IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Emerson Dowson, of 52, Claverton Street, London,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS."
Sealed the 4th March 1879, and dated the 10th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Emerson Dowson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October 1878.
JOSEPH EMERSON Dowson, of 52, Claverton Street, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF GAS."
The improvements relate to apparatus intended for making water gas for heating,
illuminating, or other purposes, and consists in arranging one or more gas generators
vertically or otherwise, having special furnace bar appliances, and in forcing through
incandescent fuel therein and thereon one or more blasts of super-heated steam,
either alone or combined with hot or cold air, or a regulated quantity of either or
both. Also in arranging the grate to carry the fire in the generator in such manner
that when desired the whole or a portion only of the grate can be moved open,
slided out, or withdrawn in one or more pieces, and so allow of the removal of
clinkers, and so forth. Also in arranging the steam blast so that it may play when
required into an opening in or pipe attached to the generator through which air cau
be drawn from outside the generator; the diameter of the air opening or pipe being
made greater than that of the hole in the nozzle from which the said blast issues,
so that it induces a current of air to pass, the said opening or pipe being provided
with a moveable slide, cap, nozzle, or equivalent contrivance for regulating the
admission of steam only, or steam combined with any desired quantity of air, hot
or cold; also in an arrangement of a moveable pin or similar contrivance fitted to
the steam pipe, jet, or tap for the purpose of clearing quickly and easily the
passageway through the nozzle of said steam pipe, jet, or tap. Also in an arrange-
ment for increasing the heating power of the water gas by introducing liquid or

page_text: solid hydrocarbons into the generator. Also in an arrangement for heating or
drying peat or other fuel by means of the radiated or waste heat from the generator
previously to its being introduced into the generator. And lastly, in an arrange-
ment of one or more retorts or convertors for making illuminating gas by converting
the vapours of liquid or solid hydrocarbons into permanent gas or gases, either
before or after being mixed with water gas made in the apparatus above described,
or otherwise. The retorts are made with one or more partitions running nearly the
whole length of said retorts so as to afford a large heating surface, and when desired
some of the space formed by the said partitions can be filled in with loose pieces of
pumice, fire-brick, asbestos, or other similar material to increase the heating surface
and check the flow of the gases.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Emerson Dowson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
April 1879.
JOSEPH EMERSON DOWSON, of 52, Claverton Street, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF GAS."
This Invention consists of improved apparatus herein described for making gas.
The objects of the said Invention are:-First. The production of heating gases by
the decomposition of steam, air, and fuel, or of steam and fuel. And, Second. The
enriching of these or other suitable gases for lighting purposes. I am aware that
various methods of producing heating gases by the decomposition of steam, air, and
fuel, or of steam and fuel have been tried; therefore I do not claim the same except
in connection with the apparatus hereafter described. I am also aware that gases
produced by the decomposition of steam and fuel as well as other gases have after
their manufacture been enriched with hydrocarbons for lighting purposes; therefore
I do not claim enriching gases except when effected in combination with the
apparatus hereafter described. The accompanying Drawings are intended to form
part of this Specification, and to illustrate practical modes of carrying the Invention
into effect; but I do not limit myself to the precise forms and details shown, as
they may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention. Figs. 1
and 2 are vertical sections of a gas generator; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal
section of a retort or converter for enriching gas for lighting purposes. Figs. 1
and 2 comprise the following:-A furnace a consisting of a metal casing, cylindrical
or otherwise; with a thick lining of gannister or other refractory material; a circular
swing grate b which can be made in halves or pieces so that when there are clinkers
or large obstructions in the fire one half or a piece of the grate can be lowered
without letting down much of the fire; a closed ash box c provided with a suitable
door &; an outer casing e for the ash box with an intervening space f to prevent
loss of heat from the ash box c; an air induction pipe g and a steam inlet pipe h,
both passing through the casing e into the ash box c; a double steam jet or cock i
to force super-heated steam through the pipes g and h; a top or cover j provided
with a stoke hole k, a gas outlet 7, a feeding tube m for admitting fuel, and a
valve n to regulate the admission of fuel; a coal spreader s. The air induction
pipe g may be provided with a movable cap, nozzle, or other suitable contrivance
for regulating the quantity of air to be admitted, or to exclude air altogether. The
steam jet or cock i has two nozzles o, p, and for each nozzle there is a movable
pin q, r, which serves the double purpose of clearing the nozzle when foul and of
preventing the passage of steam when required. Each pin works through a stuffing
box to prevent loss of steam, and the bottom of the steam jet or cock is provided
with a blow-off cock t. In some cases it is desirable to force all the steam through
one nozzle, and in this case one nozzle only is used, and the steam inlet pipe / is
dispensed with, all the steam being passed through the nozzle p and the air induction
pipe g. The process of making the gas is as follows:-A fire is lighted on the
grate b, the door d is then closed, the nozzle o is also closed by the pin q, and the
nozzle is left open. Steam produced and superheated in any convenient manner
is then allowed to pass through the nozzle p, and the escaping force of this steam
playing into the pipe induces a current of air to pass into the ash box c. The
mixture of air and steam is then forced upwards and rapid combustion ensues.
When there is a good body of fire the nozzle o is opened and an additional quantity
of steam is admitted. The steam is decomposed by passing through the incandescent
fuel, and the resulting gases puss through the outlet 7 and are stored in a holder or
used at once, as required. The heating power of the gas can be increased by
reducing the quantity of air admitted through the pipe g, or the air can for a time
be exluded altogether by means of the movable cap or other contrivances before

page_text: referred to. Where means are adopted for removing some of the nitrogen from the
atmospheric air before it enters the gas generator the air induction pipe g and the
steam blast 1 can be used to convey the air, so treated, instead of ordinary atmos-
pheric air into the ash box c. If desired the air can be heated before it is used by
passing it through chambers, pipes, or channels heated by the fire of the gas
generator, or by the fire used for generating or superheating the steam.
Two or
more single gas generators can be worked simultaneously or alternately, but where
the production of a single generator is not sufficient I prefer to use a compound
generator consisting of two or more furnaces enclosed in one casing and separated
by vertical or other suitable partitions, the working parts in each division being
similar to those of the single generator above described. The best fuel for use in
this apparatus is anthracite, coke, charcoal, or compressed or charred peat. If
desired the fuel can be dried and heated before being used by enclosing it in a space
round the body of the gas generator so that it may be subjected to radiated heat
from the latter. To make illuminating gas I enrich the gases made in the generator
before described by mixing them with hydrocarbon gases or vapours in any of the
well-known ways, or by improved apparatus now to be described. Fig. 3 shows a
retort or converter A. This retort is made of metal and has one or more partitions a
running nearly the whole length of the retort so as to afford a large heating surface,
and when desired some of the space between the partitions can be filled in with
loose pieces of pumice, fire-brick, or other suitable material to increase the heating
surface and check the flow of the gases. The illuminating gas is made by
introducing into the gas generator before described liquid or solid hydrocarbons,
and in passing the mixed gases and vapours into the retort A; or the liquid or solid
hydrocarbons can be introduced into the retort A and the gases from the generator
mixed with the hydrocarbon vapours in the retort. The retort when heated to
redness serves to convert the vapours into permanent gases, and the gases from the
generator act as useful dilutents and prevent the deposition of carbon in the retort.
One or more retorts or convertors can be used, and they can be set vertically or
horizontally.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Emerson Dowson, have hereunto
ant my hand and cool
A AT 11
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