Apparatus for Producing Atmospheric Gas from Liquid Hydro- carbons.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Producing Atmospheric Gas from Liquid Hydro-
carbons.
I, PETER BUCHAN WATSON, of Gas Works, Falkirk, N.B., Gas Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus for producing atmospheric gas from
liquid hydrocarbons which gives off a spiritous vapour lighter than air; I may
use benozline or other such spirit. The apparatus consists, at one end, of a
chamber to contain the hydrocarbon. A pipe leads from this to a drum or
cylinder having its internal arrangements the same as or similar to those of an
ordinary wet gas meter that is to say, revolving compartments within it. At the
other end of the apparatus is a gas holder. At the side of the drum or cylinder is
a water wheel mounted on a horizontal shaft which shaft gives the required motion
within the drum and passes diametrically through the drum. Upon the other
end of the said shaft is an arrangement of revolving buckets which are carried
upon arms.
The said buckets revolve within a chamber which is formed on or
attached to this side of the drum. This part of the apparatus I may call the meter
or air generator. The top of the drum is provided with a perforated cap to form
the air inlet. The hydrocarbon is led by a pipe from its tank into the side
chamber within which the buckets revolve. The buckets keep taking up a quantity
of hydrocarbon and raise it towards the top of the chamber where the buckets
upset the hydrocarbon down through a passage in the said chamber and out there-
from into an ordinary scrubber. The hydrocarbon descends down from the top
of the scrubber through the centre thereof. The air is led from the top of the
bucket chamber by a pipe into the bottom of the scrubber where it comes into
contact with the heaviest of the light hydrocarbon. The generated gas is finally
led from the scrubber to an ordinary gas holder.
In accordance with my invention I can make gas of any required illuminating
power by increasing or decreasing the size of the buckets for any given quantity
of air. To increase the illuminating power of the gas I increase the size of the
buckets so as to give an increased quantity of hydrocarbon, and for the purpose of
making heating gas I reduce the size of the buckets.
When the gas holder is full, it automatically shuts off the water valve and stops
the action of the apparatus. This I effect by mounting an upright rod on the top
of the gas holder, the top of which rod is in connection with a lever which lever is
connected to the water valve, the arrangement being such that when the gas
holder is full that is to say, at its highest point, the water is shut off automatically.
When the gas holder descends towards its lowest position the water valve is auto-
matically opened.
'
In lieu of a water wheel I may employ weights and pulleys for the purpose of
revolving the shaft which passes through the air generator.
n
001
1
Jonum. 1907

page_text: Apparatus for Producing Atmospheric Gas from Liquid Hydro-
oarbons.
I, PETER BUCHAN WATSON, of the Gas Works, Falkirk, North Britain, Gas
Manager, 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:---
This invention cousists primarily of a scrubber or cylindrical vessel, having
within it a number of trays of perforated material, which trays are made of any
convenient shape to permit of the thorough saturation of the absorbent material
placed upon them. The oil or hydrocarbon liquid is brought to the top of this
scrubber, and runs in through a pipe at the top. Air is passed
through the serubber from the lower end, and in its passage takes
up some of the vapour of the hydrocarbon liquid, and, when expelled at the
top end, is gasified sufficiently to allow it to burn with either a blue or an intensely
white flame or any intermediate colour, as required, so as to give either a heating
or lighting flame. Suitable provision is made in the cylinder for the entrance
and exit of the air, and for the entrance of the hydrocarbon liquid. The air is
passed in from a meter, which only works when the gas from the outlet of the
scrubber is being used. The drum of this meter is made of the usual wet meter
pattern, but with a long spindle extending through stuffing boxes on either or
both sides of the case. Upon one end of this spindle is fixed a pulley round which
is coiled a rope or chain, the free end of which is carried over a pulley and there
has a weight attached, the gravity of such weight serving to revolve the drum of
the meter. Alternatively, I employ clockwork, electricity, or any other motive
power to drive the drum, or I pass air under pressure through pipes to the air
inlet of the meter, which serves to rotate the drum. On the same spindle is fixed
a wheel which revolves with the drum, carrying upon its periphery a series of
cups or buckets. These cups lift up from a receptacle or tank a quantity of the
hydrocarbon liquid, and when they arrive near the upper part of their travel, they
empty this liquid into a hopper from the bottom of which the liquid is conveyed
by gravity to the serubber. The buckets are made of such a shape, that, by setting
them at varying angles, they can be made to lift any desired quantity of the liquid,
and also that they will lift the set quantity, independent of any variation in the
quantity of liquid in the tank. When gas is allowed to begin issuing, the power
noting upon the spindle of the drum of the meter causes it to revolve, and thus
draw in air from the atmosphere, or from the source of supply, if under pressure,
and expel the same through the scrubber in such quantity as is required, and, at
the same time, the revolution of the spindle causes a similar revolution of the wheel
carrying the cups or buckets, and thus the quantity of liquid raised and passed
to the scrubber is constantly in accordance with the quantity of air being passed
through, so that the quality of the gas is likewise constant.
In the drawing, Figure 1 represents a section through the middle of the meter
where A is the drum, B the spindle, C the rope pulley, D the wheel with cups or
buckets E upon it, F the receptacle or tank, & the hopper, and EL the pipe leading
to the scrubber.
Figure 2 is a back elevation of the wheel with the position of the hopper & shewn
by the dotted lines.
Figure 3 shews one of the cups or buckets fixed at such an angle as to lift the
largest possible quantity of liquid.
Figure 1 shews the same fixed to lift a lesser quantity of liquid.

page_text: Figure 5 shews a section of the scrubber in which J is the case, K the hydro-
carbon liquid inlet pipe, L the air inlet pipe, and M the air outlet pipe. N Ñ are
the perforated trays, and 00 the absorbent material placed upon them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
Firstly. Automatically supplying a liquid hydrocarbon to a scrubber in suit-
able quantities in accordance with the supply of air. substantially as described
and set forth in the drawing.
Secondly. The combination with a gas meter of a wheel carrying cups or buckets
for raising a liquid, all as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, and as
illustrated by the annexed drawing.
Thirdly. The arrangement of cups or buckets that are so adjustable as to dis-
tribute a set quantity of liquid at each revolution of the wheel, all as and for the
purposes hereinbefore set forth, and as illustrated by the annexed drawing.
Fourthly. The arrangement of cups or buckets that are so adjustable as to lift a
set quantity of liquid at each revolution of the wheel independent of any variation
in quantity of liquid in the tank, all as and for the purposes hereinbefore set
forth, and as illustrated by the annexed drawing.
Fifthly. The combination with a scrubber of perforated trays of flat conical or
rounded form, all as and for the purposes hereinhefore set forth, and as illustrated
by the annexed drawing.
Sixthly. The combination with the trays of suitable coverings of woollen or
other textile fabric for the absorption of the liquid hydrocarbon, all as and for
the purposes hereinbefore set forth, and as illustrated by the annexed drawing.
Seventhly. My herenbefore described apparatus for automatically producing
atmospheric gas, substantially as described in the foregoing Specification, and
illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
Dated this Twenty-first day of October 1807