IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS FROM HYDROCARBON OR VOLATILE OILS, FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wilson, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Ironmonger, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS FROM HYDROCARBON OR
VOLATILE OILS, FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 11th November 1864, and dated the 17th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wilson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th May 1864.
I, WILLIAM WILSON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS FROM HYDROCARBON OR OTHER
VOLATILE OILS, FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to certain improvements applicable to an
Invention for which the applicant obtained Her Most Gracious Majesty's
Letters Patent, bearing date 2nd December 1863, and numbered 3023.
The present Invention consists in immersing the generators (described in the
Specification of the Patent herein-before alluded to) in vessels containing
water, sea water, oil, or any other bad conducting liquid, to prevent the action of
the atmosphere, causing the contents of the generators to become congealed
or reduced in temperature so as to prevent the evaporation of the hydrocarbon
or other volatile oil, from which the gas is generated; or the generators may
be enclosed in an air-tight box with the same effect. It is also advisable to
have covers or lids on the vessels containing the liquid in which the generators
are immersed so that the tops and sides may be covered with cloth, flannel, or
other bad conducting fabric or substance, and the air-tight boxes enclosing the

page_text: generators may also be covered in like manner, the bottoms of the vessels to
remain uncovered, or partly so, to enable a spirit lamp, gas burner supplied from
the enclosed generator, the flame of a candle, or heat from any source, to be
applied to raise or keep up and regulate, according to the strength of the hydro-
carbon or other volatile oil, the temperature of the liquid surrounding the
generators.
Secondly, this Invention relates to an improved method of feeding the
generators with the hydrocarbon or their volatile oil, and consists in having
the generators placed one above another, and the highest one to be fed by a
reservoir (berein-after mentioned) and after reaching a certain height the
volatile liquid is made to flow down a pipe to the next generator, and from
that generator down to another, and so continue descending through different
generators until the liquid is so exhausted that no more gas can be produced
from it, the residue then passes into a suitable receptacle, and is found to be
valuable as a non-explosive illuminating oil to be burnt with a wick in the
ordinary oil lamps, and in the application of a reservoir of any convenient
form or shape having a small pipe at the bottom leading into one end of a
small reservoir between the main reservoir and the highest generator, the
opposite end of the small reservoir is provided with a pipe or channel through
which the bydrocarbon, or other volatile oil passes from the small reservoir to
the highest generator, and if deemed advisable one end of a piece of cotton,
worsted, or other suitable fibre may be dipped into the said small reservoir, and
the other end carried down the pipe leading to the generators, and so by
capillary attraction the volatile oil may be drawn out of the said intermediate
reservoir; or a small air pipe may be attached to connect the tops of the
two reservoirs. The supply of hydrocarbon or other volatile oil to the
small reservoir may be regulated by a cock or other valve, and another cock
or other valve between the said small reservoir and the generators will enable
any one to detach the main reservoir by means of union joints without fear of
the volatile vapour escaping to any great extent into the atmosphere, and
also without stopping the working of the apparatus when it is necessary to
refill the main reservoir.
By the aid of the aforesaid improvements a continuous light is secured which
has not hitherto been attainable in consequence of the hydrocarbon, or othe
volatile oils becoming reduced in temperature below the power of evaporation
This Invention relates, thirdly, to improvements in decanting the hydro
carbon or other volatile oils from one vessel to another, and consists in havin
a screwed connection on the tops of the cans or other vessels, in which the oil
are carried from place to place, to which connection when the cover is remove

page_text: .
may be screwed a suitable spout or bend provided with a stop-cock or other
valve, the other end of the said spout or bend being provided near its extremity
with an annular cup surrounding the outside of the spout, and the mouth of
which cup is turned in the direction of the open end of the said spout or bend.
The main reservoir has also a pipe projecting upwards from the top provided.with
a screwed cap, and an annular cup with its mouth turned upwards surrounding
the said pipe. To decant the liquid from the portable can or other receptacle
into the reservoir, it is first necessary to unscrew and remove the cap off the
can or other receptacle, and then screw on the afore-mentioned spout or bend,
the cap on the top of the reservoir must then be removed, and the spout of the
can or other receptacle introduced into the mouth of the pipe on the top of
the reservoir, then as the cup on the spout or bend is smaller than the one on
the reservoir it will go inside of it, and water being poured into the reservoir
annular cup the cock or other valve on the spout or bend may be opened and
the liquid decanted without wasting the extremely volatile oil by evaporation,
which would be the case if the hydrocarbon or other volatile oil was poured
from one vessel to another without the aid of these improvements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WILSON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Ironmonger,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Wilson, Her special license that I, the said William
Wilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Wilson, 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 Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS FROM HYDROCARBON
OR OTHER VOLATILE OILS, FOR ILLUMINATING AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Wilson, my executors

