IMPROVEMENTS IN AND Minaren OF WORKING GAO DUBIETERS METHOD OF WORKING GAS PURIFIERS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Thomas Walker, of Highgate, in the.
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
Minaren OF WORKING GAO DUBIETERS "
Sealed the 24th February 1874, and dated the 18th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Thomas
Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th December 1873.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER, of Highgate, in the County of Middle-
5 sex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND IN THE METHOD OF WORKING GAS PURIFIERS," to be as follows, that is
to say :-
My improvements relate to an improved method of working purifiers
for purifying coal gas from carbonic acid, sulphur compounds,
sulphuretted hydrogen, and other impurities.
To carry out these improvements I use a series of six, eight, or more
purifiers. If slide valves were used for this mode of purifying on
account of the many changes in the working of the purifiers a very

page_text: large number would be required, and consequently a great outlay
incurred, besides their being unreliable, unmanageable, and unsafe. To
avoid these defects instead of slide valves I use a combination and
arrangement of centre valves and connections.
Taking for example an apparatus consisting of a series of eight puri- 5
fiers I use the first two purifiers for purifying the gas from carbonic acid
(the same having previously been charged with fresh lime), and work
these two purifiers either one at a time, while the other is being
replenished, or both together, from either one of them into the other,
for which purpose I employ by preference two of Walker's centre valves 1
suitably arranged.
I also construct a bye pass to the two centre valves and two purifiers
for use when required.
By my improved arrangement the working and the changing of the
purifiers is rendered simple, safe, and inexpensive; a large quantity of
the mains and connections are dispensed with, and their cost and space
saved.
The second part of the series of eight purifiers consists of four of the
purifiers which are intended to act upon the sulphur compounds,
sulphuretted hydrogen, and other impurities. To eliminate such impuri-
ties it is necessary to have the means of working the four purifiers in a
variety of ways; for instance, the gas must be enabled to pass through
all four of the purifiers consecutively, or through any one separately, or
through two or three together, and in some cases it is desirable to have
the means of reversing this action. These means are obtained by a s
combination of six by preference of Walker's improved centre valves,
by which means I effect the purification in a simple, safe, and inexpensive
manner. By this improved method of purification the gas passes from
the said four purifiers into the last two of the series of eight purifiers,
which serve as the finishing or catch purifiers, and complete the opera-
tion. As the requirements of the working of these last two purifiers
are the same as those for the first two of the series I make the combi-
nation and arrangement of the working parts similar thereto.
I improve the construction of the purifiers by planing the surfaces of
the joints or flanges of the plates composing the purifier instead of using
cement as heretofore in order to make them more completely gas-tight,
and enable them to resist the leakage of the impurities, which by reason

page_text: of the purifiers remaining long in action when worked on the principle
herein-before described become of a very penetrating nature, and are
destructive to the joints of purifiers as heretofore made.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Thomas Walker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
THOMAS WALKER, of Highgate, in the County of Middlesex, send,
greeting.
1
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Thomas Walker, Her
special licence that I, the said William Thomas Walker, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Thomas Walker, 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 AND IN THE METHOD OF WORKING GAS
PURIFIERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Thomas Walker, 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
was 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 William Thomas Walker, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained.
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereto annexed and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say:-
-

page_text: These improvements relate to an improved method of working purifiers
for purifying coal gas from carbonic acid, sulphur compounds, bi-sulphide
of carbon, sulphuretted hydrogen, and other impurities.
To carry out these improvements I use a series of six, eight, or more
purifiers. I can also partially work, that is to say with a less perfect
degree, with a series of four or five purifiers. If slide valves were to
be used for this mode of purifying on account of the many changes
which would be required in the working of the purifiers a large number
of slide valves would be necessary, and consequently a great outlay
would be incurred, besides which they would be unreliable, unmanage-
able, and unsafe. To avoid these objections, instead of slide valves I
use a combination and arrangement by preference of Walker's centre
valves and an improved arrangement of connections..
Taking for example an apparatus consisting of a series of eight puri-
fiers, as shewn in the accompanying Drawing, I use the first two purifiers
A and B for purifying the gas from carbonic acid (the same having
previously been charged with fresh lime), and work these two first
purifiers either one at a time while the other is being replenished, or
both together, from either one of them into the other, for which purpose
I employ by preference two of Walker's centre valves I, J, with improved
connections, arranged as shewn.
°
I construct a bye pass for the two centre valves and purifiers. This
bye pass consists of a pipe a and three valves b, c, d, connected to the
trunk main K, and it serves to throw these two purifiers and the centre
valves out of action when required.
By these improved arrangements the working and the changing of
the purifiers is rendered simple, safe, and inexpensive, a large number of
the mains and connections is dispensed with, and their cost and space
consequently avoided.
The second part of the series of eight purifiers consists of four of the
said eight purifiers, videlicet C, D, E, and F, which act upon the sulphur
compounds, bi-sulphide of carbon, sulphuretted hydrogen, and other
impurities. To eliminate such impurities it is necessary to be able to
work the four purifiers in several ways; for instance, to pass the gas
through all of the four purifiers consecutively, through any one
separately, or through two or three together. I effect the three above
stated objects, and I can also partially reverse the action of the purifiers

page_text: by employing a combination of six by preference of Walker's improved
centre valves M, N, O, P, Q, and, R, arranged in a cluster, as shewn in
the Drawing, such centre valves having four ways or ports. The gas
passes from the four purifiers C, D, E, and F, into the last two purifiers
G and H, which serve as the finishing or catch purifiers, and complete
the operation. As, the requirements for the working of these last two
purifiers G, H, are the same as those for the first two A, B, of the series,
I arrange them in a similar manner thereto; a¹ is the pipe of the bye
pass, and b, c, d, the three valves of the same; I¹, J¹, the centre
valves.
I improve the construction of the purifiers by planing the surfaces of
the joints or flanges of the plates composing the purifiers (instead of
using cement as usual) in order to make them gas-tight and enable them
to resist the action of the impurities, which on account of the purifiers
remaining a long time in use when worked on the principle herein-before
described become of a very penetrating nature and destructive to the
joints of purifiers as usually made.
Having now described my said Invention and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, what I claim is,—
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of centre valves and con-
nections, substantially for the purposes and in the manner herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. The planing the surfaces of the joints or flanges of the
plates of gas purifiers, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Walker, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
WILLIAM THOMAS WALKER. (L.S.)
0 Witness,
W. A. GILBEE,
4, South Street,
Finsbury.