Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Carburetted Water Gas.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 13th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Carburetted
Water Gas.
I, LEONARD LANCASTER MERRIFIELD, of Suffolk House, Laurence Pountney Hill,
in the City of London, Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to apparatus for the manufacture of carburetted
water gas. In this apparatus as ordinarily constructed it is usual to employ a
water seal box between the take-off pipe of the fixing chamber and the pipe lead-
ing to the oil heater condenser and scrubber. It has been customary to depend
upon the water level in this scal box to prevent gas passing back up the take-off
pipe to the fixing chamber. But in practice it has been found that the supply of
water to the seal box may be shut off and the water in the seal box gets evaporated
before the attendant observes the stoppage of the supply, the result being the
escape of a large volume of gas. Again the water seal in the box occasionally gets
destroyed owing to some of the water being forced out by excessive pressure from
the gas making plant and thereby reducing the water in the seal box to a lower
level than that of the dip pipe, with the result that the gas escapes up the take-off
pipe of the fixing chamber and escapes at the stack outlet if the apparatus is
under fire.
Now the object of this invention is to render the escape of gas impossible due to
lack of water in the seal box, either from evaporation or from some of it being
driven out by excessive gas pressure more particularly when the apparatus is
lying idle or when it is blowing up for a heat.
According to my invention I fit the end of the dip pipe in the seal box with a
valve and so connect this valve with the stack valve that when the stack valve is
open the seal valve is closed and rice versa. Consequently when the stack valve is
open as it is when the gas apparatus is being blasted or when the heats are being
renewed after a make of gas, at which times the water seal is liable to get destroyed,
the valve to the dip pipe in the seal box is closed.
In carrying out the invention I face up the end of the dip pipe preferably true
and make the edges preferably V-shaped, or otherwise with a sharp edge, and I
preferably employ a flat disc valve to which the said sharp edge forms a seat.
The disc valve spindle extends through a stuffing box in the side of the seal box
and is fitted with a counterweighted lever. This lever is connected with the
spindle of the stack valve by connecting rods and levers or by a chain and
sprocket wheels or by any other suitable devices in such manner that when
the stack valve is open the seal valve is closed, and when on the other hand the
seal valve is open to allow the carburetted water gas to flow down the take off pipe
into the seal pipe, the stack valve is closed.
Dated this 17th day of March 1897.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for the Manufacture of Carburetted
Water Gas.
1, LEONARD LANCASTER MERRIFIELD, formerly of Suffolk House, Laurence
Pountney Hill, in the City of London, but now of 19, Abingdon Street, West-
minster, Gas Engineer, 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:―
This invention has reference to apparatus for the manufacture of carburetted
water gas. In this apparatus as ordinarily constructed it is usual to employ a
water seal box between the take-off pipe of the fixing chamber or superheater and
the pipe leading to the oil heater condenser and scrubber. It has been customary
to depend upon the water level in this seal box to prevent gas passing back up up
the take-off pipe to the fixing chamber or superheater. But in practice it has been
found that the supply of water to the seal box may be shut off and the water in the
seal box get evaporated before the attendant observes the stoppage of the supply,
the result being the escape of a large volume of gas. Again the water seal in the
box occasionally gets destroyed owing to some of the water being forced out by
excessive pressure from the gas making plant and thereby reducing the water in
the seal box to a lower level than that of the seal or dip pipe, with the result that
the gas escapes up the take-off pipe of the fixing chamber and escapes at the
stack outlet if the apparatus is under fire.
Now the object of this invention is to render the escape of gas impossible due to
lack of water in the seal box, either from evaporation or from some of it being
driven out by excessive gas pressure more particularly when the apparatus is
lying idle or when it is blowing up for a heat.
According to my invention I fit the end of the seal or dip pipe in the seal box
with a valve and I connect this valve with the stack valve by connecting rods and
levers or by a chain and sprocket wheels or by any other suitable devices in such
manner that when the stack valve is open the seal valve is closed and vice versa.
Consequently when the stack valve is open as it is when the gas apparatus is being
blasted or when the heats are being renewed after a make of gas, at which times
the water seal is liable to get destroyed, the valve to the dip pipe in the seal
box is closed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a suitable arrange-
ment of apparatus for carrying out my invention:―
Figure 1 is a view showing the fixing chamber and its connected parts in side
elevation, and the seal box in vertical section.
Figure 2 is a plan of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.
In these Figures,-A is the fixing chamber: B is the stack valve box fitted at
top with the stack valve C. D is the water seal box fitted with the seal or dip
pipe E and with the pipe F leading to the oil heater condenser and scrubber (not
shown). d-d indicates the level of the water seal in the seal box D.
The dip-pipe E, to the upper end of which is connected the take-off pipe X of
the fixing chamber A, dips with its lower end below the water level d-d in the
seal box 1).
The said lower end of the dip pipe is faced up true and its edge is made sharp,
preferably of V-shape as shown at e-e. The sharp edge e-e forms a seat for the
seal valve G which is shown formed by a flat disc valve carried by an arm g fixed
on a spindle H which extends through a stuffing box h provided in the side of the
seal box 1) and is fitted with a counterweighted lever I. This lever I is con-

page_text: nected by means of a rod J to one arm of a bell-crank lever K the other arm of
which is connected by means of a rod L to one arm of another bell-crank lever M.
These levers K and M are pivoted respectively in brackets k and m fixed to the
shell of the fixing chamber A. The other arm of the second bell-crank lever Mis
connected by means of a rod N to a lever O fixed on a spindle P carried in
brackets p, p, 22. The bracket is mounted on the top of the shell of the fixing
chamber A, and the brackets 71 72 are fixed to the side of the stack valve box B.
Fixed on the spindle P midway between the brackets p' and p2 is an arm c that
carries the stack valve C. The stack valve C is kept normally closed by the
action of a counterweight Q fixed on the spindle P. On the end of the spindle P
is fixed a lever R which is connected by means of a rod S with an operating lever T
that is pivoted on a bracket fixed to the shelf of the fixing chamber A.
The arrangement and construction of the several parts of the above described
rods and levers are such that when the stack valve C is opened by operating the
lever T, the seal valve G is closed, and when on the other hand the seal valve G
is open to allow the carburetted water gas to flow down the seal or dip pipe E into
the seal box 1) and thence into take-off pipe F, the stack valve C is closed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In apparatus for the manufacture of carburetted water gas, connecting a
valve situated at the end of the seal or dip pipe in the seal box (between the take-
off pipe of the fixing chamber or superheater and the pipe leading to the oil heater
condenser and scrubber) with the stack valve of the fixing chamber by means of
intermediate gear, in such manner that when the stack valve is open the seal valve
is closed and vice versa, substantially as herein before described.
2. The particular arrangement comprising the seal valve, stack valve and the
intermediate gear shown and described whereby the seal valve is closed when the
stack valve is open and vice versa.
Doted this 10th day of December 1897.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Chartered Patent Agents.