IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS" and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The Invention consists of the novel construction of apparatus for the manufacture
of gas hereinafter described with reference to the annexed drawings in which
figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved gas making apparatus; figure 2 is a
vertical section partly broken away, showing the interior construction and arrange-
ment of several of the parts; figure 3 is a detail view of a part of the mechanism
for operating the pump, showing the opposite side of the same from that shown in
figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view of part of the same, being partly in section; and
figure 5 is a vertical section of the valve-mechanism for regulating the supply of
gas to the heating burners.
A is a lever which is connected at one end to the gas-holder B, and pivoted at
the other end in a supporting-frame C. To the pivotal shaft D, to which the lever
is loosely connected, are rigidly attached two arms E F extending in opposite
directions from each other, the arm F being connected with an arm G on the lever
by a chain H which supports a movable weight I by a friction roller J. To the
arm E is connected the pump bucket K by means of the chain L. With this
construction the action of the weight would tend to deflect the arm F downward,
and elevate the arm E, thus lifting the bucket K and feeding the gasoline from the
tank M, through the pipe N, to the distributing-chamber O.
In order, however, that the gasoline shall be supplied to the generating chamber
only when the gas in the gas-holder has been nearly all consumed and there is
room for a new supply, the arms E F are connected with the lever A in such
manner that said arm shall be held from oscillation until the lever is moved down
rn
1

page_text: by the weight of the sinking gas holder B, and in order to sink the bucket in the
gasoline before the weight I is allowed to raise it, means are provided whereby the
lever in its descent shall deflect the arm E downward.
To these ends a shaft D¹ is journaled in the frame C directly above and parallel
with the shaft D, and to this shaft D¹ is rigidly secured a pawl W which is adapted
to be turned down into engagement with a ratchet segment A¹ rigidly attached to the
shaft D, or to the arm E. To the shaft D¹ is also rigidly attached a socket-piece G¹,
and to said shaft is loosely connected one end of the frame E¹, the opposite end of
which is loosely connected to the lever A by a pivoted link F¹, while an extensible
arm B¹, consisting of a pointed shell having an internal spiral spring C¹, and a
protruding pin actuated by the spring, is so arranged as to form universal joints
with the socket-piece G¹ and with one end of the frame E¹. With this construction,
when the lever A is moved up to the position shown in figure 3, (in which the end
of the frame E¹ which is attached to the lever is elevated above the free end of the
socket-piece G¹) the action of the spring C¹ which is thas thrown out of alignment
with the said socket-piece, will deflect the socket-piece downward oscillating the
shaft D' and throwing the pawl W into engagement with the segment A¹. In the
same manner, when the lever is moved downward, the socket-piece will be deflected
upward, throwing the pawl out of engagement with the segment, and allowing the
weight I to act upon the arm F shaft D and arm E to elevate the bucket K.
The shaft D' is provided with a spur D which is adapted to strike a set-
screw Ds supported in a bracket D*, when the pawl W is lifted out of engagement
with the segment A¹, the object being to limit the upward movement of the pawl.
To the lever A is pivoted a catch I', which is also connected to the said lever by
a spring I arranged around the pivot of the catch and having its ends secured to
the catch and lever. The upper end of this catch is loosely connected to a slotted
arm J which is journalled on the shaft D¹.
With this construction, as the lever A moves downward, the upper end of
catch I' will be gradually drawn towards the shaft D¹. The parts are so arranged
however that the catch I¹ in its descent will engage a catch K¹ secured to the
arm E and thus cause said arm to be deflected downward to sink the bucket K,
before the catch I shall have been drawn out of engagement with the catch K'.
When the catch K₁ is thus released the weight I, as above explained, will lift the
bucket K and supply the distributing chamber O with gasoline.
This chamber is provided with perforations O' in its walls, through which the
gasoline shall exude, and is supported in the upper part of a receptacle P. The
receptacles O and P are bolted together by a rod P₁ having a plate P' secured to
one of its ends, which serves as a bottom for the receptacle P, and a nut P³ screwing
on the other end of the rod at the top of the receptacle O. With this construction
the gasoline will flow down and spread over the inner surface of the main
receptacle P, from which it will be evaporated by heat supplied by the burners Q
arranged around the outside of the receptacle. As the gas accumulates in the
receptacle P, it passes out through the injector R into the chamber R', into which
atmospheric air is admitted through the check valve S, and the carbureted air
passes into the chamber T in the tank V and up the pipe U into the gas holder B.
The valve S is located in a branch of a long pipe S¹, which latter is extended a suitable
distance from the apparatus at both ends to prevent danger from any escaping gas.
A pipe V¹ conducts the gas from the gas holder B to where it is to be consumed.
The gas for heating the gas generator is supplied by a branch pipe V² leading
from the pipe V¹. Between the pipe V* and the burner-pipe Q' is located a valve
for regulating the supply of gas to the burners and thus controlling the heat
according to requirement. The valve consists of the socket L', the plug M¹ and
the spiral spring N' which supports the plug. The spring and plug are enclosed
in a casing T which is provided with an orifice at the top through which a set
screw A² supported in a lever B2 is adapted to bear upon the plug to shut off the
supply of gas. The operation of the valve is made automatic by the following
On a cap C on top of the gas-generating receptacle P is fulcrumed a
means.

