IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING COMBUSTIBLE GASES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Yates, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
GENERATING COMBUSTIBLE GASES."
Sealed the 2nd May 1865, and dated the 4th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by- the said Frederic. Yates, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
4th November 1864. .
the
I, FREDERIC YATES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FO3 GENERATING COMBUSTIBLE GASES," to be as follows:
It is known in practice that hitherto certain inconveniences have existed in
working with bituminous as also with impure dry coals or other sorts of
impure fuel which have been employed to create gases in closed, generators of
the usual construction under a blast of air. Now the object of my improve-
ments are to remedy these defects. To this end I construct a chamber of any
convenient horizontal section, and of suitable height.. At about two feet
from the bottom of the chamber, and at any convenient part of the chamber, I
place one or more tuyeres capable of delivering a continuous thin sheet of air.
These tuyeres I prefer to place in tiers about 12 inches apart, and at such
an angle that they may blow upon the face of the fuel at nearly right angles,
so that the tuyeres would have an inclination to the horizon-of-about 45° at

page_text: The platform is
or flat arch, or
The platform is
about from 2 to 4 feet from the bottom of the fire-chamber, according to
circumstances, and about a foot reckoning horizontally from that end or side
of the chamber in which the tuyeres are placed, and above them I place a
platform or arch which may either be perforated or not.
made of refractory material, in the shape of a slab plate,
of metal bars or a solid plate either curved or straight.
inclined downwards towards the fire bridge end at an angle of from 35° to 40°,
but for certain fuels and in certain cases the platform may be laid horizontally.
In certain cases I omit this platform altogether, this being dependent on the
fuel employed. When the platform is dispensed with I place an arch or wall of
the required depth, and funnel-shaped, towards the top across the fire chamber
parallel to the fire bridge or its equivalent. This wall may be placed horizon-
tally about one foot back from the fire bridge. I also sometimes divide the
chamber perpendicularly into two compartments to the top of this wall or to
under the platform when this is used, so that by having two cleaning out holes
one compartment can be kept at work whilst the cinders are being taken
out of the other. In cases where the platform arrangement is used I do
not bring the end of it nearer than about a foot from the fire bridge; thus
the platform will not be at either of its ends nearer than about a foot to the
fire bridge and a foot to that end of the chamber where the tuyeres are placed.
That end of the chamber nearest and below the fire bridge may either be set
in an inclined direction of about 45° towards the tuyeres, or may be formed
in a series of steps advancing gradually towards the tuyeres, or may be left
angular. The top of the chamber is closed. and upon this, or at the side, is
placed an air-tight feeding hopper to prevent the escape of gas both whilst at
rest as well as during the time of feeding the generator. This hopper may be
moved periodically either automatically by machinery or by hand. In cases
where 1 employ the platform, 1 place the feeding hole just above the end of
the platform nearest to the tuyere side of the chamber, but in other cases I
place it so that the fuel falls into the chamber on the inner side of the fire
bridge, or on that side opposite to the tuyeres. The chamber is provided at
the bottom with a door or doors placed at the ends or sides for the purpose of
cleansing out the ashes and cinders collected there, as also with convenient
holes for stoking. Fire bars may be placed at the bottom of the chamber
cither horizontally or inclined upwards against the tuyeres, in which case a
closed ash-pit will be required, and in cases of very slow combustion the end-
less fire bar system could be employed. In another form of fire chamber or
generator I place a pyramid or cone perpendicularly in the centre of the
chamber, upon which the fuel which is fed in at the apex may rest. Tuyeres

page_text: may be applied on one, two, or on all sides opposite to the inclination of the
pyramid or cone.
When bituminous coals are used, they are filled into the hopper on the top'
or side of the chamber into which it drops upon the end of the platform, and
is there left a short time until a part of the tars and gases are driven off and
it has been partly deprived of its bitumen, when it is gradually pushed for-
wards and downwards towards the fire bridge or opposite end from the
tuyere, where it falls over, into, and on the bottom of the chamber, where a
fire is already kindled. Here it receives the current of air from the tuyeres
opposite, which keeps it in ignition, forming carbonic; oxide, and other gases
which now pass up over or through the platform, as the case may be, whereby
the carbonic acid which may have been formed below is reduced to com-
bustible gases which thence flow out of the chamber into any place where they
may be required to be burnt in the usual way by the addition of the proper
amount of either hot or cold atmospheric air. When using dry, that is lean
or impure coal or fuel, I feed it into the fire chamber between the fire bridge
and the end of the platform: or where this platform is dispensed with it is fed
between the fire bridge and the wall or arch: The fuel falls into the corner
or on to the bottom or slope of the chamber. where it receives the air from
the tuyeres opposite.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederic Yates in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
YATES, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Frederic Yates Her special license that I, the said Frederic
Yates, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Frederic Yates, 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

