IMPROVEMEN16 IN PRODUCING GASES AND VAPOUR IN A HEATED STATE
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Young, of Limefield, in the County of Mid
Lothian, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMEN16
IN PRODUCING GASES AND VAPOUR IN A HEATED STATE."
Sealed the 13th June 1865, and dated the 14th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Young at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
January 1865.
I, JAMES YOUNG. of Limefield, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING GASES AND VAPOUR IN A HEATED STATE," to be as
follows, that is to say: -
This Invention relates essentially to a certain improved method of obtaining
certain gases and vapour in a heated state. For example. one method which
is employed to produce the gases and vapour in the heated state consists in
using a hollow cylinder placed upright. and containing coke, charcoal, coal, or
other such material. The material contained within the cylinder is set fire to
near the bottom, and air is forced into or drawn through it by the draught of
a chimney. When the contents of the cylinder have attained a high tempe-
rature the current of air is stopped. and steam is blown in at the top. being
forced down through the heated material, after which there issue from the
bottom hot carbonic oxide and hydrogen with more or less steam. The appa-

page_text: ratus herein-before referred to may be placed horizontally instead of vertically,
or in an inclined position. Instead of using a cylindrical vessel, one of any
other suitable shape may be employed. In addition to using steam to pass
through the apparatus as hercin-before described, carburetted hydrogen or
other gas or vapour may be used along with steam or separately.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Young in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
YOUNG, of Limefield, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Young, Her special license, that 1, the said James Young,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Young, my executors, administrators, or 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
PRODUCING GASES AND VAPOUR IN A HEATED STATE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I; the said James Young, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
IN
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Young, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates essentially to an improved method of and appa-
ratus for obtaining certain gases and vapour in a heated state. For example,

page_text: one method which is employed to produce the gases and vapour in the heated
condition consists in using a hollow cylinder placed upright, and containing
coke, charcoal, coal, or other such material. The material contained within the
cylinder is set fire to near the bottom, and air is forced into or drawn through
it by the draught of a chimney. When the contents of the cylinder have
attained a high temperature the current of air is stopped, and steam is blown
in at the top, being forced down through the heated material, after which
there issue from the bottom hot carbonic oxide and hydrogen, with more or
less steam. The apparatus herein-before referred to may be placed horizon-
tally instead of vertically, or in an inclined position. Instead of using a
cylindrical vessel one of any other suitable shape may be employed. In addi-
tion to using steam to pass through the apparatus as herein-before described,
carburetted hydrogen or other gas or vapour may be used along with steam
or separately.
By the improved apparatus herein-after more particularly described any
gases or vapours which are not acted on by coke, charcoal, coal, and such like
material at the temperature to which the apparatus may be raised, may be
heated, or in the case of such gases and vapours as are acted on by hot coke,
coal, charcoal, or the like, the gases or vapours resulting from such action
may be obtained in a heated state.
The improved apparatus is of essential service where a very high tempera-
ture is required. It consists of an upright vessel containing coke, coal, char-
coal, or the like fuel, which is to be lighted or kindled at the lower end, and
a current of air caused to pass through it from below upwards till the material
at the lower end of the vessel is raised to a sufficient temperature.
All aper-
tures except one at the top for the admission of the gas or vapour on which it
is desired to operate, and one at the bottom for its exit being closed, gas or
vapour on being caused to flow through the apparatus will by absorbing heat
from the highly heated contents of the vessel issue from the lower orifice at a
temperature the intensity of which will depend on the degree to which the
materials have been heated, and the rate at which the gas or vapour is caused
to flow through such apparatus.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a vertical section of the simplest form of
my apparatus, and Figures 2 is a similar view of a slightly modified arrangement.
I have found a convenient form of apparatus to consist of a cylinder of wrought

