Apparatus for the Production of Compressed Gas
Year: 1899

page_text: "
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Apparatus for the Production of Compressed Gas".
We, WENZL KNAPP, of 46 Peterstrasse, Hamburg, Germany, Civil-Engineer, and
RICHARD STEILBERG, of 16 Weidenstieg, Hamburg-Eimsbüttel, Germany, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this 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 relates to a process of and an apparatus for the production of
compressed gas and has for its object to prepare compressed gas principally intended
for lighting purposes, yielding a flame which burns with a brilliancy and degree of
cheapness hitherto unattainable.
The new process for making compressed gas consists in mixing illuminating gas
with air and forcing the mixture into a reservoir loaded by means of some liquid or
other weight, and from whence the gas can be taken under the maximum pressure
for various purposes.
In carrying out the process invention we prefer to employ a vessel divided into two
compartments by a partition, the upper compartment being in communication with
the lower one by means of a pipe which reaches nearly to the bottom of the latter.
This lower compartment serves to hold the liquid, glycerine being preferred for its
stability in air and its power of withstanding cold.
The gas under pressure is admitted above the level of the glycerine, whereby the
liquid is forced upward through the above mentioned pipe into the upper
compartment.
If the lower compartment containes for example, 120 kilograms, of glycerine an
equal pressure equivalent to an average of 0,5 atmosphere is exerted on the gas. The
previously suitable mixed gas and air thus compressed is conducted direct to the
burner where it burns with a quiet and extremely brilliant flame.
The employment of glycerine ensures the additional advantage that any residual
moisture present in the gas is absorbed with avidity by the glycerine, and con-
sequently the compressed gas is thoroughly dried before combustion.-
An apparatus suitable for carrying out this process is shewn in the accompanying
drawings of which
Fig. 1 is a front view of the same, (partly represented in section) and
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the employed pump in cross section.
The apparatus consists of a vessel a, and of the suction- and force pump c, which
is driven for example, by the hot air motor b.—
The vessel a, shewn in cross section, is divided by a partition wall d into two com-
partments & and f, the upper one of which e is connected with the lower by means of
a pipe g extending downwards from the partition wall d nearly to the bottom of the

page_text: lower compartment f. This latter is filled with glycerine or some other suitable
liquid, which, when at rest, will attain the same level in the pipe g as in the com-
partment f
Above the level of the liquid in this compartment is situated the inlet pipe for
the admission of the gas, whilst the outlet pipe i for drawing off the gas, is at about
the same level as h.-
In the present case the gas is drawn out of the pipe k and forced into the pipe /
through a back-pressure valce located at h¹ by means of the pump c, which is driven
by (for example) a hot-air motor b. In consequence of the uninterrupted admission
of gas into the compartment'f the liquid therein is forced to ascend through the
pipe g into the upper compartment e of the vessel a, where it rises in proportion to
the increasing volume of gas in f. When the liquid is almost entirely forced out
off, and the compartment e is therefore almost filled with the liquid, the pump c is
automatically stopped by means of a lever m connected with the ball float 1, which
lever closes opens the suction valve p by acting on the rod n, lever o and connecting
rod q.-
This arrangement is shewn on an enlarged scale in Fig. 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
The valve p is provided with a central cylindrical bore, in which is inserted the
head r of the connecting rod q. If the ball is lifted by the liquid the head r of the
rod q is pushed into the boring whereby the stroke of the valve p is gradually
diminished until it gradually comes to a standstill, that is to say, the valve is pushed
off its seat so that the pump runs empty inoperatively. So soon, however, as the
-volume of gas has decreased or the ball float descends, the valve begins to act again,
and thus the consumed gas is replaced.
Consequently the compressed gas can be produced in constant volume and under
uniform pressure, an excess of production being prevented by the automatic stoppage
· of the gas supply
For double security, in the event of this automatic cut-off failing to act, a second
automatic device actuated by the overflow of the liquid in the upper compartment is
provided, and which closes the suction pipe of the pump.
To this end the said suction pipe is provided with a tap 8, connected to a double
lever t, a weight suspended on the one arm of which lever keeps the tap open. The
other arm carries a vessel' containing a coil of flexible piping r attached to the over-
flow pipe w, which coil passes through the bottom of the vessel vand discharges
underneath into a vessel y, the liquid overflowing from the compartment e of the
vessel a.
This device acts in such a manner that when the pipe x is empty, the tap 8 is kept
open by means of the weight u, but when the pipe x is full its weight overcomes that
of u and the tap 8 is closed, so that the pump does not draw any more gas from the
supply pipe or forward it to the compartment of the vessel a.-
A valve z loaded by means of a spring or the like (Fig. 2) may be inserted in the
suction pipe, for drawing-in air, and can be adjusted to regulate the air supply
according to requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The process-of-the-production of compressed gas, as described above.
1.
The apparatus for the production of compressed gas according-to-the-first
eluim, substantially as set forth and illustrated in the drawings.
3. In the process of the production of compressed gus according to the first claim,
the-mixing of illuminating gas with air and forcing the mixture into a reservoir
loaded by a suitable liquid, from which reservoir the-gas--is--taken--under--the
maximum-pressure, substantially-as-described-and-set-forth.
2. 4. In the apparatus for the production of compressed gas according to the
second first claim, the employment of a vessel divided into two compartments by a

page_text: partition, the upper compartment being in communication with the lower one by
means of a pipe which reaches nearly to the bottom of the latter, the lower compart-
ment serving to hold the liquid to be used, substantially as described and illustrated
in the drawings.
3. In-the-apparatus for the production-of-compressed gas according to the-second
elaim,-the-use-of-glycerine substantially-as-set forth.
36. In the apparatus for the production of compressed gas according to the
second first claim the employment of an automatic stoppage of the gas supply
substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings.
4.7. In the apparatus for the production of compressed gas according to the
sixth third claim, the employment of a second automatic stopping device, actuated
by the overflow of the liquid in the upper compartment, substantially as set forth and
illustrated in the drawings.