IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR OR GAS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Grainger Tandy, of Anerly Road, in the
Hamlet of Penge, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR OR GAS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Grainger Tandy
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd April 1869.
I, GEORGE GRAINGER TANDY, of Anerly Road, in the Hamlet of
Penge, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR OR
GAS," to be as follows:-
The carburettor is divided into two parts consisting of an upper and
lower chamber. The upper chamber contains the body of the liquid and
the lower one that portion which is being taken up by the gas or air
passing through the chamber. The object of this arrangement is that
the gas or air shall be uniformly impregnated with the liquid, which
shall be supplied from time to time from the reservoir above.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a box having a horizontal diaphragm or
partition from one inch to two inches from the bottom. On the lower
or under surface of this partition is formed a double or single spiral, or a
Beries of zig-zag, serpentine, or convolute passages so as to make the gas
or air travel for a considerable distance in contact with the liquid. From
the under surface of the horizontal diaphragm wicks made of cotton or
other absorbent material may be suspended so as to hang down into the
liquid in the lower chamber. Or instead of the wicks the space between
the horizontal partition and the liquid may be loosely filled with cotton
or sheep's wool. The addition of either of these will increase the amount
of absorption of the carburetting liquid by the gas or air, but these
devices are usually unnecessary. The liquid in the lower chamber is
allowed to rise till it covers the lower edge of the spiral or zig-zag or
serpentine vertical partition to the depth of about one-third of an inch,
and is always maintained at this height by the following device :--The
upper chamber having been made air-tight a tube runs from within
about one quarter of an inch of the top through the horizontal diaphragm
(to which it is firmly soldered) to the bottom of the lower edge of the
vertical diaphragm. This tube is for the admission of air to the upper
chamber. A second short tube is then soldered into the horizontal
diaphragm and runs to the lower edge of the vertical diaphragm. This
tube is for the passage of the liquid from the upper to the lower
chamber. When the liquid has risen in the lower chamber to the
regulated height no more liquid will pass, as both tubes will be sealed by
the liquid. To prevent the liquid from rushing into the lower chamber
when the screw nozzle at the top of the upper chamber is taken off for
the purpose of refilling the carburettor, the following device is adopted :-
At the top of the short tube previously described is a conical plug having
the apex turned upwards and prolonged for about one inch where there
is a shoulder; it then passes through a slit or slot in á curved spring,
and is attached by a pin to a rod which passes up to the centre of the
aperture of the filling nozzle. When the nozzle is unscrewed the rod rises
through the aperture through the action of the spring, by which means
the conical plug also rises and shuts off all communication between the
upper and lower chambers, In order to indicate the quantity of liquid
in the upper chamber a float with a long rod is adapted thereto. The
float rod is graduated so that when the nozzle above is unscrewed the
ball will float and force the graduated rod or tube through the opening
and indicate the height of the liquid in the upper chamber. At the

page_text: bottom of the lower chamber is a draw off plug for emptying the lower
chamber. If at any time it should be wished to use the gas without
carburetting the filling nozzle may be unscrewed so as to prevent the
liquid from passing through to the lower chamber; the lower chamber
may then be emptied. The pipe for supplying the gas or air to the lower
chamber and also the one for taking it away may either pass through the
upper chamber or outside of it. In the latter case the inlet and outlet
tubes will perforate the sides of the carburettor immediately below the
horizontal diaphragm. By the device for preventing the liquid from
rushing into the lower chamber whilst filling I am enabled to regulate
the amount of supply to the lower chamber, for in proportion as the
nozzle is screwed down so will the conical plug descend, thus giving the
utmost control over the amount of liquid to be passed into the lower
chamber for absorption by the gas.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Grainger Tandy in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 22nd October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
GRAINGER TANDY, of Anerly Road, in the Hamlet of Penge, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Grainger Tandy, Her special
licence that I, the said George Grainger Tandy, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Grainger
Tandy, 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
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURETTING AIR OR GAS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Grainger Tandy, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or

