CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINA- TION, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF OTHER PRODUCTS OF DISTILLATION
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
WALKER, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of January, in the tenth year of Her
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-
seven, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Walker, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Richard Walker, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Richard Walker, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with; and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINA-
TION, WHICH SAID IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO THE MANUFACTURE OF
OTHER PRODUCTS OF DISTILLATION;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso that I, the said Richard Walker, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Walker, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):—
My Invention of improvements in the apparatus for the manufacture of
gas for illumination is designed for the purpose of preventing the "choking"
of the ordinary ascending pipe or tube which conveys the gas arising from
the distillation of coal from the retort to the purifyer. The choking or
"baking-up" of the ascending pipe is caused by the accumulation and incrus-
tation of tar and other carbonaceous matter which under ordinary circum-
stances ascend the said pipe, and which, besides the delay caused by frequently
removing the same, is often productive of dangerous results, such as the
bursting of the upright pipe, and sometimes of the retort itself. The pre-
vention of the accumulation of tar, &c. in the pipes, keeping the passages
clear at all times, allows a greater quantity of gas to be evolved from the
cannel or coal in a given time, and thereby effects a great saving in the
quantity of fuel required to heat the retort.
My improvement consists in breaking the immediate connection between
the inner surface of the retort and the ascending pipe, by causing the upright or
ascending pipe leading from the retort to the purifyer to project or protrude
inside the retort, instead of the end of the pipe being flush or even with the
upper side of the retort, which improvement allows free egress to the gas, but
prevents the tar or other carbonaceous matter from ascending the upright
pipe and choking up the same.
The Drawing accompanying these Presents represents a front elevation of
a retort, with the end plate of the retort removed ready for feeding, drawn to
a scale of about one inch to a foot. a, a, is the brickwork; b, b, the furnace
door; and c, c, the retort. d, de, is the ordinary upright pipe which conveys
the gas from the retort to the purifyer, the lower end d passing through the
upper side of the retort, and projecting about two inches inside thereof. As
the tar ascends the sides of the retort, instead of passing up the pipe d as
heretofore, it falls from the end of the same (in consequence of the imme-
diate connection being broken or interrupted) upon the bottom of the retort,
from whence it is easily removed.
I would remark, in conclusion, that although I have shewn in the Drawing
only one method of breaking the immediate connection between the ascending
pipe and the inner side of the retort, that is, by elongating the end of the
ascending pipe, or causing it to protrude into the interior of the retort, which

page_text: I have found to be the most practically useful, yet I am aware that many
other contrivances may be adapted as modifications or variations of the prin-
ciples of my Invention. It will also be evident that my improvements are
equally applicable to the manufacture of all the products of distillation, wherein
an upright or ascending pipe is employed to convey such products evolved from
a retort.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood, that I
claim as my Invention the breaking of the immediate connection between the
inner surface of the retort and its ascending or upright pipe, by means of a
projection of or from the end of such pipe or otherwise, which will prevent the
tar or other carbonaceous matter from creeping up or following the surface of
the pipe, either in the manner as exhibited in the Drawing attached to these
Presents, and above particularly set forth, or by any other method which
embraces the intent and principles of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-seven.
RICHARD
WALKED