IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF Gas
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Andrew McIntosh Valon, Engineer, and
Manager of the Isle of Thanet Gas Works, of Ramsgate, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF Gas.”
Sealed the 9th December 1873, and dated the 13th September 1873.
•
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Andrew
McIntosh Valon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 13th September 1873.
I, WILLIAM ANDREW MCINTOSH VALON, Engineer, and Manager of
the Isle of Thanet Gas Works, of Ramsgate, in the County of Kent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the relief of the retort from pressure
during the process of distillation by removing the seal from the hydraulic
main so as to admit of the gas passing freely thereto, or by an adjust-
ment of allowing a small or any amount of seal that may be found
desirable in practice, and consists in supporting the hydraulic main by
brackets connected to the buckstaves, or upon independent pillars in

page_text: front of the retort benches, and allowing the ascension pipes to enter the
hydraulic through its bottom and project some distance within it.
On the top of the hydraulic main is constructed a water trough which
is kept supplied with water to a constant height by means of a ball cock
and overflow pipe. Immediately above each ascension pipe and in the
top of the hydraulic is made an orifice which is surrounded by a short
upright pipe or cylinder. Over this pipe or cylinder a cap or cover is
made to pass, and attached to the top of it in the interior is a pipe of
such size as will pass easily through the short pipe on the hydraulic, and
over the ascension pipe which projects within it. In the top of the cap
a hole is formed of the same size as the pipe secured to it, this hole is
ordinarily closed by a plate and secured by a cross bar and cottar.
Fixed to the hydraulic main are one or more brackets or standards, to
which are attached pullies, in such way as to allow of a cord or chain
passing over them so as to support the cap, the other end of the cord or
chain being furnished with a counterbalance weight and hook or other
suitable catch. In lieu of the pullies the brackets or standards may
serve as a fulcrum for a lever, one end of which is attached by a suitable
joint to the top of the cap, and the other is furnised with a rod or
chain and hook.
The application of the apparatus is as follows:-The retort being
supposed to be out of action, water being supplied to the trough on the
hydraulic and the hydraulic containing the usual amount of liquid, the cap
or cover with its attendant pipe is placed in position, when the cap or
cover will be immersed in the water in the trough, and the pipe which
covers the ascension will be also immersed, but in the liquid contained in
the hydraulic main. The hole in the cap is then covered by the plate,
which is secured, and the cap attached to the lever. A perfect seal is
now formed, and no gas contained in the hydraulic main can escape.
When the retort is charged and the lid fastened the operator pulls down
the rod or chain and hooks it on to some part of the lid fittings, the
result is that the cap or cover with its attendant pipe is raised sufficiently
high to unseal the ascension and permit the gas to flow freely into the
hydraulic, but not high enough to break the efficiency of the seal to the
cap, consequently no gas can escape from the hydraulic.
Should it be found desirable to work the ascension with a dip or seal,.
all that is necessary is to adjust the height to which the interior pipe
shall be raised when the requisite dip or seal will be obtained.

page_text: In the event of any obstruction occuring in the ascension pipe, by
taking off the plate on the top of the cap access in a direct line is at
once obtained to the ascension, and the greatest facility afforded for the
removal of any impediment or objectionable matter.
Although the Inventor prefers that the hydraulic should be supported
otherwise than by the retort bed, it is by no means imperative that it
should be so, as by a slight modification and addition to the ascension
pipe the present hydraulic may be made available.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Andrew McIntosh Valon in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 13th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ANDREW MCINTOSH VALON, Engineer, and Manager of the Isle of Thanet
Gas Works, Ramsgate, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Andrew
McIntosh Valon, Her special licence that I, the said William Andrew
McIntosh Valon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Andrew McIntosh Valon, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Andrew McIntosh Valon, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent -

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Andrew McIntosh Valon,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and.ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the relief of the retort from pressure
during the process of distillation by removing the seal from the hydraulic
main so as to admit of the gas passing freely thereto, or by an adjust-
ment of allowing a small or any amount of seal that may be found.
desirable, and consists in supporting the hydraulic main by brackets
connected to the buckstaves, or upon independent pillars in front of the
retort benches and allowing the ascension pipes to enter the hydraulic
through its bottom and project some distance within it.
In the top of the hydraulic main orifices are made immediately over each
ascension pipe, and around each orifice an annular water tank is formed.
These water tanks are connected together by a pipe from cach tank to
the adjoining one so as to admit of water being supplied to them, and
kept at an uniform and constant level by means of a ball cock and over-
flow pipe. This arrangement is seen in Fig. 1.
Instead of the foregoing a water trough may be constructed on the
top of the hydraulic main, and stretching from end to end of it, as seen
in Fig. 2. In this case a short upright cylinder or pipe only instead of.
the annular tank surrounds each orifice in the top of the hydraulic.
Whichever form of tank or water trough is adopted a cylinder, cap, or
bell is made to pass over the short upright pipe or inner ring of the
annular tank; and attached to the top of it in the interior is a pipe of
such size as will pass easily through the short pipe on the hydraulic, and
over the ascension pipe which projects within it. In the top of the cap
a hole is formed of the same or nearly the same size as the pipe secured
to it. This hole is ordinarily closed by a plate and secured by a cross
bar and cottar or screw. Fixed to the hydraulic main are one or more
brackets or standards to which are attached pullies in such a way as to a
allow of a cord or chain passing over them so as to support the cap and.
pipe, the other end of the cord or chain being furnished with a hook or

