IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO GAS METERS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Howes Howes, of Curtain Road, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR LIGHTING AND
HEATING PURPOSES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO
GAS METERS."
Sealed the 28th July 1874, and dated the 4th June 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Howes Howes.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th June 1874.
I, WILLIAM HOWES HOWES, of Curtain Road, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IM-
ROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR
LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLI-
CABLE TO GAS METERS," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates, firstly, to a novel arrangement and combination
of apparatus to be employed in the manufacture of gas by forcing
atmospheric air through or in contact with hydrocarbon fluids. For

page_text: this purpose I employ an apparatus having some of the general features
of a wet gas meter, to the drum of which rotary motion is communi-
cated by any suitable means to force the air through the carburetting
chamber.
The drum of this forcing apparatus is formed with a cylindrical space
in the centre thereof, in the centre of which space is fixed the axis of
motion of the drum..
The inlets to the chambers in the drum are formed in the inner
periphery of the drum, and each chamber has two outlets, one being on
one side of the drum in advance of the other, which is on the other side 1
thereof.
The chambers in the drum are formed by division plates soldered
securely to the inner and outer periphery of the drum, and meeting in
the centre of the drum at the inlet orifice, whence they diverge gradually
towards the sides until they come, the one to the first outlet orifice and 1
the other to the second outlet orifice of each chamber, such outlet
orifices on one side being intermediate of the outlet orifices on the other
side.
The drum is mounted in suitable bearings carried by a case, in which
the drum is enclosed, and air is supplied to the interior of the drum by 2
means of an inlet pipe communicating with a chamber, from which
another pipe passes to the space in the centre of the drum, and a little
above the water level therein in a similar manner to that employed in
ordinary wet gas meters for admitting gas to the drum.
The inlet orifices in the drum are arranged in relation to the outlet 2
orifices, so that at the moment when an inlet orifice is closed the first
outlet orifice of the same chamber commences to open or rise above the
level of water in the case.
The case is provided with an outlet pipe, which conducts the air passed
through the drum into the carburetting apparatus, such pipe being
passed into such chamber at the lower part thereof and rising to the
upper part for the purpose herein-after described.
The carburetting apparatus consists of a chamber of any convenient
form, which is supplied with hydrocarbon liquid. In this liquid is placed
a float, and on the top of the float is fixed a chamber provided with
'horizontal circuitous channels or passages, filled with horsehair or other

page_text: material capable of taking up the hydrocarbon liquid and giving it off
to the air passing in contact therewith.
The chamber carried by the float has fixed thereto a tube closed at the
upper end and rising and falling within another tube also closed at its
upper end and fixed to the upper part of the chamber, in which the
hydrocarbon fluid is placed. The inlet pipe is placed within the first-
mentioned tube, and the float is guided by suitable guides; thus, whilst
air from the forcing drum is compelled to pass through the circuitous
channel in the chamber carried by the float, the float is enabled freely
to rise and fall in the liquid chamber.
The circuitous passage in the carburetting chamber is formed by
division plates soldered therein in such manner that each alternate plate
extends to one side and comes a little short of the other side of such
chamber.
a
When the lighter parts of the hydrocarbon fluid have been given off*
and the float has fallen in the chamber a space will be left in the upper
part of the chamber, thereby enabling a certain quantity of gas to
remain a short time in such space, by which means I secure the proper
mixture of the component parts thereof. The gas thus formed is con-
veyed away from the generating apparatus to the burners in the ordinary
manner. By these means the illuminating power of the gas is always
maintained at or about the same point.
The second part of the Invention consists in the employment of a
drum, constructed as before described, for measuring the gas in its
passage through a wet gas meter, in which case instead of giving rotary
motion to the drum, as before described, the pressure of gas is caused to
give rotary motion to such drum, as is well understood, and I prefer to
form in the interior of such drum a float, and to mount the drum in
arms fixed on centres of motion to enable the drum to rise and fall with
the varying level of the water in the meter, as is well understood.
By the employment of drums, constructed as herein described, in the
manufacture and measurement of gas, I obtain a more regular supply o
gas, and thereby prevent the oscillation in the lights which is experiencend
when employing drums constructed as heretofore.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Howes Howes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HOWES HOWES, of Curtain Road, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Howes Howes, Her special
licence that I, the said William Howes Howes, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Howes
Howes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUfacture of
GAS FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO
APPLICABLE TO GAS METERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Howes Howes, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, 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 William Howes Howes, do hereby'
declare the nature of my 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 :→
The Invention relates, firstly, to a novel arrangement and combination
of apparatus to be employed in the manufacture of gas by forcing
atmospheric air through or in contact with hydrocarbon fluids. For this
purpose I employ an apparatus having some of the general features of a

