IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING, CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE FLOW OF GAS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bower, of Saint Neots, in the County of
Huntingdon, Gas Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 10th August 1860, and dated the 5th June 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bower at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
5th June 1860.
the
I, GEORGE BOWER, of Saint Neots, in the County of Huntingdon, Gas
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING, CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE
FLOW OF GAS," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist, firstly, of a generator for the manufacture of
gas, which is, to a certain extent, an improvement upon a gas generator for
which Mr. Bower obtained Letters Patent on the 9th day of February 1859,
No. 368. Upon a strong metal frame, which carries a set of circular fire
bars, is placed an upright cylindrical or slightly conical fuel chamber or
furnace of metal, lined internally with fire-brick, and fitted on opposite sides
with double doors one above the other. The upper doors are for the supply
A suitable smoke flue is
of fuel, the lower ones for cleaning the fire bars.
connected with the upper part of the furnace. In the centre of the furnace
or fuel chamber, and projecting slightly above and below it, is placed a
cylindrical cast-iron retort, the lower end of which is capable of being closed
[Price 8d.1

page_text: by a disc plate and luted door, opened and shut by means of a forked lever,
when the spent charge is to be withdrawn from the retort. At the upper end
of the retort there is a cast-iron chamber, closed by a luted plug at the top.
with an outlet at one side for the passage of the gas to the purifier. The coal,
lignite, or shale is fed through a hopper into the retort, and allowed to remain
there until the whole of the gas is extracted. But if gas is to be made
from liquid materials, the retort is filled with charcoal or coke, and the liquid
materials admitted at the bottom of the retort, when their vapours passing
through the incandescent matters will be converted into permanently clastic
gas. When gas is to be made from peat, wood, or other similar substances,
the retort should be nearly parallel throughout, and of an oblong shape, with
a diaphragm nearly in the centre, the gas-producing material being placed in
the largest compartment. The smaller one is filled with small coke or char-
coal, through which the condensible gaseous vapour being made to pass, is
converted into incondensible gas.
These improvements relate, secondly, to governors for controlling, regu-
lating, and equalising the flow of gas. A cylindrical box and cover is
furnished with an inlet and outlet pipe in the centre of the box. A valve
of a parabolic form is suspended by a cup-and-ball joint on the lower end of
a rod, which works vertically through a bush in the cover. This valve, when
raised, hermetically closes the inlet orifice. The upper end of the valve rod
is attached to one end of a lever, terminating in a pointer, which traverses
between two adjustable stops, by means of which the range of the governor
can be regulated, and its action limited at pleasure. To the valve rod, within
the valve box, is attached a gasholder, working in water. When the gas
enters the governor it raises the holder and valve, and would entirely
close the valve, but that the opposite end of the pointer lever before men-
tioned is weighted, so as to maintain an uniform pressure, previously deter-
mined upon. The holder and valve rises and falls as the pressure of the
inflowing gas is greater or less than the prescribed amount, thus regulating
and equalising the outflow.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Bower in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BOWER, of St. Neots, in the County of Huntingdon, Gas Engineer, send
greeting.
j

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Fifth day of June, 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 George Bower, Her special licence that I, the said George Bower,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Bower, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING, CONTROLLING. AND REGULATING THE
FLOW OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Bower, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said George Bower, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
These improvements consist, firstly. of a generator for the manufacture of
gas, which is, to a certain extent, an improvement upon the gas generator for
which I, the said George Bower, obtained Her Majesty's Letters Patent, on
or about the Ninth day of February. One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
nine, No. 368. Upon a strong metal frame, which carries a set of circular
fire bars, is placed an upright cylindrical or slightly conical fuel chamber or
furnace of metal, lined internally with fire brick, and fitted on opposite sides
with double doors, one above the other. The upper doors are for the purpose
of supplying fuel, the lower ones for cleaning the fire bars. A suitable smoke
flue is connected with the upper part of the furnace. In the centre of the
furnace or fuel chamber, and projecting slightly above and below it, is placed
a cylindrical cast-iron retort, the lower end of which is capable of being closed
by a disc plate and luted door, opened and shut by means of a forked lever
when the spent charge is to be withdrawn from the retort. At the upper end
of the retort there is a cast-iron chamber, closed by a luted plug at the top,