page_text: other suitable catch. In lieu of the pullies the brackets or standards
may serve as a fulcrum for a lever, one end of which is attached by a
suitable joint to the top of the cap, and the other is furnished with a rod
or chain and hook.
When the cap and pipe are supported from two points, as in Figs. 2
and 3, it is desirable that the chain on the opposite side to that on which
the pull is exerted should be furnished with a counterbalance weight.
A modification of the tank or water trough arrangement is shown in
Fig. 4, wherein the trough or tanks are constructed so as to be depressed
to a level, or slightly above the level of the top of the hydraulic main.
In order that the foregoing may be more easily understood, Drawings
are attached hereto of which the following is a description.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the arrangement when a separate
and annular tank is attached to the hydraulic over each ascension pipe,
and shows the cap or cover, tank, and pipe, as made principally of cast
or sheet iron.
Fig. 2 exhibits a sectional elevation of the plan adopted when the
trough is made to extend the whole length of the hydraulic.
Fig. 3 is a modification of Fig. 1, and represents another method of
supporting the cap or bell and pipe; and Fig. 4 illustrates the depressed
water tanks, or extended trough before referred to. In the Figs. similar
letters refer to the same parts in each of the illustrations.
A is the hydraulic main; B, the ascension pipe formed at top with a
guide C to ensure that the covering pipe D shall pass over it without
obstruction. E, Figs. 1 and 3, is the annular tank; and F, the cap or
bell. G is the cover made removable and secured by a cross bar and:
screw H; I, I, are the standards carrying the wheels, pullies, and lever,
over which the chains J, J, pass to support the cap or bell F and
covering pipe D. K, K, are the counterbalance weights before alluded
to. L, Fig. 2, represents the long water trough; and M, Fig. 4, shows
the depressed water tank or trough. In each of the Figs. 2, 3, and 4,
the principal parts are depicted as made of cast iron; but portions of
them may be made of sheet iron, if preferred, as in Fig. 1.
The application of the apparatus is as follows:-The retort being
5 supposed to be out of action, water being supplied to the trough or,

page_text: annular tanks on the hydraulic, and the hydraulic containing the usual
amount of liquid, the cap or cover with its attendant pipe is placed in
position, when the cap or cover will be immersed in the water in the.
trough, and the pipe which covers the ascension will be also immersed, but
in the liquid contained in the hydraulic main. The hole in the cap is then
covered by the plate, which is secured, and the cap attached to the lever.
A perfect seal is now formed, and no gas contained in the hydraulic
main can escape.
When the retort is charged and the lid fastened the
attendant pulls down the rod or chain and hooks it on to some part of
the lid fittings. The result is that the cap or cover with its attendant
pipe is raised sufficiently high to unseal the ascension pipe, and permit
the gas to flow freely into the hydraulic, but not high enough to break
the efficiency of the seal to the cap, consequently no gas can escape
from the hydraulic.
Should it be found desirable to work the ascension with a dip or seal,
all that is necessary is to adjust the height to which the interior pipe
shall be raised, when the requisite dip or seal will be obtained.
In the event of any obstruction occurring in the ascension pipe, by
taking off the plate on the top of the cap access in a direct line is at
once obtained to the ascension pipe, and the greatest facility afforded for 2
the removal of any impediment or objectionable matter.
Although the Inventor prefers that the hydraulic should be supported
otherwise than by the retort bed, it is by no means imperative that it
should be so, as by the introduction of a bend between the ascension
pipe and the hydraulic main the present hydraulic main may be made 2
available.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is, or may be used, or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have 3
described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention, but
what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
Firstly. The covering or dip pipe D attached to a cap, cover, or bell F
which is exposed to the air.
3

page_text: Secondly. The extended water tanks L exhibited in Fig. 2.
And, Thirdly. The depressed water tanks or extended trough M,
Fig. 4.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Andrew McIntosh Valon,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
WILLIAM A. MI. VALON. (L.S.)