page_text: was to be
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
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 William Wilson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention relates, first, to certain improvements applicable to an
Invention for which the applicant obtained Her Most Gracious Majesty's
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three, and numbered 3023. The present Invention'
consists in immersing the generators (described in the Specification of the
Patent herein-before alluded to) in vessels containing water, sea water, oil, or
any other bad conducting liquid, to prevent the action of the atmosphere
causing the contents of the generators to become congealed or reduced in
temperature so as to prevent the evaporation of the hydrocarbon or other
volatile oil from which the gas is generated; or the generators may be
enclosed in an air-tight box with the same effect. It is also advisable to have
covers or lids on the vessels containing the liquid in which the generators are
immersed so that the tops and sides may be covered with felt, cloth, flannel, or
other bad conducting fabric, or the tops and sides may be packed in sawdust,
chalk, sand, or other bad conducting substance, and the air-tight boxes
enclosing the generators may also be covered or packed in like manner, the
bottoms of the vessels to remain uncovered, or partly so, to enable a spirit
lamp, gas burner, supplied from the enclosed generator, the flame of a candle,
or heat from any source, to be applied to raise or keep up and regulate, according
to the strength of the bydrocarbon or other volatile oil, the temperature of the
liquid surrounding the generators.
f
Secondly, this Invention relates to an improved method of feeding the
generators with the hydrocarbon or other volatile oil, and consists in having
the generators placed one above another, and the highest one to be fed by a
reservoir (herein-after mentioned) and after reaching a certain height the
volatile liquid is made to flow down a pipe to the next generator, and from
that generator down to another, and so continue descending through different
generators until the liquid is so exhausted that no more gas can be produced
from it; the residue then passes into a suitable receptacle, and is found to be

page_text: valuable as a non-explosive illuminating oil to be burnt with a wick in the
ordinary oil lamps, and in the application of a reservoir of any convenient
form or shape having a small pipe at the bottom leading into one end of
a small reservoir between the main reservoir and the highest generator; the
opposite end of the small reservoir is provided with a pipe or channel through
which the hydrocarbon or other volatile oil passes from the small reservoir
to the highest generator, and if deemed advisable one end of a piece of cotton;
worsted, or other suitable fibre may be dipped into the said small reservoir,
and the other end carried down the pipe leading to the generators, and so by
capillary attraction the volatile oil may be drawn out of the said intermediate
reservoir, or a small air pipe may be attached to connect the tops of the two
reservoirs. The supply of. hydrocarbon or other volatile oil to the small
réservoir may be regulated by a cock or other valve, and another cock or other
valve between the said small reservoir and the generators will enable any one
to detach the main reservoir by means of union joints without fear of the
volatile vapour escaping to any great extent into the atmosphere, and also
without stopping the working of the apparatus when it is necessary to refill
the main reservoir. By the aid of the aforesaid improvements a continuous
light is secured which has not hitherto been attainable in consequence of the
Lydrocarbon or other volatile oil becoming reduced in temperature below the
power of evaporation.
This Invention relates, thirdly, to improvements in decanting the hydro-
carbon or other volatile oil from one vessel to another, and consists in having
a screwed connection on the tops of the cans or other vessels in which the oils.
are carried from place to place, to which connection, when the cover is removed,
may be screwed a suitable spout or bend provided with a stop-cock or other
valve, the other end of the said spout or bend being provided near its ex-
tremity with an annular cup surrounding the outside of the spout, the mouth
of which cup is turned in the direction of the open end of the said spout or
bend. The main reservoir has also a pipe projecting upwards from the top
provided with a screwed cap and an annular cup with its mouth turned up-
wards surrounding the said pipe, To decant the liquid from the portable
can or other receptacle into the reservoir it is first necessary to unscrew and
remove the cap off the can or other receptacle, and then screw on the afore-
mentioned spout or bend; the cap on the top of the reservoir must then be
removed, and the spout of the can or other receptacle introduced into the
mouth of the pipe on the top of the reservoir; then as the cup on the spout or
bend is smaller than the one on the reservoir it will go inside of it, and water
being poured into the reservoir annular cup, the cock or other valve, on the

