IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jacques Arbòs, of Barcelona, Town in the Spanish
Kingdom, Doctor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATING
CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
"
Sealed the 15th May 1863, and dated the 18th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacques Arbòs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th November 1862.
I, JACQUES ARBÒS, of Barcelona, Town in the Spanish Kingdom, Doctor,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GENERATING CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING, AND IN APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, in the formation, as hereafter described, of a
gaseous compound, and in mixing it in retorts heated to a red heat, with gas
arising from the distillation of coal, or from the. decomposition of fixed or
volatile oils, resins, tars, or fatty bodies to manufacture gas suitable.for.
lighting and heating; and, second, in an apparatus for generating the gaseous
compound.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a furnace lined inside with fire-brick, and, by
preference, in the shape of an inverted cone, with a circular grate at bottom,
through which air supplied by a blast is admitted from a pipe below, its
admission being regulated by a tap. There is a conical vessel with opening at
top placed on the mouth of the furnace, through which coal or other fuel is
introduced, and by which gas is allowed to escape at the commencement of
the operation. As soon as inflammable gas is produced the opening is closed
by a conical stopper. A syphon tube passes into the furnace, through which
tar, oils of resin; of schist, of petroleum, or of liquified fatty matters are
introduced when required. The gas generated in the furnace passes off by a
tube from the upper part of the furnace into ordinary retorts, in which coal or
resin oil gas is being generated. From these retorts the gaseous mixture
passes through the condensers and purifiers to the gas holders.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-The fire is lighted on the
grate, and air admitted by the pipe below. The furnace is charged with coal
tar oils, or liquified resinous matters are introduced gradually through the
syphon tube, and the top opening is closed as soon as the gases escaping
therefrom become inflammable. "The gases then issue through the exit pipe
and pass into ordinary retorts heated to redness, and charged with coal. The
gases become mixed with the coal gas, and become deprived of carbonic acid
and the undecomposed volatile oils. To ascertain the proportion in which the
gas produced in the apparatus should be mixed with the gas in the retorts,
whereby its richness is increased, I use a gas burner to test its burning power
prior to admitting it into the gasometers; thus I am enabled to increase or
diminish the quantity of gas or gaseous compound introduced from the
apparatus, and consequently to regulate the heating or lighting powers of the
gases stored in the gasometers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jacques Arbòs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th May 1863:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JACQUES
ARBÒS, of Barcelona, Town in the Spanish Kingdom, Doctor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Jacques Arbòs, Her special licence that I, the said Jacques
Arbos, my executors, administrators; and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Jacques. Arbòs, executors, administrators, and assigns; should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at, all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN GENERATING CERTAIN GASES FOR LIGHTING AND HEATING, AND IN
APPARATUS EMPLOYED 'THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Jacques Arbòs, my executors 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 NOW YE, that I, the said Jacques Arbòs, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:
My Invention consists, first, in the formation, as hereafter described, of a
gaseous compound, and in mixing it in retorts heated to a red heat with gas
arising from the distillation of coal, or from the decomposition of fixed or
volatile oils, resins, tars, or fatty bodies to manufacture gas. suitable for
lighting and heating. And, second, in an apparatus for generating the
gaseous compound.
The apparatus consists of a furnace lined with fire-brick, and, by preference,
in the shape of an inverted cone, with a circular grate. at. bottom, through
which air supplied by a blast is admitted from a pipe below, its admission being
regulated by a tap. There is a conical vessel with opening at top placed
on the mouth of the furnace, through which coal or other fuel is introduced,
and by which gas is allowed to escape at the commencement of the operation.
As soon as inflammable gas is. produced, the opening is closed by a conical
stopper. A syphon tube passes into the furnace, through which tar, oils of
resin, of schist, of petroleum, or liquified fatty matters are introduced when
required. The gas generated in the furnace. passes off by a tube from the

page_text: upper part of the furnace into ordinary retorts, in which coal or resin oil gas
is being generated. From these retorts the gaseous mixture passes through
the condensers and purifiers to the gas holders.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section, Figure 2 a
plan, and Figure 3 a horizontal section, taken through the line x, y, of Figure 1,
of an apparatus constructed according to this Invention.
A is a furnace, lined with fire-brick; B is a circular grate, through which
air is admitted to the furnace; C is the ash-pit. There is an opening between
the ash-pit and the grate, through which they may be cleaned. D is a pipe
through which air supplied by a blast is admitted to the furnace, a tap is fitted
in it for regulating the admission of the air; E is a conical vessel open at
top, through which 'fuel is supplied to the furnace, and by which the gases
evolved at the commencement of the operation are allowed to pass off. As
soon as inflammable gas is produced the opening is closed by a conical
stopper. F is a syphon tube, through which tar, resin, shale, or petroleum
oils, or liquified fatty matters are introduced as required; G is a tube, by
which the gas generated in the furnace passes off into retorts, as before
mentioned.
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-The fire is lighted on the
grate B, and air admitted by the pipe D below. The furnace is charged
with coal tar oils, or liquified resinous matters are introduced gradually
through the syphon tube F, and the top opening E is closed as soon as the
gases escaping therefrom become inflammable. The gases then issue through
the exit pipe G, and pass into ordinary retorts heated to redness, and charged
with coal. The gases become mixed with the coal gas, and become deprived
of carbonic acid and the undecomposed volatile oils. To ascertain the pro-
portion in which the gas produced in the apparatus should be mixed with the
gas in the retorts, whereby its richness is increased, I use a gas burner to
test its burning power prior to admitting it into the gasometers. Thus I am
enabled to increase or diminish the quantity of gas or gaseous compound
introduced from the apparatus, and consequently to regulate the heating or
lighting powers of the gases stored in the gasometers.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
.manner the 'same. is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the formation of a gaseous compound, as herein-before described, and
the mixing of the same with gas arising from the distillation of coal, or from
the decomposition of oils, resins, tars, or fatty bodies to manufacture gas
suitable for lighting and heating.

page_text: Second, the apparatus for generating the gaseous compound, constructed
and acting substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacques Arbòs, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three.
J. ARBOS. (L.S.)