO THE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Clay Bull at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th May 1883.
66
HENRY CLAY BULL of Brooklyn New York United States of America
'IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS
AND TO THE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
"
My Invention relates to certain improvements hereinafter more particularly
mentioned and in apparatus to be used in the manufacture of illuminating gas in
which is employed a new system or assemblage of parts adjusted into and working
as a whole and being mutually dependent.,
The essential features of my Improvements are; the use of coal pulverized to an
impalpable powder and de-sulphurized, mixed and charged with tar and treated in.
an upright retort in which the pulverized coal lies quiet and undisturbed during
the process of coking and generating gas, the coal being resolved into a firm and
solid mass of coke.
The essential features of my improved system for the manufacture of illuminating
gas are; the assemblage in combination of a pulverizer for reducing the coal, a
conveyor for elevating and desulphurizing the pulverized coal a mixer for mixing
the pulverized coal with tar, a travelling closed charging hopper for conveying the
tar-charged pulverized coal to an arrangement of vertical retorts.
The novel features of my Improved apparatus are a steam or hot air jacketed :
conveyor, an archimedean armed mixer, a travelling closed charging hopper, an
arrangement of vertical retorts and fittings and retort bench and furnace.
Previous to my Invention in the use of crushed coal it has been amongst other
methods proposed to crush the coal into small pieces at the mouth of a horizontal,
or inclined retort and convey the crushed coal through the retort by means of a:

page_text: worm. It has also been proposed to manufacture gas from uncrushed coal in
vertical retorts, but as far as I can ascertain coal pulverized to an impalpable
powder and de-sulphurized has not been used prior to my Invention for the
manufacture of illuminating gas.
That my Invention may be understood I will first describe the improved
apparatus by which it is effected.
The improved de-sulphurizer and conveyor consists of a tube or pipe in which is
placed and works a worm, driven by suitable means. The pipe is steam jacketted
and lagged with a non-conducting material. The conveyor is placed at an incline
and supported on columns and is provided at its lower end with a hopper and at
its upper end with a chimney and a shoot.
The improved mixer consists of a box within which revolves a shaft carrying a
series of spirally arranged arms. The box is provided with a door at the end for
charging the travelling hopper next described.
The improved travelling hopper consists of an egg shaped vessel which is
provided with a closing lid at the top and a sliding door at the bottom, the close lid
at the top being the lid through which the pulverized and tar charged coal passes
into the travelling hopper and the lower sliding door being the door through
which the coal passes out into the retorts. The hopper is also provided with a
lever arrangement by which it is raised and lowered to and from the mixer and
onto and off the retorts. The hopper is suspended by a breaches bracket from
an overhead rail, or rails along which it is moved to and fro as required.
.The improved arrangement of vertical retorts and fittings and retort bench, and
furnace, consists of two rows of vertical conical retorts set in parallel rows with
their broadest ends downwards. each retort being provided at the top with a
sliding close lid and a provision to receive the discharging mouth of the travelling
hopper and at the bottom with a discharging door for withdrawing the coke.
The door is of double construction and is set up some distance into the retort so as
to keep the lowest contents of the retort on a level with the bottom of the furnace.
Each retort is provided with an internal central pipe which is tapered downwards
and perforated so that the gases as evolved will pass into such pipe from the top of
which they are conveyed by a branch pipe to the hydraulic main. The retort
bench is raised so as to allow the withdrawal of the coke en bloc from the retort
and to be lowered into trucks directly beneath for conveying it away. One end of
the bench is supported on columns the other end being supported on brickwork.
A gas producer similar to the Siemens type is built onto this end the gas from
which is used for heating the retorts the furnace being of a similar principle to the
well known German furnace. The air which is used to support the combustion of
the heating gas is passed through hot pipes which are preferably heated by the
waste gases of the retort furnace, these pipes being set in the flues which convey
away the waste gases and form part of the bench, the flues being arranged one on
each side of the retort furnace and lead into a culvert below the bench, which leads
to a chimney. The hydraulic mains are set one on each side of the retort bench
the gas pipes from the retorts leading into them.
