AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF PURIFYING LIGHTING GAS TERMED AUTO- EPURATION OF LIGHTING GAS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of N° 11 Wellington Street,
Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention
of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF PURIFYING LIGHTING GAS TERMED AUTO-
EPURATION OF LIGHTING GAS" a Communication to him from abroad by
Jean Eugène Alfred Servel Doctor of Medicine chez Monsieur Delorme, 14 Rue
St. Louis St Etienne Loire France
>
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th October 1883.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of N° 11 Wellington Street, Strand, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF PURIFYING
LIGHTING GAS, TERMED AUTO-EPURATION OF LIGHTING GAS" A Communication
to me from abroad by Jean Eugène Alfred Servel, Doctor of Medicine, chez
Monsieur Delorme 14 Rue St Louis, St Etienne, Loire, France,
This Invention relates to an improved process of purifying lighting gas.
The element or feature of Novelty in this process is the utilization of the
action of the gas to produce the circulation of the purifying liquids through which
it passes.
Each of the molecules of the liquid is thus exposed successively and regularly
to a chemical action favorable to the purification of the gas.
The principles upon which this circulation of the liquids is based are:—
1°. When a disengagement of gas takes place through a liquid, the parts of the
liquid displaced by the gas go in the direction of the least resistance.
2°. When a disengagement of gas is constant, the displacement of the liquid causes
a constant disturbance of the equilibrium in a manner that may be regulated and
sustained, and the liquid must circulate by reason of the differences of pressure
from one vessel into another vessel communicating therewith, if the communications
are double and opposed.
Putting these principles into practise to arrive at a perfect and economical
purification of gas, a plant is used composed either of four vats or vessels

page_text: diminishing in height, and communicating with each other both at top and
bottom near the upper and lower surfaces of the liquids-Each of these vats
contains an iron bell the bottom of which forms an incline. The bell is in
communication, by the lower end of the incline with the gas inlet or feed pipe.
It is open at the top of the incline for the issue of liquid and gas-Slits or
openings made near this upper end, permit the purification of the volatile tar
condensed by a guard ("visière") placed above these slits and parallel therewith.
The apparatus may be composed of several series of vats, such as those above
mentioned, each of these series being in connection with a reservoir-vat, where the
liquid circulates without being in contact with the gas
In these vats are placed the purifying liquids which according to this system are
as follows:-
In the first series is utilized the ammoniacal water of gas regenerated by caustic-
lime, Quicklime, which is plunged, by the aid of a sack or bag, into the liquid in
the reservoir-vats.
The gas water thus regenerated, serves for the elimination of the ammonia,
the carbonic acid, the sulphydric acid or Hydrosulphuric acid and the sulphuret of
carbon.
In the second series water alone is used to retain the excess of Caustic
Ammonia.
In all the vats the removal of the deleterious liquids takes place free from
atmospheric contact ("in vitro "); further all the purifying vats properly so
called receive the liquids from the reservoir-vats, and remain closed indefinitely
The result of the above described process is that all danger of explosion is
avoided;
that unhealthy exhalations cannot exist and that the usual manual labor
disappears.
This process of circulation of liquids may be utilized for the artificial carburation
of gas.
With this circulation of liquids moved by gas the oxygen of the air may be
retained and the Azote eliminated. A valuable feed for high temperature furnaces
will thus be provided

