IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR, SO AS TO FORM AN ILLUMINATING OR COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE
Year: 1881

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of Wm. P.
Thompson and Co., Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street,
Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR, SO AS TO FORM
AN ILLUMINATING OR COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE." A communication from
abroad from Monsieur Faignot Chavée, of Namur, in the Kingdom of
Belgium.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th May 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson and Co.,
Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING
AIR, SO AS TO FORM AN ILLUMINATING OR COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE." A commu-
nication from abroad from Monsieur Faignot Chavée, of Namur, in the Kingdom
of Belgium.
The object of this Invention is to produce a gaseous mixture applicable as a
lighting gas by carburetting air by means of an apparatus, which presents few or
none of the inconveniences of ordinary apparatus. These inconveniences are
generally numerous leakages, disagreeable from their odour of gas, and dangerous
through the possibility of explosions.
The apparatus is composed of an aspirator furnishing air in regulated quantities,
the regulation being effected by clock work or other governing mechanism. This
regulated aspirator furnishes air to the carburettors, of which the number
required varies indefinitely, according to the quantity of gas required and intensity
of carburation desired. In these carburettors the air is carburetted by contact
with the gasoline.
The piping is so arranged that the air can pass through one carburettor or
several of these carburettors before arriving at the burners. The air can go directly

page_text: from the regulator passing through the first carburettor direct to a group of burners,
and other air provided by the same regulator can pass through the second group of
burners and so on; or if desired the air can be made to pass through two or more
carburettors before being burnt.
Similarly for several hours the burners of one group can be fed by a single
carburettor, and then as that carburettor becomes exhausted by changing the cocks
of entrance and exit the same group of burners can be fed by two or more
carburettors, so that the intensity of light can be maintained constant or varied.
One can also circulate the air in a certain number of carburettors proportionately
to the number and size of the burners being used. This point is one part of the
Invention upon which the inventor lays great store.
The carburettor is so arranged that the air which circulates in the carburettors
has no contact with the cocks supplying the gasoline.
The carburettors are so arranged that the air has to zigzag through them exposed
all the while to surfaces of wick or other absorbing material saturated with gazoline.
Baffle plates projecting from each side alternately give the convolutions or zigzags
to the path of the air.
To prevent the air getting to the cocks the latter are placed down near the
bottom, and so arranged that there shall always be a body of liquid or a partition
between the air and the cock.
During cold weather the carburettors can be warmed by a worm of hot pipes
laid at the bottom, circulating hot water or air or other fluid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th November 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson and Co.,
Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING
AIR, SO AS TO FORM AN ILLUMINATING OR COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE." A commu-
nication from abroad from Monsieur Frignot Chavée, of Namur, in the Kingdom
of Belgium.
The object of the special arrangement which I am about to describe is to produce
an illuminating gas from carburetted air by means of an apparatus which does not
present the inconveniences of ordinary apparatus. These inconveniences are
generally numerous leakages, disagreeable from the odour of the gas, and dangerous
because of the possibility of explosions.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 shows an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of
the apparatus; Figs. 3 and 4, details of carburetter.
The apparatus consists of an aspirator A supplying air to the regulating receiver B..
This receiver supplies the air to the carburetters C1, C2, the number of which may
be varied according to the quantity of gas required and intensity of carburation
desired. In these carburetters the air is carburetted by contact with the gasoline.
The piping is so arranged that the air can pass through either a single carburetter
or several of these carburetters before arriving at the burners.
The air can go
directly from the receiver B passing through the first carburetter C¹ to a group of
burners, and other air proceeding from the same regulator B can pass through the
carburetters C in order to feed another group of burners.
The air proceeding from the regulator B passes through the pipe T¹. If the
cock R2 is closed and the cock R' open, the air will enter the carburetter C', will
become charged with carburetted vapours, will then pass into the pipe T₂ (the
cock V being open and the cock V2 closed), and thence into the main O for
distribution. If on the contrary it is desired to charge the air in the carburetter C³,
it is only necessary to open the cock R*, close the cocks R¹ and R³, and open the
cocks V and V2. The air arriving from the pipe T' will enter the carburetter C²,
then passing through the cocks Vaud V¹ it will get into the pipe T³, and theuce
into the main O for general distribution.
Similarly when for several hours the burners of a group have been fed by a
single carburetter, by changing the cocks of entrance and exit the same group of
burners can be fed by two or more carburetters, so that the intensity of the light
may not vary. To effect this result the following course must be taken:-The air
arrives by the pipe T², the cock R³ being closed and the cock R¹ open, and traverses
the carburetter C¹, where it is partially carburetted, then the cock V₁ being closed
and the cock V2 open, it passes round into the carburetter C where the carburetting
process is completed, leaving it by the pipe T³ to join the main O for general
distribution (the cock R³ being open).
The air can also be made to circulate in a certain number of carburetters pro-
portionately to the number and size of the burners being used. This point is one
part of the Invention upon which the inventor lays great store. For greater
clearness only two carburetters are shown in the Drawing, but it is easy to
understand the manipulation of the cocks for three or a greater number of
carburetters.
The carburetter is so arranged that the air which circulates in the carburetters
has no contact with the cocks. Figs. 3 and 4 show how I effect this. The air has

page_text: to traverse the zigzag path D, D, D, exposed all the while to surfaces of wick or
other absorbent material saturated with the gasoline to facilitate its evaporation. To
prevent the air getting to the cocks which supply the liquid I employ the following
arrangement: The liquid enters the carburetter through the pipes G¹, G³, (Figs. 1,
2, 3, and 4) and passes down to the bottom of the chamber a, b, b, (Fig. 4) whilst
the air circulates in the upper part X, X, X. No contact and consequently no escape
is then possible.
In very cold weather the gasoline may be warmed by means of a worm of hot
pipes T laid at the bottom, circulating hot water or air, or other fluid.
Having now described the Invention exactly as communicated to me by my
Belgian correspondent, with orders to file, I wish it to be understood that what I
believe to be new and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First. The apparatus substantially as described for carburetting air, consisting
of (1) aspirator, (2) gasometer or regulating receiver, (3) carburetters in which
the air passes over an absorbent material saturated with gasoline, and (4) the
connecting pipes.
Second. The arrangement of the carburetters and of their pipes and cocks,
permitting the air to pass through one or more of them, or to feed several groups
of burners from different carburetters.
Third. The internal arrangement of carburetter, substantially as described, and
more especially the arrangement whereby the gaseous contents are cut off from the
cocks for liquids.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)