IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC- TURE OF GAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ILLUMINATION, AND IN APPARATUS USED THEREIN, AND WHEN TRANSMITTING AND MEASURING GAS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
ANGUS CROLL, Superintendent at the Gas Works, Brick Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, and WILLIAM RICHARDS, of the same Works, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Seventh day of March, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Alexander Angus Croll and William Richards, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Alexander Angus Croll
and William Richards, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said Alexander Angus Croll and William Richards, our exors, admors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF GAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ILLUMINATION, AND IN APPARATUS USED THEREIN,
AND WHEN TRANSMITTING AND MEASURING GAS;" in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso, that we, the said Alexander Angus Croll and Wil-
liam Richards, or one of us, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Alexander Angus Croll and William Richards, do hereby declare that the
nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, are fully described and ascertained in and by the following descrip-
tion thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:―
Our Invention relates, first, to a mode of manufacturing gas for the purpose
of illumination.
Secondly, our Invention relates to improvements in setting and heating clay
retorts for making coal gas.
Thirdly, to a mode of manufacturing clay retorts.
And, fourthly, our Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for
measuring gas when it is being transmitted to the consumer.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and the means pursued by us in carrying out our various improvements.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A.
Figure 1 represents a plan of an apparatus for manufacturing gas, and
Figure 2 is a section thereof. The peculiar character of this part of the In-
vention is so arranging apparatus that water may be decomposed by acid
acting on zinc, and the gas so produced combined with naptha vapour or other
proper fluid to give color to the light. a, a, a vessel of lead, having within it
the leaden vessel 6; these vessels are retained secure to the floor by means of
the upright bars c, c, being screwed to the floor, and by the top radial bars d, d,
as will readily be understood by examining this Drawing. is a pipe leading
from the vessel 6 to suitable burners, which are to be similar to those used in
burning coal gas, but we have found that the flame produced by combining
hydrogen gas with naptha vapour or other suitable liquid to give color to the flame
requires more atmospheric air in burning than coal gas, for which reason we
make the holes of the burners only about one-third the diameter of those used
for coal gas. is a syphon pipe for supplying naptha or other suitable liquid
to the interior of the vessel b. At the lower part of the vessel b are formed
numerous holes g, by means of which the diluted sulphuric acid placed in the
vessel a can pass freely into the vessel b, and act on the sheet or pieces of

page_text: zinc placed on the leaden platform on table h, through which numerous holes
are formed. Into the vessel 6 we place diluted sulphuric acid for acting on the
zinc so as to decompose the water, as is well understood and practised by
chemists and others when it is desired to obtain hydrogen gas; and to so acting
on zinc by acid and water separately we make no claim; and it is only the com-
bining of that process in suitable apparatus, with the use of naptha or other
suitable liquid, the vapour of which will give color to the gas, that constitutes
the novelty of this part of our Invention. In using this apparatus, a supply of
naptha or other fluid is to be kept up in the vessel b, and zinc is from time to
time to be introduced by raising the inverted vessel b, at which time the neutral
salt or sulphate of zinc is to be drawn off at the cock i. The consequence will
be that the hydrogen gas will pass up through the naptha (or other fluid used)
above, and become impregnated therewith, by which the gas will become
colored by the carbon contained in the vapours of the naptha or other proper
fluid through which the hydrogen gas passes.
We will now proceed to describe the second part of our Invention, which
relates to modes of arranging and fixing clay retorts in an arch, so as to be
more advantageously heated, and by which much fuel will be saved in making
coal gas.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS B.
Figure 1 represents a front view of three arches, having clay retorts set
therein, according to my Invention; one-half of the three arches being shown
in section, so that the manner of setting the retorts may be readily understood.
In this arrangement only the outer arches A, A, have furnaces or fire-places,
the middle arch B being heated by the heat passing from the two arches A;
and it should be understood that the two arches A, and the arrangement of
clay retorts therein, are the same, so that by showing one in section the work-
man will understand the arrangement and setting of the clay retorts in the
other. Figure 2 shows a horizontal section, taken at the dotted lines 1, 1,
Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a transverse section of an arch A, and clay
retorts therein, taken through the dotted lines (2) to (2) in Figure 1; and
Figure 4 shows another transverse section, taken through the dotted lines
(2) to (3) in Figure 1. By examining these various views, aided by the
description here given, the workman will readily understand the peculiar
arrangement constituting part of our Invention. a is the furnace or fire-place,
which is towards one side of the arch, the arrangement and construction of
the arch being similar to those before. used; b, c, d, e, and f, are fire-clay retorts,
such as have heretofore been used, and the mouth-pieces and other apparatus

