IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John James Buckley, of No. 1, Bond Street, in the
Parish of Saint Luke, Chelsea, and Charles Hook, of Trinity Grove,
Maidenstone Hill, Greenwich, in the County of Kent, for the Invention
Sealed the 18th October 1867, and dated the 9th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John James Buckley and
Charles Hook at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 9th July 1867.
We, JOHN JAMES BUCKLEY, of No. 1, Bond Street, in the Parish of Saint Luke,
Chelsea, and CHARLES HOOK, of Trinity Grove, Maidenstone Hill, Greenwich, in
the County of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
"Construction of Machinery" or Appliances.-That a furnace be constructed
either of brick or iron fitted with two descending retorts made of either iron or
earthenware (numbered 1 and 2); a cistern or vessel having a pipe to which is
attached a regulating tap or valve is made to form a junction between it and

page_text: retort Number 1, and being inserted through the top of the retort Number 1
is extended down to within a short distance of the bottom, from the top of retort
Number 1 an ascending pipe is attached, connecting it with the top of retort
Number 2 (called the refiner), on the one side, and from the other side an
ascending pipe is carried to a cistern or condenser for holding water, and thence
by pipe to an ordinary gasometer, or the retort Number 2 can be dispensed
with, and the pipe from retort Number 1 can be so arranged as to extend
itself in a return coil situate in the furnace and passing from the top of it to
the condenser, and thence by pipe to the ordinary gasometer.
Mode of Generating the Gas.-Into the cistern or vessel, place petroleum
or any other oil, such as mineral naphtha, rock oil, mineral or vegetable oil,
empyreamatic oil, crystal oil, shale or paraffine oil, cocoa-nut oil, or any other
oil capable of being turned into gas by this process. The furnace being lighted
and the retorts made of a required heat by means of ordinary fuel the tap or
valve of the pipe forming a junction with the cistern or vessel holding the
petroleum or other oil (which is placed in a secure situation and rendered
perfectly safe) is turned on to a point which shall regulate the supply, preventing
any chance of an explosion, and the petroleum or other oil is thus introduced
into the heated retort Number 1, such petroleum or other oil imniediately
commences to evaporate, and the gas given off then escapes through the
ascending pipe connecting retort Number 1 with retort Number 2 (called the
refiner), and passing through it or through the heated coil of piping (either of
which can be used for the purpose of refining & purifying it), & it then
proceeds from the retort Number 2, or from the coil piping to the condenser
for the purpose of cooling, and thence again to an ordinary gasometer for
use a pipe from the condenser conveys away the refuse matter, which is
again with other oil passed through the retorts, thus preventing dirt, smell, or
waste; by these simple means a gas of great purity and intense illuminating
power is obtained, and it is also fitted for cooking and heating purposes,
and can be conveyed without difficulty through such pipes as are commonly
used for gas into ordinary houses, and furnish the consumer with a constant
supply in the same manner as common gas at the present time in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John James Buckley and Charles Hook in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 12th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN

page_text: JAMES BUCKLEY, of No. 1, Bond Street, in the Parish of Saint Luke, Chelsea,
and CHARLES Hooк, of Trinity Grove, Maidenslow Hill, Greenwich, in the
County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John James Buckley and Charles Hook, Her special licence that
we, the said John James Buckley and Charles Hook, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John James Buckley
and Charles Hook, our 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THERE WITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
James Buckley and Charles Hook, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John James Buckley and Charles Hook,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This Invention consists of the manufacture and production of a brilliant and
pure gas for lighting and heating purposes from petroleum or any other oil,
such as mineral naphtha, rock oil, mineral and vegetable oil, emphreumatic oil,
crystal oil, shale, paraffine, cocoa uut, and all oils capable of being turned into
gas by the under-mentioned process.
In order that the description may be as full and complete as possible this
Specification is accompanied with Drawings explanatory of the machinery
and apparatus necessary for the manufacture, the construction of which
machinery and apparatus can be altered and adjusted to suit private
dwellings, public buildings, and places of all sizes and requirements. We
therefore claim in every way the production of gas manufactured on the
principles of this Invention.

