Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Illuminating and Heating Gases.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec.; 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of
Illuminating and Heating Gases.
I, JOHN HENRY RICHARDSON DINSMORE, of 22, Marsden Street, Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:--
This invention has mainly reference to those processes of making illuminating or
heating gas in which tar or other hydrocarbon liquid is employed and converted
into gas in conjunction with coal or other carbonaceous material, and it has for its
object and consists of certain arrangements and dispositions of parts and modes of
carrying out such processes.
According to this invention, there is employed one or a plurality of retorts or
chambers set in a suitable heating chamber or bench and adapted to be externally
heated by coal or coke fires, or by gaseous fuel. These retorts or chambers are
provided with a door in front of the bench; or, they may be provided with a door
both at the back and front, and they are so arranged and the bench so built and
adapted that access to the interior of the chambers or retorts can be readily had,
and their interiors scraped and cleaned or otherwise operated upon from the ground
or other operating level. Tar is introduced into the retorts or chambers at a
convenient point, and in conjunction therewith the gas, say ordinary illuminating
gas, is also introduced, the result being that such gas combines with the tar gas
resulting from the distillation of the tar by the heat of the chamber or retort, and a
combined gas of a high illuminating power and great volume is produced. This
combined gas leaves the chambers or retorts in a downward direction, that is to say,
it is carried, from the chamber or retort exit downwards, and as, or directly upon,
leaving the chamber or retort is artificially cooled. This is preferably done by
passing it through an externally cooled-say water jacketed-conduit. Such
conduit at the bottom opens out into a chamber sealed in water, tar, or other
suitable liquid, wherein any grosser particles of tar or unfixed tarry vapours or
carbon are arrested. From this seal chamber the gas is led away by a suitable
conduit, and is cooled or condensed in any ordinary suitable condensing apparatus
and then stored or used.
In an ordinary illuminating gas works the whole of the gas produced may be
treated as described, or only a portion may be so treated and such portion mixed
with the bulk.
In lieu of illuminating gas, water gas, hydrogen, or other suitable gas may be
heated in conjunction with tar. as described and its illuminative power and volume
increased.
The hydro-carbon liquid-i.e. tar, or other hydrocarbon or mixture thereof-
may he introduced into the chambers or retorts in solid form, say from above,
allowing it to fall onto the bottom thereof. Or, it may be supplied by spraying or
atomizing devices whereby it will be delivered into the retorts or chambers in a
comminuted or atomized state.
Under this invention all these parts are so disposed and arranged that they can
be both easily seen and controlled, and the process can thus be carried on under
the direct sight and easy control of those in charge.
In carrying out this invention in an illuminating gas-works, it will be seen it is
not necessary to in any way alter the existing plant, and that this apparatus can
be erected anywhere.
In the manufacture of coal gas under this invention the gas, before it is passed
into the chambers or ducts, is ridded of its aqueous vapours or moisture and

page_text: tarry matters more or less by cooling, and it is therefore, before treatment, as
herein described, practically a dry gas.
I wish to state that the various modes of and means for introducing tar or oil
and gases, and the various parts of and arrangements or forms of the ducts or
chambers herein described, may be combined and arranged to operate in many
different ways, and that the invention is susceptible of many modifications and
variations of the modes of conducting the processes and of means adapted to apply
the liquids or gases and operate upon same, and of the arrangement, shape, and
construction of the apparatus.
Dated this 17th day of February 1891.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of
Illuminating and Heating Gases.
I, JOHN HENRY RICHARDSON DINSMORE, of 22, Marsden Street, Liverpool, in
the County of Lancaster, 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 :-
This invention has mainly reference to those processes of making illuminating or
heating gas in which tar or other hydrocarbon liquid is employed and converted
into gas in conjunction with coal or other carbonaceous material, and it has for its
object and consists of certain arrangements and dispositions of parts and modes of
carrying out such processes.
According to this invention, there is employed one or a plurality of retorts or
chambers set in a suitable heating chamber or bench and adapted to be externally
heated by coal or coke fires, or by gaseous fuel. These retorts or chambers are
provided with a door in front of the bench, or, they may be provided with a door
both at the back and front, and they are so arranged and the bench so built and
adapted that access to the interior of the chambers or retorts can be readily had,
and their interiors scraped and cleaned or otherwise operated upon from the ground
or other operating level. Tar is introduced into the retorts or chambers at a
convenient point, and in conjunction therewith the gas, say ordinary illuminating
gas, is also introduced, the result being that such gas combines with the tar gas
resulting from the distillation of the tar by the heat of the chamber or retort, and
a combined gas of a high illuminating power and great volume is produced. This
combined gas leaves the chambers or retorts in a downward direction, that is to
say, it is carried from the chamber or retort exit downwards, and as, or directly
upon, leaving the chamber or retort, is artificially cooled. This is preferably
done by passing it through an externally cooled-say a water jacketted-conduit.
Such conduit at the bottom opens out into a chamber sealed in water, tar, or other
suitable liquid, wherein any grosser particles of tar or unfixed tarry vapours or
carbon are arrested. From this seal chamber the gas is led away by a suitable
conduit, and is cooled or condensed in any ordinary suitable condensing apparatus,
and then stored or used.
In an ordinary illuminating gas works the whole of the gas produced may be
treated as described, or only a portion may be so treated and such portion mixed
with the bulk.
In lieu of illuminating gas, water gas, hydrogen, or other suitable gas may be
heated in conjunction with tar as described, and its illuminating power and volume
increased.
The hydro-carbon liquid-i.e. tar, or other hydro-carbon or mixture thereof-
may be introduced into the chambers or retorts in solid form, say from above,
.allowing it to fall onto the bottom thereof. Or, it may be supplied by spraying

