Improvements in Gas Generating Apparatus.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Generating Apparatus.
I HUGH WILLIAMS of The Illuminating Heating and Power Gas Company
Limited of 23 John Dalton Street in the City of Manchester County of
Lancaster Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for generating gas by the decomposition of
petroleum or other oils and particularly to apparatus designed for the use of the
consumers or users of the gas. I employ a vertical annular retort or a retort or
cluster of retorts surrounding a fuel chamber through which the fuel descends to
the grate or furnace below the retort or cluster. The said fuel chamber is
extended above the retort and is provided with a charging hopper or mouth
which can be closed in a suitably air-tight manner by means of a lid or door.
The flames and products of combustion pass upward through a space between the
retort or cluster and a surrounding wall of refractory material and are led to a
flue or chimney or are brought down through a space outside of or surrounding
the said wall and then pass to a chimney.
In the cases of so termed portable apparatus the whole may be enclosed within
an outer casing of metal the upper part of such casing being adapted to be
readily removed in order to obtain access to the retort or retorts. The retort or
cach retort is provided with a cover and suitable means are employed, to make a
gas-tight joint between the cover and the retort. For this purpose I may use
lead or an alloy which will be in a fluid or melted condition at the working
temperature of the retort. In the case of an annular retort the cover would be
an annulus having inner and outer projecting flanges which would dip into annular
troughs formed upon the retort and charged with the lead or alloy. To ensure
the proper heating of the retort cover 1 prefer to deflect the products of com-
bustion over the cover by means of a removable horizontal partition. Pipes are
provided for the introduction into the retort of the oil and for the discharge
therefrom of the gas. I charge the retort with metallic fragments or with other
suitable heat conducting substance which will offer a large area of heated surface
to act upon the oil. The air to support combustion is supplied to the furnace
through a passage or through passages which or each of which is provided with an
air-inlet valve whereby the supply of air can be regulated or cut off. The fire bars
may be carried by a rocking shaft to facilitate the cleaning of the grate. In the
working of the apparatus the fuel is charged into the central chamber which may
be filled as in the cases of ordinary slow-combustion furnaces. The oil is fed
into the retort and the generated gas passes directly off through the outlet pipe.
In some or in all cases it may be necessary to pass the gas into a condenser and
in such cases the condenser may drain into the retort. When the generation of
gas is not required the supply of air may be checked so as to maintain the fire
with a smaller consumption of fuel until the generation of gas is again required.
In cases wherein more than one retort is used the gas may be led from one to the
other to complete the decomposition. At such intervals as may be desirable the
covers of the apparatus are removed and the retort is cleared out or is lifted out
of its seating and emptied in order that it may be re-charged.
Dated this 20th day of November 1890
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas Generating Apparatus.
I HUGH WILLIAMS of The Illuminating Heating and Power Gas Company
Limited of 23 John Dalton Street in the City of Manchester 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 and accompanying drawings:
My invention relates to apparatus for generating gas by the decomposition of
petroleum or other oils and particularly to apparatus designed for the use of the
consumers or users of gas. I employ a vertical annular retort or a retort or cluster
of retorts surrounding a fuel chamber through which the fuel descends to the
grate or furnace below the retort or cluster. The said fuel chamber is provided
with a charging hopper or mouth which can be closed in a suitably air tight
manner by means of a lid or door. The flames and products of combustion pass
upward through a space between the retort or cluster and a surrounding wall of
refractory material and are led to a flue or chimney or are brought down through
a space outside of or surrounding the said wall and theu pass to a chimney. In
the cases of so termed portable apparatus the whole may be enclosed within an
outer casing of metal the upper part of such casing being adapted to be readily
removed in order to obtain access to the retort or retorts. The retort or each
retort is provided with a cover and suitable means are employed to make a gas
tight joint between the cover and the retort. Pipes are provided for the intro-
duction into the retort of the oil and for the discharge therefrom of the gas.
charge the retort with metallic fragments or with some other suitable heat
conducting substance which will offer a large area of heated surface to act upon
the oil.
I
In order that the nature and objects of my invention may be clearly understood
I will describe and set forth the same more fully with reference to the accompanying
drawings:
In the said drawings
Fig. 1 represents a vertical section and Fig. 2 a horizontal section of a gas
generator constructed in accordance with my invention. In the said figs. or in
Fig. 1 only, a is the annular retort bis the oil supply pipe c is the gas outlet pipe
and d is the feeding hopper. In Fig. 1 the retort and its cover appear as when cut
It will be seen
in half. Fig. 2 representing a section on the line A in Fig. 1.
