Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture of Gas for Illuminating and Heating Purposes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for the Manufacture
of Gas for Illuminating and Heating Purposes.
I FRANK WILLIAM CLARK of Millbank Street, in the city of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of improved machinery or apparatus
for manufacturing illuminating and heating gas from liquid hydrocarbons.
In manufacturing gas according to my invention a suitable light hydrocarbon
liquid such as gasoline is passed through an enclosed retort which is heated by
atinospheric burners supplied with gas made by the machine itself; the hydro-
carbon liquid is contained in a tank at an elevation or in an enclosed tank placed
underground, in which latter case, air or gas is pumped on the surface of the liquid
to give the required pressure to force the liquid into the retort through a shut off
cock and regulating cock. The hydrocarbon is vaporized and partly decomposed
in the retort and the vapor is conducted to an impinging point or points in the
apparatus placed opposite a short tube or tubes; the vapor rushing through the
said tube or tubes forms a partial vacuum in a space above the top of the said tube
or tubes and air by its natural pressure passes through a clack valve up a
concentric space or spaces formed by two or more tubes; this air is heated on its
way by coming in contact with the outer surface of the inner tube or tubes and
mixes with the hydrocarbon vapor at the said space or the tube opposite thereto
and forms a practically permanent gas, which gas is conducted to the bottom part
of the body of the apparatus whence it is passed through horsehair or other
scrubbing material placed in the main portion of the apparatus the upper part of
which is surrounded by a space filled with water which forms a condenser; the gas
then passes into a small gas-holder or regulator down a centre pipe to the outlet
pipe of the machine; a wheel which actuates a lever connected to the regulating
cock is fixed on the gas holder or regulator so that by this arrangement the
necessary quantity only of the liquid to make the quantity of gas being consumed
is allowed to pass into the retort.

page_text: of Gas for Illuminating and Heating Purposes.
I, FRANK WILLIAM CLARK of Millbank Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil 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:―
This invention relates to the construction of improved machinery or apparatus
for manufacturing illuminating and heating gas from liquid hydro-carbons.
In manufacturing gas according to my invention a suitable light hydro-carbon
liquid such as gasoline is passed through an enclosed retort which is heated by
atmospheric burners supplied with gas, made by the machine itself; the hydro-
carbon liquid is contained in a tank at an elevation or in an enclosed tank placed
underground in which latter case air or gas is pumped on the surface of the liquid
to give the required pressure to force the liquid into the retort through a shut off
cock and regulating cock. The hydro-carbon is vaporized and partly decomposed
in the retort and the vapor is conducted to an impinging point or points in the
apparatus placed opposite a short tube or tubes; the vapor rushing through the
said tube or tubes forms a partial vacuum in a space above the top of the said tube
or tubes and air by its natural pressure passes through a clack valve up a
concentric space or spaces formed by two or more tubes; this air is heated on its
way by coming in contact with the outer surface of the inner tube or tubes and
mixes with the hydro-carbon vapor at the said space or the tube opposite thereto
and forms a practically permanent gas which gas is conducted to the bottom part
of the body of the apparatus whence it is passed through horse-hair or other
scrubbing material placed in the main portion of the apparatus the upper part of
which is surrounded by a space filled with water which forms a condenser; the gas
then passes into a small gas holder, or regulator down a centre pipe to the outlet
pipe of the machine; a wheel which actuates a lever connected to the regulating
cock is fixed on the gas holder or regulator so that by this arrangement the
necessary quantity only of the liquid to make the quantity of gas being consumed
is allowed to pass into the retort.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a
sectional elevation of a machine or apparatus for the manufacture of gas for
illuminating and heating purposes constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 represents an elevation (partly in section) at right angles to Figure 1
and Figures 3 and 4 represent horizontal sections on the lines A B and C, D
respectively of Figure 1. Figures 5 and 6 are detached details of the needle
valves. Similar reference letters indicate similar parts throughout the several
figures of the drawings.
a, is the retort which is enclosed in a casing b, mounted on pillars c, on the
body d, of the apparatus. The tauk for containing the gasoline or other light
hydrocarbon liquid is not shewn in the drawing and can be situated at an elevation