page_text: shown are of the ordinary kind when clay retorts are used, and which will
readily be understood by examining that part of Figure 1 which is not shewn
in section. We prefer to make those retorts which are nearest the fire thicker
than those which are more distant from the fire, which is an arrangement we
prefer; and the peculiarity of this part of our Invention is the mode of support-
ing the various retorts by means of bricks or tiles intermediate of the back and
front walls of the arch A, whereby the upper retorts are not in currents of heat
passing from the fire-place to the flues, but may be said to be in a quiet
atmosphere of heat; and it will be seen that the clay retorts are at their back
ends built into a nine-inch wall g, g, built within the arch A, and the front ends
of the clay retorts are built into a wall h, h, which constitutes the front of the
arch; and the peculiar character of setting these clay retorts is, that the fire
does not come in contact with each and every retort, but the retorts may rather
be said to be in an atmosphere of heat, the fire passing from the fire-place
almost directly out of the arch; for it will be seen that the fire only plays over
one of the clay retorts b, and that only for part of its length, the flames of the
fire will descend and pass into the arch B, as will readily be traced in the
Drawings. The various tiles or bricks which are used immediate of the back
and front walls of the arch simply being used as supports, allowing the heated
atmosphere of the arch to envelope the retorts c, d, e; and the retort f will be
heated partly by such heat in the arch, and by the passage of the flame heat
from the fire-place under it, in passing away from the arch A into the arch B;
and the heated products of the two fires of the two arches A, A, enter in at
the lower parts of the arch B, and ascending amongst the retorts in that arch
hreat them, and then the products of the fires pass off at the roof of the arch B.
The mode of supporting the retorts in the arch B is clearly shewn, and does
not form any part of the present Invention; and altho we have shewn clay
retorts to be used in that arch B, yet iron retorts may be used, as was described
in our former Patent; at the same time we would here state that the use of
clay retorts in a second arch, not having a fire or furnace of its own, but
receiving heat from the fire of another arch containing clay retorts, as herein
described, constitute one part of our present Invention; and such an arrange-
ment of arches, having clay retorts set therein, for making gas, whereby the
heat of the fire of the first arch having heated the first arch A, passes into and
heats the second arch. B, with clay retorts therein, will be found a highly useful
combination of arches and clay retorts, with the means of heating the same
when making coal gas.
We will now describe another arrangement of clay retorts in two arches C, C,
the heat passing from which is conducted off at the lower part thereof into the

page_text: lower part of a middle arch D, and the products from the fire pass off this
arch D at the roof into a flue or chimney.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS C.
Figure 1 represents a front view, in elevation, of three arches, with retorts
set therein, according to part of our Invention, one-half being shown in section,
in order that the arrangement of the retorts and mode of heating them may be
readily traced; Figure 2 is a plan of the same, taken at the dotted line 1, 1, in
Figure 1. Figure 3 is a transverse section, taken at the dotted lines from
2 to 2 in Figure 2; Figure 4 shews a transverse section, taken from 2 to 3
in Figure 1; and Figure 5, another transverse section of the same, taken at the
dotted line (4), (4), in Figure 1; and the workman examining these Drawings
will readily be enabled to construct arches with clay or with clay and other retorts,
according to this part of our Invention. It will be seen, on examining the Draw-
ings, that the fire-places a, a, to each of the arches C, C, are towards one side
thereof, and that the front and back ends of the retorts b, c, d, e, f, and g, are
supported in the same manner as those above described; but in place of there
being only part of the retorts within the action of the direct current of heat
passing from the fire-place to the next or middle arch, as was the case before
described, the whole of the clay retorts in the arch D are within the current of
heat circulating from the fire to the flues which connect the arches C, C, and
D; for it will be seen that the arch C has a wall h built therein, which sepa-
rates the retorts b, c, d, from the retorts e, f, and g, hence the currents of flame
and heat passing from the fire will first rise up and amongst the retorts b, c, d,
and then pass over the wall or partition h, and descend amongst the retorts
e, f, g, and pass away at the lower part of the arch C into the lower part of the
second or middle arch D, and thence, having heated that arch and the retorts
therein, the products of the fires will pass away at the roof of the arch D; and
it is this peculiar arrangement of divided arch C, and conveying away of the
heat from the arch C into the next ar middle arch D at the lower part, as
shewn and described, which constitutes the novel character of this arrangement
of clay retorts in an arch. The various clay retorts at the upper part being
supported intermediate of their front and back ends by the tiles, or bricks, or
lumps, as shewn, in such manner that the flame and heated currents passing
from the fire to the next arch may pass freely amongst them, all which will
readily traced in the Drawings; and it should be stated that the having a
second arch D, with iron retorts therein, heated by the heat from a first arch
C, does not form any part of the present Invention, it being similar to what
was described in our former Specification, the mode of bringing in the heat

