IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ILLU- MINATING GAS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Agencies for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and
323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ILLU-
MINATING GAS." A communication from abroad by Hugh Thomas Smith, of
No. 43, Globe Buildings, Sussex Street, in the City of Sydney, and Henry
Upton Alcock, of 132 and 134, Russell Street, Melbourne, both in the Island
of Australia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st July 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agencies for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING GAS." A communication from abroad by
Hugh Thomas Smith, of No. 43, Globe Buildings, Sussex Street, in the City of
Sydney, and Henry Upton Alcock, of 132 and 134, Russell Street, Melbourne, both
in the Island of Australia.
This Invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of an
apparatus for manufacturing illuminating gas from gasoline or other light bydro-
carbon liquids.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st July 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agencies for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING GAS." A communication from abroad by
Hugh Thomas Smith, of No. 43, Globe Buildings, Sussex Street, in the City of
Sydney, and Henry Upton Alcock, of 132 and 134, Russell Street, Melbourne, both
in the Island of Australia.
This Invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of an
apparatus for manufacturing illuminating gas from gasoline or other light bydro-
carbon liquids.
The principal parts are,—
First. A gas generator.
Second. A holder.
Third. An air pump.
Fourth. A seal.
Fifth. A valve chamber.
The gasometer or gas holder
sheet iron or other sheet metal.
rubber, cloth, or other flexible
is conical in form, the lower half being built of
The upper half of said holder is made of suitable
material made to hold vas.. The obiect sought in

page_text: the construction of the holder is to give double the holder capacity in the same
space, dispense with the ordinary cistern, and avoid the necessity of water, which
is liable to freeze in winter. The upper half of the holder is guided by the means
of an iron rod fastened in the centre of the bottom part of the holder and through
the crown of the upper half. A hollow pipe is fastened to the crown of the upper
half of the holder in its centre, about twelve inches longer than the height of the
entire holder. The hollow pipe slides on the iron rod which is fastened to the
bottom of the holder, or the iron rod passes inside of the hollow pipe as the crown
or upper half of the holder passes down or recedes as the gas is being used.
Columns are used, and a piece is passed over the top of the holder fastened to the
columns through which the hollow pipe passes, thus forming a guide for the upper
half of the holder as it passes up and down. It will be seen that as the upper part
or rubber portion of the holder passes downwards, the crown, being iron and guided
by the rod and hollow pipe, passes down and merely draws the rubber with it, so
that when the crown is down to the bottom of the holder the rubber is in line with
the iron of the lower part of the holder, thus expelling all the gas from the holder.
It will readily be seen that by this kind of gas holder any desired pressure on the
gas whilst it is being used can be obtained; this is of great importance in the use
and economy of gas.
The gasoline or liquid hydrocarbon tank or drum is arranged in its interior parts
with an oval cap in the bottom and directly over an inlet pipe, which enters the
tank at the bottom in the centre of the tank; said cap is constructed so as to
spread the oxygen and nitrogen or common air all over the bottom surface of the
tank, and directly above said cap is placed a mixing diaphragm, and at or about
three inches below the top or crown of tank another mixing diaphragm is placed,
with its perforations transverse to the perforations of the lower one.
The mixing
diaphragms are plates of sheet metal peculiarly perforated with very small holes.
The two diaphragms cover all over the top and bottom of tank, and in between
the top and bottom perforated plates is filled with any good porous or absorbent
material, such as sponge, cotton, or fine white pine sawdust. The object of the
porous material is to hold the liquid in its contents in a partial vapour form, and
keep it from going directly to the bottom of the tank in liquid form, so that when
the oxygen and nitrogen or common air is by the cap spread over the bottom of
the tank in the vacuum between the bottom of the tank and the lower mixer, it
will pass up through the lower mixer, being evenly distributed, and then pass
directly under pressure from the pump up through the sawdust or porous material,
and then through the upper mixer at the top of the tank into the vacuum at the
top of tank, and is led from there to the holder; thus it will at once be seen that
by this process of admitting the air at the bottom of the tank under the cap, and
then passing it through the mixers and through the porous material, which is
saturated with liquid hydrocarbon and held in a partial vapour formn, that a full and
thorough mixing of the three natural elements required in the manufacture of an
illuminating gas is obtained by this process. It will be seen that an uniform light
can be obtained at any temperature, and no residue of material; thus a great saving
of material is obtained, much more so than when the air is passed through the
liquid.
The air pump is constructed with piston and parts when the pump is to be run
by power, such as steam or water power. It is built like an engine with all its
bearings.
