Im. PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF Gas, Also APPLICABLESO APPBLE TO THE PROCESSERATEDUI
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Fielding Smyth, of Belfast, in the County
of Antrim, in Ireland, Brassfounder, for the Invention of "Im.
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF Gas, Also APPLICABLE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Fielding Smyth
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th August 1873.
I, JAMES FIELDING SMYTH, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in
Ireland, Brassfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, ALSO
APPLICABLE TO THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING AERATED FLUIDS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention constitutes a self-regulating gas generator, and consists
in the use of a chamber or chambers, portion or one of which commu-
nicates with the other portion or the other chamber by means of a slot,
pipe, or tube near to the bottom thereof.

page_text: One of the chambers or portions of a chamber is perforated under-
neath, or is furnished with a second bottom, or table, or tray, which is
perforated, and sits a little higher than the orifice of the slot, pipe, or
tube above mentioned. This chamber or portion of a chamber is made
close, and is provided with a close fitted door or hand hole through
which it may be charged or emptied, and also with a pipe or tube placed
near to the top of it by means of which the gas, when generated, may
be conveyed to a gas holder or receiver, or any other vessel. This pipe.
or tube is furnished with a stop valve acted upon by the gas holder,
receiver, or other vessel when full. The close chamber or portion of a
chamber is filled or partly filled with blocks or chips of limestone or
marble laid upon the bottom table or tray; and the other chamber or
portion of a chamber is filled or partly filled with hydrochloric or
muriatic acid by means of a tube or syphon communicating with a
carboy or reservoir containing that acid. The acid enters the close
chamber or portion of a chamber through the slot pipe or tube near to
the bottom and then, rising through the perforations above mentioned,
acts upon the limestone or marble and generates carbonic acid gas
which passes through the first mentioned tube into the gas holder,
receiver, or other vessel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Fielding Smyth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th February 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
FIELDING SMYTH, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in Ireland, Brass-
founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Fielding Smyth, Her special
licence, that I, the said James Fielding Smyth, my executors, admini-

page_text: -strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Fielding Smyth,
my 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 the Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, ALSO
APPLICABLE TO THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING ABRATED FLUIDS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Fielding Smyth, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 James Fielding Smyth, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 :-
The said Invention relates to apparatus constructed as herein-after
described and employed for the purpose of generating gas by the action
of hydrochloric or muriatic acid upon blocks or chips of limestone or
marble, and is chiefly applicable to the process of manufacturing aerated
fluids.
The apparatus to which I refer constitutes a self-regulating gas
generator, and consists of a vessel or chamber divided into portions or com-
partments, or of distinct or separate vessels or chambers built, composed,
or made of materials capable of resisting the chemical action of the acid
I employ, and the gas which is generated, and among such materials I
prefer earthenware, porcelain, glass, and other similar substances.
The portions or compartments of the vessel or chamber, or the vessels
or chambers, one of which is close or covered and the other open, are
made to communicate with each other near to the bottoms thereof by
means of a slot pipe or tube, and I furnish the close or covered portion
or compartment, vessel, or chamber with a second or false bottom, or
with a table or tray which sits above the level of the orifice of the slot,
pipe, or tube above mentioned. The second or false bottom table, or

page_text: tray is perforated for the purpose herein-after described or indicated; or
the bottom of one of the portions or compartments, vessels or chambers
may be perforated for the purpose referred to, and fixed or arranged so
as to sit a little higher than the top of the other portion, or compartment,
vessel, or chamber.
The portion, or compartment, vessel, or chamber, having the per-
forated bottom, table, or tray, and which I may for distinction designate
the close or generating chamber must be in other respects perfectly or
substantially close or air-tight, and is provided with a closely fitted door
and hand hole through which it may be charged or loaded, and emptied,
and also with a pipe or tube placed at or near to the top or cover of it,
by means of which the gas when generated may be conveyed to a gas
holder or receiver or any other vessel or chamber. I furnish this pipe
or tube with a stop valve having a disc or face of india-rubber and a
lever which is acted upon when the gas holder, receiver, or other vessel
is full by means of a counterpoise connected with the gas holder,
receiver, or other vessel so as to prevent the further passage of gas until
the gas collected in such gas holder, receiver, or other vessel has been
partly drawn off.
The portions or compartments, vessels or chambers, may be con-
structed in such form and of such size, and may be placed in such
relative positions as shall best suit the requirements and convenience of
manufacturers, but I prefer to use rectangular portions, compartments,
vessels, or chambers with one portion, compartment, vessel or chamber
standing above or resting upon the top of the other, the generating
chamber being below or underneath the other, which I may for dis-
tinction designate the open or acid chamber. The open or acid
chamber may however be placed by the side, but above the level of the
close or generating chamber.
I shall now describe the manner in which this apparatus is used, and i
the process by which the gas is generated.
The close or generating chamber is filled or partly filled with blocks
or chips of limestone or marble laid upon the perforated bottom, table,
or tray, and the open or acid chamber is filled or partly filled with
hydrochloric or muriatic acid supplied by means of a pipe, tube, or
syphon introduced into it from a carboy or other reservoir containing
that acid. The acid flows from the open or acid chamber through the

page_text: above-mentioned slot pipe or tube underneath and rises through the
perforated bottom table or tray of the close or generating chamber, and
coming into contact with the blocks or chips of limestone or marble
generates carbonic acid gas which fills the close or generating chamber,
and passes by the pipe or tube placed at or near to the top or cover
thereof through ordinary water purifiers into the gas holder or receiver,
or other vessel or chamber already mentioned. When this has been
filled the stop valve with which the pipe or tube communicating with it
from the close or generating chamber is closed by the simple mechanical
contrivance before referred to, and the pressure of the gas- afterwards
accumulating in the close or generating chamber itself depresses the
acid which ultimately recedes through the perforated bottom table or
tray, whereby its action upon the blocks or chips of limestone or marble
is discontinued until the gas holder or receiver or other vessel or
chamber already mentioned becoming empty or partially empty again
admits part of the gas which has accumulated in the close or generating
chamber. This intermittent action of the acid takes place until the
blocks or chips of limestone or marble have evolved all their gaseous
elements, and are reduced to a state of pulp or paste which is soluble in
water and can be washed out of the close or generating chamber. Both
chambers. may, advantageously be furnished with openings (furnished
with taps or valves) for draining and cleansing them.
And in order that the said Invention may be more fully understood, I
shall now proceed to refer to the Drawings on the Sheet hereunto
annexed, the same letters of reference being used throughout all the
Figures to indicate the same or corresponding parts of said apparatus.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an earthenware self-regulating gas
generator of my Invention, the open or acid chamber being imposed
upon the close or generating chamber in which blocks or chips of lime-
stone or marble are represented.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the open or acid chamber sitting upon
the cover of the close or generating chamber and within the shoulder or
flange provided to contain-it.
And, Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the close or generating chamber
with a perforated bottom, table, or tray.
a is the open or acid chamber which is provided with an orifice at the
top to admit the entrance and escape of atmospheric air; a' is the pipe,

page_text: And, Thirdly. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting
the self-acting gas generator, constructed and applied in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
In witness wherof, I, the said James Fielding Smyth, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.