IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN MAKING DUCER-GAS," HEATING WATER AND GENERATING STEAM' to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: We BENJAMIN CLIFFORD SYKES M.D. and JOSEPH BRIGGS Dyer both of
Cleckheaton in the County of York do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN MAKING
DUCER-GAS," HEATING WATER AND GENERATING STEAM' to be as follows:-
"
46
PRO-
These improvements relate to gas producers whereby advantage is taken of the
heat developed in the process of converting solid into gaseous fuel to heat water to
raise and super heat steam also to heat the air needful for a partial or minimum
oxydation of some of the carbon of the solid fuel being just a sufficiency to keep
he solid fuel in the gas producer in a state of constant incandescence which a
maximum of super heated steam is introduced for decomposition by the incan-
descent fuel and as far as may be to condense some of the heavier products distilled
or carried off with the gasified fuel rendering the further condensation of the
carbides and of aminonia easier to accomplish.
A regulated portion of the steam so raised is used at a pressure high or low as
occasion may require as a motor to force into the gas producer a regulated supply
of air through a coil of pipes fixed in the lower and hottest part of the gas
producer and thence by a series of jets the mixed steam and air pass into the lower
part of the gas producer.
In their passage through the coil of pipes the air and steam become heated
and thereby better fitted to accomplish the object in view for the higher the
temperature of the steam and air the more easily will the chemical changes
required take place giving a maximum of combustible gases rich in heat giving
qualities and a minimum of nitrogen and carbonic acids which are simply diluents
and have no thermal value.
Now in order to carry out our said improvements we recommend modifications
of the apparatus or gas producer, according to the uses to which they are to be
applied, but all have certain general features which form the subjects of our
improvements for instance the means of heating water, raising and super heating
steam as well as heating the air for combustion also internal vertical descending
flues placed either laterally or centrally, the lower part of the producer is in
the shape of an inverted frustrum of a cone with a coil of pipes imbedded in
the brickwork which forms it and a series of jets opening into and around the
narrowest part and near the bottom of the gas producer.
1

page_text: The gas producer may be either square or cylindrical we prefer the cylindrical
form. It is fed in at the top by means of a hopper and the ashes are removed by
a doorway at the bottom.
The improved apparatus may for the purpose of description be divided into two
parts, an upper and a lower portion. The upper portion is really a vertical boiler
consisting of two different sized cylinders placed one within the other, having a
water space between them, each cylinder is closed at the top and the lower open
ends connected together by a circular concentric plate. On the top of the outer
cylinder are fixed a steam gauge safety valve and a manhole and on the side near
the top a water gauge and near the bottom of the outer cylinder are affixed two
pipes one on each side one for supplying the feed water and the other for drawing
off the water to clean the boiler."
.
Through the centre of the tops of the outer and inner cylinders and connecting
them together passes a tube forming a passage from the hopper which is affixed to
the outer opening into the interior of the inner cylinder for supplying solid fuel for
conversion into gas. There are also several smaller tubes connecting the tops of
the two cylinders acting as stays and poker holes and one or more on the sides used
as sight holes.
On the top of the inner cylinder is formed one or more as occasion may require
by per semicircular flues if two then one on each side of the hopper tube passing
from side to side each extremity terminating in a cylindrical vertical descending
flue passing down through the concentric water space between the two cylinders
and piercing the circular concentric plate forming the bottom of the boiler.
The lower portion consists of an iron cylinder of the same diameter as the outer
cylinder of the upper portion open at the top and closed at the bottom and about
one third the height forming when the upper portion is put upon and affixed to the
lower portion one continuous cylinder. On the side of the lower portion is an
opening for a door to remove ashes and to enter the interior when necessary.
There is also another opening either on the side or through the bottom as occasion
or situation may require sufficiently large for the exit of the gaseous fuel.
The interior is more or less filled with brick work but so arranged as to form a
flue of the shape of a horse shoe from the bottom to the top within the thickness
of a brick around the sides of the cylinder, into which the cylindrical vertical
descending flues of the upper portion empty themselves, the gases passing away
through the opening in the side or bottom made for that purpose.
1 1
.
1001

