Improvements in the Manufacture of Napthalene into Forms Suitable for Use in Illumination and in Apparatus Employed therein.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 24th Aug.. 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Napthalene into Forms
Suitable for Use in Illumination and in Apparatus Employed
therein.
We HENRY JAMES FENNER of Brookeholme St. John's Park Blackheath in the
County of Kent, Gentleman, and GEORGE HAMILTON FENNER of 38 Hillsboro Road
Dulwich in the County of Surrey, Chemical Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Napthalene for carburetting purposes is ordinarily prepared in the form of
cylindrical sticks or candles which, for greater facility in filling the carburetting
vessels are chopped into short lengths, or it is moulded or solidified in trays, dishes,
or other similar vessels, and broken into small fragments.
"
; moreover
In either case there is great loss of material in the form of powder, (which to be of
use must be remelted and again moulded or solidified); there is a large amount of
labor expended, in the former case in handling and chopping the candles; in the
latter in breaking the blocks into small fragments and in sifting and separating
these fragments from the powder which is always unavoidably formed
both forms have been found to be inconvenient in use,
the " candle form because
each piece must be separately introduced into the carburetting vessel, and the pieces
or pellets on account of their form and shape are liable to jam and thus prevent the
introduction of a sufficient amount of Napthalene into the vessels and injury is often
caused to the fittings in the endeavour to force in a due amount of material. The
granular" form is inconvenient in use on account of its liability to be spilled about
the floors of rooms, warehouses or other places and over the carburetting vessels, and
to choke the internal tubes of the apparatus.
"
To avoid the above mentioned losses and inconvenience and to promote ease and
economy in use we propose to mould Napthalene into the form of small spheres of
convenient size, preferably (say) from inch to 1 inch diameter according to the
size of the carburetting vessels, in the manner hereinafter fully descrioed.

page_text: The simple form of the sphere we find to be extremely convenient for many
purposes but allied compact forms not presenting angularities or prominences liable
to be broken off or abraded may be used with comparative facility in other instances
whilst for many uses blunted edged blocks or other forms may be employed.
We attain the production of quantities of these forms of the napthalene by the use
of moulds constructed of plates having sunk into their faces repetitions of a half of
the shape desired and a half of a connecting channel running from one mould to the
next so that when two or a larger number of plates so formed are placed vertically
and arranged in a horizontal row (in series) somewhat like the filter plates of a filter
press these half moulds coincide and form a series of confluent moulds by reason of
the connecting channels; and the napthalene poured therein in the manner hercin-
after described takes those forms. In some cases it may be advantageous to employ
vacuum or pressure or vacuum and pressure in aid of the moulding.
The forms and divisions of the part moulds will vary according to variations in
the desired moulded forms.
35
When the moulds have become filled by the pouring therein of the molten
napthalene the part moulds are separated and owing to the brittleness of the material
when cooled little or no difficulty is experienced in removing the portions of
napthalene which filled the " gets or connecting channels from the moulded forms
if such are presented and to facilitate this end it is advisable to make the "gets" or
connecting channels of angular cross section as such section is more easily detached
from the metal.
A convenient arrangement for filling the recesses or chambers in the plates with
napthalene is to pour the molten matter in through a vertical channel, allow it to pass
laterally by other channels and then to rise into the mould chambers vertically
displacing the air which escapes by suitable small vents above.
The moulds are, especially for sizes of limited bulk prevented from becoming
heated by acquiring heat from the napthalene by means of hollow parts or chambers
through which cold water or refrigerating means is kept flowing so as to chill the
moulded matters and prevent adhesion.
If however, warmth be desired it can be applied by the same chambers.
In producing by our improved apparatus the elongated shapes of napthalene
preferred by some for use as described we adapt the shapes of the part recesses to
form when assembled the perfect or complete mould for the separate elongated shapes
say a downward channel for pouring, lateral channels for distribution and vertical
moulds, but the distribution passages may also serve as moulds thus avoiding waste.
The following advantages in the manufacture and use of forms according to our
invention are secured
1. Sharp edges are avoided and crumbling to dust prevented.
2. The material settles of its own accord in the carburetting vessels and fills the
space with the proper amount of material.
3. Facility and rapidity of filling are ensured without the risk of injury to the
fittings or of stoppage of the internal tubes.
4. By our method of manufacture manual labor to divide the napthalene into
fragments of a size suitable for filling is much economised.
