IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND CARBU- RETTING GAS
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joshua Kidd and James Kidd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th November 1876.
.
JOSHUA KIDD and JAMES KIDD, of Eglantine Road, Wandsworth, in the County
of Surrey. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING AND CARBU-
RETTING GAS."
The first part of this Invention relates to apparatus for generating water gas by
forcing superheated steam downwards through a closed furnace intermittantly; and
the improvement consists in placing over a fire contained in a closed furnace a
chamber filled with pieces of fire-brick or other heat retaining material; the ash-
pit is closed and all the air required to support the combustion in the furnace must
be blown into it by the escaping force of a jet of steam; the products of com-
bustion from the fire passing upwards through the fire-brick raise it to a high
temperature.
When the fuel and heat retaining materials are sufficiently hot I close the chimney
or outlet with a tight fitting lid; I also close the air inlet in the ash-pit. The steam
used for forcing air into the ash-pit is also shut off and reversed, and made to enter
in at the top of the furnace, and it is forced down through the superheater
and through the fire, where it becomes decomposed into carbonic oxide and
hydrogen. I allow the gas generated to escape to the gas holder through a pipe
communicating with the ash-pit.
The steam may be generated in any ordinary steam generator, but I prefer to
generate it by forcing water in at the top of a coil of iron pipe placed in or over
a fire; as the water descends it passes into steam, and before escaping becomes
superheated.
The second part of this Invention consists in adding hydrocarbon vapor to gas
to increase its illuminating power; this I accomplish by both the hot and cold
process of carburetting. In the hot process, which is only intended for sun or
cluster lights, I placo a vessel containing heavy tar or other oil over the gas flames,
and cause the gas to enter this vessel, and the heat from the burning gas under-
neath vaporizes the oil, which vapor mixes with the gas. The gas jets must bo
surrounded by a parabolic reflector to collect the heat; this reflector is suspended
loosely on the gas pipe, and arranged with one or more holes near the top for the
beat to escape and impinge against the carburettor. This carburettor must be mado
cylindrical, and the length in proportion to the diameter must be such that when

page_text: the reflector is turned round the heat escaping from the two holes can either be
made to impinge on the carburettor or not, as required; in this way the amount
of heat and vapor generated can be regulated by simply turning the reflector.
The heat may also be regulated, when the carburettor is made round or dish
shaped, by placing a piece of metal to intercept the heat between the carburettor &
and the reflector in such a manner that the holes near the top of reflector can be
wholly or partially closed by the heat interceptor.
My improvement in, the cold method of carburetting gas simply consists in at-
taching a small air pump to a vessel containing hydrocarbon spirit; by placing a
pressure on the spirit and causing it to escape with force from a small jet in the
form of spray into a carburettor, the vapor mixes better with the gas, and the spirit
is better adapted for carburetting, the light being more uniform.