IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF Gas
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George. Haseltine, of the Firm of Haseltine,
.
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
Gas." A communication from abroad by Thomas Burke Fogarty,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
-
Scaled the 28th January 1873, and dated the 1st August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st August 1872.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE
OF GAS," a communication, to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to that class of gas machines in which volatile
hydrocarbon liquid is vaporized under pressure in a retort heated by the
combustion of part of the gas manufactured by itself, and in which a
proper supply and admixture of air are induced and maintained by the
inductive force of the escaping gas or vapor, the manufacture and
supply of gas being regulated and controlled automatically by the rising

page_text: and falling of a gas holder floating in a tank of water or other suitable
liquid, or its equivalent, a flexible diaphragm..
The object of my improvements is to simplify the action of such
machines, and to render them more definite, positive, and reliable in
their functions and less liable to accident. The material which I prefer
to use is known as gasoline, a naptha of specific gravity below 670 and
above 80° of Baume's hydrometer. It is placed in a tank at such an
elevation that the column of liquid will exert a pressure of eight or ten
pounds to the square inch or thereabouts at the retort; or when a suffi-
cient elevation cannot be had conveniently it is forced into the retort
by air compressed to about the same tension. The tank which contains
the gasoline usually contains the compressed air also, and is arranged to
supply a portion of this air which is carburetted in its passage through.
the tank, directly to the retort burner, or to the holder, or to both .at
the same time. When necessary for the purpose of starting the machine
the carburetted air within the tank is thus supplied to the retort burner
until the retort is heated sufficiently to generate vapor to heat itself.
When vapor forms in the retort the excess of liquid is forced back into
the tank. Atmospheric air is supplied to and mixed with the vapor
by the induction caused by the escaping force of a jet of the latter.
To effect a more perfect union of the air and vapor, the waste heat
from the retort stove may be applied to beating the former previous to
mixing.
To obviate the danger incident to the leakage of gas resulting from
the lowering of the water in the gas holder tank, I use a float either
within the gas holder and floating in the water contained in its tank or in
a subsidiary tank provided for the purpose; the said float operates a lever
to stop the operation of the machine whenever the water in the gas
holder tank falls below a certain level. A similar arrangement may be
used to stop the machine when desired with a sufficient quantity of gas
in the holder to heat it up again when required. The valve for the
admission of air may be actuated by the inductive power of the vapor,
but I prefer to operate it by the same mechanism which opens and closes
the vapor valve from the retort.
The vapor valve stem may be made to pass directly through the
blow pipe and be provided with one or more suitable guides arranged
webes to striks evently unon its soot when it plecon

page_text: may be operated outside the blow pipe and in a line parallel with its axis,
or as may be found most convenient, in which case. the valve may be
advantageously placed in a separate chamber, and may also be made
double seated. The valve movements are effected by one or more levers
operated by springs or weights when they pass their adjusted centres. A
lever properly arranged and worked by a string or by air is used to stop
the machine at a distance. A suitably arranged drip is connected with a
valve to cut off the supply of gasoline whenever the retort becomes too
cool to generate sufficient vapor.
The holder is also connected with the same valve in such a manner
that whenever it is raised or lowered above and below the normal points.
at which its motion should be reversed respectively, it automatically
closes the valve so as to cut off the supply of liquid. This valve is con-
structed to open and close by a very slight motion of a lever attached
to it.
I usually heat the retort by the combustion of a portion of the gas
gencrated therein, and for this purpose I prefer to use a cluster of Bunsen
or atmospheric burners arranged so as to be turned on or off consecu-
tively by the same cock, but any other good burner will suit.
In some cases where steam is used on the premises, I construct
machines so as to generate the vapor by steam heat. I regulate the
temperature of the retort automatically by a suitable heat regulator
attached to it, and arranged so as to turn on a greater or less supply of
gas automatically to the burner under the retort, according to the.
requirements of a greater or less consumption..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 31st January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
'
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two, in the

page_text: '
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and. suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Haseltine, Her
special licence that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Haseltine,
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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS."-A communi-
cation to me from abroad by Thomas Burke. Fogarty, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or 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 Scal 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 Haseltine, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing, forming a part of this Specification.
The said Invention relates to machinery for the manufacture of gas
from volatile hydrocarbon liquid, which is vaporised under pressure in a
retort heated by a portion of the gas made by itself, and is supplied and
mixed with air by the inductive force of the vapor. The generation and
supply are regulated automatically by the rising and falling of a floating
gas holder, or the corresponding motions of a flexible diaphragm.
The object of the said improvements is to simplify the action' of such
machines, and to render the same more definite, positive, and reliable in
its functions, and less liable to accident than heretofore. The material I
prefer to use is known as gasoline, a naptha, of specific, gravity below
670 and above 80 degrees Baume's hydrometer. It is placed in a tank
at such an elevation that the pressure at the retort will be about eight
or ten pounds to the square inch, and where more convenient it may be

