IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1852

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Victor Augier at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 6th November 1852.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
I, JOSEPH VICTOR AUGIER, of Rat de Chabrol, No. 39, Paris, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
1. The production of a greater volume of illuminating carburetted
hydrogen gas from the same weight and the same quality of coal or
other azotized matter producing the aforesaid gas, or from the gascous
hydrocarburets of the said matters, as well as from any other liquid
bydrocarburets.
2. The production of the aforesaid gas without hydraulic pressure on
the retorts or other carbonizing apparatus during about nine tenths of
the time employed in the operation heretofore producing illuminating
gas.
3. The production of the alkiline cyanurets of potash and soda by
means of liquid or gaseous hydrocarburets in the operation by which
the
gas is evolved, these cyanurets proceeding from the coal or other
azotized matter.

page_text: 4. The purification of the illuminating gas by means of substances
of which the greater part has been already employed in this puri-
fication; but so that in the new operation, contrary to the mode at
present in use, the whole of the apparatus is reduced to a rotatory
apparatus, with the exception of the apparatus in which the cyanurets
are produced, and the illuminating gas obtained from tar and its
hydrocarburets in the form of vapour at the period of their formation
from coal or other azotized matter. The following is a summary
explanation of the processes and apparatus employed in the above
improvements: A pipe, which receives the volatile products of the
ordinary ascending pipes on the top of the retorts at present in use,
conducts directly, and without any hydraulic pressure, the gases into a
cylinder, called the cylinder of cyanurets, and of carburetted hydrogen
gas from tar.
Into this cylinder, which rests upon a circular furnace
of brickwork, is introduced a horizontal iron shaft provided with two
agitators (or fans), and a quantity of potash or common soda is then
thrown in, sufficient to fill a third of the capacity of the cylinder. A
movement, purely rotatory, is then impressed upon the horizontal shaft,
which is accelerated towards the end of the operation. The operation
of producing gas in the retorts being finished, that of producing the
cyanurets is also finished in the cylinder, from which the gases now
issue to enter into a system of rotatory purifying apparatus, which directs
them into the gasometers of the works perfectly purified, so that it is
no longer necessary to have them immersed in barilla liquid, or thrown
into the tar condensing apparatus, or into any receptacle containing
purifying powders, all which things occasion considerable pressure,
which re-act upon the retorts, and accelerate their destruction. For the
success of this operation for producing cyanurets, and for the decompo-
sition of the hydrocarburets of tar in the form of vapour which it is
desired to convert into gas, it is necessary that the cylinders should
always be kept at a blood red beat, and the alkali employed should be
as much as possible of a dun red heat. The cyanuret removed from
the cylinder is converted in the gas works into common prussiate of
potash by means of solution in a salt of iron, to which are added a few
drams of alkali, whereby a prussiate is produced, which, after having

page_text: been treated outside the gas works, is taken into iron receivers with the;
aforesaid solutions, and is converted into common alkaline prussiate.
For the aforesaid alkaliés, namely, potash and soda, may be substituted
the anhydrous sulphate of either, or the concentrated and boiling solu-
tion of either, according to conditions which will be herein-after unfolded;
and the object of which is to subject a greater surface of the alkali to
the action of the gas. If to obtain the cyanurets coarse animal or
vegetable charcoal be employed, it is placed in the cylinder without the
horizontal shaft or any of its necessary appurtenances. The cyanurets
obtained from the mixtures herein-before mentioned are never fluid in
issuing from a cylinder, although the alkali may have been reduced to.
a state of fusion during the process, provided a little dry alkali havé
been added before the operation. The gases escaping from the appa
ratus for cyanurets enter into the rotatory cylinders for the purification
of the illuminating gases, being four in number, out of which this gás
alone, and completely purified, enters directly into the gasometers of the
works. Each rotatory and purifying apparatus is provided with branches
or ramifications, and it varies in capacity, according to the importance
of the gas works. In the first apparatus in cast iron is introduced a
cream to thicken the sulphate of lime.
:
Lastly, in
In the second apparatus of wood hooped with iron is introduced a
solution of any metallic salt. In the third, which is of bras or iron, is
introduced a thin caustic cream of lime well disolved.
the fourth apparatus of wood hooped with iron, is poured a quantity of
sulphuric or other acid. In the interior of each apparatus is placed a
toothed spout, designed to pour the liquides out into the branches or
ramifications introduced into the apparatuses. This spout is itself
furnished with a vertical tube, through which the gases escape. These
cylinders are supported by standards provided with bearings, and
fastened together by flanges with bolts, and contain rotatory horizontal
shafts actuated by any motive power whatever. The sulphate of am-
monia obtained is filtered, washed, concentrated, or crystalized, accord-
ing as it is designed to be used for industrial purposes or employed
as a manure. Lastly, the carburetted hydrogen gas from the hydrocar-
buretts of tar, and those coming from the retorts having passed through

page_text: all the apparatuses, and having remained a sufficient length of time in
contact with immense wetted surfaces covered with substances that
have all of them one or more powerful chemical affinities for the dele-
terious substances which vitiate illuminating gas, enters in the best
possible condition, and one which has hitherto been unknown, into
the gasometers of the works.
Certain modification will be required in the apparatus which is
designed to reduce to vapour the hydrocarburets of tar in case it should
be preferred to produce the cyanurets and the carburetted hydrogen
gas from the hydrocarburets of tar condensed, in which operation there
must be added for every twenty-five gallons of condensed tar proceeding
from the production of the illuminating gas, about two pound avoir-
dupois weight of common ammonia, with which addition one may even
employ common tar. The operation can also be performed by means
of other boiling concentrated solutions of potash or soda, or with the
dry alkali in the form of powder.