IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF GAS OR VAPOUR FROM HYDROCARBON OILS OR COMBINATIONS THEREOF WITH OTHER MATTERS, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN UTILIZING
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alphonse Lafargue, of No. 7, York Terrace,
Acklam Road, Westbourne Park, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF
GAS OR VAPOUR FROM HYDROCARBON OILS OR COMBINATIONS THEREOF WITH
OTHER MATTERS, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN UTILIZING
4
Sealed the 12th April 1873, and dated the 7th February 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alphonse Lafarguc
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th February 1873.
I, ALPHONSE LAFARGUE, of No. 7, York Terrace, Acklam Road, West-
bourne Park, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF
GAS OR VAPOUR FROM HYDROCARBON OILS OR COMBINATIONS THEREOP WITH
OTHER MATTERS, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN UTILIZING THE
SAME," to be as follows:-
In effecting my improvements I conduct the steam from a steam
engine, or it may be other steam into the lower part of a close vessel or
generator containing petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil from which

page_text: gas is to be generated, and which is kept supplied with such oil by
pump or other suitable pressure (regulated by means of a guage or
indicator) from a reservoir or other source of supply. The steam is
conveyed in coils of piping or in other layer or layers perforated to
allow the steam therefrom to rise distributed amongst the oil in the t
generator, and in rising through such oil in this vessel or generator the
steam will take up and combine with vapour from the oil. This
combined gas or vapour is thence conducted from the upper part of
this vessel or generator by suitable pipes (having regulating valve or
tap) for use in heating or otherwise when lighted. I find it convenient 1
to conduct such gas or vapour to series of jets in the furnace of or
under the boiler by which the steam is generated, or for other heating
or it may be for lighting purposes.
The pipe for conveying the gas generated for consumption is formed
in coils or otherwise to admit of a considerable surface thereof being 1
heated to a very high heat for superheating in the furnace before it is
allowed to escape and be lighted for licating purposes.
In order to obtain uniformity of pressure of the gas as generated, the
conducting pipe for the gas after its passage through the furnace or
other place of its partial use passes to a gas holder of the ordinary 2
character for storage.
The gas generator is provided with a cock or valve and conducting
pipe at the lower part thereof, to facilitate the drawing off of accumu-
lated sediment, and such sediment as drawn off is then conducted to a
receptacle for it to be consumed whilst it is still hot for the purpose of 2
giving off heat.
In the event of the gas being generated too freely for present
consumption, I conduct the excess by a passage to a worm or other
arrangement of surface condenser from which it is conducted to a
gasometer.
The petroleum or other mineral oils may be combined with highly
rectified petroleum or such like spirit, so that a low pressure of steam
will in acting on such combination have the effect of liberating gas
therefrom.
3
Such oils may also be combined with gas tar or Stockholm tar to 3
render them inflammable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alphonse Lafargue in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALPHONSE
LAFARGUE, of No. 7, York Terrace, Acklam Road, Westbourne Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alphonse Lafargue, Her
special license that I, the said Alphonse Lafargue, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alphonse
Lafargue, 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,
usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF GAS OR VAPOUR FROM HYDROCARBON
OILS OR COMBINATIONS THEREOF WITH OTHER MATTERS, AND IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN UTILIZING THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alphonse Lafargue, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 per-
formed, 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 Alphonse Lafargue, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
In effecting my improvements I conduct the steam from a steam
engine, or it may be other steam, into the lower part of a close vessel or
generator containing petroleum or other hydrocarbon oil from which
gas is to be generated, and which is kept supplied with such oil by
pump or other suitable pressure (regulated by means of a guage or

page_text: indicator) from a reservoir or other source of supply. The steam is
conveyed in coils of piping or in other layer or layers perforated to
allow the steam therefrom to rise distributed amongst the oil in the
generator, and in rising through such oil in this vessel or generator the
steam will take up and combine with vapour from the oil. This
combined gas or vapour is thence conducted from the upper part of this
vessel or generator by suitable pipes (having regulating valve or tap for
use in heating or otherwise when lighted). I find it convenient to
conduct such gas or vapour to series of jets in the furnace of or under
the boiler by which the steam is generated or for other heating or it
may be for lighting purposes.
The pipe for conveying the gas generated for consumption is formed
in coils or otherwise, to admit of a considerable surface thereof being
heated to a very high heat for superheating in the furnace before it is
allowed to escape and be lighted for heating purposes.
But that the Invention may be fully understood, I will by the aid of
the accompanying Drawing proceed to describe means pursued by me in
carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a general view of apparatus arranged according to
my Invention.
a is the boiler from the water in which steam is generated to supply
the cylinder b, and by acting on the piston therein to give motion by
suitable connecting gear, not shown in the Drawing, to the crank c¹ of
the shaft c. This shafte is supported to turn in the fixed bearing d,
and at one end of it is applied the fly wheel e, whilst the other end is
provided with a plate fand adjustable crank pin g, in order that it may
by the connecting link / give motion to a piston in the cylinder i, in
order to draw the hydrocarbon oil or a combination thereof with other
matters by the pipe from the well or reservoir j,. and force it up by
the pipe into the gas generator k in quantities capable of regulation
by the position of the crank ping in the plate f, whilst at the same
time the escape steam from the cylinder 6 passes by the pipe into a
coil contained in the reservoir k, and from which it escapes through
small passages in that coil into the generator & taking up with it the
bydrocarbon oil therefrom in a gaseous form. The combined gas thus
generated is thence conducted by a pipe m to a coil of pipes n in the
k

page_text: fire-place of the boiler a and thence to the perforated coil o where it is
ignited. The heat of the ignited combined gas or vapour at the same
time acts by heating the coils n to produce a superheating of the gas or
vapour in its passage to the coil o.
In order to obtain uniformity of pressure of the gas as generated,
the conducting pipe for the gas after its passage through the coil o in
the furnace or other place of its partial use passes by the pipe p to a
gas holder of the ordinary character for storage.
The gas generator k is provided with a cock or valve k¹ and con-
ducting pipe at the lower part thereof to facilitate the drawing off of
accumulated sediment, and such sediment as drawn off is then
conducted to a receptacle for it to be consumed whilst it is still hot for
the purpose of giving off heat.
In the event of the gas being generated too freely for present
consumption, I conduct the excess by a passage to a worm or other
arrangement of surface condenser from which it is conducted to a
gasometer.
The petroleum or other mineral oils may be combined with highly
rectified petroleum or such like spirit, so that a low pressure of
steam will in acting on such combination have the effect of liberating
gas therefrom.
Such oils may also be combined with gas tar or Stockholm tar to
render them inflammable.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, the improvements in the production of gas or vapour from
hydrocarbon oils or combinations thereof with other matters, and the
means or apparatus employed therein, substantially, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alphonse Lafargue, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.