IMPROVEMENTS IN CARBONIZING OR DISTILLING WOOD, PEAT, OILCAKE, COAL, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR LIGHTING, IN CARBURETTING OR INCREASING THE ILLUMINATING EFFECT OF AND IN COMPRESSING GAS, ALSO IN THE APPARATUSES EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSES
Year: 1857

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Georges Danré, Pierre. Fortuné
Victor Mouillard, and Pierre Adrien Mercier at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 6th March 1857.
We, GEORGES DANRE, Engineer, and PIERRE FORTUNE VICTOR MOUIllard,
Gentleman, and PIERRE ADRIEN MERCIER, Gentleman, of Paris, in the French
Empire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CARBONIZING OR DISTILLING WOOD, PEAT, OILCAKE, COAL, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAS FOR LIGHTING, IN CARBURETTING OR INCREASING THE
ILLUMINATING EFFECT OF AND IN COMPRESSING GAS, ALSO IN THE APPARATUSES
EMPLOYED FOR SUCH PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in an improved process and apparatus for car-
bonizing and distilling coal, peat, oilcake, wood, residua of grapes and olives,
and other substances, from which lighting gas can be produced by heat, for the
production of gas for lighting, in which the charcoal and other residua of the
carbonization and distillation acquire the same value as if obtained by special
treatment.
Second, in an improved process and apparatus for carburetting or enriching
non-carburetted or slightly carburetted hydrogenous gas..
Third, in an improved method of and apparatus for compressing gas for
lighting purposes.
The apparatuses referred to may be heated by gas, radiated and applied in
the manner described in a Provisional Specification lodged by us at the Office
of Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd March instant.
Price

page_text: Carbonization and Distillation. Our method of and apparatus for car-
bonizing and distilling peat and other substances for the production of
gas is characterized by the means adopted for separating the liquid products
given off in the course of the operation from the solid remains, in such
manner as to prevent their returning into contact during the process. The
retort employed is conical, and made of fire brick or metal. The mouth or
entrance of the retort is in such a position that its centre may be above that
of the retort, while the top of the retort and that of the mouth are on a level.
The outflow pipe is at the lower part of the retort, flush with the bottom,
to facilitate the outflow of the liquids together with the gaseous products
of distillation. The retort is provided with an inner cap for concentrating the
heat in the interior and for keeping it from the mouth, and an outer cap
fastened by a tightening screw for closing the retort. A cylindrical vessel
closed at one end, having a moveable cap at the other, and formed with per-
forations at bottom, is made to slide in and out of the retort through the
mouth. This vessel is intended to contain the substances to be carbonized or
distilled when in the retort; this vessel rests in a horizontal position on sup-
ports placed therein, and, when out, is brought on to a travelling bed or
carriage sliding on rails. When the cylinder is to be removed from the retort
the caps are withdrawn, and an extinguisher brought up against the opening
to receive the cylinder, and then drawn away from the retorts, the two ends
are closed by covers, and the extinguisher pushed on to the travelling bed after
having returned the cylinder containing the matters to be carbonized into the
retort. After filling the cylindrical vessel with coal, peat, or other matter to
be carbonized or distilled, it is closed, placed on the travelling bed, and pushed
on to its supports inside the retort(which must be first raised to a dull cherryred
heat), and the inner and outer caps of which are then fitted in place, the latter
being luted and screwed down. The retort should be kept at a dull cherry red
heat during the operation; while the outer cap is being fastened down, taps
should be opened, to prevent the pressure of gas interfering with the luting
taking a firm hold, and also that air may escape with the first batch of gases
given off, the taps being afterwards closed, when pure gas begins to be dis-
engaged. As the distillation goes on, the essential or vaporizable portions are
driven out and run off in a state of gas, vapour, or liquid, through the perfo-
rations in the bottom of the cylindrical vessel, and out of the retort through
the outflow pipe and other pipes into chambers suitably placed to receive them.
so that the solid substances under carbonization do not remain immersed in
them, which is a very important feature, for if the liquid matters are left in
the retort till all evaporated, the residuary products are injuriously affected.