'
The system which I employ in the manufacture of illuminating gas consists as
follows I first subject the coal to be used which is slack coal to atmospheric
influence so as to de-sulphurize it as far as possible by such means and wash it
as usual for high-class coke I then take this coal and pass it through a pulverizer
which reduces it to an impalpable powder. This pulverizer is set on a suitable
foundation and feeds the pulverized coal to the bottom of the desulphurizing and
conveyor pipe which is so located as to extend from the pulverizer to the mixer
and elevate and convey the pulverized coal as it is discharged from the pulverizer
up to the mixer. during the passage of the pulverized coal through the steam
jacketted conveyor it is dried and desulphurized (the sulphurous vapours escaping
through the chimney at the top of the conveyor) and in that condition is fed into
the mixer through a shoot and is charged with coal tar and well mixed. The
mixer is so located at the end of the retort bench that the rails on which the

page_text: travelling hopper is suspended enable the close lid of travelling hopper to be
brought against the discharging door of the mixer. By opening the mixer door
and hopper lid the hopper will receive its charge of tar-charged pulverized coal
at a temperature of about 200° Fahrenheit. The hopper lid and mixer door are
then closed and the hopper is made to travel on the rails so as to come over one
of the vertical retorts onto which it is lowered so as to make joint therewith and
after opening the retort lid and bottom door of the hopper the charge passes the
retort. The retort lid and the hopper door are then closed and the hopper is
moved back to the mixer to receive another charge which is in a similar manner
transferred to the next retort and so on throughout the whole bench. As the
charge of each retort is "burnt off" the coke is removed en bloc from the bottom
of the retort by opening the discharging door which allows the coke to fall into
a truck underneath the bench.
The improvements in the manufacture of the illuminating gas consists as
follows: In allowing slack coal to be exposed to the air for some time so that
a large percentage of the sulphur which exists in the coal as sulphuret of iron,
becomes oxidised and escapes: In washing such coal as practiced in making high
class coke and then reducing such coal to an impalpable powder and passing it
through a dryer and desulphurizer such as the conveyor before described during
which operation and during the time it is being elevated the moisture always
present in the coal is evaporated The sulphur which exists in the coal as
bisulphide of iron is oxidized by the moisture and air passing through the elevator
with the coal and escapes as sulphurous acid, the desulphurization being facilitated
by the heat jacket.
In causing the pulverized coal to arrive in the mixer entirely free from moisture
and comparatively free from sulphur. In mixing the powdered desulphurized coal
with coal-tar, naptha and in conveying such coal in a closed receptacle to the
retorts and charging such retorts by the closed receptacle, the retort and receptacle
being in air tight communication In the use of the coal prepared as above
described in an upright retort in which the powdered coal lies quiet and undisturbed
during the process of "burning off" and coking and is coked into a firm and solid
mass and of great strength In producing a gas comparatively free from sulphuretted
hydrogen by the system herein described.
Amongst others the advantages attendant are;-By removing a large portion
of the sulphur before the coal is placed in the retort there is but little bisulphate.
of carbon formed and as this substance has to be removed from the gas by
purification the illuminating power of ordinary gas is reduced exactly in proportion
to the carbon removed from same.
But a small portion of illuminating gas furnishes light the bulk being marsh gas
hydrogen and other non illuminating gases. By my system, inasmuch as the
proportion of carbon is increased so is the illuminating power of the gas increased.
By the use of slack coal the cost of production is reduced. By my system a greater
quantity of high class coke is made, and the labour of stoking is enormously.
reduced. By the coal being freed from moisture and heated to a temperature of
200° Fahrenheit there is a much less quantity of heat in the furnace to "burn off".
the charge. The entire surface of the retort has coal in contact with it. In
ordinary gas making only about one third of the retort has coal in contact with it,
the remaining two thirds to a certain extent destroy the illuminating power of
the gas by causing the carbon to dissociate from the same. The temperature
surrounding the retorts will be maintained much higher than is at present the case
n gas making.
