IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AIR OR GASES WITH COMBUSTIBLE VAPOURS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AIR OR GASES WITH COMBUSTIBLE
VAPOURS." -A communication from abroad by Joseph Chapa and Jacques
Charrié, both of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, Gas Engineers.
Sealed the 12th December 1863, and dated the 22nd June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
June 1863.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AIR OR GASES WITH
COMBUSTIBLE VAPOURS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus for charging atmospheric
air with a regular supply of combustible vapours for the purpose of forming an
inflammable gas burning with a regular and very brilliant flame. An indis-
pensable condition for obtaining a good and perfectly regular flame is to keep
the atmospheric air constantly in contact in certain proportions with the
volatile liquid furnishing the inflammable vapours, and also to renew the air

page_text: and liquid in proportion as it is consumed. The improved apparatus of this
Invention fulfils these conditions in a self-acting manner, and by the regularity
of its action and feed furnishes a light which is much preferable to that
hitherto obtained from any gas..
The apparatus of this Invention is represented in elevation at Fig. 1;
Fig. 2 shows a vertical section on line 1, 2; Fig. 3 a vertical section on line
3, 4, while Fig. 4 shows a transverse section on line 5, 6. The letters of
reference serve for all the Figures.
In order to obtain a regular light with this apparatus the receiver a is first
furnished with an ethereal or volatile liquid suitable for the purpose, and the
cock 6 opened for admitting air from a receiver or gasometer, for example,
into a cylindrical space c, which serves as a regulator for the passage of air by
means of a fan wheel d placed in this space, which is half filled with water;
the air in traversing space c imparts rotary motion to this wheel, which is
mounted on the shaft e, and the speed of this wheel, as will be herein-after seen,
is proportionate to the quantity of air introduced. After having acted on this
wheel' d, the air escapes at a tube f into a ball 9, whence it is transmitted by
means of two tubes h, h, into the lower receiver i, which contains a layer of
volatile liquid proportionate to the quantity of air passed, which is renewed,
as herein-after described; these tubes h supply air to the volatile liquid by the
several pipes j, which each terminate in a nozzle or nose k for the purpose
of more intimately mixing the air and inflammable vapours. The air thus
charged with combustible vapours escapes from receiver i by tubes 1, 1, which
convey it to the different apparatus in which it is to be used.
I will now proceed to describe the method in which the receiver i is kept
constantly and regularly supplied in proportion to the quantity of air which
passes. The axis of the fan wheel' d extends into chamber a, and is made
hollow at that part and carries two arms m, m, which are also hollow and
S-shaped; these arms communicate with the hollow shaft" e, "by' which it
will be seen that each arm m, on dipping into the liquid contained in
chamber a, carries away with it a certain quantity of this liquid, which is
conveyed to the hollow axis e, and thence to the vertical tube n, dipping in
the lower reservoir i. It will thus be seen that if the quantity of atmospheric
air increases the fan wheel d'turns faster, and consequently the axis 6 of said
wheel, while as the axis e rotates at a higher speed the arms m fixed on said
axis partake in the same movement, and supply so much the more volatile
liquid to the lower receiver i. In order the more readily to regulate the
action of the apparatus, I place indicators on the outside for furnishing all the
necessary, information, o signifying the level of the liquid in receiver a. The

page_text: openings indicate the-height of the liquid in receiver i. The cocks q, r,
serve for emptying receivers a and i, while plug s serves for the introduction
of the volatile liquid into receiver a; on the exit pipe of the gas is placed a
small jointed burner t for heating the air, which passes into the ball g, in order
to produce a current; the heated air, also serves as an indispensable means for
the formation of vapour, which then disengages more freely from the volatile
liquid, at same time all the gas burners may be lighted without heating
the ball. to the desired extent... In order to facilitate the heating of the ball 9,
it is enclosed in a second sphere- h', which leaves an empty space round it.
The Invention thus consists in the improved: apparatus for the saturation of
atmospheric air with inflammable vapours, or for saturating all kinds of
lighting gases, as herein described.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane,, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent,..bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign,.did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William Clark, my
execitors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the said William
Clark, my. executors, administrators, and. 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 "IMPROVEMENTS: IN APPARATUS
FOR. CHARGING. AIR OR GASES WITH COMBUSTIBLE VAPOURS," a communication to
me from abroad by Joseph Chapa and Jacques Charrié, both of 29, Boulevart
St. Martin; Paris; Gas Engineers, upon the condition (amongst others) that T,
the said William.Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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

