IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, APPLI- CABLE ALSO TO THAT EMPLOYED FOR THE DISTILLATION OF PARAFFIN AND OTHER VOLATILE FLUIDS.
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Kenneth Henry Cornish, of 22, Market Street,
Mayfair, London, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, APPLI-
CABLE ALSO TO THAT EMPLOYED FOR THE DISTILLATION OF PARAFFIN AND OTHER
VOLATILE FLUIDS.'
"
Sealed the 9th July 1872, and dated the 10th May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Kenneth Henry Cornish
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th May 1872.
I, KENNETH HENRY CORNISH, of 22, Market Street, Mayfair, London,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE +OF
GAS, APPLICABLE ALSO TO THAT EMPLOYED FOR THE DISTILLATION OF PARAFFIN
AND OTHER VOLATILE FLUIDS," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention has for its object the cleansing of the pipes which
convey gas and other products of distillation from the retorts in which

page_text: they are evolved to the vessels in which they undergo purification. For
this purpose I employ steam, and preferentially superheated steam. In
fitting the apparatus to the stand pipe, H pipe, and dip pipe of tho gas
retorts in ordinary use, I screw or otherwise suitably fix a gas-tight
stop-cock or tap into the H or bridge pipe, somewhere about its centre. 5
The internal diameter of this stop-cock need not exceed one inch for
an ascension pipe having an internal diameter of four inches. I also
screw a small stop-cock into the stand pipe close to the neck of the
retort. On admitting superheated steam into the H pipe through the
larger of these stop-cocks, the tar accumulated in the ascencion pipe 1
is forced into the retort with great rapidity, while that formed in tho
descending or dip pipe is forced with equal rapidity into the hydraulic
main. The small stop-cock in the ascencion pipe should be opened
before the superheated steam is admitted; its use is to indicate the
state of the interior of the pipes during the operation. When the 1
pipe is clean the steam will issue in a whito jet, and no more steam
should be admitted into the pipe. I prefer using this small stop-cock
though it is not absolutely essential.
If common steam is used the mouth of the retort must be opened,
but with superheated steam this is not necessary, and the operation 2
may be performed with perfect safety during the process of distillation,
for with superheated steam an explosion is impossible, since it has
reached its maximum of expansion before its admission into the pipes
and retort.
Any ordinary superheating apparatus may be used, but I prefer to 2
employ a portable apparatus in which gas burners on Bunsen's principle
heat the boiler, & bring the iron coil in which the steam is super-
heated to a red heat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Kenneth Henry Cornish in the Great Seal Patent 30
Office on the 9th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, KENNETH
HENRY CORNISH, of 22, Market Street, Mayfair, London, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Kenneth Henry Cornish, Her special
licence that I, the said Kenneth Henry Cornish, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as the said Kenneth Henry
Cornish, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE MANUFACTUre of Gas,
APPLICABLE ALSO TO THAT EMPLOYED FOR THE DISTILLATION OF Paraffine and OTHER
VOLATILE FLUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Kenneth Henry Cornish, my executors or administrators, by an instru.
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 Kenneth Henry Cornish, 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.
This Invention has for its object the cleansing of the pipes which
convey gas and other products of distillation from the retorts in which
they are evolved to the vessels in which they undergo purification. For
this purpose I employ steam in a highly superheated state. In fitting
the apparatus to the stand pipe, H pipe, and dip pipe of the gas retorts
in ordinary use, I screw or otherwise suitably fix a gas-tight stop-cock
or tap into the H or bridge pipe, somewhere about its centre. The
internal diameter of this stop-cock need not exceed one inch for an
ascension or stand pipe having an internal diameter of four inches.
I also screw a small stop-cock into the stand pipe close to the neck
of the retort. On admitting superheated steam into the H pipe through
the larger of these stop-cocks, the tar accumulated in the ascension pipe
is forced into the retort with great rapidity, while that formed in the

page_text: descending or dip pipe is forced with equal rapidity into the hydraulic
main. The small stop-cock in the ascension pipe should be opened
before the superheated steam is admitted; its use is to indicate the
state of the interior of the pipes during the operation. When the
pipe is clean the steam will issue in a white jet, and no more steam 5
need be admitted into the pipe. I prefer using this small stop-cock
though it is not absolutely essential.
If common steam is used the mouth of the retort must be opened
and the retort cooled down, but with highly superheated steam this
is not necessary, and the operation may be performed with perfect 1
safety during the process of distillation, for with highly superheated
steam an explosion is impossible, since it has reached its maximum of
expansion before its admission into the pipes and retort.
Any ordinary superheating apparatus may be used, but I prefer to
employ a portable apparatus in which gas burners on Bunsen's principle 1
heat the boiler, and bring the iron coil in which the steam is super-
heated to a red heat.
The "bonnets" or caps at the upper ends of the ascending and de-
cending pipes should be screwed or otherwise fastened down. The pipes
proceeding from retorts used for distilling paraffin or other volatile 2
fluids are to be fitted with taps in a manner similar to that above
described.
When the Invention is used for gas retorts where the construction of
the ascension, bridge, and dip pipes admit of it, I adopt the following
cheap and simple method of applying the superheated steam:-Instead 2
of screwing taps into the bridge pipe and the neck of the ascension pipe,
I simply bore holes into the caps of the pipes at their centres, and into
tke neck of the ascension pipe. Those bored through the caps should be
about a quarter of an inch larger than the external diameter of the pipe,
by which the superheated steam is discharged into the retort pipes, the 3
discharge of the superheater being packed so as to fit the holes in
the
caps
of the ascension and other pipes. That bored in the neck of
the retort should not be more than a sixteenth of an inch in diameter,
and may with advantage be bored out to a twelfth of an inch for the
first eighth of an inch and tapped so that the plug with which it is 3
closed when not in use may be screwed in securely, this screw plug
may with advantage be made with a flat thumb picco. The holes in

page_text: the caps must be stopped with suitable plugs capable of being securely
fastened down and instantaneously detached.
Having thus described my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim the said improvements sub-
stantially as set forth.
•
In witness whereof, I, the said Kenneth Henry Cornish, have
hereunto set my hand and seal this Seventh day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
0 Witness,
KENNETH HENRY CORNISH. (L.S.)
F. MILLION,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Southampton Buildings,
London.