The before mentioned advantages all go to increase the quantity of gas mode in .
a retort in a given time.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Clay Bull in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th November 1883.
HENRY CLAY BULL, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America,
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS
AND TO THE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
My Invention relates to certain improvements hereinafter more particularly
mentioned, and in apparatus to be used in the manufacture of illuminating gas, in
which is employed a new system, or assemblage of parts adjusted into and working
as a whole and being mutually dependent.
The essential features of my Improvements are; the use of coal pulverized to an
impalpable powder and desulphurized, mixed and charged with tar and treated.in
an upright retort in which the pulverized coal lies quiet and undisturbed during
the process of cokeing and generating gas, the coal being resolved into a firm and
solid mass of coke..
The essential features of my improved system for the manufacture of illuminating
gas are the assemblage in combination of a pulverizer for reducing the coal, a
conveyor for elevating and desulphurizing the pulverized coal, a mixer for mixing
the pulverized coal with tar, a travelling closed charging hopper for conveying the
tar charged pulverized coal to an arrangement of vertical retorts.
The novel features of my improved apparatus are: a steam, or hot air jacketted
conveyer, an archimedean armed mixer, a travelling closed charging hopper, an
arrangement of vertical retorts and fittings and retort bench and furnace.
Previous to my Invention, in the use of crushed coal it has been amongst other
methods proposed to crush. the coal into small pieces at the mouth of a horizontal,
or inclined retort, and convey the crushed coal through the retort by means of a
worm. It has also been proposed to manufacture gas from uncrushed coal in
vertical retorts, but as far as I can ascertain coal pulverized to an impalpable
powder and desulphurized has not been used prior to my Invention for the
manufacture of illuminating gas.
That my Invention may be understood I will first describe the improved
apparatus by which it is effected.
The improved desulphurizer and conveyer consists of a tube, or pipe in which is
placed and works a worm driven by suitable means. The pipe is steam jacketted
and lagged with a non conducting material. The conveyer is placed at an incline
and supported on columns and is provided at its lower end with a hopper and at
its upper end with a chimney and a shoot. The improved mixer consists of a box
within which revolves a shaft carrying a series of spirally arranged arms. The box
is provided with a door at the end for charging the travelling hopper next
described.
The improved travelling hopper consists of an egg shaped vessel, which is
provided with a closing lid at the top and a sliding door at the bottom, the close
lid at the top being the lid through which the pulverized and tar charged coal
passes into the travelling hopper and the lower sliding door, being the door
through which the coal passes out into the retorts. The hopper is also provided
with a lever arrangement by which it is raised and lowered to and from the mixer
and onto and off the retorts. The hopper is suspended by a breeches bracket from
an over head rail, or rails, along which it is moved to and fro as required.
The improved arrangement of vertical retorts and fittings and retort bench and
furnace consists of two rows of vertical conical retorts set in parallel rows with

page_text: their brodest ends downwards each retort being provided at the top with a sliding
close lid and a provision to receive the discharging mouth of the travelling hopper
and at the bottom with a discharging door for withdrawing the coke.-The door is
of double construction and is set up some distance into the retort, so as to keep the
lowest contents of the retort on a level with the bottom of the furnace. Each
retort is provided with an internal central pipe which is tapered downwards and
perforated so that the gases as evolved will pass into such pipe from the top of
which they are conveyed by a branch pipe to the hydraulic main. The retort
bench is raised so as to allow the withdrawal of the coke en bloc from the retort
and to be lowered into trucks directly beneath for conveying it away. One end of
the bench is supported on columns, the other end being supported on brickwork.
A gas producer similar to the Siemens type is built onto this end, the gas from
which is used for heating the retorts, the furnace being of a similar principle to the
well known Gormon furnace. The air which is used to support the combustion of
the heating gas is passed through hot pipes which are preferably heated by the
waste gases of the retort furnace, these pipes being set in the flues, which convey
away the waste gases and form part of the bench, the flues being arranged one on
each side of the retort furnace and lead into a culvert below the bench, which
leads to a chimney. The hydraulic mains are set one on each side of the retort
bench, the gas pipes from the retorts leading into them.
