Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas from Mineral and other Oils, Tars, and like Bodies, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Nov., 1894-Accepted, 9th Feb., 1'95
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas from Mineral and other
Oils, Tars, and like Bodies, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, JOHN LAING of 3 Mentone Terrace, Newington, Edinburgh, Scotland,
Analytical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention relates to the decomposing of mineral & other oils tars & like
bodies into gas suitable for illuminating & other purposes. In conjunction with
my oil gas apparatus described in my Patent No. 35 A.D. 1893 I interpose a tank
vessel between the return pipe from the condenser & the superheater for the
purpose of trapping any excess of condensible vapours which from some cause
should pass over from the condenser into the superheater & thus have a tendency
to cool it too much. From the bottom of this tank I connect a pipe with the still
in such a manner that any oil which may gather or come into this tank will be
returned to the still. This pipe may have a syphon bend on it which when full of
oil will act as a seal against the vapours from the still coming direct into it instead
of first passing through the condenser. The inlet to said tank being at the top of
it and the outlet leading into still being at or near the bottom. At or near the top
of said tank I make a connection with the superheater. Some oils have a tendency
to froth or boil over but by this arrangement any oil which should at any time get
over from the condenser will fall into this tank and be returned to the still & thus
vapours only will pass to the superheater. Any suitable kind or form of super-
heater may be employed. The oil vapours may be passed into coal retorts in use
& there be decomposed & thus permit of the oil gas being at once mixed with the
coal gas and so conveyed to the holders in the usual way; or the oil vapours may
be passed through a separate superheater or superheaters for themselves & there
be converted into permanent gas; or these two methods may be used conjointly.
The length or area & temperature of said superheater or superheaters being regu-
lated by the amount of gas desired to be made & the speed at which it is to
be made.
This oil gas apparatus may be employed in conjunction with a coal gas plant &
the surplus heat from the coal retorts may be employed to decompose or assist
in decomposing the oil or other material used into gas or it may be fitted up
independently of a coal gas plant.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1894.
JOHN LAING,
Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Gas from Mineral and other
Oils, Tars, and like Bodies, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, JOHN LAING of 3 Mentone Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland, Analytical
Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this invertion and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-'
The invention relates to the decomposing of mineral and other oils, tars, and like

page_text: i
bodies into gas suitable for illuminating and other purposes. In conjunction with
my oil gas apparatus described in my Patent No. 35 A.D. 1893, I interpose a tank
vessel between the return pipe from the condenser and the superheater, for the
purpose of 'trapping any excess of condensable vapours which, from some cause,
should pass over from the condenser into the superheater and thus have a tendency
to cool it too much. The inlet to this tank is on the top of it. A little lower
down a pipe is connected to another opening which leads to the superheater. A
little below this again is another opening having a pipe connecting the tank with
the still direct. This pipe acts as an overflow when the tank is being charged. It
may be fitted with a sealed syphon pipe or it may be fitted with a cock or valve
which is kept open during charging of tank, and shut during gas making. This
allows any excess of oil charged into this tank to pass direct to the still instead of
flowing over into the superheater. As the still is fed from this tank, a pipe
connection, with a cock or valve on it, is made near the bottom connecting this
tank with the still. This pipe may have a syphon, bend on it which when full of
oil will act as a seal against the vapours from the still. A' cock is fitted on to the
very bottom of the tank by which any water which should gather there can be
readily drawn off and thus prevented entering the still. The still can be fed
continuously or intermittently as found most suitable. After the gases have left
the superheater they then pass through a length or lengths of pipe placed at a
higher level and having a fall to the superheater so that any vapours which may
here condense out will be returned to the superheater direct, and there be again
decomposed. The length or area and temperature of said superheater or super-
heaters being regulated by the amount of gas desired to be made and the speed at
which it is to be made. A dull red heat or say about one thousand degrees
Fahrenheit is a good oil gas making temperature. The resulting gas, on its way
to the holders, is passed through a cooler having a chest or vessel to catch any oil
which may condense out, and this is conveyed through an overflow pipe into a tank
or vessel, which may be the stock tank for the oil or other material employed for
making into gas. By this means only permanent gas passes to the holders, and all
condensable products are trapped, and again returned to the still: Any suitable
kind or form of superheater may be 'employed. The oil vapours may be passed
into coal retorts in use and there be decomposed, and thus permit of the oil gas
made being at once mixed with the coal gas and so conveyed to the holders in the
usual way, or the vapours may be passed through a separate superheater for them-
selves, as herein before described; or these two methods may be used conjointly.
The seal employed for the gas may be water, oil, tar or any other suitable substance.
Where an atinospheric condenser is employed and is exposed to the weather, a
sudden shower of rain by cooling it quickly, would produce an increased vacuum
effect on the apparatus. To provide against this I make a pipe connection between
the top of the seal vessel and the gas inlet pipe above its seal, so that the gas from
the holders can have free access to the apparatus. Should such a vacuum be
produced at any time, the gas from the holder would rush in and take its place.
This pipe has a cock on it so that all direct communication from the holder can be
shut off, at any time, if desired. With this arrangement oil gas can be made in
the presence of coal gas or any other gas or combination of gases, and with some
oils this is an advantage.
This oil gas apparatus may be employed in conjunction with a coal gas plant,.
and the surplus heat from the coal retorts may be employed to decompose or assist
in decomposing the oil or other material used for gas making, or it may be fitted
up independently of a coal gas plant.
In order that my invention may be well understood, I here 'append a drawing on
one sheet showing a typical arragement of the 'apparatus hereinbefore described.
A general arrangement of the apparatus cannot be shown in a drawing as every
gas works has its own peculiar features to be taken into account in fitting up a
new plant as is here described.

page_text: A Connection for a continuous feed arrangement.
Y Cleaning doors.
Z Water run off cocks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) The improved combination of apparatus for the manufacture of oil gas
substantially as, and for the purposes of, as herein before described.
(2.) The combination having a tank vessel, interposed between the condenser
and still, with its various connections substantially as, and for the purposes of, as
herein before described.
oil
(3.) The combination of a seal tank for the gas, with an arrangement for allowing
gas to be made in the presence of coal or other gases substantially as, and for
the purposes of, as hereinbefore described.
(4.) The combination of a superheater having a pipe arrangement at a higher
level with a fall to the superheater substantially as, and for the purposes of, as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this 21st day of November 1894.
JOHN LAING,
Applicant.