CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODES OR METHODS OF SUPPLYING GAS FOR THE PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATING TOWNS AND OTHER PLACES
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL 'TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC DODDS,
of Sheffield, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Thirteenth day of November, in the fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Isaac Dodds, Her especial licence, full. power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Isaac Dodds, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said Isaac Dodds, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MODES OR METHODS OF SUPPLYING GAS FOR THE PURPOSES OF ILLUMINATING TOWNS
AND OTHER PLACES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
obliging me, the said Isaac Dodds, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause
the same to be inrolled 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
Isaac Dodds, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say:-
These Improvements in the Modes or Methods of Supplying Gas for the
Purposes of Illumination consist, in the first place, in improved means of
conveying gas from the station or manufactory to any required distance (say
many miles) to the place or locality where it may be required to be consumed.
The gas is to be conducted through small pipes, or tubes of small capacity,
instead of large tubular mains as heretofore, which is effected by exhausting the
air in the tubes or pipes at or near that end which is nearest to the place
intended to be illuminated, or farthest from the manufacturing station, or it
may be at intermediate stations between them. By these means the friction
of the gas in passing through the pipes or tubes will be greatly relieved, and
its progress facilitated and carried on with any required degree of velocity.
which may be regulated by the working of the machinery; and I also effect
the same object by pumping, or otherwise forcing the gas forward from one
station to another by the same construction of machinery, or by any other
convenient means; and I occasionally further promote the passage of the gas
by combining the two operations of exhausting and forcing, by applying
suitable machinery at the opposite ends of the line of pipes or tubes.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents an external view of an
apparatus for exhausting, or it may be employed for forcing the gas; Fig. 2
is an internal view of the same; and Fig. 3, a transverse section of the
apparatus. The external cylindrical vessel a, a, contains a rotary fan b, b,
which is actuated by a pulley and band, or other contrivance applied to its axle
c, c. The tubes d, d, when this apparatus is used for exhausting, communicate
with that end of the conducting main of pipes or tubes which is farthest from
the supply or manufacturing station, which tubes lead into the cylindrical vessel
and thereby charge it with gas. The rotation of the fan, by exhausting the
tubes d, d, causes the gas to blow through the main with great rapidity into the
cylindrical vessel a, and which is by the rotation of the fan therein forced
onward through the tube f into a gas holder or pipes, from whence it may be
conveyed into other receptacles; or to the burners for use. If this apparatus be
applied to the station end of the pipe or main that is between the purifiers and
the main, its rotary action will force the gas onward, though not with equal effect
to the operation of exhausting.
Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, represent another form