A seal is placed between the tank and the pump. The air passes from the
pump on its way to the tank through this seal, and it is constructed like a box
with a partition fastened to the lid, and dips down near the bottom of the
lower part of the box. At one end of the box is an inclined plane that
runs from the bottom of the box, starting at the partition and remaining slant
on to near the top of the box. At the deepest, end of the box the inlet pipe
enters it; the end of the box, where the inclined plane is highest, the outlet
is put; the box is partially filled with quicksilver or some other material that is

page_text: not liable to freeze. The end of inlet pipe is calculated to dip down into the
quicksilver about one inch in depth, the partition dips down the same depth.
When the pump is started the quicksilver is forced up the incline piece and lets
the air pass out at the outlet pipe. As soon as the pump stops the quicksilver
falls back around bottom of the partition and around the end of the inlet pipe,
scaling them securely, so that nothing in the way of gas or air can pass back to
the pump. The main object sought by this seal is to prevent the possibility of the
gas passing back to the pump or into the building or room where the pump may
be placed. In case that any valves shall leak or be left unshut, the seal prevents
any possible escape of gas.
By this
A three way valve chamber contains three valves peculiarly constructed for the
purpose of conducting and directing the air in three different directions as it is
forced from the pump on its way to the holder. At each stroke of the pump these
three valves convey the air in three different ways for the purpose of accomplishing
the desired candle power and specific gravity of the gas. By these three valves,
and by their connecting pipes the operator has the gravity and candle power of
the gas under his control at all times, and in all climates as desired.
means the operator can in a few moments change the candle power of the gas to
the number of any candles desired up to eighteen or twenty candle power, and the
valves are all three placed in one air tight box with an outlet from each of them
from the bottom of the box, the valves set on the end of the outlet pipes with a
stem passing a short distance down into the pipe for a guide. The stem is
provided with a valve faced with leather, and the stem passes up through the
top of the lid on the box, and a spiral spring is put over the stem between the lid
of the box and the valve, so that the spring forces the valve down into the end of
the pipe perfectly gas tight, said stem supplied with a stuffing box. At the top of
the stem is a wire cord fastened which is passed over a pulley or sheave directly
in line with the valve stem, and passing from the valve into the building at the
pump or any other place. At the end of this wire is placed a small lever, and by
the pulling of the lever a slight pull the valves are opened, any one of the three,
and that when the lever is let go the spring on the stem at once closes the valve,
so that no gas can go back.
A valve is placed in a pipe between the tank and the holder, and operated as
the last described valves for the purpose of shutting off the gas from returning
from the holder to the tank.
One pipe leads from the air pump into the seal, another from the seal to the
three way valve chamber, and a third from that chamber into the tank directly
under its bottom in the centre and directly under the cap, for the purpose of
admitting air in at bottom of the tank and passing it up through the mixers and
the sawdust, and to carry off the hydrogen and mix it with the common air.
A pipe leads from the three way valves chamber through the top of the tank
directly over the top of the upper mixer, for the purpose of taking a less quantity
of hydrogen when desired.
A pipe leads from the three way valve chamber around the tank, and entering
the outlet pipe from tank to the gas holder outside of the tank for the purpose of
admitting the common air into the holder directly without passing through the
bydrogen. By this process and pipe the gas in the holder can be reduced to any
candle power and specific gravity desired, and by the arrangement of pipes above
described and the construction of the three valves in the three way valve chamber,
and of their attachments the full control of the candle power of the gas is
obtained at the will of the operator by having control of the quantity of oxygen,
hydrogen and nitrogen required.
Pipes as already mentioned connect the tank and holder with intermediate
valve, and a pipe of course leads from the generator to the building to be lighted.
In a modified design which I sometimes propose to use there are three perforated
diaphragms in the generator, an an annular chamber or gutter in which is a flap
valve. The gas holder in this case is closed with water in the ordinary way.

page_text: There is an air pipe in which are three spring valves; whilst a fourth one is
placed on a continuation of it where the gas enters it, and is then carried on to
the gas holder. There are pipes for pumping up the gasoline when required, and
down a pipe having an inverted T end, both ends of which are open.
In operation the air is pumped through pipes into the bottom of the generator,
from whence it passes upwards through the generator, and makes its exit in the
shape of gas through spring valve and pipes into the gas holder.
One spring valve is only used when the gasoline in the generator requires to be
pumped up and the usual one is closed, the effect of which is that the gasoline is
forced up and discharged over the face of the upper diaphragm. When this is
completed the extraordinary valve must be closed, and the usual one opened as
before; the third valve is for allowing the passage of any air necessary to dilute
the gas.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th January 1882.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Agencies for Foreign Patent Solicitors,
G, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR MANUFACTURING ILLUMINATING GAS." A communication from abroad by
Hugh Thomas Smith, of 43, Globe Buildings, Sussex Street, in the City of Sydney,
and Henry Upton Alcock, of 132 and 134, Russell Street, Melbourne, both in the
Island of Australia.
This Invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of an
apparatus for manufacturing illuminating gas from gasoline or other light hydro-
carbon liquids. In the annexed Drawings Figure 1 is the top view of an apparatus
constructed according to this Invention, and Figure 2 is a vertical section of the
same. In these Figures, 8 is a gas generator; 3 is a holder; 4 is an air pump;
5 is a seal; 6 is a valve chamber. B is the gasometer or gas holder which is
conical in form, the lower half being built of sheet iron or other sheet metal. The
upper half of said holder is made of suitable rubber, cloth, or other flexible
material made to hold gas. The object sought in the construction of the holder
is to give double the holder capacity in the same space, dispense with the ordinary
cistern, and avoid the necessity of water, which is liable to freeze in winter. The
upper half of the holder is guided by the means of an iron rod fastened in the
centre of the bottom part of the holder and through the crown of the upper half.
A hollow pipe is fastened to the crown of the upper half of the holder in its centre,
about twelve inches longer than the height of the entire holder; the hollow pipe
slides on the iron rod, which is fastened to the bottom of the holder, or the iron
rod passes inside of the hollow pipe as the crown or upper half of the holder passes
down or recedes as the gas is being used. Columns are used and a piece is passed
over the top of the holder fastened to the columns, through which the hollow pipe
passes, thus forming a guide for the upper half of the bolder as it passes up and
down. It will be seen that as the upper part or rubber portion of the holder passes
downwards, the crown being iron and guided by the rod and hollow pipe, passes
down and merely draws the rubber with it, so that when the crown is down to
the bottom of the holder the rubber is in line with the iron of the lower part of
the holder, thus expelling all the gas from the holder. It will readily be seen that
by this kind of gas holder any desired pressure on the gas whilst it is being used
can be obtained. This is of great importance in the use and economy of gas; A is
the gasoline or liquid hydrocarbon tank or drum arranged in its interior parts with
an oval cap F in the bottom and directly over an inlet pipe which enters the tank
at the bottom in the centre of the tank; said cap is constructed so as to spread the
oxygen and nitrogen or common air all over the bottom surface of the tank, and
directly above said cap F is placed a mixing diaphragm E, and at or about
three inches below the top or crown of tank another mixing diaphragm is placed
with its perforations transverse to the perforations of the lower one. The mixing
diaphragms are plates of sheet metal peculiarly perforated with very small holes.
The two diaphragms cover all over the top and bottom of tank, and in between
the top and bottom perforated plates is filled with any good porous or absorbent
material, such as sponge, cotton, or fine white pine sawdust. The object of the
porous material is to hold the liquid in its contents in a partial vapor form, and
keep it from going directly to the bottom of the tank in liquid form, so that when
the oxygen and nitrogen or common air is by the cap F spread over the bottom of
the tank in the vacuum between the bottom of the tank and the lower mixer it
will pass up through the lower mixer being evenly distributed, and then pass
directly under pressure from the pump up through the sawdust or porous material
and then through the upper mixer at the top of the tank into the vacuum at the

page_text: top of tank, and is led from there to the holder; thus it will at once be seen that
by this process of admitting the air at the bottom of the tank under the cap, and
then passing it through the mixers and through the porous material, which is
saturated with liquid hydrocarbon and held in a partial vapour form that a full and
thorough mixing of the three natural elements required in the manufacture of
an illuminating gas is obtained by this process. It will be seen that an uniform
light can be obtained at any temperature and no residue of material; thus a
great saving of material is obtained, much more so than when the air is passed
through the liquid. O is the air pump constructed with piston and parts when the
pump is to be run by power, such as steam or water power. It is built like an
engine, with all its bearings; C is a seal placed between the tank A and the
pump, and the air passes from the pump on its way to the tank through this
seal, and it is constructed like a box with a partition fastened to the lid, and
dips down near the bottom of the lower part of the box. At one end of the
box is an inclined plane that runs from the bottom of the box starting at the
partition and remaining slant on to near the top of the box. At the deepest
end of the box the inlet pipe enters it; the end of the box, where the inclined plane
is highest, the outlet pipe is put; the box is partially filled with quicksilver or some
other material that is not liable to freeze. The end of inlet pipe is calculated to
dip down into the quicksilver about one inch in depth; the partition dips down
the same depth. When the pump is started the quicksilver is forced up the incline
piece and lets the air pass out at the outlet pipe. As soon as the pump stops the
quicksilver falls back around bottom of the partition and around the end of the
inlet pipe, sealing them securely, so that nothing in the way of gas or air can pass
back to the pump. The main object sought by this seal is to prevent the possibility
of the gas passing back to the pump or into the building or room where the pump
may be placed. In case that any valves shall leak or be left unshut the seal
prevents any possible escape of gas. S is a three way valve chamber containing
three valves peculiarly constructed for the purpose of conducting and directing the
air in three different directions as it is forced from the pump on its way to the
holder. At each stroke of the pump these three valves convey the air in different
ways for the purpose of accomplishing the desired candle power and specific gravity
of the gas. By these three valves and by their connecting pipes the operator has
the gravity and candle power of the gas under his control at all times and in all
climates as desired. By this means the operator can in a few moments change the
candle power of the gas to the number of any candles desired up to eighteen or
twenty candle power, and the valves are all three placed in one air-tight box with
an outlet from each of them from the bottom of the box, the valves set on the
end of the outlet pipes with a stem passing a short distance down into the pipe
for a guide, The stem provided with a valve faced with leather, and the stem
passes up through the top of the lid on the box, and a spiral spring is put over the
stem between the lid of the box and the valve, so that the spring forces the valve
down into the end of the pipe perfectly gas-tight, said stem supplied with a stuffing
box. At the top of the stein is a wire cord fastened, which is passed over a pulley
or sheave directly in line with the valve stern, and passing from the valve into the
building at the pump or any other place. At the end of this wire is placed a
small lever, and by the pulling of the lever a slight pull the valves are opened any.
