Improvements in Preventing the Freezing of Gas in Gas Mains, and Apparatus therefor, and for Carburetting Gas.
Year: 1896

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 18 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as allowed
by the decision of the Comptroller General of the 26th day of January 1897.
Date of Application, 13th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 23rd May, 1596
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Preventing the Freezing of Gas in Gas Mains, and
Apparatus therefor, and for Carburetting Gas.
We, THE WHESSOE FOUNDRY COMPANY LIMITED, of Darlington, in the
County of Durham, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion (a communication to us by The Berlin-Anhaltische Maschinenbau-Aktien-
gesellschaft, of Martinikenfeld, near Berlin, in the German Empire) to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to the prevention of the freezing of gas in gas mains,
and to apparatus therefor, such apparatus being also applicable for carburetting
gas in order to increase its illuminating power.
To prevent gas from freezing we conduct spirit vapour into the gas mains, the
effect of which is to reduce the freezing point of the gas so low that, even
in the coldest winter, the freezing of the gas and consequent stoppage of the pipes
will be prevented.
For this purpose we provide a spirit container connected with a tank into
which the spirit is pumped, the filling of the said tank being hydraulically
controlled.
To prevent the existence of too much pressure in the tank during the filling,
it is connected with the outgoing gas pipe so that a loss of spirit by evaporation is
avoided.
The tank is connected with a regulator by which the supply of spirit can be
exactly regulated, a gauge being employed to shew how much spirit has passed the
regulator in a given time. Any change can then easily be made in the capacity of
the regulator.
From the regulator the spirit passes to a vaporizer in which the evaporation
of the spirit takes place, either by means of steam or of direct gas heat, and
thence passes as spirit vapour into the gas main where it mixes with the gas.
When steam is used a condensing vessel is employed in conjunction with the
vaporizer, but in the case of direct heating this is omitted.
The tank can be filled with the spirit in the container, which may be a cask, by
introducing water under pressure into the bottom of the cask and so driving the
spirit into the tank, a gauge being provided whereby the relative quantity of water
and spirit in the cask can be ascertained.
The tank which serves to receive and measure out the required quantity of
spirit is made of a size proportionate to that of the apparatus. It also fulfils the
purpose of maintaining a regular flow of spirit to the vaporizer so that when it is
once regulated it will always maintain the same pressure.

page_text: a is a pipe connecting the container A (which in the drawing is shewn as a
cask) with the receiver B, and 6 is a pipe extending to near the bottom of the
container and connecting the container A with a suitable source of water under
pressure, such pipe being fitted with a cock c. In the pipe a also is a cock d as
well as a transparent gauge e.
When the said two cocks are opened the water
pressure will force the spirit or benzol out of the container A into the receiver B
until the spirit or benzol is exhausted from the container, and the gauge will
indicate when this is the case by the water rising into the same.
If the receiver is to be filled from a large permanent supply vessel then we
arrange for the liquid to be pumped into the said receiver instead of being forced
therein by water under pressure.
The receiver B is made of a size proportionate to that of the apparatus so that
a constant flow of spirit to the vaporizer D can always be maintained.
the
In order that the pressure of the spirit flowing to the vaporizer shall remain
practically constant notwithstanding variations in the height of the spirit in the
receiver B, the said receiver is completely closed and is provided with a double
bottom to form upper and lower chambers g and h respectively. The lower
chamber is connected by a pipe i, provided with a cock ', with a gas supply, also
the upper and lower chambers of the tank are connected by pipes and
former of which is connected to the chamber g at the top and to the chamber h at
the liquid level, whilst the latter which is fitted with a cock serves to allow
liquid to flow from the chamber g to the chamber h. m is an utlet pipe (provided
with a cock n) from the bottom of the chamber h. When the cocks n aud are
opened, the spirit or benzol flows from the lower chamber of the receiver B
under the pressure of the gas entering through the pipe i, until the level of the
liquid falls sufficiently to uncover the aperture of the pipej when the gas will pass
through the chamber h into the upper chamber g of the tank and allow the liquid
therein to flow through the pipe k from the upper to the lower chamber of the
tank until the liquid rises to such a level that it again closes the pipe j leading to
the upper part of the receiver.
o is a gauge on the receiver B which indicates the quantity of liquid in gallons
contained in the tank and also, when the apparatus is used for carburetting gas,
the quantity in pounds of benzol of the specific gravity of 0.75-0-78, so that the
exact quantity of liquid contained in the receiver can be clearly seen at any
time.
By the use of gas for supplying the place of the liquid withdrawn from the
tank B, safety from fire is ensured, for, as the spirit or benzol throughout its whole
course is enclosed and never comes in contact with the air, no explosive mixture
can by any possibility be generated. Also any loss of spirit by evaporation is
avoided.
The regulator C consists, as shewn clearly in Figure 5, of a valve-casing p fitted
to the pipe m and provided with a conical regulating plug or pin q. The rear part
of the pin q is provided with a screw-thread r working through a nut or tubular
shanks rigidly fixed to the valve casing p, the end of the screw r being fastened to
a sliding cylinder t (or the like) capable of moving outside the tubular shank.
The ping is screwed more or less inwards (according to the amount of spirit or
benzol required) whereby the area of the passage through which the spirit flows is
varied, the cylinder t moving backwards or forwards, according to the direction in
which the screw is turned, over the tubular shank s which is suitably graduated.
The outflow of the spirit or benzol can thus be regulated with the greatest
nicety.
From the regulator C the spirit or benzol passes through a pipe u, Figure 1,
(having a sight glass u¹) to the vaporizer which consists of a rectangular case r
preferably of cast iron fitted with inclined Hoors or partitions w which may be
ribbed as in Figures 6 and 7, or undulating as in Figures 9 and 10, the ribs or
undulations being arranged as shewn in Figure 8 so as to cause the spirit or benzol
which enters at and flows over the partitions to take a circuitous course through