The system which I employ in the manufacture of illuminating gas consists as
follows: I first subject the coal to be used, which is slack coal to atmospheric
influence so as to desulphurize it as far as possible by such means and wash it as
usual for high class coke. I then take this coal and pass it alone, or in mixed
combination with crushed lime in proportion about one half cwt of lime to one ton
of coal through a pulverizer, which reduces it to an impalpable powder. This
pulverizer is set on a suitable foundation and feeds the pulverized coal or coal
pulverized in combination with the lime and thoroughly mixed to the bottom of
the desulphurizing and conveyer pipe, which is so located as to extend from the
pulverizer to the mixer and elevate and convey the pulverized coal or coal and
lime as it is discharged from the pulverizer up to the mixer, during the passage of
the pulverized coal through the steam jacketted conveyer it is dried and desul-
phurized (the sulphurous vapours escaping through the chimney at the top of the
conveyer) and in that condition is fed into the mixer through a shoot and is
charged with coal tar and well mixed. The mixer is so located at the end of the
retort bench that the rails on which the travelling hopper is suspended enable the
close lid of the travelling hopper to be brought against the discharging door of the
mixer. By opening the mixer door and hopper lid, the hopper will receive its
charge of tar-charged pulverized coal or coal and lime at a temperature of about
200° Fahrenheit. The hopper lid and mixer door are then closed and the hopper
is made to travel on the rails so as to come over one of the vertical retorts onto
which it is lowered so as to make joint therewith and after opening the retort lid
and bottom door of the hopper, the charge passes into the retort. The retort
lid and the hopper door are then closed and the hopper is moved back to the
mixer to receive another charge which is in a similar manner transferred to the
next retort and so on throughout the whole bench. As the charge of each retort is
"burnt off" the coke is removed en bloc from the bottom of the retort by opening
the discharging door, which alows the coke to fall into a truck underneath the
bench..
The improvements in the manufacture of the illuminating gas consist as
follows. In allowing slack coal to be exposed to the air for some time, so that a
large per centage of the sulphur which exists in the coal as sulphuret of iron
becomes oxidized and escapes: In washing such coal, as practised in making high
class coke and then reducing such coal or coal and lime to an impalpable powder
and passing it through a dryer and desulphurizer, such as the conveyer before
described, during which operation and during the time it is being elevated, the
moisture always present in the coal is evaporated. The sulphur which exists in

page_text: -
the coal as sulphuret of iron is oxidized by the moisture and air passing through
the elevator with the coal and escapes as sulphurous acid, the desulphurization
being facilitated by the heat jacket.
In causing the pulverized coal to arrive in the mixer entirely free from moisture
and comparatively free from sulphur. In mixing the powdered desulphurized coal
with coal tar or naptha, and in conveying such coal in a closed receptacle to the
retorts and charging such retorts by the closed receptacle, the retort and receptacle
being in air tight communication. In the use of the coal prepared as above
described in an upright retort in which the powdered coal lies quiet and undis-
turbed during the process of "burning off" and cokeing and is coked into a firm
and solid mass and of great strength. In producing a gas comparatively free from
sulphuretted hydrogen by the system herein described.
Amongst others, the advantages attendant are. By removing a large portion of
the sulphur before the coal is placed in the retort, there is but little bi-sulphate of
carbon formed, and as this substance has to be removed from the gas by purification,
the illuminating power of ordinary gas is reduced exactly in proportion to the
carbon removed from same. But a small portion of illuminating gas furnishes
light, the bulk being marsh gas, hydrogen and other non illuminating gases By my
system inasmuch as the proportion of carbon is increased, so is the illuminating
power of the gas increased. By the use of slack coal the cost of production is
reduced. By my system a greater quantity of high class coke is made and the
labour of stokeing is enormously reduced. By the coal being freed from moisture
and heated to a temperature of 200° Fahrenheit there is a much less quantity of
heat required in the furnace to burn off the charge.. The entire surface of the
retort has coal in contact with it. In ordinary gas making only about one third
of the retort has coal in contact with it, the remaining two thirds to a certain
extent destroy the illuminating power of the gas by causing the carbon to dissociate
from the same. The temperature surrounding the retorts will be maintained much
higher than is at present the case in gas making.