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Patent Office on the 8th April
1884.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE of N° 11 Wellington Street, Strand, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, "AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF PURIFYING
LIGHTING-GAS, TERMED AUTO-EPURATION OF LIGHTING GAS' A Communication
to me from abroad by Jean Eugène Alfred Servel, Doctor of Medicine, chez
Monsieur Delorme 14 Rue St Louis, St Etienne, Loire, France
This Invention relates to an improved process of Purifying Lighting Gas.
The element or feature of Novelty in this process is the utilization of the
action of the gas to produce the circulation of the purifying liquids through which
it passes.
Each of the molecules of the liquid is thus exposed successively and regularly
to a chemical action favorable to the purification of the gas
The principles upon which this circulation of the liquids is based are :—
1° When a disengagement of gas takes place through a liquid, the parts of the
liquid displaced by the gas go in the direction of the least resistance
2° When a disengagement of gas is constant, the displacement of the liquid causes
a constant disturbance of the equilibrium in a manner or direction that may be
regulated and sustained, and the liquid, must circulate from one vessel into
another vessel communicating therewith, if the communications are double and
opposed.
Putting these principles into practise, to arrive at a perfect and economical
purification of lighting gas by the continuous circulation of the purifying liquid
moved by the gas itself I use the plant hereinafter described and shown on the
accompanying sheet of drawing.
The first experiments made with a plant composed of four vats or vessels
communicating with each other both at top and bottom near the upper and lower
surfaces of the liquids have led to the belief that it is more practical and more
economical to set up a single vat A of a capacity equal to that of these four
combined vats and fitted up in the same manner; that is to say containing an iron
bell or receiver B the bottom of which forms an incline.
This bell or receiver is in communication, by the lower end b of the incline with
the gas inlet or feed pipe C, which leads the gas into the apparatus in order that it
may be purified.
It is open at the top of the incline at D for the issue of the liquid and the gas—
Slits or openings made near this upper end permit the purification of the volatile
tar condensed by a guard & placed above these slits and parallel therewith. It
carries at its upper part blades or plates i, to facilitate therein the distribution of
the gas as it travels.
This vat or vessel communicates, at e with another vat E, termed the reservoir
vat, in which the liquid circulates, without being in contact with the gas; this latter
enters, as indicated by the arrow M, into the purifying vat A, arrives in the bell or
receiver B, the inclination of which it follows:-in order to issue therefrom in the
direction of the arrow m from whence it reaches, perfectly purified, the outlet
pipe N, after having circulated above the bell or receiver B, above which there are
plates n, placed at intervals, in order to serve as obstacles which may retard its
journey towards the outlet
The purification is effected by the circulation of the liquid, or ammoniacal water
of gas, which is regenerated by the caustic quicklime which is placed in the
sacs S, upon the two cages with shelves or stages T, T, in the reservoir vat E.

page_text: In fact, the liquid, the level of which is at R, R', in the two vats, which as
aforesaid communicate together at e, and also at the lower part, by the aid of the
pipe U, is constantly in circulatory movement from one vat into the other, under.
the action of the gas which displaces it as indicated by the arrows u, and the gas
thus in contact with a gas water constantly regenerated, purifies itself automatically,
and without other manual labor than the lifting, of the cages with shelves T, by
the aid of pulleys to replace therein the bags of lime, when required. The tar
runs off by the pipe V in connection with the pipe U.
The apparatus, such as immediately above described, may be doubled, or tripled,
that is to say form a series, to treat the gas several times over for its still more
complete purification.
The gas water, thus regenerated by the quicklime, serves for the elimination
of the ammonia, the carbonic acid the sulphydric acid and the sulphur.
In the vats the removal of the deleterious liquids, takes place free from contact
with air; these vats whether termed of purification or reservoirs being indefinitely
closed.
The result of the above described process is that all dangers of explosion is
avoided, that unhealthy exhalations cannot exist, and that the ordinary labour is
not required
This process of the circulation of liquids may be utilized for the artificial
combustion of the gas.
With this circulation of liquids moved by the gas the oxygen of the air may be
retained and the azote eliminated. A valuable feed would thus be furnished to
furnaces at a high temperature.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the invention-com-
municated to me as aforesaid and in what manner the same is or may be
performed.
:-
I Claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent :-
Firstly The circulation of the purifying liquid moved by the lighting gas
itself, which exposes each of the molecules of this liquid to a chemical action
favorable to the purification of this gas.
Secondly: The regeneration of the gas water, by quick caustic-lime plunged
into a vat termed reservoir, communicating with the vat or vats termed of purifica-
tion, substantially as above described, in such wise that the liquid is regenerated,
in a constant manner, in its circulatory movement.
Thirdly The arrangement of the purifying vat A, with the bell or receiver B,
and that of the reservoir vat E with the cages with shelves or stages T carrying
the bags of lime.
In witness whereof I the said William Edward Gedge have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Eighth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand
Eight hundred and Eighty four
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