An Improved Apparatus for Compressing and Mixing Gas and Air, more particularly for Lighting Purposes, also applicable for Air Compressing.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1897-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Compressing and Mixing Gas and Air,
more particularly for Lighting Purposes, also applicable for Air
Compressing.
We, JEAN LEICH, of 22, Rue de la Petite Guirlande, and SIMON DELPORTE, of
19, Rue de Nirny, both of Mons, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Librarian and Gas
and Electrical Engineer, respectively, 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:-
:-
i
Numerous systems have been suggested in recent years with the object of ob-
taining by mechanical means or by the action of a column of water or by any
other suitable means, a compression of gas more particularly intended for lighting
by incandescence, for heating, and for producing motive power, with the object of
producing a more vivid incandescence a higher calorific power or a greater ex-
plosive force as the case may be. But in all these arrangements gas alone is com-
ressed and the mixture of gas and air necessary for combustion is only made
slowly and very imperfectly at the burner.
In the arrangement which forms the object of the present invention, on the con-
trary, the mixture is produced beforehand in a special apparatus where the
compression is also produced and which we will call a compressing mixer. The
agent utilized for producing the gaseous mixture and obtaining its compression
is water, steam, or compressed air introduced into the apparatus by means of an
injector or more simply in the form of a water spout In order to render the
description more simple, we will assume that in the following specification the
agent employed is water.
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In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1-3 represent a practical arrangement
of the apparatus on this improved system. The apparatus shown is composed of
two reservoirs A and B, of which one A serves as compressing mixer, the other B
as gasometer. Figure 1 is a vertical section, Figure 3 a plan view and Figure 2
a side elevation of the apparatus.
The compressor mixer A is an elongated cylinder resting on the ground con-
taining a feed tuyere C and a series of zigzags I and J, the first of which, I,
may be single or may be composed of several superposed zigzags and three or
four small pipes K, establishing communication between the two parts of the
compressing reservoir, the division of this reservoir into two superposed compart-
ments being formed by the lower zigzag or baffle plate J. In order to allow of
our invention being better understood the different parts will now be described
separately.
Two taps D and E are arranged on a suitably shaped tube at the upper part
of the compressor, one of which taps D regulates the air inlet and the other E in
communication with the gas pipe R regulates the admission of gas. These two
taps are closed automatically by means of a sector or other suitable apparatus
fixed to the bell of the gasometer, which allows the inlet of gas and air to be
regulated in proportion's suited to the necessary mixture. Between these two taps

page_text: a short conical adjutage G on which is screwed a pipe S is mounted. The latter
serves for bringing water and is intended to form and to regulate the jet of water
discharged into the tuyere or frumpet C. The latter is formed of a slightly taper-
ing tube, the base of which is further enlarged so as to follow approximately
the form of the baffle plate I, which is intended to separate mechanically the water
from the gaseous mixture, and the height of which may be regulated at will
according to the requirements of the lighting by a rod T or by any other suitable
means. Below this baffle plate I a second zigzag or baffle plate J of similar coni-
cal form is arranged in an inverse direction, that is to say reversed. The larger
base of said plate J has a section as wide as the compressor and the narrow base
placed at the bottom is formed by a sort of discharge tube for the water delivered
by the tuyere C. Three or four small pipes K establish communication between
the two compartments formed by the plate J.
The gasometer B has nothing particular as regards its form. It is a bell
gasonicter with an hydraulic joint. The top of the bell is formed as a chamber M
containing a liquid or solid counterweight. A pipe N starting from the upper
part of the compressor, mixer runs to the base of the gasometer in 'which it rises
and places the two apparatuses A and B in communication in such a way as to
convey the gaseous mixture from the compressor A into the mixer B.
gaseous mixture is then sent from the gasometer B to the lighting or heating
apparatus by means of a pipe O, the lower elbow of which has a small sludge cock
or discharge tap U.
The
On the water pipe S a tap F is inserted, the opening of which is regulated auto-
matically by the displacement of the bell in any suitable manner. In the example
shown in the drawing this result is obtained by the arrangement of a counter-
weighted sector P maintained and guided by a series of rods Q fixed at the top of
the bell of the gasometer and in which sector P a roller V fixed on the extremity
of a handle W travels, the said handle or crank being itself fixed on the tap. A
pipe L starting from the base of the compressor mixer serves as an overflow pipe
for the water.
The apparatus works as follows: -
The jet of water discharged by the pipe or adjutage G produces a vacuum, which
has for its action to draw in atmospheric air which passes through the tap D and
enters the apparatus simultaneously with the gas coming from the pipe R which
passes through the tap E in order to mingle with the atmospheric air in propor-
tions determined by the openin of the taps. The burner mixture thus obtained
is drawn by the water spout and the combination of the two fluids is partially
effected in passing down the tuyere C and is entirely completed owing to the action
produced at the place where the baffle plates I and J are located. The mixture
thus obtained occupies the upper part of the compressor, whilst the water descends
along the zigzag or baffle plate J and naturally falls into the lower compartment.
The parts of the gaseous mixture which may be carried down with the water
into the lower compartment escape again through the little tubes K in order to
unite with the gaseous mass in the upper compartment from whence the mixture
is conducted to the gasometer by the pipe N and from there to the distributing
pipes and to the burners by the pipe 0.
We have already stated that the opening of the water tap F is regulated auto-
matically by the displacement of the bell. The reason of this is as follows: It is
evident that the quantity of the gaseous mixture to be produced must be in pro-
portion to the quantity necessary for the various consuming apparatus, that is
to say, in proportion to the consumption, but if the consumption be less the bell
will only descend slowly and in this case the tap F will only open slowly and pro-
gressively so as to only admit a small quantity of water and thus cause only a
reduced suction or drawing in of the gaseous mixture. On the contrary if the
consumption increases the bell will descend very rapidly, the volume of water
will progressively increase in the same proportion and consequently the volume

