Improved Means for Producing Carbonic Acid and Hydrogen Gases.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1897-Accepted, 19th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFIC
TION.
Improved Means for Producing Carbonic Acid and Hydrogen Gases.
I, BENJAMIN THOMAS LINDSAY THOMSON, of 85 North Side, Clapham Common,
in the County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
In a prior Application No. 6835 of 1896 1. have described how carbonic acid gas
may be produced by passing steam through heated carbon, the resultant gases
consisting of carbonic oxide and hydrogen passing through heated metallic oxides
capable of giving up oxygen to carbonic oxide and hydrogen, the gases leaving such
oxides being at the temperature, carbonic acid and steam, the latter being condensed
and pure carbonic acid gas left as the resultant product.
According to the present invention it is proposed that the process shall be so
modified that the resultant gases shall consist of carbonic acid and hydrogen and this
end is secured by separating the hydrogen from the carbonic oxide and carbonic acid,
and when an excess of steam is used from the carbonic acid after leaving the
carbon retorts and before entering the oxidizers.
The separation may be effected in several ways, such for example as by passing the
mixed gases under pressure into water which will take up the carbonic acid, while
the hydrogen remaining in a gaseous state may be drawn off, after which on removal
of the pressure the carbonic acid will escape and may be passed through the oxidizers
for the purpose of rectification and stored in any convenient way.
In lieu of separating the gases by forcing into water they may be separated by the
use of alkaline fluids, or by the use of a suitable filtering medium such as unglazed
earthenware.
It will at times be desirable to pass an excess of steam through the carbon
retorts and to pass the resultant carbonic acid and carbonic oxide gases and steam
through a second retort filled with fire-brick or other non-active material, as by
longer and intimate contact the steam and carbonic oxide may combine and carbonic
acid gas and hydrogen pass over for separation and further treatment. In fact the
use of the second retort will frequently be desirable even if an excess of steam be not
employed.
Dated this 11th dose of Anant 1806
Improved Means for Producing Carbonic Acid and Hydrogen Gases.
I, BENJAMIN THOMAS LINDSAY THOMSON, of 85 North Side, Clapham Common, in
the County of London, 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 :-
In a prior Application No. 6835 of 1896, I have described how carbonic acid gas

page_text: may be produced by passing steam through heated carbon, the resultant gases con-
sisting of carbonic oxide carbonic acid and hydrogen passing through heated metallic
oxides capable of giving up oxygen to carbonic oxide and hydrogen, the gases leaving
such oxides being at the temperature, carbonic acid and steam, the latter being
condensed and pure carbonic acid gas left as the resultant product.
According to the present invention it is proposed that the process shall be so
modified that the resultant gases shall consist of carbonic acid and hydrogen and this
end is secured by separating the hydrogen from the carbonic oxide and carbonic
acid, and when an excess of steam is used from the carbonic acid after leaving the
carbon retorts and before entering the oxidisers.
The separation may be effected in several ways, such for example as by passing
the mixed gases under pressure into water which will take up the carbonic acid, while
the hydrogen being insoluble and remaining in a gaseous state may be drawn off,
after which on removal of the pressure the carbonic acid will escape and may be
passed through the oxidisers for the purpose of rectification and stored in any
convenient way.
As carbonic oxide is not soluble except to a very limited extent any traces of that
substance would remain mixed with the hydrogen, when it is desired to remove them
the gases may be passed through a solution of cuprous chloride which will eliminate
all trace of carbonic oxide.
A convenient method of exerting pressure on the gases will be by passing them
into a gasometer containing water and after the carbonic acid has been taken
up by the water drawing off the hydrogen (which may pass through a solution
of cuprous chloride to remove any traces of carbonic oxide) to a suitable holder or
receptacle.
In lieu of separating the gases by forcing into water, they may be separated by the
use of alkaline fluids such as solutions of carbonate of soda or potash in which the
carbonic acid would be absorbed and the carbonic oxide and hydrogen left free
for drawing off; the carbonate solution would become a bicarbonate solution from
which the carbonic acid could be expelled and the carbonate could again be used or
the gases may be separated by the use of a suitable filtering material such as unglazed
earthenware but I do not consider this latter an advantageous method.
It will at times be desirable to pass an excess of steam through the carbon retorts
and to pass the resultant carbonic acid and carbonic oxide gases and steam through a
second retort filled with fire-brick or other non-active material, as by longer and more
intimate contact in the absence of free carbon the steam and carbonic oxide may
combine and carbonic acid gas and hydrogen pass over for separation and further
treatment. In fact the use of the second retort will frequently be desirable even if an
excess of steam be not employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The improved means for producing carbonic acid and hydrogen gases consisting
in passing steam through highly heated carbon and separating the hydrogen and
carbonic oxide from the carbonic acid all substantially as described.
2. The improved means for producing carbonic acid and hydrogen gases consisting
in passing steam through highly heated carbon separating the hydrogen from the
resultant gases which are then passed through oxidizing material substantially as
described.
3. The improved means for producing carbonic acid and hydrogen gases consisting
in passing steam through highly heated carbon, passing the resultant gases through
a receptacle containing inert material and with or without an excess of steam and
subsequently separating the hydrogen and other gas or gases substantially as
described.

