IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYINGREASING THE ILINATING POWER OF COAL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Weston, of No. 5, Lansdowne
Crescent, Lansdowne Road, in the County of Surrey, Gas Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING,
Scaled the 21st August 1874, and dated the 24th February 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Weston at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th February 1874.
I, JOHN HENRY WESTON, of No. 5, Lansdowne Crescent, Lansdowne
Road, in the County of Surrey, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
PURIFYING, CARBURETTING, AND INCREASING THE ILLUMINATING POWER OF COAL
GAS," to be as follows:-
According to my Invention the gas to be acted upon is conducted
into a chamber provided with a series of vertical radiating diaphragms

page_text: with spaces for the free passage of the gas from the lower level of an
inlet pipe to the upper level of an outlet pipe. Each of the radial
diaphragms is hollow, the walls of which are perforated with holes, tho
inner spaces or chambers being filled with sponge or other fibrous
material capable of or suitable for holding in absorbtion volatile spirits
or liquids. The lower portion of the chamber to the required depth is
supplied with hydrocarbon or other fluid from the reservoir above, the
liquid passing through a passage or seating capable of being closed by a
balance valve or plug governed and controlled in its action by a float for
ensuring the perfect action of the lower or carburetting chamber.
When the liquid in the lower chamber is filled to the required level
the float is raised, and by its action on the lever the valve is closed, the
supply of liquid being cut off when no gas is being consumed, conse-
quently no derangement can occur. When the gas is turned on its passage
through the carburetting diaphragms causes it to become purified and
charged with the volatile hydrocarbon spirit held in absorbtion, as before
described, and as the liquid is consumed or taken up so it is replenished
by the valve aperture without wasto and without the possibility of its
flooding the lower chamber to close the lower inlet pipe by which the
supply of gas would be shut off.
I fit a cylinder or column in the apparatus, the cylinder having a
series of holes which communicate with an outlet pipe by which any
supcrfluous charge of liquid in the lower chamber may be drawn off at
pleasure. The float is so arranged as to ensure its perfect action on the
feed valve and is surrounded by a perforated casing which is carried
below the bottom of the lower chamber and forms a well, an outlet
plug being fixed for the purpose of drawing off the liquid or cleansing
it from impuritics as occasion may require.
The supply inlet to the reservoir is lined with a fincly perforated
strainer as well as the covering of the valve scat for the purpose of
preventing the introduction of grit or other foreign matter into the inner
chamber.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Weston in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY WESTON, of 5, Lansdowne Crescent, Lansdowne Road, in the
County of Surrey, Gas Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Weston, Her special
licence that I, the said John Henry Weston, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Weston,
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 "IM-
proved Means oF AND APPARATUS for Purifying, CARBURETTING, AND INCREASING
THE ILLUMINATING POWER OF COAL GAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Henry Weston, my executors or admini-
strators, 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 Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Weston, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
According to my Invention the gas to be acted upon is conducted
into a chamber provided with a series of vertical radiating diaphragms
with spaces for the free passage of the gas from the lower level of an

page_text: inlet pipe to the upper level of an outlet pipe. Each of the radial
diaphragms is hollow, the walls of which are perforated with holes, the
inner spaces or chambers being filled with sponge or other fibrous
material capable of or suitable for holding in absorption volatile spirits
or liquids. The lower portion of the chamber to the required depth is
supplied with hydrocarbon or other fluid from the reservoir above the
liquid passing through a passage or seating capable of being closed by a
balanco valve or plug governed and controlled in its action by a float for
ensuring the perfect action of the feed valve, and for regulating the
level of the liquid in the lower or carburetting chamber.
When the liquid in the lower chamber is filled to the required level
the float is raised and by its action on the lever the valve is closed, the
supply of liquid being cut off when no gas is being consumed, con-
sequently no derangement can occur. When the gas is turned on its
passage through the carburetting diaphragms causes it to become.
purified and charged with the volatile hydrocarbon spirit held in
absorption, as before described, and as the liquid is consumed or taken
up so it is replenished by the valve aperture without waste and without
the possibility of its flooding the lower chamber to close the lower inlet
pipe by which the supply of gas would be shut off.
I fit a cylinder or column in the apparatus, the cylinder having a
series of holes which communicate with an outlet pipe by which any
superfluous charge of liquid in the lower chamber may be drawn off at
pleasure. The float is so arranged as to ensure its perfect action on the
feed valve and is surrounded by a perforated casing which is carried
below the bottom of the lower chamber and forms a well, an outlet plug
being fixed for the purpose of drawing off the liquid or cleansing it from
impuritics as occasion may require.
The supply inlet to the reservoir is lined with a finely perforated
strainer, as well as the covering of the valve seat, for the purpose of
preventing the introduction of grit or other foreign matter into the inner
chamber.

