IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Augustus Howland, Gentleman, and
..
Charles Gerald McKnight, Doctor of Medicine, both of Providence,
Rhode Island, United States of America, now of No. 8, South-
ampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Thomas Augustus
Howland and Charles Gerald Me Knight at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition and Declaration, on the
22nd November 1872, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
AUGUSTUS HOWLAND, Gentleman, and CHARLES GERALD Mª KNIGHT,
Doctor of Medicine, both of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," and have

page_text: petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto us, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made
solemn Declaration that we are the true and first Inventors thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Augustus Howland and
Charles Gerald McKnight, do hereby declare that the following Complete!
Specification, under our hands and seals, fully describes and ascertains
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed in and by the following statement:—
Our Invention relates to the production of illuminating gas by the
combination of atmospheric air with the light products of petroleum or
any other similar volatile hydrocarbon oil or spirit, but more especially
with the fluid known as "Greenough's non-explosive oxygenated fluid,"
which possesses all the valuable properties of ordinary petroleum, and is
superior thereto in its illuminating power, but is rendered inexplosive
and is therefore free from the danger attending the use of crude hydro-
carbon oils and spirits.
ت:
Our said Invention consists, first, in the production of the gas by the
admixture of atmosphere air with the hydrocarbon fluid in a gasometer
or gasholder, whence the gas is taken directly to the burners; and
secondly, in the peculiar construction of the said gasholder, and other
apparatus as hercin-after described and as illustrated in the Drawing,
in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section of a gasholder adapted
to the purposes of our said Invention, and constructed as we prefer to
have it when it is desired to supply a great number of burners from the
same.
Figure 2 is an exterior elevation of a gas holder and its adjusting
apparatus, more especially designed for household purposes.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of an apparatus for supplying gas to a
single burner according to our said Invention; Figure 4 is a plan of the
top of the same.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
In order that our method of producing gas may be clearly understood
we will first describe the gasholder shewn in Figures 1 and 2. The said
holder consists mainly of the stationary part or tank a and the moveable
part b, the tank a being filled with water in which the upper part b

page_text: rises and falls in the usual manner. It will therefore be obvious to those
familiar with the ordinary manufacture of gas that in its general
construction and arrangement our gasholder resembles those commonly
used in gas works. But to adapt the gasholder most advantageously to
the purpose of our said Invention we construct the upper part 6 with
a chamber c which has no communication with the space within the
part 6 except through the tubes e; fis a pipe for admitting air to the
gasholder, and g is a pipe leading to the main or pipe through which
the gas is supplied to the burners; h is a mast or rod secured in-a stone
block i or otherwise fixed at the bottom of the gasholder, and j is a tube
or sleeve attached to the top 6' and enclosing the rod h, the part b
being by means of this rod and sleeve guided and kept steady as it
rises and descends. k is a valve or plug for tightly closing a hole
through which the hydrocarbon liquid is introduced into the chamber or
compartment o.
In the production of gas in this apparatus we first introduce the
hydrocarbon oil or spirit through the said hole and the valve or plug k
is tightly closed. Atmospheric air is forced in through the pipe f until
the part 6 has been raised to its highest position, the said air pipe being
then closed by a suitable stop valve or cock. The air circulating
through the tubes e and chamber o is thereby impregnated with the vapor
of the said oil or spirit, and the carburetted air fills the space into which
the end of pipe 9 opens, as shewn. Then by opening a cock or valve
in this pipe the combined air and gas will be admitted to the main, and
thence conducted to the burners. The supply of this combined air and
gas or carburetted air is maintained until the gasholder descends to its
lowest position. It will then be necessary to refill it with air. This
operation will only occupy a short time even with very large gasholders,
and there will be no interruption of the light.
As will be readily understood from the above description we need no
apparatus of any kind other than that shewn, that is to say, we use
no apparatus except the gasholder itself, and to those familiar with the
manufacture of illuminating gas from coal the advantages of our
Invention will be obvious, not only in respect of the saving of the cost
of erecting the ordinary apparatus, including retorts, hydraulic main
condensers and purifyers and their connections, all of which we entirely
dispense with, but also with regard to the saving of labour and materials
and the space occupied by such apparatus.

