IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GAS," AND IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL ILLUMINATION
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Hulett, of 55 & 56, High Holborn, London,
Gas Engineer, and George Prudden, of Shefford Beds; Gas Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE
AND DISTRIBUTION OF GAS," AND IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR INTERNAL OR
EXTERNAL ILLUMINATION."
Sealed the 10th February 1860, and dated the 11th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Hulett and George
Prudden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 11th August 1859.
We, DAVID HULETT, of 55 & 56, High Holborn, London, Gas Engineer,
and GEORGE PRUDDEN, of Shefford Beds, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR
INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL ILLUMINATION," to be as follows:-
The improvements consist, 1stly, in the general arrangement of the
apparatus of the retort flues, in which iron bars or bars of other material are
used to support the fire bricks or tiles surrounding the retort, giving great
facility for removing or repairing the several parts, without deranging the
apparatus.
2ndly, in the arrangement of iron slides for the sight holes, and also for
the draught holes to throw the heat on the retort at the required part.

page_text: 3rdly, the hydraulic main and wash vessel are formed in one, and are placed
partly under the apparatus, the condensers being placed on the top of the
vessel containing the hydraulic main and wash vessel, are more conveniently
disposed, and under greater control.
.4thly, the purifier and scrubber are combined under one vessel, closed at
the top, and hermetically sealed at the bottom by a lute made of water,
mercury, or other suitable liquid or material, the scrubber being placed under
the purifier, and forming a continuation of the same.
5thly, the trays in the purifier, on which the lime or other substance used
for purifying rests, are made of wicker, cane, or other like material.
6thly, the valve is made similar to the one known as Carter's valve, but
the outlet is formed so as to partially encircle the inlet, thus giving a full and
free passage to the gas, the leather forming the valve being cupped or dished
for the same purpose.
7thly, the gas burners have the stem or supply pipe passing down through
the centre of the flame, the ordinary glass chimney being supported by means
of a small bracket from the side of the burner, or by a glass holder attached
to the burner; the upper part of the glass chimney is kept in the centre by
means of a ring supported from one side of the stem or supply pipe, or by
wires attached thereto, the shade or outer frame being supported by means of
a spring or wire which adjusts itself to any size of opening in, such shade or
outer frame.
8thly, illumination devices being formed with colored drops or spangles,
such as are used in the manufacture of lustres, either plain or cut, or with
pieces of stamped or pressed glass attached to a glass plate or other transparent
back, also forming devices by cutting out or punching holes or openings in
metal, wood, or other opaque or semi-opaque substance, the design required
and letting in, or fixing upon these openings pieces of glass, either plain or
colored, and attaching glass drops on the same by means of cement, glue, or
other like material, or by means of wires, screws, or bolts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Hulett and George Prudden in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th February 1860.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said David Hulett and George Prudden, Her special licence that we, the said
David Hulett and George Prudden, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said David Hulett and George Prudden, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 APPARATUS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR INTERNAL
OR EXTERNAL ILLUMINATION," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said David Hulett and George Prudden, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and scertain 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said David Hulett and George Prudden,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
These improvements relate to the general arrangement of the apparatus for
the manufacture of gas, as shewn in the accompanying Drawings, Sheet I.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, in which the same letters of reference refer to liko
parts. Fig. I. represents a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 represents
a side elevation; Fig 3 represents a cross section; Fig. 4 represents a longi-
tudinal section; Fig. 5 represents a plan. A is the retort shewn in section
in Figs. 3 and 4; B, the furnace for heating the retort; C, the washer and
hydraulic main; D, D, the condensers, which are placed on the vessel con-
taining the washer and hydraulic main; F, the scrubber; and G, the purifier.
The scrubber F is placed under the purifier, and forms a continuation of the
same, and both are enclosed by a cover Y, which is sealed at the bottom by a
lute, made of water, mercury, or other suitable liquid or material. The gas,
when generated in the retort A, passes up the pipe H, and along the pipe K,
thence descending by L into the washer and hydraulic main C, from which it
ascends by first pipe M of the condenser, and so on through the whole of the

