IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS PRODUCERS AND IN FUEL SUPPLYING DEVICES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN GUY WILSON of the British & Foreign Patent Office 71 Market Street
Manchester in the County of Lancaster Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS PRODUCERS AND IN FUEL
SUPPLYING DEVICES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH'
" a communication from
abroad by Joseph Elton Bott of Linwood Delaware County State of Pennsylvania
United States of America to be as follows:-
My improvements are mainly in the manner of admitting the air necessary for
ensuring complete combustion of the fuel undergoing destructive distillation in gas
producers and in fuel supplying devices and apparatus for the same.
The casing of the producer is preferably of wrought iron plates or castings, the
interior of same being lined with refractory materials at the base of which is a fire-
grate on which the fuel is deposited by the fuel supplying devices herein after
described whilst door or openings are constructed in the sides and ends for the
purpose of spreading and stirring the fuel and cleaning and removing clinkers and
other incombustible materials.
The producer may be made circular or of square or rectangular form, preferably
the latter. At each side in a square or rectangular (or in the case of a circular
extending round the producer is a continuous tuyere constructed so as to give an
opening of a corrugated or wavy configuration, the lower area being larger than
the upper-this continuous tuyere is enveloped in an envelope or casing forming
an air chamber into which air alone or air and steam is forced by means of pipes
connected with a heating box forming the top or cover of the producer, the said
heating box being supplied by a blower of any description with air or air and
steam-branches or pipes also extend from the air-chamber to underneath the fire-
grate.
Valves on the blast pipes are used to regulate the force of the blast which may
be strong or otherwise as is required-the force of blast being uniform all over the
producer. By these means the production of gas may be governed, large volumes
being obtained even from inferior fuel,

page_text: Owing to the continuous corrugated or waved tuyeres injecting air, or air and
steam (heated by passing through the heating box) the fuel is supplied with a
continuous blast of steam which by means of the variable vertical section of the
said tuyeres causes the blast to permeate a larger vertical as well as horizontal
.mass of incandescent fuel, thus ensuring a uniform combustion taking place and
the distillation of the fuel into gas proceeding regularly whilst the ash or residue
is left in a more friable form than is possible when blast is admitted in the form of
concentrated jets through isolated tuyeres for in the latter case combustion proceeds
irregularly and the tendency is to form clinkers in the immediate vicinity of the
tuyeres whilst the gas is produced in flushes...
Moreover in my improved form of gas producer the diffused blast through the
continuous corrugated or wavy tuyeres can be safely reduced when a curtailed
supply of gas is required without causing the zone of active combustion to become
uneven as is the case when the blast is admitted through isolated tuyeres, whilst
the area of blast admitted through my form of tuyere is greater at its lower portion
than the upper, this being preferable for equalising the production of gas.
The gas evolved in the vicinity of the tuyeres is mainly carbonic acid which
passing through the mass of fuel in the upper portion combines with an additional
atom of carbon thus forming carbonic oxide; whilst the decomposition of the steam
resulting in the oxygen going to support combustion and the hydrogen enriching
the main body of gas-besides reducing the per centage of incombustible nitrogen
which would otherwise have combined with the gases evolved if nothing but air
had been used for the blast. The gases are led off from the producer by suitable
pipes or channels and owing to the gas being produced under pressure there is
no danger of combustion taking place after leaving the producer owing to the
absorption of air, as is the case in the Siemens and other forms of producers, owing
to the difference of density; and no heat is lost in cooling tubes and like devices
used in other forms of gas producers.
Above the gas-producing chamber and on each side of the same are fuel hoppers
consisting of quadrangular boxes-each being closed by a valve of rectangular
shape one side being very thick and heavy, the other thin.
The heavy sides rest on a ledge or rib at the side of the producer casing whilst
the thin edge forms a joint against the under edge of the blast heating box. Each
valve is connected by a rod to a weighted lever being on a bracket-the counter-
poised tendency of which is to keep the valve closed.
Fuel is deposited in the hoppers and when its weight over balances the counter-
poised lever the valves are depressed and fuel is delivered in a thin stream into
the interior of the producer, this taking place at each side. The valves simply
resting on the ribs, no hinges or pins are required and a valve can readily be
renewed in case of its becoming worn or burnt out.
