IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE SAME, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Walter Peter Cherry and Charles
Edwin Cherry at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th
December 1876.
WALTER PETER CHERRY and CHARLES EDWIN CHERRY, both of Porter Street,
Hull, in the County of York, Plumbers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF GAS FOR ILLUMINATING AND HEATING PURPOSES, AND IN APPARATUS FOR THE
SAME, PARTS OF WHICH ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Our Invention consists in the first place of dissolving in water nitrate of soda or
chlorate of potash or other ingredient capable of giving off oxygen, so that when
the water is boiled in a suitable apparatus it will produce more oxygen in the steam
than is contained in steam generated from water alone.
And the second part of our Invention consists of an arrangement of retorts or
apparatus whereby coal, peat, wood, coke, charcoal, or any carbonaceous substance
is completely converted into gas by passing the oxygenated steam through the car-
bonaceous substances contained in the retorts which are heated to a sufficiently high
temperature.
And the third part of our Invention consists of an arrangement of hydraulic
apparatus or air-tight chambers charged with water and benzoline or petroleum
spirit whereby the said oxygenated steam, after passing through the said car-
bonaceous substances contained in the said retorts, passes through a communicating
pipe to an hydraulic apparatus or air-tight chambers, and thence through the same
to produce the required illuminating and heating gas.
The apparatus for producing the oxygenated steam consists of a boiler supplied
with the dissolved nitrate of soda and water by any of the ordinary means; the
boiler is heated by any means so as to produce steam; the retorts for holding the
coal, peat, wood, coke, or other carbonaceous substances consist of one, two, or more,
and are made of fire-clay or other suitable material, and made of a particular
shape so as to completely convert the contents into gas; the retorts are heated by
fire suitably arranged. The hydraulic apparatus or air-tight chambers, which contain
water and benzoline or petroleum spirit, consist of a series of air-tight chambers
fitted with a series of partitions and pipes for conducting the gas in and out of the
water and benzoline, or petroleum spirit on its passage through the same; the said
hydraulic apparatus or air-tight chambers may be made any shape desired, and is
provided with taps or valves so as to charge the interior of the apparatus with

page_text: water and benzoline or petroleum spirit, and is also provided with taps or valves
to let off the same when required.
When each of the above-described apparatus are connected together by means of
pipes communicating one to the other, and in order to produce the required illu-
minating and heating gas, the oxygenated steam from the boiler under pressure
passes through the communicating pipe to the retorts and through the contents of
the same, and thence through the communicating pipe to the hydraulic apparatus,
and thence through the same, and passes through the communicating pipe to the
gas holder or to the burner to be consumed or otherwise; the hydraulic apparatus
or air-tight chambers may be used for carburetting or purifying other gases.
.