page_text: walking beam E one end of which is held from upward movement by a rod F³,
while its other end is connected by means of a rod G with the lever B at the end
opposite to that having the set-screw A². The expansion and contraction of the
body of the receptacle P due to the heat from the burners Q will oscillate the
walking beam and cause the lever B to close or open the valve. Thus when
the heat reaches a certain degree of intensity the expansion of the receptacle P will
cause the lever B to press down the plug M¹ sufficiently to reduce the supply of
gas and lower the temperature in the generating-chamber, and likewise the
contraction of the receptacle P will again operate the lever B to open the valve
and raise the temperature. In this manner the temperature of the generator is
automatically kept nearly uniform.
H' is a casing surrounding the gas generator to confine the heat of the burners Q.
J' is a branch pipe leading from the pipe V, which is to be used for a constant
burner to relight the burners Q in case they should be extinguished by the
operation of the plug M¹.
The gas holder B is provided with guide rods K³ supported at the sides of the
tank V, and the lever A is provided with a pivoted prop L² adapted to rest on
the upper rim of the tank V to relieve the pressure in the gas holder when the
apparatus is not in use. On starting the apparatus the prop is to be turned up to
the position shown in figure 1 and held by a spring-catch M² on the lever A. The
gas holder moves in contact with the tank V by means of the friction rollers N' as
shown in figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1 The combination with the gas-holder, and the lever connected to the same, of
the arms E, F, the weight suspended from the lever and one of said arms, and
means for automatically connecting and disconnecting the said lever an arms,
substantially as shown and described, whereby the operation of the pump bucket
which is connected to one of said arms shall be regulated by the action of the
gas-holder.
2nd The combination with the gas holder, and the lever connected to the same
and having an arm G, of the rigidly connected oscillatory arms E F, the weight I,
the chain H connecting arms F G and supporting the weight, and means for
automatically connecting and disconnecting the lever and the arm E, substantially
as shown and described, whereby the arms E F shall be oscillated to operate the
pump bucket, as the gas holder rises and falls.
3rd The combination with the gas-holder, and the lever having the arm G, of the
rigidly connected oscillatory arms E F, the weight I, the chain H connecting
arms F G and supporting the weight, the catches I¹ K¹, the pawl W, the ratchet
segment A' connected to the arm E, and means for oscillating the catch I' and
pawl W for connecting and disconnecting the lever A and arm E and for holding
or releasing the said arm for the purpose specified.
4th The combination with the gas holder B and lever A having arm G, of the
independent oscillatory arms E F rigidly connected together, the weight I, the
chain H connecting arms F G and supporting the said weight, the catch K' secured
to arm E, the catch F pivoted to the lever A and having guide arm J¹ and
retaining spring I, substantially as shown and described, whereby the descent of
lever A shall cause the catch I to depress arm E and then release the same, for
the purpose specified.
5th The combination with the gas holder B and lever A having arm G, of the
independent oscillatory arms E F rigidly connected together the weight I and
the chain H, the ratchet segment A₁ attached to arm E, the shaft D₁ carrying
pawl W and socket piece G₁ rigidly secured thereto, the oscillating frame E
journalled on the shaft D¹ and connected to lever A, and the extensible arm B¹
arranged between the socket-piece G¹ and one end of frame E¹, substantially as

page_text: shown and described, whereby the oscillation of lever A shall elevate or depress
the pawl W to release or engage the arm E for the purpose specified.
6th The combination with the lever A, of the frame E journalled on a shaft D¹
located above and parallel with the pivotal shaft of said lever, and connected to said
lever by a link F, the socket piece G¹ rigidly secured to shaft D', the extensible
arm B¹ having an internal spring and a protruding pin and being arranged in
engagement with said piece G¹ and frame E¹ the ratchet segment A¹ and the
stop D' and pawl W rigidly attached to shaft D' and set-screw D', substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
7th The combination with the lever A and the pawl W ratchet segment A¹ of
the spring-actuated extensible arm, the pivoted frame connected to the lever and
carrying the said arm, and the socket-piece connected rigidly to the shaft carrying
the pawl and forming a joint with the said arm, substantially as shown and
described.
8th The combination of the perforated gasoline-distributing receptacle O, the
heating or generating receptacle P, the casing H2, and the burners Q arranged
between receptacle P and casing H³, substantially as shown and described.
9th The combination of the distributing-receptacle O, the heating-receptacle P
supporting the receptacle O in its upper end, the rod or bolt P¹ having plate P*
adapted to close the lower end of receptacle P, and the nut P³ screwing on said
rod to bind said parts removably together, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 16th day of September 1884.