IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS WHEN DISSOLVING ZINC OR IRON IN DILUTE SULPHURIC OR OTHER ACID
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Emile Martin and Theodore Gudin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 19th September 1860.
We, EMILE MARTIN, of 16, Rue D'Antin, Lille, and THEODORE GUDIN, of
20, Rue Balzac, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS WHEN DISSOLVING ZINC OR
IRON IN DILUTE SULPHURIC OR OTHER ACID," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for manu-
facturing gas when dissolving zinc or iron in dilute sulphuric or other acid.
For these purposes the zinc is placed in a suitable perforated metal or gauze
basket. This basket is placed in and somewhat above the bottom of a cylin-
drical or other form of vessel closed at the lower end and open at the top.
Into this vessel another vessel of a similar form is introduced, which is closed
at the top and open at the bottom. The upper part of the inner inverted
vessel is divided by three horizontal partitions, the two lower ones are per-
forated with numerous holes, the upper or third partition is unperforated, but
it has two bent tubes fixed through it in such manner that the gas may pass
up through such bent tubes, and then descend and pass out at the other ends
of these tubes, which are immersed in a bydrocarbon fluid placed on the upper
partition; and in order that the gas as it passes out of the ends of the bent
tubes under the hydrocarbon fluid may be divided into numerous streams, the
ends of the bent tubes are extended horizontally over the upper partition, and

page_text: are perforated with numerous holes. The gas is conveyed away from the
upper part of the interior vessel by a suitable pipe having a stop cock, and
such pipe has several partitions of fine gauze or perforated metal to prevent
explosion. The outer vessel, within which the inner one is inverted, is con-
nected near the lower end with another vessel by a pipe and cock. This vessel
It has
has a glass guage to shew the height of the liquor contained therein.
also a cock at the lower part to draw off the liquor resulting from the com-
bination of the dilute acid and zinc or iron; and there is also a cock at the
upper end of the vessel to admit air and to allow the air to pass away. There
is also a tube which descends through the upper end of this vessel, which
passes into the one in which the inverted or inner vessel is contained, by which
fresh acid may be introduced when desired. By these means on zinc or iron
being introduced into the basket and dilute sulphuric or other acid introduced
into the outer vessel so that the zinc or iron is immersed in the dilute acid,
hydrogen gas will be evolved, which will pass through the perforated partitions,
on one of which is placed pumice stone or porous matters impregnated with a
solution of potash, and on the other perforated partition is placed pumice
stone or other porous substance saturated with sulphuric acid, and such gas
will combine with the hydrocarbon on the upper partition, and in this state the
gas goes off to be burned, and so long as the gas is conducted off the produc-
tion continues; but on the cock on the pipe being closed the pressure of the
gas in the interior of the vessel causes the dilute acid to be forced away into
the other vessel, and so as to leave the zinc or iron in the perforated basket
free from contact with the dilute acid. The gas may, when desired, be con-
ducted off without being carburetted, and burned by the aid of platinum.