Improvements in Firing Retort Benches with Gas.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 7th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by RICHARD NICKERSON OAKMAN, the Younger,
of Greenfield, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman.]
Improvements in Firing Retort Benches with Gas.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of The Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the firing of retort benches with producer gas, which
forms a more or less waste product in the manufacture of water-gas, the chief
object being the production of a carburetting medium, for the carburetting of
water-gas.
The invention consists in the arrangement of means for introducing the gas and
air under pressure to the bench.
In carrying out this invention, the bench, which may be single or double, is
built up in the usual way, and an air heater, consisting of a serpentine, is provided
in front of the bench, and below ground.
In the centre of the bench, and running longitudinally thereof, is a narrow
combustion chamber, aud on either side of this chamber, and parallel therewith, is
a gas chamber. These gas chambers may consist of oblong pipes set on edge, and
connected together, at the back, by a cross passage near the top; these gas chambers
are connected by numerous short passages with the combustion chamber.
Separated from each of the gas chambers by a thin partition, is a flue through
which the waste heat from the bench passes on its way to the air heater. By this
means, the gas also becomes heated before it passes to the combustion chamber.
Below the combustion chamber, is an air chamber, from which the hot air
passes by ports corresponding with the gas passages, and meets the gas at right
angles, bursting into flames, which, issuing from the combustion chamber, heat
the retorts, and the waste heat then passes away to the air heater, as before
indicated.
Both the gas and air will be delivered under an uniform pressure.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Firing Retort Benches with Gas.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of The Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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 :—
In the manufacture of water gas, it is well known that while the fuel is being
brought to a state of high incandescence in the generator, previous to the
introduction of the steam to make the water gas, another gas, now known as
"producer" gas, is formed in large quantities.

page_text: In many instances, this gas has been simply wasted, but sometimes it is
conveyed to a holder for subsequent use, as it has been found that, under
certain conditions, it may be employed to advantage for heating purposes.
Now, the object of this invention is to make use of this so-called waste product
for "firing" or heating retorts specially designed for carburetting water gas.
To this end, the invention consists in the arrangement of means for introducing
the producer gas to the bench, and burning it under the best conditions.
In carrying out this invention, the bench, which may be single or double, is built
up in the usual way, and an air heater, consisting of a serpentine, is provided in
front of the bench, and below ground.
In the centre of the bench, and running longitudinally thereof, is a narrow
combustion chamber, and on either side of this chamber, and parallel therewith,
is a gas chamber, connected by numerous short passages with the combustion
chamber.
Separated from each of the gas chambers by a thin partition, is a flue, through
which the heat from the bench, after it has done its work in heating the retorts,
passes, on its way to the air heater. By this means, the gas also becomes heated
before it passes to the combustion chamber.
Below the combustion chamber, is an air chamber, from which the hot air passes
by ports corresponding with the gas passages, and meets the gas at right angles
bursting into flame, which, issuing from the combustion chamber, heats the
retorts, and the waste heat then passes away to the air heater, as before
indicated.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, Sheet I, is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a double bench of retorts
for effecting the purpose in view, the left hand half of the figure being a section
taken on the line B, B of Fig. 2, and the right hand half a section on the line C, C
of the same figure.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line E, E of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional plan, the left hand half of the retort bench
being taken on the line A, A, Fig. 2, and the right hand half on the line H, H,
Fig. 2, while the left hand half of the air heater is taken on the line G, G, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the bench, looking from the left hand of Figs. 1
and 3; and
Fig 5 is a rear elevation of the same, looking from the right hand of Figs. 1
and 3, with the fuel gas pipe removed.
A is an air heater, which may be of any convenient form, and is heated by the
waste gases passing away after the retorts in the bench have been heated, as will
be more fully described. hereafter; and A* are the retorts, which, in the present
case, are preferably made of iron. These retorts are provided with mouth
pieces X and ascension pipes Y, connecting the mouth pieces with the hydraulic
main Z, and are carried by fire-brick arches in the retort chamber F, in the
usual way.
W is the fuel gas pipe in connection with the gas holder, and this pipe is
connected by means of branch pipes D with the gas burners B. The burners Be
consist of metal pipes, oblong in cross section, set on edge, and two burners are
employed for each bench of retorts, the said burner pipes being connected at back
by the passage H, and at front by the passage D', so that the pressure shall be
equal on the two pipes. Near the top, these pipes B have lateral openings c, opening
into a central passage or chamber K, which is termed the combustion chamber.
Below this chamber K, and separated therefrom by a horizontal partition K',
is a second chamber K2. This chamber is an air chamber, in connection with the
air heater A by the pipe E, and this air chamber K2 communicates with
the combustion chamber K by means of the small vertical passages in the
partition K¹.
These passages f are arranged to correspond with the gas openings c, so that

page_text: the air issuing from these passages shall cross the gas issuing at cat right angles,
in order to ensure a good mixture.
Immediately outside the burners B, or separated therefrom by a thin partition,
are flues G, by which the waste gases from the bench are carried off, to heat the
air heater, before passing to the shaft.
Air to support combustion enters the heater A under pressure at V, Fig. 3.
The gas passes under pressure from the holder through the pipes D to the
burners B. The water gas to be carburetted enters the retorts by the pipes L,
and the oil for carburetting arrives by the pipe M, entering the retorts with
the gas.
All these pipes are provided with valves by which they are opened or closed
as may be required.
Although a double bench is shown in the drawings, with an air heater at
either end, it will be obvious that a single bench may be treated in the
same way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
from abroad, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In the carburetting of water gas, firing the chambers or retorts in which this
operation is effected, by means of producer gas and air delivered under pressure,
as set forth.
2. In firing retort benches with producer gas and air under pressure, the means
substantially as herein shown and described for distributing and burning the said
gas and air.
3. The method of firing retort benches with gas, which consists in supplying
producer gas and air under pressure and causing the two streams to impinge at the
point of ignition, as set forth.
4. The improvements in firing retort benches with gas, which consist in the use
of producer gas and air under pressure, and heating the same separately by means
of the waste heat passing away from the retort bench, substantially as herein
shown and described.
5. The arrangement of gas-fired retort benches for use in carburetting gas,
substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1893.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.