IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENERATION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES; AND IN THE MODE OF APPLYING SUCH GASES TO THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, GLASS, AND OTHER PROCESSES IN THE ARTS WHERE GREAT HEAT IS REQUIRED
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William George Valentin, of the Royal College
of Chemistry, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, and
Frederick Levick, of Blaina, in the County of Monmouth, Ironmaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENERATION OF COMBUSTIBLE
GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING PURPOSES; AND IN THE MODE OF
APPLYING SUCH GASES TO THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, GLASS, AND OTHER
PROCESSES IN THE ARTS WHERE GREAT HEAT IS REQUIRED."
Sealed the 3rd February 1868, and dated the 6th August 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Valentin
and Frederick Levick at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition on the 6th August 1862.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE VALENTIN, of the Royal College of Chemistry,
Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, and FREDERICK
LEVICK, of Blaina, in the County of Monmouth, Ironmaster, do hereby
declare the nature, of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENE-
BATION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES FOR LIGHTING AND, HEATING PURPOSES; AND IN THE
MODE OF APPLYING SUCH GASES TO THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON, GLASS, AND OTHER
PROCESSES IN THE ARTS WHERE GREAT HEAT IS REQUIRED," to be as follows :→
Our Invention of improvements in the generation of combustible gases for

page_text: lighting and heating purposes, and in the mode of applying such gases to the
manufacture of iron, glass, and other processes in the arts where great heat is
required, relates in the first place to an improved mode of obtaining these
gases from the decomposition of water and carbonaceous matters. The
generation of hydrogen gas by the decomposition of water into its two elements
of hydrogen and oxygen has been long known, but great difficulty has been
heretofore experienced in effecting the desired object in an economical and
regular manner, and especially in obtaining hydrogen sufficiently carburetted
to admit of its being usefully employed for lighting purposes. Our Invention
consists in passing steam (either common or superheated steam, but by
preference the latter) through a mass of incandescent fuel, such as coal, coke,
or charcoal, by which means the steam will be decomposed, and the hydrogen
will be set free, and a part thereof will combine with a small portion of the
carbon, thereby producing carburetted hydrogen, while the oxygen will combine
with another portion of the carbon and produce carbonic oxide. This gaseous
mixture or mixed gases will be found to possess a high degree of heating
power when burned with air, and may be employed for various heating purposes
such as smelting, refining, puddling, and heating iron. As the passage of
steam through the incandescent carbon will greatly reduce its temperature and
will in fact finally extinguish or stop the combustion, the temperature must be
kept up by heating the retorts from the outside by burning a portion of the
combustible gases evolved from the fuel. We prefer to effect this object by
means of an arrangement of apparatus similar in principle of construction to
that described in the Specification of a Patent granted to William George
Valentin, and bearing date 13th February 1862, No. 395. When an
illuminating gas is required we pass the superheated steam through a mass of
coal tar or other liquid hydrocarbon before allowing the steam to enter the
retort or decomposing chamber. The steam in so doing will take up a portion
of the heavy hydrocarbons which will be decomposed by the heat in the retort
and a portion of the carbon will combine with the nascent hydrogen and
produce illuminating gases. In applying the combustible gases to heating
purposes such as for smelting, refining, or puddling iron, the gases are drawn
off from the retorts and conducted to tuyeres whereby they are projected
on to or into the iron or other substance to be operated upon. In combi-
nation with the gases which are by preference to be superheated, we employ
a hot blast of atmospheric air, and in order to effect a perfect mixture of the
gases and hot blast at the point of combustion we employ tuyeres or burners of
a peculiar kind. We prefer that the combustible gases should be delivered
from the tuyere or burner in a highly heated state, and a blast of hot air must

