IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE. OF INFLAMMABLE GASES, AND IN THEIR APPLICATION; TO UBEFUL PURPOSES.
Year: 1865

page_text: LEITERS PATENT to Isham Baggs, of Number 54, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, for the. Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE. OF INFLAMMABLE GASES, AND IN THEIR
APPLICATION; TO UBEFUL PURPOSES.".
Sealed the 17th April 1866, and dated the 21st October 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isham... Baggs at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the..
21st October 1865.
"
I, ISHAM BAGGS, of Number 54, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INFLAMMABLE GASES, AND IN THEIR
APPLICATION TO USEFUL PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
My improvements in the manufacture of inflammable gases, and in their
application to useful purposes, will be understood from the following descrip-
tion I fill a retort or other appropriate vessel with turnings, shavings, or
pieces of iron, and bring it to a red heat. I then pass through such retort or..
vessel a jet of steam from a steam boiler, which steam is decomposed (as...
already well known) with. the production of oxide of iron and hydrogen gas.
the latter being collected as it is produced in a gasholder. I then take
32.71
Price 1
זי

page_text: carbonic acid gas, however derived or produced, and cause it to pass through
or over red-hot or ignited coke, and thence through the retort or vessel
containing the oxydised iron, from which retort or vessel the hydrogen has
been eliminated. The result is that one volume of carbonic acid in passing
through or over the ignited coke or carbon takes up an additional equivalent
of the latter, and is thereby converted into two volumes of carbonic oxide
gas, which latter gas then passing on through the retort or vessel containing
the oxydised iron takes up the oxygen from such oxide, and is thereby again
converted into carbonic acid (two volumes), restoring at the same time the
iron into its normal or metallic condition, capable of decomposing steam
again, and so on, process after process. by oxydation and recovery
infinitum." Other metals capable of decomposing water at a red heat may
be substituted for iron in this process. 'Where such metal, as in the case of
zinc or tin, is liquid at a red heat, the steam is caused to bubble through the
molten metal, or is otherwise brought into contact with it. I also convert
carbonic acid into carbonic oxide by the process above named, and either
mix it with air, hydrogen, or otherwise. The carbonic acid may be formed
from the oxygen of the atmosphere; but under my Invention I prefer to use
it in the pure or nearly pure state, the bulk of which increases according to
known laws as the operations proceed and are multiplied. I convey these
gases, or either of them,, through proper pipes or trains of pipes, with or
without the admixture of atmospheric air, carbonic acid, or other gas, and use
them for all purposes where light or heat is required. And where light is
needed I cause the above-named gas or gases, or either of them, to traverse
vessels containing 'fluid hydrocarbons under any convenient arrangement.
And where heat is required, as for smelting, the generation of steam, or for
any other useful purpose, I employ the combustion of any of the above-named
agents; either separately or combined, as may be convenient.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Isham Baggs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISHAM
BAGGS, of No. 54, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical
Engineer, send greeting.
1.6
Her Letters
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
d. One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth
of Her
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11
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,, the...
said Isham Baggs, Her special licence. that I the said Isham
any
f
ויוו
Baggs,...
I,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as the
said Isham Baggs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
time agree with, and no others,, from time to time and at all times
lawfully, might
thereafter, during the term therein expressed, should, and
make,,, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man. an Invention for
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF INFLAMMABLE GASES, AND IN THEIR
APPLICATION TO USEFUL PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Isham Baggs, my executors.
rs.or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Isham Baggs,, do hereby declare
the nature of my, said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
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noth
literary
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of
inflammable gases,, whereby such gases are obtained and rendered applicable
to useful purposes, in a simple and inexpensive manner. In the first instance,
a retort or appropriate vessel is filled with turnings, shavings, or pieces of
iron, and submitted to the action of a furnace until the whole is brought to a
red heat. I then pass through the said retort or vessel a jet of steam from
a steam boiler, such steam being thereby decomposed (as is already well
known), the result of such decompositon being the production of oxide of iron
and hydrogen gas, which latter should be collected as it is produced in a gas-
holder.. I then pass carbonic acid gas (however derived or produced) through
or over red-hot or ignited coke or carbon arranged in suitable retorts or
receptacles, as will be well understood by persons acquainted with such
operations, and with the chemistry of the gases and materials in question,"
and then convey the same, through the retort or vessel containing the oxidised
iron, from, which retort or vessel, the hydrogen has been eliminated. The
result of this operation is that one volume of carbonic acid in passing through
or over the ignited, coke or carbon takes up an additional equivalent of the
latter,and is thereby converted into two, volumes, of, carbonic oxide gas, which
ni
1.