page_text: wet gas meter, to the drum of which rotary motion is communicated
by any suitable means to force the air through the carburetting
chamber.
The drum of this forcing apparatus is formed with a cylindrical space
in the centre thereof, in the centre of which space is fixed the axis of
motion of the drum.
The inlets to the chambers in the drum are formed in the inner
periphery of the drum, and cach chamber has two outlets, one being on
one side of the drum in advance of the other, which is on the other side
thereof.
The chambers in the drum are formed by division plates soldered
securely to the inner and outer periphery of the drum, and meeting in
the centre of the drum at the inlet orifice, whence they diverge gradually
towards the sides until they come, the one to the first outlet orifice and
the other to the second outlet orifice of each chamber, such outlet orifices
on one side being intermediate of the outlet orifices on the other
side.
The drum is mounted in suitable bearings carried by a case in which
the drum is enclosed, and air is supplied to the interior of the drum by
means of an inlet pipe communicating with a chamber, from which
another pipe passes to the space in the centre of the drum, and a little
above the water level therein, in a similar manner to that employed in
ordinary wet gas meters for admitting gas to the drum.
The inlet orifices in the drum are arranged in relation to the outlet
orifices, so that at the moment when an inlet orifice is closed the first
outlet orifice of the same chamber commences to open or rise above the
level of water in the case.
The case is provided with an outlet pipe which conducts the air passed
through the drum into the carburetting chamber or apparatus, such pipe
being passed into such chamber or apparatus at the lower part thereof
and rising to the upper part for the purpose herein-after described.
The carburetting apparatus consists of a chamber of any convenient
form, which is supplied with hydrocarbon liquid. In this liquid is placed
a float, and on the top of the float is fixed a chamber provided with
horizontal circuitous channels or passages filled with horsehair or other

page_text: material capable of taking up the hydrocarbon liquid and giving it off
to the air passing in contact therewith.
The chamber carried by the float has fixed thereto a tube closed at the
upper end, and rising and falling within another tube also closed at its
upper end, and fixed to the upper part of the chamber in which the
hydrocarbon fluid is placed. The inlet pipe is placed within the first-
mentioned tube, and the float is guided by suitable guides; thus, whilst
air from the forcing drum is compelled to pass through the circuitous
channel in the chamber carried by the float the float is enabled freely
to rise and fall in the liquid chamber.
The circuitous passage in the carburetting chamber is formed by
division plates soldered therein in such manner that each alternate plate
extends to one side and comes a little short of the other side of such
chamber.
When the lighter parts of the hydrocarbon fluid have been given off
and the float has fallen in the chamber a space will be left in the upper
part of the chamber, thereby enabling a certain quantity of gas to
remain a short time in such space, by which means I secure the proper
mixture of the component parts thereof. The gas thus formed is con-
veyed away from the generating apparatus to the burners in the ordinary
manner. By these means the illuminating power of the gas is always
maintained at or about the same point.
The second part of the Invention consists in the employment of a
drum, constructed as before described, for measuring the gas in its
passage through a wet gas meter, in which case instead of giving rotary
motion to the drum, as before described, the pressure of gas is caused to
give rotary motion to such drum, as is well understood, and I prefer to
form in the interior of such drum a float, and to mount the drum in
arms fixed on centres of motion to enable the drum to rise and fall with
the varying level of the water in the meter, as is well understood.
By the employment of drums, constructed as herein described, in the
manufacture and measurement of gas, I obtain a more regular supply of
gas, and thereby prevent the oscillation in the lights which is experienced
when employing drums constructed as heretofore.
And in order that the said Invention may be more clearly understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying
Drawings, more fully to describe the same.

