IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GAS FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING. AND FOR THE Apparatus USED THEREIN.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Somerville, of Dublin, Gas Engineer, for the
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GAS FOR
LIGHTING AND HEATING. AND FOR THE Apparatus USED THEREIN.
"
Sealed the 21st August 1874, and dated the 27th February 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Somerville at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th February 1874.
I, JOHN SOMERVILLE, of Dublin, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the:
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANU-
PACTURING GAS FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING, AND FOR THE APPARATUS USED THERE-
IN," to be as follows:—
These improvements relate, firstly, to carbonizing coal or other gas-
making materials in retorts, chambers, or ovens, of such capacity as to
admit of a much larger quantity of coals being operated upon at once;
and secondly, in the construction of such apparatus as shall be especially
adapted for carrying out the system. With this view retorts, chambers,

page_text: From the chamber just described the gas passes on to the condenser,
which consists of a series of pipes of, by preference, about three or four
inches in diameter, but admitting of variation to suit the requirements
of the works. These pipes are connected at each end with a chamber,
the gas being made to pass from chamber to chamber in a zig-zag
dicction together with the products of condensation, and at cach
chamber are received in bulk and broken up into separate streams, and
again collected in bulk until the end.
The retorts or chambers are charged with coals from a waggon or
waggons made to run along a tramway above them, and when charged,
the lower doors or bottom being previously secured, the upper doors are
closed and the coal left to distil, the gas passing off by the exit pipe to
the condensers, as previously described.
The coals may be supplied to the waggons by a hoist or any suitable
contrivance.
The retorts are built upon archies sufficiently high to admit of
waggons or trucks passing beneath them so as to receive the cokc when
the retorts are discharged, and the lower doors of the retorts may be so
contrived as to slide out or be lowered on to a frame or truck, and if
desirable constitute the bottom of the truck.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Somerville in tho Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th August 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SOMERVILLE, of Dublin, Gas Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and graut unto me, the said John Somerville, Her
special licence that I, the said John Somerville, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Somerville, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time

page_text: FOR
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING GAS FOR 5
LIGHTING AND HEATING, AND
THE APPARATUS USED THEREIN," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Somerville, 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 1
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Somerville, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be 1
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
These improvements relate, firstly, to carbonizing coal or other gas-
making materials in retorts, chambers, or ovens, of such capacity as to 2
admit of a much larger quantity of coals being operated upon at once;
and secondly, in the construction of such apparatus as shall be especially
adapted for carrying out the system. With this view retorts, chambers,
or ovens are constructed of bricks or blocks moulded for the purpose,
and are built of various sizes to meet the requirements of different 2
works, but the size preferred is about twenty feet long, ten feet high,
and eighteen inches wide at bottom, but tapering to one foot wide at
top. Each retort, chamber, or oven is closed at the bottom by one or
morc doors hinged to the bottom, or made entirely removable on a
travelling frame or otherwise, the said door or doors being composed of 3
cast or wrought iron, partially or wholly covered with bricks, tiles, or
fire-clay, in such a manner that when closed a bottom of refractory
material is formed for the coal or other material to rest upon. The top
of each retort, chamber, or oven is closed by one or more lids or doors,
which are either luted or surfaced so as to make a sound joint between 3
it and the top of the retort, chamber, or oven. Each retort, chamber, or
oven is also furnished with one or more pipes for the exit of the gas,

page_text: and may be coated with cement or glazed to prevent the auntience
the coke.
When two or more retorts, chambers, or ovens are set side by sido a
furnace is constructed between them and heats the sides of both by an
arrangement of ascending and descending flues which terminate in a
short chimney, or the products of combustion may be carried into one
chimney common to the whole range. The furnace door is situated on
the top of the retort stack, and the fuel is introduced by a hopper or
otherwise. The fire-bars are made with a frame of cast or wrought-iron.
bars, with recesses formed in them so as to admit of fire-bricks or other
refractory substance being inserted therein, and removed from time to
time when requiring renewal. The ash-pit floor is made sloping so that
clinker or ashes on falling slide down into a receiver so arranged that
on being opened the contents will fall into a barrow or other receptacle
for their removal.
The exit pipe from cach retort is led into a small chamber, into which
also is led a pipe communicating through the conducting main with the
condenser. These two pipes are provided with a cover which is divided.
into two compartments by a partition extending from the top to near
the bottom. The chamber being furnished with water and the pipes
being covered no gas can pass from one pipe to the other, but upon the
bell being raised sufficiently to withdraw the division plate from the
water a free passage for the gas is formed.
From the chamber just described the gas passes on to the condenser,
which consists of a series of pipes of, by preference, about three or four
inches in diameter, but admitting of variation to suit the requirements
of the works. These pipes are connected at each end with a chamber,
the gas being made to pass from chamber to chamber in a zig-zag
direction together with the products of condensation, and at cach
chamber are received in bulk and broken up into separate streams,
and
again collected in bulk until the end.
The retorts or chambers are charged with coals from a waggon or
waggons made to run along a tramway above them, and when charged,
the lower doors or bottom being previously secured, the upper doors are
closed and the coal left to distil, the gas passing off by the exit pipe to
the condensers, as previously described.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a side clevation of a range of retorts.

page_text: The gas evolved in the retort passes out at or about the point marked H
into a chamber so constructed as to form a hydraulic scal, such as is
before herein described; I, being the chamber; J, the inlet pipe; K, the
outlet pipe; and L, the bell, which is provided with a vertical partition,
and is raised by means of the lever and quadrant M, the lever being
operated upon by the attendant pulling a rod or chain N attached to its
end. The gas having passed into K is led into the conducting main,
which is not shown in the Drawing, but may be supported by brackets
or pillars on one side of the retort range, and from thence the gas passes
to the condenser.
Between each retort is a furnace O, which is fired from the top of the
retort range through an opening P furnished with an ordinary furnace
door. The ashes fall through the fire-bars on to the inclined plane Q,
and slide down through the opening R into any suitable travelling
receptacle placed to receive them. The flame and heat from the furnace
passes from the flues in the direction of the arrows, and eventually into
the short upright shaft S. Each furnace is provided with a clinkering
door T.
Immediately above each furnace, where there is considerable space,
it is proposed in some cases to set horizontally a round or other suitably
shaped and sized retort. These would be employed as auxiliaries to the
vertical retorts, or under circumstances when it is desirable to pass the
gas over or through other material than that used in the vertical
retorts. The horizontal retorts would be furnished with fittings of the
ordinary sort, and would be charged and drawn in the usual manner.
The furnace bars U, which are shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 to an
enlarged scale, are made of iron with a hollow V, into which wedge-
shaped bricks W are inserted, such bricks being arranged so as to
admit of their removal and replacement by new ones whenever
desirable.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent the improved form of condenser, consisting of
a number of horizontal pipes connected by smaller pipes Y. The gas is
admitted by the inlet Z into X1; from thence it passes through the
smaller pipes Y into X 2, and from thence again by the pipes Y to X3,
and so on throughout the series (which may be unlimited in number,
lengths, or size), until it reaches the outlet a, from whence it may be
conveyed to the other apparatus ordinarily used in the manufacture,
purification, and storage of gas.

page_text: Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I havo,
described or referred to, as variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of this Invention; but
what I consider to bo novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of vertical retorts and 1
furnaces and their appliances, as herein described and shown on the
Drawings.
Secondly. The construction of fire-bars with hollows for the reception
of fire-clay or bricks, as herein described and shown on the Drawings.
::
And, Thirdly. The improved form or construction of condenser, as 1
herein described and shown on the Drawings. .
In witness whereof, I, the said John Somerville, have hercunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
2