IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING ATMOSPHERIC AIR AND CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PUB- POSES.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Weightman Harrison and Alfred Horatio
Harrison, both of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentlemen, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING
ATMOSPHERIC AIR AND CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PUB-
POSES.
"
Sealed the 18th March 1873, and dated the 26th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION .left by the said Charles Weightman
Harrison and Alfred Horatio Harrison at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 26th Sep-
tember 1872.
We, CHARLES WEIGHTMAN HARRISON and ALFRED HORATIO HARRI-
SON, both of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentlemen, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMBINING ATMOSPHERIC AIR AND CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in combining atmospheric air
and certain gases for lighting and heating purposes, with the object of

page_text: obtaining, amongst other advantages, a greater light or heat at an equal
cost to or an equal light or heat at a less cost than what has hitherto
been accomplished.
The gases used for the purposes of this Invention may be of any
description, composed wholly or principally of carbon and hydrogen, 5
and the proportion of air to be combined, mixed, or used therewith
will vary according to the richness of the said gases in carbon, and the
purpose or purposes for which they are intended to be used.
As a general rule the proportions we prefer for lighting purposes are
from one to five parts by volume of air to one of gas where heavy 1
hydrocarbon gases are used, and in the case of light hydrocarbon gases
being employed from one to three parts by volume to one of gas.
For heating purposes we prefer to use from one to seven, parts by
volume of air to one of gas according as light or heavy hydrocarbon
gases are used. The air is mixed with the gas by any convenient and 1
suitable means, and passes therewith along the conducting pipes to the
burner for combustion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Weightman Harrison and Alfred Horatio
Harrison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
WEIGHTMAN HARRISON and ALFRED HORATIO HARRISON, both of High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Gentlemen, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Charles Weightman Harrison and
Alfred Horatio Harrison, Her special license that we, the said Charles
Weightman Harrison and Alfred Horatio Harrison, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles
Weightman Harrison and Alfred Horatio Harrison, our 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

page_text: 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
COMBINING ATMOSPHERIC AIR AND CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING
› PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that wc, the said Charles
Weightman Harrison and Alfred Horatio Harrison, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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.
0
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Weightman Harrison, on
behalf of myself and the said Alfred Horatio Harrison, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to improvements in combining atmospheric air
and certain gases for lighting and heating purposes, with the object of
O obtaining, amongst other advantages, a greater light or heat at an equal
cost to or an equal light or heat at a less cost than what has hitherto
been accomplished.
っ
be of any
The gases used for the purposes of this. Invention may
description, composed wholly or principally of hydrogen and carbon,
and the proportion of air to be combined, mixed, or used therewith
will vary according to the richness of such gases in carbon, the purpose
or purposes for which they are intended to be used and from other
causes, such for example as the varying degree of humidity of the
atmospheric air thus combined with them.
By mixing atmospheric air in proper proportions with gases of the
above description, their volume is proportionately increased without any
additional expense, whilst at the same time they consume niore slowly
and their light and heat giving powers (according to the purpose for
which they are used) are materially augmented by reason of the more
3 perfect combustion obtained in consequence of the thorough diffusion
throughout the gas of the oxygen of the air thus introduced, and the
immediate presence of such oxygen with the minute particles of carbon,
Y