page_text: iron A, B, somewhat similar to a founder's cupola, and lined with fire-brick
having a large aperture C at the top capable of being closed by a tight fitting
lid D, and serving for the introduction of fuel, and also as an exit for the
products of combustion whilst the apparatus is being heated; E is a tuyere
for supplying a blast of air whilst the fuel is being heated, and which is
connected to the main blast pipe by a leather or other suitable flexible tube F,
or by or any other connection by which it can be easily removed from the tuyere
hole when the temperature inside the vessell A, B, is sufficiently elevated.
When the apparatus is to be worked for any length of time it will be proper
to introduce lime, and with some fuels a little clay, in order that the impurities
may be fluxed into a fluid slag in the usual way, when they may be allowed to
run out by the slag hole H; K is a pipe and stop-cock by which the gas or
vapour may be admitted to the upper end of the vessel A, B.
In working this apparatus, the vessel A, B, having been charged with fuel
and with a proper mixture of lime or other suitable material as is well known
in order to flux the impurities, and the cover D being removed, the fuel in the
lower part is to be lighted or kindled, and a blast of air turned on by the pipe
E, till the contents of A, B, are sufficiently hot. The cover D is then to be
secured on the upper aperture C, the tuyere E withdrawn, the slag hole H
closed, and the gas or vapour on which it is desired to operate admitted by
opening the stop-cock K, when a stream of heated gas or vapour will issue
from the tuyere hole at E. Of course if more convenient the tuyere hole may
be closed, and the hot gas allowed to issue by the slag hole, or both may be
closed, and a third hole for the exit of the gas only may be opened. In order
to render this process continuous two or more such vessels must be employed,
so that hot gas may issue from one while the other is heating up. If steam be
admitted by the cock K, and the temperature be greatly elevated, a highly
heated mixture of hydrogen and carbonic oxide, with perhaps a little steam, will
issue from the lower orifice, but if the temperature be lower, say about a red
heat, the greater part of that which issues at E will be superheated steam. If
air be passed through the products will consist of heated carbonic oxide and
nitrogen, or of these latter gases be passed through they will simply issue in a
heated state. In the latter case the modification (Figure 2) of the apparatus
may be employed. The vessel A, B, (Fig. 2) is lined as before with fire-brick
having a charging aperture C, and being divided vertically by a brick wall L,
reaching. fo nearly the top. Each division is furnished with a tuyere hole E
and E; and a slag hole II and H', and is filled with fuel. This fuel in both
divisions having been lighted or kindled at the bottom, and both blasts turned
on (the door D being removed) till both are heated up, the door D may be

page_text: replaced and secured and one tuyere E¹ removed, when the carbonic oxide and
nitrogen produced in the division N will be very highly heated in passing
downwards through the fuel contained in the division N', and will issue from
the tuyere hole E'. During this time the temperature of the division N will
be increasing considerably, and so soon as the division N' begins to cool the
tuyere El may be inserted into its tuyere hole, and the tuyere E withdrawn,
when the division N¹ will produce carbonic oxide and nitrogen whilst it is
being heated up, and this will be raised to a high degree of heat in passing
through the division N. So soon as N is partly cooled the operation is to be
reversed, and so on. Tron pipes lined with fire-clay may be connected to the
holes by which the hot gases issue, whereby these gases may be conveyed somo
distance if required.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect
I would observe that I am aware that steam has been passed through hot fuel
for the purpose of producing a mixture of carbonic oxide and nitrogen, and
that air has similarly been passed through hot fuel for the purpose of pro-
ducing a mixture of carbonic oxide and nitrogen, and that in both cases the
issuing gases may have attained a more or less elevated temperature, and therefore
I lay no claim to such processes, but what I consider to be novel and original,
and as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,-
First, the causing the gas or vapour to issue from the herein-before described
apparatus in a heated state by passing it through the hot fuel in a direction
contrary to that in which the air employed to support combustion and warm
the fuel passes, whereby the gas or vapour first enters the fuel at the end of the
apparatus where the fuel is coldest and issues at the end where the fuel is
hottest, the high temperature of the fuel being thus more perfectly imparted
to the gas or vapour under treatment.
Secondly, the peculiar construction and arrangement of apparatus, or any
equivalent therefor, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described.
to this my
In witness whereof, I, the said James Young, have
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.