Improvements in the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application (in 19th Dec.,
United States of America),
.
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 18th July, 1895
1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 18th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896
Improvements in the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas.
I, THOMAS LEOPOLD WILLSON of Plaza Hotel, Fifth Avenue, Corner
59th Street, New York City, in the United States of America, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of illuminating gas and especially to
enriching or increasing its illuminating power by adding thereto in determined
quantities acetylene gas, under such conditions as that an economical and practical
illuminating gas of increased brilliancy will be produced.
In carrying out my invention I propose to add to an illuminating gas containing
hydrocarbon a determined percentage of acetylene, independently produced.
I have discovered that in order to accomplish a practical commercial result, it is
necessary that the acetylene be added to a gas, whether water gas or coal gas,
which contains an illuminant in the nature of a hydrocarbon, distinct from the body
of the gas itself. In other words, if acetylene is added to water gas consisting
generally of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, the added illuminant
after a short time decreases or practically disappears, whereas if the gas is
illuminating gas having a free hydrocarbon, the illuminating effect of the acetylene
continues and remains practically permanent.
I propose therefore, to add, in any suitable way, to a water gas, enriched say to
an illuminating power of fifteen candles, a determined percentage, say ten per cent.
of acetylene. The result of this will be to increase the illuminating power of the
water gas, to say thirty-five candle power. In the same way the addition to a low
illuminating power coal gas, say a nine candle power coal gas, of say ten per cent.
acetylene, will carry the illuminating power of such coal gas to approximately
twenty-five candle power, and the euriched gases so produced will be substantially
permanent in their illuminating power.
I am aware, of course, that in the production of coal gas at times a very small
percentage of acetylene has been produced under undetermined conditions, and I do
not claim such process.
1 1
CT
1002
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas.
I, THOMAS LEOPOLD WILLSON of Plaza Hotel, Fifth Avenue, Corner
59th Street, New York City in the United States of America, Electrical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly_described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of illuminating gas and especially to
enriching or increasing its illuminating power, by adding thereto in determined
quantities acetylene gas, under such conditions as that au economical and practical
illuminating gas of increased brilliancy will be produced.
My invention is applicable to gas obtained from the distillation of coal, oils &c.,
and commonly called coal gas; also the gas obtained by the decomposition of steam
by passing it through a bed of incandescent fuel; such gas being commonly called
water gas; and it is applicable also to natural gas. Wherever any such gas is of
low candle power, so that while serving in some degree as an illuminant is yet an
inefficient illuminating agent requiring the combustion of an undue volume of gas
to secure a given or normal degree of illumination, my invention is applicable.
In carrying out my invention I add to an illuminating gas containing hydrocarbon
a determined percentage of acetylene, independently produced.
I have discovered that in order to accomplish a practical commercial result, it is
necessary that the acetylene be added to a gas, whether water gas or coal gas,
which contains an illuminant in the nature of a hydrocarbon, distinct from the body
of the gas itself. In other words, if acetylene is added to water gas consisting
generally of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, the added illuminant
after a short time decreases or practically disappears, whereas if the gas is
illuminating gas having a free hydrocarbon, the illuminating effect of the acetylene
continues and remains practically permanent.
No precise or unvarying proportions can be laid down for the carrying out of my
invention, it being only essential that there shall be added to an illuminating gas
which is deficient in illuminating power, a sufficient proportion of acetylene gas to
increase its luminosity to the candle power required. I will give some examples of
the practical application of my invention.
Taking a coal gas of such quality that when burned in an ordinary three foot
burner it gives nine candle power, I enrich it by adding to ten volumes thereof one
volume of acetylene gas, and I thereby increase its illuminating power so that the
same burner instead of giving a nine candle power light affords an illumination of
twenty-five candle power.
Or I take a water gas which has been already enriched by any of the known
methods, as by the vaporization or fixation of the lighter hydrocarbons, and having
for example 18 candle power when burned in a standard five foot burner, and
I enrich this gas by adding ten per cent. by volume of acetylene gas, whereby
I increase its luminosity to forty candle power. To make my process available
with water gas it is practically necessary that the gas shall have already been
enriched to some extent by the addition of hydrocarbons; as it is found by adding
acetylene to simple water gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) much of the
illuminating effect of the acetylene is lost.
If the gas to be enriched is, to start with, of lower illuminating power than in the
examples given, I add a greater proportion of acetylene in order to raise it to the
same degree of luminosity. Or if so high an illuminating power is not required,
I add a proportionately less proportion of acetylene. Or I otherwise, vary the
proportion of acetylene according to the initial degree of luminosity of the gas to
be treated, and the degree of luminosity to which it is desired to increase it.

page_text: The admixture of the acetylene gas can be effected in various ways, either by
introducing it into the gas holder or other vessel containing gas to be enriched, or by
feeding the acetylene gas into the maius there to commingle with the combustible
gas to be enriched, or by introducing the acetylene at the meter or otherwise in
proximity to the points of consumption of the gas.
My invention provides a very cheap and economical means for increasing the
illuminating power of combustible gases.
I am aware, of course, that in the production of coal gas at times a very small
percentage of acetylene has been produced under undetermined conditions, and I do
not claim such process.
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 process of increasing the illuminating power of a combustible gas having
therein illuminating hydrocarbons, which consists in adding thereto acetylene gas
independently produced, substantially as described.
2. An improved illuminating gas, consisting of the mixture of a combustible gas
of low illuminating power, and acetylene in proportions, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of April 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.