IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
THE SAID MANUFACTURE."-A communication from abroad by George
A. MIlhenny, of Washington, District of Columbia, United States of
America.
Sealed' the 17th September 1867, and dated the 4th July 1867.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 4th July 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,.
send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE
SAID MANUFACTURE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same,
and have made solemn declaration that it has been communicated to me from

page_text: means of which the contents of the hydraulic main are maintained constantly
at the level indicated by the line e.
It is obvious that with this, arrangement
the
gas
which flows from the retort through pipes C must displace the water
and tar which thus covers or "seals" their mouths in order to enter the main,
and as this necessarily requires considerable pressure, it follows that the
contents of the retort must at all times during the roasting process be sub-
jected to this pressure. Now I have found by experiment that if this pressure
can be removed during the roasting process then no carbon, or but very little
if any, will be deposited in the retorts. As the simplest manner of doing this,
and at the same time retaining the means of sealing the mouths of the
pipes C to prevent the back flow of the gas when the retorts are opened for
emptying and recharging them I apply to the main another escape pipe b: at
a lower level than the ordinary pipe a. These pipes a and b are each pro-
vided with a cock or valve, so that either may be closed or opened at will, and
by opening the valve in pipe b, and permitting the tar or tar and water to
flow through it, I can at any time reduce the contents of the main to the level
of the line f, thereby unsealing the mouths of the pipes C, and of course per-
mitting the gas to flow from the retorts as fast as formed into the main B,
thus relieving the retorts of the pressure which usually exists in them, and
thereby preventing the formation and deposit of carbon therein. It is obvious
that valves might be arranged to close the mouths of the pipes C when the
retorts are to be opened, the said valves being opened when the retort is in
operation, also that a valve might be arranged in the outlet pipe of the main
to be opened and closed at proper intervals, but such an arrangement would
be neither as simple or as efficient as that first herein described. When the
retorts are in operation the tar is allowed to pass off through the lower pipe b,
but when it is desired to open the retorts for any purpose the cock in pipe b
is closed, and that in pipe a is opened, the contents of the main in such case
being raised to a level with the said pipe a, thus sealing or closing the mouths
of the pipes C, and thereby preventing the back flow or escape of any gas
from the main. It is obvious that in receiving, delivering, or gathering the
gas at any of the stages during its manufacture, or subsequently, all of the
clifferent kinds of valves known to those skilled in the art as gas valves or
their equivalents may be used as those herein described. By this simple
means I prevent the formation of carbon in the retorts, and save much time,
labor, and expense, and at the same time produce a richer gas at less expense,
and a much larger quantity of gas is produced from the same quantity of
material than is produced by any of the processes now in use..
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by

page_text: my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-
First, the prevention of the deposit of carbon in gas retorts, substantially in
the manner described.
Second, I claim so arranging the pipes or tubes leading from the retorts to
the hydraulic main that the mouths of the said pipes or tubes can be sealed or
unsealed at pleasure.
Third, I claim providing the hydraulic main of a gas factory with two or
more pipes for the escape of the coal tar when the said pipes, are arranged at
different heights and provided with cocks, so that the liquid contents of the
main may be made to stand at a higher or a lower level therein, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)