IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF CARBURETTED GAS, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND BURNER APPLICABLE THERETO
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adam Aitchison, of Wilton Terrace, Peckham, Gas
Engineer, and Henry John Grantham, of Dockhead, Bermondsey, both
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PRODUCTION OF CARBURETTED GAS, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND BURNER
APPLICABLE THERETO."
Sealed the 20th March 1868, and dated the 21st September 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adam Aitchison and Henry
John Grantham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition; on the 21st September 1867.
We, ADAM AITCHISON, of Wilton Terrace, Peckham, Gas Engineer, and
HENRY JOHN GRANTHAM, of Dockhead, Bermondsey, both in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION OF CARBURETTED GAS, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND BURNER
APPLICABLE THERETO," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the method of producing
carburetted gas, and in the apparatus and burner to be employed therein.
We propose to produce the carburetted gas by causing ordinary gas to be
mixed with hydrocarbon vapour by improved means. It is well known that
ordinary coal gas has been caused to traverse receptacles containing hydro-

page_text: carbons previous to its arrival at the burners, by which means the coal
gas has been more highly carburetted, and its illuminating power has been
increased.
gauze
According to this Invention we construct a hollow globe of brass, gun
metal, or other suitable metal, at the top of which an outlet pipe and burner
is to be screwed, and at the side of the globe or the bottom an inlet pipe is to
be screwed. The interior of the globe is provided with a tube of wire
placed vertically and extending from the exit pipe to the lower inlet pipe,
and surrounding this gauze is an absorbent material, such as cotton wool or
sponge, cork, wood, or other suitable material, which fills up the globe around
the vertical gauze tube. At the lower part of the gauze tube a piece of
sponge, or cotton wool, or other absorbent material is deposited, and the
hydrocarbon liquid is poured into the globe by the medium of the gauze tube
(the upper part of the burner being previously unscrewed). The hydrocarbon
will thus saturate the absorbent material, and the remainder of the liquid may
then be poured off and returned to the receptacle from which it was drawn ;
the upper part of the burner is then to be screwed on and the inlet pipe
turned on, when the gas will intermingle with the hydrocarbon vapour and flow
out of the burner, where it will give out a light equal to that of thirty candles,
and at one-half the cost of the ordinary gas. The apparatus may be screwed
on to the gas pipe at a distance from the burner if required, but the burner
may be attached to the apparatus, so as to form a burner and carburetter in
one. We propose to saturate the absorbent material with benzone, photogene,
paraffin, or other hydrocarbon, and if the inlet pipe is at the side of the globe
the gas will pass through the absorbent material into the space left by the
gauze tube, taking up a quantity of hydrocarbon vapour and forcing it through
the burner. If the inlet pipe is at the bottom of the globe the gas will pass
through the saturated material within the gauze tube and mingle with the
vapour.
By these arrangements an economical carburetting gas burner is produced,
pursuance the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Adam Aitchison and Henry John Grantham in the Great
Seol Patent Office on the 91st March 1968.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ADAM 3
AITCHISON, of Wilton Terrace, Peckham, Gas Engineer, and HENRY JOHN
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ADAM 3
AITCHISON, of Wilton Terrace, Peckham, Gas Engineer, and HENRY JOHN

page_text: GRANTHAM, of Dockhead, Bermondsey, both in the County of Surrey, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, 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 Adam Aitchison and Henry John Grantham, Her special licence that
we, the said Adam Aitchison and Henry John Grantham, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we the said Adam Aitchison and
Henry John Grantham, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times there;
after 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 THE
PRODUCTION OF CARBURETTED GAS, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND BURNER APPLICABLE
THERETO," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Adam Aitchison
and Henry John Grantham, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 I, the said Henry George Grantham, 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 :-
Our Invention relates to certain improvements in the method of producing
carburetted gas, and in the apparatus and burner to be employed therein.
We produce the carburetted gas causing ordinary gas to be mixed with
hydrocarbon vapour by improved means. It is well known that ordinary coal
gas has been caused to traverse or pass through receptacles containing
bydrocarbons previous to its arrival at the burners, by which means the
coal gas has been more highly carburetted and its illuminating power has
been increased.
:
According to this Invention we construct a hollow globe, of brass, gun
metal, or other suitable, metal, at the top of which an outlet pipe and burner
is to be screwed, and at the side of the globe or the bottom an inlet pipe is to
be screwed ; the interior, of the globe is provided with a tube of wire gauze or
a tube of metal perforated with a number of fine holes placed vertically, and

page_text: extending from the exit pipe to the lower inlet pipe; and surrounding this
gauze or perforated tube is an absorbent material, such as cotton wool or
sponge, cork, wood, or other suitable material which fills up the globe around
the vertical gauze or perforated tube. At the lower part of the gauze or
perforated tube a piece of sponge, or cotton wool, or other absorbent material
is deposited, and the hydrocarbon liquid is poured into the globe by the
medium of the gauze or perforated tube (the upper part of the burner being
previously unscrewed). The hydrocarbon will thus saturate the absorbent
material, and the remainder of the liquid may then be poured off and returned
to the receptacle from which it was drawn. The upper part of the burner is
then to be screwed on, and the inlet pipe turned on, when the gas will inter-
mingle with the hydrocarbon vapour and flow out of the burner, where it
will give out a light equal to that of thirty candles, and at one-half the cost of
the ordinary gas. The apparatus may be screwed on to the gas pipe at a
distance from the burner, if required, but the burner may be attached to the
apparatus so as to form a burner and carburetter in one. We propose to
saturate the absorbent material with benzone, photogene, paraffin, or other
hydrocarbon; and if the inlet pipe is at the side of the globe the gas will pass
through the absorbent material into the space left by the gauze or perforated
tube, taking up a quantity of hydrocarbon vapour and forcing it through the
burner. If the inlet pipe is at the bottom of the globe the gas will pass
through the saturated material within the gauze or perforated tube, and mingle
with the vapour.
By these arrangements an economical carburetting gas burner is produced,
affording a pure and brilliant light far superior to that of ordinary coal
gas.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Drawings shews an elevation of the apparatus and
partly a vertical section.
a represents the globe or vessel, and 6 the inlet tube for the gas; c is the
wire gauze or perforated tube, and d, d, the sponge or absorbent material
placed within and around the gauze cylinder or perforated tube; e is the
burner tube which is screwed to the top of the globe a, and when it is
unscrewed the hydrocarbon can be poured into the cylinder, tube, and globe
so as to saturate the sponge or other absorbent material. In the Drawings
the inlet tube b is shewn at the bottom of the globe, but it may be placed at
the side; the gas will then circulate throughout the absorbent saturated
material, and take up its hydrocarbon in the form of vapour, and convey it to
the burner tube e. Where the tube enters the lower part of the globe the gas
will also take up the hydrocarbon vapour from the sponge or absorbent

page_text: material within the cylinder or tube, which in turn will be supplied from the
material within the globe surrounding the tube or cylinder, the result being
the same in both examples.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we would remark in conclusion that we do
not limit ourselves to any particular form of globe, nor to the application of
the internal cylinder of gauze or perforated tube, as other forms of metallic
cylinders may be applied for the same objects; but what we claim is, the
method of carburetting gas by causing the same to pass into a globe or vessel
containing any suitable bydrocarbon saturated in conjunction with sponge or
other absorbent materials, whereby the traverse or passage of the gas through
the globe to the burner causes it to take up sufficient quantity of hydrocarbon
vapour to carburet the gas and increase its illuminating power, and also the
apparatus employed therein, substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Grantham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
HENRY JOHN GRANTHAM. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALEX³. PRINCE,
Office for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.