IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COAL GAS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Richardson, of Dudley, in the County of
Worcester, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COAL GAS."
Sealed the 26th June 1860, and dated the 30th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Richardson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th March 1860.
I, WILLIAM RICHARDSON, of Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Gas
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
IMPROVE.
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COAL GAS," to be as follows (that
is to say) :-
The object of my Invention is the preparation of coal gas in a more
economical manner than has hitherto been adopted, and I effect this by the
use of a vertical retort or oven, whereby a great saving of labour, time, and
material is effected,a greater quantity of gas produced from a defined quantity
of cal, ami less tar and ammoniacal liquor formed during the progress of
manufacture.
The main feature of my Invention consists in the use of a vertical retort or
oven constructed of iron or clay, or built of fire brick or tiles in any of the
usual ways; or the retort may be constructed partly of iron and partly of clay
or fire bricks, and in such dimensions in breadth, depth, and height, according
to the quantity of gas wanted to be made; and such retorts I purpose heating
by a suitable furnace or furnaces at one or both ends; and my improved
retorts I purpose fitting with two or more mouthpieces fitted with stoppers,
Price Sd

page_text: snch mouthpieces being placed at one or both ends, as well as suitable outlet
pipes and connections for connecting the pipes to the hydraulic main. When
two mouthpieces only are used, either at one or both ends, I purpose to arrange
for two ascending pipes to be attached to the lower mouth piece, with suitable
arch and dip pipes to hydraulic main; the ascending pipe attached to the
upper mouthpiece is connected to the hydraulic main with arch and dip pipes
also, the dip pipe being fitted with a moveable cap in the hydraulic main to
increase or decrease the depth of the dip at discretion; but when two lower
mouthpieces are used (at either end), I purpose using only one arch and dip
pipe to each mouthpiece, and in extreme cases, for large retorts or ovens
requiring three or more mouthpieces and two or more upper mouthpieces at
one or both ends, I purpose the lower mouthpieces to have each one ascending
pipe and dip pipes, and the upper mouthpieces to have one ascending pipe
each and dip pipe fitted up with moveable cap in the hydraulic main to
regulate the dip as required.
The mode of working my improved retort or oven will be understood by the
following description:-The heat within the retort being raised to a proper
temperature by the furnace and flues that surround it, and which may be con-
structed in the ordinary way, the first charge of coal, which may be of a
specified quantity, is thrown in at the lower mouthpiece, the coke within being
broken up near the monthpiece for that purpose, which is then closed up by a
perforated plate, and a close lid or stopper applied, in the space, say, of six
hours, it may assumed the gas from this charge will have been worked off,
when the upper mouthpiece or pieces are removed, and another charge thrown
in on the top of the coked remains of the previous one. This is repeated for
two or more charges, according to the size of the retort or oven, say, at
intervals of six hours each, which will nearly fill the oven if the quantity of
coal is properly regulated. At the end, say, of twenty-four hours, the residuum
of coke in the retort or oven may be partly or wholly drawn out or removed
through the lower mouthpiece. If the whole is extracted from the oven the
process commences as previously stated. If a portion of the coke is left in
the oven as a basis for the next charge, the same must be banked
up inside
the oven in the lower mouthpiece, and the first charge supplied through the
upper mouthpiece, when the process must be continued as previouslydescribed.
The advantages derived from this process is the formation of a greater quantity
of non-condeusable gas, and this arises from compelling the crude gas as it
rises from the coal to circulate through the heated medium of the oven or
retort, and then descending through the heated coke of the former charge after
the first is worked off, and through the ascension pipe of the lower mouth-

page_text: piece to the hydraulic main, in consequence of the increased dip of the centre
dip pipes of the upper mouthpiece or pieces.
In the event of the overmake of gas it will not be necessary to charge the
oven at the regular intervals before named, but it is desirable that the lids or
dampers of the upper mouthpieces should be slackened out; this will prevent
the make of gas of low illuminating power, and increase the heat of the retort
against the time arrives when it is considered adviseable to continue the
making of gas, by putting in the next charge of coals upon the heated cokes
of the former charge.
The saving of labour by my arrangement,as herein described, will also form
an important feature, as the necessity of drawing the coke from the retort or
oven every six or eight hours, will not be required to be performed untill the
oven or retort has become filled with coke, which may vary from twenty to
thirty hours, according to its size, when it will be found necessary to draw the
oven, or, in other words, remove the coke.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Richardson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RICHARDSON, of Dudley, in the County of Worcester, Gas, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Kichardson, Her special license that J,the said William
Richardson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1.
the said William Richardson, 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 vead, within the United Kingdon of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COAL GAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Richardson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in. what manner the same was to be

