CERTAIN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS FOR ILLUMINATION, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO RETORTS FOR DISTILLING PYROLIGNEOUS ACID AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1848

page_text: T
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BARNES, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Gas Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Sixth day of June, in the eleventh year of Her
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-
eight, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Barnes, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Richard Barnes, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Richard Barues, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and
Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GAS FOR ILLUMINATION, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO RETORTS FOR DISTILLING PYROLIGNEOUS ACID AND
OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that I, the said Richard Barnes, shall cause a particular description of the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Barnes, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following expla-
nation thereof (that is to say):
:-
My improved apparatus for manufacturing gas for illumination applies
chiefly to the distillation and manufacture of ordinary gas from coal for the use
of small consumers, such as being applicable to lighting mills, manufactories,
dwelling-houses, or for other domestic purposes, and consists,-
First, in an improved construction or arrangement of stove and retort for
generating the gas, the mouth of the retort being closed by a cover, which is
rendered gas-tight by a water joint.
Secondly, in the peculiar construction and general arrangement of the
refrigerator, condensor, wash vessel, purifier, and gasometer, as adapted to such
purposes.
And, thirdly, that part of my Invention which is applicable to retorts for
distilling pyroligneous acid and other similar purposes consists in the appli-
cation of the method of closing the mouth of the retort by means of a water
joint, in a similar manner to the gas retorts above named.
The method of carrying my improvements into practical effect will be better
explained and more readily understood by referring to the two Sheets of Draw-
ings accompanying these Presents, in which Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation
of the stove and retort, and Fig. 2 is a section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical
section of the refrigerator, hydraulic main, condensor, wash vessel, purifier, and
gasometer or gas-holder. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the refrigerator taken
through the line A, B, in Fig. 5, which is a plan view of the same.
In Sheet 2 of the Drawings, Fig. 1 is an horizontal section of the condensor,
purifier, and hydraulic main taken through about the line C, D, in Fig. 3
(Sheet 1). Fig. 2 (Sheet 2) is an horizontal section of the stove and retort.
The stove a, a, is formed of fire brick, and cased with iron, the sides being
built up around a tile which forms the bottom of the stove. The retort b, b,
is suspended in the interior of the stove by means of the flange c, which rests
upon two bars of iron d, d, extending across the stove underneath the top
plate of the same, and supported by the brickwork. The mouth of the retort
is closed by the cover e, e, which is rendered gas-tight by its outer rim resting
in the groove f, f, which is filled with water. The evaporation of the water
is in a great measure prevented by the water joint f, f, being isolated from the
retort, as seen in Sheet 1, Fig. 2, of the Drawings, and the radiation of heat
from the outside of the retort and consequent evaporation of the water in the

page_text: The
water joint f, f, is further obviated by the thin plate g, g. The mouth of the
retort is also further sealed by the tar, &c. falling into the groove f*, which is
formed around the neck thereof; and part of the cover dipping into the same
effectually prevents the escape of the gas. The fuel is applied to the stove
through an opening at the top shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, Sheet 2;
and atmospheric air is admitted in front by the openings h, h; or the openings
may, if preferred, be made at the side of the stove. The flue i, leading to the
chimney is at the back (see Fig. 2, Sheet 2), and is cased with a fire-clay
pipe. is a door in front of the stove, for the purpose of clearing out the
ashes when necessary. k is the cage or cradle for containing the coal or
cannel from which the gas is to be made. 1 is a pipe for conveying the gas
from the retort to the refrigerator m, m, m. One end of the tube is
T-shaped, and is ground and fitted into the cover e, e, of the retort.
refrigerator m, m, m, is formed of three or more hollow cylinders, so arranged
as to admit of a free circulation of air on all sides. n is the pipe leading from
the refrigerator to the hydraulic main o, the joint between the refrigerator and
the hydraulic main being made gas-tight by means of water. p is the pipe
leading from the hydraulic main to the condensor q, q, q, which extends around
the inside of the water tank r, r, nearly its entire circumference.
s is a pipo
leading from the condensor to the wash vessel t, t. The top t* of the said
vessel is grooved or fluted in a longitudinal direction. It is also furnished
with perforated plates u, u, u. is a pipe leading from the wash vessel to
the dry lime purifier w, which is also kept gas-tight by a water joint. x is
the gasometer or gas-holder, which is made telescopic; and the man-way y
is closed by a water joint. z is the pipe for conveying the gas from the
gasometer to the burners.
The method of working the apparatus is as follows:-The water joints, tank
wash vessel, &c., being all charged with water, as shewn in Sheet 1 of the
Drawings, a fire is to be lighted in the stove a, and when the retort is at a red
heat the cradle k, charged with cannel or coal, must be placed therein, and the
retort closed by the cover e. The T-shaped head of the tube / is then fitted
into the opening in the cover e, and the gas which is evolved from the coal or
cannel in the cage k passes up the tube e* of the retort cover, along the pipe
to the refrigerator, and circulates through the same in the direction shewn by the
arrows. The tar, &c. which is thrown down from the gas in cooling falls into
the vessel at the bottom of the refrigerator, and descending the pipe l, falls
into the red-hot coke in the retort, and is again distilled and converted into
gas. The gas, after being partially cooled in the refrigerator, passes down
the tube n, through the hydraulic main o, and down the pipe p into the
condensor q, q, which being exposed on one side to the water in the tank 1, r,

page_text: and on the other to the atmosphere, thoroughly cools and condenses the gas,
the tar, &c., passing off into a suitable vessel placed below the condensor.
The gas then descends the tubes to the wash vessel t, t, and passing through
the perforated plates u, u, and the water in the wash vessel, becomes thoroughly
broken and washed. The gas then passes upwards through the pipe 2, and
through the lime in the purifier w, into the gasometer x. The advantage of
placing the purifier inside the gasometer is, that the whole of the gas contained
in the gasometer is at all times subjected to the purifying influence of the lime.
As soon as the charge of cannel or coal in the retort has been sufficiently
distilled the pipe l is to be raised up out of the way, and the cover e of the
retort withdrawn; tho cage k, containing the red-hot coke, is then to be
removed and deposited in the extinguisher (a section of which is represented
in Fig. 3, Sheet 2), and a fresh charge substituted.
The extinguisher is composed of an outer casing 1, and an inner cylinder 2,
the space between which is filled up with sand. The cage of coko being
deposited in the cylinder 2, the cover 3 is placed over it, and the rim being
pressed into the sand effectually prevents the escape of any noxious vapours,
and at the same time, by excluding atmospheric air, extinguishes the fire and
allows the coke to cool.
In the application of my Invention to the manufacture of pyroligneous
acid, and other similar purposes, the method of closing the mouth of the retort
by means of a water joint is the same, care being taken to isolate the water as
much as possible, to prevent evaporation. By this means of closing tho retort
all unpleasant smell is prevented, and a great saving of time effected, as the
charge may be withdrawn and renewed at any time, without waiting for the
apparatus to cool.
Having now described the nature and object of my said improvements,
together with the method of carrying the same into practical effect, I would
remark, in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention,―
First, the construction of the stove without grate or bars, but having open-
ings in the front or at the side; and the method of closing retorts used in the
manufacture of coal gas, pyroligneous acid, or other similar purposes, by
means of a cover, which is kept air-tight by a water joint; and,
Secondly, the peculiar construction and general arrangement of the
refrigerator, condensor, wash vessel, purifier, and gasometer, as exhibited in
the Drawings annexed, and above more particularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Barnes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
RICHARD (L.s.) BARNES.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fifth day of December,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Richard Barnes came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Insolled the Sirth dow of December in the waar above written.