IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1850

page_text: ROBINS BOOTH, of London, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and. Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twelfth day of
November, (One thousand eight hundred and fifty), in the fourteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Robins Booth, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her
especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
George Robins Booth, my.exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Robins Booth, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said George
Robins Booth, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Robins Booth, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention

page_text: and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
These improvements consist in the construction of the apparatus used in
making. gas from oleaginous, fatty, resinous, tarry, or spiritous substances,
and in the mode of working the apparatus, and are explained in the following
descriptions and. Drawings, shewing its useful purposes; the form of the
apparatus described in the Drawings is assumed for the sake of giving these
explanations, yet the form may be altered to any convenient shape, so that the
manner of the improvements is adapted thereto; I claim therefore for any form
of apparatus which may embrace my improvements.
The mode of making gas from oils, tars, fatty, or resinous substances has been
so surrounded with difficulties, that hitherto no apparatus for the purpose has
been brought into general practice. The present improvements are calculated to
make the method of gas-making from oil, &c. generally practicable, so that
premises in isolated situations may be economically supplied with gas, and that
every housekeeper may become his or her own gas-maker in a convenient
manner and at a reasonable cost; yet at the same time the improvements do
afford the means of making great savings in lighting towns, &c. By the sim-
plicity of the apparatus, its great ability and power, and the smallness of its
size, a number of these apparatus may be placed at various stations, and
thereby save the cost of large works and mains.
Figure 1 exhibits an apparatus of a circular form, the explanation and
description of which are divided into two parts, the exterior form, and the
interior construction; all the parts claimed by me being new either in
construction or application.
The description of the exterior form is as follows:-
Part I. A, B, C, D, the iron case, in one or more parts; this holds the fire
department and the retort; E, F, G, H, the pipe for conducting the gas to the
cisterns; I, J, the position of a moveable feeding apparatus or oil cistern; K,
an occasional vent; L, M, the comb or coke cistern; N, O, the cooler; P, the
exit pipe leading to the gasometer; Q, the pipe connecting the cisterns
together; R, the oil cistern and cover; S, feed pipe leading from the oil cistern;
T, the feed pipe leading from the comb cistern; U, a stop valve.
I make a general claim for the above exterior arrangements of the parts in
this apparatus, as exhibited in the Drawing, where the novel parts or parts or
any of them is or are combined in: this arrangement, and whether the parts be

page_text: more or less in number than those exhibited in this Drawing, the explanations,
uses, and novelty of the parts being given as follows:-
I claim also for using one or more retorts placed in one case, after the
manner and fashion in the Drawings, with the necessary appurtenances
belonging thereto.
Part 2, interior construction; first, that of the case, Figure 2. A, B, C, D, a
longitudinal section of the case from the fire door to the back of the apparatus.
1, the ash pit; 2, the bars; 3, the fire-place; 4, fire- proof clay lining; 5, coke
or charcoal lining; 6, draft hole in the centre of the cover; 7, a cheshire or
cover over the fire; 8, chimney; 9, retort; 10, heat chamber; 11, cover
over all of brickwork; 12, iron cover over No. 11, to support the retort; 13,
neck of retort; 14, the four feeders for supplying the retort with oil; 15, the
air or soot hole.
I claim for this general interior arrangement, form, and construction as stated
in my claim for the exterior arrangement.
Figure 2; Part 2, retort.. No. 9 is the retort; the bottom and side of
this retort are inclined planes, in steps or corrugated, on which the oil is pro-
jected; thus the oil is poured upon those parts of the retort only which are
incandescent, and which do not receive heat by radiation. An increased heating
surface is afforded by this plan of construction. I prefer the corrugated form
where it can be employed. The retort may be made in any shape, round,
square, oblong, or polygonal. I claim for the retort being suspended by the
neck or top, instead of being supported at the bottom or by the sides, ás is
usually the case; by this plan I produce an equable heat in the retort. I
claim for the side of the retort on which the oil is projected being an inclined
plane or corrugated. I claim for projecting the oil upon an incandescent
surface, in preference to projecting it upon a surface heated by radiation, or
instead of the oil being projected upon any matter within the retort, or upon
the bottom of the retort only. I claim for using any number of feeders for one
retort, although I do not employ more than one in small retorts. I claim for
the use of the air hole at the bottom of the retort, as described further on,
which is also occasionally used to withdraw any matter from the retort as is
usually practised. I claim for the means of burning out the soot in the retort
and pipes by the means of this air hole and a vent situated in some convenient
part of the apparatus, the plan for doing which is shewn hereafter.
Figure 2, Part 2, heat chamber. I claim for the proportional sizes,
dimensions, parts, and position of the heat chamber, where the retort or
retorts are placed as given in. the Drawing, as the nearest and best, according

