Improvements in Saturating Coal-gas Air and other suitable Gases with Hydrocarbon Vapour for Limelight and other Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Saturating Coal-gas Air and other suitable Gases
with Hydrocarbon Vapour for Limelight and other Purposes.
ALBERT WILLIAM SCOTT Photographer and Optical Lantern Exhibitor, Marazion
Villa The Boulevard Weston-super-Mare, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The saturator consists of a closed vessel of hard material, preferably metal, of any
convenient shape, such as cylindrical, although vessels of square, oval, oblong, or
other sections will answer; and combinations of cylinders or tubes may be adopted
when a large heating surface is desired. The size of the vessel may also be varied,
according to requirements; for limelight purposes, a liquid capacity of from pint
to 3 pints will be suitable.
The saturator vessel is filled and tightly packed with porous stuffing, capable
of absorbing benzoline fluid. This stuffing may be sponge, cotton-wool, soft woollen
cloths, asbestos wool, tow, or any similar material.
The saturator vessel is pierced at two or more points, and pipes inserted to act
as inlet and outlet passages for air or gas. These pipes may be connected with
other pipes or apparatus by means of india-rubber tubing, or by metal pipes and
the like. These inlet and outlet pipes are connected together inside the saturator
vessel, by an air passage through the stuffing; this passage may be of any convenient
length; for limelight purposes, about three feet will answer. This air-way is main-
tained by a tube of perforated metal of any convenient section, or preferably by a
skeleton tube formed of a coil of wire, such as is often used for lining india-rubber
pipes. This skeleton tube (the ends of which are connected to the inlet and outlet
pipes of the saturator) may be imbedded in the stuffing in coils or zig-zag, or any
other position that will allow of the air or gasway being kept open.
The saturator is prepared for use by filling it with inflammable fluid, and then
draining off all the surplus fluid, that is not held and absorbed by the stuffing. The
fluid used may be any fluid capable of producing smoke and soot, and having a
boiling-point between 100° and 200° F.; practically the best fluids available are
benzol or benzine in the pure state, and benzoline in the cheap form.
Benzoline is
intended to be used with the saturator.
Another part of the apparatus is a hot-water bath, in which the saturator may
be placed, when required, in order to increase the amount of vapour of benzoline
imparted to the air or gas passed through the apparatus. This bath may consist
of a cylinder or other conveniently-shaped vessel, made somewhat larger than the
saturator.
The bath, with the saturator placed within it, is filled up with water, which is
heated to the required degree by a spirit-lamp or other means. For the lime-light,
the temperature may be about 100° F.; though it may be desirable to raise the
heat to the boiling-point of water, when the charge of benzoline in the saturator is
almost exhausted.
Applications of the invention:-
(1) If oxygen gas is passed first through the benzoline saturator, used cold
(ie. without the hot-water bath), and then through any ether saturator now on the
market; the gas so obtained, suitably diluted with pure oxygen in the manuer
customary with the oxy-ether limelight ;-gives a limelight more brilliant than is
obtained by the ether saturator alone.
(2) In the oxy-hydrogen lime-light, in which coal-gas and oxygen are used; if the
coal-gas is passed through the benzolíne saturator, en route from gas-bag to the line-
light jet; the coal-gas becomes charged with the vapour of benzoline, and by this

page_text: addition, the limelight is made brighter, and the quantity of coal gas consumed is
diminished in its proportion to the oxygen. If desired, the oxygen also may be
passed through a second cold saturator.
"
(3) If oxygen is passed through the benzoline saturator, used warm (i.e. with
the hot-water bath in use) and the gas afterwards consumed in a limelight jet of the
form known as "high pressure mixed gas or chamber" jet; a very brilliant steady
limelight is obtained, suitable for magic lantern exhibitions, and for other purposes.
With benzol or benzoline vapour, a larger aperture of the burner or nipple of the
limelight jet can be used, than with coal-gas; in this way, a better Eght is obtainable,
as a greater quantity of gas and vapour can be profitably consumed in a single jet,
with benzol or benzoline, than with coalgas or ether.
Dated this 1st day of November 1889.
ALBERT WM. SCOTT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Saturating Coal-gas Air and other suitable Gases
with Hydrocarbon Vapour for Limelight and other Purposes:
1 ALBERT WILLIAM SCOTT, Photographer and Optical Lantern Exhibitor, of
Marazion Villa, The Boulevard, Weston-super-Mare 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:-
My invention for improvements in saturating coal-gas air and other suitable gases
with hydrocarbon vapour for limelight and other purposes has for its object to enrich
coal-gas, air, or other suitable gas by mixing with it any suitable hydrocarbon vapour
which shall increase the brilliancy of the gas when burnt or in the case of an
uninflammable gas such as air or oxygen render it inflammable and of great lighting
power.
An apparatus for saturating gases with hydrocarbon vapour constructed according
to my invention consists of a closed vessel tightly packed with a suitable porous
stuffing and provided with a perforated passage extending through the porous stuffing
and connected to inlet and outlet pipes. The closed vessel is preferably constructed
of metal and packed with cotton wool sponge or asbestos wool. The perforated
passage has preferably a sinuous course in the packing and consists of a perforated
metal tube or preferably of a skeleton tube formed of a coil of wire such as is often
used inside india-rubber tubing to keep it extended.
When required to impart an increased amount of hydrocarbon vapour to the
gas, the vessel is wholly or partially surrounded by a second vessel so that a space
is left between them for water or air. The outer vessel is heated externally by
any suitable means so as to raise the temperature of the inner vessel or that
portion of it which contains' the perforated tube to 100 degrees Fahr. which may be
increased to 200 degrees or more as the apparatus becomes exhausted. The hydro-
carbons preferably employed in my apparatus are:-gasoline, ether, or benzoline or
benzol.
The inner vessel may be made of any convenient shape and if desired with a large
heating surface when used in connection with the air or water bath.
The gas to be saturated is forced through the perforated passage in the apparatus
into which the hydrocarbon has been previously introduced and leaves it saturated
with hydrocarbon vapour.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings,
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of saturator constructed according to my
invention, and,
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same.
The cylinder A closed at both ends is tightly packed or stuffed internally with wool
or other suitable material capable of absorbing a large amount of hydrocarbon. In
the upper part of the stuffed cylinder A is arranged a sinuous tube B either perforated

