AN IMPROVED METHOD OF EXTRACTING GASES FROM MINERAL OILS, AND IN EMPLOYING THE SAME FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEAT-PRODUCING PURPOSES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Sim, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
હું
North Britain, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF EXTRACTING
GASES FROM MINERAL OILS, AND IN EMPLOYING THE SAME FOR ILLUMINATING
AND HEAT-PRODUCING PURPOSES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 30th May 1865, and dated the 27th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Sim at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1865.
I, WILLIAM SIM, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "AN IMPROVED-METHOD
OF EXTRACTING GASES FROM MINERAL OILS, AND IN EMPLOYING THE SAME FOR ILLU-
MINATING AND HEAT-PRODUCING PURPOSES, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the employment of the gases produced by
the vaporization of mineral oils for illuminating purposes, so as to be used as
substitutes for coal gas, and it is intended chiefly to employ these in lieu of

page_text: the latter in places to which it is difficult and expensive to convey the coal
from which the gas is extracted.
One kind of apparatus for producing the gas consists of a vessel to hold the
oil, from the bottom or sides of which a tube or tubes project, through which
the oil is led by its gravitating power or otherwise, and in falling drops or is
projected upon a heated plate of metal, earthenware, or other suitable material
contained in an air-tight vessel or generator; upon coming into contact with
the plate it is vaporized, and the gas thus formed is drawn upward into a gas-
holder from which it is conveyed by pipes or ducts to places where it may
require to be burnt as coal gas ordinarily is. Instead of vaporizing only a
drop or drops of oil at a time a quantity of it may be placed in a suitable
vessel or holder and vaporized by heat from a suitable fire, after which it is
led away to a gasholder, and thence to be burnt, as described in reference to
the former modification.
The second part of this Invention relates to the application of the mineral
or hydrocarbon oils, when converted into the form of gas, for the purpose of
generating steam in marine or other boilers, and when applied for this purpose
it is conveyed from a gasholder or generator by a pipe or pipes to the ordinary
or other fire-box. Within the fire-box there are placed several sets of burners,
from which as the flame escapes it impinges against the usual heat-absorbent
plates of the boiler.
The gas produced as herein-before described is also intended to be applied
for heating purposes generally, and with or without a gasholder, whether in
connection with illuminating or heat-producing purposes, as may be found most
advantageous.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Sim in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SIM, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Sim, Her special license that I, the said William Sim,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Sim, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
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 Invention for "AN
IMPROVED METHOD OF EXTRACTING GASES FROM MINERAL OILS, AND IN EMPLOY-
ING THE BAME FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEAT-PRODUCING PURPOSES, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Sim, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Sim, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its essential object the employment of the gases
produced by the heating of mineral oils for the production of heat and the
generation of steam, and when employed for the latter purpose it is preferred
to convert the oil into gas for burning in a retort placed in the ordinary fire
or fuel chamber of steam boilers, the gas may however be conveyed from a
gasholder or other apparatus suitable for containing it previous to being burnt.
It is however considered advantageous to employ it direct from a retort placed
in the furnace of the boiler, as by means of this it is supplied and maintained
at a high temperature, which is very desirable for the efficient working of the
process and the effecting of an economical use of the oil.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the explanatory Sheets of
Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain
modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried
out in practice, that is to say :-
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents a longitudinal
section of a locomotive boiler constructed and arranged for the burning of the
gas produced by the vaporization of bydrocarbon oils, by the combustion of
which the steam is generated.

page_text: Two of
have a
The chief difference in the boiler shown in the Drawings from the ordinary
locomotive engine boiler consists in the arrangement of the fire-box A, in
which there is contained the second water space B, connected to the ordinary
water space by means of the ducts or water ways C. Within the second
water space B, a retort D is situated, being fixed therein in any suitable
manner, but in the Drawing by means of studs from two of its sides,
which however in the Figure given cannot be seen.
From the upper
side of this retort D, several upright tubular pillars E extend, being fixed to
the retort by means of studs through the flanch on their lower ends.
the opposite sides of the upper extremity of these tubular pillars E
screw thread cut in them, into which the pipes F are screwed as shown, the
further ends of the pipes being furnished with mitre joints F', into which the
upright or vertical pipes G are fixed. In the lower part of the box formed
by means of the second water space B, a set of fire-bars are fixed, on
which rests the fuel for generating the gas by the vaporization of the oil in
the retort D. The coal is introduced through the fire-door I, through the
duct J, which passes through both water spaces of the fire-box, and thus pre-
vents the coal or other fuel from passing elsewhere than into the fuel chamber
on the fire-bars H. The waste gases arising from the combustion of the fuel
on the bars H pass through the tubes K, and thence along the ordinary tubes
K' into the furnace. The air for supplying the combustion of the fuel on
the bars His supplied through the ash pan door L, the sides of the ash pan
itself L being continued upwards to form a nearly air-tight joint with the
lower part of the inner side of the second water space B, in the manner
shown. A rectangular passage M, with air door M', is fixed around the ash
pan, this passage being for supplying the requisite quantity of air for the com-
bustion of the gas as it issues from the pipes situated between the two water
spaces.
The mode of operating with this modification of my said Invention is as
follows:A small quantity of coal, wood, or other suitable fuel being ignited
upon the fire-bars H, the retort D becomes speedily heated, and when having
attained a high heat the oil to be converted into gas is admitted therein from
a reservoir, preferably in a small continuous stream or in drops, so that it may
be vaporized as soon as admitted, and further that a thick layer of oil may
never be present in the retort. Immediately upon the gasification of the oil
the gas itself rises through the tubular pillars E, thence into the tubes F,
between the first and second water spaces, these tubes being perforated or
having "Bunsen" or other burners placed in their sides, the gas issues through
these openings, and the heat evolved by its combustion is thrown directly