The before mentioned advantages go to increase the quantity of gas made in a
retort in a given time.
The beforegoing being the nature, object and purposes of my Invention, I will
now proceed to describe more in detail how the same may be carried out into
practical effect and for that purpose I have hereunto attached two sheets of
Drawings, which are marked with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation, like letters and figures being used to
denote like parts throughout the various figures
REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed according to this
Invention shown partly in section.
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1 shown partly in section.
Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section through X X Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of retort lid.
Figure 6 is a plan of Figure 5.
The
It will be seen that the improved desulphurizer and conveyer consists of a tube,
or pipe A in which is placed and works a worm B, driven by suitable means.
pipe A is steam jacketted and lagged with a non conducting material. The conveyer
is placed at an incline and supported on columns, and is provided at its lower end
with a hopper C and at its upper end with a chimney A' and a shoot A². The
improved mixer consists of a box D within which revolves a shaft D' carrying a
series of spirally arranged arms D³ The box D is provided with a door D³ at the
end for charging the travelling hopper E, which consists of an egg shaped vessel,
which is provided with a closing lid E¹ at the top and a sliding door E₁ at the
bottom, the closed lid E at the top, being the lid through which the pulverized

page_text: and tar charged coal passes into the hopper E and the lower sliding door Es being
the door through which the coal passes out into the retorts. The hopper E is also
provided with a lever arrangement e, by which it is raised and lowered to and'
from the mixer D and onto and off the retorts. The hopper E is suspended by a
breeches bracket e¹ from an overhead rail, or rails e³ along which it is moved to and
fro as required. The improved arrangement of vertical retorts and fittings and
retort bench and furnace consists of two rows of vertical conical retorts F set in
parallel rows with their broadest ends downwards, each retort being provided at
the top with a sliding close lid F' and a provision to receive the discharging mouth
of the travelling hopper E and at the bottom with a discharging door F² for with-
drawing the coke, the door F is of double construction and is set up some distance
into the retort F so as to keep the lowest contents of the retort F on a level with
the bottom of the furnace H. Each retort is provided with an internal central
pipe J which is tapered downwards and perforated so that the gases evolved will
pass into such pipe J from the top top of which they are conveyed by a branch
pipe I to the hydraulic main K. The retort bench Hi is raised so as to allow the
withdrawal of the coke en bloc from the retorts F and to be lowered into the trucks L
directly beneath for conveying it away. One end of the bench H is supported on
columns H2, the other end being supported on brickwork H³. A gas producer M
similar to the Siemens type is built on this end H³, the gas from which is used
for heating the retorts F, the furnace H being of a similar principle to the well
known Gormon furnace. The air which is used to support the combustion of the
beating gas is passed through bot pipes h, which are preferably heated by the waste
gases of the retort furnace H, these pipes h being set in the flues H* which convey
away the waste gases and form part of the bench H' the flues H' being arranged
one on each side of the retort furnace H and led into a culvert H* below the
bench H', which leads to a chimney. The hydraulic mains K are set one on each
side of the retort bench H¹, the gas pipes I from the retorts F leading into them.
The gas producer M is fed through the hopper M¹.
