IMPROVEMENTS IN GENERATORS FOR MAKING GAS FROM VOLATILE FLUIDS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Clayton, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GENERATORS FOR MAKING GAS FROM VOLATILE FLUIDS."
Sealed the 7th June 1864, and dated the 12th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Clayton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
December 1863.
I, THOMAS CLAYTON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GENERATORS FOR MAKING GAS PROM VOLATILE FLUIDS," to be as
follows:-
I employ a generator having any convenient number of divisions, according
to the number of lights required, the said divisions to be packed with sponges,
cotton, or any other porous material, and supply the divisions by an increased
number of tubes, or supply each division by one or more tubes with spirits of
petroleum, naptha, camphine, or other suitable volatile fluid. The said tubes
are connected to a trough or cistern supplied with the fluid from a holder
pro-

page_text: vided with an improved supply valve connected to a lever having a tail or arm
on the other side of its fulcrum, so placed that, when the plug at the top of
the holder is screwed in its hole, it shall come in contact with the tail or arm
of the lever, and open the valve and allow the fluid to pass to the trough ; but
when the plug is drawn to allow the holder to be refilled, the valve drops upon
its seating by its own weight, and prevents the fluid from overflowing the
trough and divisions in the generator. When the said divisions are supplied
with fluid I force through them a current of air, hydrogen gas, carbonate,
oxide, or other inflammable gases, and the combination thus formed with the
vapour or gas of the volatile fluid passes through one or more tubes to the
burner or burners; and, in order to prevent the fluid from being too much
chilled by the evaporation, I place between the trough and divisions layers of
dry sawdust, hair, or other non-conductor, which, in combination with the
improved arrangement of feeding the divisions by an increased number of
tubes, maintains the fluid at such a temperature that the evaporation continues
as long as there is a supply, and thereby a constant and permanent light can
be obtained for any required number of hours.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Clayton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CLAYTON, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give. and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Clayton, Her special license that I, the said Thomas
Clayton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the
said Thomas Clayton, 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, 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

page_text: GENERATORS FOR MAKING GAS FROM VOLATILE FLUIDS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Clayton, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 Thomas Clayton, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being had to the Figures on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings and to the 'letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 is a transverse section shewing my improvements connected to one
of the generators, and Fig. 2 a front elevation of the same with part. in
section.
I employ a generator a, having any convenient number of divisions b,
according to the number of lights required, the said divisions to be packed
with sponges, cotton, or any other fibrous material c, these divisions being fed
or supplied with liquid through a tube in each division, or with the slot or
spout d, which is connected with the feeding cistern e, and which extends
from one end of the generator to the other, thus supplying each division
equally with fine rectified spirits distilled from American or other petroleum,
oils, coal, naptha, or any other suitable volatile fluid. The feeding cistern e
is supplied with the fluid from the holder f which is above the cistern, and is
provided with an improved supply valve g connected to a lever h having a tail
or arm on the other side of its fulcrum, so placed that when the plug k at the
top of the holder is screwed in its place a wire j, being connected to the plug..
shall come in contact with the tail or arm of the lever, and open the valve and
allow the fluid to pass to the feeding cistern e, and supply the divisions on the
principle of a bird fountain; but when the plug is drawn to allow the holder
to be refilled, the valve drops upon its seating by its own weight, and prevents
the fluid from overflowing the trough and divisions in the generator. When
the said divisions are supplied with fluid I force through them a current of
air, hydrogen gas, carbonic oxide, or any other inflammable gases, and the
combination thus formed with vapour or gas of the volatile fluid passes through
one or more tubes to the burner or burners. And in order to prevent the
fluid. from being too much chilled I cause the air or gas to pass through. one

page_text: or
more pipes to an air or gas chamber m, communicating with each
division 6 by means of a small hole at the top of the division, by which means
the air or gas is equally distributed through each division in small quantities,
thereby preventing the liquid from becoming too cold by evaporation. The
air or gases are impregnated with the volatile spirits by means of their passing
through sponges or other fibrous material, thereby forming a rich compound
of burning gases, which passes through a small hole at the top of each division
into the receiving chamber n, from which it passes through the gas pipe o
to the burners. When the generator is newly charged with rich spirits
there is sometimes a tendency to smoke. And in order to prevent this defect
I connect the two pipes and o together by a small pipe and tap 'p, so that
when the tap is opened to allow a small quantity of air or other gases to pass,
it modifies the compound gases passing through the pipe o, and prevents any
smoking during combustion... I also place between the feeding cistern and
divisions layers q of sawdust, bair, or other non-conductor, which, in com-
bination with the improved arrangement of feeding the divisions by the slot d,
maintains the fluid at such a temperature that the evaporation continues as
long as there is a supply, and thereby a constant and permanent light can be
obtained for any required number of bours.
To prevent accidents from carelessness I enclose the generating box in a
metal case and fill the spaces with sand, or water and sand combined, or
other matters of a similar nature, for the purpose of maintaining the liquid at
an even temperature. And at the top of the metal case r I place one or more
sheets of wire gauze, so that if, in filling the vessel f, any liquid should be
spilled it will pass through the wire gauze and be prevented from taking fire,
and thereby prevent any possibility of danger.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim,
First, the system of dividing the generating box into a number of separate
divisions b, each division having apertures at the top communicating with the
air and gas chambers m and n..
Secondly, the separation of the feeding cistern from the generating box by
partitions containing sawdust, hair, or other non-conducting material.
Thirdly, the improved valve g worked by the plug k and rod j.
Fourthly, the connecting pipe and tap p for the prevention of smoke.
And, Fifthly, the system of enclosing the generating box and parts con-
nected with it in a case containing sand or other matters for the purpose of

page_text: equalizing the temperature of the liquid, as all such improvements are herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Clayton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Clayton, in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
THOMAS CLAYTON. (L.S.)