IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hansor, of 2, Portland Place, Wandsworth
Road, in the County of Surrey, Practical Chemist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS,"
Sealed the 24th June 1850, and dated the 21st April 1856.
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hansor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
April 1856.
1, JAMES HANSOR, of 2, Portland Place, Wandsworth Road, in the County
of Surrey, Practical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the Inven
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of illu-
minating gas, and consists of combining in certain proportions the use of pent,
resin, coal tar, and resin oil, or other oil or oleaginous matter, and causing
them to be converted into gas, by preference by the means of a process such as
was described in the Specification of a Patent formerly granted to me, wherein
the matters were subjected to a comparatively low temperature in what were
called vapourizing retorts, the products passing into what I called carbonizing
retorts; which were more highly heated. The proportions of such mixture of
materials are as followe: about twelve parts of peat, twelve parts of. resin,
eight parts of coal tar, and sixteen parts of resin oil, or other oil or oleaginous
matter

page_text: The Invention is not, however, confined to the exact proportions above
given, but a material departure therefrom isinjurious to the beneficial manu-
facture of gas. In working, it is found advantageous to use valves between
the vapourizing retorts and carbonizing retorts, which will, in shutting off the
products from the carbonizing retorts, open the vapourizing retorts to the
atmosphere. In washing such gas, it is conveyed by a pipe into water in a
closed vessel. The lower end of the pipe is spread out or extended by having a
concave spreader formed or fixed thereto, which is perforated; the gas passes
under the water, and escapes either at the circumference of such spreader or
through the perforations therein.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Hansor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HANSOR, of the Wandsworth Road,in the County of Surrey, Practical Chemist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Hansor, Her special license that I, the said James Hansor,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Hansor, 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
THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Hansor, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly 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 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 James Hansor, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention relates, firstly, to the preparation of a compound to be used
in place of coals in gas-making, the object being to produce a rich illuminating
gas, which will not require to be submitted to the complex process of purifying,
at present employed in the manufacture of coal gas, which process, from the
necessity forgreat experience in the operator, as well as from its involving the
employment of several purifying vessels, is fatal to the introduction of coal
gas-making as a domestic manufacture. To obviate these inconveniences, and
at the same time to provide an economical substitute for bituminous coals, I
have invented the following compound, which possesses a plasticcharacter, and
admits of being placed upon trays in thin layers, and so presented to the heat
of the gas-generating apparatus, in which it will be quickly vaporized and
converted into gas.
The substances which I employ to form my improved compound are peat,
resin, coal tar, and resin oil, or other oleaginous matter. These I prefer to com-
bine in the following proportions (viz.): peat, twelve parts by weight; resin of
commerce, twelve parts; coal tar, eight parts; and resin oil or other oleaginous
matter, sixteen parts. I would remark that these proportions admit of varia-
tion, according to the quality of gas designed to be produced, but a material
departure therefrom is not desirable. For the purpose of mixing the substances
I use an ordinary pug mill, and I thus produce a pasty compound, of the con-
sistency of stiff mortar, ready for con version into gas, in the apparatus for which
I obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain on the Twenty-first day of March
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, but appli-
cable also to other arrangements of gas apparatus. As this compound is
calculated to yield a far richer gas than that obtained from coals, it is requisite
to employ in the burning of the gas such burners as will admit of a large supply
of oxygen to the flame, or otherwise a considerable portion of unconsumed
carbon would be evolved in the form of soot, to the great loss and inconvenience
of the consumer. The burner which I prefer to employ is that known as
Winfield's lucent burner."
In the Specification of the Patent above referred to I have described the
apparatus which Lemploy for generating illuminating gas as consisting mainly
of two retorts for receiving the carbonaceous material to be distilled, and a
central retort for receiving the vapor generated in these retorts, and (by reason
of its superior heat) converting the vapor into gas. These retorts were con-
nected together by a suitable arrangement of pipes, and the supply of vapor

page_text: to the central retort was regulated by means of cocks, which were to be turned
by the workmen at certain periods. I have found, however, that a great
improvement is effected by the substitution of self-acting valves for thesecocks,
and it is the application of these valves to gas apparatus, working on the
principle described under my former Patent (viz, the conversion of vapor
generated in one retort into illuminating gas by submitting it to a superior
heat in a second or separate retort), which constitutes the second head of my
Invention.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 shews a sectional elevation of my gas
apparatus with the valves applied thereto; and Figs. 2 and 3 shew the valve
box detached and on an enlarged scale, the same being in sectional plan and
elevation, the better to explain the construction and action of the valve.
A, A,(Fig. 1) are the valve boxes, forming a continuation of the pipes B, B,
which lead from the retorts C, C, to the central retort D. The valves E
(Figs. 2 and 3) close by their own gravity, and cut off the communication
between the retorts C and D ; but when the pressure of the vapor generated
in either of the retorts C has risen to a given gauge, the valve of that retort
will rise and permit the vapor to pass to the retort D, to be there converted
iuto illuminating gas. When, however, from any cause the pressure sinks
below a given gauge, the valve, having been weighted for the purpose, will fall
and cut off the communication between the retorts C and D; thus, if the work-
man wishes to withdraw an exhausted charge, he can remove the retort door,
and do so without any risk of gas passing from the retort D and making its
escape through the open door of the retort C, which might under the old
arrangement occur through the inattention of the attendant; and also, when
the charge of carbonaceous matter is exhausted, and the pressure of gas in the
retort D is superior to that of the vapor in either of the retorts C, the gas
cannot find its way past the valve, but must escape at the proper vent from the
retort D. In the pipes B, leading from the retorts C, I provide escape cocks
B for letting off the vapor contained in the retorts C and their tubular
connections just prior to removing the lids of the retorts for inserting a fresh
charge of carbonaceous matter. By this means the escape of vapor into the
retort house will be entirely prevented.
The third head of my Invention relates to the washing and purifying of the
gas after it has passed from the generating apparatus and been cooled in the
condenser. Fig. 4 shews in sectional elevation my improved apparatus for
effecting this operation. It consists of a water-tight vessel a, fitted with a lead-
off pipe b and entrance pipec; this pipe e dips into the vessel, and carries at its
lower end an inverted dish-shaped plate d, pierced with fine holes. I supply

page_text: lime water by preference to the vessel a, and maintain it at the desired level
by the ordinary appliances of syphon and supply pipe. The gas entering the
pipe c passes down into the lime water, and bubbling up through the holes in
the plate d, effects its escape thence to the gasometer in a purified state read y
for consumption.
Having now set forth the nature and object of my Invention of "Improve-
ments in the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the preparation and use of the above-described oleaginous compound
for the purpose of gas-making.
Secondly, the use of the self-acting valves in lieu of stop-cocks for shutting
off the connection between the retorts, as explained.
And, lastly, the apparatus for washing or purifying gas, constructed and
operating as above explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hansor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
20 Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane,
J. HANSOR. (L.S.)