AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURATING HYDROGEN OR T. D
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste Marie Alex-
andre Dominé de Vernez, both of Paris, France, Gentlemen, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURATING HYDROGEN OR
T.
D"
Sealed the 27th July 1860, and dated the 4th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Theodule Launay
and Auguste Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th February
1860.
We, CHARLES THEODULE LAUNAY and AUGUSTE MARIE ALEXANDRE DOMINÉ
DE VERNEZ, both of Paris, France, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURATING HYDROGEN
OR OTHER GAS FOR ILLUMINATING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The object of this apparatus is an improved arrangement for saturating or
what is called carburating or napthalising hydrogen or other gas, which is to
serve for illuminating purposes, so as to bring the gas in contact either with
the fumes or vapour arising from naphtha or other suitable liquid hydrocarbon,
or with this liquid itself. For this purpose we provide a proper closed
receiver, with entrance and exit openings, for causing the gas which is to be
carburated to enter into the top of a vertical box, situated in the receiver part
of the outside of which box is provided with a number of small openings,

page_text: while the box is divided in two parts by a vertical partition plate, also per-
forated with small holes; one of the two parts of the box is filled with pieces
of coke and cotton wicks, over which naphtha or other hydrocarbon is poured,
so as to rise at a proper level in the other part of the box, and the receiver in
the other part of the box; a float is situated on the liquid, to which float is
fitted two rollers, between which glides a strip of leather or other suitable
material of sufficient length and breadth so as to cover the apertures of the
partition plate, and so that in the same measure as the level of the hydro-
carbon liquid rises or falls the rollers cause the leather to apply itself closely
over the greatest portion of the openings of the partition plate situated above
the level of the liquid, by which arrangement the gas entering into the box will
be obliged to impinge on the surface of the bydrocarbon, and to pass through the
column of pieces of coke and wicks, after which the gas leaves the apparatus
by the exit pipe in a properly saturated or carburated state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste Marie Alexandre
Dominé de Vernez in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd August
1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
THEODULE LAUNAY and AUGUSTE MARIE ALEXANDRE DOMINE DE VERNEZ, both
of Paris, France, Gentlemen, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez,
Her special licence that we, the said Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste
Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste
Marie Alexandre Dominé de Vernez, our 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 Chanuel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CARBURATING HYDROGEN OR OTHER

page_text: GAS FOR ILLUMINATING PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste Marie Alexandre Dominé de
Vernez, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 we, the said Charles Theodule Launay and Auguste
Marié Alexandre Dominé de Vernez, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention; and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this apparatus is an improved arrangement for saturating, or
what is called carburating or naphthalizing hydrogen or other gas made use of
for illuminating purposes, so as to bring the gas in immediate contact either
with the fumes or the vapour arising from naphtha or other suitable liquid
hydrocarbon, or with the liquid itself.
In the annexed Drawings Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the
apparatus over the line X, Y, of Fig. 2, which latter Figure represents a top
view of the apparatus with the lid removed therefrom, while Fig. 3 shows a
vertical front view of part of the distributing arrangement in the interior of
the apparatus. In these Figures corresponding parts are indicated by the
same letters of reference.
A is a receiver of cast iron or other suitable metal or material; the same
is to be hermetically closed by a lid V, provided with suitable entrance and
exit openings I and K for the gas. In the interior of the receiver A is
soldered a vertical box.B, a part of the side of which is provided with slits or
small openings a for allowing the communication between the receiver A and
the box B, which latter is further divided into two chambers E and F by
means of a vertical partition plate C, perforated in the same manner with a
suitable quantity of slits or holes a¹. The chamber E is filled with pieces of
coke p, of about the size of a wallnut, more or less, round each of which is
wound a cotton wick q for causing the pieces of coke to absorb more easily
the liquid bydrocarbon with which the vessels A and B are partly filled, and
which has been poured over the coke by an opening in the lid of the receiver
provided with a screw plug H. In the chamber F is situated a float P of
cork or other suitable material provided with two vertical iron rods N, the
upper ends n of which are bent at right angles, and glide underneath two

page_text: slip boards O, while the rods are further provided with rings or bearings for
the ends of the spindles of two rollers L and M to revolve in, and a leather
band Q fixed at both ends to the partition plate C passes under the roller M
and over the roller L, as shewn in Fig. 1. The breadth of this band Q must
exceed somewhat that of the perforated part of the partition plate C, so as
constantly to cover the entire breadth of those holes thereof as require to be
covered, and for this purpose the float and its rods N are arranged in such
manner as constantly to cause the roller M to press the leather band against
the partition plate C.
order.
The mode of working of this apparatus is as follows:-The chamber E
having been filled with the above-mentioned pieces of coke p, provided with
their cotton wicks q, the lid V is soldered on the receiver, and the screw
plug H having been removed, naphtha or other suitable liquid hydrocarbon is
poured on the pieces of coke till the float P on rising with the surface of this
liquid, touches with the upper ends of its rods N against the lid V, after which
the plug H is again secured in the lid V, when the apparatus will be in working
It will be readily understood that the liquid poured on the coke will
have passed through the holes a and a¹ into the receiver and chamber F, and
rising in this latter will cause the float, and consequently the rollers L and M,
to rise, and glide over the leather band Q. If now gas be caused to enter
into the apparatus by the pipe I the same will find no other outlet than to
pass through the openings S and S' left by the bendings of the leather band Q,
from thence the gas will pass through the slits a¹ into the colunin of pieces of
coke, and finally through these latter and the slits a into the receiver, from
where the same takes its exit by the pipe K, in order to be conducted to the
burners; the gas will consequently constantly be obliged to strike against the
surface of the liquid hydrocarbon, and pass through a thick layer of coke
impregnated with this liquid, and will thereby become fully impregnated or
saturated with the naphtha, by which means its illuminating power will be
highly increased.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe, in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion
to describe, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what we consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, providing apparatus for

page_text: carburating hydrogen or other illuminating gas with the above-described
floating arrangement for the purpose of obliging the gas constantly to strike
against the surface of the carburating liquid hydrocarbon made use, and
whatever may be the level of this liquid in the carburating vessel.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Marie Alexander Dominé de
Vernez, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of
July, One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
A. M. A. DOMINÉ VERNEZ. (L.S.)