page_text: heating the water and possibly condensing some of the heavier products of
combustion.
Through the side of the producer at a suitable height perforating the outer and
inner cylinder shell or case passes a tube 16 to which it is affixed and into which
tube a door frame with its door is fixed the tube may be either round square
or elliptical we prefer the latter-The doorway is for the purpose of removing
ashes By the side of the doorway 16 is tube 17 but smaller perforating the outer
and inner cylinder shell, or case and to which it is affixed-The lower portion of
the cavity within the inner cylinder shell or case 2 is built up with brickwork 18
to a suitable height-Up to a level with the bottom of the doorway 16 it is built
up of a solid compact mass, afterwards it begins to slant backwards as it rises
forming a central cavity in the form of an inverted obtuse cone which is the bottom
of the combustion chamber 11-At a point level with the bottom of the doorway 16
is fixed and built into the brickwork a coil of pipes 19 the commencing or lower
end of the coil is passed into the tubular opening 17 this being open to the
atmosphere and of course gives an external communication with the interior of the
coil of which the upper or extreme end finishes off with a closed blank flange 19*-
Into the inner side of the upper tier of the coil is inserted a number of short pipes
or jets 20 around the coil which slanting downwards and inwards terminate with
open mouths flush with the slanting brickwork near the bottom of the combustion
chamber 11-See Fig. 1.
A number of small tubes 21 and 22 pass through the closed ends of the outer
and inner cylinder shell or case, 21 are poker holes to be used for stirring or
preventing cavities forming in the fuel, 22 are placed over the internal vertical
descending flues 14 so as to clean them readily and also still further to strengthen
that portion of the producer plugs 23 are to be inserted into the upper open ends
of tubes to prevent escape of gas.
A manhole or manholes. 24 are made in the side of the outer cylinder shell or
case and a water guage 25 is fixed on the side and near to the top of the outer
cylinder shell or case-On the top of the closed arched or curved end of the outer
cylinder shell or case is fixed a steam guage 26 and safety valve 27 from the lower
portion of the safety valve a branch pipe 28 issues for drawing off the steam-
From the steam pipe 28 a smaller pipe 28 is taken to external opening of the
coil 19, and by means of a jet of steam at a considerable pressure a strong current
of air is forced or drawn in with it-for supporting the combustion of the fuel.
12 is a large tubular opening through closed ends of the outer and inner cylinder
shell or case through which the fuel is supplied by means of the hopper 13 and is
made specially large to strengthen that portion of the producer in order to with-
stand considerable pressure.
13 is the hopper. Advantage is taken of the large tubular opening 12 to suspend
the hopper in it and thereby diminish the height of the Apparatus by so much.
29 is a tube passing through the outer and inner cylinder shell or case and used
as a sight hole.
30 is the tap for supplying the feed water.
31 is the sluice valve.
32 is a nearly circular flue underneath the producer in the ground into which
the internal vertical descending flues 14 empty themselves and to which another
flue may be connected at any point most convenient for carrying away the gases.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The furnace in combination with the boiler as and for purposes, herein
described, and as illustrated.
2. The internal hopper 3, in combination with a boiler, and gas producer
furnace such as herein described and illustrated.

page_text: 3. The construction of steam boiler, having the poker holes 21, cleaning tubes 22,
tubes 14, and internal hopper 13, in combination and as described and illustrated.
4. The coiled pipe 19 and discharge pipes 20 in combination with a gas producer
furnace as illustrated and herein described.
Dated this 31st day of October 1884.
BENJAMIN CLIFFORD SYKES.
JOSEPH BRIGGS.
By their Agent,
Walter Brierley,
Crossley Street, Halifax.