page_text: of apparatus, which may be employed either for exhausting or propelling the gas
in the mains. Fig. 4 represents a cylindrical tank, z, containing water, of which
Fig. 5 is a vertical section, Fig. 6 a horizontal section, and Fig. 7 a horizontal
top view. Within this tank there is immersed a moveable cylinder II, I, I, I,
open at top and bottom, and having an air-tight partition c, c, dividing it
in the middle. A cross arm d, d, d, d, is affixed to the cylinder II, I, on the
upper side of the partition plate c, c, and to this is attached by a joint a
vertical rod G, which is connected at top to a rotary crank. An air-tight
vessel K, K, is fixed in the lower part of the tank, through which pipes A and
B pass, the pipe A being for the passage of the gas from the purifying or other
vessel, and the pipe B for conducting it to the main gas holder or burners..
On the cylinder H, I, being raised, through the agency of the rotary crank and
rod G, the valve a in the pipe A will rise, and allow the gas to pass into the
lower compartment of the cylinder H, HI, the bottom of which is rendered air-
tight by the water in the tank; and on the descent of the cylinder the gas:
contained in the lower compartment II, H, will be forced through the
descending valve b, b, into the pipe B, and thence be forced onward toward
the gas holder or burners. Another construction of apparatus for effecting.
the same object is shewn at Figures 8 and 9, both of which represent the
apparatus partly in section. This may be called an Archimedean punp.
A, A, A, A, is a stationary cylindrical tank, one end of which stands elevated
at a considerable angle from the horizontal line. The interior of this tank is
rather more than half occupied with water, and within it a barrel B, B, con-
taining the spiral or Archimedean screw, C, C, is mounted in such a manner as
will allow of its revolving. D is the pipe by which the gas is conducted from..
the retorts or from the purifyer into the upper, part of the cylindrical vessel A;
and F is the pipe by which the gas is conducted from the compartment E at
the end of the Archimedean screw barrel to the gas holder or burners. Rotary
motion being given to the axle G of the Archimedean screw barrel by a band
and pulley, or by any other convenient means, the gas or air in the cylinder
A, A, enters the spiral passages of the screw C, C, at the elevated open end.
shewn in Fig. 9, and being pressed by the resistance of the water, the gas or
air is carried through the spiral passages and discharged therefrom into the
compartment E at the opposite end of the barrel, whence it is by the rotation
of the apparatus forced onward through the pipe F. It will be understood
that this apparatus may be applied at either end of the main, or at inter-
mediate stations, for the purpose of either drawing or forcing the gas.
Another feature of my improvements in supplying gas for the purpose of illu
mination consists in certain novel constructions of apparatus for regulating the
supply of gas to a burner of burners, by which the quantity of gas passed may be

page_text: kept uniform, however much the pressure may vary. Fig. 10 represents in
vertical section my improved construction of burner. a is the pipe by which the
gas is supplied.from the main to the burner; b, b, a chest for receiving the gas;
and c, the passage which conducts the gas to the Argand ring d; d, or other con-
struction of burner. In the passage c a cone e is introduced for the purpose of
partially closing the way, and thereby preventing the passage of a full current of
gas. The apex of this cone, which is inverted, has a guide rod f, sliding.in an
adjustable socket 9, with a spiral spring h to force the cone upward; and a
diaphragm i, i, formed of bladder or any other suitable material, is extended across
the lower part of the chest b, constituting its bottom. This diaphragm is secured
round its edges by flanges or otherwise to the sides of the chest, and in the
middle to the rod f, near the apex of the cone. The spring his adjusted by the
screw socket g, so as to raise the cone with a certain force; and thereby keeps
the way for the gas up the passage c open; but when the gas in the pipe ȧ
and chest b, b, experiences any extraordinary pressure, its elastic force against
the diaphragm causes the cone to descend, and hence to contract the passage
in the pipe c, as circumstances may require. Figures 11 and 12 represent the
external view and vertical section of a modification of the last-described appa-
ratus, suited to supply several burners; a is the pipe leading from the main by
which the gas is conducted into the chest b; c is a cone suspended by a rod at
its apex, which has a spiral spring d above for the purpose of supporting the
cone. A plate, e, e, crosses the middle of the chest, having an aperture in it
for the passage of the gas from the upper part of the chest into the lower.
part. In this aperture the cone c hangs, and according to the height of the
cone so will the aperture for the passage of the gas be more or less contracted.
A diaphragm, as before described, is secured to a flange round the edge of the
chest, and also to the apex of the cone. The cone is hollow, and is capable of
receiving a small quantity of shot, or other weighty matter, if required, for the
purpose of counterbalancing the upward pressure of the spring d, which affords
the means of a very nice adjustment of the opening, and thereby regulates the
quantity of gas passed from the upper part of the chest into the lower part,
and thence to the burners. Should any extraordinary pressure of gas occur in
the pipe a and upper part of the chest b, the diaphragm would rise, and conse-
quently lift the cone c so as to contract the aperture in the plate e, e, and
thereby regulate the quantity supplied through the pipe f to the burner.
"
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Dodds, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May; in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
ISAAC (L.S.) DODDS..

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirteenth day of May,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Isaac Dodds came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid,
and all and every thing therein contained in form above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute in
that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Thirteenth day of May, in the year above written.