Year: 1885

page_text: We JAMES GRADDON, Engineer of Nº 18 and Philip HARDING of N° 14 Ravens-
bourne Road Catford, Kent, Master Mariner do hereby declare the nature of the
said invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is improved means and substances for producing an
explosive agent and employment thereof for the working of engines for power
purposes.
For the purpose of our invention we employ phosphoretted hydrogen i.e. phos-
phorus combined with milk of lime, which is common lime placed in water with
phosphorus and the vapour therefrom produced by means of heat is phosphor-
etted hydrogen gas.
The phosphorus is produced by heating bones to a white heat to consume the
animal matter and the charcoal and substance called phosphate of lime is left
remaining.
'
If phosphorus be boiled with milk of lime and the beak of the retort placed
under water, bubbles of phosphoretted hydrogen will rise successively through the
water and on reaching the surface will burst into flame.
It is the singular property of this gas to ignite spontaneously in air when it has
been produced by the action of lime or potassa in combination with phosphorous in
water.
When the gas is produced directly from hydrated phosphorus that is to say,
amalgamating the phosphorus and the water only, produces phosphoretted hydrogen
which is in that form too pure to spontaneously ignite by atmospheric combination
and therefore necessitates the presence of lime or potass also in the water to render
the fume ignitable and explosive especially when injected into air under pressure
in the cylinder of an engine into which any other suitable explosive or inflammable
gas may be also injected to become ignited or expanded by the spontaneous ignition
and thus render a more rapid and powerful movement of the piston.

page_text: It is the substance prepared as above mentioned, or in other suitable manner,
that we propose using as the power producing agent in any engine.
To accomplish this we may employ an injecting pump to work a little faster
than the stroke of the power piston for the purpose of emptying the explosive
charge into the air by the time the motive power piston arrives at the extremity
of its stroke and thereby finishes compressing the air when the phosphoretted
hydrogen is injected and spontaneous combustion instantly takes place which drives
the piston for its power giving stroke.

page_text: Engines for Power Purposes.
We JAMES GRADDON, Engineer of Nº 18 and PHILIP HARDING of N° 14 Ravens-
bourne Road, Catford, Kent Master Mariner, 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 invention is improved means and substances for producing
an explosive agent and employment thereof for the working of engines for power
purposes.
For the purpose of our invention we employ Phosphoretted Hydrogen i,e, phos-
phorus combined with milk of lime which is common lime placed in water with
phosphorus and the vapour therefrom produced by means of heat is phospho-
retted hydrogen gas.
The phosphorus is produced by heating bones to a white heat to consume the
animal matter and the charcoal and substance called phosphate of lime is left
remaining.
If phosphorus be boiled with milk of lime and the beak of the retort placed
under water, bubbles of phosphoretted hydrogen will rise successively through the
water and on reaching the surface will burst into flame.
It is the singular property of this gas to ignite spontaneously in air when it has
been produced by the action of lime or potassa in combination with phosphorous
in water.
When the gas is produced directly from hydrated phosphorus, that is to say,
amalgamating the phosphorus and the water, only produces phosphoretted hydrogen
which is in that form too pure to spontaneously ignite by atmospheric combination
and therefore necessitates the presence of lime or potass also in the water to render
the fume ignitable and explosive especially when injected into air under pressure
in the cylinder of an engine into which any other suitable explosive or inflammable
gas, such as coal gas and air or it may be any liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon and air
of a rapidly combustible character into which the instant the explosion is required
a suitable quantity of Sulphide of Cyanogen (Sulpho-cyanogen) may be also
injected to effect ignition and an expansion whereby an exceedingly rapid and
powerful movement of the piston is obtained.
To accomplish this we may employ an injecting pump to work a little faster than
the stroke of the power piston for the purpose of injecting the explosive charge
with the air already in the cylinder by the time the motive power piston arrives
at the extremity of its stroke and thereby finishes compressing the air when the
phosphoretted hydrogen is injected and spontaneous combustion instantly takes
place which drives the piston for its power giving stroke.
We are aware that liquid and vapour hydrocarbons and air, and coal gas and air
have been used in various ways as power producing agents in engines but these
agents have been fired by an ordinary flame or by the electric spark and the agents
have been used in a simple form.

page_text: The work accomplished from the use of the above agents has not been and is not
now of a satisfactory character the chief cause of which is the ever varying
conditions under which the gas is produced in different districts and also from the
pressures being so often changed. It is to obviate these objections and the
inconveniences arising therefrom that we utilize the property possessed by
Phosphoretted Hydrogen of igniting spontaneously when mixed with atmospheric
air or oxygen the additional force created by the explosion of the Phosphoretted
Hydrogen counterbalancing or making up for any deficiency in the quality or
quantity of the mixture.
By this invention the usual travelling light is dispensed with and the many
inconveniences and objections to a naked light obviated.
The explosive mixture may consist of coal gas mixed with from 10 to 12 volumes
of atmospheric air, the vapour of petroleum or the finely divided spray of any
suitable readily combustible bydro-carbon or the gas consisting mainly of hydrogen,
known as water gas, admixed with sufficient atmospheric air to form an igniting
gas on admission of the phosphoretted hydrogen-or any gas or vapour which
explodes or ignites when compressed by means of admixture with Phosphoretted
Hydrogen.
The product of combustion of Phosphoretted Hydrogen is Phosphoric Acid
which can be easily removed from the cylinder along with other products of
combustion by the 3 to 1 system of working gas engines previous to the explosion
of the next compressed charge.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :—
The employment of phosphoretted hydrogen as an agent for igniting admixtures
of hydrocarbons and air or coal gas and air when in a compressed state in an
enging es sat forth
PR
The 21st day of June 1886.
H. GARDNER,
Agent for the said J. Graddon and P. Harding.