Illuminating and of Cyanogen or some of its Compounds.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1887
Specification Accepted, 8th Nov., 1887
Illuminating and of Cyanogen or some of its Compounds.
I, SAMUEL ROBERT DICKSON, of No. 2 Wall Street, in the City, County, and
State of New York, one of the United States of America, gas engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to the manufacture or production of Cyanogen or some of
its compounds, and gas intended either for illuminating or for heating purposes, by
the decomposition of coal, steam, petroleum, natural gas, or other gaseous or liquid
hydrocarbons, used severally or in combination with atmospheric air, whereby I obtain
an exceeding cheap gas and a large amount of cyanogen or some of its compounds.
The component gaseous products by my process, consisting of hydrocarbons,
hydrogen, nitrogen and carbonic oxides, differ in their chemical character in no
particular from the same gases produced by any other means, but in the aggregate
production by my process, the difference is marked, and in this particular lies that
which I esteem one of its many superior advantages.
My process involves primarily the introduction of a nitrogen bearing material into
a heated chamber into which carbon and an alkali in a finely divided condition are
also introduced, the mixing of the materials so introduced, and the simultaneous
decomposition and recombination of said elements to produce respectively a
combustible gas, free or comparatively free from nitrogen, and cyanogen or
compound thereof.
a
My invention may be used to eliminate nitrogen from mixed gases (such as
carburetted hydrogen, carbonic oxide, and nitrogen) otherwise ready for combustion,
or from the substance or substances from which the gases are produced. In the
latter case the elimination takes place at practically the same time that the combustible
gas is produced.
I therefore use the term "nitrogen-bearing material" to signify either mixed gases
containing nitrogen, or substances capable by decomposition and reunion in different
combinations, of producing such gases.
I may here state that the use of carbon and an alkali to free a gas from nitrogen
is well known, and is not claimed broadly by me.

page_text: It is the object of my invention, however, to obtain a more effective and economical
result in more thoroughly abstracting the nitrogen, producing more cyanogen, and
getting the complete effect of the carbon and alkali, by simultaneously introducing
the materials in a finely divided state into the retort and there forcibly mixing them.
Neither do I claim as new in my apparatus, an injector and supply pipes adapted
for simultaneously introducing gases, liquids, and solids into the furnace chamber or
retort.
The gas thus produced is preferably improved for the purpose of combustion, by
the use of carbon, resulting in the conversion of such part of the gas as is in the
form of carbonic acid into carbonic oxide and in the production of some carburetted
hydrogen.
The gas then may be carburetted to any desired degree of richness for the purpose
of illumination, though this is not necessary to its use as fuel.
The process may be preceded by a coking operation, (and I have shown in the
drawings the apparatus for this) the resulting gases being introduced and combined
with the alkali, carbon, air, and steam, and the coke being used for the subsequent
conversion of the carbonic acid gas.
While the combustible gas passes off to be used, or further treated in
any desired
and suitable manner, the cyanogen collects in solid form in the lower part of the
chamber into which the materials were introduced or in some suitable collecting vessel
or chamber connected therewith. I may state that the cyanogen thus deposited will
not ordinarily be pure, being. usually compounded or mixed with other residua of
said materials.
To enable my invention to be more readily understood I have shown in the accom-
panying drawings a means for carrying the same into effect. In said drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus for carrying out my invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the converting furnace on the line ee, figure 2.
Fig. 4 is a similar section of the coking furnace, the injector being also shown in
section.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the converting furnace and the condenser, on the
line c-c, figure 2.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, of the injector.
Fig. 7 is a view of the scrubbers.
:-
In carrying out my process I employ by preference the following agencies
First: The combination with a furnace 2, which I shall in this specification term a
"converting furnace," of means such for example as the pipe H and steam injector h,
for introducing the nitrogen-bearing material, the carbon, and an alkali into the said
converting furnace and at the same time forcibly mixing the substances so introduced.
Second A means for supplying petroleum to the injector h, such as the pipe k,
for the purpose of initially, and from time to time as may be required, bringing up
the heat of the furnace compartment E to the requisite degree. Third: A furnace
chamber F adapted to contain incandescent coke, through which the gases from
compartment E may be driven and improved by the change of the carbonic acid to
carbonic oxide. Fourth-A carburetting retort G, and supply pipe K, for hydro-
carbon, by which the gases, if designed for illuminating, may be properly carburetted.
I would here remark, however, that though the above and hereafter described
apparatus is the best means now known to me, all things considered, for carrying out
my process, various forms of furnace, and various arrangements of the other
appliances relative thereto, may be employed without departing from my invention.
Having outlined the scope and object of my invention and process, for the
production of cyanogen and compounds thereof and gases-I pass to the detailed
description of its several parts and their relations to each other.
1 shows my air-tight coking furnace connected by the fire clay pipe or chamber H,
with the converting furnace 2-4, is an air pipe leading from the air condenser 4,
into the bottom part of the coking furnace; the atmospheric air is forced into a
reservoir (not shown) under a given pressure, and from the reservoir it passes through

page_text: the air condenser 4, when it becomes highly heated; and is then admitted beneath
the floor of the coking furnace, (for coking purposes), through a pipe of known
diameter. The air thus delivered is at all times a known quantity and under control-
c is an air tight fitting door, for the purpose of withdrawing the coke when the
process is completed- is a steam pipe for conveying steam from a boiler, (not shown),
to the bottom of the furnace, for the purpose of extinguishing the incandescent coke
when the process of coking is completed, and the production thereby of gases-d, is
a feed hopper for charging coals to the furnace.
Fig. 6 shows an enlarged sectional view of the fire clay chamber H, or pipe into
which the connecting pipe, from the coking furnace enters and which conveys the
volatile products from the coking furnace to the converting furnace, likewise pipe
connections h, k, and i, which together constitute a petroleum injector-k, is a pipe
for conducting petroleum or some other liquid hydrocarbon into the body of the
injector where, by the force of the steam, it is driven through pipe or chamber H,
into the oven or middle compartment section E of furnace 2, for combustion ;-, is
a steam pipe, from the steam boiler (not shown),-i, is a pipe, for atmospheric air, to
supply oxygen for the combustion of the petroleum, is a pipe passage placed in
front of the steam petroleum injector, through which is introduced finely ground
carbon mixed with an alkali.-It is readily seen by this mechanical arrangement that
when the steam is permitted to enter the injector through pipe h, it will be forced
through the pipe or chamber H, into the oven compartment or section E, of furnace 2
and carry along with it by the same force petroleum, which enters the injector
through pipe k-The petroleum being thus sprayed into section E, is rapidly burned
by means of the oxygen of the air admitted through pipe i. For it must be borne in
mind that not other wise is atmospheric air admitted into the furnace. The steam
thus entering the furnace or oven section 2, sucks or draws over the volatile products
from the coking furnace 1, and it also drives and disperses the finely ground carbon
and alkali through the gaseous mixture in the oven E, where the chemical conversions,
to be hereinafter more particularly described, take place.
Fig. shows a vertical section of my converting furnace; I have, in the con-
struction shown, divided it into four sections or compartments, and such division is by
no means an arbitrary one, as three separate and distinct chemical conversions are
effected under conditions essentially differing from each other, requiring mechanical
arrangements productive of such favorable actions.
4:
This converting furnace is made of iron, lined with fire brick or with some other
refractory material which is supported and held in position by double angle irons
secured to the iron shell of the furnace-save and excepting in the lower or section D,
in which the fire brick lining is omitted as it is desirable that the temperature of
this compartment of the furnace be below that of the oven or compartment E,-G is
the retort section, which is placed vertically in section F, and passes beneath the
grate bars M through arch O into the oven or middle compartment or section E, of
the furnace, and is supported by arch p.-The horizontal fire clay pipes, is connected
with this retort, and is properly a part of it, which pipe finally conducts the gascous
products from the converting furnace to its connection on the outer side with pipe x,
which latter conducts the gas to the atmospheric air heater, or condenser 4, and to the
other purifying apparatus of the works.
Arch O is constructed beneath the fire clay grate bars M, of the furnace section F, for the
purpose of preventing the ash and other material from falling into the lower compartiments
of the furnace; at each end of this arch are openings for the passage of the gases from
compartment E, upwards through the incandescent coal in section or compartment F,
to the open end of retort G. There are several openings n made beneath the grate bars,
through the sides of the furnace, for the purpose of cleaning the fire and removing
accumulations on arch 0; they are provided with air tight fitting covers. K is a pipe
for the introduction of petroleum or other liquid hydrocarbon, within the body of
retort G, for the purpose of carburetting or imparting increased illuminating power
to the gases before they pass through the retort and while the gases are in a highly
heated state shows the charging opening of the retort; the retort is shown as

page_text: partially and loosely filled with broken fire brick or other refractory materials for the
purpose of presenting a large heating surface to the action of the gases; this filling
extends for like purposes into the horizontal fire clay pipe of the retort; M shows the
fire tile grate bars, for the support of the fire in section or compartment F, of the
furnace shows a door made in the bottom of the lower compartment or section D of
the furnace, for the purpose of withdrawing the cyanogen and other alkaline compounds
which accumulate in this compartment. t, t, are air tight doors for charging coal into
the furnace F. w is a pipe for the admission of superheated steam into the fire clay
pipe a connected to retort (i, for the purpose of converting the carbonic oxide
produced by the passage of the gases through the incandescent carbon in compartment F,
into carbonic acid gas and the further production of hydrogen gas.
In Fig. 5 is shown a vertical section of the atmospheric air condenser or air heater,
it being the intention of its construction to heat the atmospheric air, by the radiation
from the heated gases which pass through it. In the chamber X placed upon the top
of this condenser, or air heater, is valve u, by the operation of which the gases passing
through fire clay pipe s, can be diverted either through chimney pipe J; or into the
condenser or atmospheric air heater. The air heater is constructed of boiler iron, with
an outer and inner wall so placed as to leave an air passage between them; the air
entering the heater at g passes up and fills the space between the walls to the under
side of the lower horizontal partition; thence passing through and between the plates
of the partition, the air is enabled to occupy the middle space between the two walls
of the air heater, which when filled the air passes through the upper horizontal
partition as it did the lower one, filling the space between the two walls of the heater
in the top or dome and makes its exit at pipe N. Pipes a and i may be continuations
of pipe N and this heated air used for both coking the coal and by the steam petroleum
injector. The heated gases entering the air heater at X, pass through the two horizontal
partitions by openings made in the partitions, by placing many small pipes in the
partitions, in the manner, as tubes are placed in the two heads of a tubular steam boiler.
Fig. 7 shows an elevation of scrubbers and condensers to be connected by pipe y,
with the atmospheric air condenser; but inasmuch as I propose nothing new in this
department of gas production, pertaining to its purification, beyond that above referred
to, I deem it unnecessary in this specification to describe a well known and universally
employed process for further purification of the gas.
Having described in detail the several parts of a generating apparatus, necessary
for the production of cyanogen and compounds thereof and gas, I will now describe
the working of my process and the chemical reactions which take place.
To properly conduct the business of gas manufacture other appliances, in addition
to those herein shown, are requisite and necessary. But as my invention and
improvement relates only to the generative department, I shall so far as possible
confine myself to this branch of gas making.
The purpose for which the gas is manufactured measurably governs some parts of
the additional outfit, as well as some of the material used.
If the gas produced is intended for fuel purposes, then a gaseous mixture consisting
of carbonic oxide and hydrogen reasonably free from carbonic acid gas and other
impurities will meet the requirements, and with proper care in the selection of
materials and in the manufacture of the gas, lime purification can be dispensed with
thus saving a costly part of the apparatus and lessening the cost of production. But
if the gaseous product is required for illumination, or for both light and fuel, then
greater care is to be observed in its production and subsequent purification, and if
proper coal used in its manufacture is not selected, great difficulty will be encountered
in the production of a satisfactory gas as excess of purification is unattainable in the
manufacture of gas for illumination, so long as the gas is burned for light as at present-
But to the production of gas by my process, and with appliances shown by the
accompanying drawings, the purpose of its manufacture has but slight relation, and
such changes as are necessary to produce a cheap gaseous mixture suitable for either
purpose will be noticed hereafter.
To operate the mechanical appliances here shown for the production of illuminating

page_text: gas, cyanogen, and compounds of the latter-retort G, would be loosely filled with fire brick
or some refractory material and this filling should extend as shown within the fire clay
pipe s, so as to slightly obstruct the passage of the gases through the pipe. Valve
communicating with the chimney is to be opened for the passage of gases of combustion
to the chimney. Furnace F is now to be charged above the grate with carbon, such
as anthracite coal, coke or charcoals, and, the coals in the furnace being ignited, the
combustion should be allowed to proceed slowly for several hours, or until the retort.
and brick lining of the furnace has become quite well heated. These precautionary
measures are always necessary with any new and green furnace, but after the first
run, the furnace can be shut down for many hours by the exclusion of all atmospheric
air and kept sufficiently warm, to be brought up to a working heat in a few moments.
When the blower is applied, the firing is to be continued until the retort and furnace
lining become highly heated. When retort G, and furnace F, have been sufficiently
heated, the air blast should be discontinued and the fire carefully cleaned and if necessary
replenished with coal.
The coking furnace 1, having been properly charged with bituminous or coking
coals, the charge can now be ignited and permitted to burn a short time by the ordinary
draught of the furnace, when all ingress of air should be closed except by the
air pipe a, which will soon produce proper combustion in this furnace.
20
Valve communicating with the chimney is now to be closed as the furnaces are
now ready to be operated for the production of illuminating gas and cyanogen and
compounds thereof.
The two furnaces being thus charged and made ready, the superheated steam is
permitted to pass, by pipe h, into the fire clay pipe or chamber H through the steam
petroleum injector 3, with the proper quantity of petroleum and atmospheric air to
insure combustion, through pipes k, i, to maintain the proper degree of heat in the oven
or middle compartment of the converting furnace 2. While the furnaces are being
thus operated, there should be introduced into the fire clay pipe or chamber H, through
the pipe f, which is situated in front of the steam injector, a proper admixture of
carbon and alkali which has previously been properly reduced to fine powder; which
admixture of carbon and alkali is by the force of the steam petroleum blast, sprayed
through the intensely heated gases in the oven or middle compartment of the converting
furnace 2, and being thus introduced into the heated furnace under the most favourable
conditions, the combination of the heated nitrogen with alkali and carbon is effected,
producing a cyanide and cyanate of the alkali used, which falls to the lower compartment
or into section D of the furnace.
The nitrogen being thus eliminated from the mixture of gases, the remaining gases
consist of hydrocarbon, free hydrogen and carbon oxides, which passing upward around
the sides of arch O, through the incandescent carbon, in the upper section or
compartment of the converting furnace, the carbonic acid is converted into carbonic
oxide by the absorption of carbon from the coal through which it passes.
As they
pass from this compartment of the converting furnace the gases intended for
illumination can, if deemed necessary, be enriched or carburetted by the admission of
petroleum, benzine, or other liquid hydrocarbon through pipe K, by means of which
any liquid hydrocarbon is introduced upon the top of the broken fire brick in retort G.
The liquid hydrocarbon is there vaporized, and, commingling with the heated gases as
they descend through intensely heated masses within the retort, become gassified and
fixed. This gaseous product will consist of hydrocarbon and carbonic oxide, of such
illuminating power as may have been desired, by the use of petroleum by pipe k, but
the gases will require further purification before combustion, for illumination, to
remove any trace of sulphur, ammonia, and carbonic acid.
Circumstances may arise where it will be desirable to manufacture illumination gas.
relatively free from carbon oxides. In every such case it will be found expedient not
to carburet the gas as recommended above, but to permit the mixed gases to pass
through the heated refractory filling in retort G, to the intersection of fire clay pipes,
at which point the gases should be subjected to a flow of highly snperheated steam
through pipe w, the superheated steam decomposing the carbonic oxide produced in

page_text: compartment, of the converting furnace and producing an equal volume of carbonic
acid and hydrogen. The gases, consisting principally of a mixture of free hydrogen,
hydrocarbon, and carbonic acid gases, should now pass to the condensers, and in the
scrubbers the carbonic acid gas can be very readily eliminated by ammoniacal gas
produced by the decomposition of the cyanogen or the compounds thereof, formed by
the combinations of the nitrogen with the carbon and alkali in the oven or compartiment
of the converting furnace. After the carbonic acid gas is eliminated, the property of
higher luminosity can be imparted to the gas by any of the modes now employed.
