IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION HEA PURPOSES, AND IN COMBINING ATMOSPHERIC AIR THEREWITH
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Weightman Harrison, of High Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Weightman
Harrison at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 1st January 1873.
I, CHARLES WEIGHTMAN HARRISON, of High Holborn, in the County
3 of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND
HEATING PURPOSES, AND IN COMBINING ATMOSPHERIC AIR THEREWITH," to be as
follows (that is to say) :-
-
This Invention relates to or consists in carburetting or increasing the
proportion of carbon in hydrocarbon gases, such as coal gas, and after-
wards mixing or combining therewith atmospheric air.
+

page_text: By mixing air with hydrocarbon gas its volume is increased without
any additional cost, whilst at the same time its light or heat giving
power (according to the purpose for which it is used) is materially
benefited, and the object of first carburetting or increasing the pro-
portion of carbon in the hydrocarbon gas is to enable it to take
bear a larger quantity of air mixed with it than it otherwise would do.
up or
The method I prefer for carburetting the said gas is by passing it
through a hydrocarbon liquid, during which passage it vaporizes and
takes up or holds in solution a certain portion thereof, and thus becomes
enriched in carbon.
The mixing of the air with the said gas may be accomplished by
pumping it into the said gas, or other suitable known method may be
employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Weightman Harrison, in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 1st July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
WEIGHTMAN HARRISON, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Charles Weightman Harrison, Her special license
that I, the said Charles Weightman Harrison, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Weightman
Harrison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING
PURPOSES, AND IN COMBINING ATMOSPHERIC AIR THEREWITH," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Weightman Harrison, my

page_text: executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Weightman Harrison, 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 thereof, that is to say:―
This Invention consists in carburetting (or increasing the proportion
of carbon in) hydrocarbon gases, and afterwards mixing or combining
therewith atmospheric air.
By mixing atmospheric air in limited proportion with hydrocarbon.
gas an increased volume of gas is obtained without any additional cost,
whilst at the same time its light or heat giving power (according to the
purpose for which it is used) is materially increased, and also the gas by
being thus brought nearer to the specific gravity of the air leaks to a
much less degree than it otherwise would do during its passage along
the pipes whilst being conveyed from place to place, thus effecting a
very great saving.
As the addition of air to hydrocarbon gas is thus attended with such
great advantages without any additional cost it is obvious that an
Invention enabling at a small expence a much larger proportion of air
to be combined with the gas than otherwise could be done must be of
immense commercial importance, as every foot of gas thus obtained is
almost clear gain. This is the object of the present Invention, and is
accomplished by first carburetting the hydrocarbon gas, and afterwards
combing or mixing therewith the atmospheric air.
The gas thus carburetted will be found to bear a much larger pro-
portion of air mixed with it than it otherwise would.
The cost of carburetting the gas is very small compared with the
value of the increased volume of gas thus obtained.
The method I prefer for carburetting the said gas is that of passing it
through a hydrocarbon liquid, during which passage it vaporizes and
takes up or becomes impregnated with a portion of such liquid, and

page_text: thus becomes enriched in carbon. For this process any suitable and
well known carburetting apparatus may be employed.
The mixing of the air with the said carburetted hydrocarbon gas may
be accomplished by pumping it into the holder containing the said gas
or other suitable or known method of mixing gases or air and gas
may be employed. The proportion of air to be combined or mixed with
the gas I recommend should be determined by the method described in
the Specification of an Invention for which Letters Patent have been
granted to myself and Alfred Horatio Harrison, bearing date the 26th
September 1872, and numbered 2847.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to or may be
performed, I claim as my Invention to be secured by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent carburetting hydrocarbon gas, and after-
wards combining or mixing therewith atmospheric air.
In witness whercof, I, the said Charles Weightman Harrison, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
CHAS. W. HARRISON. (L.S.).
Witness,
JOHN W. GRAY, C.E.,
Offices for Patenting & Introducing Inventions,
16, Southampton Buildings,.
W.C.