An Improved Gas-making Apparatus. MAKING
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1889-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Gas-making Apparatus.
We, JOHN WILLIAM ROCK Engineer CHARLES GIFFORD MOORE Civil Engineer
both of Post Office Chambers Pitt Street JOSEPH HOLDEN WOOD Merchant of 512
George Street and JAMES BEATH NICHOLSON Accountant of 115 York Street all of
Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales, do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for "AN IMPROVED GAS MAKING APPARATUS and the manner in which
the same is to be used are particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus in which the manufacturing or
making of water gas and carburetted water gas is carried on as a continuous operation
that is while the apparatus is in operation gas will be or may be continuously flow-
ing to the gas holder and it has for its object the providing of a convenient and
economical apparatus for such purpose.
"
This improved gas making apparatus is constructed with a cylindrical steam boiler
above three or more independent furnaces which have above them (one for each
furnace) three or more generating chambers or generators" with connection clos-
able at will to one smoke stack or chimney and through each generator a carburetting
or heating vessel or pipe passes. An independent valve is fixed to govern the
operations of each generating chamber and these chambers are so worked that the
furnace of one or more are being blown up or heated while steam is being blown
through the heated fuel of another to make water gas. The valves are provided with
a by-pass or escape to the open air during the regulation or change so as to avoid any
fear of explosion upon the sudden meeting of the currents of the different gases. In
some cases it is deemed advisable that the independent regulating valves of each
generator should be connected together so that the manipulation of one handle would
change the operation in each generator simultaneously and in this case the manipulation
might be carried out by some regular application of other power.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be
made to the drawings herewith in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of
improved gas making apparatus constructed according to the said invention in
which for sake of clearly illustrating the gear of one generator only is shown and
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
A is steam boiler. B' B2 B³ independent furnaces of which only B' is shown in
drawing. CC independent generating chambers of which C and C² only
are shown in drawing. Of the other parts there is one or one set for each division
of the apparatus that is to say each generator above each furnace of the boiler is
fitted up in a precisely similar manner. D is smoke flue to chimney. E is carburet-
ting or heating pipe. F is three-way valve. G air inlet pipe. H escape pipe.
I junction pipe to furnace. J water seal. K gas pipe. I actuating handle. A¹ is
a three-way steam-cock. A toothed wheel. A3 and A₁ steam jets. B' air tight
door. B firebars. C¹ cover. D¹ damper. D² lever. E¹ hydro-carbon reservoir.
E2 feed pipe. F is toothed wheel. J is overflow pipe. L' spindle. L2 and L³
worm wheels or endless screws. L connecting rod. In place of three handles L
two shafts and bevel wheel not shown in the drawing may be arranged to actuate the
three spindles L' simultaneously.
In operation two generators and furnaces have their valves regulated so as to
enliven the fuel and heat the boiler in which case their valves F are adjusted so
that air enters through pipes G and passes down pipes I into the furnaces say B¹
and B2 below the firebars B' while at the same time cock A' is opened so that steam
from jet A* creates a forced draught through the furnaces say B₁ and B³ and
generators say C¹ and C² and through the fuel therein all this time of course damper D¹

page_text: is retained in an open position. At the same time as these furnaces are being blown
up gas is being made in the other generator C³ its valve F being so adjusted that
inlet pipe G and escape pipe H are closed and pipe I and pipe E communicate and
its cock A¹ is open so that steam from jet A³ is forced into and disassociated in the
fuel. The gas into which the steam is converted then travels by pipe I through
valve F into pipe E where it commingles with the vaporised hydro-carbon and
passing through seal J is led by pipe K to a scrubber or gas holder. The hydro-
carbon is supplied preferably by regular feed through syphon pipe E2 from
reservoir E¹.
It being necessary to change the operation in generator C³ and furnace B handle L
is turned and valve F moved to shut off communication from pipe I to pipe E and
opens communication from pipe G to pipe I and at the same time cock A¹ is moved
so as to shut off steam supply to jet A³ and open steam to jet A while also damper D¹
is opened giving a free passage to chimney and the operation of "blowing up" or
heating takes place as before described. To change the operation in one or other
generator C¹ or the handle L is actuated to move valve F which first closes
communication between pipe G and pipe I and then momentarily opens and closes
communication between pipe I and by-pass or escape H and then opens communica-
tion between pipe and pipe E at the same time closing H. The same movement of
handle L shuts off steam from jet A closes damper D₁ and opens steam to jet A³
and then the operation of gas making as before described takes place. The opening
of the by-pass or escape H is to prevent the meeting of the water gas fresh from the
fuel and the confined air in closed pipe I and thus avoids danger of explosion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
First. An improved gas making apparatus the essential feature of which is the
combination and arrangement in one steam boiler of two three or more furnaces and
generators and connections adapted to be used in rotation substantially as herein
described and explained.
Second. An improved gas making apparatus having parts constructed and arranged
substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this Twenty first day of May One thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine.
JOHN TWITTIAM ROCK