IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS
Year: 1870

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF GAS."-A communication from abroad by Edwin
Dodd McCracken, Henry Jotham Newton, Henry Burnham Kirk-
land, and Joseph Roderick Husson, all of the City and State of New
York, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th September 1870, and dated the 23rd July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd July 1870.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
MANUFACTURE OF GAS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide for the conversion into
incondensible, illuminating, or combustible gases, of the whole or greater

page_text: portion of the tar and condensed products ordinarily resulting from
the manufacture of illuminating gas from coal and other substances,
thereby not only effecting great economy of material and a consequent
reduction of the cost of gas, but also preventing the choking of the
passages and pipes leading from the retorts.
In carrying out the Invention superheated steam is used to effect or
aid in the decomposition of the tar and condensible matters, but instead
of introducing it directly into the retort, as has heretofore been done,
there is provided at any suitable point between the hydraulic main and
a pipe through which the tar or tarry vapors enter or re-enter, the retort
at the rear end (or at a point distant from where the gas leaves it), a
vessel or chamber in which the tar and condensed products are collected
from the hydraulic main, but through which the gas is prevented by
a liquid seal formed by the tar itself from escaping from the retort,
and from which the tar and condensed products are allowed to overflow
to the pipe above-mentioned; and the superheated steam is introduced
into this vessel or chamber, so that it passes along with the tar into
the retort vaporizing it as it does so, and preventing the carbonization
of the tar in the said pipe, and the consequent accumulation of graphite
or solid matter therein.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time

page_text: agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS," being a
communication to me from abroad by Edwin Dodd McCracken, Henry
Jotham Newton, Henry Burnham Kirkland, and Joseph Roderick
Husson, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
upon the condition. (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors 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 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to provide for the conversion into
incondensible illuminating or combustible gases of the whole or greater
portion of the tar and condensed products ordinarily resulting from the
manufacture of illuminating gas from coal and other substances, thereby
not only effecting great economy of material and a consequent reduction
of the cost of gas, but also preventing the choking of the passages and
pipes leading from the retorts.
In carrying out the Invention superheated steam is used to effect or
aid in the decomposition of the tar and condensible matters, but instead;
of introducing it directly into the retort, as has heretofore been done,
there is provided, at any suitable point between the hydraulic main and
a pipe through which the tar or tarry vapors enter or re-enter the retort
at the rear end (or at a point distant from where the gas leaves it) a
vessel or chamber in which the tar and condensed products are collected
from the hydraulic main, but through which the gas is prevented by a
liquid seal formed by the tar itself from escaping from the retort, and
from which the tar and condensed products are allowed to overflow to the

page_text: pipe above mentioned; and the superheated steam is introduced into this
vessel or chamber, so that it passes along with the tar into the retort,
thereby vaporizing it as it does so and preventing the carbonization of
the tar in the pipe and the consequent accumulation of graphite or solid
matter therein.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section
of a bench of three retorts with the present improvements applied to the
upper retort; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
The several retorts A, A, A¹³, are connected in the usual way at their
front ends or heads by stand pipes B, B, B, with the hydraulic main C.
At the rear end of the upper retort A¹ is a pipe D through which the
tar from the hydraulic main passes to the retort. Between this pipe D
and the hydraulic main is the vessel or chamber E, the lower part of
which is in constant and free communication with the lower part of the
hydraulic main by means of a pipe F, and the upper part of which com-
municates with the pipe D by means of a pipe G. The orifices of this
pipe G at its communication with the vessel or chamber E and pipe D
are so arranged as to provide for the overflow of the tar from the vessel
or chamber E to the pipe D and thence to the retort, and also to maintain
a proper level of the tar in the hydraulic main and in the vessel or
chamber E, such level being always sufficiently above the pipe F to
form a liquid seal to the pipe D and the chamber E, and thereby prevent
the gas from escaping from the retort by the pipes D and G and chamber E
to the hydraulic main. H is the pipe through which superheated steam
His
passing from a suitable generator through a proper heater enters the
vessel or chamber E above the tar therein.
The operation is as follows:-The tar from the hydraulic main C flows
freely into the lower part of the vessel or chamber E, whence it overflows
in a thin stream or film over the lower part of the pipe G and down the
inner surface of the pipe D toward the retort. The superheated steam
enters the chamber or vessel E and passes therefrom with the tar along
the pipes G and H to the retort, thereby vaporizing the tar before its
introduction into the retort. The superheated steam and vaporized tar
by entering the retort together are easily decomposed in the retort, in
which their elements recombine to produce incondensible gases, which
pass from the retort by the pipe B to the hydraulic main, whence they
pass off in the usual way to the gasometer, leaving no or very little solid
deposit adhering to the pipes D and G or to the retort. Pipes such as

page_text: D and G and a vessel or chamber E communicating with the hydraulic
main may be applied in connection with a single retort in which gas is
made from coal or other substance, or to every such retort in a bench.
Or when a bench of several retorts is used one or more retorts may be
furnished with such pipes and chamber and be used only for using up
and making gas from the tar passing over from the other retorts, the
latter being worked in the usual way. Retorts fitted up in this way may
also be used for the manufacture of gas from tar obtained from other
sources.
It is obvious that the pipes D and G are virtually portions of the
same pipe, and there may be substituted for them one continuous pipe
communicating between the vessel or chamber E and the retort.
Having now described the Invention which has been communicated
to me from abroad, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid,--
First. The introduction or reintroduction of tar and condensed
products into the retort with superheated steam employed to aid in its
decomposition, as herein described.
Second. The use of a chamber or vessel arranged between and in
communication with the hydraulic main and the rear part of the retort
as herein described, whereby provision is made for the return or flow of
the tar and condensed products from the hydraulic main to the retort.
Third. The combination with the chamber or vessel E (or any equi-
valent device) of the superheated steam pipe, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.