C
that the retort is formed with outer and inner walls and that between these walls
is a space of an annular or hollow cylindrical form. This space is charged with
iron scraps or fragments of iron. A channel a' is formed at the top of the outer
wall and a corresponding channel a² at the top of the inner wall. The retort is
provided with an annular lid or cover e which is cast or formed with two projecting
flanges which enter the said channels. The said channels are filled to a suitable
depth with common soft solder or with lead or with a suitable alloy which will be
fluid at the working temperature of the retort. The two pipes b and c are screwed
in or secured to the lid e. The retort rests upon four fire bricks or blocks for
upon a suitable number of supports arranged so that there shall be spacos for the
passage of burning gases and heated products from the central fire which is below
the retort. Surrounding the retort is a wall g and enclosing the whole is a metal
casing an annular space being left between the wall g and the outer casing. The
said casing is provided with a cover which carries the hopper d. The cover
is formed at the connecting joint with a socket to fit the top of the casing hand
is adapted to be readily lifted off. A ring shaped disc g' of fire clay rests upon
the wall and can be lifted out when the cover ¹ has been removed. The central
hole in the cover g¹ is larger than the outside of the hopper so that there is a
space for the passage of the hot gases. The fuel rests upon a fire grate i and

page_text: upon the conical or sloping furnace bottom formed of suitably shaped fire clay
bricks or lumps f'. In the example the fire bars are mounted upon a shaft which
is extended to the outside of the casing and is provided with a hand lever k in
order that the grate may be rocked to clear the spaces. Air to support combustion
is admitted through a "hit and miss" valve or through a suitable regulating
valve and through a pipe or passage . The fire is fed with fuel through the
hopper which is provided with a lid or stopper d. It will be seen that the
hopper extends downward to or nearly to the mouth of the central space in
the retort, so that the hopper forms a continuation of such space. The whole of
the said space including the space within the hopper below the cover d' may be
filled with fuel so that the furnace can be worked on the slow combustion system
and may therefore be left without attention for comparatively long intervals of
time. The flames and heated gases from the fire pass in the directions indicated
by the arrows upward through the annular space between the retort and the wall g
over the lid e and through the opening in the cover gl and downward through the
space between the wall g and the casing to the chimney. If considered to be
necessary the said casing may have a brick or refractory lining. It is intended
that the retort and its charge of iron fragments shall become heated to a
temperature sufficient to convert oil into a permanent gas. The oil drips from the
pipe 6 into the retort and is decomposed the resulting gas being rendered stable by
contact with the hot iron fragments. I might form the retort with two partitions
on opposite sides such partitions extending from the top to a point below the charge
of iron fragments so as to compel the vaporised oil to pass through the mass of
fragments in order to reach the outlet c. In some or in all cases it may be necessary
to pass the gas into a condenser and in such cases the condenser may drain into the
retort. When the generation of gas is not required the supply of air may be
checked so as to maintain the fire with a smaller consumption of fuel until the
generation of gas is again required. In cases wherein more than one retort is used
the gas may be led from one to the other to complete the decomposition. At such
intervals as may be desirable the covers of the apparatus are removed and the
retort is cleared out or is lifted out of its seating and emptied in order that it may
be re-charged.
Other suitable substances may be used in place of the iron fragments but I prefer
the use of such fragments.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of parts constituting the apparatus substantially as and for
the purpose set forth and indicated.
2. The annular retort a with its lid seated within the wally and casing the
hopper the furnace below the retort and the oil and gas pipes substantially
as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
3. In apparatus for the production of gas from oil a retort having a central fuel
chamber and an annular space to hold pieces of iron or other substance and provided
with a lid sealed with melted metal or alloy substantially as set forth and indicated.
4. In apparatus for the production of gas from oil arranging a retort or sectional
retorts around a central fuel chamber fed by means of a hopper which can hold a
reserve of fuel such retort or retorts being charged with fragments of iron or
other suitable substance in combination with a furnace and with means for regulating
the supply of air thereto substantially as set forth.
D: 10th
Cambo 1901
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.