To prevent access of fuel behind the valve or between the valve and the rib on
which it rests I use a flexible strip of iron plate, the upper edge being fastened to
the side of the hopper-whilst its lower edge bears on the thick part of the valve
and also assists in keeping the valve down on its seat.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN GUY WILSON of the British and Foreign Patent Office 71 Market
Street Manchester Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS-PRODUCERS AND IN FUEL SUPPLYING
DEVICES USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH (a communication to him from abroad'
by Joseph Elton Bott of Linwood Delaware Pennsylvania in the United States of
America) and in what manner.the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
.
こ
The improvements are mainly in the manner of admitting the air necessary
for ensuring complete combustion of the fuel undergoing distinctive distillation
in Gas producers and in fuel supplying devices and apparatus for the same.
The casing of the Producer is preferably of wrought iron plates, or castings the
interior of same being lined with refractory materials-at the base of which is a
fire-grate or hearth on which the fuel is deposited by the fuel supplying devices
bereinafter described, whilst doors, or openings, are constructed in the sides and
ends for the purpose of spreading and stirring the fuel, and cleaning and removing
clinkers and other incombustible materials.
The producer may be made circular, or of square or rectangular form, preferably
the latter. At each side in a square or rectangular (or in the case of a circular
extending round the) producer is by preference a continuous tuyere constructed so
as to give an opening of corrugated or wavy configuration, the lower area being
larger than the upper-this continuous tuyere is enveloped in an envelope or casing
forming an air chamber, into which air alone, or air and steam, is forced, by means
of pipes connected with a heating box forming the top or cover of the producer,
the said heating box being supplied by a blower of any description with air or air
and steam branches or pipes also extend from the air chamber to underneath the
fire grate or hearth.
Valves on the blast pipes are used to regulate the force of the blast which may
be strong or otherwise as is required-the force of blast being uniform all over the
producer. By these means the production of Gas may be governed; large volumes.
being obtained even from inferior fuel.
Owing to the continuous corrugated or waved tuyers injecting air, or air and
steam, (heated by passing, through the heating box), the fuel is supplied with a
continuous stream of blast, which by means of the variable vertical section of the
said tuyeres causes the blast to permeate a large vertical as well as horizontal mass
of incandescent fuel, thus ensuring a uniform combustion taking place and the
distillation of the fuel into gas proceeding regularly, whilst the ash or residue is
left in a more friable form than is possible when blast is admitted in the form of
concentrated jets through isolated tuyeres for, in the latter case; combustion proceeds
irregularly and the tendency is to form. clinkers in the immediate vicinity of the.
buyeres whilst the gas itself is produced in flushes.
Moreover, in this improved form of Gas producer, the diffused blast through
the continuous corrugated or wavy. tuyeres can be safely reduced when a curtailed.

page_text: supply of gas is required, without causing the zone of active combustion to become
uneven, as is the case when the blast is admitted through isolated tuyeres, whilst
the area of blast admitted through this form of tuyero is greater at its lower
portion than the upper, this being preferable for equalising the production of gas.
The gas evolved in the vicinity of the tuyeres is mainly carbonic acid, which
passing through the mass of fuel in the upper portion combines with an additional.
atom of carbon thus forming carbonic oxide, whilst the decomposition of the steam-
resulting in the oxygen going to support combustion and the hydrogen enriching
the main body of gas, besides reducing the percentage of incombustible nitrogen
which would otherwise have combined with the gases evolved if nothing but air
had been used for the blast. The gases are led off from the producer by suitable
pipes or channels, and owing to the gas being produced under pressure, there is no
danger of combustion taking place after leaving the producer, owing to the
absorption of air, as is the case in the Siemens and other forms of producers owing
to the difference, of density; and no heat is lost, as in cooling tubes and like
devices used in other forms of Gas producers.
On the accompanying drawing figure 1 represents an elevation of the improved
Gas producer:-Fig 2 is a vertical section of Fig 1. through the line a. b with the
hopper removed; and Fig 3. is a vertical section of Fig 1. at right angles to the
line a. b. and shewing the cover and heater box.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the views.
The improved Gas Producer consists of a shell or casing, or by preference of
wrought iron plates, having a refractory lining b. enclosing a generating chamber c-
at the lower part of which is constructed a fire place or hearth d. preferably of
refractory material-the said hearth sloping from back to front as seen in Fig 2.
