IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GAS AND. IN THE MATERIALS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1885

page_text: We FREDERICK LESLIE of N° 66 Hamilton Terrace in the County of Middlesex
M. Inst. C. E. and JAMES ALFRED' WANKLYN of N° 7 Westminster Chambers in
the City of Westminster, Consulting and Analytical Chemist do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF GAS AND.
IN THE MATERIALS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN, and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In the Provisional Specification lodged by us on the 12th day of January 1885
N° 419 we described separating gas into two qualities, one quality containing the
constituents most suited to the production of light, and the other those most
suited to the production of heat. This was done by means of an apparatus which
we termed a gas filter consisting of partitions of porous material which allowed the
smallest gaseous molecules to pass through more easily than the larger gaseous
molecules.
Mention is made in the Provisional Specification above alluded to that amongst
other porous material unglazed earthenware or slabs of plaster of Paris are suitable.
With these materials the action of the apparatus is slow and a great extent of
surface is required. We have discovered that the presence of an oily or fatty
substance greatly accelerates the separating action and thereby enables a much
simpler apparatus to be employed.
Our present apparatus consists of a cylinder closed at its ends in which there is a
division of wire gauze upon which rests the porous material employed, below the
wire gauze two pipes enter the cylinder, one of them supplies coal gas in its
ordinary condition, the other is an exit pipe to allow the heavy rich illuminating
gas to pass away. Above the porous material which rests on the gauze there is
another exit pipe to convey away the lighter heating gas which more easily
passes through the porous material. Other forms of apparatus may however be
employed.
The porous material which we prefer to employ is linseed meal-We find this
very suitable on account of its great efficiency and cheapness but other ground or
crushed seed containing oil will answer as also will fragments of stearic acid,
tallow or the like or fragments of cork coated with lard, tallow, olive oil or other
oils or fats. Sawdust, fragments of bark and other material coated or saturated
as above described may also be employed.

page_text: After the gas has passed through for some time it is found that benzol has been
absorbed. This benzol may be caused to enrich the illuminating gas by slightly
raising the temperature of the apparatus in any convenient manner.
Our present invention is especially adapted for preparing gas for domestic use,
the apparatus being placed between the gas meter and the burners. In ordinary
cases an apparatus containing about a cubic foot of material would be suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. Separating gas into different qualities by the use of a filter containing oily or
fatty substances substantially as described.
2. The employment of linseed meal or other ground or crushed seed containing
oil as a material for filtering gas for the purpose specified.
3. The employment of fragments of cork or sawdust or other material coated or
saturated with lard, tallow or other oily or fatty substance as a material for filtering
gas for the purpose specified.
4. The employment of fragments of tallow or fragments of stearic acid or other
fatty substances as a material for filtering gas for the purpose specified.
5. The filtering apparatus substantially as described.