page_text: above the retort a, or the said liquid can be contained in an inclosed tank placed
underground, the liquid being forced into the retort a, in the manner herein before
described through a pipe e, having the shut off cock e¹, and regulating cock e';
ff, are the atmospheric burners for heating the retort a, and which are supplied
with gas made by the machine itself by means of a pipe f¹, having a stop cock f³,
the said pipe f being connected with the outlet s; h, h, are the impinging points
or orifices to either or both of which the hydro-carbon is conducted by pipes g, g¹,
after having been vaporized and partly decomposed in the retort a, the impinging
points or orifices h, h, have needle valves h¹, capable of being moved by hand so as
to open or close the impinging points or orifices which are above or opposite the
ends of the tubes i and i¹. Figures 5 and 6 are detached views on a larger scale
shewing one of the valves open and the other valve closed.
, and ³, are the concentric spaces formed by the tubes j, and j¹, surrounding the
tubes and respectively; k, is the clack or inlet valve arranged at the lower end
of the tube j, through which valve the air is caused to enter the space by reason
of the partial vacuum formed in either or both of the spaces 72, for example, if the
partial vacuum be formed in the space above the top of the tube i, the vapor
from the retort a (the valve h¹, above the tube i, being opened) will rush down
through the said tube; the air as hereinbefore described becomes heated in its
passage by coming in contact with the tube i.
On arriving at the said space 2, the hot air mixes with the hydro-carbon vapor
and forms a practically permanent gas which passes down the tube i, in the
direction shewn by the arrows in Figures 1 and 2 through the connecting space 7,
Figure 2 and up the concentric space ³, between the pipe ¹ and the pipe ¹; d³, is
the bottom part of the body of the apparatus into which the gas is then conducted
through the pipe ; the operation is the same for the other side of the apparatus ;
m is a curved pipe for the purpose of allowing of the escape of any liquid hydro-
carbon which inay be formed by the condensation of the gas in the pipe i, space
and space the said liquid (together with that which may be formed in the
pipe ) passing into the lower part of the apparatus whence it passes out through
a pipe mi
o, is the horse-hair or other scrubbing material resting on the perforated
partition or sieve n, in the main portion of the apparatus through which partition
and material the gas after having reached the lower portion of the apparatus as
hereinbefore described is then passed; it then continues to travel in an upward
direction through another perforated partition or sieve n' into the space d' also
filled with horse-hair and which forms the upper part of the body d of the
apparatus, forining a chamber into which the gas enters as it comes through the
partition n¹; p is the space surrounding the chamber d', the said space being filled
with water and thereby serving as a condenser; q, is the gas holder into which
the gas then passes through holes d³, in the top of the chamber d¹, the said gas
holder having wheels o¹, working on guides c¹, on the pillars c; the gas holder q,
works in the water in the space p, the said water serving to seal the lower portion
of the gas holder and thereby prevent the gas from escaping.
The gas holder q, is counterbalanced by means of a weight q¹, fastened to one end
of a cord q², running on pulleys q³, the other end of the cord being attached to the
top of the gas holder q; r, is the centre pipe through which the gas is conveyed
(after acting on the gasholder or regulator q) to the outlet pipe s, of the apparatus,
a stop cock t, being provided on the said pipe.
The centre pipe 7, is open at its lower end so as to allow of the escape of any
liquid formed by condensation in the said pipe. The pipe f1, for supplying the
burners f, as hereinbefore described is attached to the said outlet pipe 8; u, is the
wheel on the top of the gas holder q, and v, is the lever actuated thereby; e², is
the regulating cock to which the lever is connected so that by the movement of
the gas holder q, the necessary quantity only of the liquid required to make the
quantity of gas being consumed is allowed to pass into the retort a, as will be
obvious.

page_text: '
i
If instead of opening the valve h¹³, as just described the other valve h¹, be opened
the action would as above named be similar to that just described except that tho
air passing through the clack valve k, would have to pass up the space ³, down
through the pipe, through the pipe l, and up the space before mixing with the
hydro-carbon vapor, the gas so formed then passing down the pipe ', and into the
body d, as herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improved machinery or apparatus for the manufacture of gas for illuminating
and heating purposes arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.