page_text: from the first arch being different in the present case to that formerly described
inasmuch as bringing the heat from the lower part of the first arch into the
second arch, as herein described; and it will be evident that in place of iron
retorts being arranged and set in the second arch D, as described, clay
retorts may be set therein, as shewn in the arch B of the previous Drawings
in which case, the arrangement shewn would in these Drawings be the same as
that part of our Invention which has for its object the combining a second arch
having clay retorts set therein, and heating it by the heat passing off from a
first arch having clay retorts set therein.
We will now describe another part of our Invention, which has for its object
a mode of arranging two arches, one above the other, the upper arch having
clay retorts arranged and fixed therein, and the lower arch having iron or
clay retorts fixed or set therein, and in such manner that the upper arch
is the one heated by the direct action of the fire. The heat thereof having
heated the upper, descends into the lower arch, and heats it and the retorts set
therein; and it is the peculiar arrangement of the arches, one above the other,
when combined with the circumstance of the fire heating the upper arch and
retorts and then descending to the lower arch, that constitutes the novel
character of this part of our Invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS D.
Figure 1 shews an elevation of two arches with retorts set therein for
making coal gas; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same; Figure 3 is a
transverse section thereof; Figure 4 is a horizontal section, taken at the dotted
line (1), 1); in Figure 2 and Figure 5 is a horizontal section, taken at the
dotted line (2), 2), Figure 2. a* is the fire place or furnace"; 6, the ash-pit
which is over the crown of the lower arch; c is a steam pipe with numerous
holes, through which steam is allowed constantly to issue from a steam boiler
to keep the fire bars cool. The clay retorts in the upper arch E, are so set
that one of their sides of each of the lowest retorts a, b, are guarded by
the walls h, h; the flame and heat passing upwards from the fire pass over the
retorts c, d, and under the retorts e, f, g, descend at the sides through the
openings i, i, in the brickwork down into the lower arch F; where the iron
retorts, or it may be clay retorts, are set, as is shewn; the supporting tiles,
bricks, or lumps of the retorts in the upper and lower arch allowing the heat to
circulate freely amongst the retorts, as will readily be traced in these Drawings,
and the products of combustion from the fire will pass off by the flue j, into a
chimney; and it will be found that this mode of heating a series of clay retorts
placed in an upper arch, and causing the heat to descend therefroin to heat

page_text: another series of iron or clay retorts in an arch below, is a very advantageous
arrangement of apparatus for applying heat beneficially in making coal gas.
In the Drawing of various pipes for conveying off the gas from the different
retorts is shewn in Figure 1, and also one of the hydraulic mains, the other
hydraulic main would be above.
We would remark that, in the above modes of setting retorts we have shewn
particular numbers of retorts in the various arches, but it will be evident that
the number of retorts may be varied:
We will now describe the third part of our Invention, which has for its
object a mode of making retorts by hydrostatic or other pressure in moulds.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING E.
Figure 1 shews a plan of the mould in section; Figure 2 is a vertical:
section thereof, shewing the internal core as having been pressed down into its
lowest position; Figure 3 shews another vertical section, the internal core
having passed only partly down, it being shorter than the other core; the
moulds are formed for making a retort in two pieces: Figure 2 showing the
mould for making the front edge of a clay retort, and Figure 3 the back end
thereof, the outer moulds being similar to each other, the internal core being
slightly different, one shorter than the other. Figure 4 shows a clay retort
complete for burning. Figure 5 shows an end view of part of a retort, show-
ing the groove for receiving clay when joining the two halves of a retort in
getting the same in an arch. Figure 6 shows a front end view of a retort. The
iron moulds are each made of three parts a, b, c, bound together with straps
and screw bolts and nuts e, f, g, h, i, j, k, the mould being fixed by screws to a
plate 1, affixed to and moved by the cam of an hydraulic press, and the
internal core or mould is affixed to the upper plate of the press. Properly
prepared clay for making retorts is to be used in nearly
a dry state, but we
prefer to use such clay combined with coal tar; and for this purpose we heat
clay to be used to 300° to 400° of Fahrenheit, and mix with it a quantity of
coal tar so as to render the mass plastic, using however as little coal tar as
possible, so long as it will give adhesion to the clay in the dry state. The clay
being introduced into the mould the press is worked and the core progressively
forced in, the clay rising at the sides of the core, and any slight excess of clay
is allowed to escape at the upper parts. It will be seen that the core is hollow,
and we introduce steam into the same by a pipe to heat it, which will cause it
to be expanded when used; and when to be withdrawn we allow it to cool, by
which and by its being slightly taper it will come out. By this means very