page_text: a horizontal section on the line X, X; Figure 5 a horizontal section on
line Y, Y.
The apparatus is by the partition a divided into two parts or
chambers A and B. The upper division or chamber A serves as a
reservoir for the hydrocarbon or other fluid to be used in purifying,
carburetting, and increasing the illuminating power of the gas. The
lower division or chamber B is arranged with vertical radiating
diaphragms C, C, C, which contain the sponges or other fibrous
material D for holding in absorption the volatile spirit or liquid, the
vapours of which passing through the perforations E in the diaphragms
saturate the gas in its passage through the chamber spaces, as indicated
by the arrows. The bottom of the chamber B is also adapted to receive
hydrocarbon fluid which is taken up by absorption into the sponges or
other fibrous material D contained in the hollow diaphragms C, C, O, C.
E' is a pipe for the supply of coal gas to be acted upon; and F is a pipe
by which the gas passes away from the apparatus to the burner or
burners after it has been carburetted and acted upon to increase its
illuminating power by the volatile fluid in the chamber B. The gas
passing into the chamber B through the pipe E' first traverses in the
direction of the arrows over the lower level of the chamber, and in its
passage through the spaces between the diaphragms gradually rises
until it reaches the outlet of the pipe F. In thus passing the series of
diaphragms of chamber B containing hydrocarbon fluid and through the
volatile vapour thrown off by the sponges or other fibrous material D
saturated with such fluid, it becomes acted upon so as to have its illu.
minating power greatly increased.
The hydrocarbon or other fluid contained in the reservoir or chamber A
is supplied to the chamber B and thence to the diaphragms C, C, C, by
means of the valve G in the following manner:-When the chamber A
is filled through the opening at H in the top of the apparatus. the
valve G is open owing to the absence of liquid in the lower or car-
buretting chamber B and remains open until the level of the fluid in
the bottom of the apparatus rises and lifts the float I, by which means
the valve (if only one is fitted) actuated by the lever J attached to
the float I is closed and the supply cut off. Z is a gauge tube for
showing the height of liquid in the chamber A. The gas in its passage
through the process of purification and carburetting takes up the volatilo

page_text: liquid held in absorption and consequently reduces the level of the
liquid in chamber B, the float I then becomes depressed and the feed
valve G opened to admit the fluid contained in reservoir A. To prevent
the possibility of overflow of liquid in chamber B openings I', I', I', aro
made in cylinder K at the proper level which connects with outlet L,
and by which any excess of fluid can be drawn off by means of outlet
screw M. An outlet and screw plug are also provided at N by which liquid
or impurities may be drawn off from the well P containing the float I,
and which is at a lower level than the bottom of the lower chamber B.
B' is a strainer of finely perforated zinc or other suitable material for
the purpose of protecting the valve from grit and foreign substances,
whereby its action might be impeded. The opening H at the top of the
upper chamber A is also protected with a similar strainer R for the same
purpose.
Figure 6 shows a modification in which the float I and valve G are
on one stem. The valve in this case is a separate piece balanced on a
pivot to prevent its sticking when the float falls, the valve being then
drawn down by the disc a bearing upon the shield or claw b. The valvo
uncloses its aperture and falls with the float simultaneously with tho
lowering of the level of the hydrocarbon or other volatile liquid with
which the chamber may be charged. The valve and float is surrounded
by a cylinder T dipping below the level of the liquid, as shown, and the
carburetting diaphragms radiate from it as well as from the side walls
of the casing, and are so arranged as to cause the gas to be acted upon
to pass through the carburetting chamber in a zig-zag or circuitous
course similar to that shown in Figure 5.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention,―
Firstly. The improved apparatus, shown and described for tho
purposes set forth, especially the vertical radiating vessels or chambers
containing porous or absorbent material against which the gas in its
passage impinges and becomes carburetted before it passes out of the
chamber to be consumed.
Secondly. I claim the means or apparatus by which a constant or
intermittent supply of hydrocarbon fluid can be admitted or caused to

page_text: pass from a reservoir to a gas carburetting chamber, as set forth and
shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Weston, havo here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-first day of August,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.