IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF Car Ga
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Basford, of Penclawd, in the County of
Glamorgan, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PURIFICATION OF
Car Ga
"
Sealed the 12th January 1856, and dated the 19th October 1855.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Basford at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration, on
the 19th October 1855, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BASFORD, of Penclawd, in the County of. Glamorgan, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PURIFICATION OF COAL GAS, AND FOR OBTAINING A RESIDIUM THEREFROM," and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors,. administrators, and
assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
declaration that I verily believe myself to be the first and true Inventor
thereof:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Basford, do hereby declare that
the following complete Specification under my hand and seal fully describes
the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, that is to say:-
My Invention has for its object an improvement in the purification of coal
gas, and for producing a residium therefrom, and the method I adopt is as
follows:

page_text: I prepare coal gas in the ordinary manner, either by iron or clay retorts or
otherwise, and cause the gas so made to pass therefrom through vessels
or apparatus charged or filled with any of the various charcoals and heated;
but I prefer charcoal made from wood, which I previously immerse in a
strong solution of lime water for a period of not less than fifteen minutes,
and which I shall afterwards call prepared charcoal. The proportion of the
lime to the water is about 1 cwt. of lime to one hundred gallons of water,
or such proportion as is known to chemists under the term of "saturation."
The prepared charcoal, placed in the vessel or apparatus herein-after described,
is to be heated to a temperature which in practice I find to be most suitable,
when the vessel or apparatus attains a heat between a dull and a bright red,
which vessel or apparatus may be fixed in the generating oven with the retorts
or in a separate furnace.
The vessel or apparatus for containing the charcoal I make of cast iron,
with a round bottom and perforated top, having partitions to divide the same
into separate compartments; these partitions are alternately fixed and loose,
the fixed partitions having a hole or space at the bottom, and the loose parti-
tions fitted close to the bottom of the apparatus, but having a space open at
the top, so that the gas can be made to pass up and down the several chambers
in the apparatus alternately over the loose partitions and under the fixed par-
titions; the perforations made at the top are large enough to allow the loose
partitions to be drawn out when the vessel or apparatus is required to be
emptied, or for filling the vessel with charcoal after the loose.partitions are
replaced when wanted for use. At one end of the vessel is attached a short
D-shaped flanged pipe with a mouth-piece, into which the pipes leading from.
the retorts are fixed, either vertically or horizontally, as may be required;
there is also a short D-shaped flanged pipe at the other end of the vessel
or apparatus, to which is attached the outlet pipe leading from thence by the
hydraulic main to the gas holder.
In order that persons may be better able to carry out my Invention, I have
'annexed a Drawing. hereunto showing the apparatus. I have described the
letters of reference herein corresponding with the letters of reference on, the
said Drawing.
Fig. 1, longitudinal section of apparatus; Fig. 2, horizontal section of
apparatus; Fig. 3, top of apparatus after removal of. lids; Fig. 4, section
through mouth-piece and pipe over; Fig. 5, end elevation, showing inlet pipe
and mouth-piece; Fig. 6, section, showing fixed partition and flues; Fig. 7,
section, showing sliding partition. A, chambers; B, fixed partition; C, loose
partitions; D, open covers; E, plate or lid to ditto; F, short flanged con-

page_text: necting pipe; F, outlet ditto; G, mouth-piece; H, cover to ditto; I, vertical
inlet pipe; I', horizontal inlet pipes; J, outlet pipe; K, flue; L, brickwork.
The way in which I prepare the charcoal is to put a quantity of lime into a
vessel, and pour upon it a sufficient quantity of water until it is properly
saturated; I then allow it to settle, and having put into a basket or sieve or
perforated vessel the charcoal required, I immerse it therein until the charcoal
is well saturated, and allowing it to remain about fifteen minutes; I then fill
the vessel or apparatus, seal down all the appertures in the top, when it is
ready for use. I now cause the gas to pass from the retort into the vessel
or apparatus, heated as before described, when a chemical action takes place,
by which the gas is freed from impurities, and causes the deposit of residium,
which forms a pigment or color. The gas thus purified then passes into the
hydraulic main, and from thence into the gas holder.
When the vessel or apparatus is required to be emptied, the covers over the
apparatus are removed, the sliding partitions drawn out, and the contents
raked out through the mouth-piece, to which a door or cover is fixed when the
vessel is in use. A residium is now found to be obtained from the gas, and
is deposited in the apparatus, which may be used as a pigment or color.
The result of the process herein described is found to be, that the gas has
become more purified, and contains more illuminating power, than gas made in
the ordinary manner.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, I wish it to be under-
stood that I do not claim any particular form of vessel or apparatus, nor do I
claim any particular proportion of the materials to be employed; but what
I do claim is,-
First, the seperation of the impurities from gas made from coal, by passing
the gas through charcoal saturated in lime water and heated, as herein-before
described.
And, secondly, I claim the formation or deposit of a residium derived from
the gas, as herein-before described, that may be used as a pigment or color.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Basford, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, One thousand. eight
hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
HENRY LAXTON.
WILLIAM BASFORD. (L.S.)