IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATION
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Webster, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATION."
Sealed the 18th November 1862, and dated the 2nd July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Webster at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
July 1862.
I, JAMES WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature, of the said Invention for "IMPROVED Apparatus
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATION," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improved apparatus for the manufacture of gas for illu-
mination consists in the adaptation to a vertical retort of an archimedean
screw, on which the carbonaceous matter for distillation is fed from above,
and as the distilling operation proceeds the carbonaceous matter is carried
down the retort by communicating a slow axial motion to the screw, and is
discharged in the form of coke into a suitable receptacle below.
My improved apparatus is applicable with very trifling modifications for
manufacturing gas either from coal, pent, wood, or other solid substances, or
from oils, hydrocarbons, or other liquid materials. In carrying out my Inven
tion for generating gas from solid substances I find it convenient to place a
worm wheel on the upper end of the axle of the vertical screw, which should
be made to fit or nearly so the sides of the retort. Into this worm wheel

page_text: gears a snail or worm, on one end of the axle of which is a crank or winch
handle, whereby the worm is rotated, so as to give a slow rotary motion to the
vertical screw for the purpose of carrying down the carbonaceous matters in
the retort, which is surrounded by the fire in the fire-place. The upper end
of the retort is open and terminates in a hopper, which is supplied with coal 5
or other carbonaceous material. The lower end of the retort is also open and
terminates in a close chamber below, into which the coke is discharged by the
rotation of the screw. The gas as it is driven off by the heat of the fire also
passes down into the close. chamber below, and is drawn off therefrom into
a condensing or cooling apparatus, which consists of a vertical column of 1
suitable height provided internally with a vertical screw, which fits the
interior of the column, and. therefore divides the capacity of the latter into
a helically formed passage, along which the gas is made to pass into a syphon
pipe, and from thence through a purifier into a gas holder.
•
When the apparatus is to be used for generating gas from oils or liquid
substances a reservoir containing the oil or liquid substance is placed above
the level of the retort, and a regulated quantity of the liquid is allowed to
escape from the reservoir down a syphon tube, and drop on to the thread of
the screw in the vertical retort. The screw and sides of the retort being
heated, the liquid will be distilled or vaporized, leaving a carbonaceous
residuum in the retort. The gas thereby obtained is conducted through a
condenser, and purifies into the gas holder. When the vertical screw has
become inconveniently charged with a carbonaceous deposit it may be cleaned
by working some coke or sand down the retort by causing the screw to rotate.
All the carbonaceous matter will by this means be scraped off the screw, and
will be discharged into tho close chamber below. This chamber is of courso
in all cases provided with a door or man-hole, through which the coke or
residuum of the distilling process may be removed. When operating upon
coal or solid matters the water contained in the mass will be driven off by tho
waste heat from the fire before the coal or other substance enters the retort.
Although when operating upon coal or other solid matters the vertical archi-
inedean screw must be rotated, either continuously or from time to time, it
will not be necessary that the screw should have any motion when liquid
substances are used, as the latter need only be allowed to trickle down the
heated metallic surface of the screw, and while so doing the liquid will bo
converted into gas, leaving more or less residuum. It will of course be under-
stood that, if desired, liquid and solid matters may be used in combination for
generating the gas.
'

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Webster in the Great Seal Patent Officer on the
2nd January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
5 WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suecessors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Webster, Her special licence that I, the said
James Webster, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said James Webster, my oxecutors, 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
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATION," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Webster, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 James Webster, 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 fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of improved apparatus for the manufacture of gas for illu-
mination consists in the adaptation to a vertical retort of an archimedean
screw, on which the carbonaceous matter for distillation is fed from above,
and as the distilling operation proceeds the carbonaceous matter is carried
down the retort by communicating a slow axial motion to the screw, and is
discharged in the form of coke into a suitable receptacle below.
My improved apparatus is applicable with very trifting modifications for
manufacturing gas either from coal, peat, wood, or other solid substances, or
from oils, hydrocarbons, or other liquid materials. In carrying out my Inven-