page_text: spout or bend may be opened, and the liquid decanted without wasting the
extremely volatile oil by evaporation, which would be the case if the bydro-
carbon or other volatile oil was poured from one vessel to another without the
aid of these improvements.
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood
I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative of my improve-
ments. Like letters and figures marked on the Drawings being being used to
denote similar parts.
Fig. 1 represents a side view, partly in section, of my improved apparatus
for generating gas from hydrocarbon or other volatile oils, showing the
generators enclosed or immersed in vessels containing liquids, and the method
of applying heat to the bottoms of the said vessels to raise or keep up and
regulate the temperature of the liquid surrounding the generators; Fig. 2 is
a side view, partly in section, of my improved arrangement of feeding the
generators immersed in liquid, showing the method of applying heat to the
bottoms of the vessels surrounding the generators; Fig. 3 represents a side
view of an ordinary can or vessel with a screwed connection at its neck for
carrying the volatile oils froni place to place; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal view,
partly in section, of the improved spout or bend to be connected to the
ordinary cans or vessels in which volatile oils are carried when it is desirable
to decant the contents from one vessel to another; Fig. 5 represents a side
sectional view of my improved spout or bend connected to a can, showing how
the contents may be decanted from one vessel to another without perceptible
loss by evaporation.
In Fig. 1, A represents the reservoir or supply cistern containing the
bydrocarbon or other volatile oil which travels down the supply pipe B, and
then rises through the branch pipes C (which project up through the bottoms
of the generators) until it finds its level in all the generators. In Fig. 2 the
supply of hydrocarbon or other volatile oil is contained in the supply cistern
or reservoir A, and when it is requisite to feed or supply the generators the
cock a is opened, and a supply allowed to descend into the intermediate
reservoir D (which may be formed of transparent glass in order to see the
contents) from whence it is sucked out by capillary attraction by means of a
piece of cotton, worsted, or other suitable fibre, and travels down the supply.
pipe E into the highest generator until it reaches to the top of the overflow.
pipe F, when the overplus will descend down into the next generator, and.
should the supply be sufficient, it will again flow down the overflow pipe F¹,
and so continue descending through any number of generators until the
supply either becomes exhausted or until it begins to show itself in the glass

page_text: guage or other receptacle G, amxed to the lowest generator, when the supply
may be regulated by the cock a.
In Figs. 1 and 2, H represents the main air pipe, through which the
atmospheric air is supplied to be mixed with the vapor of the hydrocarbon
or other volatile oils; this atmospheric air is conveyed through the branch
air pipes I, to the generators J (the construction of which generators has
been particularly described in the Specification of my Patent herein-before
alluded to), and after passing round the voluted passages of the generators,
during which process it has become combined or impregnated with the
volatile vapor, the air in the form of a rich illuminating gas passes off
through the branch gas pipes K, to the main gas pipe L, and if found
necessary, in order to ensure perfect combustion, more atmospheric air may
be admitted through the cock b, to mix with the gas, previous to its being
conveyed to the burners. The air cocks C and gas cocks d, are connected
together and opened and closed by one handle M, so that if only a small
quantity of gas is required only a small quantity of air is admitted, and vice
versa. N represents the vessels composed of metal, earthenware, or any.
suitable substance which will hold liquid, and enable heat to be applied to the
bottom surface. These vessels are partially or entirely filled with water, sea
water, oil, or any other liquid, in which liquid the generators are to be totally.
immersed, or the generators may be enclosed in an air-tight box or vessel,
with a somewhat similar effect, and the vessels themselves, with the exception
of their bottoms, may be further enclosed and covered with felt, cloth, flannel,
or other bad conducting fabric, or the tops and sides of the vessels may be
packed in sawdust, chalk, sand, or other bad conducting substance, so that
the atmosphere cannot act upon the liquid contained in the vessels, and so
cause it to congeal, whilst at the same time if heat be applied to raise, keep.
up, and regulate the temperature of the liquid or fluid surrounding the
generators, the effect cannot be neutralised by the heat escaping by. radiation
into the surrounding atmosphere. The bottoms of the vessels remain uncovered,
or partly so, to enable heat from any source to be applied, and it may be
found most convenient to convey a gas pipe O from the main gas pipe L, so
that a gas flame P may act beneath the vessels, and thereby impart the
necessary heat, the quantity of such heat being regulated by the cocks e, and
to indicate the temperature of the surrounding liquid, thermometers may be
applied to the contents of the vessels. When heat is employed in generating
gas from volatile liquids, the gas has a tendency to condense to a certain
extent in the pipes, and therefore it is advisable to cause the branch gas