5. The necessity of frequent filling, as in the case of "candle" pellets, is avoided
and the risk of over charging, as in the case of "granular" fragments, is guarded
against.
Dated the 17th day of October 1887.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Napthalene into Forms
Suitable for Use in Illumination and in Apparatus Employed
therein.
We HENRY JAMES FENNER of Brookeholme, St. John's Park, Blackheath in the
County of Kent, Gentleman, and GEORGE HAMILTON FENNER of 38 Hillsboro
Road, Dulwich, in the County of Surrey, Chemical 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. :-
Napthalene destined for carburetting purposes is ordinarily prepared in the form
of cylindrical sticks or candles, which candles are chopped up into shorter lengths in
order to facilitate packing or filling into the receptive vessels or carburetting chambers,
or alternatively the napthalene is moulded or allowed to solidify in trays, dishes or
other similar vessel and then the solidified cake is broken into small fragments with
the same object.
Which ever of these methods is adopted there necessarily results great waste of
material in the form of powder and of labour in remelting and remoulding or
resolidification of the powdered material, besides loss of time.
In reducing the napthalene to manageable fragments according to first mentioned
method a large amount of labor has to be expended in handling and chopping the
candles and in the latter method in breaking the blocks into small handy fragments
and in sifting and separating these fragments from the powder produced unavoidably;
and moreover both the candle and the block forms have been found very inconvenient
in use, the "candle" form because pieces must be separately introduced into the
carburetting vessel, and the pieces or fragments on account of the irregular or
angular forms and projections are liable to jam together and interfere with the most
economical packing of the napthalene and thus prevent the maximum amount from
being introduced into the vessels at once increasing trouble and besides in the effort
to force the pieces into closer masses an injury is often done to the fittings by the
pressure in ramming the pieces. The "granular" form is inconvenient in use on
account of its great liability to become spilled about the floors of rooms warehouses
or other places as well as over the exterior of the vessels used for the carburetting
chambers. This form of the matter is also liable to choke the internal tubes of the
apparatus.
In order to avoid the above mentioned inconveniences and losses as well as to
promote cleanliness, economy of time and labor in use and ease and safety in
handling, packing and carriage we mould the napthalene into small spherical or
substantially spherical shapes or balls of moderate and convenient size preferably
into spheres of about five eighths of one inch in diameter or from that say to one
inch in diameter, that range of sizes being found to admit of the most convenient
packing being effected in the sizes and forms of carburetting vessels at present used
but the sizes may be varied to suit the vessels that are to receive them.

page_text: each part mould for containing cooling liquid the flow of which thereinto is
effected from a series of inlet pipes d' from a supply pipe d² controlled by a
tap d³ one to each pipe. The pipes d' are flexible india rubber tubing fitting metal
unions so as to admit of the movements horizontally of each mould plate b from its
neighbour as required for filling and emptying the spaces. After absorbing heat
from the moulds the water or refrigerating fluid passes off by pipes d* preferably
having flexible extensions d³ delivering into a conduit dª for recooling and re-use or
to run off.
The moulds have their supports in the horizontal framing bars A, A and side
bars B, B which latter serve as the rails on which the ears or lugs e, e of the moulds b
run in traversing when being closed together in tightly packed series or opened out.
fare half round pegs or other suitably shaped steady pins to take into corresponding
holes f¹ of an adjoining surface, each plate 6 having one of each.
The napthalene enters by the channel c into thence rises by the gets c³ into
mould spaces c* driving the air before it until all being filled the pressure screw D is
turned by its handle wheel D' so as to release the plates which by its aid had been
pressed hard against the end frame E as an abutment the rails A A acting as tie
bars, they being bolted to the frame E at A¹ and to the frame F which carries the
bearing and screw socket for the screw D, at A².
The angular form in cross section of vertical channels and horizontal distributing
channels and the gets c³ facilitates the freeing of the connectors from the moulds in a
most effective manner.
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 manufacture of napthalene for use in carburetting gas for illumination by
moulding it when in a molten state into marbles, balls or forms substantially round by
means of apparatus such as described.
2. In apparatus for moulding napthalene, for use as set forth, plates arranged in
series capable of assemblage and separation in order to receive, form, and release the
napthalene supplied in a molten state thereto in combination with means for applying
pressure, guidance and refrigeration thereto substantially as set forth.
3. The method of and apparatus for forming napthalene into substantially ball
forms as and for the purpose substantially as herein before set forth.
Dated the 16th dow of Tulv. 1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicants.