AN IMPROVED MODE OF DECARBONIZING RETORTS
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on '
the 26th September 1865.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF DECARBONIZING
RETORTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of a current of air, either mixed
with steam or without the same, for the purpose of decarbonizing retorts,
particularly clay retorts, such as generally used for manufacturing illumi-
nating gas, and for other purposes. Such retorts are liable to absorb a
quantity of carbon, and a large quantity of carbon or soot adheres to their
inner surface, particularly towards the back. If this soot or carbon is not '
removed the retort becomes useless after a short time.
The device or apparatus used by preference for the purpose of decarbonizing
retorts is a simple steam blower. It consists of an air pipe with a funnel-
Price 8d.1

page_text: shaped mouth-piece and a steam pipe, which extends transversely through the
funnel-shaped mouth-piece and extends by means of a nozzle in the direction
of the axis of the air pipe. The air pipe passes through a suitable hole in
the head of the retort, or a supplementary head may be provided, which can
be attached to the mouth of the retort in place of the regular. head. When
steam is injected through the steam pipe and nozzle a draught will be created
in the air pipe and a mixture of steam and air rushes into the retort. In
its passage through the air pipe this mixture is highly heated, and when it
comes in contact with the carbon or soot adhering to the inner surface of the
retort it decomposes the same, so that it passes off in the form of gas, and the
retort is thereby cleaned and rendered as good as new.
In some cases compressed air may be used in place of the steam.
It is not intended to claim the apparatus above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said Alfred Vincent 1
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
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 "Ax IMPROVED MODE
OF DECARBONIZING RETORTS," being a communication from abroad, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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

page_text: Letters Patent.
嘁
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to the employment of a current of air mixed with
steam for the purpose of decarbonizing retorts, particularly clay retorts,
such as are generally used for manufacturing illuminating gas, and for other
purposes. These retorts are liable to absorb a quantity of carbon, and a large
quantity of carbon or soot adheres to their inner surface. particularly towards
the back. If this soot or carbon is not removed the retort becomes useless
after a short time.
The mode of effecting the object of the Invention is illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, in which. Fig. 1 represents a transverse vertical
section of a retort fitted according to this Invention, and taken in the plane
indicated by the line 2, 2, Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section
of the same, the line . . Fig. 3, indicating the plane of section; and Fig. 3
is a plan or top view of the same. Similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts.
The device or apparatus used by preference for the purpose of decarbonizing
retorts is a simple steam blower. It consists of an air pipe A, with a funnel-
shaped mouth-piece a, and a steam pipe B, which extends transversely through
the funnel-shaped mouth-piece, and from which a nozzle b extends in the
The air
direction of the axis of the air pipe, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.
pipe A passes through a suitable hole in the head of the retort, or a supple-
mentary head may be provided, which can be attached to the mouth of the
retort in place of the regular head. When steam is injected through the
pipe B the current issuing from the nozzle b causes a draught in the air
pipe, and a mixture of steam and air rushes into the retort. In its passage
through the pipe A this mixture is highly heated, and when it comes in
contact with the carbon or soot adhering to the inner surface of the retort it
decomposes the same, so that it passes off in the form of gas, and the retort
is thereby cleaned and rendered as good as new. The air pipe A, in its
course through the retort, can be supported simply by placing bricks under
the same at suitable intervals, and it is intended to be made in sections, so
that it can be lengthened or shortened according to the spot where the
mixture of steam and air is to take action.

page_text: It must be remarked, however, that other apparatuses might be em
for the purpose of mixing air and steam.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved
of Decarbonizing Retorts," as communicated to me from abroad, and expi
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood t
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the injection of
mixture of steam and air produced by means substantially such as her
described into a retort for the purpose of decarbonization, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereu
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year-
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness.
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)