The system, which I employ in the manufacture of illuminating gas consists as
follows, I first subject the coal to be used, which is slack coal to atmospheric
influences so as to desulphurize it as far as possible by such means and wash it as
usual for high class coke. I then take this coal and pass it alone, or in mixed
combination with crushed lime in proportion about one half cwt of lime to one
ton of coal, through a pulverizer N, which is placed over the hopper C. This
pulverizer reduces it to an impalpable powder and feeds the pulverized coal, or
coal pulverized in combination with the lime and thoroughly mixed, to the bottom
of the desulphurizing and conveyer pipe A, which is so located as to extend from
the pulverizer N to the mixer D and convey the pulverized coal, or coal and lime,
as it is discharged from the pulverizer N up to the mixer D, during the passage of
the pulverized coal through the steam jacketted conveyer A, it is dried and
desulphurized (the sulphurous vapours escaping through the chimney A¹ at the
top of the conveyer) and the coal in that condition is fed into the mixer D through
the shoot A2 and is charged with coal tar and well mixed. The mixer D is so
located at the end of the retort bench H that the rails e* on which the travelling
hopper E is suspended enable the close lid E' of the travelling hopper E to be
brought against the discharging door D³ of the mixer D. By opening the mixer
door D³ and hopper lid E', the hopper E will receive its charge of tar charged
pulverized coal, or coal and lime at a temperature of about 200° Fahrenheit. The
hopper lid E' and the mixer door D³ are then closed and the hopper E is made to
travel on the rails e² so as to come over one of the vertical retorts F on which it
is lowered so as to make joint therewith and after opening the retort, the lid F"
and the bottom door E' of the hopper E, the charge passes into the retort F. The
retort lid F¹ and the hopper door E³ are then closed and the hopper E is moved
back to the mixer D to receive another charge in a similar manner transferred to
the next retort and so on throughout the whole bench H. As the charge of each
retort F is "burnt off," the coke is removed en block from the bottom of the

page_text: retort F by opening the discharging door F2 which allows the coke to fall into a
truck L underneath the bench H
The improvements in the manufacture of illuminating gas consist as follows: in
allowing slack coal to be exposed to the air for some time so that a large per centage
of the sulphur, which exists in the coal as sulphurate of iron becomes oxydized
and escapes. In washing such coal as practised in making high class coke and
then reducing such coal to an impalpable powder and passing it through a drier
and desulphurizer, such as the conveyer A before described during which operation
and during the time it is being elevated, the moisture always present in the coal is
evaporated. The sulphur which exists in the coal as sulphuret of iron is oxydized
by the moisture and air passing through the elevator A with the coal and escapes
as sulphurous acid, the desulphurization being facilitated by the heat jacket a.
In causing the pulverized coal to arrive in the mixer D entirely free from moisture
and comparatively free from sulphur. In mixing the powdered desulphurized coal
with coal tar or naptha and in conveying such coal in a close receptacle E to the
retorts F, and charging such retorts F by the closed receptacle E the retort F and
receptacle E being in air tight communication In the use of coal prepared as
above described in an upright retort F in which the powdered coal lies quiet and
undisturbed during the process of "burning off" and cokeing and is coked into a
firm and solid mass and of great strength. In producing a gas comparatively free
from sulphuretted hydrogen by the system herein described.
The beforegoing being a description of this Invention showing the method of
putting the same into practice, I would have it understood that I do not claim the
fact of exposing and washing slack coal, or pulverizing such coal, neither do I
claim the use of vertical retorts as such are not new, but what I claim as my
Invention and secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent is:
First In the manufacture of illuminating gas from coal, the use of coal
pulverized to a powder, and desulphurized as herein described and for the purposes
specified.
Second The system herein described of manufacturing illuminating gas from
coal, which system consists of pulverizing slack coal, which has been exposed to
the air and washed and drying and desulphurizing such coal, then charging and
mixing such pulverized and desulphurized coal with tar and conveying such
pulverized, desulphurized and tar charged coal to vertical retorts in closed hoppers,
substantially as herein described and for the purposes set forth.
.
Third The conveyer and desulphurizer A B mixer D closed hopper E, retorts F
and retort bench H and gas producer M all arranged and operating as herein
set forth and constructed as described and as shown in the accompanying Drawings
for the purposes set forth.
In Witness whereof, I, the said Henry Clay Bull have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this first day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
HENRY CLAY BULL (L.S.)