page_text: the vaporizer, that is to say, the spirit or benzol in passing from end to end of the-
vaporizer flows from side to side in zig-zag fashion.
In practice the partitions may be covered with cloth or the like which will.
become saturated by the spirit.
Beneath the partitions are chambers 2 through which steam or hot water is-
caused to pass for heating the partitions and causing the evaporation of the spirit.
or benzol, the undersides of the chambers being formed with ribs a' which afford
a large heating surface to the vaporizer. a, Figure 1, is a cock for ascertaining-
if any free spirit passes through the vaporizer and for drawing off any such spirit.
The vaporizer, as shewn, is provided with a gas inlet b' at the bottom and a gas
outlet cat the top so that the gas flows through the vaporizer in an opposite-
direction to the liquid being vaporized, whereby a complete admixture of the
vapour with the gas is ensured. The steam or hot water follows the same course
as the benzol so that the cold beuzol is met as it enters at by the hottest or fresh.
steam or water.
When treating gas for preventing freezing, it is not necessary to pass the gas
through the vaporizer as the expansion due to the vaporization of the spirit will
cause the spirit to enter the main provided one or other of the openings b, c is.
connected therewith, and in this case the other opening can be closed or dispensed
with.
Our apparatus when used for carburetting can be connected with a gas main in.
what may be termed a by-pass so that more or less of the gas (the quantity being
regulated by means of a valve, not shewn in the drawing) shall be diverted to
absorb the benzol in the vaporizer, care being taken to ensure that no excess of
benzol is entering the vaporizer by testing with the cock a². As the pressure-
or quality of gas varies the valve must be correspondingly adjusted.
Instead of the said valve, we can employ an automatic valve such as that shewn
at Figure 11 which will compel a certain quantity of gas always to flow through
the carburetting apparatus in a regular stream, this valve consisting of a casing d
in which is hinged an adjustably weighted flap el the extent of movement of which.
is limited by fixed and adjustable stops f¹ and g¹ respectively. is the aperture
through which the gas to be enriched passes to the vaporizer, and ¹ the aperture
through which the gas returns to the main after having been enriched in the
vaporizer. The flap e' will open to a greater or less extent as the pressure of gas
varies so that only the required quantity shall pass to the vaporizer.
By using this valve the trouble of regulating the first mentioned valve is.
avoided.
We also provide a suitable arrangement of valves by which the pressure valve.
(if the gas is not to be carburetted) can be put out of action so that the gas can
resume its usual course.
In place of the chambers z beneath the inclined partitions of the evaporator we
can employ steam or hot water pipes, gas burners or other suitable means for
heating the said partitions.
Instead of providing the evaporator with separate undulating partitions as
bereinbefore described, the upper surface of the heating apparatus can be arranged
so as to bring about the zig-zag course of the descending spirit or benzol.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for preventing the freezing of gas in gas mains comprising a
receiver divided into two chambers and having a gas supply pipe connected
spirit
hereto, a regulator for controlling the passage of the spirit from the receiver,
nd a vaporizer connected with the said regulator and with the gas main and
erving to effect the vaporization of the spirit, substantially as bereinbefore
lescribed.
2. The apparatus for carburetting gas comprising a receiving vessel for the

page_text: carburetting liquid, connected with a gas supply pipe, a regulator for controlling
the passage of the liquid from the receiver and a vaporizer connected with the said
regulator and with the gas main and serving to effect the vaporization of the liquid
and its admixture with the gas to be enriched, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In apparatus for preventing the freezing of gas in gas mains .and for
carburetting gas, a vessel for receiving the spirit or carburetting liquid and
regulating its outflow constructed with two chambers connected by the pipes j
and h, the lower chamber being also in communication with a gas supply pipe and
with a vaporizer, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1
to 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 19th day of March 1896
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.