page_text: "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR GENERATING COMBUSTIBLE GASES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I. the said Frederic Yates, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal. 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederic Yates, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
It is known in practice that hitherto certain inconveniences have existed in
working with bituminous as also with impure dry coals or other sorts of
impure fuel which have been employed to create gases in closed generators of
the usual construction under a blast of air. Now the object of the present
Invention is to remedy these defects. To this end I have devised the
arrangements of apparatus shewn in the accompanying Drawings and hereafter
described.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of an arrangement shewing my
Invention adapted to a marine steam boiler; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of
the same; Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section of a gas generator to be applied
to a puddling or reheating furnace, or to a stationary steam boiler; Fig. 4, is
a horizontal section of the same, and Fig. 5 is a front elevation. In carrying'
out my Invention I construct a chamber a of any convenient horizontal section
and of a suitable height. At about two feet from the bottom of the chamber,
and at any convenient part of the chamber, I place one or more twyers, b, b,
capable of delivering a continuous stream or thin sheet of air into the
chamber a. These twyers, b, I prefer to place in tiers about twelve inches
apart, and at such an angle that they may blow upon the face of the fuel in
the chamber a, at nearly right angles, so that the twyers would have an
inclination to the horizon of about forty-five degrees, at about from two and
a half to four and a half feet from the bottom of the fire chamber a, according
to circumstances, and about a foot, reckoning horizontally from that end or
side of the chamber in which the twyers are placed. Above the level of these
twyers I place a platform or arch c, which may either be perforated or not. The
platform in the instance shewn at Fig. 1, is made hollow so as to contain water,
but it may be made of refractory materials in the shape of a slab, plate, or flat
arch, as indicated by dots at c. Fig. 3, or it may be constructed of metal bars

page_text: or a solid plate either curved or straight. The platform c is inclined down-
wards towards the fire bridge, d, end at an angle of from thirty-five degrees to
forty degrees, but for certain fuels; but in some cases it may be found conve-
nient for the platform c to be laid horizontally. In other cases, such as when
anthracite or dry coal is used, I omit this platform altogether, this omission
being dependent on the nature of the fuel employed. When the platform is
dispensed with, as in Figures 3 and 4, I place an arch or wall of the required
depth, and funnel-shaped towards the top, across the fire chamber parallel to
the fire bridge or its equivalent. This wall may be placed horizontally about
one foot back from the fire bridge. I also sometimes divide the chamber
perpendicularly by means of a wall i into two compartments. This wall i
is carried to the top of this arch h or under the platform when this is used,
and two stoking holes i, j, and two cleaning out holes k, k, are provided, so
that one compartment can be kept at work whilst the cinders and ashes are
being taken out of the other. In cases where the platform arrangement, as
shewn in Fig. 1, is used. I do not bring the end of it nearer than about a foot
from the fire bridge. Thus the platform will be at either of its ends about a
foot from the. fire bridge and a foot from that end of the chamber a where
the twyers bare placed. That end of the chamber a nearest and below the
fire bridge may either be set in an inclined direction of about forty-five
degrees towards the twyers, as shewn in the Drawing, or it may be formed in
a series of steps advancing gradually towards the twyers, or it may be left
angular. The top of the chamber a is closed by the arch a, and upon this
or at the side is placed an air-tight feeding hopper 1 to prevent the escape of
gas, both whilst at rest as well as during the time of feeding the generator.
This hopper may be moved periodically, either automatically by machinery,
or by hand. In cases where I employ the platform e I place the feeding
hole just above the end of the platform e nearest to the twyer side of the
chamber; but in other cases, such as that shewn at Fig. 3, I place the
feeding hole so that the fuel falls into the chamber a on the inner side of
the fire-bridge d, or on that side opposite to the twyers. The chamber a is
provided at the bottom with a door or doors k placed at the ends or sides for
the purpose of cleaning out the ashes and cinders collected, there are also
convenient holes i, j, for stoking. Fire-bars may be placed at the bottom of
the chamber a, either horizontally, or inclined upwards against the twyers, in
which case a closed ash-pit will be required, and in cases of very slow com-
bustion the well-known travelling endless fire-bar system could be employed.
In another form of fire chamber or generator, I place a pyramid or cone
perpendicularly in the centre of the chamber a, upon which the fuel may rest.

