IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-GENERATING APPARATUS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Archibald Brooman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1864.-A communication from abroad by Eugene Frederic
Alexandre Goguel, of Audincourt, France.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-GENERATING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention refers to apparatus in which solid combustible matters are
converted into combustible gases intended for heating.
Hitherto apparatus for generating combustible gases have failed in efficiency
chiefly from their not having produced the gases in a regular manner both as
regards their volume and quality. The column of solid combustible substance
has generally rested at its base either upon gratings, or upon the sole of the
apparatus; under the influence of a current of air the combustible matter
becomes carbonized, first giving out a large quantity of volatile gases, the dis-
engagement of which decreases with the advance of the carbonization, and
when this is complete the column is deprived of the greater part of these gases,
while its volume has been but little diminished, still requires a long time to
become reduced, and only gives off a minimum quantity of gas relatively to
that disengaged during the process of carbonization. Now this Invention
consist in several improvements herein-after set forth for insuring regularity in
quantity and quality of the gases produced, the most prominent of which are
the arrangements which permit of the continuous emptying of the apparatus at

page_text: it base during the production of the gases and of the combustible substances fed
into the top thereof, descending uniformly without necessitating any stoppage
for the removal of cinders, clinkers, or scoriæ. This removal at the base
causes the desired regularity in the descent of the combustible substances
during distillation and the production of the gases.
The Invention is further described in the following statement with reference
to the accompanying Drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the
apparatus. A is a metal box free to slide horizontally on a plate B, and fitted
with a tight-fitting cover. The combustible substance is first placed in this
box to be afterwards charged into the gas generator. x is a sight hole closed
by a stopper; C is a cylinder or ring formed in a piece with or fixed to and
descending from the lower face of the plate B; D is a metal tank composed
of a bottom f and of two cylindrical sides d, d, d¹, d'; the lower part of the
cylinder C dips in liquid contained in the tank D; E is a plate supporting the
tank D, and carrying at bottom a metal cylinder or ring e, e; F is the gas
generator proper, into which the fuel falls from the box A; G is a trough
formed of two plates h and h¹, pierced at their centre, and of an envelope i
pierced with one or more apertures K, through which the gases generated
issue from the apparatus; M is another trough supported upon the trough G;
this trough M contains liquid in which the lower part of the cylinder e, e,
dips; H is a chamber supporting the trough G, and provided at bottom with
one or more apertures I, through which the clinkers, cinders, ashes, and
other matters are removed.
Method of Using the Improved Apparatus.-Fill the compartments H and F
with the substance from which the gas is to be produced, and light it at top
of F. Air admitted or forced through one or more pipes t into the cylinder e,
supports combustion and enters the compartment F through the space a,
provided all round the top thereof and between it and the bottom of the
plate E; this space a may be increased or diminished by raising or lowering
the plate E, and with it the cylinders e. As fast as the substance becomes
consumed in the compartment F it is replaced as continuously as possible by
means of the box A, the prolonged base of which forms the central hole in
the plate B, and prevents all escape of gas during the intervals of charging.
The gases generated in the upper part of the compartment F descend to the
lower part through an incandescent mass, and become rich before issuing
through the apertures K, the substance continuing to descend towards the
bottom of the compartment H consequent upon the emptying which takes
place by hand through the openings I. The height of the compart-
ment H must be regulated for different kinds of combustible substances used

page_text: in order to prevent the gases generated in F descending to the bottom of the
compartment H and escaping through the openings I which should be con-
stantly open. The apparatus is a smoke consumer, as will be seen on reference
to Figure 2, in which it is shewn as one of its many applications applied to a
steam boiler. The fuel is introduced at A; combustion takes place at or about
the perforated plate or grating B, where air is admitted or forced. The gases
generated in the compartment C pass into one, or other, or both of the flues D
and E, and become enflamed in the horizontal part of the flue D by air
introduced through openings in a plate G. Slag, scoriæ, and other refuse are
removed through the door P during the working of the apparatus.