page_text: forced into the retort by compressed air of the same pressure. The tank
is arranged to supply a portion of the air, which becomes carburetted in
its passage through the tank,, directly to the retort burner, or to the
holder, or to both. The atmospheric air is mixed with the vapor by the
induction caused by the force of a jet of the latter passing through the
pipes in contact with an adjusted supply of the air. The valve for the
admission of air may be worked by the inductive power of the air, but I
prefer to operate it by the same mechanism which opens and closes the
vapor valve. The movements of the valves are effected by one or more
levers acted upon by springs or weights as they pass their adjusted
centres. A flexible diaphragm, operated by the air through a blow pipe,
is used to stop the machine from a distance.
The holder is connected with valves in such a manner that when it is
raised or lowered above and below the points at which its motions
should be respectively reversed, it cuts off the supply of liquid and
extinguishes the fire under the retort. These valves are constructed to
close fully by a slight motion of the operating lever, and they are worked
also by a float in the gas holder.
The Drawing shews an elevation partly in section of a machine con-
structed according to this Invention.
The gasoline tank a is fitted with an air pump b, by which it is
supplied with compressed air that forces the liquid through the pipe c to
the retort d, where it is vaporised; the vapor passes through the pipe e
to the air chamber f, where it receives an admixture of atmospheric air;
and the illuminating gas thus produced passes on through the pipe g to
the gas. holder h, from which it may be taken as required through the
service pipe i to the burners.
. The retort is heated by burners supplied with gas from the gas holder
by the branch pipe j connecting with the service pipe. It may be
heated by steam if desired, and on starting the machine, if there is no
gas in the holder, the first heating of the retort may be effected by using
air that has become carburetted in the tank by contact with the liquid.
The pipe supplies the gas holder with air carburetted in this way and
for that purpose, and it should be closed whén .vapor and gas have begun
to form in the machine. The tension of the vapor in the retort forces the
excess of liquid back to the tank, and the vapor passes on to the gas
holder, as before described, and causes it to rise in its tank. As the gas.

page_text: holder rises it carries with it, by means of the rod 1, the vibrating
lever m, which has a sector n with projecting points at each end. Before
the holder becomes quite full and reaches the limit of its lift, the lower
one of the points engages with the valve lever o and lifts it slowly until
the valve lever has been carried beyond the central line of action of the
spring p which is attached for the purpose, so, that when the holder has
reached the limit of its rise the sudden movement of the valve lever
closes a valve in the vapor pipe e leading into the air chamber by means
of the arm q, and at the same time it closes the valve r for the admission
of air. The vapor and air valves are both held wide open to the last
moment by the vibrating lock levers that engages suitable detents in
the respective stems; this lock lever is disengaged by contact with the
rising valve lever at the last portion of its movement, and the closing of
the vapor valve is made quick and positive by the spring t on its stem.
The jet of vapor escaping through the valve opening at e and passing the
opening left in the pipe for that purpose, absorbs by induction the
atmosphere in the air chamber and proceeds to the gas holder, as before
described. An additional valve u in the air pipe to the chamber may be
adjusted by hand to regulate the admission of air..
When the gas holder has been filled, and the vapor and air valves closed
no gas will be made by the machine, and the gasoline will be kept from
the retort by the tension of the vapor within it. As the consumption of
the gas causes the holder to fall the vibrating lever m also falls, and
when the upper point on its sector n engages the valve lever the latter is
carried down until the action of its spring is again beyond the central
line, and exerted to suddenly complete the downward motion of the
valve lever and the opening of the air and vapor valves, so that the
manufacture of the gas is resumed just before the gas holder becomes
exhausted. In this way the manufacture of the gas is intermittent,
being resumed and suspended as the holder rises and falls; but the action
of the machine is continuous, and if at any time the consumption of the
gas be discontinued the manufacture progresses only until the holder is
full, when it is likewise discontinued until the holder has been again
nearly emptied. The valve movements being sudden and complete the
mixture of air and vapor by induction, constituting the manufacture of
the gas, is effected, when it does take place uniformly under the most
advantageous circumstances as regulated by the valves in the various
nines

page_text: The air vessel v attached to the side of the gas holder has a small tube
communicating with any point from which it may be desirable to stop
the machine. By blowing through the tube a flexible diaphragm in the
vessel is distended, and a wire w lifted so that a hook at its upper end
catches under an arm projecting from the holder to arrest its downward
motion at the beginning of its fall; thus stopping the machine, with a
supply of gas to start again when required, and with the valves closed to.
prevent leakage of vapor.
In the event of any loss of water from the tank of the gas holder the
float falls with the water and releases weighted levers which are
arranged with a rock shaft y or other suitable means to close valves
in the pipes c and j that supply the hydrocarbon to the retort and the
gas to the burners under the retort, the fire of the latter being instan-
taneously extinguished.
The same results are effected by means of the weighted rod z, which
passes up through the central guide post of the holder and has a cross
pin working in a slot, as shown above the holder in the Drawing. If
the said holder should be lifted too high and likely to rise above the
water, the pin on the rod z is caught and lifts the weighted rod, detaches
the valves that shut off the hydrocarbon, and extinguish the fire. And
if the holder falls too low, or below the normal point it settles upon the
float and closes the valves. The buoyancy of the float serves also as
an equalizer to variations of pressure, and prevents the flickering of the
lights.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.¨
'
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)`
Witness,
JAMES EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
• W.C.