page_text: to my judgement, for heating purposes, and whereby the heat admitted, retained,
and emitted is regulated, and which are peculiar features in the mode of the
construction of my gas apparatus.
Figure 1, Part 2nd. The globes or chambers over the retort, be they one
or more, are for the expansion of the gas or any matter which may rise out of
I claim the use
the retort, which would otherwise fill up the pipes or tubes.
of these globes or chambers in this position for these purposes.
Figure 1, Part 2nd. Upon the ball K a long tube is placed to act as a
chimney when the plug or valve closing this ball is opened. I claim the use
of this ball, &c. as a vent, for the purpose of burning out the soot in the retort,
as before alluded to and as hereafter explained. I claim the use of a vent
of this description, whether it be fixed here or in any, other part of the
apparatus.
Figures 3 and 5, Part 2nd, shew the pipes 16, and the grate 17, in their
actual positions, both vertically or horizontally. This pipe carries the.. to
.gas
the grid, from which it ascends into and through the body of the coke or
porous substances placed in the upper part of this cistern; the oil, &c. distilled
over from the retort being deposited at the bottom of the pan in 18. I claimi
for passing the gas through coke, pumice stone, or any other porous substances,
immediately on its passing from the retort, instead of previously passing through
purifiers, and for the mode in which it is dome in this construction.
Figures 4 and 6, Part 2nd. These two Figures exhibit a vertical and
horizontal section of the water cooler or gas condenser, with the dip pipe,
overflow tap, &c.
Figure 7, Part 2d, represents the bottom of the heat chamber or cheshire
or arch, which stretches over the fire-place, and claimed for under the head of
heat chambers.
Figure 8, Part 2nd. This exhibits the
which may be made in any shape or form.
the oil is filtered.
interior of the moveable oil box,
No. 19 is a sieve through which
Figure 1, Part 2d. I claim for the order of the following process: the
pipe T, (by opening the tap fixed at M), carries back again to the retort the
oil deposited in the cistern L, M, by the first distillation of the oil; thus
the residual oil is made to flow upon the soot or carbon deposited in the
retort by the first distillation, until the said carbon is dissipated and made
into a gaseous form with the said oil, whenever a supply of oil is poured into
the oil cistern, and when it has all run off into the retort. The above operation
must be performed and all this residual oil must be wrought up before a fresh

page_text: supply of oil is put into the oil cistern.
as an important feature of my Patent.
This process is new, and I claim it
purpose.
I will now proceed to explain the general use or mode of using my apparatus.
Having lighted a fire in the stove with coke, peat, anthracite coal, or an
combustibles which do not make smoke, in a short period the chamber and
retort over the fire-place will become cherry red, the oil cistern being supplied
with a certain quantity of oil, say, four gallons. The oil must be allowed to
enter the retorts through the taps at No. 14. These taps are regulated by the
dial plate attached to each, so as to admit only a proper supply as long as the
retorts keep at a cherry red heat, so long as the oil may be allowed to run into
them; but if the retort become hotter or cooler, the supply of oil should be
stopped until the retort is restored again to its proper heat. This process having
been continued, and having emptied the feed cistern, a quantity of carbon will"
be left in the retort; the tap connecting the oil cistern with the retort must
then be closed, and the oil or naptha condensed in the comb cistern must be
turned into the retort, the tap at the comb cistern being opened for that p
The heat of the retort, &c. must be raised to a higher degree or a lighter color
than before; thus, this oil must be continued running into the retort till it is
all used up, and it will take up the carbon and form it into gas, and the retort
will be left clean and free from soot when all this oil from the comb cistern
is consumed. This operation must be fully gone through with every fresh supply
of oil, say, of four gallons or so; but if through and negligence or mistake
any soot or carbon should be formed in the retort or in the pipes connected
with it, then the same may be destroyed thus without being withdrawn from
the usual practice. Let the stop valve T be closed, the valve or lid at K be either
opened or taken off, and the cap at the bottom of the retort No. 15 be taken
away; then the retort being kept of a red heat, a draft of atmospheric air will
enter the air hole at 15, and the soot in the retort and pipes will be consumed,
and pass off as carbonic acid gas at the vent K. This being fully accomplished,
the process may again be resumed as at the commencement, the apparatus
having been placed in working order again, as at first described. I claim for
this double mode of consuming the soot, whether by re-turning on the distilled
oil, &c., or by turning out the retort, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Robins Booth, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
GEORGE ROBINS (L.S.) BOOTH.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twelfth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid George Robins Booth came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one.