page_text: The gas passes away through the outflow with the vaporized and liquid pro-
ducts which are deposited in the chamber, while the gas flows off through a
pipe into the cylindrical gas receiver in a pure and dry state, but ready for
further refrigeration and purification. From the chambers (which, as well as
the up-and-down pipes) may be kept cool by outer casings holding cold water,
the liquid deposits may be discharged into a suitable receptacle or receptacles,
or by an arrangement of caps and cocks at different heights these deposits
may be classed according to their densityin separate vessels, and they should be
left in large receivers, in order that when they settle under a gentle tempe-
rature, the acids and oils may be separated.
a
Carburetting. Our method of carburetting gas is for the purpose of
enriching it as fast as it is produced by the distilling apparatus just described.
The apparatus employed contains a certain number of carburetting retorts,
drying retort heated by the waste heat, and a boiler or the vessel containing
the oils or carburetting fluids, heated by the waste heat of the retorts.
Purified oils or carburetting liquids, free from sulphurous and ammoniacal
admixture, are introduced into a reservoir. (being always under the same degree
of pressure from the action of the carburetted gas), and are brought thence
into the boiler through a tube, part of which is made of glass, in order
that the flow may be inspected, which a tap is provided to regulate.
The
gas to be carburetted is admitted in a purified and dry state through a
tap, graduated to correspond with the number of carburetting retorts, and is
heated and dried by being made to pass through the drying retort, which is
filled with fragments of old iron; thence it passes into the oils in the boiler,
which are heated to near evaporation, thereby facilitating their absorption by
the hot gas, which is made to pass through wire cloth, and is thereby divided
into a number of streams, and being thus completely saturated with oil and
oleaginous vapours, passes through valves into the carburetting retorts, which
are heated to a dull cherry red heat, in which the proto-carbonized hydrogen
gas and quadru-carburetted hydrogen gas are combined. Thence the gas
passes through pipes into chambers, where it deposits a portion of the oil not
converted into gas, and which oil may be used over again; the gas then passes
into a receiver.
Compression. Our process for compressing extra rich and pure gas
for lighting purposes produced in the two preceding operations by the
tarry oils not utilized has for object the compression of gas by produc-
tion and pressure, even when the tarry oils are in a solid state, and
proceed from any other substance except wood. The oil reservoir is a
cylindrical vessel, into which the oil is admitted through a removeable

page_text: tube slidden in an aperture, afterwards closed by a screw plug.
A tube
is inserted into the top of the oil reservoir to maintain a pressure on
the top equal to that on the bottom of the oil. The oil reservoir is
connected by a tube (part of which is of glass), with a vertical retort filled.
with iron raspings and old iron, so arranged as to leave a number of spaces.
Tubes connect this retort with two or more inclined retorts.
We prefer
making our apparatus of wrought iron in the parts exposed to the immediate
action of the flame, and the joints of rings of soft brass held between two
smooth flanges, while the parts not so immediately exposed to the heat may be
of brass or sheet iron, and the joints of zinc or lead which act as safety valves,
for if, inadvertently, the pressure, and hence the heat, were allowed to reach a
point beyond that for which the apparatus is calculated, these joints would
melt and allow gas to escape; moreover, the inflow of oil being gradual, the
gas would not be produced and compressed suddenly, but gradually, and in very
limited volumes, so that explosions would be avoided.
An important feature of this part of our Invention consists in the method
adopted to avoid the formation of oily deposits, which form absorbents and
impede the action of the apparatus. For this purpose, we first decompose or
vaporize the oil and conduct it in a state of vapor into the vertical retort, and
thence into the inclined retorts, where the vapors expand, and coming in con-
tact with the hot sides become converted into gas.
When the apparatus is used for compressing gas in order to supply it at a
certain pressure into portable cylinders to be carried from place to place on
trucks or carriages, a pipe connects these cylinders with the apparatus,
and a temporary receptacle is provided to receive the gas after one truckful
of cylinders is filled before the next is brought up to receive its supply.
There should also be a gasometer to receive the gas when it is desired
to empty the apparatus. The operation is as follows:-The cylindrical
receiver is filled with oil and stoppered, the retort caps closed, commu-
nication shunt off with the provisional receptacle and gasometer, and opened
with the portable cylinders. The retorts having been raised to a proper
heat, a stream of oil is introduced through the regulating tap and pipe
into the vertical retort, where it is vaporized, and becomes distributed over the
heated surfaces, and under the increasing pressure these oily vapors are
impelled into the inclined retorts, in which a star-shaped disc or otherwise
shaped distributor is placed, presenting a number of disturbing surfaces in
such manner as to disperse the vapours against the sides of the retorts.
From the retorts the gas passes into condensers or refrigerating cylinders,
where it condenses and deposits the products of condensation. To assist con-

page_text: densation these condensingcylinders might be refrigerated bythrowing streams
of cold water over them through perforated spreaders at top into receivers
below. From the condensers the gas is carried under pressure into the por-
table cylinders, at the same time the compressed gas is carried into the oil
reservoir, where it exerts upon the oil a pressure equal to the accumulated
pressure in the apparatus, so that the stream of oil continues to flow in what-
ever the pressure may be. Thickened or concrete tarry oils may be introduced
into the vertical retort and converted into vapors, which pass into the inclined
retorts, become converted into compressed gas, and fill all parts of the appa-
ratus in mutual communication, while their products of condensation pass off
into the oil reservoir; if then the reservoir be charged with oil or products of
distillation the process may go on as before. As in the course of the operation
the temperature of the apparatus would increase proportionately to the
increase of pressure unless counteracted, the heat applied to the retorts by
the gas or other means should be reduced accordingly, so as to diminish
with the increase of the pressure; and this can be done, if gas be the heating
medium, by the gas regulating tap, or, if fuel, by an arrangement of dampers.