IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Keeling, of Reading, in the County of
Berkshire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF GAS."
Sealed the 2nd December 1862, and dated the 9th June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Keeling at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
June 1862.
I, JOHN KEELING, of Reading, in the County of Berkshire, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the construction of apparatus applicable to the
manufacture of gas upon a large scale, but more particularly to portable gas
apparatus, and consists of an oblong box made of cast iron, or other suitable
material, divided into three principal compartments, the first serving as a
chamber for the separation of the gas from the tar and ammoniacal liquor, the
second for the purpose of cooling and separating the ammonia hitherto held
in suspension by the gas, and the third as a chamber in which lime or other
purifying material is used, whereby the gas is deprived of its sulphuretted
hydrogen and carbonic acid. These improvements, however, consist, chiefly,
in the arrangement of the parts forming the middle chamber, which is sub-
divided in such manner as to form a number of secondary wedge-shaped
Price 8d1

page_text: compartments communicating with each other, the inlet to each being larger
than the outlet, so that when the apparatus is in use the gas is compelled to
linger while passing over the surface of the water [or water combined with a
suitable acid] contained in the lower part thereof, whereby the liquid exerts a
more perfect action and frees the gas more completely from the remaining
ammonia.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Keeling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
December 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
KEELING, of Reading, in the County of Berkshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Keeling, Her special licence that I, the said John Keeling, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Keeling, my 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 MANUFACTURE OF GAS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Keeling, 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 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 Keeling, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters marked thereon, that is to say :--
This Invention relates to the construction of apparatus, which, by slight
modifications, may be made applicable to the manufacture of gas upon a large

page_text: scale, but which is better adapted for small or portable gas apparatus. It
consists of an oblong box made of cast iron, or other suitable material, divided
into three principal chambers; the first, A, Fig. 2, serving as a tar cistern;
the second, B, a condenser; and the third, C, a purifier. The carbonization
of the coal or other gas-making material being effected in the ordinary
manner, the hot gas is conveyed by a pipe D into the first chamber, where
upon entering an enlarged space, and meeting with, the comparatively cold
tar, liquor, or water contained in the bottom, the temperature of the gas is
considerably lowered, the consequence of which is, that much of its tar and
ammoniacal liquor is there deposited. As, however, it is not sufficiently
cooled to enter the purifier at once, it passes on by a pipe E into the second
chamber B, the upper part of which is subdivided into a number of secondary
wedge-shaped compartments communicating with each other, the inlet to each
being larger than the outlet, in the proportion of two to one, so that when the
gas enters the first compartment it enters freely, but as it makes its exit, the
outlet being smaller than the inlet, its passage is retarded; and as this same
action occurs every time it passes into a fresh compartment, it is thereby com-
pelled to linger while passing over the cooling surfaces of the condenser and
water contained therein, and by this means is made to deposit more completely
the remaining tar and ammonia hitherto held in suspension. The peculiar
unsteady motion given by the hydraulic main to the gas, and by it transmitted
to the water, is here taken advantage of, and assists in the more effectual
separation of these impurities. An important feature in these improvements
is, that whatever deposit takes place in the condenser, almost the whole of it
will fall to the bottom, from whence it may be drawn off at the cock M, Fig. 3,
all chance of the gas way becoming choked up is thus removed.
The manner in which these compartments are constructed will be better
understood upon reference to Fig. 1, which represents the cover of the first
and second chambers, attached to which are a number of plates G cast per-
pendicular to it. These plates slide into vertical grooves formed in the sides
of the second chamber, and by means of cement are made into so many sec-
ondary compartments, the form and disposition of which will at once be seen.
The gas being sufficiently cooled, now enters by the pipe H into the purifier,
where it is freed by lime, oxide of iron, or other purifying agent from its sul-
phuretted hydrogen, carbonic acid, and other impurities. From thence it
passes off by the pipe I to the gas holder. In addition to the ordinary water
lute for the cover of the purifier, and for the greater security of making gas
on shipboard, or other situations in which by the oscillation of the vessel the
water might be ejected, it is intended to form the bottom of the cover with a

page_text: flange, between which and the bottom of the lute an india-rubber packing is
to be placed, and the whole secured so as to form a gas-tight joint by means
of cross bars and screws. And as oxide of iron is the most suitable material
known for the purification of gas manufactured in such situations, from its
property of being revivified by communication with the atmosphere, it is pro-
posed to connect a goose-necked pipe with the purifier, through which air
may be blown whenever, revivification is necessary, such pipe having a cock
at bottom, and to be charged with water when not in use. The removal of
the cover of the purifier may be thus dispensed with. These modifications,
however, are not shown in the Drawings, a description being considered
sufficient. In order to prevent the accumulation of liquid in the second
chamber to an inconvenient height, an overflow pipe J, Fig. 3, is attached
thereto, which communicates with the first chamber, into which it descends in
the form of a syphon, which, while allowing any superfluous liquid to flow off,
is effectually closed against the gas. K, Fig. 2, is also a syphon, serving as
an overflow pipe for tar and ammoniacal liquor; L is an orifice, through
which the second chamber is filled with water, and is fitted with a screw plug:
M and N are cocks to draw off the liquids contained in the first and second
chambers. Should it be deemed desirable to take out the whole of the
ammonia from the gas, sulphuric or other suitable acid may be mixed with
the water contained in the middle chamber, but in such case it will be necessary
to line the interior with lead or other material capable of resisting the action
of the acid.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of this Inven-
tion, I would observe that I do not confine myself to the precise details or
arrangements described or referred to; but what I claim as novel is, the con-
struction of that part of the apparatus referred to as the second chamber B,
substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Keeling, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
བཀ
ལ ་གང
JOHN KEELING. (L.S.)