page_text: เ
The gasholder shewn in Figure 2 is similar in its construction to that
above-described, but we have thereby illustrated the adaptation of our
Invention in a convenient manner for use in dwelling-houses, offices, and
other buildings. Usually in these cases it would not be convenient
to raise the part 6 by forcing air into the gasholder, therefore we provide
it with lifting apparatus consisting simply of a chain or rope passed
over pulleys m, and a windlass n to which the said rope or chain is
connected. When the gasholder is exhausted the part 6 is raised by
turning the windlass, the air entering through the valve o, which opens
inwardly to admit the air, but will not permit it to return. The hydro-
carbon fluid is introduced in the chamber or compartment c through
the aperture made for that purpose, and the said aperture is tightly
closed by the plug or valve k. The pipe 9 in this case leads directly to
the burners, and by means of a cock or tap in the said pipe the combined
air and gas or carburetted air may be admitted to the said burners and
regulated as desired..
=
Although we prefer to use a gasholder constructed with a chamber
or compartment for containing the hydrocarbon fluid as above described,
yet we wish it understood that we may conduct our process in a
gasholder without such chamber, as the hydrocarbon fluid may be
contained in any suitable receptacle placed within the gasholder, or it
may be placed on the surface of the water, whereon it will float by reason
of its lesser specific gravity, and the pipe for supplying the burners may
be attached to the top of the part b, instead of being passed through the
bottom of the tank a, as shewn.
The apparatus shewn in Figures 3 and 4 will be found very con-
venient in cases where it is not desirable to employ a separate gasholder.
In this apparatus the gas is generated in the vase or cup p. The latter
is preferably packed with cotton, wool, fine shavings, or other absorbent
material, which when the vase is filled with the hydrocarbon fluid
absorbs the same, so that in case the apparatus is upset or overturned
none of the fluid will be spilled. But if desired, instead of using this
absorbent material for holding the fluid, we may construct the vase with
a series of shallow trays placed one above the other, and fill these trays
with the hydrocarbon fluid. q is a series of crossed wire bars whereon
the said absorbent material rests; r, r, are rods or bars for keeping the
same in place at the top of the vase; & is the pipe leading to the
burner s¹; t is a tube or sleeve which encloses the upper part of this

page_text: below the wire bars q, the
annular space is left within
pipe within the vase, but is open at the end
said sleeve being of such a diameter that an
it around the pipe 8. The said pipe is perforated at s³ with a series
of small holes. is the plug for closing the aperture whereby the
hydrocarbon fluid is introduced, and is a small air hole through the
said plug. In using this apparatus the vase is supplied with the proper
quantity of the hydrocarbon fluid, which is taken up by the absorbent
material. By opening the cock s³ communication is established between
the interior of the vase and the burner, and the vapor or gas will be
supplied to the said burner. The escape or combustion of the gas at the
burner will produce a vacuum in the pipe s, and the air will be thereby
drawn through the air hole at the top of the vase into the fluid, being
thereby carburetted, and the combined air and vapor will pass up the
annular space within the sleeve t through the perforations &³, and down
the pipes to the burner. As the admission of air is in this case con-
tinuous the supply of gas or carburetted air will be maintained until the
hydrocarbon fluid is all exhausted, and then the vase can be refilled with
the said fluid in a few seconds. It is obvious that this apparatus may
be constructed with two or more burners instead of only one as shewn.
Having thus fully described our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we wish it understood that we claim,—
First. The production of illuminating gas by the combination or
mixture of atmospheric air with a hydrocarbon fluid within a gasholder,
from which the gas is supplied direct to the burners without the inter-
vention of other apparatus or processes, as herein described.
Second. Constructing the upper or movable part of the said gasholder
with a chamber or compartment for containing the hydrocarbon fluid,
which chamber communicates by a tube or tubes with the central space
or body of the gas holder, and providing the said gasholder with the
central rod and sleeve or other suitable guides, as herein set forth.
Third. In combination with the gasholder constructed as above-
described, the appliances for raising and lowering the upper part thereof,
as illustrated in Figure 2 of the Drawing.
Fourth. The apparatus illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawing,
consisting of the vase packed with the absorbent material (or constructed
with a series of trays), and provided with a hole for the admission of
air, and with the perforated pipe and sleeve so arranged that an annular

page_text: passage exists within the said sleeve and opens into the space below the
part containing the hydrocarbon fluid, as herein set forth and for the
purpose specified. .
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Augustus Howland and.
Charles Gerald McKnight, have hereunto set our hands and 5
seals, the Twenty-second day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
W. ROB, LAKE,
THO, AUGUSTUS HOWLAND.
(L.S.)
CHARLES GERALD Mº KNIGHT. (L.S.)
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.