page_text: 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 Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):―.
This Invention relates to an improved apparatus for charging atmo
spheric air with a regular supply of combustible vapours, for the purpose
of forming an inflammable gas, burning with a regular and very brilliant
flame.
An indispensable condition for obtaining a good and perfectly regular flame,
is to keep the atmospheric air constantly in contact in certain proportions with.
the volatile liquid furnishing the inflammable vapours, and also to renew the
air and liquid, in proportion as it is consumed.
The improved apparatus of this Invention fulfils these conditions in a self-
acting manner, and by the regularity of its action and feed, furnishes a light
which is much preferable to those hitherto obtained from any gas.
"
The apparatus of this Invention is represented in elevation at Fig. 1;
Fig. 2 shows a vertical section on line 1, 2; Fig. 3 a vertical section on line
3, 4; while Fig. 4 shows a transverse section on line 5, 6. The letters serve
for all the Figures.
In order to obtain a regular light with this apparatus, the receiver a is first
furnished with an ethereal or volatile liquid suitable for the purpose, and the
cock then opened for admitting air from a receiver or gasometer, for
example, into a cylindrical space c, which serves as a regulator for the passage
of air, by means of a fan-wheel & placed in this space, which is half filled with
water. The air in traversing space c imparts rotary motion to this wheel,
which is mounted on a shaft e, and the speed of this wheel, as will be herein-
after seen, is proportionate to the quantity of air 'introduced. After having
acted on this wheel d, the air escapes at a tube f into a ball g, whence it is
transmitted by means of two tubes h, h, into the lower receiver i, which
contains a layer of volatile liquid proportionate to the quantity of air passed,
which is renewed as herein-after described. These tubes h supply air to the
volatile liquid by the several pipes j, which terminate in a nozzle or rose k, for
the purpose of more intimately mixing the air and inflammable vapours. The
air thus charged with combustible vapours escapes from receiver i by, tubes
1, 1, which convey it to the different apparatus in which it is to be used:
I will now proceed to describe the method in which the receiver i is kept con-

page_text: stantly and regularly supplied, in 'proportion to the quantity of air passed.
The axis of the fan-wheel d extends into chamber a, and is made hollow at
that part, and, carries two armis m, m, which are.also hollow and S-shaped.
These arms communicate with the hollow shaft e, by which it will be seen
that each arm m, on dipping into the liquid contained in chamber a, carries
away with it a certain quantity of this liquid, which is conveyed to the hollow
axis e, and thence to the vertical tube n, dipping in the lower reservoir i. It
will thus be seen that if the quantity of atmospheric air increases, the fan-
wheel d turns faster, and, consequently, the axis e of said wheel, while as the
axis e rotates at a higher speed, the arms m fixed on said axis, partake in the
same movement, and supply so much the more volatile-liquid to the lower
receiver i. In order the more readily to regulate the action of the apparatus
I place indicators on the outside for furnishing all the necessary information,
o signifying the level of the liquid in receiver a; the openings, p. indicate
the height of the liquid in receiver i. The cocks q, r, serve for emptying re-
ceivers a and i, while plug s serves for the introduction of the volatile liquid in
receiver a. On the exit pipe of the gas is placed a small jointed burner t for
beating the air, which passes into the ball g, in order to produce a current;
the heated air also serves as an indispensable means for the formation of
vapour, which then disengages more freely from the volatile liquid, at same
time all the gas burners may be lighted, without heating the ball to the
desired extent. In order to facilitate the heating of the ball g, it is enclosed
in a second sphere h', which leaves an empty space round it. Instead of the
arms m, m, fixed on the axis of the apparatus, which is driven by the air in
entering, I may employ small cups similar to those of water wheels, while the
air in passing to the carburator may be heated by means of lighted jets in
passages below the reservoir of schist, instead of being as before described
placed in a sphere above the apparatus. The agitation of the gas in the car-
bonated liquid may also be effected in various ways. Air may be supplied to
the apparatus by any suitable blowing machine, but I prefer the arrangement
represented at Fig. 5 of the Drawings; it consists of a train of wheels a set in
motion by a weight b; on a shaft c are mounted two eccentrics d, imparting
an up and down movement to inverted chambers e in receivers f, which are
filled with water; below each of said chambers e there is a pipe g, which
conveys air into a pressure regulator or gasometer; a valve h is mounted on
each chamber e for the introduction of air. This arrangement may be replaced
by bellows or other apparatus, set in motion by the same motor.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by

page_text: the-herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improved apparatus for
the saturation of atmospheric air with inflammable vapours, or for saturating
all kinds of lighting gases, as herein described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
...One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
tness,
⚫ JAMES DAISH,
".
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (LS.)