page_text: condensing pipes; on its arrival in the pipe' N, it is conducted under the
scrubber F, through which it ascends and passes through the trays P, P, P, in
the purifier, which are made of wicker, cane, or other like material, thence to
the gas holder, as shewn by the arrows; from which it will be seen that the
washer C serves as a hydraulic main as well as a washer.
This arrangement of apparatus occupies much less space than the ordinary
ones 'now'in 'use, and greater facility is afforded for cleaning, adjusting, and
repairing the same. The screw plugs R, R, R, can be removed, when access
can be obtained to the interior of the condensers, and the same can be cleaned
without interfereing with the remainder of the apparatus. The retort is
attached by means of screws to the outlet pipe for the convenience of removal.
The condensers may be placed at the end or at the side, as shewn in the
Drawing, as niay be found most desirable. The iron bars for supporting the
tiles or fire bricks are shewn at S and T, by which means the retort may be
removed' without deranging the flues or apparatus. In Fig. I.; E, E, are
slides covering sight holes, for the purpose of ascertaining the state of the
Fétort during the distillation or generation of gas. By means, of these sight
holės; a sufficient view of the retort is obtained to ascertain whether the heat
is properly distributed, and the-following nieans are provided to throw the heat
on the part required. V, Fig. 3, is a draught plate, which is drawn back-
wards or forwards by means of the handles X, X, shewn in Fig. I.; these
plates are for the purpose of directing the flame or heat on the retort at the
required part, as by closing the draught hole nearest the mouth of the retort
by pulling the handle or nob X, & thus drawing over it the plate V, the
heat or draught is forced to travel to the back "of the retort (which thus
receives the greater part of the heat) and returns back again above the
plate V, and thence to the chimney. This arrangement is adopted at both
sides of the retort: 'Again, should the further end of the retort become hotter
than the nearer end, the handle X is pushed inwards, which removes the
plate V from the draught hole, and the heat is directed to the nearer or fore
part of the retort. The retort may be placed vertically, if desired, at the
same time preserving the same general arrangement of the apparatus.
Sheet 2, Figs. 1; 2, & 3, represent a vertical retort, Fig. 1 being an
elevation and Fig. 2 a cross section, and Fig. 3, a plan drawn to a scale half
the size of Figs. 1 and 2. A is the retort, and B the retort cover; C,. C, are
the furnace doors, which we prefer to keep shut when once the fire is properly
made and lighted, the lower draught door D being only kept open. When it
is necessary to replenish the fire, fluel may be supplied through the holes E, E,
Fig. 3, covered by the slides F, F. Theso holes serve also as sight holes, aud

page_text: are placed round the retort A similar to those in Sheet-I. G, Fig. 2, is the
furnace, which is cased round with iron or with iron bars; the iron is again
surrounded with fire bricks H, and the remainder K, filled in with concrete,
or other suitable material. A receptacle L is provided for the introduction of
the coal, and for withdrawing the same when used. To remove the cover of
the retort, it is only necessary to unscrew the bar M, which will take off the
pressure of the lever against the abutment R, when it can be drawn aside,
turning on the stanchion P, when the cover can be readily removed.
Fig. 6, Sheet 1, represents a longitudinal section of a valve of the kind known
as.Carter's valve, with our improvements in addition; and Fig. 7 is a plan of the
same, with the cover removed, shewing 'the arrangement of inlet and outlet.
The gas follows the direction indicated by the arrows. The valve seating b may
be made of anti-corrosive metal or brass... The valve is shewn as open in the
Drawing; to close it, it is only necessary to turn the wheel at the top of the
screw, which would press down the cupped leather disc A upon the valve
seating, and, close, the inlet. In Fig. 7, C is the inlet, and D the outlet,
which is made to encircle the inlet, and so give a full and free passage for
the gas; for the same reason the leather disc A is cupped, as shewn in the
Drawing.
.
Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is an elevation in perspective of the gas burner, in which
A is the burner, and B the supply pipe. The ordinary glass chimney is
retained in position by means of a ring E, or the same might be effected by
bent wires attached to-the-supply pipe. It is supported at the bottom by
means of a bracket or projection D fixed to the side of the burner. It may
also be supported by means of a glass holder or triangle attached to the
bottom of the burner, which would also carry an outer glass or shade. F is a
spring holder for carrying the outer globe, glass, or shade, the spring accom-
modating itself to any size of opening. The ring E and glassholder F are
supported by means of a rod G attached to the supply pipe at H.
Illuminated devices are formed with colored drops or spangles, such as are
used in the manufacture of lustres, either plain or cut, or with pieces of
stamped or pressed glass attached to a glass plate or other transparent back;
also forming devices by cutting out or punching holes or openings in metal,
wood, or other opaque or semi-opaque substance, the design required, and
letting in or fixing upon these openings pieces of glass, either plain or colored,
and attaching glass drops in the same by means of cement, glue, or other like
material, or by means of wires, screws, or bolts.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the Invention, we
would have it understood that we do not bind ourselves to the precise details,

page_text: as the same may be varied without any material difference in principle from
the Invention; but what we desire to claim, and have secured to us by our
Letters Patent, are,-
1stly, the general arrangement and disposition of the several parts of a gas
apparatus, substantially as herein-before described.
2ndly, a valve substantially as the one herein-before described, with the
outlet encircling the inlet, or vice versa.
3rdly, a gas burner with chimney supported in the manner as herein-before
described.
4thly, the formation of illumination devices with colored drops and spangles,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said David Hulett and George Prudden,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1860.
Witness,
JOSEPH WILLCOCK,
Patent Agent,
89, Chancery Lane.
London.
(L.S.) DAVID HULETT.
(L.s.) GEORGE PRUDDEN.