INVENTION OR IMPROVEMENT CALCULATED TO OBTAIN OR GENERATE GAS IN A MORE ECONOMICAL MANNER THAN HERETOFORE, FROM COAL OR ANY OTHER ARTICLE, MATERIAL, OR SUBSTANCE FOR LIGHTING OR HEATING HOUSES, MANUFACTORIES, OR OTHER PLACES WHERE LIGHT OR HEAT IS REQUIRED, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENT OR APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1817

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
FARMER BRAIN, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Brewer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third did, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the Tenth
day of July now last past, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Richard Farmer Brain, His especial license, that I, the said
Richard Farmer Brain, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I or they should at any time agree with, and no others, during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
"INVENTION OR IMPROVEMENT CALCULATED TO OBTAIN OR GENERATE GAS IN A MORE
ECONOMICAL MANNER THAN HERETOFORE, FROM COAL OR ANY OTHER ARTICLE,
MATERIAL, OR SUBSTANCE FOR LIGHTING OR HEATING HOUSES, MANUFACTORIES, OR
OTHER PLACES WHERE LIGHT OR HEAT IS REQUIRED, AND WHICH IMPROVEMENT OR
APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Richard Farmer
Brain, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Farmer Brain, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and

page_text: ascertained by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the ronowing description
thereof (that is to say) :-
My Invention or improvement consists in placing a retort by the side, at the
back, or in any common house fire or other fire-place, for the purpose of
producing gas for lighting up dwelling houses or other places. The retort is
made of cast, rolled, or hammered iron or steel, or a mixture of iron and steel;
its size must be regulated according to the quantity of light required. A flue
is adapted to it in the same manner that it is applied to "common iron ovens,
and regulated in the same way by a damper; it may be charged in the inside
of the building, or by turning the mouth-piece the other way on the outside in
the open air. I shall here describe a retort sufficient to supply twelve burners
with gas, together with the condenser for throwing back into the retort the tar
and other products of the coal.or other article. used. for further decomposition,
by which means a greater quantity of gas is produced. The manner in which
it is done will more clearly appear by the Drawing, hereto nunexed, in which
Drawing Fig. 1, A. is the grate; B, the retort; C, the ascending pipe from
the retort to the condenser, two inch bore and, two feet long; D, the condenser;
E, the rim on the top of the condenser, three inches deep, to hold water; F,
one and half inch pipe, to convey the gas to the lime vessel; G, small
damper behind the two inch pipe.; H, flue, three inches wide in the inside;
see the dotted line from ground plan; I, cast-iron front plate. Fig.. 2,
ground plan., A, ground plan under the retort; B, brick set on edge inside
of cast-iron plate I; C, brickwork for the farther end of the retort to rest
D, flue on the left hand, three inches wide in the inside; E, flue at the
farther end of retort, three inches wide. Let the retort, be eighteen inches
long, ten inches broad, and seven deep, upon the upper part; on the top of
the retort let there be a branch pipe, six inches long, of a conical shape, with
a flange to support a pipe, three fect long and two inches in the bore; upon
this pipe must be placed the condenser, which is a box of wrought or cast-
iron, or any other metal made square, or any other convenient form; let the
bottom be a little convex towards the pipe that supports it; its size about
twelve inches long and eight wide or broad; it must have a short branch with
on;.
a. flange to connect it to the two inch pipe. Upon the top must be another
short branch, with a flange to join it to a pipe, of one and half inch bore,
which leads to the lime vessels in any direction, and so, on to, the gasometer,
in the usual manner, and so well known as to require no description... The
ascending pipe from the retort, and the condenser must always be kept separate
from the flue so as to receive as little heat from it, as possible: The retort
will form; by the fire-side, a conifortablo-hot-hob for the purpose of boiling.or

page_text: baking, or for heating irons for smoothing, and will be found useful in many
other ways. The retort is charged with fifteen or twenty pounds weight of
coal or any other article, material, or substance capable of emitting gas, except
wood; but if wood be used the size of the retort must be increased so as to
adapt it to the quantity of wood to be introduced into it. After charging the
retort it is luted with clay or other material, and screwed fast in the usual way.
I also place at the side or at the end of steam boilers or other pans, retorts for
the purpose of producing gas; the flue is constructed in the usual manner;
and the heat regulated by a damper in the usual way, and requires no
description. The retort may serve for a stove, and the flue, after passing round
it in the usual way, may be continued in any direction through iron pipes or
brickwork, and give heat to any place where it may be required. The
condenser, where circumstances, will permit, I make bell-shaped, with the
mouth upwards, or of any other form, and surround it with a rim of metal,
three or four inches deep, so that the top of the condenser may be covered
that depth with water, and where water can be had, I cause a stream to flow
round or over the top of the condenser by means of a small pipe from any
reservoir at hand; the warm water may be conducted away in any manner, or
I
pass
the products of the coal or other material as they ascend from the retort
through a worm spirally formed, of short length and wide bore, and surround
it with cold water in the same manner as above described; its size, of course,
will be regulated by that of the retort.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Farmer Brain, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
RICHARD FARMER BRAIN. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Seventh day of January,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Richard Farmer Brain came before
our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Eighth day of January. in the year above written.