It must, however, be borne in mind, that in working my process, for the production
of illuminating gas, the atmospheric air used in the coking furnace is first highly
heated by its passage through the air heater 4. The advantages of using heated air
in the coking furnace are, that by its use, the volatile products of the coal are expelled
in less time and by the use of much less quantity, than are requisite where cold air is
used consequently much less carbon oxides are produced and nitrogen liberated, the
object being to expel the hydrocarbon from the coal in form of vapor, instead of
hydrocarbon gas, and to keep the combustion in the coking furnace as low as is
practicable for the accomplishment of the object in view. If the operation in the
coking furnace is conducted at a low degree of heat, the volatile portion of the coal
will pass over in the form of vapor of smoke, mixed with carbonic oxide, and when
this mixture of vapor and gas is subjected to the action of the steam petroleum
injector the heated carbonic oxide unites with the oxygen from the steam, forming
carbonic acid gas, and the hydrocarbon vapor is converted into hydrocarbon gas.
But should the process of coking be conducted at a high degree of heat, and with an
excess of cold atmospheric air, the gases in such case passing over from the furnace
would consist largely of nitrogen, carbonic acid, and hydrocarbons, which latter gas,
would be mostly burned by the action of the steam petroleum injector.
When the volatile portion of the coal is expelled, or when the operation of coking
is sufficiently complete, the hot air valve is to be closed, and superheated or wet
steam is then to be admitted beneath the hearth of the coking furnace, which steam,
coming in contact with the incandescent coke, is at first decomposed, forming carbon
oxides and hydrogen. This process is to be continued until the fire in the coke is
extinguished and the gases thus obtained utilized, as all others, in the converting
furnace; but should the coke not be required to charge compartment F, of the
converting furnace, then by the use of highly heated steam and a small portion of
heated atmospheric air, the production of gases can be continued in the coking furnace
until the coke is wholly consumed.
If in operating the steam injector 3, the object for its employment is not disregarded,
the desired result is a chemical certainty. The injector is used for the threefold
purpose of maintaining the required heat in the oven compartment of the
converting furnace, to introduce water vapor for the production of free hydrogen
gas, and to disseminate the finely pulverized carbon and alkali through the mixture
of heated gases, thereby forming cyanogen or some compound thereof. Therefore no
more heated atmospheric air (from the atmospheric air heater 4) should be admitted,
through pipe, than is necessary to maintain the requisite heat. The quantity of
superheated steam should be regulated with reference to the quality of gas it is
desired to produce, and the quantity of petroleum will be in all cases dependent
upon the kind and quantity of coals mixed with the alkali: If they contain a
large amount of hydrocarbon, but little, if any, petroleum will be required.
From the mechanical arrangements here shown and described, it must be apparent
to those conversant with the science of gas making, that the kind of gas produced
will much depend upon the manner of working the apparatus, for if the steam
petroleum injector is worked with an excess of atmospheric air, the hydrocarbons,
which would otherwise be a material product of the process, will be converted into
carbon oxides and free hydrogens, thus liberating much nitrogen, necessitating the
use of a large amount of mixed carbon and alkali to eliminate the nitrogen from
the excess of air so employed. Should the apparatus be worked for the production
of a gaseous mixture relatively rich in hydrocarbon and low in carbon oxides, it

page_text: will be found advisable to mix and pulverize the alkali with what is commonly
known as rich gas coals and to work the steam petroleum injector to a point
only sufficient to maintain the requisite heat in section E of the converting furnace 2.
This apparatus arranged to be worked as herein described can be made to operate
continuously for the productions of cyanogen and of compounds thereof, and of
compounds of gaseous mixture, the components thereof being greatly dependent
upon the manner of working the process.