page_text: upon the absorbent plates of the water spaces, as shown by the flames a,
issuing from the two opposite sides of the tubes.
Such is a description of one method of applying my said Invention to the
generation of steam in the boilers of locomotive engines; it is obvious however
that there are many other ways in which it may be applied, for instance, the
retort and pipes might be placed within an ordinary fire-box without the inter-
vention of a second water space, a metal division only being used to separate
the fire used for evaporating the oil from that arising from the combustion of
the gas. Instead of using the rectangular air space M, Figure 1, sliding
plates may be placed in the bottom of the fire-box, through which the air
necessary for the combustion of the gas would be admitted and its supply
regulated; or the space between the two water spaces might be closed
altogether, excepting circular openings for the admission of a tube around the
gas tubes for supplying air to the gas on the "Bunsen" principle. It is
evident that there are many methods by which the oil may be brought into
the retort D, a cistern may be placed over the supply pipe so that the oil may
drop freely into the retort, or a small pump may be worked from some
reciprocating part of the engine by which the oil would be forced in.
At Figures 2 and 3, Sheet 1, are shown respectively transverse and longi-
tudinal sections of an ordinary tubular land boiler to which my said Invention
is applied.
In this modification of my said Invention I employ a retort A, made of
cast iron or other suitable material, and in the Figures to which reference is
now being made, the retort in transverse section is of a horse-shoe form, the
interior hollow part B containing the fire by means of which the oil is gasified.
The oil is admitted through the front end of the retort A, by means of the
pipe a, a cistern containing the oil being suspended over the pipe a, and the
oil is allowed to fall therefrom into the recess b; the column of oil in the body
of the pipe a, serves to maintain an equilibrium of pressure of the gas in the
interior of the retort. The front portion c of the retort A is moveable, for
the purpose I of access being obtained into the interior of the retort in case such
may at any time be required. The upper part of the inner surface of the
retort, marked d, has a flanch or rib formed all round it, by which the oil is
prevented from running to other parts of the retort. The outer surface of
the retort A is perforated with several holes, into which "Bunsen " burners e
are fitted, and an air-tight shield is fitted all round the retort, so that no more
cold air than is necessary shall be admitted, the quantity of air being at any
time regulated by opening doors in the front of the furnace.

page_text: On Sheet 2 of my Drawings, Figure 1 represents a half front elevation and
transverse section of a marine boiler constructed in accordance with my said
Invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same, on the dotted line
a, a, Figure 1. Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, are details which are herein-after
more particularly referred to. The retorts marked A, are of the same form
and constructed in the same manner as the one shown at Figures 2 and 3,
Sheet 1, a turn valve a being fixed on the front of the furnace to admit
and regulate the quantity of air necessary for completely burning the gas. At
Figure 3 is shown a partial side elevation of a form of retort which I
prefer to use in marine or other boilers which are kept at work for many days
together; Figure 4 is a transverse section of the same, whilst Figure 5 is a
half outside elevation of that part of the casing outside the retort, having the
opening a for the admission of air shown therein; on the other side of the
central line is shown the end of the retort over which the shield b is fixed,
having the holes c formed therein through which the air passes to the burners.
Figures 6 and 7 are detailed views of portions of this last-mentioned retort,
by means of which its method of construction will be more easily understood.
The outer side of the retort itself is formed of metal plates d (preferably of
cast iron) which are held to the ends of the retort by bolts, a narrow space
being left between the edges of any two plates thus brought near to each
other; over each slit thus formed the longitudinal pieces e are attached to the
retort by bolts, and when the whole number of such pieces are affixed thereto
the result is the formation of a series of longitudinal chambers f, over each
slit. Holes are formed at the upper and lower parts of these chambers which
communicate with the air space formed by the outer shield h. The oil is
admitted into the retort in this arrangement as in the preceeding.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of apparatus for the utili-
zation of the gases produced by the vaporization of mineral hydrocarbon oils
for the generation of steam and the production of heat generally, as herein-
before described, or any mere modification thereof.
Second, the process of vaporizing mineral oils and burning them in the
state of gas for heat-producing purposes, substantially as herein-before
described.

page_text: Third, the special arrangement and construction of retorts for vaporizing
and gasifying mineral oils, substantially as herein-before described, or any.
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Sim, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
WILLIAM SIM. (L.B.)
WILLIAM SIM. (L.S.)