one of the three, and that when the lever is let go the spring on the stem at once
closes the valve so that no gas can go back. T¹ is a valve placed between the
tank A and the holder, and operated as the valves S for the purpose of shutting off
the gas from returning from the holder to the tank; H is the pipe leading from
the air pump into the seal C; J is the pipe leading from the seal C to the valves S;
R is a pipe leading from valves S into tank A directly under its bottom in the
centre and directly under cap F, for the purpose of admitting air in at bottom
of the tank and passing it up through the mixers and the sawdust and to carry off
the hydrogen and mix it with the common air; L is a pipe leading from valve
chamber S through the top of the tank A directly over the top of the upper mixer

page_text: for the purpose of taking a less quantity of hydrogen when desired; N is a pipe
leading from the three way valve chamber S around the tank and entering the
outlet pipe from tank A to the gas holder outside of the tank for the purpose of
admitting the common air into the holder directly without passing through the
hydrogen. By this process and pipe the gas in the holder can be reduced to any
candle power and specific gravity desired, and by the arrangement of pipe R and
pipe L, and pipe N, and the construction of the three valves in chamber S, and of
their attachments, the full control of the candle power of the gas is obtained at the
will of the operator by having control of the quantity of oxygen, hydrogen, and
nitrogen required; W is the outlet pipe from tank to valve T; V is a pipe leading
from valve T into the holder for the purpose of conducting the gas into the holder;
M is a pipe leading from the holder to the building to be lighted.
Figures 3 and 4 show respectively vertical section and plan of a modified form of
apparatus which is more compact than that already described, and which it is
thought is better than it.
A is the air pump; B, the gas generator; and C the gas holder. In this case
there are three perforated diaphragms in the generator marked respectively B', B³,
and B3, and an annular chamber or gutter B, in which is flap valve B. The gas
holder in this case is closed with water in the ordinary way. A is an air pipe in
which are spring valves A2, A3, and A, whilst a fourth one B is placed on a
continuation of it where the gas enters it, and is then carried on to the gas
holder; B and B are pipes for pumping up the gasoline when required; B" the
absorbent material; A is a down pipe having an inverted T end, both ends of
which are open.
In operation the air is pumped through pipes A¹ and A' into the bottom of the
generator, froin whence it passes upwards through the generator and makes its
exit in the shape of gas through pipe B10 spring valve B, and pipe A¹ into the
gas-holder.
Spring valve A2 is only used when the gasoline in the generator requires to be
pumped up, the valve A3 is then closed and A2 opened, the effect of which is that
the gasoline is forced up pipe B7 and discharged over the face of the upper
diaphragm B'. When this is completed valve A² must be closed and valve A³ opened,
as before; A' is for allowing the passage of any air necessary to dilute the gas.
Having thus fully described the Invention as communicated to me, what I claim
as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination of the tank A with the oval cap F, mixing diaphgrams E,
and E, and the porous material in such tank, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Second. The combination of the air pump O with pipe H, seal C, pipe J, valves
in chamber S, pipe R, pipe L, and pipe N, arranged and operating, substantially as
described and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The combination and arrangement of valve T, pipe W, pipe V, pipe M,
and gasometer B, substantially as described.
Fourth. The combination and arrangement of the valves in valve chamber S,
pulleys or sheaves, and the wire cords and stuffing boxes, as described and for the
purpose set forth.
Fifth. The modification of the apparatus herein described and illustrated in
Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.