page_text: be delivered with them in order to promote their combustion. To this end
the orifice of the tuyeres or burners should be made annular and provided with
a central jet or opening for the issue of the hot blast while the combustible
gases issue from the annular space round the central jet. An obvious
modification of this tuyere or burner is to arrange a series of jets of the com-
bustible gases in an annular manner with one or more jets of heated atmospheric
air in the centre. Other obvious modifications in the arrangement may be made
so long as the perfect commingling of the gases be effected. The gases and
blast should be delivered under slight pressure in puddling and reheating
furnaces so that they may be directed with facility to any particular part of
the furnace. The supply pipes for the combustible gases and the hot blast;
should be provided with cocks, valves, or other equivalent contrivances so
that the quantities and proportions of gas and air may be regulated at pleasure-
according to whether a reducing or oxydizing or decarbonizing flame be
required. Instead of conducting the combustible gases direct from the retorts
to the furnace where they are to be consumed, they may if desired be conducted
to reservoirs or holders where they may be kept in store until required for use.
It will be obvious that the gases and hot blasts may be applied to other
heating purposes such as in the manufacture or melting of steel, the welding
of tubes or other metal articles, the manufacture of glass, and to other processes
where great heat is required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William George Valentin, and Frederick Levick in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 6th February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
GEORGE VALENTIN, of the Royal College of Chemistry, Oxford Street, in
the County of Middlesex, Chemist, and FREDERICK LEVICK, of Blaina, in
the County of Monmouth, Ironmaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said William George Valentin and Frederick Levick, Her special license
that we, the said William George Valentin and Frederick Levick, our execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William George
Valentin and Frederick Levick, our executors, administrators, and assigns,

page_text: 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE GENERATION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES FOR LIGHTING AND
HEATING PURPOSES; AND IN THE MODE OF APPLYING SUCH GASES TO THE
MANUFACTURE OF IRON, GLASS, AND OTHER, PROCESSES IN THE ARTS WHERE
GREAT HEAT IS REQUIRED," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said William George Valentin and Frederick Levick, by an instrument
in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one
of us, 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 William George Valentin, on
behalf of myself, and of the said Frederick Levick, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Our Invention of "Improvements in the Generation of Combustible Gases
for Lighting and Heating Purposes, and in the Mode of Applying such Gases
to the Manufacture of Iron, Glass, and other Processes in the Arts where
great Heat is required," consists in an improved mode of obtaining combustible
gases from the decomposition of water and carbonaceous matters.
The generation of hydrogen gas by the decomposition of water into its two
elements hydrogen and oxygen has been long known, but great difficulty has
been hitherto experienced in effecting the desired object in an economical and
regular manner, and especially in obtaining hydrogen sufficiently carburetted
to admit of its being usefully employed; also for lighting purposes. Our
Invention consists in passing steam (either common or superheated steam,
but by preference the latter) through a mass of incandescent fuel such as
coal, coke, or charcoal, by which means the steam will be decomposed and the
bydrogen will be set free, and a part thereof will, combine with a small portion
of carbon, thereby producing carburetted hydrogen, while the oxygen will com-
bine with another portion of the carbon and produce carbonic oxide, together
with smaller or larger quantities of carbonic acid, according to the manner in
which the decomposition of the steam is carried out. This gaseous mixture or
mixed gases will be found to possess a high degree of heating power when

page_text: burnt with air, and may be employed for various heating purposes, such as
melting, refining, puddling, and heating iron.
'
As the passage of steam through incandescent carbon will greatly reduce its
temperature, and will in fact, finally extinguish or stop the combustion when+
ever the point is reached where the temperature of the incandescent "carbon
falls below: the temperature at which the decomposition of steam by carbon.
into carbonic oxide and hydrogen can take place, it is necessary to 'keep up
the temperature by heating the retorts from the outside.
In the accompanying Drawing we have shewn the arrangement and con
struction of apparatus which we prefer to employ for effecting the object of
our Invention.
In Sheet: I., . Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of the apparatus, shewing the
arrangement of the external flues which; surround the gas generators.... This
sectional view is taken in the line. 1, 2, of Fig. 2, which is a longitudinal
vertical section taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 1, (that is) through the external
heating flues; Fig. 3 is another vertical section but .taken in the lino .5, 6, of
Fig.1, and at right angles to the section shewn in Fig. 2, and shews the
horizontal flues and fire-place.
.
a, a, are two vertical generators of considerable; depth and surrounded by
the external flues b, b.. Heat is produced in these flues, and the coking of the
coal or carbonaceous substances in the generators a, a, is effected by forcing in
combustible gases and air through suitable tuyeres, which tire adapted to the
openings b¹, 6¹, and admit the gases and air into the chambers or spaces below,
from whence they pass up through the burners hereafter described adapted* to
the openings 63, 6, and from thence into the vertical flues 6, and pass along the
flues in a serpentine direction, as indicated by the arrows in the Drawing,
Towards the close of the coking operation, when but little or no more gases
are evolved from the coal in the coking chambers a, and when a large mass of
coked coal in a highly incandescent, state exists, we admit through tuyeres a
certain proportion of hot blast through the opening at c in front of the: coking
chambers together with a well regulated amount of steam, and we succeed in
this manner in obtaining an additional supply of combustible gases which
require no purification from tar and other impurities, and which possess a high
beating power, at a comparatively small sacrifice of coke.
By regulating the admission of blast and steam, which by preference should
be superheated so as to keep up the temperature of the ignited coke in the
coke ovens, retorts, or generating chambers sufficiently to decompose, the steam
on its passage through the ignited mass of carbonaceous matter, we succeed in
increasing the quantity of gas generated by the combustion of a certain

page_text: amount of coke to a considerable extent, such increase consisting chiefly of
carbonic oxide and hydrogen, and we thus obtain a gaseous mixture which
contains. less nitrogen in proportion to the combustible gases than could, be
obtained by. making use of hot blast alone. These combustible gases so
obtained can be burnt with advantage in burners of any suitable construction;
but we prefer to employ for this purpose the construction of burners hereafter
described. The steam when passed through the ignited coke also yields a
proportionate amount of fuel derived from its elements alone, viz., hydrogen
gas, possessing as is well known the very highest heating power, and also
oxygen which combines with the carbon. The gaseous mixture thus produced
may be collected in gasholders or may be drawn off directly by iron pipes, lined
with fire-brick or jacketed, in order to prevent as much as possible any
lowering of the temperature which the gases possess, and conveyed in the
heated state at once to the puddling, refining, and other furnaces and places,
where a high temperature and a clear flame are required. If it be preferred
to utilize the light gas given off from coal when heated in the vessels a
otherwise than by simply burning it as above mentioned, we effect the heating
of the coking chambers by means of the combustible gases generated during
the time when blast and steam are sent through the ignited coke either by
themselves or mixed with a certain amount of the light gas previously evolved
from the coal and collected in the gasholder. In this manner a larger amount
of steam may be decomposed since the temperature of the coke is kept up by
external heat. A certain proportion of the gases is required for heating the
coking chambers or generators a, and may be conveyed by means of iron pipes
directly to the flues 6 of the retorts or generators and burnt, and the highly
heated products of such combustion, chiefly carbonic acid gas and steam, are
made to circulate through the flues which surround the coking chambers
before they enter the chimney shaft.
The burners we employ are made to burn combustible gases mixed with
large quantities of nitrogen, and to supply such gases with the necessary
amount of atmospheric air. The proportion of gases to atmospheric air will
have to be as near as possible one to one and one-third, and the burners we
employ are constructed accordingly.
Fig. 8 is a vertical section, and Fig. 9 a sectional plan view of one of our
improved burners; g is the pipe for conveying the combustible gases to the
vertical tube or burner i, which is surrounded by another vertical tube j.
leaving an annular space between them for the passage of the blast of atmo-
spheric air which passes up through the holes k, k, into the chamber 1, and
becomes highly heated before commingling with the gases.
These burners

page_text: are as before. mentioned adapted.to the openings 62, 63, in the flues 6 of the
generators. In places where the gases.evolved from coal heated in close
vessels (common light gas) are of sufficient value to render it desirable to use
them exclusively for lighting purposes, we prefer heating the coke ovens from
the very beginning of the coking operation by an inferior mixture of combus-
tible gases consisting chiefly of carbonic. oxide and hydrogen, together with
nitrogen, derived from some other source or gas generator such as has been
known for some time in this and foreign countries, and we prefer..to burn the
gases obtained from such separate generators by means of the concentric
tayerès hereafter described. A set of two tuyerès may be employed for each
coke oven or generator as shown at 6, 6, Fig. 1. When an illuminating gas
is required we pass the superheated steam through a mass of coal tar or other
liquid hydrocarbon before allowing the steam to enter the retort or decomposing
chamber. The steam in so doing will take up a portion of the heavy hydro-
carbons, which will be decomposed by the heat in the retort and a portion of
the carbon will combine with the nascent hydrogen and produce illuminating
gases. In applying the combustible gases generated in the manner described
to heating purposes, such as for smelting, refining, or puddling iron, the gases
are drawn off from the retorts or generators, and conducted to tuyeres whereby
they are projected on to or into the iron or other substances to be operated
upon. In combination with the gases which are by preference to be superheated
we employ a hot blast of atmospheric air, and in order to effect a perfect
mixture of the gases and hot blast at the point of combustion we employ
the tuyeres or burners shewn at Figures 4 and 5, or 6 and 7, Sheet I. Fig. 4.
is a sectional view of a concentric tuyere such as we propose to use for the
purposes of our Invention; Fig. 5. is a cross section of the same; h is the
main pipe for conveying the hot blast of air; g is the pipe for conducting the
combustible gases. In order to ensure a proper admixture of the com-
bustible gases with the blast of hot air, the gases are made. to issue from
an annular space. as indicated by the dark arrows.in the Figures. It will be
seen that the hot blast is divided into two parts, one portion passes along the
central jet h¹ within the annular blast of gas, and the other portion is made to
pass along outside and surround the combustible gases. Figures 6 and 7 are
longitudinal and cross sections of another form of tuyere. In this instance
the blast of hot air passes along a central pipe h, the nose or end of which is.
perforated with a number of small holes so that the blast may issue from the
tube & in the form of several jets or streams which will cause a more intimate*
admixture of the air with the combustible gases. We prefer that the.com-
bustible gases should be delivered from the tuyeres or burners in a highly.

page_text: heated state and a blast of hot air must be delivered with them in order to
promote their combustion. To this end the orifice of the tuyeres or burners
should be made annular as already described, and provided with a central jet or
opening as shewn in Figures 4 and 5 for the issue of the hot blast. The
supply of gases and.hot blast is regulated as near as possible to the require-
ments of the case by the size and form of the tuyeres so as to have a mixture
of gases and blast capable of almost. complete combustion, and thereby
producing the very highest heat. The supply of combustible gases or of hot
blast may be decreased or increased in any desired measure, and in proportion
as the process of working iron into a puddled ball requires it. In this manner
we bave it in our power to produce a reducing or oxidizing (decarbonizing)
flame whilst we secure at the same time. the necessary high temperature to
carry on and accelerate the puddling operation. Fig. 10, Sheet II., . is a
sectional plan view of two puddling furnaces, with our improvements adapted
thereto; m, m, are the puddling furnaces; h, h, is a pipe for conveying hot
blast, and 9 is another pipe for conveying the combustible gases from the
generators already described; h³, h¹, is a series of vertical tubes arranged in
the flue of the puddling furnace in such a manner that the waste heat will
heat the air as it passes in a serpentine direction along the pipes h¹, h³, to the
hot blast pipe h in front. Four or more openings to receive tuyeres, such as
those shewn at Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, and already described are made in the
front or end of the puddling furnace, and the hot air and gas pipes of the
tuyeres being provided with cocks or valves to regulate the supply, it will be
seen that the puddling operation will be entirely under the command of the
workman. Instead of conducting the combustible gases direct from the retorts
or generators to the furnace, where they are to be consumed, they may if
desired be kept in store until required for use. It will be obvious that the
gases and hot blast may be applied in the manner described to other heating
purposes such as in the manufacture or smelting of steel, the welding of iron
tubes or other metal articles, the manufacture. of glass, the generation of
steam, and to other purposes where great heat is required.
Having now described our Invention of. "Improvements in the Generation.
of Combustible Gases for Lighting and Heating Purposes, and in the Mode of
Applying such Gases to the Manufacture of Iron, Glass, and other Processes
in the Arts where great Heat is required," and having explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, we claim as our Invention secured to us by
Letters Patent as aforesaid, the arrangement and construction of apparatus
herein set forth. for generating combustible gases from carbonaceous matters,
and by the decomposition of steam or water, we claim particularly the mode

page_text: herein shewn and described of heating the retorts or generators externally for
the purpose above mentioned, we also claim the mode of constructing and
applying the concentric burners and tuyeres to heating flues and to puddling
or other furnaces, or for other heating purposes as above shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William George Valentin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Sixth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. E. NEWTON.
W. GEO: VALENTIN. (L.s.)