page_text: each chamber dª, d³, d¹, d¹, or do, such outlet orifices on one side being
intermediate or in advance of the outlet orifices on the other side.
The drum is mounted in suitable bearings carried by the case f, in
which the drum is enclosed, and air is supplied to the interior of the
drum by means of the inlet pipe a communicating with the chamber b
from which the pipe or spout c passes to the space in the centre of the
drum and a little above the liquid level therein in a similar manner to
that employed in ordinary wet gas meters for admitting gas to the
drum.
The inlet orifices d³, d', d¹¹, d¹³, d¹³, in the drum are arranged in relation 1
to the outlet orifices d³, d', dº, d¹º¸ à¹³¸ à¹³¸ à¹¸ ₫¹³, d², d²², so that at the
moment when an inlet orifice is closed the first outlet orifice of the same
chamber commences to open or rise above the level of liquid in the
case f, as will be clearly seen by reference to Figure 4.
The case is provided with an outlet pipe g, which conducts the air 1
passed through the drum into the carburetting apparatus B, such pipe g
being passed into such chamber or apparatus at the lower part thereof
and rising to the upper part, for the purpose herein-after described.
The carburretting apparatus B consists of a chamber h of any con-
venient form, which is supplied with hydrocarbon liquid. In this liquid 2
is placed a float i, and on the top of this float is fixed a gas generating
chamber provided with horizontal circuitous channels or passages j¹,
which are filled with horsehair or other material (not shown) capable of
taking up the hydrocarbon liquid and giving it off to the air passing in
contact therewith.
2
The gas generating chamber; has fixed thereto a tube 2 closed at the
upper end and rising and falling within another tube ¹, also closed at
its upper end and fixed to the upper part of the chamber h. The pipe g
is placed within the tube j³, and the float is guided by wire guides k;
thus, whilst air from the forcing apparatus, A is compelled to pass a
through the circuitous channels j¹ in the gas generating chamber j
carried by the float i, the float i is enabled freely to rise and fall with the
varying level in the chamber h.
The circuitous passages in the gas generating chamber j are formed
by division plates ³ soldered therein in such manner that each alternate a

page_text: plate extends to one side and comes a little short of the other side of
such chamber, as shewn at Figure 2.
When the lighter parts of the hydrocarbon liquid have been given off
and the float i has fallen in the chamber ha space will be left in the
upper part of such chamber h, thereby enabling a certain quantity of
gas to remain a short time in such space, by which means I secure the
proper mixture of the component parts thereof. The gas thus produced
is conveyed away from the generating apparatus B by a pipe ³ to the
burners in the ordinary manner. By these means the illuminating power
of the gas is always maintained at or about the same point.
In the manufacture of gas according to the present Invention I prefer
to employ a heavy hydrocarbon liquid in the forcing apparatus A.for
the drum d to work in, thereby preventing the communication of
moisture to the air passing through such apparatus, and I place a piece
of glass in the tube h¹ to enable the tube to be seen therethrough, and
thus serve as a gauge to indicate the amount of hydrocarbon liquid in
the chamber h.
As shown in the Drawings, rotary motion is communicated to the
drum & in the following manner :-On the axis of the drum is fixed a
toothed wheel d*, which is taken into by and receives motion from a
toothed wheel d**, the axis of which is above the liquid level in the
case f, and passes out therefrom through a suitable stuffing box, rotary
motion being communicated to such last-mentioned axis by clockwork
or other suitable means, as will be well understood..
The arrows on the drum in Figures 3, 4, and 5 show the direction of
the air or gas therethrough, whilst the arrows outside the drum in
Figures 3 and 4 show the direction in which the drum rotates.
'
The second part of the Invention consists in the employment of a
drum, constructed as herein-before shown and described, for the measure-
ment of gas in its passage through a wet gas meter, in which case
instead of giving rotary motion to the drum, as before described, the
pressure of gas is caused to give rotary motion to such drum, as is well
understood, and I prefer to form in the interior of such drum.a float,
and to mount the drum in arms fixed on centres of motion to enable
the drum to rise and fall with the varying level of the water in the
meter, as is well understood.