The advantage of the preliminary coking operation, is, that, while available
combustible gases are thereby obtained, the coke for improving the gas as already
described is also obtained. I desire to have it understood however that my
process may be used, and is claimed by me, with or without said operation.
There are several other chemical operations to be performed subsequently to
the production of the combustible gas and the cyanogen by my process, such as
the elimination of the carbonic acid gas from the mixture of gases produced, the
production of ammoniacal gas or cyanides from the cyanogen or compounds thereof,
the utilization of said ammoniacal gas for the elimination of said carbonic acid with
the production of carbonate of ammonia and the further absorption of the ammonia
by water, and if necessary, the further purification of the gas by lime; but inasmuch
as the purpose for which the gas is produced governs the extent and mode of its
purification, and as any well known and suitable methods may be employed for these
purposes, it is not necessary to an understanding of my invention that such operations
should be here described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
(1.) The herein described process for producing combustible gas, as carbonic oxide
and hydrogen, and cyanogen or a compound thereof, consisting of the simultaneous
introduction of the following elements, to wit: steam, air, finely divided carbon, and
alkali, into a heated chamber, the forcible mixing of said elements, and the
simultaneous decomposition and combination of said elements to produce in said
chamber the gas and the cyanogen or compound thereof, substantially as set forth.
(2.) The herein described process for producing combustible gas, as carbonic oxide
and hydrogen, and cyanogen or a compound thereof, by the elimination of nitrogen
from the nitrogen-bearing material, consisting of the introduction of the nitrogen-
bearing material into a heated chamber, and forcibly disseminating into and through
the chamber pulverized carbon and an alkali, substantially as set forth.
(3.) The herein described process for producing combustible gas, as carbonic oxide
and hydrogen, and cyanogen or a compound thereof, by the elimination of nitrogen
from the nitrogen-bearing material, consisting of the introduction of the nitrogen-
bearing material into a heated chamber, and forcibly spraying into and through the
chamber pulverized carbon and an alkali, by a jet of steam, substantially as set forth.
(4.) The herein described process for producing combustible gas, as carbonic oxide
and hydrogen, and cyanogen or a compound thereof, consisting of the simultaneous
introduction of the following elements, to wit:-steam, air, finely divided carbon,
and alkali, into a heated chamber, the forcible mixing of said elements, the
simultaneous decomposition and recombination of said elements, to produce in said
chamber the gas and the cyanogen or compound thereof, and the passing of said gas
through incandescent carbon, substantially as set forth.
(5.) The herein described process for producing combustible gas, as carbonic oxide
and hydrogen, and cyanogen or a compound thereof, consisting of the simultaneous
introduction of the following elements, to wit:-steam, air, finely divided carbon, and
alkali, into a heated chamber, the forcible mixing of said elements, the simultaneous
decomposition and recombination of the elements to produce in said chamber the gas
and the cyanogen or compound thereof, and the passing of said gas through
incandescent carbon and through a carburetting retort, substantially as and for the
purposes described.
(6.) In an apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination with a furnace

page_text: chamber, of a spraying and mixing device, a second furnace compartment above and
communicating with the first, a carburetting retort within and heated by said second
furnace chamber and communicating at its upper end therewith, and a collecting
chamber for receiving solid material from the first chamber, substantially as set
forth.
(7.) In an apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination, with a furnace
chamber, of an injector, a second furnace compartment above and communicating
with the same, a partition for preventing the fall of ashes into the first chamber,
a carburetting retort within the second compartment communicating there with at the
upper end and adapted to be charged with refractory material and a hydrocarbon as
described, and a collecting chamber for receiving solid material from the first retort,
substantially as set forth.
(8.) In an apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination, with a furnace
chamber, of the coking furnace having the air and steam pipes, a pipe connecting the
coking furnace with the first chamber, an injector for forcing material into the furnace
chamber, and supply pipes for the injector, substantially as set forth.
(9.) In an apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination, with a furnace
chamber E, the compartment above the same adapted to receive incandescent carbon,
the central carburetting retort, situated in both of said compartments, opening into
the upper and adapted to contain refractory material, and the supply pipe K,
substantially as set forth.
n
11
JCT 1007