page_text: with an outlet at one side for the passage of the gas to the purifier. The coal,
. lignite, shale, or other solid material is fed through a hopper into the retort,
and allowed to remain there until the whole of the gas is extracted from it.
But if gas is to be made from liquid materials, the retort is filled with char-
coal or coke, and the liquid materials admitted at the bottom of the retort,
when their vapours passing through the incandescent matters will be converted
into permanently elastic gas. When gas is to be made from peat, wood, or
other similar substances, the retort should be nearly parallel throughout, and
of an oblong shape, with a diaphragm nearly in the centre. The gas-pro-
ducing material being placed in the largest compartment, the smaller one is
filled with small coke or charcoal, through which the condensible gaseous
vapour being made to pass is converted into incondensible gas.
These improvements relate, secondly, to governors for controlling, regulating,
and equalizing the flow of gas. A cylindrical box and cover is furnished with
an inlet and outlet pipe, in the centre of the box a valve of a parabolic form is
suspended by a cup-and-ball joint on the lower end of a rod, which works
vertically through a bush in the cover. This valve, when raised, hermetically
closes the inlet orifice. The upper end of the valve rod is attached to one end
of a lever terminating in a pointer, which traverses between 'two adjustable
stops, by means of which the range of the governor can be regulated, and its
action limited at pleasure. To the valve rod within the valve box is attached
a gas holder working in water; when the gas enters the governor it raises the
holder and valve, and would entirely close the valve, but that the opposite end
of the pointer lever before mentioned is weighted, so as to maintain an
uniform pressure previously determined upon. The holder and valve rises
and falls as the pressure of the inflowing gas is greater or less than the
prescribed amount, thus regulating and equalizing the outflow.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood, reference
is made to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say:-
Figure 1 is an external elevation of my improved generator for the manu-
facture of illuminating or other gas; Figure 2 is a vertical section through
the centre of the same; and Figure 3 another section at right angles to the
former; Figure 4 is a plan view on the line a, b, of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a
plan view on the line c, d, of the same; and Figure 6 is a plan view on the
line e, f, of Figure 3. The same letters refer to similar parts in each of these
Figures.
A is a strong cast-iron frame or stand, which supports the whole super-
structure of the generator. B is a circular fire grate, on which the fuel is

page_text: placed for heating the retort C. Above the fire grate is placed a cylindrical
(or slightly conical) furnace or fuel chamber D, composed of metal lined with
fire-brick over the whole of its internal surface. This furnace is fitted on
opposite sides with double doors g, g, h, h. The fuel is fed into the furnace
through the upper doors g, h; the lower doors g, h, are for the purpose of
clearing the fire bars B. A smoke flue E, furnished with regulating dampers
e, e, is connected with the upper part of the furnace, and also with the
enclosed space beneath, so as to carry off the smoke caused by cach discharge
of the exhausted contents of the retort. To this flue an iron smoke pipe may
be attached, or it may be led into a brick flue, as may be most convenient.
Within the centre of the furnace or fuel chamber is placed cast-iron conical
(or other shaped) retort C, open both at top and bottom; the upper end
projects through the top cover of the furnace, and the lower end is supported
by the upper plate of the frame or standard A. The open lower end of the
retort C projects below the fire bars B, and is fitted internally with a circular
horizontal disc plate H, mounted upon an upright stem attached to a luted
door I, and placed at such a distance apart, as that, when the door I closes the
lower end of the retort, the disc plate H is up to or slightly above the level of
the fire bars B, so as to keep the gas-making material within the retort
exposed to the action of the fire in the furnace. On the frame A are bolted
two parallel bars K, K, on which the lid or door I (which closes the retort
and carries the disc plate H) is placed, and on which it slides to close the
retort. L, L, are two rods or guides, on which the lid or door I slides vertically
when opening and closing the retort; M is a forked bent lever, hung by two
joints i, i, from the frame or stand A, and connected by adjusting joints k, k,
to the plate N on the horizontal bars K, K, which carry the door H. The
outer end of the lever M terminates in a handle O, with a swing catch p and
wedge r, to keep the lever in position when raised; the door I being luted
and slid on to the plate N on the bars K, K, the handle O is raised and
dropped into the catch p, and secured by the wedge r. On removing the
wedge and catch, the lever M with the luted door I, and disc plate H, may be
lowered, which opens the lower end of the retort, and permits the escape of
the spent charge. On the upper end of the retort, which projects above the
top of the furnace, is bolted a cast-iron chamber P, closed at top by a luted
cover Q. A flange and socket pipe R, fitted to the side of this chamber, forms
an outlet for the gas.
A fire being lighted in the furnace, the coal, lignite, shale, or other solid
material is dropped into the retort, and when the luted bottom lid and top
cover are in position, the gas is generated, and passes through the conducting

