IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FROM HYDRO- CARBON LIQUIDS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Gustav Voigt, of 36, Grafton Road,
Kentish Town, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FROM HYDRO-
CARBON LIQUIDS."
Sealed the 5th December 1873, and dated the 1st October 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Gustav Voigt
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st October 1873.
I, FREDERIC GUSTAV VOIGT, of 36, Grafton Road, Kentish Town, in
5 the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF GAS
FROM HYDROCARBON LIQUIDS," to be as follows:-

page_text: For the purpose of passing a stream of air into the gas generator I
employ a revolving pump driven by clockwork, and similar in its con-
struction to the ordinary wet gas meter, the revolving drum of which is
divided into compartments, but in place of the drum being partly
immersed in water as in an ordinary wet meter it is partly immersed in
hydrocarbon liquid. From the revolving pump tho air passes into what
I call tho generator, in which is contained a uniform supply of hydro-
carbon liquid, the generator being supplied with liquid by a bird
fountain arrangement from a reservoir, in which tho supply of hydro-
carbon liquid is contained.
The generator is divided into numerous narrow compartments, which
pass to and fro in a zig-zag manner from side to side of the generator.
In cach compartment is also a horizontal partition, somewhat above the
level of the liquid in order that the air or partly formed gas may first be
caused to pass over the surface of the hydrocarbon liquid in each
compartment, and afterwards pass back along the upper division of such
compartment without being in contact with the liquid, whereby time is
given for the air and vapour taken up by it to more perfectly combine
with one another. The air after having thus been caused to pass in
succession through the several chambers of the generator is delivered
into a gasometer or holder, which may be weighted to keep the gas at
any desired pressure, as by reason of employing a revolving pump of the
kind above described I can readily maintain a uniform stream of air at
any required pressure through the apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederic Gustav Voigt in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 1st April 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIO
GUSTAV VOIGT, of 30, Grafton Road, Kentish Town, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing dato the First day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,

page_text: give and grant unto me, the said Frederic Gustav Voigt, Her special
license that I, the said Frederic Gustav Voigt, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederic Gustav
Voigt, 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 APPARATUS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FROM HYDRO-
CARBON LIQUIDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Frederic Gustav Voigt, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederic Gustav Voigt, 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 thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object to improve the apparatus employed
in the production of gas (suitable for burning for the production of
light and heat) by the bringing of air into contact with hydrocarbon
liquids.
For the purpose of passing a stream of air into the gas generator I
employ a rotary pump driven by clockwork or by other mechanical
means, the revolving air vessel of which is divided into compartments,
and it is partly immersed in hydrocarbon liquid. From the rotary
pump the air passes into what I call the generator, in which is con-
tained a uniform supply of hydrocarbon liquid, the generator being
supplied with liquid by a bird fountain arrangement from a reservoir, in
which the supply of hydrocarbon liquid is contained.
The generator is divided into numerous narrow compartments, which
_pass_to_and_fro_in a zig-zag manner from side to side of the generator.
In each compartment is also a horizontal partition, somewhat above the
level of the liquid.in order that the air or partly formed gas may first be

page_text: and rises up through a hole formed in the centre of its end cover until it:
comes above the level of the liquid in the chamber a¹. The spaco.
between the end cover of the air vessel and its partitions or chambers.is
thus kept supplied with air, and as the vessel revolves the air passes.
from thence into the chambers as they emerge from the liquid, and is
forced out from them at the opposite end of the air vessel into the upper
part of the chamber a' as the chambers are again submerged.
.
.
The chamber a may be supplied with liquid through the orifice g, and
if any liquid should pass into the air pipe fit will pass from it to the
bottom of the chamber a', and may be drawn off by the cock h. The
cock serves to control the level to which the chamber a' may be
filled.
The supply tank a³ may be filled with liquid through the pipe and
passes from it into the generator a³ whenover the level of liquid in the
generator gets below the bottom of the air pipe m, so that air is free to
pass from the generator to the top of the supply tank.
I will now describe more fully the generator :-It is divided, as shewn
in the horizontal section Figure 6, by vertical partitions into numerous
compartments, and each compartment is also divided by one, or it might
bo more, horizontal partitions slightly above the level of the liquid in
the generator. The air is conducted by the pipe o from the upper part
of the chamber a into one end of the generator, and after passing along
the first of its compartments passes from such compartment into the
lower half of the second compartment, and after passing over the surfaco
of the liquid therein rises up into the upper half of this second com-
partment, and after passing along it descends to the lower half of the
third compartment, and so on in succession until it passes out as a
combustible gas at the opposite end of the generator, and is led away by
the pipe p to the burners.
I would remark that the manner in which the generator is divided
into compartments, and the manner in which the air or partly formed
gas is led from one compartment to another, may be greatly varied so
long as the air or partly formed gas is passed over the surface of hydro-
carbon liquid in one compartment, then through another or more
_compartments not containing liquid, then again over the surface of the
liquid, and so on in succession in order to give time for the air and
-vapour-taken up by it to combine with one another, whereby a more

page_text: perfect gas will be produced than if the air were simply conducted
through chambers cach containing hydrocarbon liquid.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,—
1. The combined arrangement of apparatus, substantially as herein 5
described, for the production of gas from hydrocarbon liquids.
2. The employment in the production of gas from hydrocarbon liquids
of a generator, constructed substantially in the manner herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Gustav Voigt, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, in 1
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.