page_text: .
In order the more fully to describe and explain this Invention we propose
to divide it into two heads, first, the description of the machinery and apparatus;
secondly, the principles of the manufacture and production.
First. Machinery and Apparatus.-That a furnace be constructed either
of brick or iron of any shape fitted with one or more pairs of descending
retorts, see a, a, (Drawing No. 1). These retorts can be manufactured of
either earthenware or iron, and be also of any shape, having air-tight clenching
tops fitted to them; one of these retorts is connected by a pipe passing from a
common tank or cistern, see b, (Drawing No. 1) of any kind, to which is attached
a regulating tap as shown, see c, (Drawing No. 1); this pipe is extended
through the top of the retort to within a short distance of its base; from the
top of this retort an ascending pipe of syphon shape is attached, see d,
(Drawing No. 1) descending into the companion retort to within a short
distance of its base as shown, or it may be extended in a return coil having a
small receiving retort attached to it as shown, see e (Drawing No. 1), thus
dispensing with a companion retort. In either way an ascending pipe passes
out from the top of the retort or furnace and extends itself to a vessel or tank
called the purifier, see f. (Drawing No. 1), the said pipe passes through the
top of it and is carried down, terminating below the water which this vessel or
tank is intended to contain; another pipe, see 9, (Drawing No. 1) which
is attached to the top of this purifier, and ascending from, it is extended to
a vessel filled with water called the cooler, see h, (Drawing No. 1), within
this cooler it is made to coil, and passing from it is extended to an ordinary
gasometer. From the purifier as shown in Drawing No.
, a pipe, see i,
(Drawing No. 1), with the necessary taps attached passes to a small vessel
called the refuse receiver containing a sieve, from this receiver a pipe passes
off to the first-mentioned tank or cistern, see b, (Drawing No. 1).
Having thus described the machinery and apparatus we now proceed to give
an account of the process of manufacture and production.
Second. Principles of Manufacture and Production.-We place petroleum
or any other oil capable of being turned into gas by this process into the oil
tank or cistern b. We then proceed to light the furnace, and having made
the retorts a, a, of a required heat by means of ordinary fuel, we turn on
the tap connecting the tank or cistern 6 containing the petroleum or oil to a
regulated point, and allow the said petroleum or oil to flow through the pipe
connecting the oil tank into the heated retort a; the action of the heat
immediately causes it to generate; the gas thus generated travels along the
ascending piped into the second retort or through the heated coil of piping,
see E, either of which processes is applicable for the purpose of refining. It

page_text: then proceeds from the second retort through the syphon shape pipe to the
purifier, and passing through the water contained in it, and being thus divested
of its impurities, it continues its course through the pipe g from the purifier
to a vessel called the cooler or condenser; this cooler or condenser containing
a coil of piping immersed in water, as shown in the Drawing No. 1, see h, the
gas by passing through it is cooled and condensed, and it then passes from it
to an ordinary gasometer fit for use. From the vessel called the purifier a
pipe with a tap is so arranged that the refuse or impurities left on the surface
of the water contained therein can be drawn off to a refuse tank, when it passes
through the sieve contained therein, and thence along a pipe to the original
cistern b, and mixing itself with the fresh petroleum or oil is reburnt, thus
preventing waste. By the foregoing simple process a gas of great purity and
illuminating power is obtained fitted in every way for cooking and heating
purposes. It can be conveyed without difficulty through such pipes as are
commonly used for gas into ordinary houses, and furnish the consumer with a
constant supply in the same manner as common coal gas.
In Drawing No. 2 is shown an apparatus constructed to produce double
the amount of gas on exactly the same principles, or the retorts can be
increased in number according to the size of the furnace and the requirements
of the consumer.
In Drawing No. 8 is shown in what manner the apparatus can be applied
to a common kitchen range of ordinary dwelling houses the principles being
the same.
In witness whereof, we, the said John James Buckley and Charles
Hook, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Ninth day of
November, in the year of our Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven.
o Witness,
JOHN BUCKLEY,
Nov. 9th, 1867.
JOHN JAMES BUCKLEY. (L.S.)
CHARLES HOOK.
(L.S.)