Improved Apparatus for the Production of Gas.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1900-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1900
Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1900-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1903
Improved Apparatus for the Production of Gas.
A communication from ANDRÉ PERRIER, Engineer, of 46, Boulevard de la Liberté,
Marseilles, in the Republic of France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of the present invention is an apparatus for the production of
petroleum or like gas suitable for lighting, heating or as a motor driving means.
The apparatus consists of three main parts, i.e. an air-vessel or compressor, a
saturator and a gasometer of any known form; the two first mentioned apparatus
alone forming the main object of the present invention.
According to this invention the air to be carburetted is supplied through a bell
placed in a water-receptacle and capable of ascending or descending in it, in
increasing or lessening the weight of the bell in order to drive the air under pres-
sure through a saturator or saturators preferably formed of several chambers,
arranged one above the other, each of them being supplied separately from a
petroleum-reservoir arranged above. The air passes through the charge in these
chambers takes up vapours therefrom and thus saturated, passes to the gasometer
ready for use.
A water receptacle is provided in a bell having at the top an inlet valve, which
in the ascent of the bell uncovers the air-inlet and closes it in the descent of the
bell. The latter is suspended by a cord or cords from a roller mounted loosely
on a horizontal shaft but engaging by a clutch of any convenient description
with a raising device to allow the bell to be refilled several times automatically
for each descent of the driving or operating weight.
The mechanism for effecting this movement comprises a series of gear wheels;
a drum mounted freely on the shaft and provided with a crank or handle; and
a cord with a weight or weights.
The last pinion or the gearing is thrown into and out of gear, with the roller
from which the bell is suspended by means of a lever provided with a fixed
fulcrum and operated by the movement of the bell through a projection thereon
acting on upper and lower pins secured to a lever bar to which the fulcrumed
lever is connected. A weight connected to the free end of the lever serves to
counterbalance the weight of the rod. Around the drum is wound a cord having
at its free end a weight adapted to raise the bell and its weight or weights when
it is empty that is to say when it has descended to its lowest point.
The air compressed to the desired degree enters the saturator through a tube
or passage. This vessel consists of several receptacles arranged one above the
other.
These receptacles are closed hermetically and divided in several chambers by
means of dividing intercalating plates vertically arranged, the chambers being

page_text: partly filled with petroleum supplied under pressure from a reservoir separately
to each of the several receivers. Thus the air becomes saturated in passing
through these receptacles and from here mixed with the vapours it passes to
the gasometer of any wellknown construction.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:
Suppose the bell is at its highest position and entirely filled with air, the
projection on its side bearing against the top pin on the lever moves the clutch
levers in such a way as to bring the movable clutch out of engagement so as to
leave the bell free to descend under the influence of its own weight and that of
its weights.
In this position the clutch prevents the last gear wheel by means of a finger
from rotating thereby locking the whole mechanism against movement under the
influence of the motor weight.
In descending the bell forces the air contained in it to enter the several
chambers of the saturator under the desired pressure. When the bell reaches
its lowest position its projection acts upon the lower pin of the lever rod, throw-
ing thereby the clutch into action and the clutch finger out of engagement with
its stop. The weight can then act and cause the shaft to rotate and consequently
the bell is raised and will draw in fresh air through its valve until the contact
of the finger on the bell with the upper lever rod pin takes place again, and
the driving weight reaches its lowest position, from which it can be raised by
means of the crank-handle, or by other means. By this means it is possible
from one litre of petroleum of 650 gr. weight to obtain 2000 litres of gas, of an
excellent quality, giving a perfect incandescence without danger or smell.
D
1
1001
1
1000
A communication from ANDRÉ PERRIER, Engineer, of 46, Boulevard de la Liberté,
Marseilles, in the Republic of France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
The object of the present invention is an apparatus for the production of
petroleum or like gas suitable for lighting, heating or as a motor, driving means.
The apparatus consists of three main parts, i.e., an air-vessel or compressor, a
saturator and a gasometer of any known form; the two first mentioned apparatus
alone forming the main object of the present invention.
According to this invention the air to be carburetted is supplied through
a bell placed in a water-receptacle and capable of moving up and down in
it, the bell being caused to descend in order to drive the air under pres-
sure through a saturator or saturators preferably formed of several chambers,
arranged one above the other, each of them being supplied separately from a
petroleum reservoir arranged above. The air passes through the charge in these
chambers takes up vapours therefrom and thus saturated passes to the gasometer
ready for use.
This apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