page_text: wyers may be applied on one, two ante opposIED TO THE NATION
of the pyramid or cone.
When bituminous coal is used, it is filled into the hopper 1 on the top
or side of the chamber a, into which it drops through the Hole l' upon the end
of the platform e, Fig. 1, and is there left a short time until a part of the tars
and gases are driven off and it has become partly deprived of its bitumen,
when it is gradually pushed forwards and downwards towards the fire bridge
g, or opposite end from the twyers, where it falls over into the bottom of the
chamber where a fire is already kindled. The fuel here receives the current
of air from the twyers b, b, opposite, and is thus kept in ignition.so as to form
carbonic oxide and other gases, which now pass up, over. or through the
platform e, as the case may be, whereby the carbonic acid which may have
been formed below is converted into carbonic oxide, and the combustible gases
thence flow out of the chamber a into any place where they may be required
to be burnt in the usual way by the addition of the proper amount of either
hot or cold atmospheric air. In Fig. 1, o is an air box placed behind the fire
bridge for the purpose of supplying a blast or air to the combustible gases as
they pass out of the chamber a. The twyers b, b, are of the usual description,
but the twyer t, Fig. 3, is of somewhat peculiar construction. It is shewn
detached and drawn on an enlarged scale at Figures 7, 8, and 9. Fig. 7, is a
front view of the twyer. Fig. 8, is a transverse section of the same, and Fig. 9
is a plan view. The twyer consists of a wrought or cast iron box or tube
which is adapted to the main air pipe by a socket, so as to be capable of being
turned or moved to any desired angle. The side of this box or tube is cnt
away longitudinally to receive a series of perforated fire-bricks, the holes in
which consist of a number of narrow slits as shewn at Fig. 7. It will be seen
that the air when issuing from these openings under pressure will be divided
into a number of thin streams, so that it will be more intimately mixed or
commingled with the combustible gases which are passing from the chamber a
as already explained. Fig. 10 is a modification of the above, the only differ-
ence being that instead of perforated fire-bricks being used, bricks of the
ordinary size and shape are employed, and are simply so placed as to leave
apertures for the passage of the air. When using dry, that is, anthracite or
lean or impure coal or fuel, I feed it into the fire-chamber between the fire
bridge d, and the arch of the platform; or where this platform is dispensed
with it is fed between the fire bridge and the wall or arch, as in Fig. 3. The
fuel falls into the corner or on to the bottom or slope of the chamber, where it
receives the air from the twyers bopposite. The feeding hopper is so
arranged and constructed that no gas can escape through it from the gene-

page_text: rating chamber into the atmosphere. To this end the hopper is made moveable
and is mounted on a plate p which is capable of being slidden to and fro on
guides, either by the hand or by mechanical means, such as those shewn at
Figures 1, 3, and 6.
In Figures 1 and 3 the hopper is made round, and is provided with a
circular cover, which is planed to fit the upper flanges of the hopper, so as to
form an air-tight joint. In the arrangement shewn at Figures 1 and 3 the
hopper with its appendages is moved to and fro on its guides by means of the
rack and pinion motion q. which may be actuated by any suitable motive
power, so as to act automatically. Figs. 6 and 6 represent sectional views
of a somewhat different form of hopper, which is worked by means of a winch
actuating a screw or snail r and rack. The hopper and its cover are made
of cast-iron, and the under side of the cover and the flanges of the hopper are
planed so as to fit air-tight. The hopper is mounted on the plate p
through which a hole or aperture p¹ is made to allow the fuel to drop through.
This plate prests on a fixed plate s, the contact surfaces of both plates
having been placed so as to form an air-tight joint. A hole or aperture s¹,
coincident with the opening 1, is made in the top arch of the generating
chamber a, Figures 1 and 3. In order to feed in the fuel the covering plate
of the hopper must be pushed on one side, and the hopper then filled while it
is in the position shewn at Fig. 6. The lid or covering plate must then be
replaced, and the hopper may be moved forward by turning the winch handle
until the hole .p' in the moveable plate p comes over the hole 8' in the
plates, when the contents of the hopper will fall into the chamber a, without
allowing any of 'the gas to escape from the hopper.
Ilaving now described my Invention of "Improved Apparatus for Genera-
ting Combustible Gases," and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim the combination and general arrangement of parts
herein set forth, constituting an apparatus for generating combustible gases
from bituminous or other fuel in combination with currents of air as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Yates, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the First day of May, in the year of our Lord One
d sixty fue
FRED. YATES. (L.S.)