page_text: their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 George Grainger Tandy, 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, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
The improved apparatus for carburetting air or gas which forms the
subject of my Invention is divided into two parts consisting of an upper
and lower chamber. The upper chamber contains the body of the
liquid, and the lower one that portion which is being taken up by the
gas or air passing through the chamber. The object of this arrangement
is that the gas or air shall be uniformly impregnated with the liquid
which shall be expelled from time to time from the reservoir above.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of the
apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken in the line 1, 2,
through the passages for the supply and discharge of the gas or air as
indicated by the arrows; Fig. 3 is another vertical section but taken in
the line 3, 4, or at right angles to the previous section.
The apparatus consists of a box a having a horizontal diaphragm or
partition 6 from one inch to two inches from the bottom, whereby the
box is divided into the upper and lower chambers a¹ and a². On the
lower or under surface of this partition is formed by means of vertical
partitions c, c, c, a double or single spiral or a series of zig-zag, ser-
pentine, or convolute passages c¹, c', so as to make the gas or air travel
for a considerable distance in contact with the carburetting liquid.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of this diaphragm shewing the
convolute passages c', c¹, formed by the vertical partitions c, c. From
the under surface of this, horizontal diaphragm wicks made of cotton or
other absorbent material may be suspended so as to hang down and dip
into the carburetting liquid in the lower chamber, or instead of wicks
the space between the horizontal diaphragm and the liquid may be
loosely filled with cotton or sheep's wool, as indicated in the detached
view Fig. 1. The addition of either of these will increase the amount

page_text: of absorption of the carburetting liquid by the gas or air, but these
devices are usually unnecessary. The carburetting liquid in the lower
chamber a is allowed to rise till it covers the lower edge of the spiral
or zig-zag or serpentine vertical partitions c, c, to the depth of about
one-third of an inch, as shewn in the Drawing, and is always maintained
at this height by the following devices:-The upper chamber a having
been made air-tight a tube d runs from within about one-quarter of an
inch of the top through the horizontal diaphragm b (to which it is firmly
soldered) to the bottom of the lower edge of the vertical partitions c, c.
This tube d is for the admission of air to the upper chamber a² from the
lower chamber a. A second short tube e is then soldered into the
horizontal diaphragm 6 and runs to the lower edge of the vertical
partitions c, c. This tube e is for the passage of the liquid from the
upper chamber a² to the lower chamber a'. When the liquid has risen
in the lower chamber to the regulated height no more liquid will pass,
as both the tubes d and e will be sealed by the liquid. To prevent the
liquid from rushing into the lower chamber when the screw nozzle f
on the lid of the upper chamber dis taken off for the purpose of
refilling the carburetter the following device is adopted :-In the upper
part of the short tube e is fitted at. the lower end of a vertical rod a
conical plugg having the apex turned upwards. This plug is ground
to fit a conical hole made at the top of the short tube e which forms a
shoulder or seat to receive the conical plug, the stem or rod y' of which
passes up through a coiled or helical spring h. The stem or rod g' of
the conical plug passes up to the centre of the aperture of the filling
nozzle f, and when the nozzle f is unscrewed the rod g¹ is forced up
through the aperture by the action of the spring, by which means the
conical plug g is made to shut off all communication between the upper
and lower chambers a¹ and a². In order to indicate the quantity of
liquid in the upper chamber as a float i with a long hollow stem or
rod is adapted thereto. The stem of the float is graduated so that
when the nozzle j above is unscrewed the ball will float and force the
graduated rod or tube through the opening and thereby indicate the
altitude of the carburetting liquid in the upper chamber a². At the
bottom of the lower chamber a' is a draw-off plug k for emptying the
lower chamber and the entire apparatus. The gas or air to be car-
buretted enters the apparatus through the pipe and after passing along
the convolute passages of the diaphragm b, as indicated by the arrows in
Fig. 4, issues from the apparatus through the pipe m.
If at any time

page_text: it should be wished to use the gas without carburetting it the filling
nozzle may be unscrewed so as to prevent the liquid from passing
from the upper chamber a through the pipe e to the lower chamber, the
lower chamber a¹ may then be emptied. The pipe for supplying the gas
or air to the lower chamber and also the one for taking it away may
either pass through the upper chamber, as shewn in the Drawings, or
outside of it. In the latter case the inlet and outlet tubes will perforate
the sides of the carburetter immediately below the horizontal dia-
phragm b. By the device for preventing the liquid from rushing into
the lower chamber whilst filling I am enabled to regulate the amount of
supply to the lower chamber, for in proportion as the nozzle fis screwed
down so will the conical plug g descend, thus giving the utmost control
over the amount of liquid to be passed into the lower chamber for
absorption by the gas..
Having now described my Invention of "Improved Apparatus for
Carburetting Air or Gas," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid,―
Constructing the carburetting chamber in such a manner that the
gas or air to be carburetted may be made to pass in a convolute,
serpentine, curved, or zig-zag direction so as to give it time to absorb
the vapor from the liquid as herein set forth.
I also claim the mode herein set forth of keeping the carburetting
liquid in the lower chamber at an uniform level and also passing the
gas through the apparatus without carburetting it.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Grainger Tandy, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-
nine.
GEORGE GRAINGER TANDY. (L.S.)