Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1887
Complete Left, 9th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 10th Feb., 1888
I, ARTHUR GEORGE MEEZE, of Redhill in the County of Surrey, Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The principal objects of my present invention are to improve the method of treating
the products resulting from the destructive distillation of Coal in the ordinary process
of making Coal Gas, and to construct an arrangement of apparatus whereby such
improvements may be carried into practical effect with the least possible departure from
Standard models of construction adopted by existing Gas Works, and approved by
the common practice of Gas Engineers.
According to the first part of my invention I manufacture a Hydro-Carbon floid
from Coal, shale or similar material by destructive distillation in retorts substantially
as in the ordinary method of making Gas for lighting and heating purposes. Instead,
however, of allowing the products consisting at first of much tar and condensible
vapour as well as fixed gas-to pass off directly by the ascension pipe I, according to
the second part of my invention, cause them to pass, together with superheated steam,
through a suitable fixing chamber filled with special deflecting devices, whereby I
effect the efficient gaseous thermolysis or dissociation of the heavier condensable
portions of the first destructive distillate. At a later stage when the destructive
distillate is less rich in heavy hydro-carbons I inject with the superheated steam a
spray of petroleum, shale oil, or other suitable liquid hydro-carbon whereby the
product is enriched so that the destructive process may be carried with economy
considerably further than heretofore.
In this construction of apparatus for carrying my invention above described into
practical effect I may make use of an ordinary double-mouthed or through retort of
round, oval, D-shaped, or other section. One half of this retort may be fitted with
ingression pipe, superheater, steam and oil-injector and a complement of deflectors
so as to constitute around the ingression pipe, a fixing and enriching chamber similar
to that described in my specification No. 12,340%. The other half may be used for
charging with gas coal in the ordinary way and the ascension pipe at this end closed
so as to compel the products of distillation to pass through the deflecting devices and
to undergo thermolysis in contact with the superheated steam. The practical exercise

page_text: of my invention may, however, be otherwise effected. Thus I may use pairs of
through retorts, one for preliminary distillation and the other for final thermolysis in
contact with steam; or pairs of retorts closed at one end and contrived so that the
first opens into the second by means of an ingression pipe. Also I may use a com-
bination of end-sealed and through retorts with a section thereof fitted with deflectors
and utilized in accordance with my invention. By this means my invention is
practically and easily adapted to existing methods of gas manufacture with important
economic results. For not only are the Tar and condensable vapours that are given
off in the earlier part of the distillation process dissociated and in great part con-
verted into fixed illuminating gases in contact with water vapour or superheated
steam in their subsequent passage through the sections of the retorts fitted with my
deflecting and other devices but, at a later stage, when the destructive process is
yielding a poor and comparatively non-illuminating Gas and I allow the steam to
inject a jet of suitable hydro-carbon, I thereby efficiently enrich this part of the
product. In this way I effect an important double economy.
Dated this Thirteenth day of June 1887.

page_text: 1 ARTHUR GEORGE MEEZE of Redhill in the County of Surrey, Consulting 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:-
The object of my present invention is to improve the method of treating the products
resulting from the destructive distillation of coal and other solid hydrocarbons in the
ordinary process of making coal gas, with the least possible departure from standard
models of apparatus adopted by existing gas works and approved by the common
practice of gas engineers.
According to my invention. I manufacture a hydrocarbon fluid from coal, shale, or
similar material, by destructive distillation in retorts, substantially as in the ordinary
method of making gas for lighting and heating purposes. Instead, however, of
allowing the products, consisting at first of much tar and condensable vapour, as
well as fixed gas, to pass off directly by the ascension pipe, I cause them to pass
together with superheated steam through a suitable fixing chamber filled with special
deflecting devices, whereby I effect the efficient dissociation of the heavier condensable
portion of the first destructive distillate, and the conversion of the same into a fixed
illuminating gas, by its combination with the hydrogen derived from the superheated
steam. I also, at a later stage, when the destructive distillate is less rich in heavy
hydro carbons, inject with the superheated steam a spray of petroleum, shale oil, or
other suitable liquid hydrocarbon, which by means of the fixing chamber fitted with
the special deflecting devices will be converted into a rich and permanent illuminating
gas. Thus, by the use of my invention, I effect an important economy, both at the
beginning and at the end of the usual process of destructive distillation, obtaining a
larger yield of illuminating gas than has heretofore been secured by the distillation of
an equal quantity of solid hydrocarbon.
::
A convenient construction of apparatus for carrying my invention into effect
consists in an ordinary double mouthed or through retort, of round, oval, D shaped,
or other section. One half of this retort, 1 fit, as will be presently described, with
"ingression pipe, superheater, steam and oil injector, and a complement of deflectors,
which constitute a series of auxiliary heating surfaces, against which the gaseous products
directly impinge, and by which they are repeatedly broken up and intermixed. The
other half of the retort I use for charging with gas coal in the ordinary way, the
products of distillation from which coal, are compelled to pass through the fixing
chamber surrounding the ingression pipe in the former half, and there, in the first
stage of the operation, when rich in condensable hydrocarbons, to undergo thermolysis
in contact with the superheated steam, and at the later stage, when the distillate is
impoverished, to be enriched by the oil gas.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown, in longitudinal section, a
through

page_text: or double mouthed retort, by means of which my invention can be carried into practical
effect.
A is the retort, provided with a dividing bridge a. In one end of the retort is
placed gas coal for distillation, and in the other end is placed an ingression pipe or
internal retort B, projecting from the cover G of the retort A. The cover end of
this ingression pipe is surrounded by a steam superheater C, which is also attached
to the retort cover. The ingression pipe B is open at both ends, and is supported in
place by deflectors D. These deflectors consist each of a flat ring filling the retort
and carrying concentric therewith a circular disc of a diameter equal to the inner
diameter of the ring. The pipe B is provided internally with deflectors d of similar
character to D, and its outer end is closed by an injector E, made fast to the retort
cover. This injector which may be of any suitable construction, serves to inject steam,
or steam and oil, into the retort. e is a pipe for the admission of petroleum or
similar oil to the injector E, and F is the ascension pipe. The steam boiler and oil
tank are not shown in the drawing.
The coal having been placed in the retort and the lid G¹ secured in place, the
distillation begins, and superheated steam is admitted from the injector E through
the ingression pipe B. The destructive distillate in contact with this steam then
passes off through the deflectors or auxiliary heating surfaces D, by means of which
both become thoroughly thermolysed and converted into fixed gas. At a later stage
of the distillation, or when the destructive distillate is less rich in heavy hydrocarbons,
I inject petroleum with or by means of superheated steam through the ingression
pipe B and deflectors d, so as to mix with and enrich the impoverished distillate.
These vapours becoming thermolysed in passing the deflectors D to the ascension
pipe, are rapidly brought to a proper state for chemically combining. By this means
I make a more uniform fixed illuminating gas than has been hitherto possible, and at
the same time effect an important double economy, in great measure preventing the
formation and deposit of coal tar, with its consequent inconveniences, and increasing
the yield of gas from the hydrocarbon employed.
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
Manufacturing illuminating gas from coal, shale, or similar material, by passing the
richer first products of distillation in contact with superheated steam through a
thermolysing chamber, fitted with deflectors which constitute a series of heating
surfaces and at a later stage of the process of distillation, enriching the poorer
distillate with an injection of fluid hydrocarbon, and passing it through the thermolysing
chamber substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.