page_text: tion for generating gas from solid substances I find it convenient to place a
worm wheel on the upper end of the axle of the vertical screw, which should
be made to fit or nearly so the sides of the retort. Into this worm wheel
gears a snail or worm, on one end of the axle of which is a crank or winch
handle, whereby the worm is rotated, so as to give a slow rotary motion to the 5
vertical screw for the purpose of carrying down the carbonaceous matters in
the retort, which is surrounded by the fire in the fire-place. The upper end
of the retort is open and terminates in a hopper, which is supplied with the
coal or other carbonaceous material. The lower end of the retort is also open
and terminates in a close chamber below, into which the coke is discharged 1
by the rotation of the screw. The gas as it is driven off by the heat of the
fire also passes down into the close chamber below, and is drawn off there-
from into a condensing or cooling apparatus, which consists of a vertical
column of suitable height provided internally with a vertical screw, which fits
the iuterior of the column, and therefore divides the capacity of the other into 1
a helically-formed passage, along which the gas is made to pass into a syphon
pipe, and from thence through a purifier into a gasholder.
When the apparatus is to be used for generating gas from oils or liquid
substances a reservoir containing the oil or liquid substance is placed above
the level of the retort, and a regulated quantity of the liquid is allowed to
escape from the reservoir down a syphon tube, and drop on to the thread of
the screw in the vertical retort. The screw and sides of the retort being
heated, tho liquid will be distilled or vaporizer, leaving a carbonaceous
residuum in the retort. The gas thereby obtained is conducted through a
condenser and purifier into the gasholder. When the vertical screw has s
become inconveniently charged with a carbonaceous deposit it may be cleaned
by working some coke or sand down the retort by causing the screw to rotaté.
All the carbonaceous matter will this means be scraped off the screw, and
will be discharged into the close chamber below. This chamber is of course
in all cases provided with a door or man-hole, through which the coke or
residuum of the distilling process may be removed. When operating upon
coal or solid matters, the water contained in the mass will be driven off by the
waste heat from the fire before the coal or other substance enters the retort.
Although when operating upon coal or other solid matters the vertical archi-
medean screw must be rotated, either continuously or from time to time, it
will not be necessary that the screw should have any motion when liquid
substances are used, as the latter need only be allowed to trickle down the
heated metallic surface of the screws, and while so doing the liquid will be
converted into gas, leaving more or less residuum. It will of course be under-
'

page_text: generating gas.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Sheet A represents the apparatus in elevation; Sheet B, the same in
vertical section.
:
(S, Sheet B,) shews a vertical archimedean screw, adapted to a vertical
retort (R) upon the screw (S); the carbonaceous matter for distillation is fed
from above, and as the distilling operation proceeds the carbonaceous matter is'
carried down the retort by a slow axial motion communicated to the screw (S),
and is discharged in the form of coke into a suitable receptacle below. The
apparatus with trifling modifications is applicable to the manufacture of gas
from either coal, pent, wood, or other solid substances, or from oils, hydro-
carbons, or other liquid materials. In making gas from solid substances I
prefer to carry out the operation in the following manner :-I place a worm
wheel (W) upon the upper end of the axle of the vertical screw (S), which
screw should be made to fit or nearly fit the sides of the retort (R); into
this worm wheel (W) gears a snail or worm (X), on one end of whose
axle (X) is a crank or winch handle (H), by means of which crank the
worm may be rotated, so as to give a slow rotary motion to the vertical
screw (S), for the purpose of carrying down the carbonaceous matter in the
retort (R), which is surrounded by the fire. The upper end of the retort is
open, terminating in a hopper (Z), which is supplied with the coal or other
carbonaceous matter. The lower end of the retort (R) is also open, termi-
nating in a closed chamber (C), into which chamber the coke is discharged
upon
the rotation of the screw (S). The gas as it is driven off by the heat
of the fire also descends into the close chamber (C), whence it is drawn into
a condensing or cooling apparatus consisting of a vertical column (V) of
sufficient height, provided internally with a vertical screw (Y) fitting the
internal diameter of the column (V), and thus deviding the capacity of the
interior of the column (V) into a helically-formed passage, through which
the gas is made to pass into a syphon pipe (P), and thence through a
purifier (F) into the gasholder (G).
Sheet A shews the additional appliances required for distilling gas from oils,
bydrocarbons, or other liquid substances, for which purposes a reservoir (R')
is to be attached above the level of the retort; this reservoir (R¹) is for the
purpose of containing the oil or other fluid; from this reservoir it is allowed to
escape down the syphon tube (T), and drop on to the thread of the screw in
the vertical retort. The screw and sides of the retort being heated by the

page_text: action of the fire surrounding them, the liquid will be distilled or vaporized,.
leaving a carbonaceous residuum in the retort. The gas thus obtained is led
through a condenser and purifier into a gasholder, as before described. Should
the vertical screw (S) become inconveniently charged with a carbonaceous
deposit, it may be cleaned by working coke or sand down the retort by
rotating the screw (S). All carbonaceous matter may thus be removed and
discharged into the close chamber (C). This chamber is of course provided
with a door or man-hole through which the coke or residuum of the distilling
process may be removed. In operating upon coal or other solid carbonaceous
substances the water contained in the mass will be driven off by the waste
heat from the fire before the coal or other carbonaceous substance enters the
retort. The rotation of the vertical archimedean screw (S), whether it be
continuous or intermittent, applies only to the making of gas from solid sub-
stances. It is not at all necessary that there should be any rotary motion of
the screw (S) when liquid materials are employed, as such substances need
be applied only in such form, that they may be allowed to trickle gently down
the heated metal surface of the screw, in which operation the liquid will be
converted into gas, leaving more or less residuum according to circumstances.
Solid and liquid substances may be used in combination, if desired.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I claim the improved apparatus for the
manufacture of gas by the employment of a vertical archimedean screw in a
vertical retort, and the vertical screw condenser, as herein more fully set forth
and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Webster, have hereunto set my
hand. and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord' One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JAMES WEBSTER. (L.B.)