page_text: 71
latter gas then passing on through the retort or vessel containing the oxidised
iron takes up the oxygen from the same, and is thereby again converted into
carbonic acid, restoring at the same time the iron to its normal or metallic
condition, capable of decomposing steam again. The process of oxidation
and recovery can thus be carried on continuously for an indefinite length of
time.
I should here observe that in practice only about one half of the
carbonic oxide produced as above described is conducted into the retort or
vessel containing the iron for the purpose of reducing the metal. The other
half is allowed to pass into the large gasholder containing the hydrogen, with
which it mixes, constituting the gaseous material to be supplied for the
general production, of light and heat. Other metals capable when at a red
heat of decomposing water may be substituted for iron in this process, but
where such metal, as in the case of zinc or tin, is liquid at a red heat, the
should be injected into and caused to bubble through the molten metal,
or, otherwise brought into contact with it. It is unnecessary for me to
describe particularly the methods by which the steam may be so brought
into contact, with the molten metal, as they will be well understood by persons
conversant with similar or analogous operations.
ויזידיו:
steam.
is
1
By means of the process above described I also convert carbonic acid into
carbonic oxide, and either mix the latter with atmospheric air or with
hydrogen, or with any other gas suitable in such combination for the
purposes of heat, or illumination. The carbonic acid may be formed by the
oxygen of the atmosphere, but for the purposes of my Invention I prefer to
use it in the pure or nearly pure state, the bulk of which increases according
to known laws as the operations proceed and are multiplied. A certain
quantity of carbonic acid is required to commence with if the gases are to be
used without the admixture of nitrogen; in such cases the carbonic acid gas
s prepared in the outset in limited quantity from chalk or other suitable
carbonate by the affusion of a mineral acid as well known. If the admixture
of nitrogen is not objected to, then the carbonic acid" "may be prepared"
by burning coke or carbon in atmospheric air by means of any known or
convenient apparatus. The necessary transit of the carbonic acid gas "through"
the red-hot coke is ef
effected by a weighted gasholder, which may be termed
No. 1, and after its exit from the coke retorts half of it as carbonic oxide is
received. in another gasholder of equal volume, which may be termed No. 2,
the remainder passing off to the larger hydrogen gasholder for supply as
before. mentioned. The reconversion of the carbonic oxide in No. 2 into
carbonic acid gas is effected by causing No. 2 to 'descend again at the end of
the operation just described, and causing the gas to pass back again into:
"
**

page_text: gasholder No. 1, after traversing the retort containing the red-hot oxide of
iron, the process being thus repeated and continued as may be desired. The
hydrogen gas and carbonic oxide generated as herein-before described may
be conveyed either, with or without the admixture of atmospheric air, carbonic
acid, or other gas, through proper pipes or trains of pipes, and used for any
purposes for which light or heat is required. In cases in which light is
needed I cause the gases so obtained as before mentioned in accordance with
my said Invention to traverse vessels containing fluid hydrocarbons under
any convenient arrangements which will facilitate the carburization of the gas
by means of the vapour evolved from such fluid hydrocarbons. In cases in
which heat and not light is required, as for smelting, the generation of steam,
or for any other useful purpose, I employ the combustion of the hydrogen
gas or carbonic oxide prepared in accordance with my said Invention, either
separately or combined, and either with or without the carburization, which
may be obtained in manner herein-before mentioned.
Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which it is to be performed, I would observe in conclusion
that I do not claim the several processes herein-before mentioned and described
separately and apart from each other as being of my Invention, but what I
consider novel and original, and therefore claim as constituting the Invention
secured to me by the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent are the
combination of processes, methods, and arrangements for the manufacture
of inflammable gases, and the application thereof to useful purposes, as
substantially herein-before set forth and described, or any mere modifications
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isham Baggs, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness.
E. P. 11. VAUGHAN,
54, Chancery Lane.
Agent for the Patentee.
ISHAM BAGGS. (S.)