page_text: hydraulic press other pressure may be resorted to.
We will now describe the third part of our Invention, which has for its
object improvements in apparatus for measuring gas when being transmitted
to the consumer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS F.
Figure 1 shews a vertical section of a gas meter, having two partitions
moving on flexible connections; Figure 2 shews a horizontal section thereof;
Figure 3 shows a plan and edge view of the dished metal plate to which the
flexible material employed is applied. The other Figures on the same Drawing
shew the various forms of the moving parts separately. Figure 4 and Figure 5
shew two plans of the upper part of the meter, by which the arrangement of
valves and parts working the same may readily be traced, the parts being shewn
in different positions. Figure 6 shews two sections of the valves in their two
positions. Figure 7 shews a plan of the under side of the valve seats; and
Figure 8 shews a Diagram in order to explain that part of our Invention
which relates to so arranging the arms and connecting rods which give rotatory
motion to the crank axis from the too-and-fro movement of the two moving
partitions that no pulsation or difference shall be indicated in the burning of
the gas, which pulsation and change, or flickering of the lights, have been so
objectionable when using gas meters with two moving partitions or flexible
diaphrams. a, a, a, is the outer casing of the gas meter, having two partitions
b, b, with moving flexible edges, which, by means of the arms c, c, and parts
hereafter explained, give motion to the slide valves d, d, and to the wheel-work
for registering the quantity of gas which has passed through the meter. On the
axis e, e, of the arms c, c, are affixed arms f, f, one to each axis e, e, such arms
being connected to the axis h by means of the connecting rods i, i, which are
connected by pin joints at one end to the arms f, f, and to the crank pins o of
the crank p, affixed on the crank axis h. The slides d, d, receive motion by
means of connecting rods g, g, on the crank in the axis h, there being a screw
or worm affixed on the axis h, which gives motion to the worm wheel k on the
axis l, such axis giving motion to the requisite train of wheels for registering
the quantity of gas which has been transmitted through the meter. We have
not thought it necessary to shew the train of wheels for that purpose, as the
same is well understood. The two partitions are placed and work in two
separate compartments of the meter, as is shewn by the Drawing, thus
the flexible partition divides each of the compartments into two parts,

page_text: the valves being so arranged as alternately to admit the gas to and from either
side of each flexible partition, as is shewn.
In making gas meters with what are called flexible partitions, as heretofore
constructed, it has been usual so to arrange the same, that the partition should
pass the point of its fixture on either side, by which the flexible material used
has been liable to crack and become quickly injured; it therefore became
desirable to avoid such crossing and bending of the flexible material first on
one surface, then on the other, and the object of part of our Invention is to
obtain accuracy in measuring gas in dry-meters by employing as large a disc of
metal and surrounded by as narrow a margin of flexible material as possible,
and so arranging the flexible material used that it shall only be bent or folded
in one direction; and this is accomplished by using a plate 6, which shall move
to and from the point of junction of the flexible material used, and thus avoid
passing, so as to fold the flexible material in the opposite direction.
The dotted lines in the Figures shew the range of the movement of the
plates 6, and the Drawings shew the parts so arranged that the flexible
material can only be bent in one direction. q is an arm moving on an axis at
r, the other end being attached to the plate 6 by the links s, s, the forked arms
q having the wire q² run through them, and through the links s, which are
attached by pin joints or otherwise to the projections t affixed to the plate b.
And in order to give motion to the valves and to the wheel-work for registering
the gas, the arm c is attached to the plate 6 by means of the links u, moving
on pin joints in the projections v affixed to the plate b, the two links u being
connected by the wire w, by which the forked end of the arm c is attached to
the links, and by them to the plate b, as is shown.
It is of great importance in constructing gas meters with two moveable par-
titions, giving motion to two axes, such as e, e, whatever may be the construc-
tion and arrangement of the partitions, that there should be an equality of
delivery of the gas, so as not to produce a flickering; and one part of our
Invention consists in forming the arms f, and the connecting rods i, by which
motion is obtained to an axis working the valves and the train wheels, according
to the following rule, which will readily be understood by the Diagram,
Figure 8, and the following observations thereon. The distance apart of the
axes e, e, receiving motion being determined for any gas meter, the mode of
ascertaining the throw of the crank being determined, the mode of obtaining
the lengths of the arms f, and the connecting rods i, in order that they may be
arranged and constructed according to this part of our Invention. We proceed
first to determine where the axis h shall be placed, and we prefer that it should
be on a line x, raised perpendicular to the line y, drawn from e, e, and that the

