IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR MAKING OIL GAS
Year: 1885

page_text: We, THOMAS ALEXANDER, SAMUEL ALEXANDER, and ROBERT PATERSON, all of
9 Broadcroft, Kirkintilloch, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Gas-
fitters, do hereby declare the nature of our said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR MAKING OIL GAS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object, by improved, simple, and easily managed
apparatus to make gas of good quality from oil. Our improved apparatus is
specially designed for use at country houses, or in connection with works or other
buildings where gas is made on the premises; at the same time the apparatus can
be increased by repeating the retorts and some other parts so as to serve for
producing large supplies of gas.
In carrying out our Invention we employ a horizontal retort, which is by
preference of a cylindrical form, and which is placed in a building formed with a
fire grate for ordinary fuel and with an oven or flue space in which the retort is
placed. The retort is provided with ordinary appliances for leading away the gas,
and with a cover to give access to the interior. The oil to be converted into gas is
led into the retort by a number of straight horizontal pipes placed near the inner
surface of the retort by preference at the upper part, and extending from the front
end of the retort nearly to the back, the inner ends of the pipes being open. The
oil is partly converted in passing along the horizontal pipes and issuing from their
inner ends the vapor or gas is further acted on by the heat in passing from the
back to the front end of the retort at which latter part the outlet is situated.
The front ends of the horizontal pipes are fitted with plugs or covers which are
removable to admit of a rod being introduced to clear any one of them if required;
and they receive the oil by separate side branch pipes formed with siphon bends
and fitted with funnels. The oil reservoir or tank is fitted with a main discharge
valve which can be adjusted to regulate the entire supply, and from this main valve
a pipe proceeds having separate stopcocks for supplying the funnels of the several
retort pipes. With this arrangement the. supply to each pipe can be adjusted
separately at a rate to correspond with the observed working of each pipe; and
the proper working of the entire apparatus can be thereby conveniently controlled.
Dated this thirteenth day of March 1885.
EDMUNT HUNT,
Applicants' Agent,

page_text: We, THOMAS ALEXANDER, SAMUEL ALEXANDER, and ROBERT PATERSON, all of
9 Broadcroft, Kirkintilloch, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain, Gas-
fitters, 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, that is to say :—
Our said Invention has for its object, by improved, simple, and easily managed
apparatus, to make gas of good quality from oil. Our improved apparatus is
specially designed for use at country houses, or in connection with works or other
buildings where gas is made on the premises; at the same time the apparatus can
be increased by repeating the retorts and some other parts so as to serve for
producing large supplies of gas.
In carrying out our Invention we employ a horizontal retort, which is by
preference of a cylindrical form, and which is placed in a building formed with a
fire grate for ordinary fuel, and with an oven or flue space in which the retort is
placed. The oil to be converted into gas is led into the retort by a number of
straight horizontal pipes placed near the inner surface of the retort by preference
at the upper part, and extending from the front end of the retort nearly to the
back end, the inner ends of the pipes being open. The oil is partly converted in
passing along the horizontal pipes, and issuing from their inner ends the vapor or
gas is further acted on by the heat in passing from the back to the front end of
the retort at which latter part the outlet is situated.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing apparatus as made with our
improvements.
Figures, 1, and 2, on the accompanying sheet of drawings are front and side
elevations of the apparatus. Figures, 3, and 4, are transverse and longitudinal
vertical sections; and figure, 5, is an enlarged sectional view of a detail. In these
drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts
wherever they are repeated.
In our improved apparatus as shown in the drawings, a cylindrical iron retort, 6,
is placed horizontally in a brick building, 7, the ends of the retort projecting
through the front and back walls of the building and being fitted with covers, 8, 9,
which may be fixed by bolts or in any other convenient way. The building, 7, is
constructed with a grate, 10, for coal and with an oven or flue space, 11, which
surrounds the retort, 6, the outlet from the oven, 11, being by a flue, 12, passing
along under the retort to a chimney, 13. Through the front cover, 8, of the retort,
pipes, 14, are fixed so as to extend along inside the retort near its upper internal
surface to within a short distance of the back cover, 9, these pipes having their
inner ends open, and being supported near their inner ends by a ring, 15, placed
inside of the retort. The outer end of each pipe, 14, is fitted with a screw plug, 16,
which can be removed for the purpose of cleaning the pipe when required; and the
oil is led into each pipe, 14, by a side branch, 17, connected to a pipe, 18, made

page_text: with a siphon bend and provided with a funnel, 19. The several funnels, 19, for
separately supplying the retort pipes, 14, are arranged in a horizontal row beneath
stopcocks, 20, upon a main supply pipe, 21, fitted with a stopcock, 22, and con-
nected to the oil tank, 23. The total supply of oil can be regulated by means of
the last named stopcock, 22, whilst the portion of the supply allotted to each retort
tube, 14, can be separately regulated by the branch stopcocks, 20.
The gas formed in the retort, 6, passes off by piping, 24, connected to the top of
its front end, this piping leading the gas to an ordinary atmospheric condenser, 25,
from which it passes by a pipe, 26, to a gasholder, 27. The movable drum of the
gasholder, 27, is arranged with chains passing over pulleys to counter weights so
as to tend to rise and produce a partial vaccuum in the interior of the apparatus, to
promote the extraction of the gas from the retorts and its passage through the con-
denser and other piping to the gasholder. A nozzle, 28, and a stopcock, 29, are
fitted upon the piping, 24, between the retort, 6, and the condenser, 25; for the
purpose of allowing some gas to issue for testing purposes and to facilitate the
regulation of the working of the apparatus. A stopcock, 30, is fitted on the pipe, 26,
between the condenser, 25, and the gasholder, 27, and its lever is connected by a
rod, 31, to the stopcock, 29, in such a way that when the stopcock, 29, is opened
the other one, 30, is shut and vice versa. Without this arrangement of the stop-
cocks, 29, 30, on the opening of the former instead of gas issuing air would be
drawn in because of the partial vacuum.
Our improved apparatus as hereinbefore described is such as to allow of the
action being easily and satisfactorily regulated and controlled, without which good
gas cannot be formed economically and the apparatus cannot be kept in good order..
With a suitable regular heat in the oven or flue space, 11, it is essential for good
working that neither more nor less than the proper supply of oil should be main-
tained. By opening the stopcock, 29, and allowing gas to issue at the nozzle, 28,
its color will afford a means of judging whether the action is going on properly,
and the attendant can adjust the supplies of oil or the heat from the furnace
accordingly. Other indications also may be observed by the attendant for his
guidance. Thus the intense heat of the gas should extend at least three feet
along the outlet pipe but not more than six feet, in the case of apparatus of the
proportions represented in the accompanying drawings; whilst with apparatus
of other proportions corresponding indications can be ascertained with a little
experience.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination consisting of the building with its fire grate and oven or
flue space, the retort and the pipes inside of the retort with their separately
adjustable supply apparatus, all arranged and operating substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The construction of the oil pipes, 14, and their connections and the mode of
placing them within the retort substantially as hereinbefore described.
D
15
1
160K
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.