page_text: A water receptacle 1 is provided with a bell 2 having at the top an inlet
valve, which in the ascent of the bell opens the air-inlet and closes it in the
descent of the bell. The latter is suspended by a cord or cords from a roller 4
mounted loosely on a horizontal shaft 5 but engaging by a clutch 6 of any
convenient description, with a raising device to allow the bell to be refilled several
times automatically for each descent of the driving or operating weight.
The mechanism for effecting this movement comprises a series of gear
wheels 7, 8, 9 and 10, a drum 11 mounted freely on the shaft 5 and provided
with a crank or handle 13, and a cord with a weight or weights 12. The last
pinion 7 of the gearing is thrown into and out of gear with the roller 4 from
which the bell is suspended by means of a lever 15 provided with a fixed
fulcrum 16 and operated by the vertical movement of the bell 2 by a projec-
tion 17 thereon acting on upper and lower pins 18, 19 secured to a lever bar 20
to which the fulcrummed lever 15 is connected. A weight 35 connected to
the free end of the lever 15 serves to counterbalance the weight of the rod 20.
Around the drum is wound a cord having at its free end a weight 12 adapted to
raise the bell and its connected weight or weights, shown in the drawing on
one side only at 22, when it is empty that is to say when it has descended to its
lowest point.
The air compressed to the desired degree enters the saturator 23 through a tube
or passage 24. This vessel consists of several receptacles arranged one above the
other.
These receptacles are closed hermetically and divided in several chambers by
means of dividing intercalating plates 25 vertically arranged the chambers being
partly filled with petroleum supplied from a reservoir 26 separately to each of
the several receivers. Thus the air becomes saturated in passing through these
receptacles and from here, mixed with the vapours, it passes to the gasometer 27
of any known construction.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
Suppose the bell is at its highest position and entirely filled with air, the pro-
jection 17 on its side bearing against the top pin 18 on the lever arms 20 moves
the clutch levers 15, 14 in such a way as to bring the movable clutch out of
engagement so as to leave the bell 2 free to descend under the influence of its own
weight and that of its weights, 22.
In this position the clutch 6 prevents the gear wheel 7 by means of a finger 28
from rotating thereby locking the whole mechanism against movement by the
motor weight 12.
1
In descending, the bell forces the air contained in it to enter the several
chambers of the saturator under the desired pressure. When the bell reaches
its lowest position its projection 17 acts upon the lower pin 19 of the lever rod 20
throwing thereby the clutch 6 into action and the clutch finger 28 out of engage-
ment with its stop 29. The weight 12 can then act and cause the shaft 5 to
rotate and consequently the bell is raised and will draw in fresh air through
its valve 3 until the contact of the finger 17 on the bell with the upper lever
rod pin 18 takes place again, and the driving weight 12 reach its lowest posi-
tion, from which it can be raised by means of the crank handle 13 or by other
means. By this means, it is possible from one litre of petroleum of 650 gr.
weight to obtain 2600 litres of gas of an excellent quality, giving a perfect
incandescence without danger or smell.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by me foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In apparatus for the production of gas an air saturator, provided with
several communicating chambers arranged one above the other, to which liquid
hydrocarbon is supplied from a reservoir, each of the chambers being further

page_text: divided in several divisions in order to force the air forced in by an air-bell, to
take a zig-zag or tortuous course through the liquid substantially as described.
2. In apparatus of the kind described an air supply device consisting of an
air-bell in a water receptacle by the ascent and descent of which automatically
controlled, the air is drawn in and forced out respectively substantially as
described.
3. The complete apparatus for use in the production of gas substantially as
described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of September 1900.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.