Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas for Illuminating and other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 28th May, 1898
[Communicated from abroad by the Firm of A. PIATTI & Co., of Rome, in the
Kingdom of Italy.]
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas for Illuminating and other
purposes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to a simple and economical process for producing
illuminating gas, which may also be employed for heating and as a source of
motive power, this process consisting substantially in utilising the products of
combustion resulting from the burning of the straw of cereals or of any other
vegetable substance, and in carburising the said products either by mixing them
with a certain proportion of acetylene gas or by other adequate means.
The object is effected by burning without flame, or carbonising the straw or
other vegetable substance in an apparatus constructed for this purpose and
collecting the gaseous products of combustion in a gasometer or other reservoir
in which these products are mixed with a certain quantity of acetylene gas,
which may vary from 10 to 50 per cent., according to requirements.
Instead of the acetylene gas which serves for carburising the gas obtained from
the products of combustion resulting from the burning of the straw or other
vegetable substances, an equivalent may be used, or the carburising may be
effected by means of hydrocarburets or other equivalent substances.
The plant for the production of gas from straw or other vegetable substance
comprises three compartments. The left hand one contains a series of generators
of straw gas communicating by means of pipes with an accumulator where the
gas developed by the said generators accumulates. From the said accumulator
the gas passes through pipes into the gasometers in the central compartment,
but before passing into the gasometers the gas is purified and dried in its passage
through vessels which contain purifying and water absorbing substances. The
third compartment contains an acetylene generator which communicates with
a reservoir, and, by means of pipes with the gasometers.
The two gasometers communicate with each other by means of a pipe which
may be closed with a cock, and communicate, when necessary, also, by means
of two pipes provided with cocks, with the conduits which convey the gas to
the burners.
The generator of the straw gas consists of a cylindrical boiler having a hemi-
spherical bottom and air tight cover.
In the lower part of said boiler there is a box provided with a grate upon
which coals are lighted; when the latter have reached a red heat and have
heated the bottom to a white heat, the straw therein contained will burn without
flame, or carbonize, thus developing carbonic acid, methane, and, according to
..

page_text: P. F. S. Provenzali's book on the Combinations of Carbon (Rome, Bernardo
Morini, 1877),-also acetylene gas.
In order that the carbonisation may not be stopped by want of air, a tube
provided with a cock penetrates into the interior of the boiler permitting the
air to enter to such amount that the flameless combustion may not be interrupted.
The gas developed by said combustion passes into the upper part of the boiler,
and thence through pipe into the accumulator. Said gas mixed with a percentage
of acetylene gas burns with a bright flame in ordinary burners.
The purifier and dryer consists of a basket to which the purified and dried
substances are delivered. The gas from the accumulator passes through the
reservoir into the lower part of the basket and after having passed the purifying
substances leaves the pipe and enters the gasometer.
Datod thin 15th da of T1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas for Illuminating and other
purposes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
The present invention relates to a simple and economical process for producing
illuminating gas, which may also be employed for heating and as a source of
motive power, this process consisting substantially in utilising the products of
combustion resulting from the burning of the straw of cereals or of any other
vegetable substance, and in carburising the said products either by mixing them
with a certain proportion of acetylene gas or by other adequate means.
The object is effected by burning without flame, or carbonising the straw or
other vegetable substances in an apparatus constructed for this purpose and
collecting the gaseous products of combustion in a gasometer or other reservoir
in which these products are mixed with a certain quantity of acetylene gas,
which may vary from 10 to 50 per cent., according to requirements.
Instead of the acetylene gas which serves for carburising the gas obtained from
the products of combustion resulting from the burning of the straw or other
vegetable substances, an equivalent may be used, or the carburising may be
effected by means of hydrocarburets or other equivalent substances.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a plan of a plant for the production of gas from straw or other
vegetable substances.
Figure 2 is a detail view of the generator and
Figure 3 represents a sectional view of the gas purifier and dryer.
The plant for the production of gas from straw or other vegetable substance
comprises three compartments. The left hand one (M) contains a series of
generators of straw gas (b) communicating by means of pipes (a) with an accu-
mulator (1) where the gas developed by the said generators accumulates. From
the said accumulator the gas passes through pipes (c c¹) into the gasometers A
in the central compartment (N), but before passing into the gasometers the gas
is purified and dried in its passage through vessels (G) which contain purifying

page_text: and water absorbing substances. The third compartment (P) contains an acety-
lene generator (D) which communicates with a reservoir (C) and, by means of
pipes (c) with the gasometers A.
The two gasometers communicate with each other by means of a pipe (d) which
may be closed with a cock, and communicate, when necessary, also, by means
of two pipes (r r) provided with cocks, with the conduits which convey the gas
to the burners.
The generator of the straw gases (b, Figure 2) consists of a cylindrical boiler
having a hemispherical bottom and air tight cover (f).
In the lower part of the said boiler there is a box e provided with a grate upon
which coals are lighted; when the latter have reached a red heat and have heated
the bottom to a white heat, the straw therein contained will burn without flame,
or carbonize, thus developing carbonic acid, and methane, and, according to
P. F. S. Provenzali's book on the Combinations of Carbon (Rome, Bernado Morini,
1877), also acetylene gas.
In order that the carbonisation may not be stopped by want of air, a tube
provided with a cock penetrates into the interior of the boiler permitting the air
to enter to such an extent that the flameless combustion may not be interrupted.
The gas developed by said combustion passes into the upper part of the boiler,
and thence through pipe (a) into the accumulator (B). The said gas mixed
with a percentage of acetylene gas burns with a bright flame in ordinary burners.
The purifier and dryer (G) consists of a basket h in which the purifying and
drying substances are placed. The gas from the accumulator B passes through
the pipes
into the lower part of the basket (h) and after having passed the
purifying substances leaves by the pipe (c¹) and enters the gasometer.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
A. gas obtained from the imperfect combustion of straw or other vegetable
material, mixed with a percentage of acetylene or other hydrocarbons substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 14th day of baran
A
47
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.