page_text: which are thereby perfectly consumed, morcover such gas thus mixed
with air does not when in combustion depend on the surrounding atmo-
sphere for the necessary amount of oxygen, such surrounding atmosphere
being therefore much less vitiated than by the combustion of gas
unmixed with air.
In carrying out this Invention care must be taken that in mixing
the air and gas the proper proportions are combined, as on the due
observance of this particular the success of the Invention depends, and as
these proportions will vary according to the richness of the gas in carbon
and from other causes, such for example as the varying degree of
humidity of the atmospheric air thus combined with it, and whether
it be required to be used for lighting or for heating purposes, it becomes
necessary to provide means by which the proper proportions can be
fixed at all times, and under the varying circumstances and conditions
likely to be encountered in carrying this Invention into effect. When
the gas to be thus combined with air is intended for lighting purposes,
the proper proportion of air to be mixed therewith may be determined
by the use of the photometer in the following manner:-The exact
proportion of air to be combined with the gas is that that will supply
such quantity of oxygen as will more completely perfect the combustion
of the carbon of the gas, and so utilize to the fullest extent the whole
of the illuminating power of such gas. This proportion may be fixed
as follows:-Given a quantity of any particular gas which it is required
thus to treat by the addition of air, a small pipe is led from the holder
containing the gas, such pipe being provided at its further end with a
burner so arranged in connection with a photometer that when the gas
issuing from the burner is ignited the illuminating power of the flame
may be observed, air is then gradually forced or drawn into the holder
containing the gas amongst which it diffuses itself, and as it is intro-
duced the flame under observation will be found to gradually increase
in illuminating power. The addition of air to the gas is therefore
continued as long as the flame shews increasing illuminating power,
but is stopped when such illuminating power has reached its highest
point, which may be readily determined by its remaining for a short
time without change, shortly after which, if the addition of air be kept
up, the illuminating power will begin gradually to diminish.
The above process may be carried out without the least danger of
forming an explosive compound, as to produce such would require a

page_text: much larger proportion of air than that at which the greatest illumi-
nating power is obtained.
It will be obvious from the foregoing that the above method of
determining the proportions may be carried out in connection with
the whole bulk of the gas, or that a small portion of the bulk may
be taken and so treated to fix the proportions in which the combination
shall be effected, which having been thus obtained the proper quantity
of air may then be added to the bulk of the gas.
When the gas to be thus combined with air is intended for heating
purposes a similar method is carried out in connection with a pyrometer,
that is, a small flame of the gas is so arranged in connection with the
pyrometer that the heating power of such flame may be tested whilst
air is being gradually added to the gas, the addition of air being stopped
when the highest point of heating power has been reached. The proper
proportions of air and gas are thus fixed. As in this case the mixture
thus formed is highly inflammable, it is advisable to fix the proportions
by experimenting on a small portion of the gas only, and to have
inserted in the pipe, through which the gas is conveyed, one or more
partitions of fine wire gauze to prevent the flame running back into
the holder. It is also advisable in using the gas so combined with air
to be similarly protected with one or more partitions of wire gauze, and
to maintain a good pressure bebind the gas, as this will also tend to
prevent any flame returning. It is further advisable to convey it to the
point where it is to be consumed through as small tubes as possible, even
if several of such tubes have to be used together to supply a sufficient
quantity.
It will be obvious from the foregoing that the proper combination
may be effected with the bulk of the gas which would then be supplied
thus combined with the best proportion of air. The combination may
however be effected at or near the point where the gas is to be used.
In such case a convenient method of accomplishing this is as follows:-
The air to be combined with the gas is introduced by a fan or other
convenient air forcing apparatus into the pipe conveying the gas to the
place where it is to be consumed. This fan is made adjustable so that
the supply of air can be regulated at pleasure. Thus a small flame of
the gas so combined with air being arranged as before described in
connection with a pyrometer, the proper proportion of air to be mixed

page_text: with the gas may easily be determined, and be regulated even to suit
the varying qualtities of gas supplied and other circumstances affecting
the proportions of the mixture. For many purposes this is the preferable
method to adopt.
It will be found in practising this Invention that both for lighting
and heating purposes heavy hydrocarbon gases will bear a very large
proportion of air mixed with them. Thus for lighting purposes the
gases given off at a red heat from cannel coal during the first hour, and
having a sp. gr. of about 0-680, will bear mixed with them from four to
five times their volume of air; those given off during the second hour at 1
the same heat, and having a sp. gr. of about 0-420, three to four times
their volume; those given off during the third hour, and having a sp. gr.
of about 0-400, from two to three times their volume; and thoso given
off during the fourth hour, and having a sp. gr. of about 0-350, from
once to twice their volume. For heating purposes, these gases will ]
bear combined with them from one to two more volumes of air for fixing
the exact proportions; however, I prefer employing the means above set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Weightman Harrison, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of March, 2
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.