page_text: as shown or formed of a coil of wire provided with a jacket or covering consisting of
tubular cotton wick. Pipes C and D are connected respectively to the ends of the
tube B the pipe D being connected to one end of a T shaped pipe E having stop
cocks F and H on its other two ends. A third pipe L is connected to the cylinder A
at or near its bottom and is provided with a screw cap M at its free end, the other
end being connected to a short length of perforated pipe to conduct fluid readily to
the stuffing. The stop cocks F and H are provided with suitable shaped nozzles O
and P for connecting to flexible tubing.
When required to saturate gas with hydrocarbon vapour, the cap M is removed and
hydrocarbon fluid is poured in through the pipe L, and rises in the stuffing by capillary
attraction the surplus fluid being run back into the bottle through the pipe L. The
screw cap M which is provided with a leather or other washer is then screwed
on to the pipe L to prevent leakage. This arrangement for introducing the hydro-
carbon keeps the tube B in the upper part of the apparatus clear and open to
the passage of the gas consequently preventing bubbling and unsteadiness of the
light.
The pipe is connected by a short rubber tube to the usual coal-gas or hydrogen
nozzle of the jet or dissolving tap; the nozzle P is connected by a rubber tubing
to a cylinder of compressed oxygen; and the nozzle 0 to the oxygen nozzle of the
jet or dissolving tap. The stop cocks in the pipes F and H are shut off and a
cork put in the pipe C when the apparatus is not in use to prevent evaporation
of the fluid. During use, the cork is removed, the cocks opened full, a portion of
the oxygen going direct to the jet through the stop cock F and a portion passing
through the tube B where it is saturated with hydrocarbon and passes thence to the
jet where it burns similarly to hydrogen or coal-gas.
The vessel A is partially surrounded by a second vessel N, through which the
pipes CD and L pass, provided, with openings at R and S. In the opening S is
screwed a short tube closed at its outer end. A box W removably attached to
the cylinder N covers the tube T and also serves to contain a night-light X or other
suitable source of heat. The case N is filled with water, and when using the apparatus
the light X is lighted and heats the water and consequently the upper part of the
saturator cylinder A and thus increases the amount of hydrocarbon vapour imparted
to the oxygen. The products of combustion of the night-light escape at the openings Z
which can be closed by means of the plate Y as clearly shown. The air for com-
bustion is admitted through the openings V.
If it be desired to heat the cylinder A by means of a current of air instead of
water, the pipe T is unscrewed, the openings Zaro closed by the plate Y. The heated
products of combustion then pass through the opening S and circulate round the
cylinder A and pass off at R. If desired the cylinder N may be filled with water
to nearly the level of the opening S or half filled with sand or other suitable material
to prevent the lower part of the cylinder A being heated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A saturator for imparting hydrocarbon vapour to suitable gases for limelight
and other purposes consisting of a vessel provided with an inlet pipe for admitting
the hydrocarbon fluid to the bottom of the saturator and tightly packed with suitable
material in the upper part of which is a sinuous passage formed by a perforated or
skeleton tube and connected to suitable inlet and exit pipes for the gas, the whole
arranged substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
2. A saturator for imparting hydrocarbon vapour to suitable gases for limelight and
other purposes, consisting of a packed vessel supplied with hydrocarbon liquid and
with inlet and exit pipes by means of which the gas to be saturated can be passed
through the said vessel and of an outer casing surrounding or partially surrounding
the packed vessel and through which a current of hot air can be passed or which is

page_text: filled with water heated by a night light or other suitable source of heat, the whole
substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
3. A saturator for imparting hydrocarbon vapour to suitable gases for limelight and
other purposes substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
Datad this 13th day of June 1800
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.