In the centre of the hearth d. I construct a slot e communicating with the atmo-
sphere and which is designed to receive at the level of the hearth d.. a rotary blast.
pipe constructed with slots or orifices g. in its length and connected at one end f¹
with the pipe f2 for conveying the blast from the heater h. and having at the other
end a lever i attached for the purpose of rotating the same-
e-this pipe being stopped
by the plug v¹.
A cleaning door j. is fixed at the side where the hearth d.. is at its lowest
position, (see Fig. 2) and immediately above the refractory lining b. is racked
inwards so as to leave an air space or chamber 61 communicating with the
segmental cleaning boxes b².
At a suitable height continuous tuyere boxes . are built in the refractory
lining b. the tuyere openings being of a triangular or corrugated shape around the
whole circumference as illustrated.-The pipe m also admits air through the
segmental cleaning boxes b and through the branch pipes m², and ball safety
valves n. are suspended over orifices formed in the same.
The gas is carried away from the producer to the points required by the outlet
pipe o.
This improved Gas Producer is covered by a covering plate p. which has an
annular chamber or heating box h. fitting inside the same and in the centre of
which is the fuel supplying hopper and apparatus the whole being suspended
by preference by the suspension bars and clainps s—whilst one or more cup-shaped-
stoking holes t t are provided through the said cover p. and heating box h.-the
holes tt. being controlled by the perforated loose ball valves uu as hereinafter
described.
The fuel hopper r. is constructed with a distributing cone 1 controlled by the
spindle and counterbalanced lever ³ the loose cover v. resting on the grooved
sand joint in the said fuel hopper'..
The blast employed is composed of air and steam, or either, which enters the
heater box h. by the pipe q¹ and passes to the tuyeres . and blast pipe f. by means
of pipe m.
The method of operating this improved Gas Producer is as follows. Fuel is
supplied by means of the hopper to the depth of several feet in the generator

page_text: chamber c. according to the quality of the fuel employed-and after having ignited
the same in the usual manner, a blast of air and stean, or either, after becoming
heated in the box q. passes by the pipe m. into the air chamber b' and thence
through the corrugated tuyere openings into the mass of fuel-whilst the
rotary blast pipe f supplies the necessary amount of blast on the hearth d. to keep
the lower portion of fuel in a state of incandescence and burning off the carbon to
carbonic acid, which passing upwards through the cooler portions of the super-
incumbent fuel becomes carbonic oxide plus volatile hydro-carbons--the hydrogen
of the steam enriching the resultant gases after having parted with its oxygen.
The Gases so produced are passed directly under pressure to the furnaces or
other places where required by means of the outlet pipe o.
°
The blast pipes q¹ and m. are controlled by suitable valves while the quantity of
the blast supplied to the rotary blast pipe fis specially governed by the valve f*.
When it is required to check the rapid generation of gas the valves may be more
or less closed to reduce the quantity of blast supplied, whilst the rotary blast pipe f
can be rotated by means of the lever i and its blast shut off from the hearth; and
in order to prevent the pipe from becoming burned the plug i¹ is removed and a
current of blast permitted to escape through the same into the atmosphere.
Any unsafe pressure of gas is released by the self-seating ball valves n. covering
the holes in the cleaning boxes 62 and also applied higher up in the shell of the
generator as shewn.
In order to obviate the great leakage of Gas usual in other forms of gas producers
when stoking takes place, it will be seen on referring to Fig 2, that the ball
valves u. u. are so perforated that when the stoke-holes are not required the said
bails close the holes t t their holes being 'then in a horizontal position-but on a
poker or other stoking implement being thrust through the hole and the ball valve
put in a vertical position-the poker can then be used at almost. any angle
without any gas leaking, at least to any undue extent.
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 as the improvements in gas producers and in fuel supplying devices used in
connection therewith is
1
1st The general construction and arrangement of Gas producer substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings..
2nd The employment of tuyeres with corrugated openings substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
3rd The improved stoking holes controlled by perforated ball valves and the
application of suspended balls to side orifices substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
4th The application of a slotted blast pipe beneath the fire place or hearth and
capable of a rotary motion substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
5th The improved cover containing an annular heating chamber through which
the blast of air and steam or either is passed substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
D100-11 Tra100