page_text: 4. The improved means for producing carbonic acid and hydrogen gases
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated the 10th day of May 1897.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicant.

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Motor Carriages, the Driving Wheels of which are
Actuated by Endless Chains.
We, CHARLES GAUTIER, and XAVIER WEHRLÉ, both of 31, Boulevard
Henri IV, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers, 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, and
accompanying drawing, that is to say :-
Up to the present time carriage builders have been unable to use, in motor
carriages of different kinds, the ordinary method of dishing the wheels,-which
implies the arrangement of the part of the axle on which the wheels turn at a
slight inclination to its central or horizontal part,-in all cases where the wheel is
driven by an endless chain, on account of the torsion which the latter would
undergo in gearing with two toothed wheels the planes of which are not parallel.
The chain also, in fact, has a tendency to come off. On the other hand, as dished
wheels are stronger and more durable, there is great advantage in making them in
this way. Our present invention has for its object a method of construction by
which the difficulty mentioned is overcome.
In the accompanying drawing, which is in illustration of our invention, Figure 1
shows at A the nave of a wheel provided with its inner axle box B, and with the
inclined part of the axle C, upon which the wheel turns, in its place. It will be
seen that this inclined part makes at a a very slight angle with the main part C¹
of the axle.
Instead of fixing the toothed chain wheel D, (Figures 3 and 4), upon the nave
of the wheel, in which case its plane would be perpendicular to the inclined part
of the axle, as has heretofore been done, we fit it upon a turned part 6 of the
body of the axle, on which it can turn freely when set in motion by the driving
chain.
It is necessary that it should be able to carry the wheel with it as it turns,
although the latter is somewhat inclined as described.
For this purpose we form upon the axle-box, or fix upon the latter in any suitable
way, an annular piece E, carrying any desired number of arms or pins F, (two of
which are shewn in Figures 1 and 2), each of which enters into an opening G, G,
(Figure 3), widened at each side towards the front of the toothed wheel D, in
which they are made.
It will be understood that, by this arrangement, when the driving chain causes
the toothed wheel D to revolve, the latter, by means of the pins F will carry round
with it the wheel of the carriage. During this movement, each of the pins will
advance and recede in its respective opening.
In the drawing, the angle between the two wheels has been exaggerated in order
to better show the object of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The new or improved method of construction, for preventing the torsion of the
driving chain, and allowing the dishing and inclination of the wheels, of motor
carriages, consisting of an axle of which the ends upon which the wheels turn are
slightly oblique and carry a piece or disc connected to the wheel and provided with

page_text: pins projecting at right angles, which pins continually engage more or less in
oblong holes in the boss of the chain wheel, the latter being fitted and revolving
freely upon the horizontal body of the axle, substantially as described and
illustrated.
Dated this 11th day of August 1896.
EDWARDS & Co.,
65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.