page_text: centre of the axis h should be at a distance from the line y, equal to one-half
the length of the line y, that is, equal to the line a, e, but this distance of the
axis from the line y is not absolute, but preferable, as by such means the
arms and rods i become equal or nearly equal: describe a circle about h
equal to the motion of the crank pin o, then raise a line z on the line y from e,
then having marked on a straight edge the diameter of the circle about the
centre h, place that straight edge on the paper, and move it so that the outer
marked point may be retained on the linez, while the edge of the straight edge
rests against the point h, as is indicated by the line (1) 1), till an arc of a
circle, the centre of which is e, is obtained on the line 1, 1, equal to the dia-
meter of the circle about h, and the length of the line e (1) will be the length of
the armf, and the length of the line (1) to (2) will be the length of the connecting
rod i; and having thus obtained the length of the parts f, i, for the one axis e,
the length of the parts f*(and it are obtained as follows:-Draw a line (3)
perpendicular to the line (1), (1), and then upon that line place the edge of a
straight edge, upon which is marked the diameter of the circle about the axis h,
indicated by (4) and (5), and move the same along the line (3) until an arc
of a circle will be obtained from the axis e+, which are will intersect the points
(4), (5), then the distance from the axis e* to the point 4 will be the length of
the arm f+, and the distance from the point (4) to the point 6 will be the
length of the connecting rod it. It should be stated, we prefer that the crank
on the axis h, which moves the rods g, g, be so arranged that when the
central line of. a rod it is coincident with the line of the crank, the valve d of
that rod will not be quite closed, and the same state of circumstances will
occur in respect to the other rod i, and its valve, as is indicated by the red line
A, in Figures 4 and 5, where the centre of the crank moving the rods 9 is
shown a little behind the red line A.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, we would wish it to be understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the precise details herein described, provided the peculiar
character of either part of our Invention be retained; but what we claim is,―
First, the mode herein described of manufacturing gas for the purpose of
illumination, as described in respect to the Drawing marked A.
Secondly, we claim the mode of arranging and combining clay retorts in an
arch A, as described in respect to Drawings B; and we also claim the com-
bining a second arch B, having clay retorts set therein; when such second arch
is heated by the heat passing away from an arch or from arches A, as above
described; and we also claim the mode of arranging and combining clay
retorts in an arch C, as described in respect to the Drawings C; and we also

page_text: claim the mode of arranging and combining two arches, one above the other,
in such manner that the upper one E being heated by the fire, the heat
descends therefrom and heats the lower arch F, as described in respect to the
Drawings D; and we also claim the mode of making clay retorts for making
gas by employing moulds and an hydraulic or other suitable press, as described
in respect to the Drawings E.
And, thirdly, we claim the mode of arranging moveable partitions, that the
flexible material at the circumference of the centre plates 6 shall not be bent
but in one direction, as described in respect to Drawings F.
And we also claim the mode of constructing the arms f, f*, and connecting
rods i,, whereby they are made of lengths according to the rule herein given.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Angus Croll and William
Richards, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
forty-four.
A. ANGUS (L.S.) CROLL.
WILLIAM (L.s.) RICHARDS.
KOLL.
A. ANGUS (L.S.)
WILLIAM (L.s.) RICHARDS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventh day of September, in
the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid Alexander Angus Croll and William
Richards came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.