page_text: of the gaseous mixture drawn in, and in a general manner the volume of water
will constantly vary with the consumption of gas so that the water tap opens entirely
when the gasometer is empty and closes when the gasometer is full.
Whilst the apparatus is at work, if the water should fail and the water jet cease
in the tuyere C, the drawing in of air will naturally be simultaneously suppressed.
In order in such case to prevent the gas escaping by the air tap D a small valve H
is arranged on the end of the tube fixed to this tap, said valve closing automatically
by its own weight as soon as the air ceases to be drawn in. Gas alone therefore
penetrates into the compressor in order to pass into the gasometer and from thence
to the consuming apparatuses. In this manner the lighting is not entirely
stopped but simply modified, that is to say reduced. In the same way a second
valve X also closes by its own weight as soon as the apparatus ceases to work.
We have stated that water might be introduced into the apparatus by means
of a sort of injector. This modification is shown in Figure 4 which replaces the
arrangement D E G H of the preceding apparatus. The compressing and mixing
apparatus is connected at $1 with the water, steam, or even compressed air supply,
and at E with a gas pipe. D¹ is the air inlet provided with a ball valve or any
other suitable arrangement and C¹ is a sort of injector. It is evident that if the
air inlet he opened, the water arriving under pressure and at a certain speed will
draw into the apparatus simultaneously the mixture of gas and air absolutely as
in the preceding arrangement.
In order to reduce the room occupied by the complete apparatus herein before
described, the construction may be modified and the mixer compressor A may be
arranged inside the gasometer B, the compressor mixer being in this case attached
to the bottom of the gasometer. This improved arrangement is shown in
Figures 5 and 6. It has the same fittings or parts as the arrangement previously
described and they are indicated by the same reference letters. A special de-
scription of this modification will therefore be useless and it is evident that the
working of the two apparatuses are absolutely identical.
In the foregoing specification reference has only been made to the application
of our apparatus to the compression of gas mixtures intended for lighting, heating
or for other purposes or for motive power. Our apparatus may however serve for
compressing air alone. In this case instead of and in place of the taps for
admitting air and gas, two cylindrical adjutages serving as air inlets are arranged
on the compressing apparatus. The "water spout" will produce evidently the
same action as that herein before described, that is to say an energetic drawing in
of atmospheric air into the compressor. In this improved form the apparatus is
applicable for producing economically a continuous air pressure either for accele-
rating combustion or for oxygenating certain substances or for producing an inti-
mate mixture of various liquid products. Thus the blowers or ventilators in
forges may be replaced by it and it may be utilized in laboratories for replacing
the blow pipe and also in glass works and other work shops, breweries, sugar works,
distilleries, chemical works and in general in all industries where oxygenation or
the mixture of certain products is produced by blowing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A compressing and mixing, apparatus for gas and air intended to produce,
by means of a jet of water under pressure, the compression of the gaseous
mixture intended for combustion, consisting of a compressor and mixer (A) and
a gasometer (B) placed one beside the other or one within the other, the said
compressor and mixer (A) being in this case arranged in the gasometer (B) and
connected by a pipe (N) with the compressor (A), the said compressor (A) having
in its interior a tuyere or drawing-in pipe (C), a system of baffle plates or zig-
zags (I & J) one of which (I) may be adjustable, and a series of small pipes (K)

page_text: for establishing communication between the two compartments formed by the fixed
baffle plate J, the drawing-in pipe (C) being surmounted by a tube of suitable
form bearing or carrying taps (E and D) for admitting gas and air respectively,
in which tube there is arranged a conical adjutage (G) intended to form and regu-
late the jet of water discharged in the drawing-in pipe or tuyere (C), the water
supply and consequently the force of the drawing-in being regulated automatically
by the displacement of the bell of the gasometer by means of any suitable mechan-
ism, substantially, as herein before described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In the apparatus hereinbefore described the arrangement on the air feed D
of a little valve H adapted to close automatically in case of failure of the water
supply, substantially as set forth.
3. In apparatus such as described, the use instead of and in place of the arrange-
ments D E G H, of a sort of injector (C¹) having an air inlet and a gas and air
inlet, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown more particularly in
Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. In apparatus such as described the use instead of and in place of water of
any other suitable fluid more particularly steam or compressed air for producing
the compression of the gaseous mixture.
5. The application of the apparatus herein before described to the production
of compressed air either for accelerating combustion or for oxygenating certain
substances or for producing an intimate mixture of various liquid products sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
* Dated this 200
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.