page_text: 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 William Richardson, 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 (that is to say):-
The object of my Invention is to economise or reduce the cost in preparing
coal gas, , and I effect this by the use of a vertical retort or oven, whereby a
great saving is effected of labour, time, and material, an increased quantity of
gas produced from a given quantity of coal than can be obtained by the present
system of preparing coal gas, coke of superior quality obtained, and the
residuum of tar and ammoniacal liquor usually formed during the process of
manufacture greatly reduced.
The general feature of my Invention consists in the use of a vertical retort
or oven which may be easily constructed of iron or clay, or fire-clay slabs or
bricks or tiles, in any of the usual ways in which such materials are or may
be used. Or my improved retort or oven may be built or constructed partly
of iron aud partly of fire-clay slabs or bricks, and of such dimensions, either in
breadth, depth, or height, according to the quality of gas required to be
made. Retorts or ovens thus constructed I purpose heating by a suitable
furance or furnaces, built and constructed with the masonry of the retort at one
or both ends, as may be desired. Vertical retorts or ovens thus constructed 1
purpose fitting with two or more mouthpieces fitted with stoppers in any of the
approved ways now generally adopted, such mouthpieces being placed at one
or both ends, as most convenient, and so placed as to command the whole
vertical range of the retort, and to the top or bottom mouthpiece or mouth-
pieces outlet pipes are connected for conducting the gas as generated to the
hydraulic mair. When two mouthpieces only are used, either at one or both
ends, or the lower one at one end, and the upper one at the other, I prefer
that two ascending pipes shall be attached in any convenient way to the lower
mouthpiece, each terminating with suitable arch and dip pipes in the hydraulic
inain, while I prefer having but one ascending pipe attached to the upper
mouthpiece, terminating in like manner with arch and dip in the hydraulic
main, the dip in the latter case being so fitted that it may be deeper in the
fluid in the hydraulic main than the dip of the pipe of the lower mouthpiece.
But when two or more lower mouthpieces are used at either or alternate ends,
I purpose using only one ascending arch and dip pipe to each mouthpiece.
And in building or constructing large retorts or ovens, I purpose increasing

page_text: the number of the mouthpieces according to the proportion of the retort, and
arranging them as before stated.
The mode of working my improved retort or oven will be understood from
the following description:-The heat within the retort being raised to a
proper temperature by the furnace below and the flues that surround it, the
first charge of coals, which may be of a specific quantity, according to the size
of the retort or quantity of gas required to be prepared, is thrown in at the
lower mouthpiece until the opening is banked up, which is then closed up by
a perforated plate, and further secured by a close lid or stopperin the ordinary
way. In the space of about six hours, more or less, according to the heat of
the furnace, the gas from the charge will have been worked off, when the
upper mouthpiece is removed and another charge thrown in on the top of the
heated cokes remaining from the previous one; and this is repeated for two
or more charges, according to the size of the retort or oven, until the oven or
retort is filled, first charging at the bottom mouthpiece or pieces, and
then the next, terminating at the top, adding the stated quantity at intervals
of about six hours each. At the end, say, of twelve or twenty-four hours,
more or less, according to the size of the retort, the residuum of coke in the
retort or oven may be partly or wholly drawn out by being broken up and
removed through the lower mouthpiece or mouthpieces. If the whole is
extracted, the process previously described must be repeated, but if it may be
desired that a portion of the coke should be left in the oven as a basis for the
next charge, the same may be banked up inside of the lower mouthpiece or
mouthpieces, and the charge supplied through the mouthpiece next above it,
and the process repeated at stated intervals, as previously described. The
advantages derived from this process is the formation of a greater quantity of
non-condensabie
gas,
and this arises from compelling the crude gas, as it rises
from the coal to circulate through the heated medium of the oven or retort,
and then descending through the heated coke of the former charge (after the
first is worked off), and to escape through the lower mouthpiece or mouth-
pieces; the increased dip in the hydraulic main of the ascending pipes from
the upper mouthpiece or mouthpieces prevents the gas escaping through them,
but only at such times as when the pipe from the lower mouthpiece becomes
stopped, and the free passage of the gas prevented. But in the event of the
overmake of gas it will not be necessary to charge the ovens at the regular
intervals before named, but it will be found desirable that the lid or lids or
stoppers of the upper mouthpiece or mouthpieces should be slackened out and
fired; this will prevent the make of gas of low illuminating power, and
increase the heat of the retort against the time arrives when it may be

