Improvements in and Apparatus for the Production or Generation of Gas for Artiflolal Lighting and Motive Power Purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Apparatus for the Production or Generation
of Gas for Artiflolal Lighting and Motive Power Purposes.
I, AUGUSTE DEVIS of Charleroi, (Bosquetoille) Belgium, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention refers to improvements in and apparatus for the automatic
production of gas or vapor from cold oxygenated petroleum by injection or
insufflation of compressed air into either ordinary petroleum commonly called
lampant oil or into any other rich mineral oil, and my invention will be best
understood by describing same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig 1 is an elevation and Fig. 2 18 a plan of so much of an apparatus constructed
according to my invention as will be necessary to describe same.
This apparatus is composed as follows:
AAA are basins or trays of tinware, sheet iron, or other metal arranged over one
another and communicating with one another by a nipple a inserted in the bottom
of each of the trays A. On the bottom of each of the trays A, there is fitted
a screw threaded collar a¹ which connects all the trays together.
Likewise on the bottom of the trays A there is fitted on the same centre as the
nipple and the collar a a', a box made of tinware all in the sides of which are
arranged a certain or suitable number of small lead tubes a riddled or perforated
with holes which allow air driven or forced by say an automatically acting bell or
dome as hereafter described, to enter or circulate through the petroleum (introduced
as hereafter described) throughout the surface of the trays A. At a very short
distance from the bottom of the trays A, say four centimetres, that is to say, above
the level of the petroleum, there is a tin shelf B supporting some cotton shreds or
waste C which filters the air or rather the gas in proportion to the quantity,
admitted or sprayed.
A tap D is fitted to each tray, by which to introduce the petroleum. Over the
top tray A, there 18 a vessel E for containing water and inside this vessel there
is a bell or dome F submerged in the water contained in the vessel E.
The bell, receive, or dome F, receives the gas from the top tray A through
the pipe G. As the said bell F becomes filled with gas it rises up the frame H
which guides it by means of the iron rod I. Above the shelf of the top tray A
there is a pipe J for the delivery of the gas and for its distribution to pipes in the
room or other place
The second portion of the apparatus is composed of an automatic bell or dome
consisting of an outer vessel K containing water, and of an internal bell or
dome L, submerged in the water of the vessel K.
On the side of the said vessel K. there are fixed two diametrically opposite
cylinders M, each containing a piston N. These two cylinders are in connection
with one another by a pipe O, centrally to which there is connected a pipe P, with
a double acting tap Q which receives water pressure from the pipe R. This water
passing through the tap Q, and through the pipe P, enters into the pipe O, and
acts equally on the two pistons N, which are thereby caused to rise in their
cylinders.
On the two piston rods there is bolted a flat iron rod rivetted to the centre of the
cap of the dome L in such manner that the rising of the two pistons raises the

page_text: dome L, which during its ascent (which is equal to the travel of the pistons) sucks
air through the check valve T. The dome L arriving at its highest point should
be arranged to cause the closure of the pressure entry of the tap Q and opening
the discharge pipe S, permit the water to escape from the cylinders M by the said
discharge pipe S.
The tap Qis operated when the dome L 18 arriving at its highest and lowest
positions, by any suitably constructed tappet mechanism actuated from the motion
of the dome L.
In the vessel K there is a tube X, leading into the dome L, and this pipe is in
direct communication with the lower tray A.
The dome L, having arrived at its highest point 18 filled with air and in re-
descending compresses the air in the pipe X and forces it to circulate through all
the trays A, to form gas suitable for lighting purposes and for motive power.
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 18:
1. The combination and construction of apparatus for the production of gas or
vapor from an inflammable material such as petroleum, consisting in the first
place of a receiver containing trays communicating with one another and containing
petroleum or any other rich mineral oil, intended to receive air under pressure
which saturates it until it becomes a gas, passing through a cotton bed to purify it,
and afterwards entering a dome above the pile of petroleum trays substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
2. In combination with the above claimed apparatus, a dome for forcing compressed
air into the trays of the gas apparatus, the said dome working in a receiver
provided with two pistons connected at the upper end of their rods to the crown of
the said dome and forced upwards by water pressure in such manner as to carry
the dome with them; the latter during its ascent. cucking an by a valve with which
it is provided on the top which closes automatically at the same time as the water
escape tap opens all as above described and illustrated with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
3. The system or method of obtaining a vapor of cold oxygenated petroleum
either by injection or insufflation of compressed air into ordinary petroleum
commonly called lampant oil or in any other rich mineral oil and substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1895.