Improvements in Portable Apparatus for Manufacturing Gas.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Apparatus for Manufacturing Gas.
We, PERRY YARRINGTON of 23 Central Street, Boston, County of Suffolk, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Engineer and Contractor, and DUDLEY
STURNS MCDONALD of said Boston, Confectioner at 16 Winter Street do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to a portable apparatus for manufacturing illuminating gas,
being especially adapted for use on railway cars and similar places and it consists in
certain novel features as bereinafter set forth the object being to produce a simpler,
cheaper and inore éffective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.
The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all
conversant with such matters from the following explanation.
The accompanying drawing shows in elevation one of our improved gonerators a
portion of the body or case being broken away and certain parts of the interior shown
in vertical section.
In the drawing A represents the body of the generator which consists of a metallic
tank having an annular gutter 6 near its upper edge, the outer wall d of said gutter
extending slightly above the edge of the tank.
A cover B is provided with an annular flange f which rests on the upper edge of the
body and tightly closes it.
F
Resting on legs g in the bottom of the body A there is a metallic gas-reservoir D,
a thick wooden plate I being disposed on the top i, of said reservoir to protect it
from being accidentally perforated.
A dome or inverted gasometer E is supported by legs k resting on the wooden
plate within the body A.
On the outer side of the dome E in its upper portions are formed a series of
downwardly inclined annular flanges which serve as guards to prevent the
liquid surrounding said dome from rising when the apparatus is subject to sudden
shocks.
The dome is held in position by rods m secured thereto and to the body A.

page_text: A vertically arranged pipe H projects centrally through the wooden plate h
and reservoir top i said pipe having a flaring mouth p opening under the top g
of the dome.
A pan K provided with perforations in its body is disposed within the dome E
and supported by legs resting on the plate h.
A vertical sleeve w is formed centrally in the pan K through which the pipe H passes.
Inclined annular guard flanges a are formed on the side of the pan K said flange
serving to prevent the liquid in the tank from flowing over the top of the pan.
A vertical tube z leads from the reservoir D between the dome and the tank said
tube opening outward through the side of the tank and provided with a valve and
coupling 15 to which a gas pipe may be attached.
Handles 16 are secured to the body A and near the lower end of said body is
disposed a faucet 17 for drawing off waste liquid.
In the use of our improvement the reservoir is filled with naphtha, gasoline or
similar carbonaceous material and iron scraps and marble dust or other gas generating
substance is disposed in the perforated pan K.
The bell or dome E is then placed in position and the tank A filled with a weak
solution of sulphuric acid and water below the flanges l. -
The acid solution passing through the perforations in the pan K acts upon the iron
therein and generates hydrogen and carbonic acid gas, which passes through the
pipe H into the reservoir D where it comes into contact with the carburetting substance.
therein and receives its illuminating properties. The gas as thus prepared may
readily be withdrawn for use from the reservoir by the tube =.
By employing the thick wooden guard the reservoir is protected from accidental
perforation which would permit the acid solution to come in contact with the
carbonaceous material.
It will be seen that the apparatus described is particularly well adapted for use on
railway cars and similar places where it may be subject to constant jarring, the
flanges a preventing the acid solution from overflowing the pan K, and coming into
contact with the contents thereof in large quantities whereby the gas would be
generated too rapidly.
The guards serve a similar purpose in preventing the solution from being spilled
from the tank should the cover B be accidentally removed.
Moreover in our improvement the reservoir D containing the carbonaceous
materials which are ordinarily of a highly inflammable nature is at all times
completely submerged in a fire extinguishing liquid thus rendering the device far;
safer to transport than apparatus of this class as ordinarily constructed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
First. In a gas machine the combination of a body or tank; a carbureter disposed
therein and provided with a guard plate; a perforated pan for the gas generating
material supported on said plate and provided with guard flanges, a bell supported on
said plate and enclosing said pan, a pipe from the carbureter opening into said bell
and a supply tube leading from said carbureter through said body substantially as
described.
Second. In a gas machine, the combination of a body a reservoir for carbonaceous
material so disposed in said body that it may be surrounded by fire extinguishing
liquid, a wooden guard plate on said reservoir; a perforated pan supported on said
plate and provided with guard flanges; a bell supported on said plate and enclosing
said pan, said bell having guard flanges; a pipe from the reservoir opening into the
bell above said pan; and a supply tube leading from the reservoir through said body
substantially as described.
Third. In a gas-machine, a body provided with a gutter near its mouth; a cover
for said body, a carbureter disposed in the bottom of the body; a wooden guard plate
on said carbureter a perforated pan provided with guard flanges supported on said
3

page_text: plate; a bell enclosing said pan and resting on said plate; guard flanges on said bell;
a pipe from the carbureter opening into the bell above said pan and a supply tube
leading from said carbureter through the body wall substantially as described.
Fourth. In a gas-machine, a carbureter so disposed in the body thereof that it may
be surrounded by uninflammable acid solution and provided with a wooden guard plate
for supporting the gas generating apparatus in combination with an induction pipe
opening into said carbureter and an eduction tube leading therefrom substantially as
described.
Fifth. In a gas-machine the body A in combination with the reservoir D having
the guard plate h and legs g; the perforated pan K provided with legs v and
flanges the dome E provided with legs k and flanges 1, the pipe H opening into said
reservoir; and the tube z leading therefrom substantially as described.
Sixth. In a gas machine, the combination of the body A provided with the gutter b,
the cover B the reservoir D having legs g; the guard plato on said reservoir, the
perforated pan K provided with the legs v, guards, and sleeve w, the dome E having
legs & and guards 7 the rods m securing said dome to said body; the pipe H opening
into said reservoir and dome; and the tube z leading from said reservoir through said
body all being arranged to operate substantially as described.
D
. 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicants.