The Manufacture of Inflammable Gas from Oil and from Oil and Coal.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 19th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
The Manufacture of Inflammable Gas from Oil and from Oil
and Coal.
I FREDERICK ALEXANDER MCMINN of Grove House, Bagley's Lane, Fulham London,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
I introduce oil, which may be of any description, under pressure, in the form of a
spray, or jet, or otherwise, into the interior of a heated retort, such as those used in
gas works, in which the process of destructive distillation of Coal, for the manufacture
of gas for. heating, or illuminating purposes is going on, as ordinarily practiced in a
Gas Factory. The oil may be introduced at any period during the distillation of the
Coal, or it may be introduced into a similar heated, retort containing other material
than coal, such as coke, broken earthenware, or the like, or the oil may be intro-
duced into an empty heated retort; The oil coming in contact with the heated surfaces
is converted into gas.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
The Manufacture of Inflammable Gas from Oil and from Oil
and Coal.
1, FREDERICK ALEXANDER MCMINN of Grove House, Fulham, London in the
County of Middlesex, 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 :—
I introduce petroleum or other oil, into an ordinary, heated, retort (as used in Coal
Gas Works for the destructive distillation of coal, and manufacture of gas for heating,
or illuminating purposes,) by means of a nozzle, or jet, attached to the retort lid, or
mouthpiece, and called the injector, which injector is inserted by screwing, or other-
wise fixing it in such a manner that it can be readily removed from, and replaced in
a socket or holder securely fastened to the retort lid or mouthpiece. This socket, or
holder provides an orifice in the lid or mouthpiece into which the injector is placed,
the latter being of such a form, that when properly adjusted therein, one end of it
projects into the interior of the retort and the other projects outwards from the lid or
mouthpiece, to which outer end a pipe is attached, either flexible or otherwise
moveable. This pipe is connected to another pipe which communicates with a force
pump and reservoir of oil. By means of the force pump, I produce a pressure in the
pipes, through which the oil is forced along the pipes and through the nozzle, or jet
of the injector into the retort, and coming in contact with the heated surfaces, is
converted into gas.
In a Coal Gas Manufactory the retorts are placed side by side in a range extending
along the Retort House, an injector may be attached to each retort lid or mouthpiece,
and these injectors may be connected to a pipe or pipes, charged with oil under
pressure, and called, the main, in the way hereinbefore described. Each injector is
furnished with a stop cock, and may be shut-off from the main, and withdrawn from
its retort at pleasure, and the socket in the lid or mouthpiece closed by a plug or
stopper inserted instead of the injector. The retort may then be opened, the coke
drawn out and a fresh charge of coal introduced in the ordinary way.
By these means, oil may be forced into the retorts at any requisite period during
the distillation of the coal, or continuously throughout the whole period.
The oil may be introduced in the same way into a similar heated retort containing
other material than coal, or into an empty heated retort.
Steam may be used direct to blow or inject the oil into the retorts, instead of a
force pump.

page_text: Fig. 2. Half front elevation of mouthpiece and lid, with socket attached, and
injector in cross section.
A represents a portion of a coal gas retort, to which is fastened the mouthpiece B,
and its lid C.
D is a socket securely fastened to the lid C.
E is the injector placed in the socket D.
F F is a flexible pipe attached at one end to the injector E, and at the other end to
the stop cock H.
G is the main charged with oil under pressure, with which the stop cock H
communicates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what
I claim is
The application to the lid or mouthpiece of ordinary gas coal retorts, of an injector,
in such a way, that it can be inserted and withdrawn at pleasure, and through which
petroleum, or other oil, can be forced into the retort, while the process of distillation
of the coal in the usual way is being carried on therein, thus enabling the retort to be
used for making oil gas, without interfereing with the ordinary process of distillation
of the coal.
Dated this 18th day of October 1887.