page_text: pipes K to rise inside the main gas pipe L (as shown in the Drawing); or the
branch gas pipes may be connected at the requisite height to the side of the
main gas pipe, so that if any liquid is formed in the pipes, it may trickle
down to the lowest point, and there be collected in a glass vessel or other
receptacle Q, instead of collecting at some point, and so causing the gas
flames to jump and spirt.
The manner of producing illuminating gas from hydrocarbon or other
volatile oil, the source of the blast of atmospheric, air, and the peculiar
construction of the generators, have been particularly described in the
Specification of my Patent. herein-before alluded to, and in conjunction with
the present Invention, I am now enabled to produce a continuous light, which
has not hitherto been attainable in consequence of the hydrocarbon or other
volatile liquid becoming reduced in temperature below the power of evapo-
ration, after a certain amount of atmospheric air has passed over it, and the
peculiar advantages gained by the present Invention are, that at some
temperatures of the atmosphere heat would not be required to be applied to
the liquid surrounding the generators, as the effect of surrounding the
generators with liquid alone would in some temperatures be sufficient to
neutralise the influence of the atmosphere; and if heat is required by the
arrangement shown in Fig. 2, I am enabled to apply a different degree of
heat to each generator, so that as the volatile liquid becomes impoverished,
more heat may be applied as it descends from one generator to another, and
should the hydrocarbon or other volatile oil not become exhausted after
passing through all the generators, the residue may be collected in the
receptacle G, and will be found exceedingly valuable as a non-explosive
illuminating oil to be burnt in any of the ordinary bydrocarbon lamps,
and the intermediate reservoir enables a fresh supply of hydrocarbon to be
supplied to the main reservoir without stopping the working of the
apparatus.
In Figs. 3, 4, and 5, R represents the ordinary can, in which the volatile
oils are stored and carried from place to place; S is the screwed cap, which
must be removed when it is desirable to decant the liquid, and the spout U,
represented in Fig. 4, must then be screwed in its place, taking care that
the cock f is closed; if. water is then poured into the annular cup T, sur-
rounding the connection on the top of the reservoirs (Figs. 1 and 2), and
the screwed cap V removed, the mouth. W of the annular cup surrounding
the spout or bend will be found to go inside of the annular 'cup T, and the
cock may then be opened, when the volatile oil will descend into the

page_text: reservoir, whilst the air displaced will rise up the small air pipe X, and take
the place previously occupied by the volatile oil. When the reservoir,
annular cup is once filled with water, there is no need to empty it again, as
the liquid surrounding the screwed cap of the connection will tend to make
the joint more secure. It has been found by actual experiment, that great
loss of the essentially volatile oil occurs in pouring it from one vessel to
another (one pint being lost in transferring three gallons), and by the aid of.
my improvement this great loss is necessarily greatly decreased..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my
said Invention, and how I believe the same may be best carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details, relative proportions or dimensions, as these may be
considerably varied without departing from the Invention, but what I par-.
ticularly claim is,―
Firstly, enclosing or immersing the generators (used in the manufacture of
gas, by passing atmospheric air over hydrocarbon or other volatile oils) in
vessels containing water, sea water, oil, or any other liquid, and further
enclosing and covering the tops and sides of such vessels with felt, cloth,
flannel, or other bad conducting fabric, or packing the tops and sides of such
vessels in sawdust, chalk, sand, or other bad conducting substance, in the
manner and for the purpose herein-before described and set forth, or any mere
modification of the same.
Secondly, applying heat to the bottoms of such vessels for the purpose of
raising, keeping up, and regulating the temperature of the liquid surrounding
the generators, which source of heat may consist of the flame of a spirit or
oil lamp, the flame of a candle, or a gas flame supplied by the enclosed
generators, or from any convenient source, in the manner and for the pur-
pose herein-before described and set forth, or any mere modification of the
same.
Thirdly, placing the generators one above another, and feeding them as
described by Fig. 2, so that a different degree of heat may be applied to each
generator, and the use of an intermediate reservoir, for the purposes described
and set forth, or any mere modification of the same.
Fourthly, the use and application of a spout or bend provided with a cock
or other valve having an annular cup surrounding its mouth which fits into
another annular cup on the top of the vessels, into which it is desirable to
decant the volatile oils, and upon water being poured between them, a water-
tight joint is made, which prevents the great loss occasioned by evaporation

page_text: during the process of decantation, as herein-before described and set forth, or
any mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand, and affixed my seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
J. G. WILSON,
of the Patent Office,
109, Market Street,
Manchester.
WILLIAM (L.S.) WILSON.