page_text: pipes to the combined purifying apparatus, (for which Letters Patent were
granted to me, the said George Bower, in 1852,) and from thence to the gas
holder in the usual way.
Figure 7 shows the generator; combined purifying apparatus, and gas holder
in their respective positions when fixed ready for work.
This generator may also be used for the manufacture of oxygen, or of
carbonic acid gas; in the former case the retort must be charged with the
black oxide of manganese, in the latter case with chalk, or other suitable
material.
When gas is required to be made from steam, water, oil, or other liquids,
the inside of the retort is to be filled with charcoal or coke, and the liquid
introduced at the bottom thereof, when the vapours in passing through the
incandescent matter become converted into permanently elastic gas. If gas is
to be made from peat, wood, or other similar substances, I prefer to make the
retort of an oblong shape, nearly parallel from end to end, and cast with a
diaphragm nearly in the centre, dividing it into two unequal compartments.
The smallest of these compartiments I fill with small coke or charcoal, and in
the other one I place the gas-producing material, the vapours of which I cause
to pass down this compartment and up through the smaller one, through
the body of coke, which converts the condensible vapours into incondensible
gas.
My second improvement, consisting of a governor for regulating and
equalizing the flow of gas, is shown by the Drawings, Figures 8, 9, 10,
and 11. Figure 8 is a side elevation of the apparatus; Figure 9, a plan
view; Figure 10, a vertical central section; and Figure 11, a cross section on
the line a, b, of Figure 10. S is a cylindrical box, closed by a cover T
bolted on the top. At the bottom there are two openings, an inlet orifice U,
through which the gas enters the governor, and an outlet V, through which it
passes to the supply pipes. The central or inlet opening at its upper part is
furnished with an aperture w, capable of being hermetically closed by a
valve W of a parabolic form, which is suspended by a cup-and-ball joint, on
the lower end of a rod or stem X that works vertically through a bushed
opening in the cover T. The ball-and-socket joint being ground gas-tight,
permits the valve to adapt itself accurately to its seat w, notwithstanding any
irregularity in the movement of the supporting rod. To the valve rod X
within the governor is attached a gas holder D working in water, and counter-
balanced by the weight C2. When the gas enters the governor under pressure,
it has a tendency to raise the gas holder D2 and valve W, closing the opening w
through which the gas passes to the outlet pipe. The upper end of the rod X

page_text: is attached to a lever Y turning on the fulcrum Z. One end of the lever Y
carries a hand or pointer, which traverses in front of an index between two
adjustable stops a³, b³. On the other end of the lever is placed a sliding
weight C, which, being placed nearer to, or farther from the fulcrum Z,
diminishes or increases the resistance and pressure of the gas holder. By
placing the adjustable stops a, b, at two given points on the index, the range
of the governor can be limited at pleasure; or by placing the upper stop at
any given point, and the lower one at the bottom of the index, the governor
may act through that entire range, but can never be completely closed by any
sudden action of the valve, or by over weighting the lever. By this means
any required degree of pressure (less than that of the inflowing gas) may be
maintained in the supply pipes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner of performing the same, I desire it to be under-
stood that what I claim as my Invention, and secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of generators for the
manufacture of illuminating gas from coal, lignite, shale, oil, or other liquids,
as herein-before described.
Second, the application of generators, constructed as herein-before described,
to the manufacture of oxygen and carbonic acid gas.
Third, the adaptation and use of the herein-before described generators for
the manufacture of illuminating gas from peat, wood, and other similar
substances.
Fourth, the construction and arrangement of governors for regulating and
controlling the flow of gas, as herein-before described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Bower, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
THOMAS ROWE.
GEORGE BOWER. (L.S.)