An Improved Process for the Production of Gas for Illuminating and other purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th July, 1898.
Complete Specification Left, 26th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Production of Gas for Illuminating
and other purposes.
We, HERMANN HEINRICH BÖHNDEL, of Finkenau 13, Hamburg, in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturer, and CHARLES CARROLL YEATON, of 31, Lombard Street,
in the City of London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the production of gas for illuminating and other purposes
from any suitable light hydrocarbon and has for its object the production of such
gas economically and in such manner as to reduce the liability of an accidental
explosion to a minimum.
In carrying out our invention we saturate a highly absorbent material with
benzene, gasoline or petroleum spirit, naphtha, petroleum, sulphuric ether, or
other suitable light hydrocarbon, and enclose this in a sealed receptacle provided
with an inlet or inlets communicating with a suitable source of air supply and an
outlet or outlets communicating with the gas supply pipes.
The absorbent material which we preferably employ is obtained by calcining or
roasting kieselghur or infusorial earth in a blind furnace or muffle oven, thus
freeing it from organic impurities and increasing its absorbent capacity.
After saturation with the hydrocarbon, this material when enclosed in a sealed
receptacle will be found, under normal conditions, to emit little if any hydrocarbon
vapour, the danger of an explosion being thus obviated.
Under some circumstances other highly absorbent materials may be used.
When gas is required for use a draft of atmospheric air is passed into the sealed
receptacle from any suitable source of supply. This air during its passage through
the said receptacle comes in contact with the absorbent material loaded with
hydrocarbon and derives therefrom a sufficient quantity of the said hydrocarbon to
render it combustible and enable it to emit a brilliant light when conveyed
through the outlet from said sealed receptacle to suitable gas burners and
ignited.
The relative amount of hydrocarbon absorbed by the air in its passage through
the sealed receptacle is very small, but the resulting mixture of air and hydrocarbon
constitutes a highly luminiferous and combustible gas, which is suitable for
heating, lighting, or other purposes for which combustible gas is applicable.
Dated this 30th day of July 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Process for the Production of Gas for Illuminating
and other purposes.
We, HERMANN HEINRICH BOHNDEL, of Finkenau 13, Hamburg, in the Empire of
Germany, Manufacturer, and CHARLES CARROLL YEATON, of 31 Lombard Street, in
the City of London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
Our invention relates to the production of gas for illuminating and other
purposes from any suitable light hydrocarbon and has for its object the production
of such gas economically and in such manner as to reduce the liability of an
accidental explosion to a minimum.
In carrying out our invention we impregnate a highly absorbent material with
benzene, gasoline or petroleum spirit, naphtha, petroleum, sulphuric ether, or other
suitable light hydrocarbon, and enclose this in a sealed receptacle provided with an
inlet or inlets communicating with a suitable source of air supply and an outlet or
outlets communicating with the gas supply pipes.
The absorbent material which we employ is obtained by calcining or roasting
kieselghur or infusorial silica in a blind furnace or muffle oven, thus freeing it from
organic impurities and increasing its absorbent capacity.
After impregnation with the hydrocarbon, this material when enclosed in a sealed
receptacle will be found, under normal conditions, to fix the said hydrocarbon to a
certain extent and to emit little if any hydrocarbon vapour; the danger of an
explosion being thus obviated.
When gas is required for use a draft of atmospheric air is passed into the sealed
receptacle from any suitable source of supply. This air during its passage through
the said receptacle comes in contact with the absorbent material impregnated with
the hydrocarbon and derives therefrom a sufficient quantity of the said hydrocarbon
to render it combustible and enable it to emit a brilliant light when conveyed through
the outlet from said sealed receptacle to a suitable gas burner and ignited.
The relative amount of hydrocarbon absorbed or extracted from the kieselghur by
the air in its passage through the sealed receptacle is very small, but the resulting
mixture of air and hydrocarbon constitutes a highly luminiferous and combustible
gas, which is suitable for heating, lighting, or other purposes for which combustible
gas is applicable.
When starting the process the absorbent material should be saturated but there
should be no unabsorbed liquid hydrocarbon present in the sealed vessel. As the
production of the gas proceeds the amount of hydrocarbon contained in the
absorbent will become gradually reduced until it has all been completely extracted
by the air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is :-
The process for the production of combustible gas consisting in passing a blast
of air through a sealed vessel containing calcined kieselghur or infusorial silica
impregnated with a suitable hydrocarbon, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.