page_text: considered advisable to continue the making of gas by putting into the retort
the next charge of coal upon the heated cokes of the former charge. The
saving of labour by my arrangement will also form an important item of
advantage gained by my improvement, as the necessity of drawing the coke
from the retort or oven every six or eight hours will not be required to be
performed until the oven or retort has become filled with coke, a condition
which will vary in point of time, say, from twelve to twenty-four hours,
according to its size, when it will be necessary to draw the oven, or, in other
words, to remove the coke in the manner previously described.
Having thus stated the nature, character, and object of my Invention,
I will now proceed more fully to describe the manner of carrving the same

page_text: which the gas ascends, and is simply an inclination of the brickwork down
to the ash-hole of the furnace. I have represented the fire-clay slab or slabs
at the front of the retort (behind the iron front) stouter than the other portion,
for the reason of forming them with holes corresponding with the front mouth-
piece, and which holes I prefer to be larger on the inside for the better
convenience of charging the coal and withdrawing the coke.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a retort fitted with two lower mouthpieces,
marked o, o, and two upper ones, marked paud q; and, as before described,
these mouthpieces are represented as formed with or connected to a cast-iron
front, the two lower mouthpieces o, o, and the upper one are fitted with
ascending pipes for carrying off the gas, while the one marked p is to be used
only for charging. This retort. I have drawn with a circular head, by way of
Showing that Lam not restricted or prescribed to shape in their construction.
And in a general way I prefer placing the furnace partly or wholly below the
ground line, which in this Figure is marked r, r, and the door of the furnace
is represented at s.
•
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the last Figure, showing the bottom, sides,
and crown of the retort, marked t, t, t, t, with the flues arranged around,
terminating in the outlet at the top.
And Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of Figure 4, as taken through the dotted
line, ; and the dotted line v, v, represents the inclination of the holes
formed in the fire-clay front opposite the mouths o, 0.
And Fig. 7 is the front elevation of a retort similar to Figure 4, with the
exception that from its increased size I have arranged it with two furnaces,
as indicated by the doors w, w, three lower mouthpieces, with their ascending
pipes, marked a, a, a, two intermediate ones, marked y, y, and two top ones
marked z, z, to each of which I have applied ascending pipes for carrying off
any excess of gas that may be generated.
Fig. 8 is, in like order with the other Figures, a vertical section of Figure 7.
And Fig. 9 a horizontal section, taken through the dotted lines a¹,a¹, of the
elevation. In the masonry at the back of this retort I have represented a
fire-clay key brick, marked b¹, and dividing the fire-clay tiles or slabs for the
back in two parts, dovetailing into the key; this plan will afford convenience
in construction, and support, if required.
Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section, representing a further extension
of my improved retort or oven, according to the scale to which the Drawings
are made, showing that the mouthpieces may be placed at each end of the
retort, which in large gas works will be found of great advantage, as the retort
may be worked for many hours without drawing the charge or cokes.

page_text: cand are the furnaces at each end, and e¹, f, the ash-holes, beneath the
furnace bars; g', g', '. are flues passing under the bottom of the retort,
ascending the side behind and coming over the crown, marked h', h, and
ascending to the vertical flue ¹, ¹, which are fitted with dampers, marked
by which the fire or draught may be regulated; from thence the
smoke passes to the chimney through the flue '. In this Figure I have
represented the fire-clay next to the iron fronts in section, showing the
charging holes opposite the several mouths; and the hydraulic mains, marked
mand, are also represented in section, for the purpose of exhibiting the
varying dip of the pipes.
And Fig. 1 is similar to the last Figure, with the exception that it
represents the retort half the size of the former, and with mouthpieces at one
end only; the damper in this case is designed to work laterally, and is
represented at p' cutting off or regulating the connection of the ascending
flue from the outlet when required.
Having given a general description of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be carried into effect, I wish it understood that I do not
purpose confining myself to the mode of construction or the general details as
herein described and exhibited, as the whole may be greatly altered and
diversified to suit the requirement of various sized gasworks without departing
from the spirit of my Invention; but what I claim and wish to protect by
these my in part recited Letters Patent is the constructing of vertical ovens
or retorts for the preparing of coal gas for illuminating purposes with two or
more mouthpieces, with connecting pipes of varying dips in the hydraulic
main, for the object and purposes herein described and exhibited, by which
means the gas generated will be in a greater quantity than is now obtained
from the same proportion of coal, coke of a superior quality obtained, labou
and attendance much economised, and the residuum, in the shape of ammonia
and tar, greatly decreased.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Richardson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the year o
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
JAMES S. COCKINGS.
WILLIAM RICHARDSON. (L.S.