AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING Gas
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING
ILLUMINATING Gas."-A communication from abroad by Henry
Krausse, of Mainz, Germany.
Sealed the 4th July 1873, and dated the 8th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lako
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th January 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MANU-
FACTURING ILLUMINATING GAS," a communication, to be as follows:-
The gas apparatus herein described differs from all hitherto used in
the simplicity of its construction, and avoids all the faults of the
methods practised hitherto for producing illuminating gas without fire.
.

page_text: The longer a given quantity of air remains in contact with a corre-
sponding quantity of gasoline the more intense is the mixture of
carburetted hydrogen vapor with air. This is so perfectly the case with
the apparatus herein described that the gas for a long time does not
diminish in illuminating power or condense in cold; it may therefore be
used in very long conduit pipes. The warming of the gasoline which
has been deemed necessary hitherto, and which is dangerous, is not
necessary. The apparatus is perfectly confined and consequently quite
safo, and it is itself regulating. Moreover this new gas is much cheaper
than coal gas.
The said improved apparatus consists of, first, a cast-iron turned
cylinder, divided by a partition into two equal parts, the air pump and
the carburetter; two head pieces support the cylinder and other parts
and are held together by pins of wrought iron. Second, a hollow axle
of wrought iron turns in a plummer block and stuffing boxes; upon this
axle is fixed the screw tumbler, and on its side is a chamber packed with
horschair and wrapped in linen or other porous stuff. Third, the said
apparatus also has a drum with a keyed pulley, pulley block, and
weight.
On the axle is fixed a small pulley, corresponding with the pulley on
the drum, an elbow pipe provided with a light valve establishes the
communication of the pneumatic apparatus with the external air, a
vane wheel regulates the motion, a regulator governs the pressure of
the gas upon the burners, and by a three-way cock the apparatus is
emptied of its contents.
The cylinder is filled to the middle by a funnel which is stopped by a
cock. The height of the naphtha is kept equal in both parts by means
of an aperture, and may be seen through a glass tube. The screw drum
which has channels leading to the axle presses the air taken in the
upper part of the cylinder uniformly and directly through the gasoline
(which in the form of gas enters the hollow axle) and thence in a piston
stuffed with horsehair impregnated with gasoline; hence the gas passes
uniform to the waste pipe, and thence to the conduit pipes. It is only
necessary to wind up a weight to put the apparatus in motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lako in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
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 "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING GAS," a communication to mo
from abroad by Henry Krausse, of Mainz, Germany, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my exccutors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner tho 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what mannor the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification.
The gas apparatus herein described differs from all hitherto used in
the simplicity of its construction, and avoids all the faults of the methods
practised hitherto for producing illuminating gas without fire.

page_text: The longer a given quantity of air remains in contact with a corre-
sponding quantity of gasoline the more intense is the mixture of
carburetted hydrogen vapour with air. This is so perfectly the case
with the apparatus herein described that the gas for a long time does
not diminish in illuminating power or condense in cold; it may there-
fore be used in very long conducting pipes. The warming of the
gasoline which has been deemed necessary hitherto, and which is
dangerous, is not necessary. The apparatus is perfectly confined and
consequently quite safe, and it is self regulating. Morcover this gas is
much cheaper than coal gas.
The said improved apparatus, as shown in the Drawing, consists of,
first, a cast-iron turned cylinder A, divided by a partition B in two equal
parts, the air pump H and the carburetter F; the two head pieces C, C,
support the cylinder and other parts, and are held together by pins D of
wrought iron. Second, a hollow axle E of wrought iron turns in a
plummer block and stuffing box G; upon this axle is fixed the screw
tumbler H, and on its side is a chamber T packed with horschair and
wrapped in linen or other porous stuff. Third, a drum P with a keyed
pulley, pulley block R, and weight S.
On the axle E is fixed a small pulley O, corresponding with the pulley Q
on the drum P. The knee U, provided with a light valve, establishes
the communication of the pneumatic apparatus with the air outside.
A vane wheel W, which is set in motion by the axle E, regulates the
motion. A regulator H governs the pressure of the gas upon the
burners, and by a three-way cock Y the apparatus is emptied of its
contents.
The cylinder A is fitted to the middle by a funnel K, which is stopped
by a cock. The height of the naphtha is kept equal in both parts by.
means of an aperture M, and may be seen through a glass tube N. The
screw drum H, which has channels Icading to the axle, presses the air
taken in the upper part of the cylinder uniformly, not through water as
has been the case hitherto, whereby the air was rendered humid, but
directly through the gasoline (which in the form of gas enters the hollow
axle) and thence into the piston T packed with horschair and im.
pregnated with gasoline; from here the gas goes most uniformly to the
waste pipo V, and thence to the conducting pipos. It is only
necessary therefore to wind up the weight S in order to put the apparatus

page_text: in motion. The quantity of gas depends upon the size and number of
the threads of the screw in the air pump and upon the quickness of the
latter. The air being dry in uniting with the naphtha vapours the mixture
of both is far more intense than heretofore.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention as com-
municated to me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. The construction of the air pump and the carburetter as above
described, the pump plunging into the gasoline itself and not into water.
Second. The connection of both of them within the same cylinder.
Third. The construction and use of the horsehair "piston T in its
particular connection with the gasoline box and the air pump.
Fourth. The axle E pierced with holes in its connection with the screw
drum or air pump H.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-threo.
Witness,
JAMES EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W". ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)