page_text: or atomizing devices whereby it will be delivered into the retorts or chambers in a
comminuted or atomized state.
Under this invention all these parts are so disposed and arranged that they can
be both easily seen and controlled, and the process can thus be carried on under the
direct sight and easy control of those in charge.
In carrying out this invention in an illuminating gas-works, it will be seen it is
not necessary to in any way alter the existing plant and that this apparatus can be
erected anywhere.
In the manufacture of coal gas under this invention the gas, before it has passed
into the chambers or ducts, may be ridded of its aqueous vapours or moisture and
tarry matters more or less by cooling, and it is therefore, before treatment, as herein
described, practically a dry gas.
I wish to state that the various modes of and means for introducing tar or oil
and gases, and the various parts of and arrangement or forms of the ducts retorts
or chambers herein described, may be combined and arranged to operate in many
different ways, and that the invention is susceptible of many modifications and
variations of the modes of conducting the processes and of means adapted to apply
the liquids or other gases and operate upon same, and of the arrangement, shape,
and construction of the apparatus.
In the drawings which serve to illustrate this invention, I shew an apparatus for
distilling tar in the presence of coal gas (or other gas), consisting of a duct or
retort, and having covers at each end.
Figure I shews the apparatus in sectional elevation, whilst
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the liquid seal herein referred to.
Although only one retort or duct is shewn in the figure, it may be assumed that
two or any suitable number may be disposed within the bench in any convenient
manner, and heated by a furnace in any known suitable way.
Referring to the drawings, a is the retort or duct having covers and b', and an
upright extended portion c. d is the descending ontlet pipe of the retort or duct a.
e is a jacket round sanie through which cooling water or other fluid is circulated,
and by which the pipe d, and the gas passing therethrough, are artificially cooled,
e being the circulating pipes; is a trough for containing water, tar or other
liquor and is an inverted trough connected to the pipe or pipes d, and by which
a seal is made between such pipes d and the outside atmosphere. is an ascension
or outlet conduit by which the gases are conveyed away from to the place
required. is a syphonic trapped tar supply device. is the tar supply pipe, and
m represents a length of chain, or the like, connected to the delivery end of the
pipe within the retort or duct portion e, and by which the tar is led to near the
bottom of the duct or retort a before it falls onto it.
o represents a pipe by which
coal gas (or other suitable gas) is introduced into the retort or duct
The operation of this apparatus, according to one mode, is as follows:-Coul
gas, say previously mainly ridded of water or condensable watery matters (or
containing such watery matters), is introduced into the duct or retort a by the
pipe o; and in conjunction with this gas, tar is introduced in regulated quantities
by the device k, into the duct or retort. As the tar falls onto the bottom of the
In the
duct or retort, it is vaporized, the vapor becoming mixed with the coal gas.
passage of the tar vapours, through the duct, in combination with the coal gas,
they are more or less converted into permanent gas by the heat of the duct or
retort. They, that is, the tar and coal gases, in their mixed condition, are then
conveyed downwards through the pipe d and in their descent are artificially cooled
by the cooling fluid circulating or passing round the pipe d. By this cooling
effect, the pitchy and some of the tarry vapours or matters in the gases arc
condensed or arrested and fall towards the cooler part of the pipe d, and into the
trough By this mode of ridding the gases of pitchy, tarry, or other objection-
able matters, all liability of the outlet pipe of retorts or ducts of all kinds used in
the manufacture of illuminating gas becoming choked or blocked, whether tar coal
gas, or coal, or any combination thereof, be treated therein, is obviated. The

page_text: pitchy and tarry matters as they condense or are rested in d, fall by gravity down
same into the liquid in the trough f, and thus solidification and incrustation in the
pipe d, is
prevented.
In addition to the liquid seal herein described, a cock or valve on the pipe or
pipes may be employed to shut off a retort or duct a, when required. Or, a
cock or valve only may be used, the. pipe or pipes d in such a case delivering the
gas into a suitable main.
In some cases, in lieu of introducing coal gas through the pipe o, the coal gas
may be distilled from coal charged into the retorts a, say through the charging
mouth door b. Or again, coal gas may be introduced from the pipe o in conjunction
with its manufacture from coal in the retort a. Or, as a further modification,
hydrogen, water-gas, producer-gas, or other gases, may be introduced into the
retort alone or with other gases, and carburetted, or its illuminating power
increased, by its mixture with tar gases generated as described.
In lien of tar being used as above set forth with reference to the drawings, other
hydro-carbon oil may be employed for the purpose of raising the illuminating power
and increasing the volume of gases of the nature herein described, in operating
according to this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in the manufacture of illuminating gas herein described,
that is to say, introducing tar (or other hydro-carbon), into a heated duct or
retort and distilling it therein, and introducing coal-gas (or other hydro-carbon
or hydrogenized gas) into said duct or retort, whereby the tar is distilled in
the presence of said gas; and subsequently leading said. gas out of said duct.or
retort in a downward direction through a descending conduit for the purposes
specified.
2. In the manufacture of gas from hydro-carbon, substances or matters, such as
herein specified, leading or passing them in a downward or descending direction as
and when they leave the retort or duct in which they are made or treated, and
artificially cooling them in said downward passage or descent.; substantially as
herein set forth.
:
3. In apparatus for manufacturing gas, the combination with the retort or duct.a
in which said gas is made or treated, of the artificially cooled and cooling descending
pipe or conduit d; as set forth with reference to the drawings.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts of apparatus for. making gas,
particularly set forth with reference to and shewn in the drawings.
Dated 19th
1001
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.